Fake It Till You Make It

Worth The Money? Poo-Pourri

Before you read this post, watch this video.  Trust me.

 

If you haven’t heard about this YouTube sensation, well now you know.  The folks in marketing for Poo-Pourri should get a gold medal.  This delightfully offensive commercial has resulted in a huge increase in sales for the company, and I have to admit it got me intrigued.  I was skeptical, but I ordered a bottle just to see if all the buzz was warranted.  I’ll spare you all of the gory details – but suffice it to say that the product actually works. 

I blog about workplace issues, and in a dark humor sort of way, Poo-Pourri has relevance.  As the commercial states “nothing is worse than stinking up the shared toilet at work”, and so Poo-Pourri can be every working woman’s (and man’s) worst kept secret.  So here goes – my Poo-Pourri review – stop blushing, we all go.

First – it comes in a super cute bottle that could easily pass as a purse sized hair product.  The starter package, which I ordered, also comes with a travel size that looks like those breath sprays that cheesy guys used to use.  So inconspicuous? Check!  But does it actually do what it claims? 

The instructions say to shake, and spray 4-6 sprays onto the surface of the water in the bowl until covered.  The bottle I received said it would smell like lavender, but it smelled more like a mild citrus cleaning product – which is great for flying under the radar.  The scent isn’t really what matters with this product, however.  It’s not an air freshener, and it doesn’t cover up unwanted odor with perfumes.  I’m not 100% on the science behind it, but the oils in the spray seem to make a film on the water that traps smells inside.  I can’t tell you how much I expected this product not to work.  I was thinking back to my disappointment when Febreeze first came out, and it was just an oddly smelling perfume spray for stinky items.  I expected to have a lemony scented experience that only slightly masked the true culprit.  Much to my shock (and excitement) there was truly no smell.  I was in serious disbelief.  You could truly use this product in all of the scenarios mentioned in the commercial – work, a party, your boyfriend’s and you could keep all of your dignity intact.

So why am I going public about one of the most private and embarrassing things that we all do?  I have to admit, I went back and forth on posting this review, but ultimately, I felt it would be helpful to a professional woman laden with workplace anxieties.  It’s kind of sad, but I don’t remember any lessons my mom taught me as a kid more vividly than the admonishment that I should always wait until I got home to do my worst… no matter what!   For some reason those words have stuck in my head for decades and so I have compromised workplace productivity due to discomfort.  It’s nice to know that I now have a secret weapon in my purse for emergencies.  I can honor my mom’s rule while avoiding unnecessary “tummy troubles”.  I don’t know how much use I’ll get out of my Poo-Pourri, but just knowing it is there is pretty nice indeed.

So if you’ve been considering purchasing the product you saw advertised in that hilarious YouTube video that caught your attention, I say go for it.  In my opinion, it’s worth the money and can be a godsend for professionals who, like all human beings, feel the call of nature- sometimes at inopportune times.

Shop Rite Coupon Matchups

It's been a while since I've couponed - or went grocery shopping for that matter, so tonight I made a major stock-up trip to Shop Rite.  Coupons up to $1.00 are being doubled at Shop Rite through 10/26/13, so I spent some quality time with my weekly circular to find some good deals.  The result?  Over $60.00 in coupon savings and a fully stocked pantry.  Because I spent a good deal of time doing the matchups, I am sharing some of my favorite deals here in hopes that some of you might benefit.  Happy Shopping!

Nature Valley Granola Bars $2.33

Use .50/1 Nature Valley granola bars, 5 ct.+, granola thins or soft-baked oatmeal squares, SS 9/29

Final Price:  $1.33

 

Coke 12-Pack 3 for $11.00

 

Pepsi 20 Pack 2 for $10.00

 

Barilla Pasta.  $.88

Use $1.00 of 3 SS 9/6

Final Price $.32 Each

 

Select General Mills Cereal.  $1.99 Each when you buy four.

Buy 2 boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch & 2 boxes of Trix

Use 2 $.50 off one Cinnamon Toast Crunch AND

2 $.75 off one Trix Both from www.coupons.com

Final Price:  $.74 Each

 

Blue Bunny Champ Cones 2 for $5.00

Use $.75 off One Printable www.bluebunny.com

Final Price: $1.00

 

Turkey Hill Ice Cream 2 for $5.00

Use $1.00 off one RP 8/4

Final Price $.50 (if all natural variety is included)

 

Hefty Slider Bags $1.29

Use -$1/2 Hefty slider bags, 12 ct. +, RP 7/28

Final Price $.29 Each

 

Campbell’s Chunky Soup $1.49

Use $.50 off two Printable http://www.campbellskitchen.com/SavingsCenterLandingPage/CouponsAndSpecialOffers.aspx

Final Price$.99 Each

 

Snickers Fun Size Candy 8.67-11.5 oz. $2.99

Use $1.00 off 2 Printable from www.coupons.com

Final Price:  $1.99 Each

 

Barilla Pasta Sauce $1.49

Use $1.00 off one SS 9/29

Final Price:  Free!

 

 

Kellog’s Special K Nourish $2.79

Use $.70 off one RP 9/15

Final Price:  $1.39

 

Cooked Perfect Meatballs $2.49

Use $1.00 off one SS 9/8

Final Price:  $.49

 

New York Garlic Texas Toast 2 for $4.00

Use $.50 off one Printable from www.coupons.com

Final Price:  $1.00

 

Mrs. T’s Pierogies 3 for $6.00

Use $1.00 off 3 Printable www.redplum.com

Final Price:  $1.33 each

 

Nestle Fun Size Candy $2.00 Each when you buy 4

Use 2 $1.00 off 2 coupons RP 10/13

Final Price:  $1.00 Each

 

Vanity Fair Napkins $1.99

Use $.50 off one printable from www.coupons.com

Final Price:  $1.00

 

Buy 2 Kraft Fresh Take $2.50 each

Use 2 $.99 off one from www.coupons.com Use Zip Code (21286)
-$2/2 Kraft Fresh Take Shop Rite Ecoupon
Final Price:  Free!

 

Alternative Gift Giving Ideas

We’ve all been there.  Frantically pacing the aisles of the grocery store searching for a gift card that we can pass off as thoughtful and a birthday card that is funny enough to make up for the fact that our gift was, in fact, not very thoughtful at all.  We are busy people, and gift giving occasions sneak up on us.  We often end up exchanging money via generic gifts.  I give you a Target gift card for your birthday in February; you turn around and give me a Target gift card for my birthday in June.  If you have been guilty of re-gifting a gift card you received previously, like I have, it’s time to come clean.  Doesn’t it seem silly to be caught up in a cycle of passing the same mindless gifts around as if we’re in some ridiculous game of hot potato?  I think so – and that’s why my friends and I have decided to adopt a new take on gift giving.

I have joined with four of the dearest people in my life to form “The Birthday Month Club”.  We celebrate birthdays not for a day, but for 30 fantastic days.  We no longer exchange gifts.  Instead, we join together to experience the best life has to offer.  We go to sporting events, concerts, delicious dinners, and on little vacations.  We now use a portion of our leisure money on gift-giving, and our gift-giving expenditures have all but disappeared.  We get to create memories together, which is really what life is all about.  The “Birthday Month Club” members are people care about a ton, and so I want to show them my appreciation in a genuine way.  Plus, it’s really nice to feel special for a whole month out of the year.

There are also other ways to make gift giving a better experience for all involved.  A good friend of mine suggests that those close to her make a donation to her favorite charity matching her age each year.  So – on her 30^th birthday – there were several $30 donations made in her honor.  I love this because it allowed me to contribute a cause she values, and it exposed me to a new local charity.  It was a clever way to make a difference and eliminate the need for a gift card shuffle.

I have confessed time and again on this blog that I am not a crafty person – but I’ll go against my nature on occasion to make a unique gift for someone I care about.  The possibilities for handmade gifts are endless – photo albums, baked goods, framed keepsakes, household décor, etc.  When I receive a handmade gift it is extra special because I know it involved someone going the extra mile for me.  The love involved is obvious.

I’ve also had a ton of fun doing a thrift store gift exchange.  With a close friend I set a dollar limit and then went on a hunt for the best gift I could put together using second hand treasures.  The search was fun, and I was able to find something so much more unique than I could have ever gotten new.  My friend and I were able to avoid spending a ton of money and we had a great time doing it. 

As I get older, birthdays become more of a drag than a joy.  I hate being reminded that I’m turning a year older, so alternative gift giving ideas that emphasize experience are a welcome distraction from the aging process.  It also helps to end the process of throwing money around haphazardly.  While this isn’t necessarily a post about saving money – it is about spending money with greater purpose.  Feel free to start your own local chapter of “The Birthday Month Club” this year.  It will be a blast.

What is your favorite alternative gift giving idea?

 Image courtesy of tiverylucky / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Going Back to Camp...Career Camp That Is!

Most people have a favorite band, food, and sports team.  Mine are Guster, citrus, and the Washington Nationals respectively.  Being a bit of a career development nerd, I also have a favorite soft skill, and that is teachability.  I love working with and for people who are quick to admit that they don’t know everything and that they always have room for improvement.  That being said, it’s my goal to adopt this character trait as much as I can in the workplace and my personal life.  I have so much to learn, and there are some great, wise sages out there to glean knowledge from.  Over the next three months I have the opportunity to learn from a pretty awesome (or as she would say “amazeballs”) sage of a career coach. 

Today is my first official day of Career Camp with Michelle Ward - the “When I Grow Up Coach”.  The idea behind her coaching to learn what it is that you love to do and figure out a way to do it.  I’m going to be connecting with other professional women from all over who are doing a little soul searching in their careers.  I mentioned in a previous post how important it is to do what you love, and now I’m putting my money where my mouth is.

While Career Camp registration is officially closed, you can still access killer resources from Michelle Ward at her website.  She somehow delivers career advice for creative types that is both light-hearted and driven.  I’m always trying to bring the best career resources to you through Fake It Till You Make It, and this is probably my fave right now.

So career camp starting has got me thinking about discovering new avenues for making great things happen with my career.  I have mentioned previously that one day I would love to teach.  I definitely miss working with young people, so I’m hoping that the campfire will rekindle the career fire in me.  My most exciting job ever was programming for a large DC area summer camp.  I think it’s kind of cool that I’m going back to “camp” to rediscover my passion.

So as I prepare to dream and strategize about my career, I challenge you to take some time to think today of how you can incorporate a bit of what you love into your daily grind, and take some time to dream.  This isn’t the first time I’ve asked this question, but it’s worth repeating…If you could do anything to contribute to the world and money wasn’t a deciding factor, what would it be?  I hope to bring you many tips on how to incorporate smart career planning into your life that makes your dreams achievable.  After all, that’s the whole point of Fake It Till You Make It – reaching new heights you didn’t think were possible.

So – what have you been dreaming about lately?

First Day Of School Magic For The Workplace

Students go back to school this week which has me thinking about how I used to prepare for the first day of school and all the accompanying jitters.  There was always something so magical about the first day of a school year.  Anything that happened last year was gone, and your potential was suddenly limitless.  Who knows – maybe this was the year you would make the team, get asked to prom, or star in the school play.  Perhaps last year’s math class was a disaster, but on this magical day you had a chance to erase your mistakes and come in kicking butt and taking names.  Somehow, even though you would be rejoining many of the same classmates, there was still a chance to make a new first impression.  A killer outfit, a cool story about your summer, and the unwritten successes of the coming year all combined to create a situation where anything was possible.  Wow, I miss that.

I truly think it’s a shame that we professionals don’t get a summer break to restart our year “à la etch-a-sketch”.  I propse that we can use this fall season to our advantage though, and that it presents a chance for us to pause and fabricate a little first day of school mojo.  So if our “first day of work” is coming up, then we’ve got some strategizing to do!

The Look.  I remember agonizing pre-school mall trips with my mom trying to break my bad style tendencies and find the perfect look for the first day of school.  Thankfully, I’ve made some improvements since then, and I’m no longer jumping on stupid fads and unflattering fit.  On my “first day of work” I’m going to perfect my look.  I may hit the Target clearance rack, or I may do some sprucing up on one of my existing looks – but the key here is taking a little extra time and declare my confidence.  I suggest laying out your clothes the evening before your designated first day of work – just like you used to do when you were a teen.  Grab an accessory you haven’t used in a while or try a new jacket/blouse combo.  Watch a youtube video on a cool makeup technique and employ it.  Just walk in on that morning like you own the place.  Sometimes looking the part is half the battle.

The Relationships.  On the first day of school you never knew who you might be sitting next to in History class.  The laws of proximity could turn an acquaintance into a bestie in no time flat.  You may also have entered  your school year determined to make a good impression with the heavyweights of popularity in your school. There’s no reason you can’t do the same at work.  Make intentional connections starting this week.  There are tons of ways you can achieve this.  Seek out an opinion on a project from someone you respect.  Eat lunch with coworkers instead of scarfing down food at your desk.  Be brave at a business event and spark up a conversation with a big wig.  You have been told your whole life that it’s not what you know, but who you know that counts.  This “school year” at work communicate with others like you believe that’s true.

The Plan.  It may have been different each year, but when you started on your first day of school you probably had a plan of attack.  Maybe your plan was to get a 4.0, or maybe you wanted to run for student government.  What was great about the first day of school is that you hadn’t yet experienced the failures and disappointments that keep you from dreaming and making big goals.  Take some time to write out some measurable and achievable goals that you want to tackle at work.  Don’t worry about what happened last month – these are NEW goals.  Commit to taking baby steps that will get you to your goal.  If you take small, actionable steps you’ll be at your end goal before you know it.  A to-do list is a great way to keep track of these action steps.  There’s a good online tool/app called Remember The Milk that can help you track this process.  There are lots of other online goal setting tools out there as well, and the good news – many of them are free!

So – as you make your commute this week, look at the school busses that have joined you on the road and get inspired.  You can make real change for the better this year, and tomorrow is a great day to start. 

What are your goals for your “first day of work”?

Image courtesy of Rawich/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Washington Nationals Ticket Promotion! Super Sweet Deal!

 

If you've read my blog at all you know that I am not exactly shy about my love for the Washington Nationals.  They haven't had the best season ever, but they are picking up steam late.  I love these boys - and I love going to the ballpark.  In fact, I went last night to see them win their fifth in a row!  I jump at any chance to see my team at a discount and so I just had to share the a promotion that the Washington Post is currently running.

It's a back to school deal where you can get 4 free Nationals tickets when you spend $50.00 at participating stores including Target, WalMart, Jcpenney, and Macy's.  We did a weekly shopping trip at Target this week, so I'm in!  I'll be taking advantage of this deal, and I hope the info is helpful for you,  You have until 8/25/13 to make your purchase, and you can upload your receipt here.  Let's go Nats!

 

How To Ace A Job Interview With Stories

Take a moment and remember back to your childhood years with me.  Think about camping trips you took with scouts, family, or just a group of friends.  Imagine you are sitting around a roaring camp fire huddled together with your friends listening to a riveting ghost story.  If told well, you can hear a pin drop.  Were you one of the kids who could tell a story and draw people in, or did your ghost stories fall flat?  I want to propose today that how you did in childhood ghost story telling can have an impact on how well you do today in job search – particularly interviews.

What the heck do ghost stories have to do with job search?  Well strike the spooky bit and what you have is a story – a narrative which succeeds or fails based on the strength of its delivery.  Our culture loves story – we get drawn into news items with intriguing narratives; celebrities get on talk shows to promote their work and tell funny stories, we devour autobiographies of interesting and inspiring figures.  Just think about how much fun you have reeling people in with a really engaging story – and embarrassing moment maybe, or a childhood folly.

So again – what does this have to do with job search?  Easy – interviewers like story too.  I’m not talking about made up tall tales of workplace success.  I’m talking about clear and concise examples of your skills and expertise.  I’ve had the misfortune of sitting in on an interview where a candidate listed off his skills in a painfully “dry toast” way.  It was thirty minutes of “I’m good at blah, blah blah….”.  No one in the room was engaged, and we had no understanding of how this person’s so-called skills could fit in with our daily operations.  All-in-all this interviewee didn’t ace it.

If the candidate had linked his skills to stories, he just might have turned it around.  A winning interview strategy has you finding ways to prove your skills by illustrating them in the context of a project you are really proud of, or an innovation you brought to a former company that enhanced operations.  You don’t need to share a novel – in fact, you should be ready with compact stories that you can share in a minute or two.  When brainstorming these narratives be sure to remind yourself that your potential employer doesn’t know anything about your current or prior employer.  You need to keep your stories macro and avoid getting into details that don’t directly illustrate your skills.   Your employer doesn’t need to know the name of a company specific report you created – but they would benefit from knowing that your report creation decreased waste by 20%. 

When you share in narrative during the interview phase, you get to be the strapping protagonist in your career story.  Your skills begin to take on color and life and you get to entice the employer with snippets of your brilliance.   So – from ghost stories to job interviews there is a common skill that makes one successful; the treasured art of storytelling.  

Image courtesy of Evgeni Dinev / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Hello Fresh - Cook At Home Delivery Service Review & Discount!

My household is trying get eat healthier and get in better shape.  As a whole we eat too much processed junk food and we really need to develop new habits.  To help with this I signed up for Hello Fresh – a service which delivers ingredients for easy, healthy dinners to your door.  At face value it may seem like an expensive way to bring a meal to the table, but there really are perks that justify the cost.  For around $10.00 per plate you get yummy, healthy, REAL food on your table, and delivery is available in 20 eastern states.

When I don’t have a meal planned I often resort to picking up takeout or making something from a box or from the freezer.  A lot of my meals lack veggies and nutrition and my waist line is showing it.  I do usually plan a few meals per week with real food – but often the leftover portion of my veggies, herbs, and other ingredients end up going to waste.  I know that the cheapest solution to this problem would be effective meal planning, and I’m slowly getting better at it, but this new service is just the segue I need to help me get my focus on real food off the ground.

So today I got my first shipment.  I came home to find this large box on my doorstep.  I had read that the food would be packaged in such a way that it wouldn’t spoil while I was at work, but I was incredulous.  Sure enough – the food was fresh and chilled with ice packs. 

With Hello Fresh you get to choose three meals from a selection of five each week.   In my order I found an array of fresh ingredients.  The coolest part –each ingredient had a label detailing which recipe it corresponded with.  It made it very easy to sort through the groceries and get things put away.  The Hello Fresh Company suggests that you cook seafood meals first, as they are usually the quickest to spoil, so that’s just what I did.  I made roasted coconut cod with the yummy ingredients you see here.

I was super nervous about some of the ingredients in this dish, particularly red chili and coconut.  I don’t have much tolerance for spice and I typically dislike savory and sweet foods mixed together, but much to my surprise the meal was very tasty.  The recipe instructed me to remove all of the seeds from the chili and cut it very thin which minimized the spice but made for great flavor.  The coconut was accented with lime juice in a way that made it very delicious and not too sweet.  The dish had more components that I usually cook with so I was comforted by a step-by-step recipe guide with easy to follow pictures.  There are no leftovers after you cook and the recipe yields only two servings.  For an over-indulger like myself, this built in portion control was a Godsend.  

The recipe had a base of pasta which I found to be too heavy but the fish itself was some of the yummiest I’ve made.  There was no fishy smell or taste and it was super flakey and flavorful.  My husband – who is a picky eater – cleaned his plate and said it was delicious.  Overall, my first Hello Fresh experience was a good one.

Again – I realize that Hello Fresh isn’t the MOST economical way to eat, but for me – in this life phase, it’s kind of great.  It’ll help me to eat more real, fresh food.  I probably won’t use the service every single week, but I’ll definitely be a repeat customer.  If you’re interested in trying out Hello Fresh – you can use this code at checkout (WTWT2G) and receive $20.00 off your first order.  Enjoy!

Low Hanging Fruit: Easy LinkedIn Profile Updates

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past several years you probably have some sort of presence on LinkedIn.  You realize that your profile on this site can make a big difference in job search, but you may not know how to maximize your impact.  Having a great profile, being involved with discussions on your area of expertise, and networking are all necessary for success - however it can be daunting to tackle all of it at once.  Like most things in life there are some low hanging fruit you can start with to give your LinkedIn presence more impact.  You don’t have to become an expert overnight – but noticeable improvement can be achieved in mere minutes.

Simplify Your URL. 

When you check out your LinkedIn profile does the web address appear to have a bit of gobbledygook?  If the URL on your page is comprised of a numbers and letters that don’t make sense to you, they won’t make sense to those looking at your profile either.  You can change this URL so that is simple to read and obviously belongs to you.  If you go to edit your profile – you can customize your URL link so that it uses some version of your name and maybe even your industry.  This makes your LinkedIn page easy to access.  It also allows you to put a link to your page on your résumé in a way that is very neat and clean.

Give A Recommendation.

You’ve probably heard that having recommendations on your profile is very important.  Some people skip this step because they are intimidated by the networking involved in obtaining these recommendations.  If networking makes you shiver – why not start with something easy?  Give a recommendation to someone in your professional life who you really believe in.  That individual might just return the favor and recommend you as well.  Plus, it opens up a great line of communication between you and the other person.

Spice Up Your Headline.

Instead of simply stating what your most recent job title was, you can make your headline sing by alluding to your unique skills and potential.  I think a lot of people don’t realize that they have 120 characters to play with in this section, and you can make a great impression in that amount of space.  You should use the space to give a quick, narrative snapshot of who you are, what you do, and how well you do it.  For example my profile might read “Career Strategist & Professional Résumé Writer - Equipping Hundreds Of Job Seekers With Tools For Branding and Success”  Even if you can’t update your entire profile right now – you can at least tackle your headline.

What’s great about picking low hanging fruit is that it clears the way to bigger and more substantial produce.  Sometimes all you need to do is get the ball rolling with a few small things so that you pick up the momentum you need to tackle the tougher stuff.  

Image courtesy of Sura Nualpradid / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why I Love Hotels.com

When I think of Summer I think of one thing above all else – “The Mini Vacay”.  Weekend trips are always a highlight in my summer experience and this year is no exception.  Today I began setting up all of the logistics for an upcoming weekend trip that I am taking with my husband to see some of my favorite bands play, and that meant searching for a great deal on a hotel.  I feel like every day there’s a new discount travel site fighting for marketshare, and it’s hard to know where to turn for the best possible deal.  I personally am a big fan of daily deal sites like Groupon/Living Social when I’m looking for a trip and I am indiscriminate about where I go.  When I’ve got a specific locale in mind though, I typically go with Hotels.com.

Why do I love Hotels.com? vFirst – I’ve compared their pricing to other discount sites and it’s completely comparable.  They also feature limited time deals on hotels that make travel extremely affordable.  This could be just my personal opinion but I find the Hotels.com site to be much more user friendly and intuitive than some of the other discount travel sites.  I think it’s because they just work with hotels.  Whatever the reason, I’m able to logon, quickly find my deal, and start daydreaming about my awesome vacay. 

But there are two overarching reasons I’m a fan of Hotels.com.  The first is a great rewards program which gives you one free night at any hotel after you spend 10 nights in hotels booked through the site.  There isn’t a catch to this rewards program.  You can book any ten hotels, be them discount or high end, and your eleventh stay will be free up to then average cost of your first ten stays.  Even better – this program resets itself every ten stays so the rewards keep coming.  The site allows you to book all kinds of settings.  In fact, one of my free stays was at a Disney resort, and I have to say – staying in a Little Mermaid room was truly a highlight of my adult life.

Hotels.com also allows you to book through Ebates, a site that gives you cash back on your online purchases.  I’ve told you in a previous post  how I was successful with Ebates.  To date I’ve received over $180.00 cash back.  Ebates is currently offering $3.25% cash back on purchases from Hotels.com which can add up after a while.  For just cause, Hotels.com has become my go-to discount travel site for mini-vacays and longer excursions.

 

 

Please note that I make money on some products and services that I talk about in this post through affiliate relationships with the merchants in question. I get a small commission on sales of those products.  This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services.  I have been a loyal fan and promoter of Hotels.com & Ebates for many years prior to the start of my affiliate relationship.