Getting ready for NYE

Today I'm posting the link to Goop's newsletter. It's an awesome one. Today's newsletter topic is hangover prevention strategies and cures. Brought to you by no one other than the fabulous Gweneth Paltrow.

There's various supplements you can try. If your New Year's celebration is anything like mine this will be helpful. Now, I'm not the type of gal that goes clubbing or bar-hopping but to me NYE is the reward for working hard all year. We always sleep over a friend's house and it's a potluck appetizer and dessert extravaganza. There will be that buffalo chicken dip and wings. There will be ribs. There will be various desserts (whoopie pies, hopefully).

It's strange. Despite the fact that I travel for work and all of that I typically am only hungover 1x/year (New Year's Day). Perhaps it is because I stay hydrated? I don't actually take aspirin or other pain relievers (I only have one liver and two kidneys and well, Advil harms your kidneys and Tylenol harms your liver (when drinking heavily while taking the pills). So I'm not sure what it is. Whatever it is, I'm grateful. I also eat a lot when we have a dinner party or attend a party, so it could be that.

Either way, take care this New Years. And sleep over a friend's instead of driving. The mayor of Boston issued a warning that he's making sure the cops arrest anyone caught drinking and driving this year. If there were snow I would also suggest rolling in the snow after a hot tub soak. That's tradition in Scandinavia and also in the Hilltowns of Western MA in my personal experience. It's good for the soul.

Reverb11, Day 28: Marketing

Marketing. How did you market yourself in 2011? Did you do something new such as attend a networking event? Did you attend a trade show for your industry? How do you brand and market your skills?

Today when I got into work after a very long holiday weekend there was a box waiting for me. It was a wrapped box of cookies. It was not sent to my whole team or company but just to me. It was from one of our best partners who I work with pretty much daily. The ribbon to the cookie box has their name on it (nice touch to spend the extra). Our office overflows with gifts this time of year...but hardly any are personalized. My employer gave a fuzzy blanket with our logo on it to employees and partners this year. It's worth personalizing the gift I think.

As for how I marketed myself personally in 2011, I did the best to take on jobs outside of my small department. I figured that if I did not I would let those skills go a bit stale. We hired a fancy social media firm out of Boston (for lots of $$$$) and that went horribly wrong. We paid them a ton and they just did not 'get' our target market. They did what an intern or someone right out of college could do. They kept making mistakes (putting the wrong date for events and conferences, targeting the wrong part of our market) over and over again.

Luckily we've since signed on with another firm and moved a lot of the tasks in-house. Thank goodness. My volunteering for these tasks outside of my daily responsibilities helped with my review. I feared they would make me look bad because it was not what I really was hired to do.

I'd love to hear from you. How did you market yourself or your business in 2011 that was different than the other years. I had to be a bit of a squeaky wheel to be involved in a separate project. It was worth it in the end.

Reverb11: Day 27, Relief

Relief. I feel a major sense of relief now that the holidays are over. I finished my holiday shopping by December 5 and all of the gifts were a big hit (and everything fit thank goodness--I hate returns).

The retailers in the US start pushing Christmas in September. Outside of Nordstrom (they proudly say they take one holiday at a time and give their employees Thanksgiving off and decorate the day after) I can't think of another retailer that waits until the actual holiday season. Taking one holiday at a time is something I  believe in, and anytime I went to the mall prior to Thanksgiving all of the Christmas decor actually freaked me out a little. It made me nervous and anxious. It also gave me a mild headache--Christmas music in November? Ridiculous.

I took today off to recover from Christmas (and our two days away from home). We went to Drumlin Farm this morning to check out barns and chicken coops. We're hopefully getting chickens (for eggs) in 2012. The barn would be for the tractor in Maine--we would not build it here. Currently we're keeping the tractor in the garage which means the Jeep cannot fit. The barn would not become a reality until 2013 or so, but at $2 a chicken--why not?

Back to the topic at hand. Relief. What were you relieved about in 2011? Did you lose that pesky weight (I know I did, and it was not easy)? Did you also get relieved when 12/26 hit because it meant your local radio station is now playing its normal programming? I sure did.

Reverb11: Day 24: Love

Some say that animals cannot feel love outside of humankind. If that's true it would mean that when my co-worker's cat passed away recently her other cat did not really feel heartbroken (after 12 years). That would mean that the cat now left alone in her house was not actually feeling emotions. Pet owners often talk about the unconditional love they receive from their pets.

The dog is waiting for them (eagerly jumping out of his skin) each day they arrive home from work. If Maximus did not *feel* any emotions why would he carefully place a toy the last place he saw us (floor mat by the front door) so that we would see it when we got home. Thanks for sharing, little buddy.

If Chimpanzees did not feel emotion and love why are they so attached to their young and heartbroken when a friend passes away? Why do dogs in kennels end up getting depressed if their emotions are not actually real?

During 2011 how did you receive love? Did you put up a barrier and close yourself off? Or did you make new friendships and strengthen the ones that you have. Did you walk with your dog in the woods and see the light and laughter in their eyes? Too all creatures great and small, Merry Christmas. On this Christmas Eve I can't think of a place I'd rather be than reading on my sofa with a cat warming my feet.

(me and Maximus, and my running shoes). :)

Reverb11, Day 22: Dream

On this, the first day of winter I dare you to dream.

Not too big. Not too ridiculous. Just big enough.

Does your dream involve hiking with a llama (thinking of you, Western MA peeps)? Does your dream involve sleeping under the stars (wear bug spray--I've done it). Is your dream to rescue or foster a dog or cat from a shelter (foster programs are wonderful if you are able and willing to do it).

For me I have plenty of sunshine in my office (major plus, I may never go back to a cubicle farm). I get to spend enough time outdoors to not go stir-crazy in winter. I volunteer and give back. I may not run races or be raising children but I dream of mostly peace and quiet. Time in the woods with my snowshoes. Time to read and look out the window at my lovely neighborhood. Time to travel and have someone else pay for it (thank you, employer).

Mostly, these days I dream about rest and relaxation. Yoga. Now there's a dream I can stand behind. Yesterday I was so stressed out running errands during lunch. Downtown Westborough was a mad house. I nearly got run over twice from people too busy to *look*. I shrugged with dismay at the 15 cars waiting in line at the drive-thru instead of getting off their lazy asses to go in to Panera Bread. (burn two calories on the way in to get the giant bagel? Nah. I think I'll sit in line). Then I got to Zumba. I felt better. I forgot about the holiday madness.

Dare to dream.

Cute. I haz sunshine.

Reverb11, Day 21: Local

Happy last day of Autumn!

What is a local treat that you enjoy? Yesterday at work my COO explained that she still had yet to try maple cotton candy. That treat can be found at the Red Bucket Sugar Shack in Worthington, MA if you're interested. I also believe it's at the Big E in the Vermont building.

We also made a joke about doing shots of maple syrup (I tried to explain about Super Troopers but no one understood). March is a lovely time of year because if the conditions are right the maple syrup season begins. There's nothing better than standing in the steam of the boiler with the faint syrup smell all around you. A table waits for you and your family (a picnic table to be exact) along with a delicious breakfast. This to me celebrates the end of winter and the very start of spring (there's still usually snow on the ground).

In other parts of the US people really do not enjoy the maple products. Its' the fake corn syrup stuff or nothing. I can't even imagine baking apple crisp without maple syrup. My husband even puts the real stuff on his 1/2 a pink grapefruit.

In 2006 we went to Alaska for the first time. On the way back we spent a day in Victoria B.C. Canada. While there we discovered this maple caramel that was very tasty. It used to be a product you could buy on Amazon (we checked) but since then (even during subsequent trips to Canada) we have been unable to locate this caramel. It's sold in this little gift shop in Victoria...and wherever else it's found remains a mystery. I'll be checking this June while in the Atlantic Provinces.

Is there a local treat that really reminds you of home? It could even be pimento cheese in Kentucky if that's your thing.

Making a New Year's Resolution

Last year's was easy. Not easy to do, but easy to make. I posted about that earlier this month (it was 'to ski').

For 2012 I could have one of the following resolutions:
1. to maintain my weight, continue to log food and workouts via MyFitnessPal.
2. To do a great job mentoring my new mentee (to be assigned in February).
3. To do great things at the new schools I'm working with (Buffalo, Columbia, Virginia Commonwealth).

Or I could just make another fitness-related one and just say that I need to get an old pair of skates refurbished and sell my old ones.

Anyone interested in buying my size 9 women's figure skates (white, padded inside, standard blades)?