A Pinterest inspired purchase

To all of y'all who have been following my blog for a while, you know that I am pretty much obsessed with Pinterest. In fact, I often tell my close friends that I wish I could live 1/2 of the life that I pin. I'd be the world's best cook, best dressed, and most inspirational gal with a killer body. I'd have unlimited funds that would allow me to design a house that every home and garden magazine would feature on their front cover and I'd have a lot of free time to volunteer and attempt DIY projects.

Although this is clearly not my reality, lately I have been telling people that I want to take action and re-create the multiple images that I pin and like on the website. I thought I was going to start off with a new recipe but there was a slight change of plans because my friend V hooked me up with a legit coupon to Macy's this morning. It was too good to pass and I instantly asked myself, "Why not get the white Michael Kor's watch you pinned a few weeks ago!?"

Source

I am not one to spend money on myself but I couldn't get the phrase "treat yo self" out of my mind all day. (PLUS I had a coupon). I'm glad I listened to my inner voice and headed straight to the store after work. Not going to lie- pretty excited about my new Pinterest-inspired addition to my watch collection! What do y'all think of my new purchase?

Thanks, V!

P.S.- If you are totally confused about what Pinterest is (cough... Mama), feel free check our this website so you can get down with the lingo.

The power of being gentle

I swear the universe was on my side today when I encountered a friend's tweet about "A love letter for anyone who needs some calm and kindness in their life." He shared a link to Sarah Lillian O'Connell's powerful words that could not have come at a better time for me. I hope her message also resonates with you because I've discovered that too often it's easy to forget the importance of being gentle.

Be Gentle

Be gentle with yourself.

Walk with purpose and poise.

A stubbed toe can bring down the best of us.

Be kind to yourself.

Mistakes do not define us.

A typo in an email or missed appointment is not representative of our character.

Be aware of your environment.

Surround yourself with beauty.

If you can’t afford beauty, find a park, a free museum, a clear sky.

Be in touch with yourself.

Release your pain with physical acts.

Run fast or run slow, cry hard or cry loud – how else can one feel alive?

Be mindful of yourself.

Allow a screenless silence into your day.

Put away the phone, the laptop; turn off the TV, the radio.

Be present to those around you.

Loved ones reflect the best in ourselves and in the world.

Walk your dog, hug your cat; kiss your partner, your mom, your best friend.

Be gracious for what you have.

Physical objects are temporal; they cannot define you.

Don’t buy the curtains or new purse; find joy in a clean home and a favorite shirt.

Be trusting of the future.

Worry cannot create a new reality.

Put your faith in God, the universe, your family, yourself – whoever speaks to you.

Be gentle with yourself.

Making it right

Truth moment: I haven't worked out since my blog post, Pity party for one. For those of you who hate doing quick math in your head, that's 13 days of coming up with excuses and pretending that there wouldn't be any consequences for my actions. At first it was legit. I was sick for a couple of days and it would not have benefited anyone for me to hit up the gym. But those days quickly turned into a week and I was on a one-way street to destruction.

The worst part about my lack of exercise is that I noticed a difference in all aspects of my life. During those 13 days, I felt off because I wasn't sleeping as well, food impacted me differently because I was eating out for too many meals, and I was noticing that I was unnecessarily bringing negative energy to my life. At first I thought it was because of the awful weather we've been experiencing in the Midwest but then I had my "ah ha...get real" moment yesterday morning when I was walking up the stairs at work and noticed that it took a little bit more energy out of me than it should have and my pants were feeling snug! That had nothing to do with you, Mother Nature. It was all about me and the decisions I was making; It was time for this girl to get back to the gym, especially because I signed up to run the Chicago Women's Half Marathon & 5k in June.

I'm glad that I made a you-turn from the destructive road that I was on and am now headed in the right direction. I ran a few miles last night, participated in my favorite fitness class WERQ, had dinner at home, and slept like a baby! I felt so great when I woke up this morning that I did Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred with my roommate and made myself a delicious veggie omelet for breakfast. We all have bad days that impact the decisions we make. But we have to be true to ourselves and take ownership of them. As the saying goes: life is not about making the right decision. It's about making a decision and make it right. So, this girl decided to make things right by deciding to get back on the bandwagon/my workout routine because...

Another Year Down, Another Year Blessed!

There is something about birthdays that makes you feel like you are the most loved person in the world! Thank you friends, family, and colleagues for the touching cards, amazing gifts, phone calls, text messages, social media shout outs, delicious meals, and for playing such an important role in my life. If this next year is indicative of how happy I was on April 11, I know that there are good things in store for me.

A few of my closest girlfriends got together for dinner at Girl & the Goat. Although I don't usually like tapas restaurants, Girl & the Goat may be one of my new favorite restaurants in the city! My friend S had to make reservations months in advance so make sure to plan accordingly when you check it out. (It's that good- you will thank me later!). Make sure you get the Pig Face, Scallops, and Mussels! 

Cheers to be 20 something years old! Don't we all stop counting after 21 ;)

With love, A

Pity party for one

Thank goodness for hot tea!

This morning I literally woke up on the wrong side of the bed- sore throat, no voice, bad cough, achy stomach, and an intense feeling of guilt because I knew I couldn't make it to work today. (YES, I managed to "score" an invite to a pity party for one... but, unfortunately, I really don't feel well at all!) I'll spare you and won't go into detail about how awful I feel (you're welcome) because the poem I found, below, this morning when I goggled "sick of being sick" describes my status well.

Being sick clouds my mind

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I am sick  I feel like crap  my nose is leaking  just want to nap  My sight is blurry  my throat just hurts  read medicine labels  for caution alerts  been drinking juices  and blowing my nose  my body screams aches  from head to my toes  won't go to the doctor  will just stay in bed  while gibberish poems  dance in my head  just watching TV  screening old movies  will old characters help  and simply behoove me  I'm seeking ideas  my head in a cloud  quiet shy ladies  or men who are loud  The story lines blur  as I fall fast asleep  thoughts are all jumbled  some goofy some deep  I wake up and ponder  what time is it now  juice and more vitamins  give false hope somehow  I hate being sick  my mind doesn't work  I wish I was healthy  my normal self quirk. 

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(Source)

Marching Through Life

Hello Friends,

Am I the only person who woke up today, shocked, that it's already April!?  Anyone else agree that we are quickly "marching" through life these days? Seriously, every day I gain a better understanding of the phrase, "Time flies." Perhaps I should embrace the saying YOLO (you only live once) because this lady is not getting any younger!

Speaking of, today marks the beginning of my birthday month! Yes, I am one of those over-the-top people! Before some of you judge me, hear me out for one quick second. I love birthdays because it's a great opportunity for me to reflect and it encourages me to set personal goals for the upcoming year. Don't worry my new year resolution accountability partners, my birthday goals are always part of my year- long goals. I'll follow up with my list once it's finalized.

On another note, remember how I told y'all in my blog post New Year, New Natu that I wanted to re-create my self this year? Well, I kind of did something big this past weekend to hold me accountable to my goal....

YES, the rumors are true! I got a short and sassy new look because sometimes a change will do you good! What do y'all think? Also, please keep me posted on recent changes to your life. Happy April, everyone.

Waking up in Vegas

View from my hotel

Happy Sunday, dear friends. You have not heard from me in a while because I was in Paradise (according to Facebook check-in) Las Vegas, Nevada for the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) conference. Some benefits of my week-long trip included: the beautiful weather, relaxing by the pool, reuniting with amazing colleagues and friends, expanding my network, reaffirming my strong desire to go back to school, attending great sessions, and maintaining my workout regime. However, there are some things I could have gone without: the ability for individuals to smoke everywhere, my poor eating habits, the feeling of living out of a suitcase, the constant invitations to go to a club, and never mastering the ability to navigate my way through the casinos.

Despite my critique of Vegas, I am glad I was able to visit a new city because I prioritize traveling and exploring new places. I'm not sure if it's me or the fact that I was there for work but my time there was nothing close to the stereotypical Vegas experience. I did not gamble or go to any clubs and I got a full night sleep every day! Therefore, the saying "what happens to Vegas, stay is Vegas" is not true for this girl. In fact, I'd love to share some important messages I took away from attending the conference; I love that this insight is not limited to higher education faculty and staff.  Let me know if the words below inspire you. Happy reading!
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"What are you going to do to deepen your learning about your identities in the next month, six months, and year? Who are some people you can enlist to help out with this self exploration?"

"How will you model this self-work for the students and staff you work with?"

"We all need to be in charge of telling our own stories."

"How many times have we talked about our careers and not just our job?"

"Fear keeps us in the same place doing the exact same thing. You can't be a rookie all of your career and your whole life.""

"The consummate professional is always looking."

"Are you where you want to be? Do you have a vision of your new career? Do you know how to get from here to there?"

"Are your present skills and experience a good fit?"

"Establish an executive board for yourself."

"Stories can be remembered and retold, unlike data."

"We need to get better at sales. If a student comes into my office having got what he or she needs, that's good customer service."

"Portray yourself as average and that's all you'll ever be."

"Make a memorable first impression. Remember everyone has a perception of what they think of you."

"When you've worked hard and done well and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you don't slam it shut behind you. You reach back and give other folks the same chance that helped you succeed."

"Communicate your heart and soul first. Your involvement at work and your environments should be transformational."

"Is how you see yourself and how the world sees you congruent?"

"How much time do you spend reflecting on who you are? The better you know yourself and reflect, the better you can define what brand you want to share"

"Your contributions= the substance of your brand."

"You can spend all this time getting ready but not having anything to bring to the table."

"Regarding social media...you are not alone and people are watching! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc is a newspaper, not a diary."

"The things we tell our students are not too far from where we need to be."

"Today... define who you are.
Tomorrow... share it with the world."

"Our brand is all of the physical communication and human interactions that our audience or community have with us."

"Keep in mind that it's your time to start working on you."

"Your brand is the interplay between how much you are developing an affinity for others and how others develop and affinity for you. As you go through this, develop clarity."

"Find 5 people and ask them what word they think of you."

"If you don't know where you come from, you are a lost person."

"It's important for everyone to know that we can do a lot of things together."
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P.S. Please allow me to toot my own horn for a second by sharing that attending this conference compliments my New Year, New Natu goals to broaden my potentials and prioritize my relationships. Considering that it's March, how's your progress of working towards achieving your goals going? I told you that we'd hold one another accountable so keep me posted on your status!