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Jen A. Miller Consulting

Category: The Single Diaries

  • How to Stay Safe While Traveling Alone

    How to Stay Safe While Traveling Alone

    Planning a Solo Vaca this Summer? Shalini has 10 Tips to Help You Be a Smart, Single Traveler

    safe-while-traveling-alone

    A few months ago, I decided that this was the summer I would go to Europe. The only issue was that I had no one to go with. For a while, I frantically tried to find friends to travel with me, but then I realized that I had never truly gone anywhere by myself. I went to the same college as my older sister, and I had friends in all the places I’ve moved to. I never knew what it was like to go somewhere completely alone where I would have to figure things out for myself.  Since, I didn’t have anyone to go with, I figured now was a great time to test myself to see what I can do.

    I decided to go to Italy, and today wrapped up the last day of my one-week solo vacation. Looking back, I want to brush my shoulder and say, “That was a breeze!”, but, in truth, a lot of planning, preparation, and worrying went into this trip. However, since I arrived, it has been one of the most enjoyable experiences I have ever had, and I am so happy I made the decision to come. I prepared for this trip by researching tips from other solo travelers, and I learned a few valuable lessons that every Single Girl traveling alone outside the country should know. Here are my top bits advice to help you stay safe while traveling alone.

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  • Your Guide to the Hottest Summer Concerts

    Your Guide to the Hottest Summer Concerts

    The Summer Concerts You Don’t Want to Miss

    summer-concerts

    Last Thursday the Santa Monica Pier hosted its first Twilight Concert of the summer. Out of all the things I look forward to during these months, these beach-side concerts definitely score high on the list. It’s hard to beat cozying up with friends for a sandy sunset picnic with the sounds of waves crashing to one side and live music on the other. If you live in LA or happen to be passing through, add this to your calendar as a must-do.

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  • Single Girl Reads | All’s Fair in Love & Wardrobe

    Why you need to add Stephanie Simons’s All’s Fair in Love & Wardrobe to your shopping cart immediately

    all's fair in love and wardrobe
    If you love The Devil Wears Prada, read Vogue religiously, or know every episode of The Rachel Zoe Project, you MUST pick up this book. Written “to all the girls who’ve ever wanted to shop, dress, eat, party, travel, and Instagram like a fashion editor; now you can date like one.”

    With a crash course on how to date like a fashion “editrix” (“channel a front row state of mind—don’t settle for being a back-row babe who’s constantly shuffled around and buried out of sight under the proverbial exit sign”), guides to the 7 phases of waiting for him to call and throwing the pity party of the season (“do create a stellar guest list; don’t open less than three gift registries”), a history of the relationship between love and fashion, how to master the “signature walk” of shame, a collection of closet confessions (assumedly Simons’s own dating anecdotes),  and over 100 cheeky rules, All’s Fair in Love & Wardrobe makes you want to makeover your wardrobe, your romances, and your life to appear as casually cool and easily put-together as an editor off-duty. Here are 5 points why you should pick up a copy, read, reread, and personify All’s Fair.

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  • My Computer Crashed, and I Survived

    My Computer Crashed, and I Survived

    Catherine reflects on a computer crash and packing up the last nine years

    PHOTO: JJ Jumoc-Casas.
    PHOTO: JJ Jumoc-Casas.

    There are times the worst case scenario pops into your head. “Wouldn’t it suck if it rained on our picnic?” And then it does. This week I put my computer to sleep for an hour, and it never woke up the same. Just earlier that day I was thinking about how much a crash would jeopardize my work. And when it happened I was in disbelief over the coincidence. A computer crash is the most feared catastrophe for someone who is self-employed and relies on their beloved laptop for nearly everything.

    My first thoughts were of the supposed devastation. My next were of a tinge of relief: in light of my move from Los Angeles to San Francisco, maybe I have a chance at starting fresh. Completely.

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  • Banana Nice Cream

    Banana Nice Cream

    Your Guide to Banana Nice Cream–Summer’s Sweetest and Slimmest Treat

    Banana-Nice-Cream

    About one year ago I discovered the wonder which is banana nice cream. If you haven’t yet grown privy to this vegan delight, hold onto your seat because you are about to be wowed by this sweet treat. Who would have known that when blended, frozen bananas take on the consistency of soft serve ice cream? Simply amazing and delicious!

    If this is news to you, consider 2014 your summer of banana nice cream because after one taste you’re sure to be hooked. Honestly, how could you resists a naturally no-fat, no-sugar-added, dairy-free alternative to regular ice cream? The greatest part of all is that the flavor opportunities are endless.

    To start you off on your journey toward vegan ice cream heaven I’m sharing a few quick steps to create your basic banana nice cream base.

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