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Roommates 101
Roommates 101
How to Be Smart, Savvy and Social
How to Be Smart, Savvy and Social
Making Positive First Impressions
Making Positive First Impressions
Should You Insure Your Wedding?
Should You Insure Your Wedding?
Gym Etiquette 101
Gym Etiquette 101

Roommates 101

Living with a roommate can be a great experience that not only saves you money but also might land you a great friend. Getting along with your roommate is essential to being happy at home. Here are a few ways to make sure you’re on the ‘right’ path.

  • Sit down together over coffee and establish a short list of ground rules. Don’t get too specific – this is a give and take conversation.
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  • Be respectful when having friends over on weeknights, especially if your roommate has to wake up early. Also, don’t have your boyfriend sleep over every night of the week because if that’s the case then he might as well start paying rent.
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  • The golden rule – if you didn’t buy that box of mac & cheese then you better not add water and boil. Stick to your own food and make sure to wash up afterward because there’s nothing worse then coming home to a sink full of dirty dishes after a long day at work. 

If you notice a problem brewing, don’t sweep it under the rug until one of you blows up. Most problems can be worked through with reasonable discussion. And a shared bottle of chardonnay.

How to Be Smart, Savvy and Social

As social media becomes an increasingly integrative part of our personal lives, the need to align our online presence with our professional life is becoming more of a necessity than a preference. The need to be politically correct in posts could make or break a career.

When traversing this world of social media, we urge you to consider a few key rules to guide you in creating a perfectly polished social presence.

  • Choose a profile picture that reflects your professional personality. Don’t be afraid to be creative as long as the image is something that you could put on your desk in your office.
  • Shy away from political posts. While you certainly have a right to voice your political views, you never want to offend anyone. You could turn away a potential client or career opportunity simply based on a poorly worded statement.
  • Don’t over post. Limit your updates to no more than once or twice a day. You should appear to be busy with your career, not social media.
  • Keep it light. Only post casual or informative material. Never post about relationships (business or personal).

Use this short guide to help you evaluate the strength of your professional social media presence. Remember that nothing is really private so tread light and always be conscious of who might read your posts! 

Making Positive First Impressions

You have probably heard the age-old adage warning, “first impressions are everything.” While we would like to relieve some of your anxiety, we must note that in some circumstances, a first impression is essentially what matters most. This ideology is particularly salient when navigating the career interviewing process.

If you’ve ever wondered exactly how to present yourself, or perhaps what not to do, take a look at our suggestions as you prepare for your big interview. 

  • Some colors are simply more “serious” than others and if you need to convey a strong, confident image, then you may want to select a color that falls into the classic neutral palette. This would include: navy, black, and khaki. If the job is more creative or trend based, you instead may want to go bolder with color and pattern.
  • Enter reception promptly (you should be between 10-15 minutes early) and stick around to assure that the secretary or receptionist calls up promptly. The last thing you want to do is blame the secretary for your tardiness.
  • Interviewers will often go back and ask their secretary what they thought of you. You should treat them just as if they were the interviewer themselves.
  • If your interviewer walks out to meet you you should always immediately stand, smile (but don’t overdo it), issue a proper greeting and prepare to shake hands. 

You made it! Now that you’ve made a poised, polished first impression, the “real” interview process can begin. Good luck and remember to always put your best foot forward, as long as its dressed in a nice high-heel! 

Should You Insure Your Wedding?

Brides pour their hearts and soul into selecting the perfect dress, the décor, the food and the ring. Now they are adding one more thing to their list- wedding insurance. You know, just in case you get jilted at the alter or your caterer decides they don’t feel like being in business after you paid them $2,000. 

Wedding insurance is a hot new trend all over the country. Couples are purchasing in case a change of heart, a vendor backs out, the weather turns sour or something unpredictable happens. So, how do we feel about this?

“If you have to get insurance for the wedding, then you obviously are having doubts about your commitment or the commitment of your partner. If that is the case, don't get married! Talk about red flags!” says the 20-something lady.

“I have my misgivings BUT if you are traveling to an exotic place like Fiji for your wedding and suddenly there is a tsunami then I think the insurance idea is brilliant. If it is for a possible change of heart then I feel marriage may not be the right thing for this couple- save the insurance money and find another mate,” is advice from the 50-something expert.

What do YOU think? Is purchasing wedding insurance Right or Rude? 

Gym Etiquette 101

The gym is a place where one can go to unwind, focus and releases the days' stress overload. The gym should not be a place that causes further frustration and aggravation. Sticking to unwritten rules and keeping others in mind while breaking a sweat will ensure a hassle-free and stimulating workout experience. When hitting the gym we stick to the following rules;

- Locker Room; This is not your personal locker room, keep your belongings by your side and don't take up more room than needed.

- Machines; Stick to one machine at a time, don't hog a machine that you have no intention of using it.

- Cleanliness; If your gym supplies towels make sure to only take what you are going to use, and throw it in the used basket when done. Also use the towel to wipe down a machine after each usage, no one wants to sit in your sweat.

- Conversations; the majority of gyms have a strict "no cell phone" rule in effect. Don't distract others by catching up your bestie on the latest gossip while surrounded by gym-goers concentrating on lifting.
The gym may require a paid membership to attend, however that doesn't mean you have the right to inconvenience others.

Good Hosts Equals a Good Party

Who doesn't love a good party? We certainly do. Along with a good party comes a good host. From the invitation to the "thanks for coming" we share some of our favorite tips on how to plan and execute the perfect get-together!

Invitations: Information is the key with invites, don't leave anything to be guessed. Is it a costume party, BYOB, no plus 1's? Clearly stating the intention of the party and any details which need to be known will alleviate awkward and disastrous situations.

Planning and Execution: This is all your envisioning; what atmosphere are you trying to create, what feeling do you want your guests to experience upon arrival /departure. Make sure you have everything you need! Nothing will kill your mood more than realizing you are unprepared, make a list and add to it as you plan, stick to the list and use it as a reference.

Be the Hostess with the Mostess: Being welcoming, accommodating and appreciative is all this means. Let your guests know how happy you are they have accepted your invite and will be spending time with you and your other guests. If you have invitees who don't know each other, make it your mission to make sure they walk away knowing one another.

Most importantly smile and keep calm, it will be fabulous!

Impress New Co-Workers

Starting a new job can be overwhelming and generally you just want to fit in. First impressions are everything and if you want to be accepted, don’t skimp on politeness. Here are a few ways to score points with your office mates:


  • Don’t join in the heavy jokes or bad word usage. Until you really get a feel for the atmosphere in the office, stick to what your parents taught you about meeting new people.
  • Get to know your co-workers and their interests. This will catapult you into becoming friendly, rather than landing you in the category of an office gossip. If you love to run or play arcade games, try to plan an after work outing.
  • When a new position opens up and more than one person has there eyes on it, claws can come out. Make sure you mind your manners. Respect your co-workers, have a positive attitude, avoid inappropriate conversations and be proactive. You don't need office enemies.  
Impress your new co-workers and boss with your positive attitude and impeccable manners and you will be accepted in no time! 

Plane and Simple, Travel Tips to Follow



When in the middle of a "winter vortex" we opt to skip town to warmer climates and fun in the sun. Traveling can be a blessing and it can be a downright nightmare. We always follow these 5 simple tips to insure a hassle-free plane ride to paradise;
  • Don't be "that person" in the security line, know what needs to go in each bin and have everything which needs to be removed, removed before going through security check. The TSA will thank you.
  • Don't hog seats in the boarding area with personal possessions, you're not the only one who wants to sit.
  • When flying request an aisle seat, this will alleviate the need to interrupt your fellow passengers when needing to use the restroom.
  • Check before reclining, you never know what is going on behind you (eg; a baby or a pregnant woman.)
  • Keep the volume down, it's not up to you what the entire flight listens.
  • As always be courteous to all who surround you, it's an airplane, not a football field.. there is only so much room for a number of people to occupy.
Safe travels!

Award Show Blunders


Award season is among us once again. Besides getting a chance to see our favorite actors and music artists dressed up to the 9's and winning for works we have praised all year, we also get to see them in not such flattering (real life?) situations. Every award show has their "Oh my god did he/ she really just do that" moment. These moments can involve acts of outright drunkenness, wardrobe malfunction, tiffs with fellow celebs, the list go's on. We can't help but to wonder if these "moments" are our stars really letting go and being themselves, or if these are simply publicity moments acted upon. Lets get real, if you happen to have your dress bust open on the red carpet or while presenting an award, you will be the topic of every gossip and news blog the next morning, and until someone else does something to top your blunder. Is this just how the business goes or is the need for attention and publicity too much? 

Blurred Lines

Do infants and high-end dining cross an imaginary line? Well it seems that, that exact line has been crossed at Michelin rated (3 stars to be exact) Chicago A-list eatery, Alinea (pre-fixed meals run at about $200, and are pre-purchased.) Although not right, it may be one thing for fellow patrons to gawk and make side-eyes at the situation. However, what happens when the establishments head chef tweets about the situation?! Is that imaginary line completely thrown out, abandoned and a new level of inappropriate then reached?
 
So, who's right and who's rude? Should parents not be allowed to bring children into restaurants or public places with a high ticket value, where others can be disrupted? Should establishments be able to deny entrance when adults are accompanied by minors?
 
Whether imaginary or not, clearly a line has been crossed, but on who's side?
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