On Saturday, I had the most miserable dental appointment. It was early, I got bad news, and I just don’t love getting poked, prodded, and lectured. BUT, it was followed by a fabulous brunch date, so my day only got better from there.

Last week, I got an email from a bloggy buddy, Kate from Centsational Girl, ya, that one, telling me that she’d be down in OC for the weekend. We met briefly at BlissDom, but after discovering that we were both CA girls, we chatted and then continued to build an online friendship. Kate and I have a lot in common. We’re both driven and successful in our careers, we both love working on our homes (hers CONSIDERABLY larger than mine – ha), and we both love wine (mmmmmm). Her blog has seriously become one of my favorites and ever since I redesigned my site, I’ve had her over there on the right in my sidebar. She’s a FAB inspiration!

Anywhooooo, we had a lovely time at Rockwell’s in Villa Park, eating and chatting. We talked about our blogs, our goals, and even our personal lives. It was perfect girl time. I’m blessed to have met her through blogging and can’t wait to go visit her in Sonoma!

I also had the privilege of attending BlogSugar on Friday night in Long Beach. Rachel has held two GTGs for bloggers now and I was so excited to see how much we’ve grown since the first one – I think it’s a sign of how fabulous and loved she is in the blogosphere! There were mom bloggers, crafty bloggers, DIY divas, inspirational bloggers, and photographers. About 60 women (and two BRAVE men) enjoyed a lovely SoCal evening talking about our purpose for blogging…and I just loved it. We also made donations to the Free Wheelchair Mission, which is Rachel’s fave charity, and one of mine, too! I invited my cousin, but she surprisingly knew a few people there already…small world.

Yesterday afternoon, I took a killer bike ride with my friend JennyLee. This was a first for us. We’ve spent the last several years bonding over work, wine, and life, yet we finally decided to dust off our bikes and do something outdoorsy. It was a blast…and HARD! But we spent some really great quality time together. Over the last month or so, ever since I started longing for more intentional friendships, she’s really stepped up and confessed that she was feeling the same thing. It’s been wonderful not having to always been the instigator of togetherness. She and her hubby are the BEST encouragers I know and spending time with them always is good for my soul!

I’ve called this post COMMUNITY because over the last couple of months, I’ve realized that life done in community is FAR better than life done alone. No matter how we’re blessed with friends and family, we need to be intentional about connecting. No matter who you are, where you live, what your beliefs are…I think we can all agree that having fulfilling relationships is the real meaning of life – doing life intentionally with loved ones and dear friends, making an impact on those around us and allowing them to do the same for us. What a gift and a blessing this has been to me to learn this lesson lately! And I hope you take a moment to realize the same thing in your own life, too!

And now, I’m off to spend the day with friends celebrating the brave men and women who have sacrificed THEIR communities so that we can enjoy ours. Happy Memorial Day to you all!

Summer is almost here and that brings about a ton of fun, but also a host of problems. Yes, I LOVE the fact that traffic decreases dramatically, that the sun shines brightly and my coworkers and I eat lunch outside, that I get funny golf shoe tan lines…but it also means it’s bathing suit season. Cue scary music: DUN DUN DUN.

My mom, dad, sister, and I are going to Hawaii in September. I decided that this would be the ultimate motivation to get off my duff and finally shed a few lbs. For the most part, I’m a decent eater, but BOY AM I LAZY! I used to work out frequently; spin classes were my best friend. However, over the last couple of years, I just have grown to HATE the gym or really any kind of physical activity. I honestly think it’s been the crossover into my 30s…that’s the only thing that I can think of that’s changed. I’m also commuting about an hour each way every day, so I’m pretty darn tired most of the time. But NO MORE EXCUSES.

I’M GOING TO BE IN A BIKINI COME SEPTEMBER!

On Monday night, I tried my first yoga class. It was sorta strange and while I felt some muscles trembling, I haven’t felt them scream too much. I also JUST started the 30 Day Shred. The back of the DVD says that you, too, could lose up to 20 pounds in one month. Maybe I don’t believe that claim, but after 20 minutes of the workout, I was a hot sweaty mess…and I had the shakes when I tried to wash my hair in the shower! I’d be happy with 5 pounds in one month…slow and steady wins the race, but who knows?!?!

Ultimately, I’ve got to stop acting like a before and start eating and working out like an after. I think I’m on my way, too!

I’ve also decided to start taking care of my bod from the inside out. Remember when I confessed that I only take vitamins now because they have fruity chewables for adults now? Well, I just found the next greatest thing…chewy Calcium. It tastes like candy, has only 25 calories, and I can tell it’s already making my bones stronger. What’s not to love?