noBOLOGNA

Office Hours

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{The most unique flower I’ve ever seen!  Saw this while waiting for our bus after Dunn’s River Falls.  Jamaica, you’re beautiful!}

Good morning!  April completely flew by for me.  It’s almost unbelievable.  I don’t imagine life slowing down anytime soon, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I’d prefer to be busy and active than bored with nothing to do.  I wanted to pop in for a minute and say hello though because I know the blog has been fairly neglected lately.  I’ve been trying to figure out why that is and I’ve come to a few conclusions:

  • I feel the need to post pinnable, marketable posts and haven’t had the time to do it.
  • I haven’t been taking a lot of pictures lately of everything else going on so I haven’t shared much.
  • I have a vision for the blog, but I’m not entirely sure I’m going in the right direction half the time.

I feel like I need a more stream lined schedule for everything going on right now.  Something that forces me to sit down and get stuff done for the things that matter.

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MSWB – I’ve been leading the Mississippi Women Bloggers website for a few months now and it has not been top priority lately; however, I really want it to be because I want our community to improve and grow.  I want us to have regular guest bloggers and posts, I want us to be good at social media, I want us to host events throughout Mississippi for our bloggers, but right now, it’s me and 3 other ladies who are extremely busy with their own lives and families.  I need to schedule some strict “office hours” for MSWB.

Personal Blog – Of course, I want this to grow and flourish as well.  I love my blog, I love what it’s become, I love the exposure it’s received lately, but I’ve been a terrible blogger this month.  I managed to schedule some stuff at the beginning of the month while I was out of town at my conference and then I practically fell off the planet around these parts.  I’ve decided I will probably never be a food blogger.  I want to improve in that area, but I’m not good at creating recipes.  I’m good at following recipes haha.  So maybe this will be a place where I share some of my favorite recipe finds and then you can follow the experts.  I need to practice “just writing” and sharing more about what is actually going on in my life.  That’s what got my blog up and running in the first place and I don’t feel that I ever just sit and write to enjoy the fact that I have this wonderful space to share my life with the friends I’ve made through blogging.  I’m constantly trying to think of “marketable” posts and I think it’s overwhelmed me subconsciously.

Girls on the Run – My oh my!  How I love this beautiful program and I love my beautiful 3rd-5th grade girls!  My goal is to be a lot more active this coming year.  I plan to volunteer some hours for administrative & management duties to help out our Executive Director.  I’ll also be taking some social media responsibility for our chapter, so that’s another thing to add on my schedule.  Again, I’ll need some specific “office hours” to stay caught up with everything or I’ll let time slip right by.  It might be a wild and crazy dream, but this involvement could potentially lead to an actual job position with Girls on the Run, not necessarily in the Central Mississippi chapter because who knows where I’ll be in a few years, but I know they have large chapters across the US who actually hire staff and if I ever move, I’ll be looking into that opportunity, for sure!  I have loved this program so much more than I expected and I’m so incredibly blessed by the girls I work with.  They’ve been talking about this school performance all season and it’s supposed to be a really big deal to them.  I suggested yesterday at practice that I might come and watch and they got so excited about it – so obviously I have to go now!  I can’t wait to see them experience something that they’ve been looking forward to all year, just like the 5k we’re running next weekend to warp up the season.  I’m hoping to stay in touch with the girls I’ve worked with because I adore them so much!

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Arbonne – I’m going to a party tonight.  I’ve been contemplating selling Arbonne for a few years now.  They’re all vegan products which would match very well with my blog and they have a wide variety of items.  My favorite things so far: Vitamin B12+D Tropical Spray, Lip gloss, and Vegan Protein Powder.  Seriously, their protein powder is some of the best tasting stuff!   I’m getting close to the point where I need to order some more lip gloss and I’d love to order some protein powder, so I’m considering the possibility of becoming a seller.  I’ve used their skin care products before and I have to say, I have never felt like I had more beautiful skin than when I used their skin care line.  I could see a difference the very next day.  I’ll let y’all know how tonight goes, but I’m seriously thinking about it.  Again, if I did that, I’ll probably need “office hours” although I don’t plan on being a pushy salesperson, I’ll probably start off small and share it with some friends and then hopefully find a few loyal customers to keep me afloat in the business so I can continue to get my discounts.  If it grows into something more, then I’ll happily welcome that into my life.

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So to sum this up, I’m wanting to dip my “paws” (pun intended) in a lot of stuff right now, but I’m not managing it all very well which is why I think I need “office hours.”  Am I the only one like that?  I need to schedule some time to sit down and do certain things or I’ll let time fly by as I catch up on Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds.  I’ve taken a few lessons from my own blog post today:

  • Don’t be overwhelmed with blogging.  It’s supposed to be fun & enjoyable.  If all I do with it is share my experiences, then I’ll have nothing to lose because I have a place to go back and re-experience all the joyful times in my life!  If I don’t make money from it, that’s okay.  If I don’t become a legit food blogger with beautiful pictures, that’s okay.
  • To manage time wisely, I need to set aside specific times to get things done for MSWB, No Bologna, GOTR, and Arbonne (if that becomes an actual thing.)  I’ll feel less stressed and be able to “leave it alone” when time permits so I can enjoy the other aspects of my day.
  • Devote time to things that make me happy – Girls on the Run is definitely one of those things, so volunteer more if that’s what I need/want.  Blogging also makes me happy as long as I’m conscious of what I put into it and I don’t get overwhelmed.  I feel like I’m good at stepping back when necessary to re-evaluate how I should proceed (Exhibit A: April).  MSWB is a positive and encouraging place, something I want to spend time growing and nurturing because I want to see this community rise up.  Arbonne brings together things I’m passionate about and also things that allow me to relax and enjoy myself – they have a spa section, a fitness/health section, a makeup section, and a skin care section of their products.  All of which I enjoy to some degree or another.  If I start working with Arbonne, I’ll enjoy sharing products that I know are cruelty free, but I also know that they provide solutions to problems and I love helping others with that!

Regardless if this was a good blog post for you, it was a great blog post for me because I was able to focus back in to what I’m wanting to accomplish.  Hopefully it helped you realize some areas in your life that you either need to put more effort or time into or cut back in.  As always, I appreciate you for being here and reading this blog and I appreciate you being patient with me as I needed a few slow weeks to gather my thoughts and make time/space for No Bologna.  It’s such a pleasure & privilege to share experiences and life with you!

  • Do you have set “office hours” for activities in your life?
  • How do you manage the various programs you participate in?
  • I’d love any thoughts or opinions on how to manage this busy season in my life.  I know I’m good at staying organized and scheduled, but I believe that there is also someone out there who knows more than I do, so if you have any tips/tricks that I may not have thought of, I’d love to hear it!

McAlister’s, we’re breaking up!

I have been a huge McAlisters fan for years!  I mean… years and years and years!  When I ate meat, I loved their club sandwich and chicken tortilla soup, they were the best!  Then when I transitioned to a vegetarian lifestyle, they proved to have multiple options for a vegetarian – veggie spud, veggie sandwich, veggie club, vegetarian soups, and the veggie chili (plus more.)  I loved their choose 2 option to satisfy more than one craving when I ate there.  Now, don’t get me started on their Sweet Tea because I’ve been known to have an obsession.

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To satisfy my McAlisters craving, I met a friend there for lunch the other day.  I ordered the veggie spud and the ultimate nachos with veggie chili (this obviously included a sweet tea.) After I paid, I realized that I had been charged $1.00 for ordering veggie chili with my order.  WHAT?! I was really surprised by this so I mentioned something to the lady who took my order and she agreed that it seemed weird, but it’s something that the system automatically does now.  I was really upset about being charged extra for the veggie chili, but I let it go for the time being so I could enjoy lunch with my friend.  Once we sat down, we started chatting away and 10 minutes turned into 20 minutes which turned into 30 minutes and my food had not yet arrived.  The couple next to us arrived 5-10 minutes after we did and got their food before us.  I originally thought that my food had taken so long because I ordered a spud, but the guy next me had ordered a spud as well, so that theory was out the window!  I flagged down the girl who delivered their food and told her that I had been waiting on my food for a really long time.  She didn’t seem very interested in my complaint and gave me a pretty great stink eye, but finally my food arrived.  Unfortunately the story doesn’t end there because I continued to be disappointed since the $1.00 extra I spent on veggie chili was barely even noticeable on my plate of nachos!  At this point I had had enough with this particular McAlisters (it wasn’t my first bad experience here!) and due to my extreme opinions about charging extra for the veggie chili, I’ve made a decision that I’m certain will surprise every single one of my friends who know me at all.

McAlisters, we’re breaking up!

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The bad experience could probably be fixed with a few response tweets from McAlister’s or a simple e-mail apologizing for the staff & service at this particular location, but I haven’t heard a word back from them about that – I tweeted & filled out a survey.  The service & staff change from one McAlisters to the other, so that doesn’t necessarily keep me from coming back because I’m 99% of the time pleased with the food & sweet tea regardless.  The most disappointing reason for this break-up is the $1.00 for veggie chili.  It was such an unnecessary issue that it baffles me I’m even writing this blog post.

It is vegetarian 101 to know that beans are MUCH cheaper than meat.  I know for a fact that they are not losing money by offering vegetarian chili, in fact, they are probably saving money when vegetarians order veggie chili in place of meat chili – especially when they’re robbing a $1 from us.  I refuse to support a company that chooses to penalize vegetarians for their dietary choices without logical reasoning.  No matter what they say or how they explain it, there will never be an arguable reason to charge $1.00 extra for veggie chili.  It’s not even fancy veggie chili that was slaved over for hours in the kitchen.  It’s the most basic veggie chili I’ve ever had, beans & a tomato base.  For that very reason, I’m breaking up with McAlister’s – a restaurant that I have eaten at twice a day before on multiple occasions, a restaurant that I have promoted positively via social media for years, a restaurant that I have made standing lunches at with friends on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, a restaurant that I would go out of my way for to get my fix, a restaurant that I have coerced other people to go to when we’re deciding what to have for dinner, a restaurant that I absolutely loved and supported 100%!  Now, McAlister’s, you’ve let one of your most faithful customers down and for that very reason, we’re done.

Let me know when/if you come to your senses and stop charging $1.00 extra for veggie chili, I do believe in second chances and would come running back to you in a heartbeat if I knew my chili wasn’t extremely over priced.  I hope the day comes where I can post instagram’s like this again, but for now I’ll support restaurants who cater to vegetarian diets at logically reasonable prices.

If I hear anything from McAlister’s about fixing their $1.00 veggie chili mistake, I promise to let you know!  At this point (over a month later), I haven’t heard from them, but with as much as I have cherished their company in the past, I sincerely hope this isn’t how things end (Seriously, I want my sweet tea back!)  I took the survey they offer on their receipts stating that I’d be more than happy for them to contact me to discuss my experience and my disapproval of this visit – nothing.

Disclosures:

**I didn’t have pictures from the actual visit described in the post, so no I don’t have proof that my veggie chili was lacking, but hopefully you’ll trust me when I say there was not an extra $1.00 worth of chili covering my nachos.

**I believe there is a fine line between a vegetarian who seeks out equality and acceptance of their diet and one who chooses to make life difficult for those around them because of their diet.  I don’t think vegetarian’s should be penalized for choosing this lifestyle; however, I also don’t think that others should have to bend over backwards to satisfy that vegetarian lifestyle (which unfortunately, some vegetarians would disagree with.)  I make this point to say that I try to be a vegetarian who is accommodating for those around me without compromising my morals and values, so this is not a post trying to promote “special privileges” for vegetarians.  

My Dream Job

What I do: Currently I work for a Financial Advisor at an Insurance & Investment Company.  I absolutely love what I do and I could not be more blessed to work for the guy that I work for.  It’s a very detail oriented & tedious job, but it’s right up my alley.  I manage a lot of paperwork and client service requests along with any and every detail to running his business.  I have the best professional relationship I could ask for with my boss and I truly believe that the company I work for has the client’s best interest in mind.

Thankfully I have a great job and I love the people I work with/for, but I can’t help but imagine what my dream job would be. Don’t get me wrong, a stable 8-5 desk job isn’t terrible, but it’s a very sedentary lifestyle for someone who wants to be active and live a long life.   If I didn’t have this job or if something happened to it, what would I decide to do?

  • Blogger

Obviously being a full time blogger is most bloggers dream!  Who wouldn’t love a job where you can work when and where you want?  Who wouldn’t love a job where companies pay you to travel various places around the U.S.?  My favorite blogger is no secret, Julie @ Peanut Butter Fingers has the perfect blog job set-up in my opinion and I dream of having the same set-up one day.  She travels all around attending fitness expos and writing about health/wellness experiences!  She is a food ambassador for a few different companies and gets to tour their factories.  She also does stuff on the side like teach classes at her local gym.  If you’re a full time blogger, that gives you time for part-time jobs you’ll also enjoy as well plus time to volunteer!  One day, hopefully I’ll have my own Blog Travel page!

  • Travel Wellness Coach/Activist

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What I wouldn’t give to have the opportunity to travel places for 4-6 weeks at a time and assist people with their health habits!  I have a lot of family that currently deal with health issues and I would love the chance to live with them for 4-6 weeks, transform their diet to a more plant-based diet and record (blog) the results  of their health’s improvement.  I could cook their healthy plant-based meals and go on daily walks with them.  I could eventually be so successful from blogging the results that others would hire me to travel to their location and cook healthy plant-based meals for them over the course of 4-6 weeks.

  • Whole Foods

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Again, it’s no secret that I have a deep rooted love for Whole Foods!  I have 95% converted my grocery shopping to Whole Foods and I love just walking around and seeing what new products I can find.  They have the greatest vegan double chocolate cookies & they mark the products in the store that are Engine 2 Diet & Health Starts Here approved.  This is another company that I truly believe in what they stand for and want to be a part of the positive changes they’re making in the world.  I think I would enjoy a full-time job here, but would also find joy in a simple part-time job in addition to what I do on a daily basis just so I can be a part of this company.

  • Disney Marketing

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I didn’t have the greatest Disney College Program experience.  It wasn’t awful, but working my tail off and making minimum wage isn’t exactly my idea of a dream job.  I think if I had worked in a different role, I would have enjoyed it more.  Ideally, I would love to work in the marketing department at Disney.  Also, I wouldn’t want to work directly inside a park because I’d still like to enjoy myself on my days off by visiting the parks.

Do you ever think about what your dream job would be if you weren’t doing your current job?  Maybe your current job is your dream job!  Even if you love your job, like I do, you may have your heart set on something “different” and “unique” or maybe it’s the most normal job in the world, but you’d be happy doing it 24/7/365.

  • What is your current job?
  • If there were no limitations, what would be your dream job?

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The views and statements expressed on No Bologna are my own. You are reading No Bologna at your own risk and I am not providing any type of professional advice. Unless otherwise noted, all material on No Bologna may not be used, reprinted, or published without my consent. I do occasionally have affiliated links on my blog - this does not raise the price of the product, I simply get a very small commission from the regular retail price if something is purchased using an affiliated link on my site. I appreciate any support by you in regards to affiliated links.