I had settled in to work on revising some spreadsheets for the new month when she came over to my desk and asked if I had time to meet with her for a few minutes. Everything that had happened the past few months suddenly made sense on that short walk to her boss’s office. I knew what was coming. I didn’t hear much of what they said. Something about them losing more accounts, and how they were so sorry. I’m sure. The next step was the uncomfortable ride down in the elevator to meet with HR.

It’s amazing that you can feel both sadness, clarity, relief, and fear all at the same time. This had never happened to me before. I didn’t know what to expect. I was sad because it’s hard to leave something or somewhere you’ve been apart of for three years. This is someplace I moved to after leaving my job of seven years by my own choice. I felt clarity and relief because I knew I wanted something more and this might give me the swift kick in the butt I needed to not only get out of this bad situation but into a better one all at the same time. And fear? The unknown is scary. Unemployment is scary. The economy is pretty much the worst it has ever been.

It was a hard time. I admit it. There were days my feet didn’t touch the floor until after 2:00 PM. I cried. A lot. Mostly though, I felt happy. Happy I wasn’t there amidst the drama and lack of professionalism anymore, and hopeful that something much better would come along. The hardest thing about being unemployed is that it is an extremely stressful time. I felt worthless. I felt unworthy of regular everyday necessities. I felt guilty for going to lunch. I felt angry at friends who vented about silly things happening at their jobs. I wish that I didn’t have that stress, because I really didn’t enjoy the break. I didn’t better myself. I didn’t have fun. I wallowed in self-pity. Yet I felt happy and free somehow. It’s hard to describe.

I can’t believe that it has been a year. I really can’t. Time has flown by. It feels like it was yesterday. No, I don’t have any hard feelings for that place or those people. Business is business. I get it. Yes, I have been somewhere new and that has given me the chance to move on and to start a new chapter. Sometimes things are not everything you dream them to be or want them to be, but you have to keep moving forward.

A few weeks ago I witnessed Conon O’brien make the most classy and professional exit from NBC and the Tonight Show. I tear up every time I watch it. This is how I feel. More people should really take note.

Here are a few more life quotes that you might find cliché, but that are somewhat comforting and true, especially during hard times:

+ In the end, it’s not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away.

+ Never tell your problems to anyone. 20% don’t care and the other 80% are glad you have them.

+ When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile.

+ Work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt and dance like no one is watching.

+ Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.

+ As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn’t supposed to ever let us down, probably will. You’ll have your heart broken and you’ll break others’ hearts. You’ll fight with your best friend or maybe even fall in love with them, and you’ll cry because time is flying by. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, forgive freely, and love like you’ve never been hurt. Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances. you just have to live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you and tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone’s hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, stay up late, be a flirt, and smile until your face hurts. Don’t be afraid to take chances or fall in love and most of all, live in the moment because every second you spend angry or upset is a second of happiness you can never get back.

Are you looking for a fun idea? WholesaleKeychain.com offered to send me one of five heart key chains to review, and three to give away to my readers. Read on to find out how to get yours. Can’t wait for the contest to end? You can get 10% off with their coupon code: vday2010 through 2/16.

I selected the Metal Heart Keychain and was also offered the opportunity to have it engraved. It arrived quickly and was really nice quality. The key chain is only $6.99, and this is an excellent value for the price. It is not at all inexpensive looking. If you have ever shopped in the keepsake stores in your local mall, this is an equally quality product. Instead of charging $1 per letter for engraving as some of those stores do, you can have your message engraved for an additional flat fee of $5.99. It looked absolutely perfect.

These would make lovely gifts for your bridesmaids if you are having a February wedding, or of course as a gift for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day. Do your kids have their own set of keys? I am sure they would love a personalized key chain too. My favorite idea of all? Use it as an embellishment on the top of another gift. After beautifully wrapping the gift, tie some pretty ribbon around the box. Before making a bow, slip the loop of the key chain inside so that the message shows. You can then tie a bow, and you will have a cute decoration and extra gift all in one.

Now it’s YOUR turn! Want to win a Metal Heart Keychain for your Valentine? Go to the WholesaleKeychain.com website and answer one of these two questions: 1) What key chain on their site is your favorite or 2) What message would you have engraved for your Valentine?

If you would like to earn extra entries:
1) Follow me @laurie_pooh on Twitter and send the following message:
I entered to win a Metal Heart Keychain from @laurie_pooh for Valentine’s Day: http://tinyurl.com/keytoyourheart
2) Follow my blog using the Google Connect in my sidebar to the right.
3) Subscribe to my blog in a reader.

U.S only, please. The winner will be selected randomly from all valid entries on or around February 7. You must leave a comment letting me know your answer to one of the two questions above, as well as additional comments letting me know what else you have done to earn extra entries. Please also use your real first name and leave a valid way for me to contact you should you be selected as the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before another winner is selected. Good Luck!

This giveaway is sponsored by Wholesale Keychains, but the opinions contained within are my own. I received a product sample for review.

Did you know 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in her lifetime? That is such a scary statistic. This 1/8 (my birthday, ahem!) make a donation to help find a cure. I will love you and my boobies will love you too!

Psst… did I mention I am walking 60 miles, sleeping on the ground in less than 30 degree weather in a tent, showering in a truck, and peeing in a port-o-potty? You know you want to support that! Pretty please? With a cherry on top?

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Even though we are not able to be together with all of our friends and family this year, you are in our thoughts and we are thankful for each of you. Lots of love, hugs, and sloppy kisses from the dog!

It’s almost Christmas, and guess what? I have a special gift for you! If you know me, you know I love Old Navy. I love them so much in fact, that I got out of bed on Black Friday at 1:30 AM and stood in line at our local store. It was freezing and I had to go into work at 7:00 AM. See? That’s a lot of love!

Do you know what is almost as good as Black Friday? If you guessed the day after Christmas, you’d be right. Why? It is one of the best days of the year to get fabulous deals! I adore Old Navy’s jeans. I have about 20 pairs. If I were to take a picture, it’d look something like the one below (except twice as big!) It’s hard to find jeans that fit me because I am so short. I love that Old Navy has petite sizes that fit me like a glove. Not only that, but they are affordable and I don’t have to take them to a tailor for alterations.

This week’s One Day Wonder sale is on 12/26, and it features– you guessed it– JEANS!

Live the fantasy of fab jeans and great prices when you step into Old Navy’s One Day Wonder sale (12/26 only). Be enchanted with amazing denim deals – adult jeans just $15 (Reg. $29.50-$34.50) and kids and baby jeans are just $10 (Reg. $16.50-$19.50), select styles only.

Have you been to OldNavyWeekly.com? I log on every week to get the scoop on their Item of the Week in addition to looking for the hidden money saving coupons. I have never been fast enough to get one of the high dollar ones from the website, and if you haven’t either– this is your chance! They have generously offered ten of my readers one of their $50 off $100 coupons good on an in-store purchase made between December 25-31. That could help you get a lot of jeans for your whole family! Merry Christmas!

To win a $50 off $100 coupon from La Vie de Laurie, tell me what the SuperModelquins are wearing this week at OldNavyWeekly.com. What’s your favorite look?

If you would like to earn extra entries:
1) Follow me @laurie_pooh on Twitter and send the following message:
I entered to win a $50 off $100 coupon from @OldNavyOfficial and @laurie_pooh: http://tinyurl.com/50off100
2) Follow my blog using the Google Connect in my sidebar to the right.
3) Subscribe to my blog in a reader.

U.S only, please. The winner will be selected randomly from all valid entries on or around December 25. You must leave a comment letting me know your answer to the question above, as well as additional comments letting me know what else you have done to earn extra entries. Please also use your real first name and leave a valid way for me to contact you should you be selected as the winner. You will have 24 hours to respond to my e-mail before another winner is selected. Good Luck!

This giveaway is sponsored by Old Navy, but the opinions within are my own. I received no compensation, products, or coupons in exchange for writing this post.

Luckily for me, there is the Motor Oil Matters.org website that has all kinds of advice, information and details to help you make educated and informed decisions about how take care of your vehicle. If you didn’t have formal training from dear old D.A.D, how about giving M.O.M. a shot? Yup, I am talking about Motor Oil Matters.

Thanks to MyBlogSpark, I was given the link to the Motor Oil Matters website and a $35 Jiffy Lube gift card complements of Shell Lubricants to take my new-found knowledge out into the real world. Would you also like to win a Jiffy Lube gift card? Read on to find out how.

Did you know: According to a study by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, nearly 9 out of 10 female motorists are involved in their household’s vehicle maintenance and repair? What about this one: Using a quality motor oil in the right grade can help maximize fuel economy, and help save money by preventing costly engine damage! Off-brand, no-name or discount oils that do not meet industry standards or the vehicle manufacturer´s requirements could cost consumers in the long run by potentially damaging the vehicle´s engine or possibly voiding the manufacturer´s warrant.

If you know those facts already you’re ahead of the game. The website has a fun interactive quiz that tests your overall vehicle and oil knowledge. I have to admit I didn’t do too shabby. I thought my results would be much worse. Actually I only missed one question, and in my book that’s passing with flying colors!

Now it’s YOUR turn! Want to win a $35 gift card to Jilly Lube to start off your car’s year right?

Go take the M.O.M. interactive quiz and either answer one of these two questions: 1.) What was your score on the quiz or 2.) What piece of information did you learn or find the most interesting.

If you would like to earn extra entries:
1) Follow me @laurie_pooh on Twitter and send the following message:
I entered to win a $35 Jilly Lube gift card from @laurie_pooh: http://tinyurl.com/jiffylubegc
2) Follow my blog using the Google Connect in my sidebar to the right.
3) Subscribe to my blog in a reader.

U.S only, please. The winner will be selected randomly from all valid entries on or around December 31. You must leave a comment letting me know your answer to one of the two questions above, as well as additional comments letting me know what else you have done to earn extra entries. Please also use your real first name and leave a valid way for me to contact you should you be selected as the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before another winner is selected. Good Luck!

This giveaway is sponsored by Shell Lubricants, but the opinions contained within are my own. I also received a $35 gift card to Jiffy Lube.

I know it sounds silly, but I really feel like I don’t need anything and there are very few things that I want anymore. Wasn’t it always so easy to come up lists a mile long when we were kids or teenagers? I really struggle with it now. When my parents question me on what to get, I freeze. Sure, I wouldn’t turn down a Coach purse or some Tiffany jewelry. It’s just that I don’t know anyone who has the money to throw around on those kind of things right now, myself included. Maybe I am finally growing up. Yeah, that’s it.

Anyway… Clarisonic is a actually a very giving company who has been promoting themselves online everywhere recently– on websites, blogs and even Twitter. I have seen several places where they ask you to nominate someone you think deserves one, and both you and the person you nominate may win. I enter, but afterward I read the entries and I realize that there are so many more deserving people than myself out there. Still, I enter. I really want one.

This post was actually prompted by another Clarisonic giveaway from Julie who I have followed on Twitter for quite awhile. (Edit: I didn’t end up winning, in case you were wondering.)

She is featuring a special model, which is even more fabulous than the other ones I have seen: 50% of the profits from sales of this Limited Edition Clarisonic PLUS go directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I get an extra entry in her contest for blogging about it. I never do this, but I thought, why not? I already support Komen, as do many of my readers.

I may win, but if I don’t– I really hope they still have this limited edition model available when I am ready to purchase one. I will need it to wash off all of that nasty road dirt at the 3-Day. Did I mention that it’s a shower truck? Did I mention the water is kind of cold? Did I mention you get a lot of dirt in strange places after walking 20 miles a day? Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Edit: You can also enter to win a SpaCation for yourself and five friends at a spa near you. This includes a free Clarisonic Opal Sonic Infusion System and spa services featuring the Clarisonic Sonic Skin Cleansing System: manicure, pedicure and facial. I entered, and YOU should too.

If you have ever wondered what to get me for Christmas or my birthday, then this is a great solution for you. January 8th is coming up just around the corner. Truly, I really do not need any more material things. Even though all of this money goes to Susan G. Komen, your donation will get me one step closer to walking those 60 miles.

I can think of no greater gift than the feeling of accomplishment after walking across the finish line knowing that I am doing something that is helping other women now, and will hopefully someday contribute to a cure for beast cancer. I really mean it. Really.

I have already raised $110 thanks to the support of some of my wonderful and sweet online friends. These are people who continue to support me in each event I participate in. It means so much and I say it all the time, but THANK YOU!

If you’d like to make a donation, you can visit my official 3-Day website. If you are a business who is interested in sponsoring my team, have a breast cancer awareness product or site you would like me to review here or at http://our3day.com as training season begins, please contact me and I would be happy to discuss the details. Every single penny goes to Komen.

This one was done a little bit differently in that it’s not a secret who your partner is– because you both have each other! We all filled out a short questionnaire and voila! I was lucky enough to get to shop for the hostess herself, and she shopped for me. Clearly Shannon wants me to gain 20 pounds indulge my sweet tooth this holiday season, as you will notice from the yummy box full of treats she sent.

My favorite was the giant tub of Bob’s mints (I put them in one of my crystal candy dishes). If you have never had them, do yourself a favor and get some. Be warned they are addictive as all heck. You know they’re good when Paula Deen makes a Bob’s Peppermint Pie out of them. There was also a tin of butter cookies, which was perfect because I haven’t had them in such a long time and they really bring back memories of my childhood. My grandma always had the blue tins of these cookies at the holidays. Shannon must have been psychic on this one!

There were also peppermint kisses that we haven’t opened yet, thin mints, a nice little lotion and nail set for pampering, snowflake ornaments, candy canes, and an I Love Seattle key chain. A peanut butter tree and marshmallow Santa may or may not have been devoured by Dave and I before I was able to get out my camera to snap a picture.

Thank you so much, Shannon! You are so sweet, and I will be too after I finish all of the yummy goodies you sent! I hope you have a fantastic Christmas in California.

It’s fairly apparent that the holidays are here. I admit I’ve been lazy about posting. We’ve been keeping busy with preparations and shopping. This year was the earliest year I’ve ever been out for Black Friday bargains. I drug my butt out of bed at 1:30 AM to stand in line in the cold at Old Navy in hopes of getting a free video game. Dave even experienced it with me for the first (and he says his last) time. We ending up abandoning the line and I shopped their same deals online later instead. We grabbed an early morning breakfast at IHOP, and made it in time to stand in line at Target and Best Buy as they opened to long lines and pandemonium. I even rolled into work at 7:00 AM after a full morning of hunting for deals. I. am. hard. core.

The day before we spent the afternoon at one of our favorite places, the Gaylord Texan, had brunch, and made our annual visit to the ICE! exhibit. This year the theme was How the Grinch Stole Christmas. We had this planned since before our anniversary trip in September, so I was really looking forward to it. It’s amazing to hear that it took the artists only a month to carve all of the creations featured. There is even a slide made entirely of ice. Of course Dave and I both had to take a turn! Here are a few photos, and the rest can be found on my Flickr stream.

I hope everyone is having a great December so far. I am looking forward to my full 8 days off from work coming up. I wasn’t expecting it, so that makes it extra special and exciting. I don’t have a lot of plans for posts coming up, but we’ll see what happens. Comments motivate me.