Tag: Oprah

What’s Your Aha Moment?

charleneaross2 Comments

Unedited ten minute writing prompt from my last writers’ group meeting. The prompt: Describe “that moment”. 

Oprah says you’ll have an “Aha moment.”

“What was your Aha Moment?” she asks. As if I’m supposed to know. But the truth is, I haven’t had one yet. It seems Oprah’s had a ton of Aha Moments, so who knows – maybe she stole mine.

“I made cauliflower mashed potatoes,” she says on TV. “Get them at your local supermarket.”

Oprah-Oh-that's-good-garlic-mashed-potatoes

But I searched my Vons high and low and I could not find those fucking cauliflower mashed potatoes anywhere. Maybe it’s because I’m a Trader Joe’s shopper.

So it seems not only can I not find my Aha Moment, I can’t even find Oprah’s Aha Moment even though it’s advertised on national television. During prime time.

There have been times I thought I’ve had an Aha Moment. AHA! That’s what I’m going to do. This or that or fill in the blank, but I’ve never done any of those things. I don’t even remember what any of them were because I didn’t do them. Aha meet blazy.* Blazy is the winner.

So that moment? I’m still waiting for it. Maybe I’ll find it one day in Vons next to Oprah’s cauliflower mashed potatoes.

 

*Blazy is a term my writing group came up with that means being blasé about your laziness.

What I Learned in 2014 (And Other Things)

charleneaross1 Comment

2014

Some years I learn a lot. Most years I am greatly reminded of things I already know. This year was a bit of a mix. But whether I learned it or already knew it, here are some things (as Oprah would say) I know for sure…

Being married for 20 years is an accomplishment to be proud of. (And not for wimps.)

The mama bear instinct to protect your child when an injustice is done to them does not wane as your child approaches adulthood. If anything it becomes even more fierce.

Parenting a teenage girl is also not for wimps. (And probably why wine was invented.)

I can run a 10K (and  not die).

Middle school sucks.

Helping your child through the college application process is more stressful and overwhelming than can possibly be imagined. (And must be added to the list of things that is not for wimps.)

The joy of reconnecting with an old friend should not be underestimated.

The most wonderful blessing can come from what at first appeared to be an unfortunate situation.

 

High points of 2014…

A trip to Paso Robles to celebrate our 20 year anniversary (with lots of wine).

A crazy 3 1/2 day college tour road trip that covered 1,365 miles. (Yes, you read that right. 1,365 miles in 3 days. In a car.)

A girls’ trip to my family’s lake house in Michigan. We did nothing but lie in the sun, float on the lake, drink wine and eat.

A trip to Fresno (yes Fresno!) to watch Chandler run in the 2014 Cross Country State Championship race. He ran the race of his life and his team placed 2nd. A proud mama moment for sure.

My two favorite books in 2014

Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan

This is a beautiful memoir about the mother-daughter relationship told through the eyes of Corrigan as she remembers an around-the-world trip in her early twenties when she ran out of money and got a job as a nanny in Australia for a recent widower’s children. It is laugh-out-loud funny, heart wrenching and heart braking.  At the end of every short, wonderful chapter I would say to myself (often while crying), “I wish I could write like that.” Trust me when I say, that you will love this book.

 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

I loved this book so much. It shifts through time both before and after the apocalypse caused by a flu killing 99.9% of humanity. But it is less about the apocalypse and more about being stuck. One of the main themes of this tale (taken from a Star Trek episode) is “survival is insufficient.” That art must be experienced and appreciated and that we must live our lives to the fullest.

Here’s to wishing your 2015 is lived to its fullest.

Happy New Year!

(P.S. I’d love to hear about something you learned or loved in 2014.)

 

 

 

Tomboy-style-tee-shirt-love

Oprah says I Shoud Spread Positivity, Pay it Forward and Ignore Spell Check

charleneaross3 Comments

Well, Oprah might not have really said that. But I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about how to pay it forward. I’m trying to put some positivity out in the universe in hopes that it will come back to me. That’s what Oprah says I should do.

BTW- my spell check says positivity is not a word. Apparently my spell check has never met Oprah.

Today I am going to pay it forward by telling you about my friend Jeanne and her awesome new company, Tomboy Vintage. Jeanne is very much a girl, just not a girly girl. She grew up a tomboy (with six older brothers she didn’t have much choice) and is very proud of that. She still embraces her tomboy spirit – she’s active and adventurous and  has confidence that she can do whatever boys can (she can, even Oprah thinks so).

Jeanne is an artist and decided she wanted to use her talent to create a cute tee shirt for tomboys that are all grown-up. She totally nailed it. Her shirts are awesome. Here is her most popular design right here…

Tomboy-style-tee-shirt-love
Don’t you just LOVE this shirt?

I have that shirt BTW – it’s adorable. If I had clean hair and make-up on right now I’d have Dave snap a photo of me and show you what I look like in the shirt. But I don’t. I look like I haven’t had a shower in two days (which might or might not be true) and I am trying to pay it forward and I think if you saw a photo of me in this shirt right now looking all nasty with dirty hair and no make-up you wouldn’t want to buy it and it would be the opposite of paying it forward – it would be like paying it backwards and making some sort of bad karma debt!

This shirt is also adorable…

Tomboy-style-tee-shirt
Adorable!

I think I will get  it next.

AND because Jeanne is super cool and likes to give a little extra, when you purchase a shirt you get a paper doll!

Cut-out-paper-doll
C’mon how cute is this?

And stickers!

tomboy-sticker-with-purchase
Yay! Stickers!

Check out the rest of Jeanne’s shirts by going to her website: http://www.tomboyvintage.com. You should. They’re totally cute! Do it now. (Then come back!)

And if YOU want to pay it forward as well you can:

1. Forward this blog to your entire mailing list (or maybe just 2 0r 3 people on it) 🙂
2. Follow @tomboyvintage on Twitter.
3. Like Tomboy Vintage on Facebook.
4. Follow Tomboy Vintage’s pins on Pinterest.
5. If you like what you see, buy a shirt for yourself or a friend. (The holidays are coming…)

There… don’t you feel better?

One thing’s for sure – these cute shirts will definitely put a smile on your face. And if that isn’t spreading positivity, I don’t know what is.

One more thing… I wonder if alerting the Word Press spell check crew that according to Google (and Oprah) positivity really is a word would be a way to pay it forward even more.

Just a thought…