my mom

today is my mom's birthday.

she has the sweetest heart and 

has a skill for making everyone feel included and loved.

she's hilarious and goofy, and never takes things too seriously.

she is the greatest example of hard work and self discipline.

she's a continuous learner and inspires me every day.

she is selfless and has always put my needs before her own

(even when i was a complete brat and didn't deserve it).

she's the most incredible woman, and the best mom in the world.

i'm so lucky to have her.

growing up

i turn 25 in march

and i'm about one donut away 

from a quarter life crisis.

i don't know when this happened

but i found my first sun spot, 

i swear my hair is getting thinner

and i gain weight when i even look at food.

what. the. crap. this sucks.

anyway, i don't know if there's an appropriate age

to start wearing an anti-aging cream

but i'm in the market. any suggestions?

because i do dozens of interviews each week...

1. do your research on the company

i'm not talking about reading up on what year the company started or who the CEO is (don't get me wrong, you should know all of that). i'm talking about what the company does that impresses you - how does it relate to you and why are you dying to work there? it's completely okay (and encouraged) to show the interviewer how excited you are about the prospect of working for that company - just be prepared to tell them why.

2. come prepared with questions

don't ask about salary, work hours or benefits - that stuff comes later. rather, ask questions that show you've actually done your research and are interested in the role. if something about the position wasn't clear in the job description, ask about it! if you want to know what it takes to make someone successful in this role, ask it!

3. be yourself

this is arguably the most important thing. you won't be doing yourself or the company any favors if you pretend to be someone you're not. of course you want to put your best foot forward and be aggressive about what tasks you can handle, but if you don't fit into the company's culture you won't be happy in the long-run. plus, showing a little personality will make you relatable to the interviewer and easier to connect with.                                          

4. don't talk too much

it's good to be thorough, but when you spend too long answering one question you're shooting yourself in the foot. chances are, the interviewer has appointments after you, and when you spend too much time on one question you don't get the time you need to dive into other topics and show your true colors. 

5. pause to collect your thoughts

don't feel like you have to answer the question directly after the interviewer asks is. it is fine to pause for a moment and think of what you are going to say next. it's better to do that, than to later wish you had answered differently. 

stay sweet, never change

when i was little, my mom gave me a ring 

that was engraved with the phrase,

"stay sweet, never change". 

i don't know what happened to the ring

(i'm sure i lost it somewhere)

but that saying has always stuck with me.

i think now that i'm married,

being sweet is more important than it's ever been.

if there's one thing i've learned 

in my two and a half years of marriage,

it's that the most important thing is to be kind to each other.

i know it's not rocket science,

but when i make an effort to be sweeter

and ignore stupid things that bother me but shouldn't,

our marriage is so much happier

(luckily for me, richie's one of the sweetest guys

in the world, so he makes it easy).