The Sensory Child Gets Organized

(Review Coming Soon)

http://www.systemsforsensorykids.com/

Taking Good Care of Your "Inner Self"

When I first heard the news about the White House stenographer who interrupted the congressional vote last week (after the 17 day shut-down) with a religious rant, I immediately thought, "It could happen to anyone."

Obviously, I don't know her so I can't say for sure she didn't plan her outburst, or that she's not part of some deeper conspiracy, but my best judgment, life and work experience tell me she was just plain stressed out.  Clearly, she experienced a break of some sort.

Stress manifests itself in many different ways.  By all accounts, she was a well-respected, professional, dependable, soft-spoken woman.  And, let's just say she was under the influence of religion, we all seek comfort in different things.  For some it's religion, for some it's alcohol and for some food.  

I think the lesson we can all take away from this is, yes, we need to work.  Yes, we are grateful to be gainfully employed.  However, if you don't pay attention to that inner voice when it says, "you need a rest," the results are most often not good.

I think, as women, and men, we tend to expect to be super-human in the workplace.  But, it's important to take time to "smell the roses," for lack of a better cliche.

Which brings me to the point - I need a vacation.

Here's wishing Ms. White House Stenographer a full and complete recovery.

Take your breaks - lest you break.  Pun fully intended.

Best Lashes in the Office - Could This Be You? Guerlain's NEW NOIR G

Noir G Mascara

Refillable, Exceptional, Complete Mascara

 This is for all you eyelash "G's" out there.  This girl's lashes are not what they used to be, so I'm always looking for the best mascara for optimum results.  

Confession:  I haven't actually tried this one out - but I plan to check it out.  It might mean foregoing a week's worth of cafe lattes, but, can you really put a price on great lashes?

From Guerlain's Press Release:

Guerlain’s NEW Noir G is the first mascara to combine the extravagant luxury of a jewel case with an extraordinary formula for perfectly defined eyes. This fabulous case jealously guards a unique, complete formula that combines the power of color, extreme intensity and the secret of beauty. The lush texture makes it easy to achieve an intense, dramatic lash look without any risk of smearing, smudging or clumping. Like a magic wand, the ground-breaking Noir G goes one step further with a refillable wand applicator, making it convenient and easy to switch to a new one as soon as you need it. Pull on the case and with a click, the hidden mirror is revealed. Add a quick twist and the brush appears for exceptional lash results.  

Features:

• Formula complex delivers a perfect 3-dimensional look with volumizing, lengthening and curling benefits.
• Lashes are transformed: perfectly defined, denser and cloaked in a new intensity.
• Refillable design makes replacing more convenient.

Noir G is available  at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Bergdorf Goodman.

Price: $50.00, Refill: $26.50

"Long Gone" by Alafair Burke (A Book Review)

I love mysteries.  I almost never miss "48 Hours," and I like to think I could actually solve real-life crime.  If I didn't have to spend most of my days in a law office.

I  downloaded Alafair Burke's, "Long Gone" on my kindle a few months ago when it was a "Deal of the Day."  I thought, "Her dad's a fantastic writer, but is she a good author or just the daughter of a good author?"  Of course, I knew the name "Alafair," but had no idea about the real life Alafair.

Well, it's obvious that talent runs in the Burke family.

I was captivated from the time I met the novel's main character, Alice Humphrey.  This is a perfect case of when bad things happen to good people.  

This was one of those novels, where you started to think, "This could really happen!"

Ms. Burke's fast-pace, contemporary style, descriptive narrative and ability to keep you off track, just put her on my list of "must read everything she's written," authors.

Every time I thought I had the case solved, the story took another unexpected and bizarre turn.

Skeletons were falling out of the closet in nearly every chapter.  Highly recommended!


Author's Description:  

"After a layoff and months of struggling, Alice Humphrey finally lands her dream job managing a new art gallery in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking District. According to Drew Campbell, the well-suited corporate representative who hires her, the gallery is a passion project for its anonymous, wealthy, and eccentric owner. Drew assures Alice that the owner will be hands off, allowing her to run the gallery on her own. Her friends think it sounds too good to be true, but Alice sees a perfect opportunity to make a name for herself beyond the shadow of her famous father, an award-winning and controversial film maker.

The artist whose work she displayed doesn’t seem to exist. And the dead man she claims is Drew has been identified as someone else.

Everything is perfect until the morning Alice arrives at work to find the gallery gone—the space stripped bare as if it had never existed—and Drew Campbell’s dead body on the floor. Overnight, Alice’s dream job has vanished, and she finds herself at the center of police attention with nothing to prove her innocence. The phone number Drew gave her links back to a disposable phone.

When police discover ties between the gallery and a missing girl, Alice knows she’s been set up. Now she has to prove it—a dangerous search for answers that will entangle her in a dark, high-tech criminal conspiracy and force her to unearth long-hidden secrets involving her own family… secrets that could cost Alice her life."  (from http://alafairburke.com/books/long-gone)

Five Ways to Ward Off the Monday Morning Blues

1.  Paint your nails a wild new color.  One that you'd never wear in a million years.  If your workplace is a bit on the conservative side, perhaps a decal on your index finger might be an option.

2.  Set your alarm to wake up to a 'heavy metal' band.  Nothing is going to get your juices flowing like heavy metal.  If you absolutely can't stand 'heavy metal,' go for hip hop.  A little Run DMC never hurt anybody.

3.  Take a tepid shower instead of a hot one.  It will wake you make you more alert.

4.  If you usually walk your pet in the morning before leaving the house, take a slightly different route.

5.  Take time to smell the flowers.  Literally.  Even if it means "borrowing" a stem or two from your neighbor.

I know, it's easy enough to say.  But I've had enough "Monday Morning Blues" to have come up with more than one clever way to trick my mind into thinking that Mondays are cool.

Have a great week!

Upcoming Training for Secretaries in Orange County from Special Counsel

UPCOMING LITIGATION TRAINING This 2 1/2 day in-person seminar introduces legal secretaries and support staff to the complex world of civil litigation, including: Federal and California State Court structure Commencing a legal action Discovery procedures Motion practice Complexities of calendaring Alternative Dispute Resolution E-filing in California Federal Civil Courts Close up on legal calendaring  Orange County - November 12, 13 and 14, 2013    Receive an Early Pay Discount now through October 18, 2013 Registration deadline is November 4, 2013    Click HERE for Additional Information and to Register www.specialcounsel.com