Guard Your Heart

As the month of February comes to a close, we cheer being one month closer to spring! (Well, at least I do.) February is more than just a waiting period for spring though, it happens to be National Heart Month! So, in honor of National Heart Month, here is a link to the American Heart Association's guide to eating healthy while on-the-go. March also happens to be National Nutrition Month (noticing a trend here?) so, let's get geared up for March with another article courtesy of the AMA about Healthy Diet Goals.

What do you do to stay healthy? What are your struggles? Personally, I am lucky because I love healthy foods - fresh fruits and veggies, fish, lean protein like chicken and turkey. I am great when dining out - but struggle to prepare healthy meals at home. I lack the interest in cooking... the food network bores me to tears. I'd rather watch paint dry. So one of my goals for this year is to cook at home more, maybe the more I do it, I'll be more interested in learning new recipes, etc.

I know that when I prepare healthy snacks ahead of time - I am so glad I did. It's so easy to grab a bag of carrot sticks on your way out the door instead of a handful of M&Ms, and you feel much better later!

Share your tips on healthy eating on-the-run, or tips on how to get started cooking healthy meals at home! (Because my husband is getting tired of eating cereal for dinner!)

Worth the Price-Tag?

Check out these adorable, office-friendly pumps from Cole Haan, found on Zappos.com, they are marked down to $277.95. Personally, I have never spent that much on one pair of shoes in my life. I'm not quite sure I am ready to, either. That said, I constantly wear sky-high heels and have to beg my husband to rub my feet every night. I have heard that the higher-priced, designer shoes are more comfortable.

Have any of you spent this much on a pair of designer shoes and been satisfied with the comfort level? Are they really more comfortable, or do people just say that?

Personally, I love this deep red pair, perfect to add punch to a work suit without being too flashy.

Bargain!

Cute sheath dress found on BlueFly.com - ABS by Allen Schwartz in olive, for lucky size medium only! I for one love the unusual color - it's different, but not too bright or flashy for the workplace.

World Traveler

Do you travel for work? Whether you travel all the time, or haven't traveled yet, there's always a few lessons to be learned and shared! When a business trip - especially an overnighter - pops up on your work calendar, there are few things to consider. Traveling for women usually results in a long list of things to do anyway - but the list for a business trip is a bit different than a personal trip.

First things first - your luggage. When traveling for work, don't bring your hot pink luggage, or cutesy-patterened bags. You're a corporate chickee now, so look like one! I prefer a nice set of red luggage, like this American Tourister suitcase in red, from Macy's. This way it's not black or gray, and easy to identify in baggage claim, and it's fashionable, but also professional. And, don't forget about your luggage tag. Make it professional-looking to match, and instead of your handwritten home address, tuck a business card inside.

Related to luggage... especially when traveling in a group, or with men, pack light! It's just not worth the razzing you'll get if you bring two bags while your travel companions bring just a tote. Yes, we need more than men usually do for an overnight trip - but trust me, pack light and you won't regret it. One easy way to pack light is to pack smart! You don't need a different pair of shoes for each day, or a fresh, full suit each day. Packing items that mix and match will allow you to bring one or two pairs of shoes, a suit with pants and a skirt and a few tops, blazers, and cardigans, and be prepared for a week of meetings. Pack outfits that can easily go from boardroom to dinner with just taking off your blazer, or another simple step, so you don't appear high-maintence by having to go back to the hotel to dress for dinner. A great item to pack is the black or gray sheath dress. Pair it with a blazer or cardigan for day, wear it solo with pearls or other statement jewelry for night! Here's a great article found on WorkChic.com with more tips on how to pack for a business trip.

Finally, the details! Channel your inner boy scout and Be Prepared. Don't head out for a business trip fresh from a manicure without nail polish remover, cotton balls, and touch-up polish. Nothing is worse than having chipped nail polish at a meeting and not having the polish on-hand for touchups. When traveling, I usually avoid statement nail colors and stick to clear or neutral shades to keep mishaps at a minimum. If you do ever find yourself without essentials like a razor, toothbrush, or other toiletry, call the hotel concierge. Depending on the level of hotel you're staying at, they'll either bring the missing item up to your room pronto, or sell it at the front desk.

Last but not least, the best travel tip I've ever received, from my Dad - a seasoned corporate traveler. Always carry-on when possible, and if you must check baggage, keep the necessities in your carry-on. That means - important documents you might need for your meetings or presentations, as well as some personal items like any medication, a change of underwear, contact lenses, anything you might need to get by on just your carry-on for one night. Airlines do lose luggage - so keep enough with you to get through one night without your checked bag. Remember that most hotels offer laundry services, so if your bag is lost you can wash and re-wear what you have on you (or with you) until your luggage is recovered and returned. Happy Traveling!

Sleep Deprived

Who doesn't love some Olympic drama? I certainly do! I love watching the Olympics, hearing the stories of these athletes from all over the world (but especially our USA teams!) and how hard they have trained for so long, to finally be here and compete.... oh how I love it.

The downside is that I'm staying up late each night to watch! Which brings me to a major topic - sleep deprivation! I used to keep a great schedule - I would be in bed around 9:30pm each night, clothes laid out for work, lunch packed and ready to go, gym bag waiting by the door... until my husband (then-boyfriend) moved in with me. He works later hours than I do, so he's not usually getting home until 9:30pm at the earliest, which means that rather than be in bed at 9:30pm, I'm up waiting to see him and spend some time with him before I go to bed. Which translates to both of us falling asleep on the couch, waking up at midnight (or later) and going to bed.

Then I wake up in the morning, exhausted, with no clothes laid out, no lunch packed, no gym bag ready and waiting for me... and no coffee pot set! I've noticed I am getting worse about this during the Olympics. I found a great article on MSN.com, 5 Surprising Signs You're Sleep Deprived. So often we think, I'm just a little sleepy today, but don't realize that being over-tired all the time can affect our job performance, our health, safety, and even our happiness!

That in mind... here's another great article from Prevention.com, Secrets of 5 High Energy Women. I don't know about you but I can definitely take a cue from these chickees. Now armed with these great resources, I'm going to make an effort to hit the sack at a reasonable hour, so I can enjoy my mornings like I used to!

(Also, I don't know about you, but I cannot wait to wake up to sunshine again... spring, please come soon!)

Valentine's Day!

My husband sent me pink tulips at work today! (Tulips are my favorite!) Nothing like out-of-the-blue flowers delivered to your office to brighten your day!

Bargain!

Check out this adorable sweater from Banana Republic- great for those days when you really want to be comfy, but can't get away with a hoodie at work! Marked way down from $110 to $49.99, but only available for lucky sizes large & extra large. Super-cute and comfy, but looks polished and put together at the same time.

Rants & Raves

Happy Almost-Friday!

Rants:

Clients who make you do all kinds of custom work for you... only to change their minds 6 months later and expect you to be able to undo it all in thirty seconds.

People who ask you to do

something and give you very little information. Then berate you later because you didn't know what they didn't tell you.

Clients who have 64,000 people working on one project. Who all email you 800 times a day asking the same questions over and over until they get the answer they want.

Snarky work-related emails.

People who send you nasti-grams ... then when you call to clear up any miscommunications they don't answer and send you another nasti-gram saying you need to get on the same page.

Drivers who panic-brake. (Brake constantly on the road every time the wind blows.) Do they realize that letting up on the gas has the same effect?

People who say, "it is what it is." Really? Thanks captain obvious.

Raves:

Starbucks.

Staying in hotels just for the fun of it.

Steam showers.

Dark nail polish.

Gummy bears.

Fresh flowers in bright colors.

Fit Chickee

I just found this great article on yoga poses to stretch at your desk! We all know long hours at the office add up, and before you know you're scrambling for a massage appointment because you can hardly move.

Prevent that - and check out this article, Office Stretch posted on TheOfficeStylist.com.

Steal!

Check out this adorable coat from Victoria's Secret, marked down from $168 to $49.99! It's only available for lucky sizes 2, 4, and 6, in either cobalt blue, winter white, or black. If I didn't already have a winter white dress coat, I would definitely go for this one! What a bargain!

FOUND: Great Mascara

I finally found a great mascara that I love! I have naturally very dark eyelashes, so I had gotten in the habit of not wearing any at all - or wearing clear mascara to avoid the Elvira-look. Lately, I have noticed pictures of myself and you can hardly see my eyelashes! So, I went on a hunt for a good mascara. I found it at Urban Decay.

This basic-black mascara has an applicator that's more like a comb than a brush - so it goes on smooth and clump free. And, with the comb you have more control how you apply it - so for work I can wear just a hint of mascara, and for nights I can put on two coats for a more dramatic look!

Cabin Fever

I am getting things ready to leave for our long weekend... as I was running around Target last night getting the last few things I needed for the weekend, I found some beautiful basic pieces, like cardigans and simple tops - but in bright colors. I loved a bright tangerine cardigan, and I love this cheery yellow one, too - also from Target. It reminds me spring and sunshine!

I also love these two outfits from Maurices, which both feature the same bright, tropical-ocean-blue color. This time of year when it's cold and dreary, but still have at least 3 months before the first hint of spring... it's a

great time to infuse some bright, sunny colors into our wardrobes!

So, this weekend go find yourself a nice, bright spring color to add into your wardrobe - so that even though its still winter, you can bring your own little patch of sunshine with you to work!

Outside of shopping there are other ways to get through the winter doldrums. My personal favorite? Don't sleep in too long on the weekends... and open all your blinds/shades/drapes and let the morning sun pour in! (Assuming there is sun that day.) I love to sit down in my sunroom, with a big mug of steaming coffee, and a great book and indulge in the sunshine while I read for hours.

What else can we do to beat the winters? Check out this article from SparkPeople.com with some great ideas! Living in the midwest we definitely struggle with the January/February/March blues. Besides Valentine's Day - which is really just a Hallmark holiday - there's not much to look forward to. We've started booking our annual vacations in April, which gives us something to look forward to, and brings back fond memories of Spring Break as a kid! If you can't book a vacation, there are lots of other things you can do. For one - get outside! Yes, it's still freezing, so bundle up first, but then take in the glory of a quite winter morning. The air has never smelled so clean, and the way the sunlight is magnified by a white blanket of snow all around? Beautiful.

Sleeping Beauty

I was late to work today. I honestly have no idea what happened - one of those days where you set the alarm for the right time, hit snooze once or twice, and next thing you know it's been 45-minutes. Oops! In honor of my lateness... a funny article courtesy of MSN.com Careers with some great excuses for being late!

In all reality though, they touch on a good point. Just setting foot in the door at 8:00am (or whatever time your day starts) does not constitute being on-time. As a good employee, you really should be at your desk, computer up and running, beginning your work at 8:00am. Which probably means that you need to be walking in the door at 7:45am. So plan accordingly!

Old School

I miss these! I used to love these, but you just don't need these anymore now that we all have iPhones and Blackberries. I love this deep purple organizer, the Tribeca Agenda from Coach.