Everyone that works with me, or hears me blab on about my job all the time, knows that my work life is full of presentations for clients. The most important presentation, of course, is called a QBR, which stands for Quarterly Business Review.
So you know you work too much when the idea of a QLR, Quarterly Life Review (yea I just made that up), starts to sound like a good idea! But seriously... I think there is something to be said for this! So here goes- my QLR.
2010 YTD (Year to Date) Executive Summary
Findings & Observations:
- I stressed out too much
- I didn't eat that great
- Exercise... ummm didn't happen
Recommendations:
- Need to relax- take it one day at a time
- Need to take better care of myself- eat right & exercise
- Need to focus on what's important- family & friends
Q4 2010 & 2011 Goals
Relax:
- Take a walk everyday
- Work from home, if possible, at least 1x week
- Try to limit work to 45 hours a week, if possible
- Write it down- get your thoughts out of your head
- Get organized. An organized Meg is a happy Meg
- Clean 1 room a day- that way you don't feel stressed to do it all over the weekend
- Do what you can, try not to stress about what you can't
- Consume 1 serving of dark chocolate per day (just read that article that says that's a stress buster)
Get Healthy:
- Pack a healthy lunch for work everyday
- Exercise at least 20 min each day
- Limit Starbucks intake to 2x week (emergency purposes only)
- Cook at least 3 healthy dinners per week
- Eat breakfast everyday
- No caffeine at all
- Limit alcohol to 3 drinks per week (no generous pours either!!)
- Floss
Focus on Friends & Family:
- Keep in better touch with friends and family
- Finish getting settled into new house
- Decorate for all major holidays at least 3 weeks in advance
- Organize 2010 pictures & order prints Nov 1
- Buy all Christmas presents before Dec 1
- Mail holiday cards by Dec 1
Monday, September 27, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
18 Month Check-Up
Dylan continues to rock it at all his well-baby check-ups! He was even showing off big time for the doctor this time- saying all kinds of words and being super duper extra cute!
Here's how he's measuring up:
Height: 33.75in (85%)
Weight: 23.5lb (17%)
Head: 48cm (60%)
It's crazy to me how much he is learning now. In just a few months he's added a ton of words to his vocabulary (daycare is really helping with his). Here are a few new words he's picked up: airplane (his personal favorite word- says it about 100x a day... even when there is no airplane), katie, leila, balloon, duck, ball, train, baby, cat, shoes, moon, all done, more, milk, eyes, nose, boat, berry, banana (nana), car, truck, bird, bunny, fish, poo-poo, pee-pee. And last but not least.... "no". He'll also give you some manners if you prompt him... please and thank you! At this rate I think he'll be ready for Harvard next week!! He's also gone from learning to walk, to running, to climbing EVERYTHING in a few short months.
I guess all that learning and playing can be pretty exhasuting...
(Dustin hates me for always taking pictures of him sleeping with Dylan, but I can't help it... It's way too cute!!)
Here's how he's measuring up:
Height: 33.75in (85%)
Weight: 23.5lb (17%)
Head: 48cm (60%)
It's crazy to me how much he is learning now. In just a few months he's added a ton of words to his vocabulary (daycare is really helping with his). Here are a few new words he's picked up: airplane (his personal favorite word- says it about 100x a day... even when there is no airplane), katie, leila, balloon, duck, ball, train, baby, cat, shoes, moon, all done, more, milk, eyes, nose, boat, berry, banana (nana), car, truck, bird, bunny, fish, poo-poo, pee-pee. And last but not least.... "no". He'll also give you some manners if you prompt him... please and thank you! At this rate I think he'll be ready for Harvard next week!! He's also gone from learning to walk, to running, to climbing EVERYTHING in a few short months.
I guess all that learning and playing can be pretty exhasuting...
(Dustin hates me for always taking pictures of him sleeping with Dylan, but I can't help it... It's way too cute!!)
Friday, September 3, 2010
My B-day
I used to think that 25 was "old" and 30... oh my goodness I couldn't even imagine! Now that I am officially in my 30's (31 to be exact) I must say it feels pretty good! I've got an amazing husband, the family family I always dreamed of, a decent job, beautiful house, great family and friends... Really nothing to complain about about! Life is good, no liife is great! (I just need to remind myself of that when I get caught up in the moment of a bad day.) I really do have a wonderful life- I'm very blessed.
We had a great time celebrating my birthday with our dear friends Chris & Kimberely. We went to local wine bar and tapas restaurant- it was a perfect evening. The food was amazing and the company was even better! After 5 bottles of wine for the 4 of us... we were all feeling pretty good, but very bad the next day. It was worth it though. Happy birthday to ME!
Thank you Fred & Diane for babysitting! And thank you world to surrounding me with "love and life" (a great quote from one of my favorite trashy TV shows- Real Housewives of New Jersey... you're never too old for that)!
We had a great time celebrating my birthday with our dear friends Chris & Kimberely. We went to local wine bar and tapas restaurant- it was a perfect evening. The food was amazing and the company was even better! After 5 bottles of wine for the 4 of us... we were all feeling pretty good, but very bad the next day. It was worth it though. Happy birthday to ME!
Thank you Fred & Diane for babysitting! And thank you world to surrounding me with "love and life" (a great quote from one of my favorite trashy TV shows- Real Housewives of New Jersey... you're never too old for that)!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Leo Carrillo Park
Mom flew out to help us move (THANK YOU!) and after a long week of unpacking we decided to take a little break and check out Leo Carrillo Park. I had no idea this amazing park was only a few miles away- breathtaking! Dylan especially loved all of the peacocks!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Moving Day... Again!
So we all now how fun moving is... but how about moving twice in 4 months?!? Now that's FUN!!
What made it a little more bearable is the fact that we are moving into our DREAM house. It's in our ideal neighborhood and has 99.9% of everything we wanted: large yard, 3rd car garage, lots of storage, extra bedrooms, upgrades galore... it even has ocean views!! It's AWESOME! I still can't believe it's ours. Again, we had a really, REALLY good realtor!
What made it a little more bearable is the fact that we are moving into our DREAM house. It's in our ideal neighborhood and has 99.9% of everything we wanted: large yard, 3rd car garage, lots of storage, extra bedrooms, upgrades galore... it even has ocean views!! It's AWESOME! I still can't believe it's ours. Again, we had a really, REALLY good realtor!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
July...
In case you are wondering why I don't have any pictures to add to the blog this month... well that's because we accidentally packed the camera cords in a box that was conveniently placed in storage until we move... I told you we weren't the best packers. Duh!
For now you will just have to picture how cute Dylan is, and man he IS cute!!
For now you will just have to picture how cute Dylan is, and man he IS cute!!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Trip to NC
I had a work trip scheduled in NC and of course the fam would kill me if I didn't bring Little D! So here we go... Dylan's first cross-country trip! Unfortunately, Daddy wasn't able to make this trip. He had to stay in CA to take care of the office, so that left Dylan and I on our own to make the long journey. We can do it... I think.
Here's my first mistake... the decision to do the trip WITHOUT a stroller. I thought the stroller would just be one more thing to deal with, not worth the hassle. WRONG. Man did I need that stroller when hiking through the airports!! I had Dylan in a sling, a diaper bag on one shoulder, a carry-on bag on the other, and a rolling suitcase. Luckily their were several fellow passengers that took pity on me and pitched in to help. Lesson learned- always travel with a stroller (even if you have one waiting for you upon arrival)!
Dylan did GREAT his first time flying- he was a real champ! Everyone was so impressed with how well behaved he was. He was AMAZING- didn't cry once!! I was so proud!! In fact, he even went a little over the top and put on an extra cute show for all of the other travelers... he was waiving, pointing at the planes, sharing his toys, and talking up a storm. Adorable!!
Once we got to NC I had to stay in Raleigh to do a few business meetings the next day, so mom met us at the airport and took Little Man back to her house for the night. I knew mom was really excited about the idea of Dylan staying with her... but I did not know just how far her "Grandma Nesting" had gone. Mom had everthing- car seat, crib, clothes, toys, food, diapers, monitors... EVERYTHING! Looking back on it, I did not need to bring a thing! Why did I carry all those suitcases 3000+ miles?!?
After my work meetings we were able to spend the next few days with Dad, Barb, Corey & Caitlin. Again, why did I bring all those suitcases?!? They had everything all set up for the D-Man!! It was like home away from home! Barb pulled out all of the stops and got out all of the girls old toys. Dylan had a ball! His favorite spot in the house was the dog bed, of course, where he liked to keep all of his "very most favorite toys"! Dylan also LOVED the swing-set and all the chickens in the backyard!! The timing of this trip was great because we were also able to attend Caitlin's graduation from elementary school. She won the Principle's Award! Go Caitlin!!
Now those who know him will say, my Dad is usually man of very little words. I have never seen him GUSH the way he did over Dylan this trip! He was totally ga-ga-go-ga over him!! Every chance he got to change a diaper, clean up sit-up, make food, hold him, put him down for a nap.... you name it, he was all over it!! It was so special watching them interact. One of my favorite memories is when we took Dylan over to Dad's office to meet everyone. Dad literally recruited EVERYONE in the building to come see his grandson... He was totally glowing the whole time!
Unfortunately, while we were back in NC I also learned that my best friend's mom had unexpectedly passed away in VA. This was terrible news and I was absolutely heartbroken for her and her family. I felt very fortunate that I was back east and would be able to be there for the services. Mom, Erin and I had originally planned to go to the beach house in SC for the weekend, however with the devastating news we decided it was more important to be in VA. So within a days notice we changed all plans and headed north. We had a few days before the services so we decided to rent a lake house on Lake Anna- just outside of DC. Dad, Barb, Corey and Caitlin also made the trip up north for a few more days of family time together. Uncle Doug and Teri even made the trip and were able to meet Dylan for the 1st time.
We had a great 2 days on the lake- sailing, swimming and relaxing. It was perfect. We even had a good ole southern thunderstorm one afternoon to top it off. Ahhh... I miss those! Oh and how can I forget, one of my other best friends from college, Bronwyn, drove up from Richmond to spend the afternoon with us one day. It was great- I hadn't seen her in way too long! Plus, we able to meet Aubrey, her unborn baby daughter that's due in September. I think Dylan is is love!
After the lake trip, we drove up to Northern VA and stayed at Erin's condo. Dylan loved Erin's place and watching all of the airplanes land at the DC airport. The view atop Erin's building is amazing- like a postcard for America!
I wish more than anything that it was under better circumstances that we were in DC. However, I am so glad that we were able to see Colleen and I was able to be there for her during that difficult time. At the services I was also able to see several other friends from college, which I hadn't seen in forever. Although several years have passed, it seems just yesterday we were all living it up in the sorority house. Now everyone is older with husbands, kids and new lives. They will always hold a special place in my heart, even though we are miles away and aren't able to catch up as often as we should.
Once we were back in NC, Dylan was able to meet his Great Grandma Lou for the first time and several other neighbors and friends. I had a few more meetings in Raleigh with a client and then it was back home to see Daddy. It had been 10 days and a great trip. We were able to see and do so much. Dylan was a perfect angel on the way home. He slept most of the trip and was thrilled to see "Da-Da" at the airport.
Both Dylan and I will miss all of our family and friends in NC and VA dearly. Hopefully we will all, Dustin included, be able to make a trip out again for the holidays.
Here's my first mistake... the decision to do the trip WITHOUT a stroller. I thought the stroller would just be one more thing to deal with, not worth the hassle. WRONG. Man did I need that stroller when hiking through the airports!! I had Dylan in a sling, a diaper bag on one shoulder, a carry-on bag on the other, and a rolling suitcase. Luckily their were several fellow passengers that took pity on me and pitched in to help. Lesson learned- always travel with a stroller (even if you have one waiting for you upon arrival)!
Dylan did GREAT his first time flying- he was a real champ! Everyone was so impressed with how well behaved he was. He was AMAZING- didn't cry once!! I was so proud!! In fact, he even went a little over the top and put on an extra cute show for all of the other travelers... he was waiving, pointing at the planes, sharing his toys, and talking up a storm. Adorable!!
Once we got to NC I had to stay in Raleigh to do a few business meetings the next day, so mom met us at the airport and took Little Man back to her house for the night. I knew mom was really excited about the idea of Dylan staying with her... but I did not know just how far her "Grandma Nesting" had gone. Mom had everthing- car seat, crib, clothes, toys, food, diapers, monitors... EVERYTHING! Looking back on it, I did not need to bring a thing! Why did I carry all those suitcases 3000+ miles?!?
After my work meetings we were able to spend the next few days with Dad, Barb, Corey & Caitlin. Again, why did I bring all those suitcases?!? They had everything all set up for the D-Man!! It was like home away from home! Barb pulled out all of the stops and got out all of the girls old toys. Dylan had a ball! His favorite spot in the house was the dog bed, of course, where he liked to keep all of his "very most favorite toys"! Dylan also LOVED the swing-set and all the chickens in the backyard!! The timing of this trip was great because we were also able to attend Caitlin's graduation from elementary school. She won the Principle's Award! Go Caitlin!!
Now those who know him will say, my Dad is usually man of very little words. I have never seen him GUSH the way he did over Dylan this trip! He was totally ga-ga-go-ga over him!! Every chance he got to change a diaper, clean up sit-up, make food, hold him, put him down for a nap.... you name it, he was all over it!! It was so special watching them interact. One of my favorite memories is when we took Dylan over to Dad's office to meet everyone. Dad literally recruited EVERYONE in the building to come see his grandson... He was totally glowing the whole time!
Unfortunately, while we were back in NC I also learned that my best friend's mom had unexpectedly passed away in VA. This was terrible news and I was absolutely heartbroken for her and her family. I felt very fortunate that I was back east and would be able to be there for the services. Mom, Erin and I had originally planned to go to the beach house in SC for the weekend, however with the devastating news we decided it was more important to be in VA. So within a days notice we changed all plans and headed north. We had a few days before the services so we decided to rent a lake house on Lake Anna- just outside of DC. Dad, Barb, Corey and Caitlin also made the trip up north for a few more days of family time together. Uncle Doug and Teri even made the trip and were able to meet Dylan for the 1st time.
We had a great 2 days on the lake- sailing, swimming and relaxing. It was perfect. We even had a good ole southern thunderstorm one afternoon to top it off. Ahhh... I miss those! Oh and how can I forget, one of my other best friends from college, Bronwyn, drove up from Richmond to spend the afternoon with us one day. It was great- I hadn't seen her in way too long! Plus, we able to meet Aubrey, her unborn baby daughter that's due in September. I think Dylan is is love!
After the lake trip, we drove up to Northern VA and stayed at Erin's condo. Dylan loved Erin's place and watching all of the airplanes land at the DC airport. The view atop Erin's building is amazing- like a postcard for America!
I wish more than anything that it was under better circumstances that we were in DC. However, I am so glad that we were able to see Colleen and I was able to be there for her during that difficult time. At the services I was also able to see several other friends from college, which I hadn't seen in forever. Although several years have passed, it seems just yesterday we were all living it up in the sorority house. Now everyone is older with husbands, kids and new lives. They will always hold a special place in my heart, even though we are miles away and aren't able to catch up as often as we should.
Once we were back in NC, Dylan was able to meet his Great Grandma Lou for the first time and several other neighbors and friends. I had a few more meetings in Raleigh with a client and then it was back home to see Daddy. It had been 10 days and a great trip. We were able to see and do so much. Dylan was a perfect angel on the way home. He slept most of the trip and was thrilled to see "Da-Da" at the airport.
Both Dylan and I will miss all of our family and friends in NC and VA dearly. Hopefully we will all, Dustin included, be able to make a trip out again for the holidays.
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