Friday, November 29, 2013

Palais Des Thes - "My Tea for the Office"



Black Friday seems like the perfect time to start the Holiday Gift Guide.

For the next three weeks, I will integrate my posts with, what I think, are nice and appropriate gifts for your co-workers, bosses and industry colleagues.

First up, "Palais des Thes" "My Tea for the Office Collection."  

Features 48 sachets of assorted cotton teabags.


Darjeeling Margaret’s Hope: fine Darjeeling black tea
Blue of London: a superb black tea with bergamot
Thé du Hammam: our most popular green tea with berries
Fleur de Geisha: a Japanese cherry blossom green tea
Thé des Sources: a delicate green tea with mint and bergamot
Thé des Alizés: a fruity green tea with peach

Retail Price:  38.00

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

"Notorious Nineteen" by Janet Evanovich (A Book Review)




I enjoy Janet Evanovich's books, but for the last couple of years, I've been on a hardcore mystery roll.  My tastes tend to veer more toward the hair standing up on the back of my neck, jumping when someone enters the room-type mysteries.

Last year, my book club went to see "One for the Money" (with Sandra Bullock as Stephanie Plum) at the theater.  Cute movie.  Totally enjoyed it.

So, it was nice to pick up "Notorious Nineteen" and find all my favorite characters there, along with a couple of others that I missed somewhere between 14 and 18.

At any rate, sometimes it's nice to just have a few laughs without being so serious about everything.  It is a form of entertainment, right?  Even though some of the slapstick humor isn't necessarily going to win a Pulitzer. I get enough of that during the day.  Remember, I work in a law firm.

Stephanie Plum is cute and funny but Lula, that's my girl!  Oh, and Ranger is one hot dude.

Book Description:

After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton’s premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it’s on Stephanie to track down the con man. Unfortunately, Cubbin has disappeared without a trace, a witness, or his money-hungry wife. Rumors are stirring that he must have had help with the daring escape . . . or that maybe he never made it out of his room alive. Since the hospital staff’s lips seem to be tighter than the security, and it’s hard for Stephanie to blend in to assisted living, Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur goes in undercover. But when a second felon goes missing from the same hospital, Stephanie is forced into working side by side with Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, in order to crack the case.
The real problem is, no Cubbin also means no way to pay the rent. Desperate for money—or maybe just desperate—Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. Then again—a little food poisoning, some threatening notes, and a bridesmaid’s dress with an excess of taffeta never killed anyone . . . or did they? If Stephanie Plum wants to bring in a paycheck, she’ll have to remember: No guts, no glory.  (from Janet Evanovich.com)

And, I get an email today from Barnes and Noble - and what do you know?  "Takedown Twenty" is in stores now!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Socializing at Work - Should You or Shouldn't You?



A few months ago I shut down my Facebook account.  I'm very happy that I did.  I read a study that said people who use Facebook are less happy than people who don't.  The reasoning was that often you like a person's post/picture and they don't like yours back.

If you're a person, who like me, is a "work in progress," especially when it comes to seeking approval/affirmation, then Facebook might not be the best social media outlet for you (or me).

Which brings me to today's post.  

I've always been a "social" person.  That is, I like having "friends" at work.  Or, at least people that I can talk to about current events, hairstyles, coffee shops and go out to lunch and coffee with once in a while. 

Okay, honestly, I like having friends at work.

But, lately, I've been thinking maybe not.  

There is this one woman, in particular, who never eats with anyone, she never comes into the lunchroom and she never makes friends in the office.  Oh, sure she communicates, as needed, to get the work done.  She's an extremely hard worker, very professional and polished.  The picture of what a professional secretary/assistant should look like.

I've always secretly admired the fact that she doesn't need interaction at work.  I'm sure it's saved her a lot of stress from workplace conflict, office politics, drama and office gossip.  

I once commented to her how much I admired the fact that she's able to operate effectively on her own. Her response was that it didn't come easy.  It requires hard work.  She said it took her a long time to finally get to where she is now.

Then this week, I read an article in the latest issue of a popular women's magazine which said people who socialize with their co-workers are happier.  

I guess the key is to find a good "middle road" and take it.

I'm looking.  If you can offer any suggestions, please let me know.  I could use all the help I can get.