HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my AMAZING GRANDPA!!! Today he is 84 years young! WE LOVE YOU!!!
Grandpa with his 10 grandchildren and first great-grandchild!
Living Proof Hair Serum July 12, 2010
Do you have sorta-curly hair? Some days it’s curly, and others it’s just…BLAH! On those days do you just slap on some more mousse or a little extra gel? And all that leads to is junky, crunchy hair. I was the same way until I found Living Proof Wave Shaping Hair Serum at Sephora (the exclusive beauty retailer).
It is lighter, easier to use and does less damage to my hair. Not to mention, it is touchable and soft with no crunchiness! My hand no longer gets stuck in my strands when I am fluffing mid-day! I have yet to give the shampoo and conditioner a try, but am tempted by Thickening Cream, No Frizz Styling Spray and their new Restyling Spray! I am in love! Give it a try all you curly haired ladies (and men) and let me know how you like it!
(The instructions for long hair say to use 3 quarter-size drops. That is too much for my hair and makes it a bit greasy. I use just a quarter size amount, but try it out for yourself and see what works best for you!)
GFC REUNION!!! July 9, 2010
Tomorrow is the 35th reunion at URJ Greene Family Camp celebrating 35 years of AMAZING summers! I am on my way there at this moment and I could not be more excited!!! I spent 10 GLORIOUS summers of my life there and don’t have a bad memory to speak of today! As a Jew in a small town, having the ability to go to a Jewish camp helped to shape my Jewish identity. I don’t know where I would be today without it! I am firm believer in summer camps of all kinds! Some of my best and longest-lasting friendships were made on the grounds of GFC.
Much of camp has been remodeled since the last time I visited, and I am very excited to see the changes! I know there is an addition of a new sports complex, ropes course obstacles, and a blog and jet ski for the lake! (These things were DEFINITELY not there when I was a kid!!)
For an idea of the reunion schedule, click here! And if you are a former Greene Family Camp kid, “Bring your Lexus to Bruceville, Texas!” SEE YOU AT THE REUNION!!!
A few photos of me, sibs and friends in 2005 and 2006!
IT’S G-R-E-E-N-E FAMILY CAMP, YEE HAW!!!
“Relocating” to Relocate July 5, 2010
The market is not an easy place to be shopping right now. And the economy is not making it any easier. I feel like a very qualified job candidate, and yet, I am still unemployed and living at home. But let me be clear that I am ready to move! There are more opportunities in other places, and none where I am now. But with the economy, it is silly to pay to move somewhere when there is no guarantee of a job, and I may end up paying to move somewhere else.
Now here is the hard part. Many employers will immediately throw out the resume of a person not located in or near their city. This causes a problem for me. I am applying to jobs all over the country! There is no way for me to live in all of these places at once. So what do I do?
Do I say I live where I don’t, or “relocate,” to possibly better my chances at the interview? Some employers have told me they look down on that while others disagree. What do you think?
My new favorite toy: The Cricut June 28, 2010
I am a HUGE fan of scrapbooking. In the past three years, I have put together more than five albums. It always takes me days and days to cut out each picture and strategically place it on the page. But the hardest part has always been adding creative lettering and images to the pages.
Yes, I can go buy lettering, but the sheets always run out of the most common letters and I am left with pages of Q’s, X’s, Z’s and a few other randoms. And when it comes to images, I can buy a pack of themed images, in 2 or 3-D, with or without borders and in a variety of colors, but they don’t always come in the themes I need. (Punta del Este, Uruguay does not have a sticker sheet.)
But thanks to my Mom, I now have access to the AMAZING Cricut machine. This machine can cut almost any shape and any wording I want! They have themed cartridges for images that can be personalized to the theme of my scrapbook! It is my new favorite toy and I love playing on it! I am even planning on making birthday invitations for a friend with it. If you have never heard of it, and love to scrapbook or craft in any way, CHECK IT OUT!
(And for those of you who love to bake, check out the Cricut Cake! – And yes, I want one of these!)
Great Customer Service: Amazon.com June 22, 2010
So this week I have been dealing with a difficult situation as a buyer. I ordered a series of books online from various sellers via Amazon. They all arrived on time, and all appeared to be in the condition stated online. But as I started reading one, pages began to fall out, in chunks.
At first, I thought I had just pulled out a page on accident. With a used book, it could happen. But then, pages 15 – 32 fell out all at once. Annoyed, and not wanting to stop reading, I just glued the pages back in to the book. It worked, for a day or two. Then pages 116 -179 fell in to my lap one day. SIXTY-THREE PAGES!!! I was done and wanted my money back, but knew that meant returning the book and having to put a pause in reading the series.
But thanks to Amazon, I am now quite pleased with the situation. I emailed customer service to let them know that I was unhappy. Within a couple of hours, I had a response, personalized to my situation. Not only that, they had processed my refund before the end of the work day! Not only that, I get to keep the book. I have no problem paying nothing for a book that is falling to pieces.
Thank you Amazon, for quick and easy customer service! 
MTV TJ: MTV Twitter Jockey June 20, 2010
I am searching like a crazy person for a job. While I have become a pseudo professional intern gaining a ton of experience, I still have no job. I recently found out about the MTV TJ competition and would love an opportunity to compete. Even though I only recently applied, and therefore may not make it high enough on the list to be considered, I still applied with hope. They will announce the top 20 competitors on Monday at www.zync.mtv.com!
Go check it out! And at the very least, follow the competition and influence the winner! Follow the competition on Twitter @MTVTJ
Piercing Pain and Keloids June 15, 2010
Much to my Dad’s dismay, I love my cartilage piercing. Unfortunately, I have very sensitive skin and have had quite a few problems with it. It was pierced three years ago, and I still have issues with it on occasion. This includes the presence of a bump near the piercing on the back of my ear, which is actually scar tissue, called a keloid, and is sometimes very sensitive. Until recently, not one person could give me an answer as to what to do about it. The solution: BC Powder.
What I was told was very simple. Go to any drug store to buy the BC Powder. Mix a small amount of that with a small amount of water, and it will make a paste. Put this on the lump for about 10 minutes every day for a couple of weeks. Gently wipe off with warm water and a clean cloth. Done.
For the first time since I got the piercing, the sensitivity has decreased as well as the size of the keloid. I recommend this to anyone! This will also work well for keloids of nose piercings.
Happy healing!
UPDATE: One thing I forgot to mention. To make application easier and more sterile, fill a plastic, seal-able tube (like an empty pill bottle) with a few packets of the powder and add a little water. Then use a Qtip for application. Don’t double dip!
“Elevator Speeches” June 11, 2010
I absolutely HATED writing and practicing my elevator speech all through college. On the first day of classes, I was never quite sure what to say, plus many times I already knew many of the people in my class. But while I do think it is a little silly sometimes, it definitely is a helpful tool for all job hunters.
Last week I was working at a trade show with my Dad for the family business, and we did our best to let everyone know about my job hunt. I must have spit out my resume in “elevator speech” format a few hundred times that week!!! I had it so rehearsed by the third day that I was almost spacing out while reciting it to people. But, I knew what I was saying and it has helped me on recent interviews.
For those of you who have trouble with it and find the practice uncomfortable, just take a look at your resume. Make a sentence for each bit of experience you have acquired. Keep it short and too the point. There is your elevator speech!
AIDE Internship Program May 22, 2010
Since my return from Argentina, where I had a fabulous internship, my job hunt has pretty much taken over my life. But one of the most common questions I get from family, friends and potential employers is, “How did you manage to get such a job in Argentina?”
The answer is simple. I signed up for an internship program with AIDE (Association of International Development and Exchange), and everything else just fell in to place. They offer working, teaching, interning and volunteering programs. Though not every experience will be as fantastic as mine, I recommend them to anyone.
