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just read

Just Read: Yes, Please

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I’ve been on a strong lady kick lately with my book choices.  In the past I steered clear of any kind of memoir thinking it would be too preachy. But as predictable as it may seem, sometimes hearing advice from a strong, successful woman is exactly the motivation you need to keep you focused and dedicated to your goals.

In “Yes, Please”, Amy Poehler keeps it real. Real about her career, SNL, being a mom, success, divorce, love and everything in between. It never feels preachy or condescending. It just feels honest. Honest advice and stories from a hilarious successful woman who doesn’t claim to be perfect.

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There are two big lessons I’m taking from “Yes, Please.” The first being that it’s OK to ask and get help on the way to reaching your goals and living your life. If someone is offering to help (someone that cares for you and has the right intentions) then gladly accept it…don’t feel guilty about needing help. This rings really true to me, especially lately. A year and half ago, Frank and I moved from SF to the L.A. area with no jobs and lots of things we wanted to accomplish. We moved in to my parents house while we got settled and found jobs. About six months later, we both had steady jobs and a year and half later…here we are: planning a wedding, getting ready to move out and celebrating a year at our jobs.

At first though, we needed a lot of help and at first it felt a little humiliating and defeating. But I’ve come to realize we’re lucky to get the help and when my parents need anything, we’re happy to help. This is something that applies to career choices as well, if someone is willing to help you out with a job or promotion….take it. You never know when you’ll be able to return the favor for someone else.

The other lesson that I’m taking is that it makes no sense to be in competition with your peers. It’s counter-productive. It’s to your benefit to surround yourself by strong and smart people.

“I want to be around people that do things. I don’t want to be around people anymore that judge or talk about what people do. I want to be around people that dream and support and do things.”

This is a hard one to practice. It’s only natural to want to get ahead and when people around you are succeeding, it’s hard not to feel jealous. To not get that sneaky thought, “Why not me?” The truth is though you should cheer your friends on. We should all make it, having successful and smart friends can only help you.

Above everything though, this book is hilarious. It’s motivating, smart and hilarious. Highly recommended!

 

xoxo

Sandi

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So I Got an iPhone 6

This week marks a little over a full week since I’ve had my new phone. I made the upgrade from my iPhone 4S to an iPhone 6. Here’s what I think so far:

iphone front view
iphone back view

The Look

The new iPhone is a lot bigger than my old one, the 4S screen was a 3.5″ (diagonal) while the iPhone 6 has a 4.7″ (diagonal) span. So the display is a lot larger, and lot clearer. The phone itself is also curved as opposed to the harder edges in the 4S. It’s thinner and this time I opted for the gold version. It does feel lighter. All in all, it did take a little getting used to the new larger feel. The benefits are a bigger screen for video/Netflix watching. The only downside I feel are that I don’t feel too safe having the phone in my pocket anymore since it sticks out. Oh and rumor has it that the thin shape lends itself to bending and warping (scary!), so I won’t be sitting on my iPhone (although from what I’ve heard the larger Plus is what is more likely to bend).

iOS8

Regardless if I’m getting a new phone or not, every time Apple releases a new operating system I’m filled with some excitement and some nerves. Excitement because yay, new things! Nerves because rarely do these updates get installed without any hitches. This time I had the benefit of not having to update my phone since it came upgraded. Some of the stand out features for me is that it’s a lot faster. It has predictive text which I still haven’t decided if it’s a good thing or not. When sending a text message to a friend you can easily from the messaging app send your location via pin which is convenient. The best feature I would say is that you can text someone back without having to exit what you’re doing. Just a drop down and you can answer and get back to what you’re doing.

iphone home screen

The Camera

This was one of the biggest selling features for me. Some specs here. In basic terms, the pictures are more clear and defined and don’t look like phone pics. It’s easy to control the brightness and a self-timer for easy selfies (yay?). Also allows for “burst” photos in either camera view for you to be able to take a ton of photos of the same shot within seconds to choose your absolute favorite.

Overall

I’m happy with the phone and iOS, no complaints really. Is it bigger? Yes. Does this make carrying it in my pocket/discreetly difficult? Yes. But it’s a faster phone, bigger screen and better camera. The best thing though? The battery life lasts a whole lot longer for me with heavy use. There’s also a handy battery usage screen that can tell you what’s draining your battery.

 

Sidenote, while my fiance was being the best ever and standing in line early to trade in my old phone for my new one, I was without a phone for about 9 hours. It was the worst, and really drove the point home that I’m too dependent on my phone. I’ll work on that….maybe.

 

xoxo

Sandi

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