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

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…

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

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.

xo the GGTo girls

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XOXO the GGTo Girls

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

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.

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