A moment to breathe

I’m fresh back from a very quick trip (less than 72 hours) to Philadelphia and back to see my dad’s side of the family. It was a last-minute decision with so much meaning behind it. My cousin was having a 35th b-day dinner and a lot of the family was going to be there especially my grandma who isn’t doing all that well. In the past, I have refrained from getting to personal on here because the site has never and is not about me; however, this weekend had such a profound impact on me.

Family is family… for better or worse. There is no perfect model family or mold and to look at what is missing/lacking is foolish. Appreciate what it is you have and strive to improve what you can… Accept what it is you can not change and embrace the love that is shared (no matter how much or how little it is). Open your heart up and accept every imperfection as beautiful… Reach into the depths of your soul and ask yourself what you can do to be a better daughter/sister/granddaughter/cousin/even friend… And, DO IT. As they say there is no time like the present and you never know what the future will bring…

I have been blessed with this opportunity over the weekend… Growing up there was a lot of pain that I felt. I was angry, confused, sad, and lonely… I was searching for answers without asking questions… I was banging my head against a brick wall that could’ve easily crumbled… I was resentful for what I didn’t have yet I never saw how much was there. I never heard the other side of the story. I never stopped to ask why… And, I never truly opened myself up to all that was there… It wasn’t what I thought it should be. It wasn’t what I wanted it to be. And it certainly wasn’t perfect… But nothing is. None of us are. In my mind, perfection is a formula we construct that prohibits us from taking full responsibility for ourselves. There is always something/someone to blame for the imperfections and it’s paralyzing.

I can not change the past but I can impact the future. I will not take a backseat anymore with my dad, stepmom, step-sisters, and the rest of that side of my family. I may be 3000 miles away but I will no longer be a visitor in their lives… From now on, I would like to be a part of it…

To keep the family spirit alive, here are a few of my favorite quotes about the fam…

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard

Just because somebody doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with everything they got ~Gail Lumet Buckley

Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present and future.

Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get — only with what you are expecting to give–which is everything. ~Katharine Hepburn

The love of a family is life’s greatest blessing…

So tell your family & friends you LOVE them… because you never can say it enough….xoxo

And so the story goes…

Time has managed to escape me and I’ve been swamped with work, work, and more work. Ugh! Why can’t we all be trust fund babies? Kidding (kind of). Anyway, we’re finally on the fast track to getting the new site up and I’m feeling a mixture of emotions– i’m excited, nervous, anxious, relieved… you know, the normal feelings we have when something big is about to happen ie: going to prom, leaving for college, the first day of a new job, and of course, launching a new website.

There’s so much that goes into launching a site that I had no idea about when I started this 2 years ago…(wow, two years already? time flies when you’re stressed out of your mind and having fun…) When I declared that this blog would be about starting a business and achieving your dream, I had every intention of going through the grueling from beginning to end. However, I find that everyday something new arises and while I will eventually backtrack and recount my experience, for now I’m just going to go from where we are today and whatever I have on mind that can hopefully be of value to someone looking to start a new venture…

The Ultimate Sacrifice…

Disclaimer: I’m PMSing hardcore right now so if I sound like a bitch in this my apologies…

First off, let me say that starting a business of any kind is f*cking hard work. Do not be fooled by the quick success stories you hear all around you. Success doesn’t come overnight. They aren’t lying when they say that it’s blood, sweat and tears. Lots and lots of tears. Lots and lots of stress. Less and less of wild nights out on the town. No more days booked but nights available… Your life becomes your work & your work becomes your life. It’s a problem but it’s quite common. Deal with it in the beginning then change it FAST!

So the ultimate sacrifice in starting a business is… YOU! You must be 100% dedicated and be willing to give 100% of yourself. I’m not going to lie… It sucks. A lot. However, in the end it’s worth it. xo

WorldWideWoman…What???

I have officially been working on achieving this childhood dream of mine for over a year and many times I have thought to myself (not to mention heard from others) that I should chronicle the experience of:

a. starting a business
b. starting a website
c. balancing business with pleasure

and so on… well, today i got another ounce of encouragement from my dear friend Jenka on IM (our favorite mode of communication – actually the source of the start of our friendship to be frank). After our conversation was cut short by my lovely macbook deciding to make me nauseous with the “thinking” icon (those familiar with macs know what I’m talking about – the multi-colored wheel that is worse than a tilt-a-whirl gone mad) spinning for close to 20 minutes leading me to whole-heartedly resist throwing my computer out my 5th floor window… I decided this unpredictable beast (a tribute to my grandma, meme, and her pc desktop) needed a rest & I myself could use one too. So as I lied in bed sweating b/c I was just too lazy to walk ten steps to turn the air conditioning on I started to think about all the lovely lessons I’ve learned over the past year. Well… in a nutshell I’ve learned a lot. However, I can’t even think of everything off-hand. So ‘what the hell’ let me try to recount the all the things I’ve learned and challenges I have faced (though I do warn – I can be a bitch & very blunt), and at least have in writing an excuse for the excess cellulite on my thighs, the added wrinkles around my eyes (thank you, Brad!), and the abrupt break-up with my straightening iron. Hmmm…. one word: STRESS! For anyone looking to start an online business don’t be afraid (just yet) this past year has been amazing. Nothing can replace the life-long lessons I’ve learned; however, just like in most things in our lives if only I had known I would’ve done it a different. Ain’t that the truth, mom!

It will be my goal to write about this experience at least every other day. Someone please hold me to this because as a complete victim of ADD I tend to get bored easily. I definitely need the everyday reminder b/c without it I will start this and probably never ever fully entertain and educate the masses on starting a business, a website, and achieving a dream. Oh yeah, because I am so a Mother Teresa… not even close! This is really as I stated before just for me & if lessons can be learned than cheers!

p.s. Sorry for those who feel cheated by the title of this blog. This is by no means a tribute to Beyonce’s new song.

We’re back…

on board our blog. Sorry we’ve been going through some big changes and yes, we are getting ready to launch our brand new HOT site. We are so excited and can’t wait to finally be able to show rather than tell everyone about what we’ve been working our asses off for. And no, we are not b*tching at all. We’re so excited!!! So remember to join our mailing list on www.girlsguideto.com to ensure that you are the first to know when our new site goes live.

xo the GGTo girls

In memory…

We want to send out our condolences to all 33 of the victims and their families of the Virginia Tech massacre. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of their families and friends.

NOW That’s What I Call Music! Contest

www.GIRLSGUIDETO.com is giving one
winner the chance to win the complete NOW That’s What I Call Music! CD
collection including the newly released NOW 24 CD with hits by Justin
Timberlake, Lily Allen, hellogoodbye and Fergie just to name a few…

Click below to ENTER now!!!!

XOXO the GGTo Girls

Keeping you in the loop

We’ve got some fabulous new articles up on the site (www.GirlsGuideTo.com) and are unveiling a great contest Tuesday. As far as the new site… it’ll be up very very soon with some major surprises involved. Thanks for the love & support…

Hope you had a great weekend and a very Happy Easter! xo

Homesick at College

When you are finally done with the excitement of settling into the dorms first semester at college, and the new roommate suddenly becomes less interesting and your new city seems unforgiving, it is inevitable that you may feel a little homesick. I know we like to pretend we are too cool for these lonely moments, but just be sure to avoid ignoring the signs. The most important thing to remember is that you’re not alone. Here are some tips to dealing with being homesick. There is a cure, I promise!

Talk to your friends from back home about it- they probably are in the same boat: Take some time out of your day to call those you left behind and tell them how much you miss them. I guarantee they feel the same. No, this is not a lame thing to do as it will be a reminder that regardless of the fact that you are not at home, your friends are always with you in some way. Just communicate and keep the bridge open with all those from your hometown who know you best. Myspace them, send them an email, text, or better yet, just call.

Get off campus and become proactive in your new community: The best thing I did first semester of freshmen year was tutor off campus. I decided to join a team of tutors and help out the local middle school near my college. This gave me a sense of direction and helped fill my void with a feeling of community. Becoming part of my local neighborhood and filling up alone time was a great way to deal with feeling homesick. Go to your college information center and ask about what you can do to become proactive.

Gather up people in your dorm for a fun dinner: I guarantee there are people in your dorm that you just don’t know are amazing yet. Ask your neighbor or the RA or any random stranger in the dorm if they want to grab a bite. Open yourself up to new people and new experiences. You will realize that you may have a lot in common with the person living right next to you than you initially thought. Perhaps you can help each other out in moments of need. You never know. I remember asking the girl who lived next to me if she wanted to walk to the nearby store. She ended up being one of my best friend’s and my roommate that very next year. You just don’t know until you ask! 


Become distracted by throwing yourself into schoolwork and the college experience: Cure your homesickness by studying hard, playing hard, and allowing yourself to get swallowed by the college experience. You will be surprised how much better you will feel about being away from home when you produce that “A” paper or rush for that sorority you never thought you would join. Remember: College is supposed to be a place to evolve and strengthen us. Embrace what it has to offer, you will be surprised how good it feels. There are so many nights I wish I could go back and do it over. I would roll around in the experience if I could.

Happy Valentine’s Day (a few days late)

Better late than never, right?

Just to fill everyone in… Great things are in motion. Check out the site to read our new articles & keep posted b/c the new GirlsGuideTo.com site is going to launch soon. We can’t wait & we’re sure you’ll love it.

xo

Job Interview~ the Good, Bad, & Ugly

Now I’ve never claimed myself to be an expert in any area, and I’m not about to start. While I may not have “expertise” in the area, I definitely have experience! My college days were filled with glorious internships and cake side jobs that paid the bills. An outgoing person by nature, interviews never stressed me, I’d simply put on my most professional outfit, go over the answers to questions in the car on the drive over and usually ace the interview. I never understood the “nervous” feeling people got. I also had never really been turned down from something I eagerly wanted. There were of course the few bumps in the road, but nothing devastating. Flash forward two years…

I’m a college graduate. Mix with that great personality and confidence mentioned above. Now I had a piece of paper basically telling people to hire me. I packed my bags and headed to a new city. I was in for the shock of my life. Not only did I not even get the first interview, when I did, no one and I mean NO ONE wanted to hire me! After six weeks of unemployment; waking up early checking the daily paper, Craigslist, Monster, Career Builder, and any other website I could think of, I’d then try and rework my resume and cover letters, I’d sit at my computer refreshing the screen and staring at my cell phone willing an employer to call.

During that six weeks I probably sent out over 500 resumes and cover letters. I tried every approach; email, fax, hard copy in a beautifully flat manila envelope. Few interviews were scattered in this six week period, if I estimated on the higher end I’d estimate 5 interviews. 5 interviews out of 500 resumes sent out! Are you kidding me?! This was not the reaction or course of action I was used to taking. I was panic stricken.

After that gruesome six weeks was over I landed a job managing a retail outlet. Their name shall remain nameless. I took the job as it was the only offer on the table and figured while working a retail schedule I’d still have time for interviews and time to re-work the resume…just one more time. For another year or so I’d work my eight hour shift, head home to check the websites and local newspapers. I’d schedule interviews on my day off or after an opening shift, or before a closing shift. I’d make it through the first round, send a thank you, do the follow-up call, then…nothing. It was heartbreaking.

I can now say after being beaten down, drug through the mud, discouraged, helpless, and confused, I now have a job that I really love! They say hindsight is 20/20 and it’s true, every time I put myself out there it was one more tally mark in the experience column. So after being yelled at, rejected, and encouraged here are some interview tips I’ve picked up along the way.

If You Are There For the Interview They’re Genuinely Interested:

Interviewing is a drain on resources. It takes time from the interviewer, the company and Human Resources. So if you’ve made your way in and your sitting in the chair, Congratulations! They have a genuine interest in you based on your resume alone. Now what you say and how you act are what is being judged.

by Miranda Shaft

Top Fitness Tips by Celebrity Personal Trainer ~ Grace Lazenby

Developing a fitness routine and staying healthy should become a part of your life. Just like eating and sleeping, it should take priority over all else. Working out can be entertaining and productive at the same time. Try an mp3 download from a fitness site like iTRAIN (www.iTRAIN.com). This hot new online offering will help guide you through your workouts. iTRAIN offers over 85 workout choices within 10 different categories – iTREAD, iCYCLE, iCLIMB, iSTRENGTH, iSCULPT TRADITIONAL, iSCULPT BALLET, iSTRETCH, iTEENTRAIN HIP HOP, iTEENTRAIN BOXING – and the downloads combine hot new music to help get you motivated. My advice is to select a workout that compliments an activity that interests you. If you don’t like to run then why not try the elliptical, Stairmaster or bike. If you like to dance then try a hip hop workout or ballet routine. This will make your workout more enjoyable and motivational.

Avoid body burnout. If you are beginning a workout regime, begin with 3 days a week, so that your body can recover and repair. Then increase to 5 days a week. If your body doesn’t have time to repair then it will break down and burn out.

Stretch it out. Yoga and Pilates are a great way to lengthen and strengthen the body to create the long lean look of a dancer. The workouts allow you to stretch and breath, create muscle tone and definition, and even increase your metabolism (certain poses help stimulating your organs). Both of these disciplines create a mind and body connection that increases awareness and helps relieve the everyday stress of school and life in general.

No gym needed. You don’t have to have a gym membership to get a great workout. Many workouts can be done outside such as walking, jogging, running, hiking or cycling. In addition, a portable downloadable workout or a fitness DVD allows you to workout at home. This is a great way to get in your workout — even at odd hours when you can’t make the gym.

Balance is the key. To achieve a well-rounded program, be sure to balance your workouts with cardio, strength training or sculpting, and flexibility. Each component should be divided into a percentage of your routine (60% Cardio, 30% Strength and 10% Flexibility).

Loose weight and burn fat. Increase your calorie expenditure and decrease your calorie intake. One pound =3500 calories. If you were to walk for an hour a day at a fast pace, you could loose 1lb a week without changing your diet. This is a healthy way to lose weight without wasting money and risking health problems with dieting.

Stop late night snacking. Late night snacking is ok if you are snacking on the right things—such as fruit, veggies and low fat, low sugar products. It’s the late night binges that will add on the pounds and lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. If you know you will be staying up late and will be tempted to snack, add an extra workout that afternoon or early the next am to balance everything out.

Timing is everything. If you want to burn fat and get the most out of your workout, make sure that your cardio segments are 45-60 minutes in length. This will create a rise in your metabolism and make your body a fat-burning machine.

Top New Year’s Resolutions

We’ve searched around and found the most popular, wackiest and inspiring new years resolutions for 2007.

1. Get in shape
2. Quit Smoking/Drinking/Partying
3. Pay off debt
4. Spend more time with loved ones
5. Stress less
6. Get a new job
7. Organize closet
8. Learn to cook
9. Drink more water
10. Wash makeup off at night
11. Find Mr. Right
12. Learn a new hobby
13. Write in daily journal
14. Take more pictures
15. Improve Posture
16. Win Orlando Bloom’s heart
17. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night
18. No more one-night stands
19. Take a vacation
20. Make Paris, Lindsay, Britney, and Nicole go away

GirlsGuideTo.com Update

* a new year * a new web site * a new beginning & COMING SOON!!!!

We’re giving GirlsGuideTo.com a major makeover so be sure to sign up for our mailing list to be the first to know of our relaunch. We’ll continue to update the current site with new articles but will also post them on here as well so be sure to check here often…

Thanks for your loyalty & love. xo GGTo

The Countdown Begins…

Girls’ Guide To… (www.girlsguideto.com) will be relaunching a new and improved site. And yes, we couldn’t be more excited!!!! Stay tuned… xo GGTo

New Year’s Resolutions…

Yes, this is a few days after we partied all night and rang in the new year. To some a night of pure debauchery & to others a chill night spent with loved ones. Regardless, it’s a night that marks the beginning of the year with a laundry list we’ve compiled of all the things we want to change, achieve, & follow through on for the next year. But lets be honest… how many of us actually follow through with all the things we say we promise ourselves? Not many… All too often we wind up not doing anything because we feel like we have TOO much to do. So for this new year DON’T punish yourself for not checking everything off of your list; rather, try to achieve one thing on your list each month. This way you will ring in 2008 able to celebrate all the things you DID do in 2007.

(hint: make this list the first week of January… it’s your first step to a fresh year!)

CHEERS! Happy New Year & may your year be full of love, health, & fun… xo GGTo

Join Our MySpace

It’s hard to deny how addicted some of us have become to MySpace… So check out Our MySpace and add us as a friend.

We can share in our addiction together… xo

Looking 4 Your Help…

We’re getting ready to start a new year & with the new year comes lots of BIG changes… The GirlsGuideTo.com MAKEOVER means we’ll be rockin’ an improved site with LOTS of opportunity to LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD…

We are looking for…

*fun & witty ideas for columns/sections on the site
*girls (and guys) who love to write and would like to be one of our featured writers
*stories you want to share AND
*article topics you’re interested in or craving to learn more about

If you’re interested send an email to info@girlsguideto.com… Someone on our team will get back to you ASAP.

Much love ~ GGTo

Merry Christmas!!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!! Hope Santa brought you lots of goodies, family time has been full of love, & that your day full of joy and happiness…

And as a friend sent in a text message, “enjoy your family (even if they’re driving you nuts), the thought behind the gifts (the good, bad & awful), and the yummy food… cause it’s about LOVE above all else!”

Cheers! xo Brette

Sweat It Out…

Our favorite songs to workout to:

What You Waiting For- Gwen Stephani
Don’t Cha- Pussycat Dolls
I Write Sins Not tragedies- Panic ay the Disco
In the Air Tonight- remix by Nonpoint
Sorry- Madonna
Yeah- Usher
Bring Me To Life- Evanescence
Lose Yourself- Eminem OR Shake That by Eminem
Let’s Get It Started- Black Eyed Peas
In the End – Lincoln Park