Work Decisions

A few weeks ago The Washington Post had an article titled After a Baby, Full Time or Part?"   It just reminded me that I'm still torn over the work full or part-time issue.  And as I talk with many of my friends, who have little ones at home or are still waiting for their children to come home, they are torn too.  We all would love to stay home, but there is the little issue of money. I think this is a never ending conversation. Who knew that we would go to school for umpteen years, get so many degrees then decide to take a lesser paying job to stay at home with our little ones?  Well, at the very end of the article this was said that made all the sense in the world to me:

"There's no perfect solution," Lippman said.  "When you have a baby, you kind of have to throw all of your preconceived notions of what you want out of your life our the window...In terms of career, you don't know what your priorities will be until you're in it.  She added that she was surprised at how much she wanted to be with her baby.  "I take it one step at time.  I feel like what I'm doing is trying not to worry about the long term and be happy right now."

Biometrics Completed!

I just got back from USCIS.  It took me 40 minutes to get there in traffic  10 minutes total to get my FINGERPRINTS taken and 90 minutes to get home in traffic!  I need some chocolate now! Moving on to the next step...does anyone want to tell me what that is?  LOL  

Biometrics

Two days ago I received a letter from USCIS which said I have an appointment to get my biometrics taken.  Laura was over and we looked at each and said what the heck is biometric? It sounds pretty official though!  I said well do they want my DNA or body mass?  Laura said...oops I forgot what Laura said but the point is we were a little stumped by biometrics. 

So...I did what my mother trained me to do, went to the dictionary.  Wilkeipedia first says biometrics has to do with biological studies in forestry...okay, I'm not a tree...moving on.  The next most common definition had something to do with recognizing the study of humans.  I think this is where I finally fit in but they kept using words like behaviometrics to explain biometrics!  Made sense to me (it must have been a PHd who wrote this).  So, I keep going down the definition hoping it would start to make sense then lo and behold a chart and guess what I saw?  FINGERPRINTS!!!!!  

The USCIS sent me this letter about getting my biometrics when all they could have said was come get your fingerprints taken!  Why does everyone try to use such big words when a simple word like fingerprints will do?  Anyway...I AM GETTING MY FINGERPRINTS BIOMETRICS taken next week!  

Biracial Hair

You know how giving I am, so when I saw this new site Biracial Hair I immediately said "ooohhh that is perfect!" I'm not gonna lie to yah, I think the information is actually great!  I don't use all of the hair products there, you can email me for my list if you like, but why bother, her list is less expensive (I'm thinking I should switch mine).  

I actually used this method many moons ago, but when I started making more money I bought more expensive products (I don't even really remember if it made a difference).  Now that I have Baby I coming home maybe I should go back to the other method...I'll let you know how that works out and if it is a difference although price wise, this could be a great thing! 

Ohh..one quick warning about the site though, she does not say anything about poo pooing, putting vinegar in your hair or not washing it at all for weeks at a time!  I think she will even let you send her pictures and haircare questions!  So...if you have haircare drama with your little one, try asking the biracial hair care chick!

It's So Sad

Everyone knows that you better get all of your projects out of the way before the baby comes because your time is no longer your own. Especially if you are going to be a single parent. So, I have a legal pad long list of projects to take on in the next say 6 months. I just hope I make enough money to keep up with those projects or have enough creativity to get them done!

My first project is my sunroom. I have this great sunroom that I absolutely LOVE. The problem is it came with a hot tub when I bought my house 9 years ago. Now, this may not seem like a problem to most people, but I never really used it after the first few years. Everyone else is more enamored with it than I am. I simply want my space. I have dreams of what I would do with the room if that thing didn't take up 75% of the room. So, I decided to sell it. I found a buyer and all. But guess what? My sunroom was built around the hot tub and the only way to get it out is to destroy it! Yes, I'm going to have to cut in half a perfectly good hot tub! It's so sad, but it has to go! I haven't used it in 3 years! I want my room! I want my space. I have dreams of a new sofa, floors, etc. I want to watch Baby I in the yard playing while I'm laying on the couch watching TV...oh, I'm sorry I mean outside playing in the yard with her! (hee hee).

Sooo...in the next few weeks when I go out of town, my contractor is going to come in with his electric saw and go chomp, chomp to this perfectly good hot tub! Oh, well...easy come, easy go...but I'll have my entire room for the first time in 9 years! I'm so excited! Stay tuned sometime this summer for my new sunroom pix!

More About Me

Not that I'm that interesting, but mostly because I haven't had much to write about this week and because Anna said she doesn't know anything about what I do. So, what do I do? Good question Anna. I am a lifestyle consultant/manager. Ummm... What's that? Nope. It isn't an executive coach. I need an executive coach and actually have one when I can afford to pay her! LOL She makes more than I do! Of course I had to find the best one! Oh, I digress, back to what I do.

I assist each person to live their ultimate life. Since ultimate is different for each person, I create individualized plans for my clients to help them get to the life that they want to lead then help them implement it. My male clients say I'm like the wife without the benefits. So, I provide interior consulting services, research, personal shopping, concierge and the ultimate liaison/relationship management services. My company provides this service to individuals, apartment/condo buildings and businesses. I've been doing this for about a year after leaving the lush life of corporate America (yeah right) as a consultant (in different capacities) after getting my MBA (which I am still paying for by the way!). Having my own business has its ups and downs and many days I say I'm going to work at McDonald's (figuratively not literally) or go braid hair on the beach (one day I may) but it's spring and it's all good. The economy sucks, but there is always a plan B namely my expensive A$# MBA...LOL. Here are two questions people always ask me about what I do:

How did I get into lifestyle management/concierge work? I was managing everyones life better than my own. My friends and family kept asking me to help them with projects so I thought maybe I could get paid to do this.

What do I enjoy the most about what I do? Networking with people. I have a gift of gab. Get me in a room with folks and I can talk to anyone and find out deep dark secrets! Oh...and I love designing. I really should have gotten a Master's in Design instead of an MBA but many designers aren't formally trained...I'm getting OTJT (on the job training). Following are a few of my design pictures.  They would be much more exciting if you saw the before or knew the story behind them but you don't so this is what you get:

Random Torture

I was tagged by Haze.  Thanks Haze.  (boo!)  I tried to ignore her for a few days but alas that was not working so here are 10 random (I'm not sure how interesting though) things about me:

1. My all time favorite: I completed 2 years of business school without ever stepping foot into our library on campus!  LOL  It was all the way across campus and I was too lazy to walk!  (yes, I did pretty good in graduate school!)
2. I traveled for 2 weeks in Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Morocco spending every night in a different city.  It was great but exhausting!  I needed a vacation from my vacation when it was over.  
3. Over 75% of my hair is gray!  No, this beautiful red is not natural.  LOL
4. I have lived without a stove in my house for the last 4 months.  I broke it and then didn't feel inspired to buy another one because....WHY?  I have a George Forman Grill, a crock pot, a toaster oven AND a microwave...I tell you, I cook up some stuff (really, I do, it's amazing)!  Plus, I want to redo my kitchen this summer.  
5. I never cut school, missed curfew or snuck out of the house growing up.  My mother was crazy! I was too afraid of her to do any of those things.  (I love you Mommy)
6. My nose has been broken 3 times.  Once has a kid playing softball, once in high school to get it fixed, once in college from a boyfriend being chivalrous (you can see that worked.)
7. I don't know how to do a cartwheel.  I'm afraid to do the flip, always have been.
8. I'm extremely close to my family.  I talk with my mother and my two Aunts almost every day.    
9. I used to own over 200 pairs of shoes but now I'm trying to learn to lead a simple life...I'm down to about 100.  LOL
10. I am addicted to magazines!  I probably get at least 10 magazines a month then I buy more.  I have magazines stacked up in nice neat piles in my house because there is always something that I have to save from the magazine.  I have them in magazine files.  I love magazines.  

Do I have to tag someone now?  Hmmmm...okay...Valarie, you are it.  I'll be nice to everyone else.  See, I'm getting nicer as I'm getting busier.  Okay...I'm going back to work now!