Today I'm Reading

Today I've started reading Cleaning, Plain & Simple by Donna Smallin. This is definitely reading-to-learn and more domesticated than I'd like to admit, but I can no longer stand the filth and I simply must learn how to clean our home.

I can arrange, organize and decorate like no one you've ever seen, but I haven't a clue how to actually clean or what materials work best. (Other than vacuuming, I really love that for some odd reason).

So I'm on Page 6 of this book that my friend recommended to me, and I've already learned something. Yippee! Turns out I'm "The Speed Cleaner":

• "You enjoy a clean home, but its not one of your top priorities.
• Cleaning frequently gets postponed for one reason or another.
• When you have free time, you don't want to spend it cleaning toilets.
• You seek quick and easy solutions to your cleaning challenges.
• You may have a tendency to purchase the latest and greatest cleaning products and tools.
• You may have a whole cupboard or closet full of products you've tried that may or may not have lived up to their promises.
• If you could afford it, you would hire a professional cleaning service. If you have a cleaning service, you wish you could afford to have them come more often.

Plain and simple advice: If you want to spend less time cleaning overall, clean more often. Start with a thorough cleaning, and then get into the habit of doing a little cleaning each day. Keep cleaning supplies handy to where you use them or put them in a bucket or caddy that makes it easy to tote them to the job...Give away or discard cleaning supplies that did not work as well as you had expected or that you dislike for any other reason."

I have a feeling I'd better buy my own copy of this book and break out the highlighters and colored sticky tabs!

September 2, 2010: HOW TO: Be Happy On A Random Night Alone

In bed, with fresh coats of OPI's Melon of Troy on my fingers, catching up on my Vanity Fair reading, whilst being bathed in the honey drips that is Zooey Deschanel's voice from She&Him on Pandora radio.

I've got my peppermint foot lotion from The Body Shop on underneath my argyle knee high socks from JCrew.

Now if some invisible fairy could just bring me a crispy glass of Pinot Grigio...

 Cover of the September 2010 Issue

MAJOR shoe lust! (Photo from September 2010 Issue) 

I've a newly found girl crush on Zoe Saldana (should have got on the bandwagon a while ago, I know), but am especially loving this outfit. The pic is a bit blurry, but she absolutely rocks this ensemble. (Photo from September 2010 Issue)

How To: Combat the Mean Reds

Breakfast at Tiffany's is one of my favorite movies. I can't tell you how many times I've watched it while tucked into bed. One of my favorite scenes is when Holly (Audrey Hepburn) explains the ''Mean Reds".

Holly Golightly: You know those days when you get the mean reds?

Paul Varjak: The mean reds, you mean like the blues?
Holly Golightly: No. The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?
Paul Varjak: Sure.
Holly Golightly: Well, when I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany's. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there. If I could find a real-life place that'd make me feel like Tiffany's, then - then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name!

Holly's way to combat the Mean Reds is to go to the Tiffany's flagship store in Manhattan, NYC. Mine is as follows:

• Put my earbuds in my ears, pick my favorite iPod playlist, then turn it up loud enough to drown out all other sounds
• Get your favorite warm drink. Mine is a Starbucks Americano w/ white mocha syrup, out of a green straw of course
• Flip through your favorite girly magazine. Mine is Vogue, I just love love the photos and colors
• Put on your favorite scent, either perfume or a candle or home oil. My best feel good smell is The Body Shop home oils, usually Exotic or Satsuma. Light that baby up and put it right near you so its potent
• Open the curtains/blinds/shutters to let in as much natural light as possible
• Keep your notebook and pen handy to write down whatever pops in your head. You can vent, be inspired, remember something you'd forgotten. Be prepared because you never know what will happen.

Does anyone else do something like this? How do you combat your Mean Reds? Or blues for that matter?

Boyfriend for hire

First load of dishes in the new condo are washed and dried in the dishwasher just fine. Second load of dishes is a different story. About 10 minutes into it, I come into the kitchen only to realize there’s water everywhere – on the floor, on the counters, in the sink, dripping under the sink, and spewing straight out from the sink aerator. WHAT the?!?!



So I do some online research and chat a bit with my boss (who just finished remodeling her kitchen). She is convinced that it’s the aerator’s fault and that it either needs to be cleaned or replaced, simple and easy, at most $3. So I relay the message to boyfriend, who takes apart the aerator only to find that it’s just fine and in working order. Hmm…



Google this, Google that, mention to boyfriend that it could be the brand new disposal he just installed last week. Turns out that if you are connecting your disposal to a dishwasher there’s this little plug on the disposal that needs to be popped out before you install it, otherwise when you run the dishwasher, water will spew straight out from the sink aerator. Huh. Go figure. You would think the disposal directions would have mentioned that. No matter, we fix.



Boyfriend removes the disposal, pops out the plug, reinstalls the disposal, and reinstalls the sink aerator and all its parts. All in like an hour. So I check the dishwasher again, and what do you know, it works!!! And for zero dollars extra. Not a drop of water. Hurray for boyfriend!!

Sorry ladies, he’s all mine.

Working Girls Guide to A Mini Mani

I don't know about you but I don't have as much time as I'd like to get regular manicures. So this means that I mostly do my own nails and maybe once or twice a year I make it to the nail salon. In my purse I keep a nail file (I get the $0.99 ones, usually Target of CVS Pharmacy) and the Sally Hansen Cuticle Pen (any cuticle oil pen should work). 

When I have a conference call in which I don't need to take notes (or pay terribly close attention), this is how I give myself a mini mani:

• Bust out your file and give your nails a quick soft file, to clean them up and keep them fresh.
• I then rub the tops and edges all along my jeans as my 'buffer' almost like I'm sctratching my legs. One time I wasn't wearing jeans I used my paper lunch bag. This 'buffing' gets all that extra flake off so you can see the shape of your nails and keep filing at will.
• Then I use my cuticle pen (shown above) and paint a u-shape around my cuticles. No need to be precise here. Then I sort of use any excess to paint on top of my nail for good measure (I don't know if this actually helps any, but I do it anyway).
• Repeat on other hand
• I typically leave it for a while so the oils can get all nice and soaked in
• Wash hands with soap and water (hopefully your work has a restroom for this).
• One coat of Sally Hansen Max Support polish (or any quick dry topcoat you have).

Et voila! Mini Mani complete.

How to behave in a Senior VP's office

Or rather, how NOT to behave. I flew up to Oakland for 2 days of meetings, for work, and although I'm back safely in San Diego, I really wish those 2 days just never happened.

I will preface my actions below by saying that I was up at 4:30am, on a plane by 6:45am, and working non-stop since the plane landed in Oakland at 8:00am.

By the time I reached my Sr VP's office for our 3pm meeting, I was exhausted. I don't know about you, but when I am tired, I get weird. Or, my weirdness starts to show itself. As soon as I sat down in the last open chair (4 other higher-ups in the room with us), I kind of just slumped down in relief and then put my forehead on the edge of the table. WHO does this, you ask?! THIS clown. In my state of sleep depravity, I had totally forgotten where I was. My Sr VP lightly pats me on the shoulder (like a puppy dog), in sympathy I am sure, and says something to the affect that we've all been there. Small, sweet gesture that only made it worse! AAHHH I couldn't believe what I had done!! Completely mortified.

By 430pm I was already looking at a 12 hour work day, so I decide to vent to my friend A-Lu. I was looking for understanding in the fact that I most likely just ruined my 6 year career in a swift and murderous blow in the form of 1 hour with my superiors. Instead, she finds it hilarious and insists that I tell the world. After much thought, I decide she's right. Yes, my mistakes are funny when you're on the outside looking in (and slightly funnier to me now, 24 hours later). But in all seriousness, there are certain things that just aren't done in the corporate setting. Not if you want to keep your good reputation, pride, and paycheck, that is.

So here's the start of my list of things NOT to do in the office:

• Do not attempt sleep on your boss' desk. Or any other desk for that matter.
• Do not attempt to make jokes/quips like 'lights on but nobody's home'. Not only are they rude and not appropriate for the work place, they're not funny. Don't try to be funny if you're not. If you're not sure if you're funny, you're not.
• Do not slouch in your seat and sling your arm over the chair when talking to superiors. This is not appropriate body language for that setting. Remember that you are the inferior.
• Do everything you can to avoid being tired at the office. It usually doesn't go well.
• Do not personally insult the work ethic (or lack thereof) of Directors who are not even in the room. The office is a rumor mill in which you should not participate or perpetuate.

Today is 'Day 1 After The Incident' and I am happy to report that at this time, I still am employed.