Why the Dinner Table is Important

One of the most important rooms in the home is the kitchen. The second most important is the dining room. In kitchens, we prepare our meals and enjoy chatting with members of the household who buzz through the area. It’s a meeting place. When our food is ready to be eaten, we (should) take it to our dining areas so we can peacefully enjoy our meal. The piece of furniture we use is the dining room table and it’s the single most important thing we have in our homes and too often it goes unused.

Baltimore Rioting

With recent rioting in Baltimore, I noticed that those who are being violent don’t go home for dinner. Why? It isn’t because they aren’t hungry; it’s because no one is waiting for them to come home and share a meal. I’m a firm believer that cultural change begins at the dinner table. If we expect people to behave like good citizens, then we need to encourage the activities that produce good citizens. Families who gather together over dinner are likely to have conversations that include moral elements and create a sense of belonging for each family member. The food they eat doesn’t matter, only the bonds they develop.

Many of these young rioters come from broken or even absent families. I think it’s likely that they’re out on the streets causing chaos because they want to feel like they’re apart of something. Humans have a deep need to be apart of a group. Does the Baltimore rioting create a group identity for young people to cling to? We certainly cannot assume that anyone who came from a broken family will cause problems. However, we should be aware that young people like those rioting who (likely) don’t have a stable home environment are at risk for being drug into such groups because they want to have an identity.

As a nation who wants to see peace and love prevail in the face of anger, we need to encourage families of all types to spend a few nights a week at the dinner table. Our world is shaped by the people in it. We must be the change we want to see.

What I Keep at the Office

Rejoice pretty people, it’s Friday! We’ve all been working hard (or hardly working) this week and it’s time for a break. Living near Washington, D.C. means that we need it more than everyone else. We truly are the city that never sleeps. We’re also the city that knows way too much about happy hours and not enough about how important it is that our livers function properly. That’s another post though.

I mentioned in another post that I got my first “big girl” job. I started about two weeks ago and have been going through some introductory meetings several times a week with my new team members- all of whom are guys. I’m the only girl to be hired on for this project. Many of you might run away at the idea of this but trust me, that would be a mistake! There’s a lot of power I have because of my unique position. Ok, maybe not. However, there are some advantages such as playing a leadership role when no one else is sure who should. Or being the only female voice, thus automatically getting more attention. Like I said, it isn’t a bad position to be in!

With everything in life, you need to be a little prepared though. I have a few #bosslady necessities that you’ll always find me with at the office or in a meeting. Let’s start with my red lipstick because it’s becoming my persona. Nars Cruella lip pencil is something I don’t leave home without anymore. It’s dramatic and eye catching! In a city that’s all business, this beautiful red fits the bill of being a business savvy Washingtonian.

My next must-have are heels. Ballet flats don’t command the attention of anyone. Heels, on the other hand, are quite attention grabbing. I work with men whom are all taller than I am, the heels really level the playing field for me. Plus, my legs look great! #winning

I feel like this next one goes without saying, but my grande vanilla iced latte will always be near by. I need energy to keep up with my team members. They’re smart, witty, and have commutes that are far shorter than mine. The coffee stays with me to cling to in my most desperate hour, which usually comes around 2:30 when I’m ready for a siesta.

Being the grown-up I am I always carry with me an agenda/planner. Little things I need to remember for certain dates always seem to come up in discussions. With my hot pink pen, I write down the details of events, projects, and the occasional happy hour.

Finally, I rock my reading glasses. Ladies, never underestimate the visual power of such a tool. Glasses suggest so much about a person’s intellect. I’d wear them more often if they didn’t get in the way of my Audrey Hepburn-style sunglasses.

I’m always adding to and updating my must-have list. Aren’t we all? I’m always falling in love with something new. During the winter months, my must-have was a heating pad so I wouldn’t be cold. I may be keeping it on the list if this new office proves to be chilly!

Enjoy your weekend!

Mornings With Liz

Hello beauties! Yesterday was a long day that used up most of my energy, whence why I didn’t write anything to share with you. Today, is my recovery day so to speak. I slept like a baby last night and literally just woke up. I’ve determined that mornings should be done differently in this country. The waking up at the crack of dawn, barely choking down a bowl of cereal, and mad dash to work isn’t a healthy way to live each day. I propose a new kind of morning!

Does this kind of a morning not look infinitely better than the kind you and I are used to? I’m all for #hustle as long as we can still enjoy our lives. It’s mind boggling to me that we have to live our personal lives around a 9-5 schedule. Why is that? Based on what I’ve noticed in my job search, more and more companies are realizing that this kind of work life isn’t conducive with how people live today. Many companies are starting to value flex hours (employees pick the times they work). As long as work is getting done, I think it’s a great idea!

The 9-5 schedule used to work for Americans. As years have gone by though, we are getting increasingly busy and have more on our plates than ever before. If you have kids, you know how true this is! Shuffling them from school to practices and to friend’s houses is just exhausting. Combine that with having to work around a strict schedule of business hours and you’ll be feeling defeated.

Our mornings should be beautiful. A good breakfast, hot coffee, the day’s paper, a nice workout, and happier drive to work with less road rage would be so lovely, don’t you think?

Running Shoes Weren’t Made for This

Remember those new Under Armor running shoes I talked about? Well, I still haven’t used them much at the gym and they aren’t really broken in yet. However, I like many ladies, have learned to use my running shoes for an unintended purpose: chasing after a guy. I bought these shoes at Dick’s Sporting Goods, not on the eHarmony website, and yet I seem to be metaphorically using them for the wrong thing! Smart one, Liz.

I don’t think I’m the only girl who is misusing her running shoes though. The more I talk to girls from all over the country (and even the world), they all seem to be doing this too. The question is why? Why do girls put themselves through this? I don’t know the answer honestly. I can speculate that maybe it’s because we know that the guys we’re interested in won’t bother to try and chase us down. It could also be because guys know that women will come to them, thus eliminating the notion that they have to put a little effort in too. It’s anyone’s guess though.

The point is that girls are feeling like if they don’t do the “chasing”, then the guys they’re interested in won’t be bothered with them and might even move on to another girl who IS trying to snag him. Curiously enough, relationships where only one party is trying to make it work typically don’t last too long. It has to be a mutual effort. The romance and all that jazz is only worth it when both people are willing to give 100% to it. Otherwise, it’s one person doing all the work and one person enjoying the benefits.

I’m personally vowing not to be a “chaser” anymore. It’s one thing to be a little flirty while illustrating one’s interest in the guy, but it is quite another to be doing all the leg work in getting his attention and admiration. Ladies, I challenge you to make this vow too! We are beautiful, smart women that want men who see our value and know that not pursuing us would be a grave mistake. Simply put, let’s not sell ourselves short.

A girl doesn’t need anyone that doesn’t need her.

A Gilmore Girls Experience in my Hometown

Hello loves, hope your Tuesday is a beautiful one. This past weekend was a bit packed for me between homework I forgot to do, Saturday evening church services, and then dinner with a sweet someone. All in all, it was good even though I’m exhausted.

I decided I want to give you a little peak inside my weekend so I took pictures of an event I went to with my best friend and fellow blogger, Lindsey. It was called “A Taste of Saint Mary’s” in our town square. Vendors from all over our county came and were giving out small samples of their food. To taste almost everything it was about $20 total but well worth it. Great seafood, steak, desserts, and other yummy things. Lindsey and I had a really nice time walking around the square and then down at the wharf on the riverside. My town totally reminds me of Stars Hallow in Gilmore Girls during events like these. I’m for sure Lorelai and my friend Lindsey is Rory without a doubt. Now where can we find a Luke… 😉

I’ve put captions on all of the photos to guide you through my experience so hopefully you enjoy it. I certainly did. Leave me a comment about your weekend! I love hearing about everyone’s life!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.