It’s 2013. In a few years, the things that we are doing now will be old, and there will be newer, more exciting things to make our lives easier. More and more products will be introduced to the retail and technology landscapes, and businesses will continue to evolve (as they have up until now) to meet consumer demand.

As business is always evolving, and so are consumers, there are a few things that companies need to start doing if they want to continue being successful.

When we were buying the house, there was nothing more frustrating than dealing with the companies that needed to provide us with the services necessary to make the transaction. Notaries and lawyers were inaccessible. Banks were frustrating to deal with. Most inspection companies were unreasonable.The companies that got my business met a strict criteria.

Here’s what to do if you want to lose my (and my other Gen Y and likely Gen X peers) business:

Don’t Have a Website

‘Cause, you know, who needs a website when you have a phone that you never answer? No problem, you can just verbally describe all of the products you have to me and how much they all cost, and what quantities they come in.

Don’t Post Your Rates Online

Make me take a break from my workday to call you on your phone (which you don’t answer) to get your rates, when your competitors have them posted online

Work Bankers Hours

Nobody has a job these days anyway. No big deal if your customers have to take a vacation day just to get a hold of you, let alone visit your store. 9-6 are great store hours, for those who are retired and/or don’t work.

Be Closed on Sunday

Because it’s still 1926 when every.single.worker in the city takes Sundays off to go to church.

Be Slow

Sure, tell me that you’ll do the home inspection and write up the report and have it to me four days after the inspection. That will make me really happy. Because, you know, there’s no such thing as technology and you have to hand-write it out with a feather and a scroll. Oh, and you work only from 9-6.

Put Me On Hold (For > 30 seconds)

Sure no problem, I’ll wait for 5 minutes on the phone while you finish typing out your email, even though I just “snuck away” from work to phone you because you don’t have a website and you are only open until 6:00 PM so I can’t phone you after work.

Tell Me You Don’t Take Credit Card Payments

I have always dreamed of doing business with a company that makes me go to the bank (if I can find a branch – who goes to banks these days, anyway?) to take out cash to pay them, forgoing my credit card rewards and the ease of payment. Very progressive. Or, better yet, suggest I write a cheque. I have tons of those lying down for all the companies that allow you to pay via cheque these days.

Bother Me After the Transaction

You’ll definitely retain my business in the future if, after you were diligent enough to even get my business to begin with, you begin emailing me, phoning me, and sending messages through carrier pigeon with vouchers and newsletters and the like.

You Refuse to Use Email

I love companies who phone me after I fill out a contact form which requires me to put my phone number down but yet I specify in the body of the email “please email only”. I love when my phone starts lighting up when I’m discussing important collective agreement provisions with my boss. That’s my favorite thing ever.

Here are some examples to see what I mean in live action:

The Junk Disposal Bin 

We’d just finished tearing the old shingles off the roof and needed to rent a bin to have the material taken away. I did a quick Google search, and saw that there were quite a few companies in my area that would provide the service. Two of the companies had websites that quoted the prices, which was great. We’d just purchased our house and wanted to get the best deal possible, so I was attempting to do some price comparison.

Two more companies had websites but not prices, and they listed email addresses and phone numbers. I emailed them both and they didn’t respond within 24 hours. Because their hours were so limited, I had to phone them when I snuck away on a quick, unauthorized work break.

One told me that she was just the “secretary”. She told me the price but then transferred me to somebody else to let me know what the availability of the bin we wanted was. That person put me on hold. I was on hold for greater than one minute, so I hung up and called the next company.

The next company told me the prices, but couldn’t bring the bin for a week. So I hung up and went with one of the more expensive ones that had their prices listed on their websites, and the order form right there too.

(There were also a couple of companies that didn’t have websites, but I didn’t even bother with them).

The Asbestos Removal Companies

We negotiated to have the asbestos removed by the previous owners, but we had to arrange for this to happen.

There were some companies that charged double; some companies that didn’t work on weekends (wtf), meaning we’d have to store all of our stuff for a night and stay in a hotel for the weekend because they wouldn’t be out of there in time for us to move in. Some companies even charged for the assessment and quote (yeah, as if I’d ever do that).

The company we finally settled on was reasonable. My biggest beef with them, was that they didn’t allow credit card payments.

The previous owners were transferring funds to us to pay for the removal, and at $5,000, I could have gotten a lot of rewards points on my credit card. They requested payment via cheque, and since I haven’t used cheques since 2009 when I had to pay rent with a cheque, I had to order one cheque and send it via snail mail (meaning I had to buy envelopes and stamps, too). It got lost in the mail, so rinse and repeat by the time they got their money.

I can’t imagine that this is efficient for either the customer or the company, and even though they did a great job and were efficient and really bent over backward for me, I’d never use them again for the fact that they need to start being more competitive with the payment they accept.

Being that there are so many choices out there for pretty much anything you’d need and want, I’m of the opinion that it’s so important to be competitive and really work to attract and retain customers. What do companies do that makes YOU walk away?

Keep in the loop! Google Reader is shutting down as of July 1. Subscribe to Add Vodka through Feedly or Blog Lovin to stay in touch. 9 Ways to Lose Me As a Customer is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

One of my goals for 2013 was to add $10,000 to my emergency fund. The goal wasn’t just to have the money sitting in a savings account making 2%. The point of the goal was to build up enough to have a healthy emergency fund and reroute about half of the $10,000 (so.. $5,000) to pay off my car loan.

I have always thought it a bit crazy to have thousands of dollars sitting in a savings account “just in case”, when that money can be invested or put to a better use. Most of us can handle emergencies without needing a bunch of cash sitting there. The exception, of course, is if the emergency is a big one that costs thousands of dollars. Or job loss.

However, since we bought the house, I’ve been a little gun shy in actually re-routing the cash that I had meant for my car loan.

In fact, even though I have a lot of money sitting in my EF, and in other savings accounts, and even though I have a good job and am able to save hundreds of dollars each month, I still get nervous when an unexpected expense crops up.

It may be that we are still new at this home ownership thing and I’m just being overly cautious, but I’m beginning to think I’d be more comfortable with substantially more in my emergency fund than I was when I was renting. The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that home owners need much larger emergency funds.

One of the main reasons is that, when you own your home, emergencies for which you are responsible are much more likely to happen.

A pipe could burst, or the furnace could break, or job loss could happen, which holds far greater impact to those who own their homes. Home owners can’t just give notice, move out and live in a less expensive home if something happens to make their mortgage unaffordable. They can’t move in with family members while they get back on their feet, without finding renters or selling their home. Even if you have insurance for many potential disasters, you still have to pay the deductible, and some things aren’t covered.

So, if the rule-of-thumb for the general public is to put aside 3-6 months of living expenses in an emergency fund, how much should home owners have?

Already, there is a lot of advice out there saying that 1% of the home’s value should be set aside for maintenance per year. If you have the personal emergency fund of 3-6 months of living expenses, you should also have a home maintenance fund of 1% of the home’s value. You may not use the maintenance fund each year, so it’s a rolling total. However, a maintenance fund takes care of maintenance, not housing emergencies.

We can handle most emergencies that crop up better than most. Since J is a ticketed carpenter and my dad sells building supplies, we are well equipped to fix a leaky roof or deal with other issues, but I’m still reluctant to transfer money from my emergency fund.

Unless you bought a complete money pit, I don’t think it’s likely that you’ll have that many emergencies crop up, but there are more opportunities for emergencies if you own your home. 

A traditional emergency fund is supposed to cover you in case of job loss or another emergency. But life provides so many  opportunities for emergencies, that it may be smart to have more funds built up just in case if you are a home owner.

 Do you think you need a larger emergency fund as a home owner?

Keep in the loop! Google Reader is shutting down as of July 1. Subscribe to Add Vodka through Feedly or Blog Lovin to stay in touch. Should You Have a Higher Emergency Fund if You Own Your Home? is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

Enter to win an iPad Mini via The Debt Myth here. 

I remember when I first started working in a professional office environment; I could hardly stand having awkward conversations. Even asking for things was awkward for me. Putting myself out there enough to ask my (very serious, very foreboding) boss whether I could have the last hour of the day off (unpaid!) for a dentist appointment could give me cold sweats.

I’ve become much better at having these conversations, mainly because of my job. 80% of the conversations I have as part of my position are awkward conversations, and I’m constantly having to tell people bad news.

Observe

I had one colleague who had a knack for articulating bad news and having awkward, uncomfortable situations with people in a positive and collected way. I noticed a stark contrast between my awkward, jolted speeches filled with “like”, and “um”, and her smooth, thoughtful way of speaking.

I approached her one day to hopefully glean some of her wisdom, but she had few answers for me. Rarely will a person be able to tell you how they do something well. It’s then up to you to watch them in action.

First, I reflected on these conversations after I’d had them myself. I’d consider what made me feel awkward about it; was it the situation or how the person was taking it? If it was how the person was taking it, were they taking it poorly because I wasn’t delivering the message well? Did I say a word repeatedly? Did I feel that I got the message across? Did I ask the questions that would deliver the answers I needed?

After I did this exercise a few times, I set out to observe my colleague when she had these types of conversations. How did her mannerisms and speaking style differ from mine? What did I really like that she did, compared to what I was doing? How could I incorporate this without giving up my own authenticity?

Think

One thing I noticed almost immediately after having gone through this exercise was that when she – and other people I’d observed speaking well – spoke, she didn’t use filler words. If she got to a point in the conversation when she’d lose her words, or need to come up with an answer or a though on the spot, she didn’t try to fill silences. She just thought.
This sounds intuitive, but it’s not used as often as you might think. Many of us feel the need to fill those silences with words, whether or not they are contributing to the conversation. The words “just”, “like”, and “um/uh/hmm” do not contribute to the conversation. They are fillers. It’s difficult, but try to cut these out by filling those moments with silence and thought. This will also help you say what you want to say better; nobody can think properly when they are talking.

Rehearse

Going into a conversation that you believe to be difficult unprepared can be detrimental. You don’t have to sound rehearsed, but reviewing what you need to say and what the purpose of the conversation is before you go into it will make it go much more smoothly. Consider what action you hope to get from the conversation; how you want to sound, what questions you want to ask, and what the relationship between yourself and the other person is like. You also should consider their personality and how they will react to different ways of delivering your message.

You likely won’t sound rehearsed anyway, because conversations can go any number of ways depend on the reaction of the other party, however, running through it a few times as if you were speaking to the person will really help.

Wait

If you feel the need to have a conversation in the heat of a moment, try to remove yourself from the situation and come back to it the next day. Even if the conversation is one that you must have, it will go over more smoothly when you’ve cooled down a bit and emotions aren’t running high on the other individual’s part, as well.

Being successful in these types of situations can be a hit or miss. As you continue to do them, you’ll get more comfortable with them and they’ll come easier.

Keep in the loop! Google Reader is shutting down as of July 1. Subscribe to Add Vodka through Feedly or Blog Lovin to stay in touch. Having Awkward Conversations at Work is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

No, surrogacy is not in the plan for me, but there are two things that led me to believe that this post had to be written, and this question had to be asked:

Magazine

I was reading a magazine at the gym (I can’t remember which one), which had a feature on surrogacy. It documented the rise in sister surrogacy as infertility issues become more and more common for women (something which I attribute to the foods that we eat, mainly).

It showed a table that outlined the costs of surrogacy if you were to have a stranger be a surrogate, versus a family member acting as your surrogate.

On both sides of the table, it showed the cost of paying the surrogate for the services – about $15,000 – $30,000. There are also costs for healthcare, legal and administrative costs, and other things. The $15-$30K figure is just for the usage of the surrogate’s body.

I mulled it over for a bit on the treadmill at that time, but then forgot about it.

The Kardashians

Don’t judge me, but I find the Kardashians incredibly entertaining. I was watching an episode of Kourtney and Kim Take Miami (or one of the spin off shows, anyway), that showed Kourtney offer to become a surrogate for Kourtney, one of the sisters that was at the time having trouble getting pregnant.

Obviously, the one sister was not offering with a financial agenda; the Kardashians all have more than enough money, and the show portrayed her as being concerned for her sister and wanting to help (plus, even the high end of the cost of surrogacy at $30,000 is pocket change for a Kardashian).

So I got to thinking…

Is charging a family member or friend to be a surrogate for their baby common practice? (Not that surrogacy in general is common practice, but within the surrogate community).

Also..

Would you charge somebody close to you to be a surrogate for their child?

Note that this is not a question of whether or not you would be a surrogate; you can never really know until you are in that situation. The answer may be yes now, but if put in the situation, you may change your mind. Plus, it depends on the relationship that you would have with the family and a whole bunch of factors. 

Let’s say that you agreed to be a surrogate for somebody very close to you. Would you expect to be paid?

I mean, yes, I think medical bills (for US readers) and the costs of maternity clothes and all other things that pregnancy and surrogacy leads to, would be paid by the parents-to-be regardless of your relationship with them, but what about the cost of the usage of your womb to grow the child?

So I want to know. If you were approached by your best friend or sister, to become a surrogate for them, would you expect compensation?

Keep in the loop! Google Reader is shutting down as of July 1. Subscribe to Add Vodka through Feedly or Blog Lovin to stay in touch. Would You Charge a Friend or Family Member to Be a Surrogate For Them? is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

Last week, I spent $116 on bark mulch.

Pretty much chunks of wood in assorted sizes and shades of “fir/hemlock brown”.

For $116, I’m thisclose to somehow melding the wood chunks together and wearing it (couture!) so I have something to show for it.

I guess I do have something to show for it, you just wouldn’t be able to tell for all of my whining about it.

When we bought our house, it was winter. So everything, save for the cedar hedges and shrubs, was dead. I’ve always lived in houses with yards, and usually ones with large gardens, and they never seemed to have huge weed issues. I mean, we’d be out there a few times a year pulling weeds, but that was the extent of it.

Imagine my chagrin when the weeds in our gardens had grown as tall as me and had eaten up 80% of my weekend time by needing to be pulled.

While J was on the roof laying new shingles, I was pulling weeds, digging up dirt, hauling buckets, raking, shoveling, and overturning tons of surprises. Usually those surprises were bugs, but I did happen to find a tomb for what I can only assume is a dead animal, since it’s a concrete block that says “We love you Cocoa”.

In any case, I couldn’t handle the weeds anymore so got on the internet and did some research to find out how to get rid of them once and for all. Apparently landscaping fabric and either gravel or mulch is the way to go, and since I’m not into sacrificing that much of my time for $116 + the cost of fabric, I bit the bullet and ordered a heap of mulch to our door step.

After that, it took us ages to dig out some more weeds (there’s this one weed that just won’t go away and tries to choke out  the other plants in our garden), lay the fabric, pin it into the soil, and haul bark mulch back and forth to cover it.

Now we just have to do the same for the other hundreds of square feet of garden we have in the yard. At least this will save us from a painful amount of weeding next year.

Excuse the fabric and the hose in the picture. Oh, and the window glare. The shrubbed part went from looking weedy, like the planters on the right in the photo (those are next up on the mulching block) to weed free.

This will all add to our curb appeal and therefore property value. Two houses in our neighborhood just went up for sale for more than we bought ours for, and they are substantially smaller, on smaller lots, and not renovated. I’m sure they will sell for less than what they are listed for, but another recently sold for more than we bought ours for and it was, similarly,  not as large/updated. So that’s good news. Not that we’ll be selling for a long, long time.

So that’s what I’ve been working on!

Keep in the loop! Google Reader is shutting down as of July 1. Subscribe to Add Vodka through Feedly or Blog Lovin to stay in touch. Project: Weed Proofing the Garden(s) is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

May was a very up and down month for me. I struggled with my day job with extreme highs and lows. One moment I’d be frustrated and overwhelmed and ready to quit, and the next I’d be content.

I also struggled with boredom. Not in the traditional sense of not having enough to do (trust me, that’s not an issue) but in the sense of wanting something bigger and better to work toward.

I need a project.

Overall, however, life is good. I found out I’m eligible for a raise in May, had a long weekend, got quite a lot of yard work done, have read some seriously good books, spent some quality time with a couple of good friends, and met up with some awesome bloggers for Thai food.

I actually have no inkling how I did with my goals at this point, so without further adieu, lets take a look:

Emergency Fund

I added $1,616.98 to savings in May.

Some of this (~$15) is just from interest which was accrued on my account, the rest was from savings. I accredit May being a three pay period month, which is great for those of us that budget based on two pay periods monthly.

I’m happy with this number.

Extra Earnings

I made:

• $300 from babysitting
• $120 from helping my dad
• $702 from online work

My extra earnings, then, are at a ground total of $1122.60.

Note that this total does NOT include the rent that we collect from my brother for the suite.

Since the first four months of the year I did so well with extra earnings, I re-set my goal from $1000 to $1500 of extra earnings monthly to challenge myself.

I could have done this by picking up an extra shift babysitting or working more for my dad, but I chose to spend a little bit of time relaxing and getting Suburban Finance ready for takeoff.

Lose 10 Pounds

I fell off the exercise wagon in May, simply because after hours of yardwork on the weekends, my body ached for days after. I haven’t been to the gym to weigh myself, so I can’t really report on progress for this particular goal. I have an inkling that I didn’t lose any weight in May.

Travel

I didn’t go anywhere in May, but I didn’t have any plans to, so that’s okay. I did book a flight to go to Winnipeg in June (this week I’m leaving) so I’ll be there for a couple of days.

Believe it or not, I’ve never been to Winnipeg, so while it may not be the most thrilling adventure out there, it’s still a place that I haven’t seen, so I’m looking forward to it.

We have family in Winnipeg and we’re so excited to see them and spend some quality time together.

I wanted to go to BlogHer in July, but we’ve been down a few team members at work so I couldn’t get the time off.

Be More Active on Personal Social Media

I added this to my goals on last month’s recap, more for career development than anything else.

I actually didn’t tweet every day from my personal account like I’d planned to, but that’s okay – I’m giving myself a pass. I was active on LinkedIn and connected with some people from school that I don’t want to lose touch from. I’d have to say it’s a success.

How did you do on goals?

Keep in the loop! Google Reader is shutting down as of July 1. Subscribe to Add Vodka through Feedly or Blog Lovin to stay in touch. 2013 Goals Progress: May is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

I have been working for the same company since January 2012, but I have only been eligible for a raise since August 2012. The next raises coming our way were in September, a month away, but almost a week after I became eligible for an increase, we were told that we weren’t getting any.

Good timing!

They said they’d  look at increases come April, but April came and went with no news.

Last night I snuck onto my work email from home (woops) and saw a happy surprise – an email to my department saying we could have raises again!

My raise will be for about $0.70 – not a lot,  but enough to keep me happy for a little while. This is a raise, based on the number of hours I work per year, of $1365. A portion of it will be eaten up by taxes, but for arguments sake, let’s say it’s just $1365.

So here’s what I’m deciding between for it’s allocation:

Retirement Savings

I really want to increase my retirement savings so I can have at the very least one years worth of my salary saved up by the time I’m 30 in retirement savings.

If I stay in my current role until I’m 30 (ew) I would get the same raise of $0.70 each year for 4 more years until I’m at the top of my wage level. Meaning based on my income right now:

• the first year, I’d make an extra $1365
• the second year, I’d make an extra $2730
• the third year, I’d make an extra $4095
• the fourth year, I’d make an extra $5460
• and the fifth year, I’d make an extra $6825.

By then I’d be 29, and have an extra year to save up the $6825. Without interest, just from saving my raises and continuing on with budgeting for what I currently make, I’d be able to add $27,300 to my retirement savings.

This would be a step in the right direction toward saving up a year’s worth of my current salary before I’m thirty, if we just pretend that I’ll stay at this job and level.

Increase Other Savings

This would be boring, and it’s stupid to have a bunch of money sitting in an account needlessly, but I could have a pretty hardcore savings account with the amount I have already been putting away.

I guess I could put it in my emergency fund, but that’s not really my style. Who needs a $40,000 emergency fund?

Put It On My Mortgage

If I were to save up my raises in the way I outlined above under “retirement savings”, and put it on my mortgage at the end of the 6 years before I turn 30, I’d shave 3 years off of the mortgage and save a bunch of money in interest.

My house

Our rate is fairly low – 3.04%, but you never know where interests are going to go when we renew our term. If I can make more in interest with the money in my RRSP, obviously I’ll go with that option over this one.

It’s all about profit maximization, right?

Travel With It!

This is definitely sounds like a fun way to spend the extra cash. There are many, many places I would like to visit within the next few years, and I actually think I would be smart to spend my extra money.

I’m only young once, and travelling before I have children is definitely a priority for me. I didn’t travel when I was just out of college or high school like so many of my peers, and haven’t done much travelling in general since. There are a few places beyond my smaller, North American trips that I had plans to visit, but no real plan of paying for it except working more.

A Combination

What I’ll likely end up doing is a combination of some of these options. I’ll probably start with a year or so of saving it, and then deciding by that time whether it should go toward a trip, or if I want to put it into an RRSP. Taking it year by year after saving the money is sounding like the best option to me.

We’re already saving for retirement, planning on travelling, and looking at paying down our mortgage faster with our current incomes, so anything extra is just a bonus.

No matter what I do with it, yay for raises!

Keep in the loop! Google Reader is shutting down as of July 1. Subscribe to Add Vodka through Feedly or Blog Lovin to stay in touch. What to Do With a Raise is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

Recently I’ve posted about clothing and building a better wardrobe. See:

1. Just Say No to Cheap Clothes

2. Building a Better Wardrobe

I’m on a mission to cut out cheap, poorly made clothes, manufactured by unethical companies in third-world countries out of synthetic and cheap fabrics.

*Note that I am not cutting out all China-made clothes, only those that are poorly made. I am paying more attention to the way clothing is constructed*.

As of my writing this, I have only purchased one clothing item since the beginning of the year. It’s 5 months in, and I’ve been doing quite a lot of research about the fit, the fabric, the brands, and  the make of the clothes I’ve been eyeing.

Here are the things that I have on my “must buy” and “must at least try on” list:

Linen Tees

I have never been an overly casual dresser, and my go-to comfort outfit usually consisted of a cotton dress and a cardigan.

I’ve found jeans and t-shirts neither flattering nor particularly comfortable, so I own exactly one t-shirt (the one item I’ve purchased thus far in 2013) and one pair of jeans.

I guess I haven’t found them flattering or comfortable because I’ve been buying the wrong version.

At Easter, my mom visited and we went shopping. I tried on a lot, but ended up only buying a linen v-neck tee from J Crew.

It’s so simple it’s practically embarrassing, but it’s comfortable, flattering, and light.

The tee was made in China, but it seems well-constructed and it has kept it’s shape beautifully.

I have it in navy (as pictured above), but want it in white, grey, and green too.

They are $47.50 each, which may seem like a lot for a basic tee but it’s worth it.

Jeans

The one pair of jeans I currently own do not get much wear. They actually look great on me, but they aren’t very comfortable and they are not very well made. I bought them from Maurices on my last cross-border shopping trip, simply because I felt I needed a pair of jeans.

I came across a pin on Pinterest that had dozens of pictures comparing “cheap” jeans with a better quality jean, and how much better they looked on different body types.

One of the examples (and the one I liked the best) was with 7 For All Mankind jeans.

When I started researching the product this company offered, I saw great reviews and a product made in the USA. It also has a great reputation for a quality product.

These are on my must-have list:

They are the Slim Illusion Skinny in Black. I just like the basic, slim look of them.

There are also a bunch of denim that I saw on the site, but I definitely have to try them on in person.

Flats

I’m in the market for a new pair of classic black flats, as my old pair has finally (and inevitably) kicked the bucket after 3 years of solid, daily use.

When scouring Zappos, I found these basic flats by Frye.

Yup, I’m boring – they are basic, black, and flat, just like I wanted. They are made in Mexico, so it’s not as bad as some, and are, of course, leather. When I look at the picture, they appear to be a softer leather too, which is nice.

I worked for a shoe company for a couple of years before I moved, and I learned to expect blisters and pain for the first couple of wears for any shoe. But the softer the leather, the less the pain.

They clearly don’t have a ton of support, but frankly, I’m not 75 so I don’t need orthodic footwear, especially since I only wear flats like these in the office and to dinner.

I’d definitely want to try them on and see them in person. I’ve had many a pair of shoe with a sole like that, and after a couple of months the sole and the leather tend to separate, so I’ll have to see how it’s made.

So far, that’s all I’ve got, but that’s really all I need right now. I have to seek out stores that have these products so I can try them on; the tees aren’t so important because I already have one in a different color, but I can’t buy pants or shoes without seeing how they feel.

Keep in the loop! Google Reader is shutting down as of July 1. Subscribe to Add Vodka through Feedly or Blog Lovin to stay in touch. On My “Must Buy” List is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

This past week – nay, month – has been insane at work, and somewhat in my personal life as well, with all of the work that we have to do on the house and appointments cropping up. I feel like I’m being run ragged, so I deal with that by escaping from reality by reading a book or doing whatever it is that helps me zone out.

Recently I’ve read several books, but I’ll only tell you about the good ones.

eBooks

Swagbucks [referral code] has been kind to me this month and I was able to get a couple of books with Amazon gift cards.

The Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother

I’m a little behind on this one. I know this is old news and I am late to the party, but I actually really enjoyed it. I’m no parenting expert, because, well, I’m not a parent. But the author, while a little too strict, has some great points. I enjoy Amy Chau’s writing style and actually find her to be quite relateable, if you can believe it.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

This book had me in tears on more than one occasion. It’s an amazing book, and I love the author. I loved the Kite Runner, too, but A Thousand Splendid Suns is even better.

I went away from reading this thinking “WTF am I doing with my life? How can I complain about long days at work when people are suffering through these atrocities every day?”

It’s very humbling.

Escape from Camp 14

I’m just starting this book. It’s about a man who escapes from a political prisoner camp in North Korea. So far it’s good. I’ll report more on it when I get into it farther.

TED Talks

The Voices of China’s Workers – Leslie Chang

I watched this talk on the treadmill and it was a good one. There were funny parts but the overall tone is serious. If you are interested in factory work in China and the conditions under which the employees work, and especially how the workers themselves see it, I’d recommend listening in on this talk.

Documentaries

I’ve been following along with Mochimac’s documentary suggestions, and watched Way Beyond Weight, Sugar: The Bitter Truth, and Forks over Knives.

I’ve never had an interest in eating meat, but Forks Over Knives has made me really look at what other animal products (dairy, eggs) that I’ve been consuming and their effects on my overall health. I’m a huge fan of ice cream, yogurt, and cheese, so I’ve been watching my consumption since I watched Forks Over Knives.

Way Beyond Weight was really interesting and a little scary. Sugar: The Bitter Truth was great at first and then I started to glaze over with all of the scientific garble.

So that’s what I’ve been doing for the past week (or two).

How about you? Any suggestions?

Keep in the loop! Google Reader is shutting down as of July 1. Subscribe to Add Vodka through Feedly or Blog Lovin to stay in touch. What I Read, Listened To, & Watched This Week (May Edition) is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

Lately, I’ve had a tough time at work. The workload has been almost unmanageable and I have so many people pulling me in different directions. It’s overwhelming and frustrating, because I feel like I am barely keeping my head above water. Our team is also down 2 people in the mid-long term, and an additional 2-3 people are constantly on vacation, leaving those of us who remain to juggle it all.

When I get home, I’ve always been the type of person who likes to be productive. I usually go to the gym after work, come home, make something for dinner, clean something, write an article, or try to do something remotely educational. If I’ve done all that, I feel like I can take some time off on the weekend (but then, that never happens anyway).

After doing all of these things, unwinding isn’t usually on the agenda. Other than reading for half an hour before bed to tire my eyes out, I don’t get much time to zone out and be a zombie. Sometimes, even with a thousand things demanding your time and energy, the best thing you can do is just blow it all of and unwind (which actually makes you more productive later).

Here are a few tips that I’ve learned about R&R:

Don’t Think About Your Stressors

This might be obvious, but even if you aren’t at work, thinking about work does nothing but harm. Worrying about the fight you had with your kids or the chores you have to do isn’t productive anyway, so put them out of your mind and spend some time doing something else.

This is probably the hardest part, because our brains tend to drift back to the bad stuff even when we don’t want them to, so you may have to distract yourself by doing something mindless, like watching TV or just getting your mind elsewhere.

Don’t Feel Guilty About Zoning Out

Sure, reality TV [or insert other guilty pleasure here] is probably turning your brain to mush and there are always going to be other things that you should be doing rather than watching it. But delving into something significant, important, or even just productive when you are stressed out and haven’t had a chance to think about nothing for awhile can do more harm than good.

When you are distracted, you never give the task at hand 100%, so you are more likely to make errors. Zone out and do something mindless and that doesn’t take thought or effort, and you’ll be able to recharge your battery at least a little.

Indulge

My indulgences include:

• Greasy food
• wine
• a bubble bath
• chocolate
• wine
• cuddles with my dogs
• wine, and
• wine.

I obviously don’t drink my face off (or maybe I do.. you’ll never know), but sometimes combining a glass of pinot with a bath and a good book is just the ticket I need to forget all about my long, stressful day and chillax. 

Some peculiar creatures indulge in a run or some other activity which involves sweat, but not I.

Go to Sleep Early

Staying up too late is never good practice, but this is especially the case when you are tired after a long day and have to get back to it in the morning. Sleep does wonders on your ability to solve problems, your attention to detail, and even your reaction times. Blow something off and get an extra hour of sleep if you need to unwind from a long day (there’s nothing more relaxing than being comatose).

Even if you didn’t have a crazy day, relaxing and recharging is important, so take some time to unwind before you lose it.

Keep in the loop! Google Reader is shutting down as of July 1. Subscribe to Add Vodka through Feedly or Blog Lovin to stay in touch. How to Unwind After a Long Day is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.