I have done secret shopping where I have had to take photos of the displays and send them in. I have to describe the noise level around the display, and whether or not I was directed to a certain display when I asked to see a category of product with certain features. The brands have ways of checking to see if their…

I have been reading a lot of blogs lately by people who moved to NYC to do theatre, gave up, and either took work in a non-related field or moved away. I have noticed some common threads. They all talked about trying to impress in auditions but none of them ever mentioned evaluating their strengths and weaknesses and…

No Love's Baby Soft? Or Primo (if you love Giorgio but your allowance won't let you get that LOL)?

Questions to ask...do they allow outside beverages other than water (if you like Gatorade and you have to buy their energy drink for $7, that can drive up the price of your workout fast), is it OK to use your cell phone to use a gym app (some places ban cell phones altogether, some don't care, some in between). Bring…

Been there done that. I think I've easily given away more clothing with tags still on than I've worn out in my adult life. Here is my guide to loving your wardrobe.

I remember when I tore my hamstring in a dance class and was recovering. I didn't have a brace or anything (compression makes it worse), but it was still hard for me to be standing when the train would change speeds or make a turn. Of course I looked more than healthy, I looked like a dancer, so I had to stand and…

Thanks for this! I like purses and handbags, not messenger bags or totes, BUT almost every day I have to carry a 3-ring binder and/or a tablet, sometimes even a chromebook. I'm also short and petite. Express used to make a perfect (and very affordable) bag for that but they have discontinued it, so I am stuck with the…

I was almost mute with extended family too. I think it was because they talked down to me, like I was a dumb little cutie-pie, and always wanted me to sit in their laps (I STILL remember how freaking HOT that was, and they always moved me into really uncomfortable positions) and hug them, and they wanted to kiss me.…

I am with you. I worked with a group of kids in a summer day camp and there was one girl, girl A, who recruited a friend for the purpose of tormenting another girl, girl B, whom she evidently saw as a rival. I suggested that the girls and their moms stay and talk to me one day after practice so we could come to a…

By focusing on effort with a child, and helping them improve, they will learn how to learn, how to respond to challenges, and to value putting in effort. Effort doesn't always lead to results with children because they are beginners at everything, and there's no skill for the effort to leverage. By the time you…

Yes, I was going to point out, none of these people have a work schedule that would be compatible with a 40-hour work week or a traditional work schedule.

I did find my parents uncool and embarrassing in my teens (my mom wore nylons with her sneakers and polyester pants, and I found that inexcusably embarrassing), and I complained to everyone who listened about how insanely strict they were. However, I was secretly grateful that I wasn't left to my own devices about…

Depending on their ages, periods.

For my income, I teach private music lessons, primarily piano lessons for children. I also do consulting for a department of education. I was not even childlike as a child. My parents were huge comedy buffs. I was born in 1969 and saw the first seasons of Saturday Night Live with them. I watched the Richard Pryor…

Yes, I teach private music lessons to high school students and I get requests for recommendations for students who quit their junior year because their classes were hard, never practice when they come back as seniors because they are applying for college, and have always asked to cancel lessons due to other…

I have had people give me that advice before. I've learned that one way to deal with it that leaves you with your dignity intact is to say (and it's always true), "Thanks, and you know, while we're on the subject of self-improvement, but I've noticed that something you should work on is being a better listener, and…

It is only the numbers between 60-79 that are expressed as 60+[1-19]. At 80 they begin to be expressed 4*20 + [1-19].

One of our female friends went to a sleep clinic, where she suddenly had no problem at all sleeping. Ultimately they discovered that her husband had sleep apnea, and his snoring and noise was waking her up but not enough to where she remembered it.

I have a facebook account. I don't post anything anywhere that could be potentially embarrassing. Have I gone on a Caribbean vacation and had fruity drinks at a swim-up bar? Yes. I will admit that to anyone, and I also work out and I think I look awesome in those photos. That doesn't mean they need to be on facebook,…

That's interesting. I have been thinking of attending a Quaker meeting sometime. I am sort of a religious mutt in terms of my ancestry and I was raised with no specific religion. I am sure I do not believe in a vengeful paternal God, or the resurrection of Christ or the virgin birth. On the other hand, I don't feel I…