It’s Time to Think about Thanksgiving
We know it’s hot outside, but it’s time to think about … Thanksgiving. It’s one of those holidays, because it doesn’t have a set date, that can sneak up on you. The holiday takes place 100 days from now, Nov. 28.
We believe in planning ahead and there’s several things you can do now to make the holiday run smoothly.
· Start making your travel plans. Use our Travel Kit to plan a fun trip or a visit back home.
· Begin saving money. Even if you’re not traveling, there’s a lot going on this time -– including Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday – that could invade your checking account.
· Think about items that you could buy on sale. If you’ve been itching to get an appliance, furniture and other object, make a list and see if they have a good deal during the sales period.
If you are planning to host a Friendsgiving, we hope you stuff yourself with food and fun. If you plan on spending the weekend alone, watching TV and reading and doing nothing, that sounds awesome. If you work in retail, health care or other industry in which you are busy during the holiday, we send you all the good vibes.
What are two items you must take with you for your overseas trip?
If you’re taking a trip abroad, you need two essential items – a passport and an international outlet. The passport is an obvious need, but the outlet is an item that you wouldn’t think about if you haven’t been overseas. Other countries don’t use the same type of outlet as we do in the U.S.
But that’s why we’re here. Our Travel Kit gives you all the steps you need to apply for a passport – as well as Global Entry. We also include a packing list with items such as the outlet. The kit also helps you plan our vacation with itineraries, planning worksheets and more. Planning a trip takes time and effort, but it’s all worth it when you find yourself in some incredible places.
book review: “i’m mostly here to enjoy myself”
“I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman’s Pursuit of Pleasure of Paris” by Glynnis MacNicol is the type of book you’ll want to have a pen, highlighter or pad of sticky notes handy.
Single women will be annotating the memoir with the passages that make them nod in agreement and say, “Finally, someone who says what I’ve been feeling.”
MacNicol, a freelance writer who is based in New York City and grew up in Canada, writes about the summer she spent in Paris in 2021, just as the world is starting to come alive after the COVID-19 lockdown.
And MacNicol feels alive in Paris, partaking in brunches with her group of single friends, bicycling around the city and indulging in sex with men.
She knows that being single means freedom. She is comfortable with her she is, but she also acknowledges the tricky moments. There are times when she worries about finances. She notices she can feel invisible, or she isn’t represented as characters in films, TV shows or books.
In one chapter, she goes dancing with a group of friends, but the night doesn’t match her vision.
“I’m not sure why, but I can’t see to fit it in anywhere. I’ve slid out of the rhythm of the night somehow. The night I’d been coveting all this time hasn’t arrived. I’m the wrong me, or this is the wrong place. … This feels awful. Like I’ve inadvertently plummeted through some wormhole and am once again the awkward girl at the high school dance.”
Who hasn’t felt like that?
But, as the title indicates, being single means joy. Being able to travel and navigate life all by yourself is an accomplishment.
“Not having to ask for anyone’s permission, leaving on a whim, walking on a high tightrope, is exhausting and scary, but once you’re hooked on having control over your life, it’s a hard drug to kick.”
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What Do You Have in Your Snack Drawer?
When you start a new job, there are important things to remember – update your social media posts so you can brag to your friends; enroll or roll over your 401K; and bring a healthy supply of snacks. Vending machines are expensive, and their selection is iffy. You never know when your tummy will demand to be fed and it might be when you’ve been hit with a deadline.
Get our New Life Starter Kit to help navigate your job search and first days on the job.
What are your favorite snacks at work? As you can see, we’re partial to Nature Valley Granola Bars Value Pack, KIND Nut Bars Favorites Variety Pack and Jif To Go Creamy Peanut Butter.
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The patron saint of single women
If there is one character in pop culture who was unapologetically single, it is Kinsey Milhone.
Kinsey is the protagonist of Sue Grafton’s alphabet series that Grafton began writing with “A is for Alibi” in the 1980s and continued through “Y is for Yesterday” in 2018. (Grafton died before she was able to complete the alphabet.)
A private detective in fictional Santa Teresa, California, Kinsey’s crime investigations are the focus of the books. But twice-divorced Kinsey’s narration, with her feisty attitude, is the main reason for reading.
Kinsey is a total introvert who loves nothing than spending the night at home, munching on peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. She occasionally has a fling with a local police officer, but she doesn’t spend her days thinking about her status. She is happy with who she is, and she doesn’t want to change.
As Kinsey says, “'I love being single. It's almost like being rich.”
Kinsey is the type of character that becomes your friend. When you’re going through a rough time, you can grab one of the books and get wrapped up in her life.
Do you have a favorite Kinsey Milhone book or quote? Let us know in the comments.
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