Being the Change You Want To See in the World

Happy Monday morning, I love everyone. 

Helloooo Holiday Season!

First and foremost I would like to extend the worlds largest thank you to Heidi, Caroline, Zach, Ashley, Jesse, and the 83 part-timers that made this Black Friday a huge success.  We made it!  I was only screamed at a handful of times, but no one was ruining my day!  But, I could not have done it without everyone's hard work and long hours.  Tia, thanks for working for 24 hours, you are a psycho, and I'm saying that with love.  I seriously love every single one of you in my Hco family and your hard work certainly did not go unnoticed. 

Here, you can see all of the beautiful souls that worked on Thanksgiving at 11p.m.  

Shout out to my shirtless greeters, you guys did a great job taking countless photos and letting pre-teens, old women, and weird men bother you for 6 consecutive hours.  Dana, thanks for spending your birthday at the pier.  Lexi, thanks for fighting crime.  Ashley, I have no idea how you stayed awake for your ball, but you go girl.  Baby Nicole, keep up the sass, don't let those mom's boss you around.  Everyone else, you're all awesome.  Mom loves you! <3 

For all of my retail friends, happy holidays, I'll be praying for you every moment of every day from now until January.  

As most of you know, I don't watch any television other than the news.  But between watching coverage on wars, gun violence and sport's coverage... every now and then something gains my attention in a positive way.  Last night, on 60 Minutes, I saw the most enchanting story about one man who made it his life mission to save children.  Now, he is spearheading an effort to guide children to help other children.  The mantra of his global effort is as follows: 

"The things we are thankful for tend to come from people who devote their lives to something greater than themselves." 

What a beautiful thought. 

As a child, Craig Kielburger learned of all the hardships that other kids around the world faced.  At a young age, he learned of children that were enslaved, starving, without clean water and uneducated.  Upon realizing that not all children were as fortunate as him, he made it his life goal to change it.  Sixteen years later, Kielburger has gathered countless children who feel the same way that he does.  He has raised tens of millions of dollars in his efforts and also created an army of young volunteers that travel around the world working with the less fortunate children of the world.  The story was absolutely amazing and I encourage everyone to watch it or read about it here.  Also, learn more about Kielburger's accomplishments and efforts on his website Free The Children.  It is inspiring to see the countless adolescents that are working to make a difference in the world.

Seeing the passion and dedication of one man that had an idea and created it into a worldwide movement was mind blowing.  I couldn't help but think of what the world would be like if everyone set out to make positive changes to the world around them.  

On a smaller level, but just as importantly, Abercrombie and Fitch has a holiday charity every year that benefits individuals that work for the company.  These associates are current employees that face medical hardships and the financial burdens that come with them.  This year, the holiday charity will benefit four associates; one from Germany, one from Texas, one from New Jersey, and one from Pittsburgh!  Our region is very excited to have someone from our area represented in the holiday charity this year.  Ashley, an associate at Robinson AnF is battling Lupus and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments to slow down the progression of the disease.  Of the other associates that the holiday charity benefits this year, two have cancer, and one is waiting on the transplant list for a kidney.  

This year, the stores in the Pittsburgh area are looking to put together a charity event to benefit Ashley and the other associates for this year's charity.  If you have any ideas on events that we could do between now and January, please let me know.  Also, if you are interested in donating, you can do so at any Anf, Abercrombie kids, or Hollister store.  Last year, the holiday store charity raised $135, 000 to benefitting the recipients.  This year, we aspire to raise even more money.  With your help, we can. Let's give these associates a chance at a better life, they deserve it. 

Helping others can be done in simple ways also, not just monetarily.  Smile, say please and thank you, ask someone how their day is, hold a door open for them, let someone merge in traffic, donate to a food bank, volunteer your time, do anything that you can to make someone else's day a little bit easier.  If we could live like this, if everyone gave a little of something, imagine the difference in the world.  

Let's use this holiday season to be thankful for all that we've got, and give to those who may not be as fortunate as we are.  Find a cause and fight for it.  Together, we can make a difference.  

"To know that one life has breathed easier because you have lived, this is to have succeeded."~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here's to helping others, and inspiring them to do the same, and so on and so forth, 

Until next week, 

Xoxo

A Few of My Favorite Things (Photo Blog)

Happy Monday morning!  

Most of you have a two or three day work week because of the holiday, and good for you guys!  I will be working some absurd amount of hours this week.  In fact, I will most likely be eating my turkey dinner at the cash register while ringing out customers on the eve of Thanksgiving.  In lieu of this absolutely crazy work week for myself and my retail friends, I've decided to make this blog a photo blog to give myself and my readers a break from all of the writing and reading that comes with this hobby.  

The following photos are of things that were on my phone that made me happy, or that made me laugh hysterically.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. 

LEFT: If we learned ANYTHING from the New Years Eve debacle of last year, it's that we should not pregame the celebration and that holidays are not an exception for getting kicked out of a bar.  From what I understand, we also believed that the ball dropped twice.  

RIGHT: Shirtless greeters are one of the very few things that make me excited about Black Friday.  Afterall, it is the "hottest party of the year."  That what I keep hearing, anyways.

Honestly, this photo is one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my entire life.  A group of children sent thank you cards to an animal shelter that recently brought some puppies to their school.  "Thank you for bring the dogs, SO CUNT."  I think she meant, "so cute."  Also, I just can't help but notice one of the cards underneath... I think that is supposed to be a dog bone? It is honestly hilarious. 

Twins and Twins

I'm sorry, what?

LEFT: I will never forget the day that these Asian twins strolled into 176 and requested to take a photo with the Daleys.  Honestly, it was probably the most excited I have ever seen Kelly.  Never deleting this photo.

RIGHT:  To be completely honest, I am not entirely sure what this even is. Yoga shorts and winter boots?  Regardless, girls, please stop dressing like idiots... especially in public. 

LEFT: Bridesmaids will forever be my favorite movie ever made.  The airplane scene is hysterical.  "You can't get anywhere in five seconds, you're setting me up for failure."

RIGHT: Wine.  On this particular occasion, I purchased the great majority of what the wineries had to offer in Ithaca, NY.  All I want for Christmas is wine, and world peace, and mittens. 

 

This photo is of dad and I in Hawaii over the summer.  I am enjoying a margarita and dad is sipping on a banana smoothie.  It was amazing to be able to go on a trip with our family after dad was down and out for so many years.  Hawaii is an absolutely gorgeous place, incase anyone had any doubts.  Yes, my dad has red hair.  No, I do not have read hair.  No matter what Jeff Jackson says, my hair is brown.

Last, but certainly not least, here is a photo of Zach, one of my managers, volunteering in Mexico last week.  Zach spent his week helping to build an orphanage that will soon be home to hundreds of children.  He sent me this photo one afternoon.  How cute are these kids?  When you are finding your life to be challenging, think back to this photo.

I hope that everyone enjoys their shortened work week and takes some time to really sit back and reflect on the things that you are thankful for.  I am sure that I will have some outrageous material for next week's blog.

Here's to finding your favorite things, 

Xoxo

Why My Life is a Lot Like Taylor Swift's

Good morning and happy Monday to everyone! 

My weekend was originally supposed to be spent in NYC/Hoboken, but as we very well know, that region has temporarily become part of the Atlantic Ocean.  Therefore, my trip was cancelled.  I missed out on seeing my high school friends but I am happy to report that they safely made it out of their apartment for the weekend and will be returning back to their normal lives this morning.  Sara assured me that we will go extra hard on the adult beverages when she comes home for Thanksgiving.  Anyone that was present for my 24th birthday celebration, please contact Sara and let her know that my social drinking skills are sub-par at best.

Moving. Right. Along.

Now, I don't necessarily like Taylor Swift's music, but if you haven't ever found yourself singing (I use "singing" very loosely) along to any of her witty lyrics, you probably aren't human.  For this post, I've decided to use some of her lyrics to relate to a few hilarious things that have happened to me in past relationships. 

Before I get this party started I think that it's important to acknowledge that at the time of all of these mishappenings, I considered these things to be the worst events that would ever happen to me.  Silly girl.  So if you are a young woman, and you are reading this right now... sit back, and laugh at my life, and realize that no matter how big of a deal something may seem to you at this very instant, it is likely to be absolutely insignificant in the grand scheme of your life.  Trust me.  I would not misguide young minds, I'm here to help. 

Taylor Swift says, "All this time I was wasting, hoping you'd come around, I've been giving out chances every time and all you do is let me down."  

How I could best describe this is: That awkward moment when your boyfriend randomly stops acknowledging your existence but... yikes... you have his season tickets for Pitt football.  So yes, one time a boy broke up with me, if we can call it that.  He kind of just, stopped talking to me all together.  No calls, texts, nothing.  Initially I thought maybe he had been arrested because he was a heavy drinker and usually did ridiculous things when he drank.  Once I realized that he would have been released from jail after a day or two, I thought perhaps he was dead.  Luckily for me, a friend of mine saw him out at a bar with another girl on his lap.  So, at least I knew he was breathing.  I guess the real question here was, when was it okay to end our Facebook relationship?  I mean, we definitely were not dating.  In fact, the possibility that he was dating someone else already was high.  But, there was no official discussion of our relationship's end so...?  After a week or two, I deleted our relationship and then the week of the Notre Dame game, guess who contacted me?  A day late and a dollar short would apply here, but it was more like a month late and a Notre Dame game day ticket short because, well, I gave it to a friend.  

Taylor Swift says, "Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in, flew me to places that I've never been, so shame on me now." 

I think we all remember my beach boyfriend, and if you don't, dear Lord.  For whatever reason, I thought that this kid was the best person on the face of the planet.  Our on and off dating endeavors lasted, too long.  Eventually, we broke up and then I found out that he was dating a new girl that recently went to jail.  This, of course, came after he brought me to a secluded parking lot to "meet his friend."  It was there that I realized that my boyfriend dabbled in drug exchanges.  Fast forward one entire year, I receive a call from this boy telling me to check my email.  I go ahead and do that, only to find that he has purchased me a plane ticket to visit him at his college.  When I asked why he did that, I was told that "he bought himself me for his birthday."  Needless to say, I didn't board that plane.  I found out that he wasn't dating his jail girlfriend anymore, but that didn't make me any more interested in visiting New England.

Taylor Swift says, "And now that I'm sitting here and thinking it through, I've never been anywhere as cold as you." 

Honestly, the worst thing that you could ever do to yourself is date someone with a perpetually terrible attitude.  Yet, that is exactly what I did.  Its funny looking back, because that isn't my style at all.  But, I was stupid.  I guess that's part of growing up.  If the only emotion that your significant other shows is anger, don't walk, RUN away.  I know that some people say that opposites attract but there may be a limitation to that idea.  Liking different colors and rooting for different sports teams is very different than absolutely loving every aspect of your life and dating someone who genuinely hates everyone and everything about their own life.  Lessons learned. 

I am sure that I could go on for days about all of my mishappenings, but it's way past my bedtime and I have to work early.  However, incase there was any question, "we are never getting back together, like ever" applies to everyone I've ever dated before.  

So, ladies, whenever you think that your entire life is crashing down around you because of a relationship failure, just come back and read this post.  Truthfully, you haven't seen the last of shitty relationships.  From my experiences, there are plenty more where this came from.  

However, I have recently learned that good people do exist in the world still.  Though they may be rare,  they will grace your beautiful life with their presence when you least expect it.  

Additionally, T. Swift needs to stop falling so damn hard for everyone that's ever looked in her general direction and perhaps she wouldn't have so many terrible heart breaks to sing about.

With that being said: Here's to looking at every terrible relationship as an addition to a long list of things that we don't want, 

It wasn't a waste of time if you learned a lesson (or two), 

Have a great week, you're all beautiful. 

Xoxo