things that make my day

A sweet surprise from Monapie.

stretching at your desk (& other work survival techniques)

Stuck in the eternal hell that is spending 3/4 of your day sitting in an office chair on the computer?  Me too.  Hey, we can’t all be kayak-instructors or super models, can we?  The physical strains from being sedentary and staring at a monitor are endless, but one of the best ways I’ve found you can prevent sore muscles and keep the life blood flowing is to stretch for just a few minutes every few hours.  It has profound physical and mental benefits.  It even puts you in a better mood.  I’m serious!

Now I’m no physical trainer, but I can promise you that if you twist or pull something the wrong direction too many times you’ll be in worse shape than you started.  So do yourself a favor and read this helpful tutorial from Real Simple before diving into your desk stretching routine.   It’s even got a video to show you the right way to do things – and I don’t even mind that the instructor has pit stains.  See?  Now you’re definitely going to click on it just to see them.

Other things that help the day go by more smoothly and keep me from throwing my computer out the window and going on an office-wide rampage:

• Drink lots of water. It’s good for you AND means you get to take more bathroom breaks.  (Buy yourself a reusable water bottle or I’ll send the plastic police to arrest you!)

• Keep healthy snacks in your desk. I’m not talking M&Ms, because you and I both know that the post-binge sugar crash is not worth those 300 empty calories.  Think nuts, fruit, granola bars, pretzels and peanut butter, really boring stuff like that.  If you’re going to eat candy, at least eat dark chocolate.  Also, eat breakfast.

• Noise canceling ear buds. These will save your life and your productivity.  Mine were only $20 at Best Buy and work like a charm.

• Get good background music or a podcast. Music is a no-brainer, but some people work better with TV or empty noise in the background.  Pod casts and radio shows are great for this and who knows, maybe you’ll actually learn something.  My drug of choice is Dave Ramsey’s financial talk radio show.  Yes, I am that type of a nerd.

• Do something non-work related. Call your Mom.  Color a picture.  Clean out your purse.  You need something to balance out the surely heavy amount of work you’re pumping out (right?)  The law requires employers give employees a 15 minute break twice a day (plus your lunch break), so take advantage and get your mind off whatever project you’re doing.

• Get off the internet. If you’re having a hard time focusing on your work and meeting your deadlines, shut down iChat and TweetDeck, remove Facebook from your bookmark menu (or delete it altogether like I did), hide your cell phone, and limit your email checking to once an hour.  It’s amazing what you can get done without all these distractions.  Plus, studies show your quality of work improves with less frequent breaks!

• Go outside for crying out loud. I’m 99% sure God didn’t give us the sun so we could spend all day trying to block it from casting a glare on our precious monitors.  Break from your spreadsheet or email for 5 minutes to go walk outside.  Even if you don’t feel like walking (but chances are you could use it), just find a window and stare outside for a few minutes.  Don’t bring your phone, that’s cheating!

This guy’s got the right idea!

• Your boss is going to hate me for this one – remind yourself that IT’S JUST A _____. This is not to say you should be unmotivated about your career and/or the task at hand, but don’t let yourself get so wrapped up in whatever project you are doing that it is negatively affecting your health and well-being (not to mention that of those around you).  If your workload is too much to manage – tell someone about it.  Make a case for hiring an assistant, an intern, or a team mate to share your load.  Don’t feel like you have to save the world all from those three walls of your cubicle – chances are, life will go on with or without this project launch.

Now share your tips for surviving cubicle-land! You might just save someone’s life.

the history of the music video

I’m loving this little History of the Music Video infographic from the team at myspace. Everyone loves a good infographic, especially when the topic at hand is music videos – a treasured piece of media that has come close to extinction but is getting a nice revival thanks to the internet. Speaking of, you must check out myspace music Romeo, the new music video app for the iPad that streams videos based on your mood. It’s also avail on myspace and the iPhone.

Click to enlarge!

tokyo police club on myspace rooftop

Random, fun events are one of the reasons I love working at myspace. Just when you think you’re getting completely overwhelmed and feel like you’re about to drown in a sea of meetings, emails, and work – bam! They tell you that Tokyo Police Club will be playing a free show on the rooftop patio of the office. And there will be a nacho bar.

And free beer.

photo by Ryan S

The band, who by the way, are much, much younger than I thought, played songs from their new album Champ and had a little ping pong tournament with some of the employees here. Much fun had by all.

what makes the world go round

I’ve got a video for you guys. Watch the entire thing. Not just because the illustrations are pretty mesmerizing, but because the ideas are very interesting and dare I say… world changing? The topic is motivation – what motivates people? Money, right? We love money!! We’ll do anything for money!! It pays our bills, buys us shiny things (sometimes before we even have the money), makes us sublimely happy. NOT. According to the studies explained below, we aren’t as scum-sucking as we thought we were. People just want to make an impact and do cool stuff.

Watch & learn:

things i love thursday

One of the ways I try to keep my spirits high and focus on the good things in my life (ahem) is by doing a roll call of things I love every Thursday. It may seem silly and a little hokey at first, but I promise, it really does make you happy! Give it a try on your own blog, or even on a piece of scrap paper, a note on your iPhone – even a mental list will do. Yeah!

Adding a second piece to my Le Creuset collection – a red grill pan. Can’t wait to use it this summer!; Sleeping in; tumblr photo blogs, my favorite place to find pretty/inspiring/cool pictures; watching the entire series of LOST – now that the show is over, we have begun streaming it from the beginning on Netflix and are currently about 2/3 the way through the 2nd season; the way I can detect the smell of French fries from yards away; tickets to see Miike Snow – one of the only artists I’d travel 45 minutes to see; Band of Horses’ new album, Infinite Arms (can you tell I am grateful for music in my life right now; pushing myself to have productive days at work, even when I really don’t feel up for it; a new pink orchid on my desk thanks to Danielle; pineapple and grilled chicken quesadillas (srsly – you have not lived); moving to a new desk at work with a WINDOW! (yes, this is what my life has become); plans to decorate said desk and make it “Sarah-fied”; Bill Murray requesting to be my friend on FourSquare; banana chocolate chip muffins; cutting my Twitter following list down to 87 (from over 200) – it’s SO nice to actually read the updates now!; booking our tickets to Nashville for Kayla and Tyler’s wedding next month, not excited about travel, can’t wait to see these two get hitched; Trader Joe’s candy (specifically choc covered sunflower and pomegranate seeds, dark chocolate caramels, mmm); ordering my first pair of TOMS (I took this as a sign that I needed them in my life); watching my 401k grow (saving is quite addicting, one of the more beneficial addictions, I’d say); getting comments from you fine folks on the blog – it really does make me so happy.

And just because I love ya, here are a couple songs to enjoy this fine Thursday:

Band of Horses – Factory (mp3)
The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio (mp3)
Rogue Wave – Good Morning (mp3)

Illustrious.

How could this not make you happy? I for one would love to find a bear in my swimming pool. If I had a swimming pool.

need a job? come work at myspace!

Are you (or do you know any) an incredibly talented, smart, organized and just all-around awesome visual or interaction designer looking for exciting, challenging work? Good news – MySpace needs you. We have two open long-term freelance positions!

Ta-da:

Senior Visual Designer

Senior Interaction Designer

Not only will you be working in a luxurious Beverly Hills office, but you’ll have daily access to a multitude of food trucks for your salivating and digestive pleasure. Do I even have to mention that you’d be working with moi? What a perk.

Spread the word!

Marching Forward

I love March. I only just realized it, but I love the month of March. Back when I lived in Virginia, and even sometimes here in LA, it’s always been a time of rebirth – a fresh season, warm weather, clean houses, birds chirping, easier breathing. It’s the end of the dreaded winter hibernation. It’s also the month my brother & mother were born, but that’s beside the point.

philip klinger

This month holds a lot of new beginnings for me, primarily in the career arena. After careful deliberation (hah), I’ve made the decision to progress to the next chapter of my vocational path – in plain English, today is my last day at SocialVibe. As of March 22, I will be joining the MySpace team full-time as Senior Copywriter.

My experience with SocialVibe has been one of the greatest in my time as a working adult. I am blessed to have met and learned from each and every person on the team and am eternally thankful for the opportunity they gave a silly young girl like me. I will continue to fully support their fabulous work and am looking forward to all the wonderful products, projects and ventures they have up their collective sleeves. Thank you to the entire team for putting up with my witty and sometimes inappropriate remarks (you know you love me), and for making the last couple of years more colorful (really, with the Pink Balls) and exciting than I could have ever hoped for. I am tempted to start naming names, and I started, but then I realized I was listing off the entire company one-by-one. So I’ll just thank Bula, Benny, Cookie, Anna, Jake, LV and Charlie instead. And Charlotte. Definitely Charlotte.

And I’m sure you’re all asking, as I did, “MySpace? Srsly?” So listen – they ain’t going NOOOOWHERE. I have great respect for the MySpace product, brand and team and am exhilarated at the thought of being a part of their regeneration. Plus, there’s the people I’ll be working with. To say that my new coworkers are brilliant is an understatement. I’m VERY excited about the challenges and triumphs that lie ahead of us. For all you naysayers who say “um, MySpace will never be Facebook” I say – GOOD! That’s not the goal. There is only one Facebook, and more importantly, there is only one MySpace. And I’m proud to be a part of the team that will make it the greatest it can be.

Marching forward!

P.S. What is MySpace up to these days, anyway? Read this. And this.

The New Dork – Entrepreneur State of Mind

I think this video speaks for itself….

Things I Love Thursday

What a week it has been – I feel like I have had new life breathed into me! Maybe it’s the fact that Spring is juuuust around the corner (get here NOW), or perhaps it’s exciting new ventures that await me. Whatever it is – I have so many terrific things to share and rejoice about. First things first, my new wallpaper (new as of Friday, anyway) is truly amazing:

credit

• fried pickles (it’s a Southern thing)
• BBQ lunches out with coworkers
• wearing thrift store t-shirts with the name “David” on it
• having Lauren back in the office (it was WAY too quiet while she was in Hawaii)
• Real Simple magazine
• everything from Aveda
• this vegetarian chili recipe (seriously so good, try it)
• the way Pepper and Scout’s fur smells – not gross, I swear.
• having clean laundry
• Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm – so awkward it makes you cry.
• going to bed early on a Friday like an old person and waking up earlier on Saturday than I do on the average weekday
• watching Scout jump from cardboard box to cardboard box, ready to captain the Hardwood Floor Sea
  
  

• movie theatre popcorn
• my 6 year old Uggs that have paint on them but that I still wear anyways
• living next door to a television star – it’s really quite entertaining, he always has something fascinating or strange going on. He also has a fantastic pompadour.
• when Julian willingly goes grocery shopping with me
• laughing hysterically in the aisles with him and then grossing everyone out by kissing. What? We’re young and in love.
• making lists of fabulous things I want to buy
• the adorable Jeannie who mentioned me in a little blog featurette! ♥
• doing my taxes – in less than two hours – boo yeah!
• late night viewings of Shutter Island
• elaborate dinners with Clay & Molly
• early morning cuddling
• strawberries, strawberries, strawberries
• wedding invitations being done!!! ♥
• opening fruit leathers like an old person (with scissors)
• ME: “easy peasy Japanesey,” LAUREN: “it’s easy peasy lemon SQUEEZE-y.”
• polo shirts
• wedges
• dreaming of Spring & Summer
• coupons for 100 free business cards (only $11 for shipping) – used for wedding invite inserts!
• birthday parties at Jones with $2 beer specials
• finally getting to see the sensational Cesca after WAY too long
• my pink CHI flat iron
• HIM: “you rash easily” HER: “rash isn’t a verb!”
• leg warmers
• thinking about getting back into drawing
  
  fashionnation
  

  and most of all…..

• new career moves.

What are you loving right now?!