Discover Free Stuff

So I know it's been a while and this post is probably completely random, but a conversation over the lunch table at work today resulted in the suggestion that I share this tidbit of information via my blog.

I was describing how I fell in love this adorable Kate Spade bag over the weekend...see picture below:

As I am currently still trying to hunt down the elusive pair of Louboutins, I am hesitant about making another large purchase. On a side note, a pair in my size may have been tracked down at an East Coast Saks so keep your fingers crossed for me!!

It was credit card payment day for my Discover card and I noticed that I have nearly enough money saved in Cash Back Rewards to pay for the bag. That's also when I noticed that I earned over $70 this month in rewards! For some perspective, often reward programs are done in hard to calculate points or with cash back at an earning percentage around 1% or less.

The secret to huge rewards? Online shopping through retail partners. Whenever I plan to make a large purchase, I check Discover Shop Partners site. I can get anywhere from 5%-20% cash back on purchases made using my card. Plus there are no limits on how much I can earn! My favorite deal? Groupon! I get 15% back for every Groupon purchase!

So go get yourself a cash back bonus card, rack up the rewards, and splurge on an amazing handbag...or I guess guitar equipment if that's your thing.

Book Review: Everyone Worth Knowing

This was another one of the books I picked pre-Europe trip. However, I didn't get around until reading until recently. I finished the book this weekend and had a hard time putting it down. The book is by Lauren Weisberger, the same author who wrote The Devil Wears Prada.

The book follows a woman who, tired of her 80 hours a week banking job quits and soon finds herself at the top of the hottest PR firm in New York City. Weisberger attempts to provide the reader with insight into the lives of the rich and famous through eyes of a clear outsider. It is easy to identify with the main character as most of us are probably in the same position. So after taking a look at that lifestyle, I must say it sounds quite exhausting.

The book takes a while to reach any sort of conflict or major climax, leaving little room for story wrap up. We get a single chapter of unsatisfactory wrap up to the story post-blow out. At times you even begin to wonder if there is a climax at all, but just when think there can't possibly be enough pages left, we find the drama!

Despite the slow build up, I would definitely read more by Weisberger. The writing is vivid and colorful making it hard to put down. I'm officially adding the The Devil Wears Prada and Chasing Harry Winston to my reading list!

My rating: 3.5 Stars

Book Review: Dirty Girls Social Club

While I was in Europe, I needed some reading material. Before I left for my trip, I spent an afternoon at Barnes and Noble looking for some interesting books. I stumbled across these books and was intrigued by the back cover synopsis. I ended up buying the sequel to go with it.

The first book: The Dirty Girls Social Club, follows six Hispanic women that have been friends since college in Boston. There lives have evolved differently since finishing school but they continue to make time for each other on a regular basis. They refer to themselves as the sucias, which apparently translates in English to dirty girls.

The second book: Dirty Girls on Top, finds these same women several years later. We find that many of them are still struggling with the aftermath of the first book and overall there has been little development. Despite the time gap between the books, readers will feel like they haven't really missed anything during that time.

Overall Alisa Valdez Rodriguez does a great job of developing these characters and showing all sides of the story. Each chapter rotates to another character so that the story is told from the perspective of all six women. It is a dynamic read that allows the reader to decide for herself on the actions of the women. It is a very quick read but does have some heavy subject matter and slightly explicit content.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Cause I'm Free Betch, Baby

So this post is all about my new favorite website. It makes for lots of good laughs and few "That sounds familiar." I don't have much to say (I know, imagine that) other than take a break from work and check it out:

http://betcheslovethissite.com/

#27 Tanning is currently at the top of my list for next the 5 months!

Betch of the Week! Plus you know I love all things Real Housewives

Hot Cop

So last night in the process of trying to carry in way too many things in a single trip (the result of living in a split-level townhouse), I hit the panic button on my house alarm fob. Please don't call me idiot, I already have many times, as I'm sure did the two police officers that showed up at my door twenty minutes later. I thought hitting the Off button in less than 30 minute would cancel the Panic and knew the alarm company is supposed to call first. However, one of my roommates would have had to answer to keep the cops from showing up. The police officers were very nice and took a look around to make sure everything was okay.

So after my encounter last night, I decided that the Mountain View Police Department has a very nice and responsive group. Had I really been in a Panic, they're response would have been fairly impressive. Although I guess it depends what the Panic was over. Thinking about the Mtn View Police Department had me thinking about my other run-ins with various law enforcement officers around the country. (It's really not that many, I am a very law-abiding citizen). Overall, there is one department that stands out in my mind, perhaps because it was most recent.

Las Vegas

If you didn't already know, I spent this past New Years in Las Vegas with two of my besties. On New Years Eve we were walking the overly and ridiculously crowded strip when we found a great open spot along the barricaded streets across from Caesar's Palace. Just on the other side of the barricade was a police offer and his very gorgeous police partner, Zach. Oh yes, I got his name (which ironically is the same name as the make believe stripper my mom made up). This beautiful officer was very nice and served as a great photographer. His name was Zach and thankfully he was available most of the night for our entertainment since it was a "mellow New Years Eve." I offered to start a fight with Brianne or Kristin or take down the block of barricades if it got me VIP seating on the sidewalk on his of the barricade. While he clearly found humor in my offer, he kindly declined as my VIP seating would have also included a pair of shiny bracelets. Or maybe they just break out the zip ties for New Years Eve.

Apparently, the police officers of Las Vegas are encouraged to fraternize with females because it makes for good community relations. Well Zach, I would be happy to help improve your community relations. So in honor of my "Hot Cop" as we have dubbed him, I thought we needed some man candy.

Remember Ryan from The OC. Don't lie I know you do. Well he is now a cop on Southland.

Rules of the Resume

As more and more of my friends are preparing to enter the Real World, I've been asked to review resumes and provide suggestions. And as my company continues the search otherwise known as hiring, I have realized that the fundamentals of a good resume may not be obvious or clear as they should be. I have reviewed many resumes in the past and there are some pretty bad ones at there. After making fun, yes laughing at, many of the resumes we have been receiving in the office applying for these various positions, I thought that perhaps you might find some guidelines for writing your resume helpful.

Rule #1: Keep It to One Page...unless
There has been some debate about the one-page rule lately. Many people argue that it you have to keep it one page because those reading resumes don't have time to sift through anymore than that. While that argument is fairly accurate there are some exceptions. If you truly have enough related experience, key word being related, then it is acceptable to go over one page, but only if you have enough to fully fill a second page. A page and a half is a little weird and looks like you should have spent more time editing and formatting. However, you more than likely will not have the experience that warrants a second page until you are further along in your career path. The other exception is academia where including research and publications is considered crucial. If you are just finishing school, keep it simple and stick to one page.

Rule #2: Formatting is Crucial
This morning I was talking with our office manager who is the first line in receiving resumes. She made a comment that she received 100 resumes yesterday (yes in just one day) and only accepted 6 of them. The rest were garbage and were tossed largely due to poor formatting. If it's a headache to read, they probably won't read it. If you can't format your resume, they will think you don't have the skills to preform the job. Please don't use one of the built-in Microsoft templates. It looks like you didn't spend much time or effort on the resume. Keep a minimum of 0.5 inch margins with bold headings that clearly separate sections. Avoid large chunks of text. It is daunting to look a large unbroken block of text. Over-stylization is possible and should be avoided as well. Keep it clean and easy to read.

Rule #3: Keep Descriptions Brief
When listing relevant, again key word relevant, volunteer or work experience, you are expected to provide a brief, another keyword brief, description of the tasks and functions performed. Please, please, please keep this brief. To stay on one page you have to keep it brief. Ten bullets per position is not brief. I'd say a maximum of five points, but four is probably ideal. Keep each bullet to only a line, or two at the most. There is a caveat, don't short change yourself. Do not overlook important job functions in the name of brevity. The point is to synthesize and summarize. The HR person receiving your resume is receiving hundreds of these and doesn't have time to sort through and pick out the important aspects of the job that pertain this particular position. You HAVE to do this for her or you will be overlooked!

Rule #4: Highlight Yourself
This relates to Rule #3. In keeping your descriptions brief, it is important to pick out the most relevant tasks and the skills you developed. This is you trying to sell yourself on paper. You really need to highlight your key experiences and skills that would allow to excel in this position. Use action words to start off each bullet or description. Provide concrete numbers whenever possible as it adds legitimacy to your description. Again, you have to pull out the most important aspects of you and make they clear on your resume. If you don't, you will get overlooked.

Rule #5: The Objective Statement
This is a much debated part of a resume. My personal opinion, and feel free to disagree, is that the objective statement is a waste of space. I think the objective is clear: to get THIS job. In my opinion, you don't need to tell the resume reviewer that you want this job. You applied so of course you do. I prefer to ditch the objective statement in favor of expanding the room available for my actual experiences.

Rule #6: Tailor the Resume
You should not be sending out a generic resume to every position you apply for. You should be tailoring your resume to each position. I would say the exception, I know there always seems to be exceptions, is if you are new to the workforce and have limited experience. If listing everything you've ever done takes you over one page, it is time to start tailoring. For instance, if you are applying for an accounting position, your summer job as restaurant waitress is not exactly relevant. Cut it! I know it takes time to do this, but if you don't your skills and relevant experience will got lost and you will be overlooked.

Rule #7: Beware of your Timeline
When applying for jobs, beware of how far back your experiences are. Generally, the rule I follow is that if it was more than five years ago, I cut it. Unless, it is very relevant to the position you are applying for then it is fine to keep it. Once you reach your junior year of college, it's time to cut high school. That means your high school jobs and high school extracurricular activities are no longer appropriate to include on a resume. It is expected you have new and more recent activities to fill those spaces. The other aspect of timeline you need to think about is gaps in employment history. You need to be prepared to explain any gaps that you may have. If you're young, this usually is not a big problem as any gaps are more than likely attributed to education. However, if you took some time off from school and work, you may be asked to explain so be prepared. The cover letter, if requested is a good place to explain.

I hope all these tips helped and will make your life a little bit easier as you slave away over resumes and cover letters in the quest for employment. One other tip, save and send your resume as a pdf file. Formatting can get messed up when things are opened on other computers. If you send a pdf file instead, you avoid this problem and will know that what you see on your screen is exactly what they will see. Just make sure the pdf works. If you ever have any questions or would like some feedback, I would be happy to help. Just let me know!

Home Sweet Home!

Finally back in the United States! And it feels so good! Don't get me wrong, Europe was fabulous, but there are just some things I couldn't help but miss over there. So in honor of my return, I have compiled a list of all the great American things I missed the most.

Number #1: English TV
In Europe, they have plenty of American TV. Unfortunately, it is all dubbed in various European languages. Thus I was resigned to CNN and BBC. Here's my opinion on CNN. They lie. They claim to be 24 hours news. Lie. In reality, it's 5 hours news put on repeat. Let's just say I was an expert on the Libyan scandal and the New Zealand earthquake by the end of the trip. At my last hotel, I didn't even get those channels. There was exactly ZERO English channels. So I watched the Disney Channel in German. Kim Possible and Hannah Montana are much less annoying when I have no idea what they are saying.

Now that I am home and I have been utterly devoted to my DVR that kept careful recordings of all my favorite shows, including the new season of the Real Housewives of Orange County!!!

Number Two: Hair Appliances
For those of you that have never been to Europe, they have a messed electrical system. Their voltage is double what we use in American. This means that unless your device has a built-in transformer (for instance like a laptop charger) you're screwed. For me, this meant 3 weeks of bad hair. For future trips, I think I will be buying a travel straightener.

Number Three: Ice Water
Europeans don't use ice period. It's weird. Not only do they not use but they rarely use refrigeration for beverages either. So I hope you like lukewarm beverages. Also, when in Europe you must also always specify that you want your water with no gas. Personally, I always want EVERYTHING with no gas, but Europeans apparently love to have gas.

Number #4: My Cell Phone
Now I know a lot of you make fun me for the cell phone that I use *cough*Brianne*, but after being without a cell phone that I could use whenever I wanted to text and call whoever I wanted, I am glad to have it back. Even if it isn't an iPhone. I never got the hang of using an international cell phone that was antiquated back to my junior high days. Plus I could only use it for "business" purposes as I had to pay per minute it was used. Thank goodness for the internet, or I may have very well died over there for lack of social communication.

Number #5: Mexican Food
I pretty much experience this on most trips outside of California (unless I'm in the Southwest, which is not very often). I love Mexican food, but outside of the states between California and Texas, there is not much Mexican food out there. Trust me when I say Mexican food in Arkansas is not really Mexican food. As a result, I am eagerly anticipating my weekend in Modesto where I can have all the delicious Mexican food I want. I have enough Schnitzel (fried pork) and Cordon Bleu (fried chicken with cheese) for a while.

Number #6: Boomer
While I missed all of my friends (most of you) and my family while I was over there, I was able to communicate with you (at least those important enough) while in Europe via Facebook and email. Boomer, on the other hand, and I have had no communication in over a month. All I have had are the pictures my mother has posted on Facebook. I guess something about paws makes internet use difficult. Again, another thing to look forward to this weekend, his adorable face:

Number #7: Liam
For much the same reasons as Boomer, I miss this little guy. I have missed his entire fourth month of life and he already 5 months old! It's crazy I know! He also is unable to communicate over the internet so I can't wait to see this little guy this weekend. He's almost crawling!

So that's all for this. There are probably more things I missed (such as Brianne's birthday...sorry!!), but you're probably bored of this post by now as am I. So that's all for now. Just glad to be back and ready to celebrate!

Europe Days 15-18: Munich!

I am currently sitting at the Munich airport waiting for my 12-hour flight to San Francisco. That puts me at Day 18 of this trip around Europe. I can't believe the trip has already come and gone after so much time anticipating its arrival. While I am waiting for this nightmare of a flight to commence, I thought I would update you on my final weekend in Europe, Munich to be specific.

Day 15
I was actually still in Nuremberg on Friday. We weren't sure if there was going to be some stuff we needed to wrap up or people to meet after the show so we had booked for Friday too. I spent the morning taking care of work emails and then was able to spend the afternoon sight-seeing around Nuremberg. I walked around Alstadt or Old Town Nuremberg. There were churches and an old fortress. Then I spent a bit of time shopping for souvenirs to bring home. I met my manager around 2 PM in the afternoon and we decided to venture out a bit further. We took the train to the place of the Nuremberg Trials, probably what the city is most known for. It was quite cool but the museum exhibition was soooo long. I couldn't even get through it all due to exhaustion after 2.5 hours walking around one room. It was still very cool to see. Then we to Furth, a 1000 year-old city just outside of Nuremberg. Not as cool as my manager had made it out to be.

Day 16
This was my day to head to Munich. I got up and checked out of the Nuremberg hotel in time to make my train to Munich. The train was so overcrowded there was nowhere to put my baggage. Finally got to Munich and had to walk to my hotel which was a bit further than I had imagined. It would have been totally fine if I had not had all the luggage. I set out to explore around 1 PM and walked around Munich's central area near the Marienplatz. I also decided to visit the Residenz, a government place. There I meant a group from a small Christian school in Alabama. They had an extra ticket that they freely gave to me and invited me to be a part of their group. It was nice to finally interact with some Americans! I spent most of the afternoon with them. I usually tell people I still feel 17, but after spending an afternoon with 17 year-olds and realizing I had much more in common with their thirty year-old parents, I had a realization. I am an adult. Scary I know, but I am definitely not 17 any more.

Day 17
There was a lot a wanted to do in Munich that would have taken me on guided tours. Unfortunately, during the winter these tours only run in the morning so I had to pick one, and only one. I chose to do the 5-hour tour of Dachau, the concentration camp outside of Munich. It was a neat experience. I again got to hang out with Americans, this time a group from Pennsylvania. Even though my tour guide was a peculiar British bloke (who kept hitting on me...creepily), it was still a very cool tour, or as cool as that sort of thing can be. Everyone should definitely take the tour if they ever have the chance. When I got back to Munich, the city was going crazy! There are in Carnival, which is basically like the German Mardi Gras. People were drinking in costumes everywhere with live bands every 50 feet. It would probably be a lot of fun to go back during that time of year, if it wasn't so cold!

Day 18
Today is the travel. I am about to board my flight. I am ready to go back home, to America. I'll tell you more as to why later. I don't think I have time now. Looking back, I definitely want to go back to Paris. I still haven't seen Versailles or visited the Musee d'Orsay. I would also go back to Munich to tour all of the castles (including the Sleeping Beauty castle) and to take the Third Reich tour. It has been a long but amazing trip. Next time I talk to you all, I will be in America!

Europe Days 4 - 14

OK, so I fell off the band wagon pretty quick I trying to write about each day of my trip. But in my defense things picked up and were a bit busier. Plus I have had someone with me everyday up to this point so I was out later at night. But here goes the rest of the trip so far.

Day 4:
Monday (2/21), I was in Paris still. I slept so much that day, I did not wake up until after noon and then quickly realize my boss was to show up any minute. We did not have anything planned work wise for that day so we opted to treat it like the Presidents Holiday that it was and not work. There were some things I still wanted to see but were a bit farther from the main Paris stretch. Derek (he's my boss) agreed that we could go visit the Sacre Coeur Basilica. It is quite a cool place and the architecture stands out quite a bit from other churches like Notre Dame. There was quite a nasty climb up to the actual church from the metro stop, but it took us up the Rue Foyatier which is a pretty street (of stairs). From the church there was an amazing view of the city as well.

Day 5
All work and travel. We had a meeting in the morning and then headed to the airport to go to Nice. My recommendation never fly EasyJet, they suck.

Day 6
We had a meeting in the morning, but you guys don't really care I'm sure. Just proof that this was a work trip. After the meeting, we went to the Cannes for the afternoon. You know the place where the film festival is everywhere. It is a very pretty place, kind of reminds me of Capitola (near Santa Cruz). We found the ritzy hotel where all the famous people stay too. Everything is marble and instead of artwork they just have cases of diamonds for decoration.

Day 7
We didn't have any meetings planned so we just did some work from the hotel in the morning. Then Derek suggested we go to Monaco/Monte Carlo for the afternoon and a late lunch before heading to the airport. Monaco is spectacular! The water is bright blue and everything is so green with gardens and landscaping everywhere. I saw of the biggest yachts, the size of cruise ships really. We saw the Monte Carlo casino and the Monaco palace. All very pretty. On the way to the airport, there was a crazy driver who took out like 10 pylons, it was quite something. The airport ride sucked as I had come down with a bit of a cold was really bad. I literally thought my head was going to explode during that plane ride. It was so utterly painful, plus we had been delayed over an hour so we didn't get back to Paris until after midnight. I think we all know how much I love to sleep, so midnight was not so cool.

Day 8
After a late night traveling, I had to be up early for a meeting with our French distributor in the Paris suburbs. While we were there, the distributor took us out for a real French meal that lasted nearly 3 hours and consisted of over 7 courses. It was quite an amazing meal and let's face it no American spends that much time eating lunch. After the meeting I laid low in hopes of recovery from my cold.

Day 9
I had another early morning so that I could get to the airport for my flight to Salzburg. Once I arrived in Salzburg, I was met by a couple my grandpa had introduced me to that live near Salzburg. They had planned out the Sound of Music tour to take me on that day which was quite nice. I had been expecting snow so I was very excited to find it a bright sunny day. We saw various places from the movie and actual Von Trapp family house (yes, they were a real family). We also visited Old Town and saw the Salzburg Fortress and Mozart's birthplace.

Day 10
I woke to find it was raining in Salzburg, which meant it was going to be another wet sight-seeing day. Fortunately, there was a car for traveling around this time. We started by visiting the Mirabell Palace which is in the Sound of Music. It is a very pretty place, that would be even prettier during the spring and summer when the huge garden is in full bloom. Next we decided to climb the Salzburg fortress. It is quite a steep walk, but not as bad as the walk to Sacre Coeur and let's face it by this point I was used to the hikes. The fortress is over 600 years old. It was quite amazing with a museum set up inside.

Day 11
It was off to Germany! I took a morning train from Salzburg to Munich where I caught a connection to Nuremberg. Nuremberg is where the real work began. I was there for the Embedded World trade show. In case you didn't know, trade show = exhausting. It means long days usually around 10-12 hours and standing on your feet all day long. While I enjoy working trade shows it is very tiring. Monday, I was met in Nuremberg by my manager and we set up for the trade show which took a ridiculous 5 hours. It should have only taken like 2 hours at most, but there was electrical problems. After that I just wanted a quick dinner and bed.

Day 12-14
I won't bore you with the details of the show. But basically I spent these three days on my feet. We went out to dinner a couple nights with our distributors for authentic German food. That means schnitzel and beer...but I didn't drink the beer. I stuck to wine, and the glasses of wine we're at least twice the size of American glasses.

So that is the update of my trip of Europe so far. I only have 4 days left and that includes my travel day back to the States. Today, we are going to do some sight-seeing of Nuremberg and then its off to Munich for the weekend! I will try to be better and update more on the last three days of this trip! Then I will be back in California on Monday night. I can't believe the trip is almost over!

Paris Day 3

So my boots did dry! Just barely though, I had to towel dry the insides this morning but it worked enough that they were wearable. I woke up last night at 3 AM Paris time and was unable to go back to sleep. I'm not sure if I was hungry or stressed about switching hotels or what, but I couldn't sleep. I slept fine the night before. I finally back asleep around 7 AM but couldn't sleep long because I had to check out of my hotel.

I switched hotels today. My boss wanted to stay in a different area of town. So know I'm staying right by the Gare de Lyon. The hotel is much nicer looks like it was probably decorated in the 90s. The bedspread is plain white and the shower is actually big enough to turn around in. However, the location isn't nearly as ideal as the past the place. I guess you want to the use the train, this one is better. But I prefer to walk when sight-seeing and this one is much further than most of the stuff, plus it also harder to find using the map I have. Thankfully I managed to find my way back, although I did get utterly lost and walked in a huge circle on my way out for the day.

I took a taxi to switch hotels. I smart choice considering I can hardly manage to get my luggage up one stair and through a door. The taxi was the nicest cab I've ever been in. It was spotless and looked new. However, it was quite expensive. I would not recommend taxis in Paris unless necessary. It was 17 euro for the ride, I'll let you translate that into USD. Either its ridiculous for such a short drive. But at least I got some peace of mind with it knowing I wasn't going to have lug my suitcases across town.

So for my sightseeing today....

My number one stop today was Notre Dame. It was a bit of a walk from my new hotel and I got utterly lost. Fortunately, the Seine River is an excellent guide. When in doubt find the river and walk until you find something familiar. Most of the good stuff is not far off the river. I finally made it to Notre Dame after of walk 30 minutes or so. I took tons of pictures from every side. I was able to take a tour inside the chapel as well. It was really cool. There was actually a mass of sorts going on at the time so it added to the effects. While I had opted out of climbing the Eiffel Tower, I really wanted to climb the Notre Dame bell towers. However I was rounded the corner to the entrance, I was met with a line not too long though. Except this was a line that wasn't moving. I'd much rather be in a long line that moves (like at the Louvre) then a short line that doesn't.

However, the time passed quickly thanks to a goofy man in a weird mask. He was a small man wearing a mask that was something between a bulldog and old man. He entertained by playing pranks on people in the surrounding area, but all very harmless. The most amazing was when we would walk up a to couple or family and start holding someone's hand. Often they didn't notice right away. One man held his hand for over 30 seconds until he noticed his girlfriend was in front of him. Another guy let the man take his girlfriend and just stood behind them shocked (great boyfriend), when the girl noticed it wasn't her boyfriend she screamed. Perhaps the funniest, he walked up behind a mother holding hands with her two young daughters. He replaced the hand of one daughter and the mother didn't notice until the young girl stood in front of her mom with both hands in the air. The mother really screamed but realized it was in good fun and even took a bow. It was all quite amusing watching people scream, jump, run into the stream, one woman even took off running down the street.

For 5 euro (under 26 rate), I was able to climb the towers and reach a spectacular view. This is definitely a must do for anyone visiting Europe. The chapel itself is amazing, but the view is breath-taking. But be warned there are over 400 steps up a narrow winding staircase to the get to the top. I can feel the burn in my legs after today. I definitely I got my share of exercise the last few days. From the top you can see the entire city all the way to the Sacre Coeur.

 










After finishing my tour of Notre Dame, I ventured to the Latin Quartier. It is a really fun and lively area. Here you will find the Palais et Jardin du Luxembourg and the Pantheon. I stopped at both. The Pantheon looks an awful lot like many capitol buildings I've seen (US Capitol, Sacramento, Boston, Austin). This appears to have been a very popular architectural style. It was still quite magnificent with huge carved figures peering down from the top.

After finishing my walk around the Latin Quartier, I walked across the Seine River and explored the area a bit. There were some people ice skating at the most massive hotel I've ever seen. I spent some time looking for a place to get some food and found a boulangerie with some delicious sandwiches. I thought about venturing to the Bastille, but my feet begged otherwise. I opted to go back to the hotel and do the Bastille tomorrow. It was getting dark and could feel sprinkles of rain beginning to fall.

Now I'm laying in my new hotel room with tired legs and sore feet. I hope they are ready for tomorrow! My boss comes tomorrow so we'll see how the day goes. Hoping to get the Bastille in tomorrow before he gets there, and then maybe convince to visit the Sacre Coeur and Moulin Rouge? After all tomorrow is a holiday!

C'est Ma Vie - Paris Day 1 & 2

I'm currently writing this from Paris...yes Paris. I am officially a world traveler! I left Thursday from SFO airport for Paris. I took a 10 hour flight to Frankfurt where I caught a connection to Paris. It started off shaky. I couldn't find my airport shuttle, then I couldn't get the internet to work which meant I would have no connection with anyone, then none of my appliances work because of voltage differences (including my camera batteries), and a new SD card that doesn't work. All problems aside it is a pretty amazing! My hotel, Hotel Le Pavillon, is small and old, but then again all hotels in Paris appear to be similar. I would definitely stay here again though. The price is reasonable (for hotel in Paris) and the location is spectacular. It's a 5 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower and a 15-20 minute to the Louvre. I am glad I picked this hotel as I prefer to walk than spend money taking the metro.

After I arrived on Friday, I settled in and decided to go visit the neighborhood Eiffel Tower. It literally took only 5 minutes to walk there! Despite the cold and fog it was still an AMAZING sight. The Eiffel Tower is massive, so much bigger than I imagined. I felt this was the best place to start my trip as it is the quintessential Paris icon.

After my visit to the Eiffel Tower, I stopped into a small boulangerie/patisserie (basically a bakery with bread and pastries). I had a delicious French pizza that was big enough to yield leftovers. Then I went back to the hotel to charge my camera batteries, only to find that it will only work with 120V, not the 240V that European outlets supply. I was informed I wouldn't need a transformer/converter and foolishly believed it. PLEASE, if you go to Europe bring a voltage converter! This is different than an adapter that changes the orientation of the prongs. You need something that actually adjusts the voltage/current as well as the prongs. Save yourself the headache (and the bad hair day)!

Today (Saturday) I woke up to find it pouring rain in Paris. Not quite so cool. Despite the rain I decided I had to venture out. (Like I'd really spend a day in Paris in my hotel room because of rain). I decided I would start by walking to the Musee D'Orsay about 10 minutes from my hotel. But I got a little lost and ended up on the other side of the Seine River. I decided I'd skip the Musee d'Orsay and head straight to the Louvre. A smart choice as there was no way I could do both those places in a day.

The Louvre was quite exciting with lots of exhibits. If you visit definitely grab a guide/map before you start exploring. It is very easy to get lost in this museum! I saw the Mona Lisa which I thought was cooler than people made it out to be. I was other works by Renaissance artists like Raphael, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Titian. There was also some spectacular French, German, and Dutch paintings. Then there was Napoleon's apartment and the Egyptian exhibits. The Greek and Roman sculptures were amazing too. I spent about half the day there exploring until I was exhausted.

When I went to leave the Louvre, I headed to where I though the exit was only to instead be meet by an Apple Store and McDonalds. I guess that's globalization, Apple in the Louvre. They've taken part the grounds under the Louvre to construct Le Carousel, a mall. Ridiculous if you ask me.

Despite my exhaustion and the pouring rain, I decided to take a stroll down the Champs d'Elysees. This is a pretty wide street that has cool stores along on it but that point I was too wet to be in the mood for shopping. Abercrombie and Fitch will be the newest addition to the avenue in the next few months, so clearly the company can't be doing that bad. Again lots of evidence of globalization including H&M and McDonald's, as well as a movie theater with American movies in French. Still a cool street to walk down with lots of people.

As I walked along I could see the Arc de Triomphe ahead in the distance. It sits at the end of the Champs d'Elysees. When I finally made it to the end, I was overwhelmed by the size of the Arc de Triomphe. I knew it was big, but it was significantly larger than I imagined. A very cool sight! While there, I heard someone say "Sigma Kappa?" I had been carrying an old pink umbrella with SK on it. It turns out there were a couple frat boys from University of Washington there (SAE and Zete).

At this point I was totally soaked down to my socks. I was tired after over six hours walking and sightseeing. I headed back to the hotel but stopped for an authentic French croissant first. Now I'm hanging out before bed, hoping my boots dry before tomorrow!

Finances Follow-up

So after posting my blog last night, I received some questions and it appears I overlooked a few situations and missed some details. So here's my follow-up to those questions:

First question: How do I set up my spreadsheet?

My spreadsheets run the length of a calendar year. I have separate tabs in my spreadsheet for each subcategory. This includes: savings, travel, car fund, food, gas, and "everything else." I also have a tab where I log how I divide each paycheck once I receive it. I then track all deposits and expenses on each individual tab as appropriate.

Second question: If I'm living on savings, how much is a reasonable amount to spend each month?

I think you can live a VERY comfy lifestyle on $3000 a month if you're paying rent, $2000 if you're not. This number includes $1000 for savings and $1000 for spending. If you're living on savings, you probably won't be contributing much to savings, but I would still HIGHLY recommend setting aside some money each month for savings such as a retirement account. I think you could further reduce the amount you're spending by at least $500 if you are willing to give up some of the more extraneous things like shopping trips. You can probably cut the travel category to save money for the time being. I think you could get by on as little as $1000-$1500 including rent. This number may be high for some as I'm basing my rent figures on bay area premiums.

Third question: If I have student loans do I include that money in the savings or spending category?

I really over looked this when I wrote that post last night. It is essential that you keep up with payments on any debt (good or bad) you may be carry. A good credit score is essential to healthy finance. Good debt would be something like student loans, and bad debt would be credit card debt. Avoid bad debt at all costs! Pay credit card balances off every month. If you are already in debt, pay more than the minimum each month to get out of debt as fast as possible!

If you can at all afford it, I would recommend deducting good debt payments (such as student loan payments) from your spending third. However, this may be a bigger burden than you can afford. I spent some time thinking about other options for this situation. Another suggestion would be to deduct your student loan payments before you divide your money in thirds. For example, say you make $2000 after taxes and you have a $200 monthly student loan payment. I would deduct the $200 first, leaving a remaining $1800 that I would then divide in thirds.


I hope these answers cleared up some questions that were out there. Please feel free to hit me up with more questions and I'll do my best to answer!

The Golden Rule of Finances

After numerous shopping trips and conversations about money with a certain best friend (who shall remain nameless), she has decided that she needs a financial adviser...me. While I bear no actual certification, I do take a great deal of care to manage my finances. As we enter "The Real World," the ability to responsibly manage money becomes increasingly important. It does not take much to find yourself in a heap of debt or living paycheck to paycheck because you overspent on dinners out. Here are some tips I have gathered from personal experience, parental advice, and various financial articles.

Rule #1: Make (and stick to) a Budget

The idea of a budget often scares people, but it is really valuable and critical to financial health. If you don't what you can afford to spend, you WILL overspend. Actually creating the budget can seem overwhelming, but I believe that following a simple Rule of Thirds makes it much easier.

The Rule of Thirds: Take your monthly paycheck (after taxes) and divide it in three. To get your after tax pay, I would recommend estimating that approximately one-third of your pre-tax income will be deduct. For example: If your monthly pre-tax income is $3000, I would estimate that $1000 will be taken in taxes (painful, I know!). Then divide the remaining $2000 in thirds. The first third should be used to pay for your rent including utilities. The second third should go into savings. The final third should pay for everything else.

Rule #2: Live Within Your Means

By this I mean choose a place to live based on what you can afford. Too many people pick a place and then struggle to make rent and utilities. Figure out how much you can afford to pay each month before you start looking. This may mean lowering your standards, but that's life in an entry-level workforce. Using the same example as above, you could afford to live in place that costs approximately $660 per month including utilities. I also group cable and internet service and any housekeeping expenses in this group. Considering house mates or roommates to lower costs.

We can't all be Bill Gates...unfortunately.

Rule #3: Save Like There's No Tomorrow

Saving money is absolutely essential. I choose to divide my "Savings" into several categories. Instead of just a generic savings account, I divide that money into sub-categories I track in my monthly budget spreadsheet. You can divide the third of your money dedicated to savings into a variety of sub-categories.

Mine include: Travel, Roth IRA, 401K, Car Fund, and general Savings. I think it is fine to include travel in your savings third as long as you are also contributing significantly to retirement savings. The Roth IRA and 401K are retirement accounts. (More on retirement saving to come...) The Car Fund is money set aside for any major car repairs that may come up and money to replace my current car when the time comes. If you are making a car payment, you will likely need to use some of this money to pay for the car. I recommend buying cars in cash if at all possible and contributing a comparable car payment amount to a savings account. General Savings is everything else such as emergencies, school, etc.

Save for the Fabulous Life too!

Rule #4: Don't Forget to Enjoy Life

I believe in living the "Fabulous Life" as long as you keep it within your means. The final third of your paycheck should be spent as you want. Of course there are things you will have to pay for, like food and gas. My approach is to set aside a certain amount of money for food (including meals out), a certain amount for gas (another transportation), and the rest is for everything. The "everything else" category includes everything from entertainment to household cleaning supplies to clothes. It includes EVERYTHING else. Also, if you want to save up for an expensive item (like Louboutins), set aside a small amount of your "everything else" account. Saving up for a pair of shoes does not count as part of your savings third!

Rule #5: Track Your Spending

Create a spreadsheet to track your spending. Sticking to budget relies on you knowing where your money is going. I use a Google doc so that I can access it from anywhere and easily know how much money I can afford to spend on a shopping trip or whether I can afford to go out to dinner. If you can't afford it, say NO! It may be hard but you will be so much better off. Chances are you will have forgotten about that dress in a few weeks anyways.


You can still enjoy life and be smart about your finances too. It only takes a bit of work and a little planning.

Welcome to the Real World

As most of you know probably already know, I recently said goodbye to college and hello to the "Real World." No, I do not mean the MTV reality TV show that is older than I am. The Real World is the place I find myself now: adulthood. Adulthood can be defined as having a real job and being 100% financially cut off from Mom and Dad. Sounds fun right?? Ya I didn't think so...

Fun or not, we must all embrace that day at some point when we say "Hello Real World." For most of us that day is fast approaching, or is already behind us. As a wised and seasoned veteran of entering the Real World...ya right...I thought I would pass on some advice.

Many friends have asked me for advice as they begin to prepare for the transition from college to life after college (adulthood). It is scary and believe me I had my fair share of breakdowns. The tales of unemployment and a jobless economy only made my fears worse. Thanks to the guidance of my parents (who at the time I swore were out of touch of the job economy of today) I made it through alive.

So here's what I did to successfully transition to adulthood and land the "perfect" job:

Step 1: Define "perfect" job
Some of you may have a dream job in mind, others (like me) haven't got a clue. Either way you will have to embrace the fact the odds of landing your perfect job, 6 figures and an expense account, right out of college is probably unrealistic. Sad I know. But that doesn't mean you can't focus on other aspects that you strongly desire, but keep it simple and loose. Be willing to adjust when an opportunity arises. For me, I wanted a job that would allow for a high interaction level with people and travel. I did not want to sit at a desk all day.

Step 2: Start early
While it sometimes may feel like you are alone in this search for employment, you aren't. There are thousands of others also looking for that same perfect job...your job. This means you need to start early. By early, I mean the start of the school year, September. Earlier may be better depending on your field of interest. I started my search the September before I graduated, by March I had the job.

Step 3: Polish the resume
This one takes time and it really is never fun. However, the resume is crucial. It is your first impression on a potential employer. Take time to develop a well structured and thought out resume. Review it multiple times before submission and ask others to review it as well. Be sure to ask someone other than Mom to review it as well because let's face it Mom doesn't necessarily have the most critical eye when it comes to her children. (But we love her more because of it) Keep the resume to one page and don't use one of the Microsoft templates. Use action words and call on hard numbers as much as possible.

Step 4: Check out Career Center resources
It is more than likely your school has an on-campus Career Center. They can often provide valuable information and assistance during your job search. Look for free guides and other printed resources. Look for an online job listing site where employers can post available jobs. These people are often looking for students. This means they are aware that you still have to graduate and aren't looking for immediate start dates. I did most of my job searching on the Career Center website.

Step 5: Be patient and persistent
It is a long process, especially when you first get started. I went through all of the thousands of postings when I started and it took time. The site is constantly updated with new job listings, so it is crucial to keep going back every few days to look at recently added opportunities. Apply for any job you would be interested in learning more about. Don't be afraid of rejection! It is part of the process and you'll get used it, I promise! You can't expect to be a perfect fit for every job and every company (even though your mom says otherwise).

So I hope this helps some of you that are freaking out about life after college. Just take things a day at time and stay organized. And PLEASE don't forget to enjoy the time you have left in college!

Around the World in 2011

In the spirit of New Year resolutions, I have some travel goals set for 2011. My job has me traveling around the world to some awesome places. And now that I have disposable income to boot, my list of desired vacations has become quite extensive. However, I have pulled myself back from lala land to make this list as I realize that neither my money or vacation days are endless...I wish. So while I may want to go to many more places, this is a more realistic list of places I plan to visit in 2011.


1. Las Vegas - DONE
As a new 21 year old, this trip is an obvious. Seeing as I have just completed two trips to Vegas since the start of the year. I can cross this off...sort of. I would like to go back when the weather slightly north of the 25-30 degrees it has been the past two weeks. So May in Vegas with Fab Five?? Sounds like a plan to me!

(I took this picture!)

2. Europe: Paris, Munich, Nuremberg, Salzburg
This trip is almost totally planned. My job is sending me to France and Germany for distributor visits and a tradeshow. The show is in Nuremberg and I'll be making weekend trips to Munich and Salzburg despite the snow I'm promised will be covering the snow. In France, I'll be staying near Paris with a weekend there. If I'm lucky I may hit the south of France to meet with customers! Cote D'Azur anyone? I love my job!

3. New York
I am absolutely dying to go to New York City. Visit the land of Sex and the City, sounds like perfection! I have been trying to convince my mom to plan the trip to see the most amazing city in the world...or so I'm assuming. Perhaps this can be my trip for July??

4. Hawaii
Two best friends with places in Hawaii? Check! This trip is bound to happen at least once so Hawaiian tan here I come!

5. Chicago
I am working on getting this city onto our show schedule for 2011. This would mean a week in Chicago (or more). Hopefully in a warmer time of year as my tolerance for cold caps out at about 20 degrees. This will probably only happen if it's for work, but a girl can dream.

These are the goals, but certainly not the end of it. My year will also likely include trips to Boston, Phoenix, Seattle, Southern California, Texas and a few other places. If I'm lucky a trip to London might be thrown with a side trip to Ireland. Fingers crossed! Happy Travels!

New Years Resolution - 2011

So it's stereotypical...who cares.  My resolutions will kick your resolutions a**.  I am generally absolutely horrible with resolutions.  Last year I didn't even try.  The year before, I resolved to start working out once a week.  ONCE A WEEK!  I failed after two weeks.  Then I told myself the year doesn't start until the semester starts in mid-January.  So I really failed after 5 weeks, but I only worked out twice.  Like I said....not very good.  But might as well try...

Resolution #1: Work out twice a week.
So based on the previous paragraph you guys are already doubting me.  However, I would like to say that I have been getting pretty good at working out a few times a week.  And if Brianne would move in with me I know I would be even better!  Especially if we lived in those fancy apartments with the gym downstairs!! 

Here's the catch with this one: weeks when I'm traveling don't count.  I know, I know it sounds like cheating, but its too hard. 
    Problem 1: More stuff to pack.  I already bring to much (but getting better). 
    Problem 2: Hotel gym.  Enough said
    Problem 3: I'm usually exhausted when traveling because its for work
    Problem 4: Way better stuff to do.  Why work out when I can sight see!


Resolution #2: Eat better.
I know my resolutions are starting to sound cliche.  I really need this one though.  I need more iron and fiber.  Really this one actually means learn to vegetables, but that makes me sound like I'm 5.  I'm 21 and only eat carrots and lettuce.  And potatoes, which my dad says doesn't count.  I think it does, I mean it does common from the ground.

Resolution #3: Leave the country.
Don't worry, I'll come back. I have never left the United States....ever. It's sad I know. But this is the year! I know it is because I leave in February...but more to come on my travel resolutions for 2011 later.

Resolution #4: Add 2 more pieces to my Tiffany's collection.
You should know by now about my not-so-secret love affair with Tiffany's. My boyfriend (and his wallet) hates that I'm in this relationship. But I'm hooked. So this year the goal is two more pieces! Which is down one from 2010. I've already picked out the first piece:

I'm hoping Tiffany's comes out with some new pieces that I choose from for my second item!

Resolution #5: Christian Louboutins!

I need these! So what if they cost $600. They are BEAUTIFUL!

Resolution #6: Don't get married.
Finally one I know I can actually keep. Marriage = Just plain scary. Don't tell me I'm jaded...I'm not. I'm 21.

Alright well that's all I got for now. Tomorrow I leave for my second trip to Vegas this week! Woo hoo!!

Wrapping Up 2010

So I know I am a little late on this post but I have been recovering after an epic trip to Las Vegas with my girls for New Years Eve. This time of year (err...a few weeks ago) there are a million lists that countdown or recap the highlights of 2010 and a million award shows that recognize the best of 2010. So as we pass into 2011 and leave behind 2010, I felt this post would only be appropriate.

So here it is...my tribute to 2010, a recap of my favorite things from 2010!

Anthem of the Year: Dynamite by Taio Cruz
Who doesn't want to throw their hands up in the air....enough said

Country Song of Year: Cowgirls Don't Cry by Brooks & Dunn
This was a close runner up for anthem of the year. But sadly I was not a fan of this song when I first heard it, but after hearing it in concert I quickly fell in love. Which leads me to...

Best Concert of the Year: Last Rodeo - Brooks & Dunn
I went to a fair number of concerts this year: Tim McGraw/Lady Antebellum, Toby Keith/Trace Adkins, Craig Morgan. But Brooks and Dunn's farewell tour was by far the best. I have forever been a fan but never saw them in concert. They were absolutely amazing. Plus Jason Aldean was the opening act to boot. I cannot wait to see him in another show, he was great. My only regret was that it was the last concert for Brooks & Dunn. I for one would not be sad to see a reunion tour in the very near future!!

Best Movie of the Year: Sex and the City 2
I don't care what you or the critics say, I will always love any movie with the Sex and the City girls. THEY ARE FABULOUS!

Best Real Housewives Season:: Beverly Hills
The newest installment to the Real Housewives franchise is fantastic! Trust me I would know, I watch all of them. Some more religiously than others. Washington DC, the other addition, was a serious let down and a total bore. I love the OC ladies, but the Beverly Hills season edged them out.

Best New TV Show: Pretty Little Liars AND The Event
This one is a tie. It was simply too hard to pick a winner. Both series are fantastic. I cannot wait for new episodes of Pretty Little Liars to start tomorrow night!! For some who can predict the endings to most things, I still have not figured out Who is A and what The Event is....

Favorite Trip: Boston
This was a difficult choice as I took a lot of really cool trips this year, but I think Boston takes it. Seattle was a close second, followed by some cool trips to Disneyland and Vegas. Although fell between 2010 and 2011 so not sure if it counts...but more to come on that later!! Boston is an amazing city with tons to see and places to go. I loved and I cannot wait to go back in September!

Male Celebrity of the Year: Jesse Palmer
The Saturday morning college football commentator on ABC is definitely the man of the year. Gorgeous and a football player...see for yourself

Female Celebrity of the Year: Lauren Conrad
Even though she went a little MIA this year, at least from TV, I am still a fan. In 2010 she had not one, but TWO Cosmopolitan covers, three books, and two clothing lines from which I have a skirt still waiting to be hemmed. This girl does it all!!

Now for the highlights of my 2010. It was a big year for me with a lot of life changes. So here's a rundown of the top five events of my past year...

5. Living Out of a Suitcase
My new job has me traveling all the time on top of my personal adventures. While it may not seem that cool to some of you. I love it!! I get to see some of the coolest places in the world at no cost to me! Love my job!

4. Turning 21!!
Finally! I was the last to turn 21. Even though I was supporting myself, I spent 5 months unable to purchase a drink with dinner. But that's all behind me now!!!

3. My First Big Girl Job!
The difficult economy makes this an obvious one. The fabulousness of job makes this even better. I get to travel all the time and interact with cool people...dream job!

2. Graduating from Cal!
In May, I graduated from UC Berkeley after three years with a BA in Sociology and Media Studies. It was a whirlwind three years but nonetheless amazing.

1. Becoming an Auntie!
My beautiful nephew, Liam Patrick, was born on October 2nd. He is growing like crazy and is the most adorable boy in the world.