by Nicole Ouellette | Jul 27, 2009 | Good For You
Today, I got to visit a few really good friends in Portland, Maine. Two of them are moving to Ohio (for graduate school and love of a graduate student, respectively) and this was our last horrah.
We spent the afternoon on the terrace of Silly’s Restaurant, which is a neat place known for its good values, fun ambiance, and actual vegetarian/vegan items on their menu. They also have an entire page of possible milkshakes you can order with the usual ingredients (chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter) and the unusual ingredients (key lime pie, rice krispies, avocado).
On the top of the list was a bacon and peanut butter shake. Clearly, I had to get it.
For $5, I was expecting a peanut butter milkshake sprinkled in bacon bits. Oh no, it was much more.
by Nicole Ouellette | Jul 20, 2009 | Good For You
The following is a timeline of my Aetna insurance claim, which began on March 31 and concluded today. What a pain! Guess that’s what I get for trying to make a journey towards better mental health…
If I was actually crazy, I could have had the energy to deal with my insurance company. Here’s my saga, and why you need to advocate for yourself at all times.
by Nicole Ouellette | Jul 17, 2009 | Good For You
I wrote this over two weeks ago and debated posting it because it is a little personal. But I think maybe it might be helpful for other people to read, as I found it really helpful for me to write.
When I was growing up, the most important quality a person could have was to be hardworking. This trait has translated well for me in school, in my career, in living within a budget, and has in general helped me attain a lot of what I want in life.
The one place where this trait has not served me well is in my love life. I think part of me, up until very recently, has thought that if I worked hard enough to get and then maintain a relationship with a good man that I would find ‘the one’, and maybe some additional happiness.
by Nicole Ouellette | Jul 13, 2009 | Good For You
Recently I did the math and have found my weekly income has dropped about 20% from what it was when I was working full time at the newspaper and part time on my internet marketing business. (To refresh, I am now working full time at my internet marketing business full and part time at an inn.)
But here’s what my life looks like at my part time job:
by Nicole Ouellette | Jul 5, 2009 | Good For You
My friend Jessica and I had breakfast the other day when she passed me this book across the table.
“You have to read this!” she said.
So I started reading it Thursday, and I couldn’t stop. The first line of the book:
“Why wouldn’t you want to be one of those fabulous people, the life enhancers, the people who look interesting and smell luscious and who dare to be gorgeously more fascinating than their neighbors?”
The book is written by Simon Doonan, who is the creative director at Barneys New York and instantly becomes the reader’s fabulous gay best friend with his knowledge and his tone, respectively.
I seemed to giggle every four or five pages, which went between ridiculous stories, sound advice, and interviews of fellow “eccentric glamour”ous people.
by Nicole Ouellette | Jul 3, 2009 | Good For You
Over the course of the last eight months, I have lost 25 pounds. It’s been gradual and since I wasn’t really large to begin with, not many people have noticed. I’ve barely noticed even, and haven’t even thought to write about it until now.
I saw an old friend the other day who has been in Florida all winter. “I can’t believe how much weight you’ve lost; you look great!” she said, which reminded me of my accomplishment.
Long time blog readers know I’ve been working on this for awhile. Here’s how I finally did it: