Is Cheap Gas Worth Embarrassment?

Apparently, it is…because tonight my GasBuddy app did me wrong, big time!

You see, in my quest for the cheapest possible gas I have started to use the GasBuddy app on my iPhone, which reports on gas prices in your local area so you can shop around for the best deal. While I won’t go way out of my way to save a few bucks, I have started to frequent the stations that don’t gouge the prices as bad as others (i.e. Exxon).

So, you know I was super excited tonight to find out that the cheapest gas in my area was not too far off from my normal commute! I quickly clicked “get directions” and became so engrossed with finding my way that it didn’t click that I was being prompted to take exits to Fort Myer until it was too late.

Yup, I didn’t realize until I was on the exit ramp that I had taken a Fort Myer ONLY exit…that dropped me right at the army base’s guard post.

Fortunately for me, it all happened so quickly that I had no time for my face to register my extreme embarrassment and turn bright red. Instead, I calmly mentioned that I had taken the wrong exit (hoping this happened all the time) and politely asked if I could do a quick u-turn.

The guard was very nice and directed me on how to exit, but on my way out I was forced to drive through an inspection tent…where I had to explain to another guard what had happened.

Oh, the humiliation! Why oh why would somebody have tagged a gas station located on an army base? Seriously people!

The Moral? Saving money is important, but be wary of no-name gas stations…you never know where you’ll end up!

A Day Off for Sanity's Sake

September 30th was the ‘hard deadline’ for my three-month long project at work and I’d been looking forward to that day pretty much since the project started.

It meant that the long, draining days would be behind me and I could start to regain some normalcy in my life and get back to more important things – like Live Love Life Now™.

It also meant that I could finally take a day off!

I almost didn’t take today off though because things at work are far from being completely done. But I realized that they are at a stage where everything isn’t an emergency and I’m not so egotistical to think that things couldn’t be managed for a day without me.

I’ve also come to realize how important personal days are to my mental health. It’d been a challenging summer at work and I’ve been waiting for the chance to take a day to recover and reward myself for a job well done.

So I put in my vacation request and spent this morning sleeping in. And it felt lovely! It’s officially fall outside (i.e. gloomy, windy, cold) and I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than in my pajamas at home with my cats.

Hmm…if I had more sense I’d probably rewrite that last sentence to make myself sound a little less like a crazy, cat lady. But in reality I’m sometimes borderline crazy, cat lady and I love it.

And I love three-day weekends!

The Moral? Don’t forget to make yourself a priority once in awhile and know when you need a break. When’s the last time you took a random day off from work just because??

Goal of the Day

The goal for today is to write one email; one quick, short email to inquire about my trademark.

Should be easy enough right?

Well it should be but it’s almost midnight and I’ve been dragging my feet all day.

Siggh…procrastination and fear are banging on my door again.

But you know what? You guys can go bug somebody else because I’m not letting you in tonight - I have an email to write!

The Moral? Sometimes you have to dig deep and keep pushing yourself even when you just want to go to bed.

Becoming an American Idol

What if Lee DeWyze hadn’t auditioned for American Idol all those months ago in Chicago?

What if he had stayed in his dead-end job at a paint store and only dreamt of being on the show?

Well then he’d probably be watching the season finale on a couch somewhere, rather than onstage!

These were the thoughts running through my head tonight as I watched him crowned the latest American Idol.

For the past five months, I’ve watched Lee follow through and achieve his dreams…in front of millions of people.

It’s definitely inspiring.

And it’s made me realize that you can never fulfill your dreams without taking that first step…scary as it might be. But I’m comforted in the fact that it can’t be scarier than auditioning in front of Simon Cowell.

With that said, I pledge to take my first step tomorrow towards realizing my dreams for Live Love Life Now™.

The Moral? Stop dreaming and start doing. You’ll never realize your goals without putting one foot in front of the other.

Massage of the Month Club

Last month, while on vacation, I treated myself to my first massage EVER. And it was worth every penny! And boy did it cost a lot of pennies.

The end result was total relaxation, which was good because I went in there feeling a bit anxious. I didn’t know what to expect and had almost let the fear of the unknown prevent me from making the appointment in the first place.

And the unknown? Well aside from the slight uneasiness of having to wear a robe around the spa, it was heavenly. The massage was incredible and the knots in my shoulders (from years of slouchy office work) finally disappeared!

Since that time, I’ve gotten a second massage AND enrolled in a membership that automatically bills me for a discounted massage a month. And I couldn’t be happier…or more relaxed about it!

The Moral? We all deserve to splurge on ourselves once in awhile, whether it involves a spa treatment or not. Don’t worry about justifying the time or cost and just pick up the phone!

Dinner Party 101

“Love attending dinner parties but not confident enough to host your own yet? Let this class put your worries to rest. You’ll learn everything you need to pull off the perfect gathering from start to finish, with an amazing salad to start all the way to decadent desserts for all.”

At this point, I was intrigued by the class description but still hesitant to commit.

MENU Spinach Salad with Caramelized Pears and Goat Cheese – Pan Seared Chicken Breast with Sauce Fines Herbs – Rice Pilaf – Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic – Chocolate Mousse

Okay, I’m in!

And that is how my boyfriend and I came to spend our anniversary in a cooking class. And it was perfect. We had talked about taking a cooking class for ages but I’d always shied away from the cost. Fortunately, our anniversary gave us the perfect excuse to splurge on ourselves and it was so worth it!

We had a fabulous and sassy teacher who made the class tons of fun. There were four assistants clearing and cleaning the plates and pots all night (amazing!). And we each got to try our hand at preparing the food.

Of course my favorite part was the actual eating, which I did a lot of. So much so that I couldn’t finish my chocolate mousse, sigh.

The Moral? Don’t put off something you’ve always wanted to do because it seems like a frivolous expense. Life experiences are priceless and you’ll remember them forever.

Action Buddy to the Rescue!

As you may have guessed, I’ve been floundering a bit lately. It’s not for want of a To-Do list though; I have those in spades.

In fact, I’ve known exactly what I needed to do for over a week now. It’s actually the only thing standing between me and placing my first product order for Live Love Life Now™.

A phone call.

Yes, it’s true…I’ve procrastinated a phone call for a week and a half. Do you think that’s a record somewhere?

Fortunately, my action buddy came to the rescue once again!

Today, after hearing about my hesitation, she assigned me the task of making the call before 4pm…no excuses.

And wouldn’t you know it worked again?! With ten minutes to spare, and list of questions in hand, I picked up the phone, dialed and spoke with a very nice woman who promptly answered all of my questions.

Which made me wonder…what had I been scared of all this time?

The Moral? A simple task can get blown out of proportion the longer you put off doing it. Better to treat it like the removal of a band-aid and get on with it.

Friend-ly Motivation

I’ve been blessed with amazing friends, but there’s a part of me that’s been holding back from telling them about Live Love Life Now™.

But this week, I felt ready to confide in one of my childhood friends. After I sent the email, I started to worry about what she’d think of all my rambling thoughts. Would she get it? Would she like it? Would she think I was crazy?

Her response?

“I LOVE IT! I think you have a real eye and I like the vibe and message you’re going for…I have no doubt that you can do it.”

With a big smile on my face, I wondered what I’d been scared of all along? The support and encouragement felt amazing and was just what I needed. My confidence started to grow and I felt less scared about sharing my ideas with others.

The Moral? Don’t be afraid to share your dreams with your family and close friends. Their encouragement and support will be all the extra fuel you’ll need to keep going.