10 Things You Should Never Feel Bad For!

My rendition of Glamour's Hey, It's OK... is highly personal this time around. About a week ago I started jotting down ideas thinking I'd have a clever compilation by the end of the month. Seven days later, Voila! 

Here's a few things I'm not ashamed to admit and neither should you.

Hey, It's OK...

To have a surprisingly groovy time at a middle aged disco club
To completely pretend to not see the flare jean trend making a come back
To use Pinterest as a verb like you do with Google
Ie: to Pinterest cheesy pick up lines to send to your boyfriend
To go to Coldstone alone. (Every day is National Ice Cream Day)
To eat dark chocolate espresso beans for dinner
To wear your swimsuit in place of your underwear
To break down and curse at the parking enforcement lady for... doing her job
To be extremely envious of Michelle Rodriguez right about now
To stare at anyone with a flip phone

Woof

Earlier this week I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I sat at the kitchen table, covered with papers, projects and popcorn, and felt a cold, wet nose on my leg. At this point Bella (my adorable four-legged sidekick) was not even cute to me. She was annoying. I thought; I just fed you AND let you out. What more could you want!? It was then when I realized one thing: she just wanted to be held. Strangely enough I felt that I needed the same thing.

I picked Bella up, twirled her around a few times, and chased her around the house. Before I knew it I was laughing, smiling, and oh so importantly breathing again. It was like she could sense my fragile demeanor. Yes-I know she's just a dog, but she's a dog with more personality than Kristen Stewart. She's perfect.

In those moments of stress and anxiety, it's important to take a deep breath and find a reason to smile.

Don't over estimate the power of human (puppy) touch. We often need them more then they need us.

Xo

"Why Haven't You Taken Your Shirt Off Yet?"

It is astounding the amount of personal information some people are willing to disclose. Yesterday as I sat and waited for my final connection home, this guy approached me and asked, "Why haven't you taken your shirt off yet?"  

This may seem like an extremely blunt pick-up line had you not known I was sporting a Michigan State sweatshirt. And if you are entirely out of the loop, the Spartan team was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament last night, ruining a majority of brackets- even the Presidents'. Within minutes of my conversation with Josh, a 28-year-old guitarist from San Antonio, with a communication degree from Texas, living in Grand Blanc, I wanted to scream. Josh had no filter. He was telling me what Netflix documentaries to watch, why I should buy American and even tried convincing me that my Starbucks had a small amount of (insert a long name for a drug I cannot pronounce nor spell) which kept drinkers coming back for more.

Earlier that day I was having lunch with some friends in Wichita when our waiter told us his plans for the months to come: He was moving to San Francisco in 57 days with his daughter-a first grader is going to an elite public school, one of the best in the nation, and his future rent would be five times the amount it is now. He also made it extremely obvious he was no longer with his daughter's mother-she won't be traveling with them to San Francisco. 

Why is it that some people are willing to share so much and the other half, so little?

I wish the world was comprised of people who met in the middle- friendly, openly talkative, the ones that greet you with a smile but know when to shut up. They leave you wondering for a while and that mystery keeps you intrigued. They aren't rude but sarcastically witty. They are kind and polite and don't cross the line until both parties are ready. 

I guess this is why we are all so interesting. All of our lines end at different places. 

Where is yours?

 

Small Business Saturday is November 30th #ShopSmall

The whole point of Black Friday is to prepare for Christmas gift-giving and shop after Thanksgiving. I am a little annoyed with the fact that some stores are promoting "Thanksgiving sales" and are staying open on the holiday. I am not sure why anyone would rather shop than partake in all the joyous Thanksgiving festivities. I especially feel bad for the employees that have to work retail on the holiday.

Anyways, today I want to talk about Small Business Saturday, a campaign happening after Thanksgiving. 

 

Who:

Everyone! 

What:

Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses across the country. It was founded by American Express in 2010 and is celebrated every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. 

Where: 

Small businesses across America. Click here to find your own local business to support.

When:

This year, Small Business Saturday is on November 30^th.

Why:

When you support local businesses, you support your community. Small business sustain town centers, neighborhoods, and social relationships. Local ownership ensures that the decisions made are made for the people of the community. This is important because these are the people impacted by the decisions. 

Promote Your Business:

The Shop Small website provides printable signage, shop small stickers, and even personalized marketing resources for you to use in order to promote your own small business. 

Share:

Use social media to support local businesses. 

AMEX has gone above and beyond to help support this campaign. They too have their own marketing strategy: Register your eligible American Express Card and get a $10 statement credit when you make a purchase of $10 or more at a qualifying small business Nov. 30.

Recent News:

Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and co-chairman for Goldman Sachs, visited Detroit November 25th, 2013 to help bring $20 million in loans, education and mentor programs to Michigan small businesses in a $500 million national Goldman Sachs initiative that aims to help entrepreneurs grow jobs and revenues. 

"I have a real love for the city, and the potential is huge. The United States with a flourishing Detroit is going to be a lot better than without one." 

- Warren Buffett

I recently came across a Pure Detroit store in the Guardian building downtown Detroit. It's an awesome urban, edgy, artsy shop showcasing everything Detroit has to offer. American Express recognized their impacting role in Small Business Saturday 2012: 

 
Whether you wake up early Black Friday, or decide to shop on Thanksgiving; Make sure you #shopsmall Saturday November 30th.