Laina Turner-Molaski

Archive for September, 2009

We all come in different shapes and sizes and that is what makes the world a great place. Please everyone embrace your size and shape and don’t pretend to be what you are not. In the context of this post I plead with you to not pretend to be a size 6 by squeezing yourself in to a size 6 when clearly a somewhat larger size would be more flattering. Who cares what the number says. Wear what makes you look and feel the best, unless of course, that is the part that makes you feel compelled to squeeze in to that ‘oh way too small pair of pants.’

While I am not one to judge (ok fine I do judge) there is something that makes me wonder about the self awareness factor of those people, both men and women, who do not seem to notice when their pants are so tight there are fat rolls bulging over the waist band (or as I like to call it muffin top because the fat protrudes over the jeans like a muffin), or the proverbial plumbers crack, or is it that they are so confident that it does not matter to them? If that’s the case, I say more power to them for that confidence but please take pity on the rest of us folks who have to look at you. We want to admire you for who you are, not feel compelled to judge you because of your poor fashion choices.

Laina

I wake up this morning and put my low fat, low carb, high protein, high fiber bar in my purse. Fully intending to get my coffee and eat my healthy breakfast and start the day off right. However, I had a meeting at Panera Bread and when I walked in my resolve to not eat carbs started to weaken. The smell of toasting bread and bagels is one that I have a very hard time resisting. Still possessing some willpower I walked up to the counter telling myself that I would only have a coffee – ok and an ice tea (I am a true caffeine addict). But then the person waiting on me had the audacity to say “would you like to try one of our trail mix bagels today” and I caved. I couldn’t say no! My willpower went out the window and I said that I would love to try a trail mix bagel. I ate it and enjoyed every bite all while thinking about how I would just have my high fiber bar for lunch or skip it altogether, which we all know won’t happen.

I get so mad at the bad rap carbs have received over the last few years. I used to be able to eat my bagels with abandon and no guilt. But now I think with every bite how each calorie will turn in to sugar or fat or whatever. To be honest I am not really sure why I shouldn’t eat them. Just that they help contribute to my overall voluptuous curves and I don’t need any more help.

So much for my good intentions – it is true they do pave the road to hell.

Speedos….I have just one word for them. YUCK! So today I was sitting by the pool while on vacation and what do I see but one of those men who must think they have a fabulous body because they are showcasing it in the smallest, tightest, piece of spandex possible. What are they thinking..…I mean really. Do they think they are hot and sexy? Or are they just so comfortable in their own skin that they feel good letting it all hang out? One has to wonder what the women in their life are thinking. I mean if my significant other showed up to the pool or beach wearing nothing but a scrap of material that shows off their entire package for the world to see, I would be running away from him as fast as possible. I would be mortified if someone actually thought we were together. I don’t care how great a body a guy has the speedo…it just ain’t right folks. Or is it? What do you all think?

Laina

Happy Friday! And only 2 more days until another week. Although in my present state it doesn’t ever seem to slow down just shifts areas of focus. However, as much as I sometimes wish that life wasn’t so freakin’ crazy I do say I tend to thrive on the craziness. In fact a girlfriend of mine just told me it was about embracing our own brand of craziness and that totally makes sense to me (cause I can be all kinds of crazy).

So today I would like to ask you what your own brand of craziness is. Is it the never ending juggling of work and family? Is it staying true to who you are and who you want to be? Letting work and being a wife and mother detract from rather than to embrace your life’s goals and ambitions? You can have it all, it’s just about balance and that balance can be so difficult if you’re not honest about what you can truly and effectively handle.

My biggest struggle is saying no. I feel like I should be able to do it all and I usually want to do it all. I have just had to realize that I am only one person and therefore can only do so much. I have set goals for my life and my family and am now look at those goals when asked to do something to see if it fits. If it does great, I figure out how to make it work. If it doesn’t then I politely decline and to assuage my guilt at saying no by trying to help find someone whose goals it may align with.

It is still a work in progress but learning to accept my craziness has been a great first start.

Laina

So, today I found an old planner I thought I would reuse. It had been effective in the past (not sure why I stopped using it except I happen to have a fetish for office supplies, ahhhh post-its). I have felt very unorganized lately and thought that a fresh start with a tried and true method might help. I started going through some of the used pages looking at what I had been up to over a year ago and came across something that I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or feel mortified. It was an appointment reminder with a therapist (didn’t work) who is now dead (I didn’t do it).

Now the morbid part of me just had to laugh. I want to then post it on Facebook because seriously, it’s pretty funny. I mean really how often do you open up your planner and see a meeting item with a now deceased person. Granted if that person was a friend or relative it might be sad but this was someone whom frankly, although was an ok person, was kind of a pain in the ass (I mean I didn’t go to therapy just to have this person tell me I was nuts – I already knew that). So what do you think?

Am I a horrible person to laugh at the misfortune of someone else? Or is it ok to poke fun at something that we all know is inevitable?

Check out our Orange in the New Pink merchadise to support MS!!!

We launched our first Orange is the New Pink (OITNP) fundraiser for raising MS awareness last night at Ruth Chris steakhouse. A smashing success we sold out of our OITNP apparel. Check out the store.

Grey Unisex Hoodie - OITNP $30

Unisex grey - OITNP $15

Ladies Grey - OITNP $20

Ladies White - OITNP $20

As I am laying in bed thinking about why I can’t sleep ( thank goodness for the ability to blog from my iPhone ) I think back to all the recent times where I haven’t been able to sleep and realize most of the time it’s because I can’t let go. Whether it’s obsessing over a work issue or personal one, I seem to spend a lot of time worked up over something that I can’t change. So why do that? I have to think it’s because on some level I haven’t completly realized I can’t change the outcome or maybe it just makes me feel better to stew over it.

Letting go can be hard. When you have time and energy invested in something and you’re emotionally vested it can be hard to just get over it and move on. Especially in relationships.

Getting over a relationship is probably one of the most difficult parts of life. There is no aspect where you are more emotionally vested than in a relationship. Of any kind. As much as that letting go process can be painful it’s a necessary pain. It helps you grow and develop as a person. One needs to always be cognizant of what we are learning from this process. Again not always easy when you’re in the middle of the process but there is always a positive in any situation. At least I like to tell myself that.

I also like to think that when you finally let go another door opens. It may be different than the path you originally thought but that’s ok. Embrace it and realize when letting go you are freeing yourself to accomplish bigger and better things.

Laina

I opened the Bob Evans this morning. Pulling up a few minutes before they opened I was amazed to find many cars already in the driveway. At 6 a.m. when the manager walked to the door and turned the lock, therefore signifying they were open for business, all these folks got out of their cars and walked to the door. While that was interesting what got my attention even more is you would have thought they were at a party, or someone’s house. As they walked in there were shouted “hi’s” and hugs and getting caught up with one another. Once through the doors they all found their seats, without any help from the staff I might add, and kept the conversation going.

Now, I go to networking events all the time and follow those same rituals. But it’s with a purpose. The purpose of these folks was just friendship and each other. There was a lot to be learned from them this morning as I thought about how busy we all get and focused on what we need to do. The tasks we can check off rather than the people whom are important to us and whom we need to cultivate and grow.

Who can you cultivate today?