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Jen A. Miller Consulting

Category: The Single Diaries

  • Single Girl Reads | Beginner’s Guide to John Green

    A book report on four of John Green’s novels

    john green

    If you haven’t heard of The Fault In Our Stars, now is the time to crawl out from under your rock. The film adaptation starring Shailene Woodley (I’m going to call that she’s this year’s break-out star with Divergent coming out in March and Fault coming out in June) releases this summer, so get on the waiting list at your local library now if you know what’s good for you. I read this novel for book club and subsequently read two other titles by John Green. I am a fan.

    Don’t let “Young Adult” fool you. Like the writers of Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and Divergent, John Green breathes life into the category with dynamic characters, imperative themes (such as that of needing to matter), and evocation of real emotion (I have both laughed out loud and cried my eyes out over his writing). Since he is not a series writer, here’s the run-down on four of his titles to get you started on your path, with help from a fellow John Green-fan Kate Jones.

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  • How I Maui’d Myself: A Lesson in Flying Solo

    A breakdown at work led Catherine Avendano to a breakthrough in her personal journey

    flying solo
    PHOTO: CATHERINE AVENDANO.

     

    I paused at the door to my office high rise and took a deep breath to combat the palpable dread in my gut. One long deliberate exhale later, I reached for the handle and grimaced as I walked inside.

    Last month I realized that I had hit a critical tipping point—I had woken up too many days in a row dreading going to a work. My old CEO once told our team to use that as a barometer for deciding to stay or leave a job. It had been a tough year: I had worked under four different bosses; I could count 30 people I had seen let go or quit with more on the way; our teams were cobbling their way through the ”are you good enough to make it” tests under the newest executive team; every process and system we’d created seemed to get undone and redone again so that when you looked back at your last 6 months you felt like you accomplished nothing.

    And when you work for a startup, it is a lifestyle, not a job, so the emotional stuff really starts to seep into your skin. We were in a thick muck and I could feel it’s full weight. I was unhappy and considered whether or not it was time to stay or go. I got through 1.5 meetings that morning before our VP of Sales said, “You really are overwhelmed, aren’t you?”

    Crushed that I couldn’t better mask my feelings at work, I returned to my desk and tried desperately to busy myself and not burst into tears of stress, frustration, and spiritual fatigue. “Catherine, go home. You’re not going to solve anything by working harder. Do not cry at work. Get up and walk away,” my good friend told me when I let on how I was actually feeling.

    This was one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten.
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  • Play Olympics Party Hostess

    Play Olympics Party Hostess

    A simple and festive menu for your last-minute Olympics Party

    olympics party
    PHOTO: Poptastic Confessions.

    The Olympic Games hold a special place in my heart. One of my favorite childhood memories is of my family and I gathered in our old family room, watching the Games and drinking my mom’s homemade cantaloupe juice. As an adult living on my own, I continue to celebrate the two special weeks when the world comes together to compete. The Spice Girls reunion (and Sir Paul McCartney bringing down the house) will be a tough act to beat, but the Opening Ceremony is always a beautiful start to the Games. You still have a few days to call up your guest list and pick up yummy treats for Friday night. In your 20s, having friends over for wine and popcorn is more than acceptable, but we can all step up our entertaining game (without too much effort!) for the Olympics. Here are a few easy options to make your Opening Ceremony party festive.
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  • Your Single Girl Goals

    A Look at Single Girl Goals revealed by our Pinterest Vision Board Contest

    single girl goals
    PHOTO: Pinterest.

     

    January is coming to an end. Are you closer to your goals for the year? We were amazed by your vision boards on Pinterest. We looked over each and every entry, and a few really stood out to us. Ultimately, the winning board personifies our definition of the Single Girl and exemplifies the qualities through the single girl goals she set for herself. Her tremendous effort in her organization, the well-roundedness of her vision, and allowing her personality to shine through was not lost on us.

    Visit our Facebook page to find out who won (and Like us while you’re at it!).

    We noticed some themes woven throughout many boards. More adventure, more reading, more calm. We are all seeking to be our best selves, and we hope you can continue to find inspiration through our posts. Here are what other superbly single girls are aiming to do this year. February is a new beginning; what do you want to do?
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  • Anatomy of a Perfect Weekend

    Catherine’s guide to getting everything you want out of a “free” weekend

    perfect weekend
    PHOTO: Prepfection.

     

    One lesson I quickly learned once I had a full-time job is that we cannot live for the weekends. We should have at least one thing to look forward to each and every day (i.e. pre-work coffee, lunch with a coworker, happy hour, a fun workout). Regardless, that time between Friday night and Sunday night is still sacred. There are weekends that dictate your schedule for you. You have visitors coming, it’s your best friend’s birthday bash, you are out of town… but on the off chance that you get to build your own, here is the anatomy of a perfect weekend.
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