Surfacing.

Coming up for a diet DP and an episode of Criminal Minds after hours of perfection. With my best friend in town we've enjoyed a few of my favorite things. Including but not limited to a day of outlet mall shopping resulting in a few new classic pieces for my spring wardrobe & a new *insert squealing here* handbag! You know this is my one true accessory love. Ok fine, I love shoes in a close second but handbags were my first love, they can't be replaced. Candy and I actually met working for Coach, so I owe it to my love for handbags for bringing her into my life! A debt I take quite seriously.

Other than shopping there has also been yummy food including Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52 (a new favorite). Lots of diet coke, of course. A Lifetime movie & a few episodes of Gossip Girl (had to catch Candy up on this season). A couple hours on St Pete Beach, although it's admittedly still a bit cold to be in a bathing suit on the beach. And a couple hours at my pool here at the 'the batch pad'. Oh yeah, I even finished another book!

Jealous yet? These 2 days of PTO have been a much needed TLC for my pale skin and my busy mind. I'm loving the time to catch up with my best friend and hopefully help her enjoy her spring break from grad school craziness and midwestern weather. We're going to further enjoy our TLC weekend with pedis in about an hour up at Ultra Violet Salon. We decided to take a few minutes to relax before we drive up north to relax again. Hard life I live.

Just wanted to check in to say 'hi' and maybe to brag a little bit. Just teasing. I wish all of you were off work and enjoying TLC with your bfs as well. I really do. I'm a firm believer than there should be sun days in Florida much like there were snow days back 'home' in the midwest. I also wish you a week full of great deals on fun purchases (Cash only peeps, no credit cards!) and delish foods.

Love love love,

B

Me time.

Well, my Dove post is coming so never-you-fear. I've got all the images uploaded and the text written, but I need to deal with my vid clips before the post goes up. So hopefully tomorrow. Hold your breath if you like. But I wanted to take a timeout from my party planning entries to talk about what I like to call, 'me time'.

Now you all know from former confessions that I am a scheduler. If it's not written in my planner and highlighted in the appropriate color, it doesn't happen. So for a girl with a plan, I have to make plans to do nothing. Silly? Maybe. But that's just my life. On really busy weeks I have been known to schedule in sleep! So as of late, I've been scheduling my 'me time'. One day per week where I come home, straight from work, and just spend time alone for one night.

These nights have been known to include: reading a ridiculous amount in one night, bubble baths, red box movies, DIY facials or pedis, cleaning out my tivo, cooking, or going to bed ridiculous early just because I can. Sometimes theses nights are a combination of 3 or 4 of the previously mentioned luxuries.

For a girl who goes full speed ahead from 6:45 every morning to after 10 some night with work, volunteering, teaching, and errands crammed in over lunch breaks while returning phone calls and e-mails via blackberry - these nights are a treasure! While I live full throttle by choice, I also chose to have a night to myself weekly to remember all the things I love about my life.

I schedule these nights, allow nothing to cancel them out, and highlight them in pink (which means stuff I'm excited about in planner world). I don't break dates with friends (or guys), commitments at church, or work related items so why should my time alone be negotiable? This is where saying no and keeping schedule boundaries has come in handy.

So my advice this week is to get out a pen and mark across an entire evening on your calender 'me time'. Keep the appointment. And relax. Life is too short not to sit back in a bubble bath and smile about the good people & things in your life.

Love,

B