A Gratitude List

Have you ever started to feel sorry for yourself and gotten in a real funk? That happened to me this week and it’s so unlike me. I’m not an unhappy person! I’m usually very upbeat and spunky. I put other people in a good mood. So when I found myself slipping into a foul mood I stopped myself immediately. What’s my problem? I have so much to be grateful for!

1. My job: Just today I had a wonderful shoot at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx with the Medicine Hunter, Chris Kilham. Chris travels all over the world looking for medicinal plants and medicines. I joked with him today that being in the Garden with him was the closest I’d get to going to the Amazon with him. I’ve worked with Chris for nearly 3 years and have featured him here as a fellow list maker. Read more

Simple Solution for Gift Giving

Today Jay and I are loading up the car and heading upstate for our friend’s wedding. It’s going to be at a gorgeous place called Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. Ok – so it’s not really upstate but if you live in NYC everything north of Westchester is upstate. It’s going to be a gorgeous and relaxing get away and we’ll get to celebrate with some of our dearest friends.

This weekend is also my best friend Danielle’s 30th birthday. So between this wedding and Danielle’s milestone – I have gifts on the brain. You know me – I’ve already had their gifts covered for weeks. Another reason why you should start your holiday shopping immediately – you won’t stress when the time comes! Read more

Outsource Your To-Do List

I’ve been raving about the movie “Limitless” since Jay and I saw it in the theaters. If you haven’t seen it – you need to! Not only because Bradley Cooper is easy on the eyes but also because it’s a highly-entertaining thriller. It’s also set in New York City and I love movies where I can point out my favorite streets. I guarantee by the end of the movie you’ll want the drug they’re pushing called NZT.

NZT allows you to access 100% of your brain instead of just 20%. It’s like being your best possible self but then times that by 100. Bradley Cooper’s character Eddie learns languages in a fraction of the time and recalls memories and information in a flash. He’s able to write a novel in just days and quickly becomes rich by learning the ins and outs of trading stocks.

Talk about crossing off everything on your to-do list! Wouldn’t it be nice to whiz through all the things you need and want to do? Well you actually can – even without NZT.

It’s called TaskRabbit.com. It’s a new service launching in New York City today where you can pay someone to do the things you’re too busy to do! Isn’t that just perfect for New Yorkers?! You can save time, money and be less stressed. For a small fee you can ask a TaskRabbit to do just about anything like:

  • Put together Ikea furniture (isn’t that the worst task ever!)
  • Pick up groceries
  • Research a trip (my personal favorite – you know how I love research)
  • Stake out a picnic spot in Brooklyn
  • Visit a family member at the hospital Read more

Does Your Resume Stink? Here’s a Checklist

It always amazes me how many people don’t know how to write a good resume. In TV it’s kind of easy because our video reel speaks for us. Sometimes what you write on a resume doesn’t even matter. But I digress — a strong resume is your first impression to get your foot in the door. If it falls flat so will your career. Know when to be creative and clever and when that will get your resume thrown out. Writing a good resume will lead you to potentially reaching the net stage of the job application process. Being invited to an interview. You need to get your resume sorted first, but it doesn’t harm you to look into a site like https://www.berkeassessment.com/solutions if you are thinking of working on your interview skills too. At least this way, you know you’ll be fully prepared.

I’m lucky to have a great friend who is a human resources recruiter and a plethora of information. Brian Boden recently launched a business dedicated to telling you that “Your Resume Stinks.” He’ll fix it up for you and get you that job you’ve always wanted.

In the past, I’ve used free resumes from websites such as Copy My Resume (https://copymyresume.com/), and these do work extremely well – but you’ll still need to put a unique touch to them.

Here’s his checklist for dos and don’ts of resume writing:

1. Answer the questions before they’re asked

Make sure your resume tells a story. A story about YOU! If the person reading the resume has to wonder if you obtained a degree, they are going to move on to the next candidate. Under Education make sure you list the college/university, major/minor, degree type, and year awarded. Major academic accomplishments, grade point averages, and other education-related information can be included in your cover letter if pertinent to the specific job. Read more

Back to School Organizing Tips

I’ve been posting about “back to school” a lot lately. I really loved school — my husband thinks I’m a total nerd. But I must confess — high school and college were my favorite. I really love learning, reading and discussing. I think that’s why I love journalism so much — you get to research and become and expert on a number of topics daily. And in a week — they don’t matter anymore and you’re on to something else. It’s great for a short attention span.

But I think being organized really helped me to succeed in college. To help out the less organized I made a checklist for back to campus and got a list from my mother-in-law for parents. And now my friend Scott Gamm, who has blogged here before giving great financial advice, has mentioned me in his slideshow on Mainstreet.com. The slideshow is all about how to be more organized when you hit the books. Check it out and let me know what you think.  I’m slide #3 if you have a short attention span.