Delicious food, yummy ideas

You are what you eat. Or perhaps more accurately, you are where you eat.

Localized food review sites are getting dished out on the Web every day, and followers are eating them up, as seen by popular followings of Yelp.com and TasteBuds.net.

For those who need a bit of “quiet time” for work, you may find that sometimes the office just doesn’t cut it. It’s a little hard to crank out killer copy with outgoing co-workers or hovering bosses. Even if you work from home, it does your body good to get out of the house and serve yourself a little food for thought.

While you are waiting for a giant idea light bulb to land on your plate, I’ve compiled a short list of eats in Orlando that spark my creativity.

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bmw wins this round!

Are you a toe-dipper, or do you dive right into the deep end?

Sometimes people play by the rules at work, but throw away the manual when it comes to other aspects of their lives, such as love, friendship and personal hobbies or interests.

Any given day, we come up with genius ways to spend our time. (Whether scrap booking, shooting hoops with friends or even shopping to match accessories, impulsive creativity drives your leisurely time.) What we don’t always realize is that every day we take risks. Even in the simplest act of choosing a new paper for a scrap book, a slam dunk attempt, or taking a chance on a flashy outfit you wouldn’t normally buy.

The question is: why are we all so afraid to transition these natural urges of spontaneity into the workplace?

And I don’t mean adding hazelnut creamer to coffee instead of French Vanilla. Think a little bigger.

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i heart books

I love the smell of a book as I gingerly flip through pages, whether it’s a musty, yellowed-with-age classic or a newly-shelved hardcover.

When I walk into a bookstore or library, my heart swells up, a sense of calm passes through me, and the possibilities feel endless. (Yes, I realize that is how most “normal” girls feel when they walk into a shoe store.)

Sometimes I use my bills as bookmarks, because it is the only place that they are truly safe and won’t take long to remind me to pay them on time.

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Top 10 Television Spin-offs I Hope to See…

1. I’ve said this on more than one occasion, secretly hoping a Jim Hensen employee overhears me, scribbles away an amazing pilot on the plane ride home, and it becomes a huge hit. THE MUPPETS MEET THE FRAGGLES. Why on earth not? It makes more sense to me then even the doozers and gorgs who actually DID co-habitat the show. Fred Flintstone and George Jetson even crossed paths without killing any TV ratings, time gap and all. Who’s with me?
   

   fraggles, meet your new neighbors...

   Fun Fact learned from the recent exhibit at the History Center: Fraggle Rock’s underlying theme and purpose was for children to grow up learning global tolerance and communication. Makes sense—so that’s why I am so open-minded and eager to learn new cultures…I knew all that TV would pay off someday!
   
   

2. (Still) Saved by the Bell
   Come on, aren’t you just a little curious to see how Belding’s receding hair line is doing? Or if Jesse Spano comes back as the new biology teacher, flirting with Wrestling Coach A.C. Slater? Read more…

One of my favorite interns used to always say, “Yea, I’m game!” or “Sure, I’ll play!” when asked to do even the smallest task. We grew to love that phrase, and it stuck with us long after she graduated.

Although she meant it as a purely light-hearted comment to show her enthusiasm for work, it also reminded me not to take work so seriously. Deadlines, bosses and paychecks give you enough to worry about every day, so no need to feel guilty in – gasp! – having fun once a project lands in your lap. (If you are in the advertising, public relations or marketing world, this may come a little more natural. This particular breed tends to thrive off stress, unrealistic deadlines and late nights in the office so often they are now best friends with the cleaning lady).

Passing "Go" can help you know

Like everything in life, practice makes perfect. Or at least perfect enough to fake it ‘til you make it. [Insert other random cliché here].

It’s easy for me to subconsciously make work a competitive game in itself, since admittedly, I am a game freak. I love anything with dice, cards, words, puzzles and timers. Throw in those tiny pencils and I’m there.

I’ve compiled a short list of some of my favorite brain exercises. Even though the competition is in a different environment than the office, the familiar essentials are there. Timer ticking, stress building, bursts of excitement rising up your chest until “bam!” You win. Read more…