See You Soon,,,

I am having a GoDaddy issue with my domain. (That's the formal excuse for my lack of posting).

The informal reality is that Yours Truly is distracted. By work, by housework, by Danger, by Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Mardi Gras. By life. And while I work out my domain issues, I am also working on exactly what this blog is...my life as a mom (maybe, but there are so many wonderful women covering that), my life as a professional trying to balance it all (whine, whine whine), my sage social media advice (that'd be on the FSC blog).

So, for now, Your Truly is on hiatus. Until next time. xoxo- Tiffany

How Not To Suck at Twitter

Before you read further, this is not a professional step-by-step guide on how to use Twitter. It's more of a list of grievances based on some particularly peevish Tweets that have graced my stream recently. It is by no means comprehensive, but rather a few tips I feel the need to share.

So, that said, here are few word of wisdom from Yours Truly...in no particular order:

1. Stop Selling
Look at your Twitter stream. How many of your past Tweets refer to something that puts money in your pocket or in your drinking buddy's pocket? I get that you are proud of your accomplishments. Kudos. And don't get me wrong, I want to hear about them. Just not not all the time.

2. Use Your Words
This includes vowels. While I understand that your infinite genius is hard to contain in a mere 140 characters, I suggest you consider a blog post. Because, to be honest, nothing trumps your pithy insight and intellect more than a string of nonsensical third grade abbreviations.

3. Don't Tweet Angry. Or Drunk.
We all get fired up and trust me, I am guilty of my own social media rants. But, before you hastily dash off that seething Tweet, stop. Breathe.

As my co-worker other person sagely pointed out:



Put. The Twitter. Down.

4. Stop the Exploitation of Hashtags
Now before you get all "But you are the Queen of #insertwittysubtexthere.", that's not what I mean. I mean attaching a trending hashtag to a completely unrelated Tweet just to leverage its popularity. It's like riding coattails, but geekier. It's riding hashtags, which is really just embarrassing.

5. Just Be You
I might be guilty of one or all of the above at times. There are no rules. Except maybe one, which is be authentic.

So, these are a just few of my most recent pet peeves. What are yours?

Sushi with a side of oil spill (Shop Local Day #7)

The Whole Foods sirens lured me in today. Hey, I needed some sushi. It happens. And I am weak.

But, I did donate to a very important local cause. That's a little balance, right?

Fat Harry's Full Circle (Shop Local Day 5)

A few days ago I met Hubby for Happy Hour at a local high school bar called Fat Harry's. Yes, I said "high school bar." For those not familiar with this phenomenon, New Orleans was late to implement the 21 year old drinking age and it was pretty normal for 16 year olds to frequent drinking establishment brandishing 18 year old fake IDs. Now, seeing as I am far from my high school days, I can't say that this type of behavior is still prevalent...but nonetheless, Fat Harry's remains in my brain a "high school bar."

In fact, it was my high school bar. It was the last stop before curfew on our regular crawl. So, sitting outside on a balmy summer evening, sipping a beer and watching the streetcars roll down St. Charles, I was suddenly struck by a strong sense of nostalgia. I texted my high school partner in crime in North Carolina. To which she replied with horror "WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE?" She proceeded to ask if there were white hats and khaki shorts...the ultimate frat boy uniform. I looked around and there was not a single white hat. But what should I spy? A pair of khaki shorts. Sitting next to me. On Hubby.

Gasp. Had I made the transformation from high school delinquent to Uptown yuppie? Was I that sweet doddering couple that I used to see with their AARP friends sitting outside the bar before sunset?

And there it is. That weird moment, having moved back to my hometown, where my past self meets my future self on the same stomping grounds, when I am suddenly slapped in the face by my 16 year old assumptions. Luckily, my 30 something self finds it charming. So, I sit back with my khaki-wearing husband, drink my beer and clear out before curfew.

And luckily, there are New Orleans high school bars institutions where my past, present and future self can mingle with generations before me and to those come. And hopefully, one day I will sit with my doddering partner in crime, back home from North Carolina.

Shop Local Post #1

Day 1: Took a detour past the convenience store on my way to a meeting to stop at a small corner store. Walked out smelling like fried food and hard boiled eggs, but feeling good.

Day 2: Lunch excursion to Whole Foods had me feeling iffy. I love Whole Foods, but...couldn't I find a better option? I sneered at the new Pink Berry on the way, but didn't feel better. So, I convinced the rest of the lunch crew to redirect to Slice, a locally owned and operated pizzeria. Delicious!

One Small Step for Shop Local

Lately I have been paying a lot of lip service to the Shop Local and Slow Food movements. But, in reality I am a typical American working mom that often chooses convenience over conscience. I recognize my hypocritical ways as a I cringe, but hand over my credit card for that icy cold coffee at Starbucks that is so conveniently located across the street from my Tuesday morning meeting.

I guess the fact that I cringe should assuage me a little, right? I recognize that there are local coffee shops and local produce and have started to make a concerted effort to seek those out. I would love to make a global declaration that I will only shop local and eat fresh seasonal produce and livestock. But, who am I kidding? That's just not going to happen overnight. I have a two year old who loves deli turkey. And while it would be great to blame it on someone who can't speak in her defense, I have my own vices, including regular dinners with family members who would not exactly appreciate my culinary snubs over their Mexican born avocados. Ironically, this is the same family that raises their own chickens and sends everyone home with eggs.

I think the fact is, that we do what little we can. And what I plan to do is make a shop local decision everyday for the next 30 days to increase my awareness as a conscience consumer. Just one small effort or decision that supports locally sourced commerce.

It's not much. But it's a start. Here goes...

PS I'll try to keep track on my blog. But, that's about as likely as me uprooting the whole family to a farm upstate to raise our own turkeys. Hey, I am honest.

Sheet Rock Star

Last week the St. Bernard Project had a Women's Rebuild Week and the FSC gals traded our keyboards for power tools. It was empowering to get filthy dirty and covered in insulation, knowing that my small effort would help a family return home...after 5 long years.

Turns out, I am also quite the sheet rock expert. Yep. Don't believe me? See for yourself: