I Had an Epiphany! Thanks to My Purple Hair Dryer

Over the past few weeks, a colleague and I have been doing back and forth over how to execute a marketing initiative. We are totally on different ends of the spectrum here and I had been racking my brain for a solution that we are both satisfied with. I knew I had to compromise and so did she, but I didn't know if there was a middle meeting point. Well, after doing some research into several different areas that would be affected by this initiative, I had my epiphany one morning while drying my hair.

It's true that the best ideas come to you at the weirdest times. I was just finishing my hair when I yelled to my husband, "I GOT IT". He was surprised at my declaration after turning off the hair dryer, wondering "what has she got"? I ecstatically exclaimed, "I know how to implement the marketing initiative in a way that makes everyone happy and accomplishes our goals".

We carpool to work so on the way in, I wrote my idea down and bounced ideas off my husband. I could hardly contain my enthusiasm when I arrived at the office. I was inspired and had one of the best days I have had in awhile. It was very fulfilling. This past Wednesday, I presented my strategy and my colleague breathed a sigh of relief that I had found the middle point for us and we could move on. It was weighing on both our minds. The group I presented to was blown away by my strategy. Every question they asked, I was able to answer and they were speechless by the end of the discussion. What a great feeling!

What I have learned from this:

1. Listen to your gut.


2. Be patient.


3. There can be more than one solution, you just have to find the one that fits best.


4. Keep a note pad or voice recorder close by at all times in case your next great idea happens in a weird place and time.


5. Keep 2 or 3 backup purple hair dryers. They are magic.

Get in and Get OUT!

If you like grocery shopping, stop reading this post. If you dread going out to a busy grocery store with all the other people then keep reading.

I am going to give you some helpful hints for getting your grocery shopping done in 30 minutes or less.


Step 1:
Plan out your meals for the entire week or time frame you usually purchase food for. I also ask my husband what his plans are for the week so I can plan my meals accordingly.

Step 2:
While you are home, make a list of items you need to buy at the grocery store. It's easier to make the list if you are a few feet away from your kitchen so you don't have to guess what's in your cupboard. This also helps you with over buying and thus having less room in your cupboards (especially if you have a small kitchen like I do).

Step 3:
While making your list, do so as you visualize where the items are in the store. For example, the first thing on my list is milk. It's the first area in Trader Joe's that I hit after I walk through the door. Then comes produce. And my list continues as I visually map my trip from isle to isle throught the store.

Step 4:
Don't forget your reusable grocery bags. I purchased the ones from Trader Joe's for a $1 per bag. They are great and you can wash them clean in they get dirty from chicken juice or whatever. Most stores have these bags available for purchase. It definitely cuts down on the use of plastic/paper grocery bags.

Step 5:
If you really don't like grocery shopping with all the other people like I don't. Find a day and time of day that is less crowded to do your shopping. I find it's easier to get in and get out and I feel less anxiety about all the people rushing in and out the doors.

By following my 5 easy steps above, you can lessen the anxiety of grocery shopping and get in and get out in 30 minutes or less.

Happy shopping!

If you have your own helpful grocery shopping tips, please share by posting a comment to this post.

Bugged Out! New meaning to the phrase "taking your work home with you".

Wow! What a week. I have been working with a client that has a extreme passion for bugs. Bugs of all kinds, shapes and sizes. This client has a way of describing the bugs that makes you feel like he is about to pull the live bug out of his pocket. He moves his hands and arms in a way that makes you feel like he IS the bug.

Well, I had to entertain and play interferance on Monday with this client. I am not a big bug fan...at least not the multiple leg, creppy crawly ones. My colleuge was out of the office on a business trip and I had to meet with this client to finish the project we were working on. Well, the client was in our office long than expected (all day really) and I had to entertain them. The stories started and there was no way to stop them. It was a few hours before lunch and before I knew it, I had lost my appetite for lunch. I don't do bugs and I just couldn't stomach the stories and detailed descriptions.

Well, that evening my husband had a bad dream and woke me up talking in his sleep. Ok - let me rephrase that...he was yelling in his sleep. He was spooning me in our sleep when all of a sudden I wake up to a shocking yell. "WHAT THE F#^% IS THAT?" I immediately said "WHAT? WHERE?" and am ready to rip the bedsheets off of us and jump out of bed.

After my experience with the bug client, I immediately thought about the one bug he described to me that made my skin crawl. He told about this 13" centipede that has a poisonous bite. In my sudden awakening to my husband's yelling, I thought that centipede was on the bed headed for our heads. I franticaly asked my husband if I needed to turn on the bedroom light. He didn't respond and the dog was still asleep on the end of the bed. Suddenly, my husband calmly states "there is something wrong with me". He rolls over and goes right back to sleep. (All I can think is...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?)
Do you think I just rolled over and went to sleep? NOT A CHANCE. I got out of bed and turned the light on in the hallway to at least survey the bed in the dim light which was easily done since I was WIDE awake.

I don't know if this is exactly what the client was talking about but close enough. It certainly fits the role of a bug that "scares the crap out of you".


This story has a happy ending since, my husband was just talking in his sleep and there was no posionous 13" centipede on our bed ready to attack. THANK GOD. I finally got to sleep and of course, the next morning, my husband doesn't remember a thing about the incident.

With all this said and done, I am very happy that today was the last day the client will be visiting our office for awhile. They were nice enough to bring in some of most colorful, amazing, beautiful butterflies I have ever seen. This mobile exhibit will truly be a Planet of Wonders if they are able to get funding for their project.