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Here’s what everyone is talking about:

• First Lady, Michelle Obama in North Texas
• Tony Romo paired up with Tiger Woods
• Should Bumbo seats be recalled again
• iPad 3 coming in March
• 5 new twists on PB&J

This hip, upbeat frozen yogurt bar has everything going for it! Yogurtea is a family owned and operated business, and you’ll often find the entire family working the counter. The quality of their frozen yogurt is impressive, too, and they only use Kosher Certified dairy. If you’re into toppings, they’ve got a huge variety to choose from – even Pop Tarts and lychee! As for tea, you’ll find a large selection of premium loose leaf teas, along with boba teas that are all the rage lately!

Yogurtea is located at 8240 Preston Road in Plano.

In the midst of things, I often wonder “why” things are the way they are.  Especially during the not-so-good times.  I think, “I’m a nice person, what good could possibly come of this?”

Or more simply stated, “What the #@!*”?

Some years ago, Hubby announced that one of the many items on his bucket list was a trip to the Indianapolis 500.  Ever the supportive wife, I told him he’d better find someone else to go with him as I certainly was not going to waste time on such a dumb sport, cars perpetually driving to the left for hours.  And by no stretch of the imagination would I ever agree to spend a weekend in the middle of a race track in an RV, as I’d seen people do at the races on TV.

The very next week I earned a promotion to manage my company’s national sponsorships and promotions.  I’m sure the look on my face said it all when my new boss gave me a folder and said, “We’re just negotiating a motorsports agreement with Indianapolis; see what you can do with it”.  Aughh!  I clearly remember the grin on Hubby’s face when he heard the news and realized that he would get to accompany me to the Indy 500 to see cars drive in a perpetual left-turn.

Determined to do my best at this new opportunity, I dug in and learned everything I could about the sport and why it could benefit our company.  Turns out it’s not so dumb after all.

Ever watch an auto race?  Athletes the size of jockeys driving multi-million dollar computers on wheels, singularly focused on that perpetual left-turn for hours and miles on end.  They’d better be focused. At speeds of over 200 mph, even they can see the emergency crews on the edge of the track.

And talk about strategy – they’ve got a plan for everything.  When to change tires, when to pass another car, when to re-fuel.  Races are won by hundredths of a second so every decision must be well thought out.

It wasn’t too long into my new job that I officially became a “gear-head”, knowing more about the sport and the drivers than most men.  Luckily for me I never had to stay in an RV.

Fast-forward several years. A recruiter called, looking for someone with very specific career experience:  retail, strategy, marketing, and – believe it or not – motor sports.  Someone with Indy experience.  Wow.  What an odd combination, yet it was me all the way.   I got the job – and I had a light-bulb moment as I remembered my “what the #@!*” thought when I was handed the Indy folder.

I would love to say that all of this happened because of strategic career moves on my part.  I would love to show you a planning document that I developed early in my career, outlining the skills I should acquire on my road to success.  But I can’t.  Nope, as strategic as I am in my work, even I wasn’t prepared for every twist and turn.

Yet every experience, good and not-so-good, seems to enhance my future.  Even the lay-offs in our household have been beneficial. Hubby and I discovered hidden skills that have led to new opportunities. We realized that although we loved our jobs, we can shift gears, adapt and move on to something new.

Out of the motor sports chapter of my life came more than a job opportunity.  I also gained a great group of friends and colleagues that I’m still in regular contact with, including drivers and others in the race industry.  Hubby bonded with several of the other husbands that attended the races while we women worked (isn’t that how it always goes?).  Once at home, we became a dinner group called “The Trailing Spouses”, named lovingly after our Hubbies who trailed after us at such events.

Yep, I’m an expert at rear-view strategy.  Wish I could identify it a bit sooner, although now I try to simply accept what’s happening and prepare myself for future benefits.

In the meantime, I’ll keep driving to the left.

© Tami Cannizzaro 2012 All Rights Reserved

This deal is only around for one more day — so take advantage of this now. It is only good for U.S. delivery. This might even be a great gift to give yourself.

Again it’s only $20 for $40 worth of flowers or anything on the FTD.com site.

Warmer temperatures and lack of snow in parts of North America are setting the stage for what could be a most intriguing 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, coming up February 17-20.

Bird watchers across the U.S. and Canada are getting ready to tally millions of birds in the annual count coordinated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada.

In the past, participants were most likely to report American Robins in areas without snow. Will more robins be seen farther north this year?  Will some birds, such as Eastern Phoebes, begin their migrations early?

And where will the “Harry Potter” owl turn up next? Snowy Owls have dazzled spectators as these Arctic birds have ventured south in unusual numbers this winter–an unpredictable occurrence that experts believe is related more to the availability of food than to weather.

 She Is Dallas Info:  The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.  The Great Backyard Bird Count will take place from Friday, February 17, 2012 to Monday, February 20, 2012. To learn more about how to join the count, get bird ID tips, downloadable instructions, a how-to video, past results, and more visit www.birdcount.org.  The count also includes a photo contest and a prize drawing for participants who enter at least one bird checklist online.  You can also join the Great Backyard Bird Count on Facebook.

Here are some great local events celebrating The Great Backyard Bird Count.

River Legacy Living Science Center, 703 NW Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington, TX.  Saturday, February 18, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.  Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count and enjoy fun family activities such as an 8:30 am Early Morning Bird Walk, see Forest the Squirrel at 10:00, Family Bird Walks and Group Counts at 10:15/12:00/1:00, Story Time at 11:00, Guided Bird Walk for Adults at 11:00.   Ongoing activities throughout the day include Bird Valentines, Just Ducky, Nesting Bags, Owl Pellets, Avian Art, Bird Silhouettes, Face Painting, Migration Challenge, Fill the Bill, Birding Lane, Bird Friend or Foe, Bird Counting, and Eggzamine Eggs.  Admission is free but donations are accepted.  For more information, please call 817-860-6752 or visit the River Legacy Living Science Center webpage.

Trinity River Audubon Center, 6500 Great Trinity Forest Way; Dallas, TX 75217.  The Great Backyard Bird Count event will take place on Saturday, February 18, 2012 from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm.  Join our experienced North Texas field ornithologists in this Citizen Science adventure for all ages. A 15-minute bird census will be conducted at various locations on the TRAC property every hour on the hour. All findings will be submitted to GBBC.  This event is free.  For more information, please call 214-398-8722 visit the Trinity River Audubon Center webpage.

Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center, 1206 W. FM 1382 Cedar Hill, TX.  The Great Backyard Bird Count event will take place on Sunday February 19, 2012 from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm.  Bird watchers of all ages and skill levels are invited to join us for the 14th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count! A 15-minute bird census will be conducted at various locations on the DCAC property every hour on the hour. All findings will be submitted to GBBC.  For more information, please call 469-526-1980 or visit the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center webpage.

My kids and I love bird watching and the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to help them learn to identify birds and it is for a good cause.  I hope to see you at one of these great local events!

Drop the kids off for a night of fun, dancing, movies, games, pizza, and other kids to play with. For only $10 you can rest easy during your 4 hours of grown-up free time, for your child will be under excellent supervision while having a blast playing, eating, and making new friends. Designed for boys and girls ages 3 and up, this program is always a lot of fun for everyone involved.

Choose from one of the following dates: March 3, April 7 OR May 5.

Enjoy your night out!

Happy shopping and let us know what you pick up!

So what can you do with the extra money?  Just about anything.  In fact, Texans are really putting their reward dollars to good use.  Here is the breakdown :  txu.com/rewardsused.  But if you had a choice, would you use rewards, like this one, or coupons to support your household budget? Maybe you would use both.

TXU really wants to know.  So they are asking you to fill out this short survey.  It will help TXU decide how to better reward it’s loyal customers.  So click on this link, and fill out the survey.

And as a bonus, TXU is giving away $10K in extra cash.  It’s part of  their 5-year, $100K milestone with the Cash Back Loyalty Reward program.  It’s open to anyone 18 or older who is living in a competitive electricity market.  You have until March 31st to enter on their Facebook page.

All you have to do to enter is:

• Go to our Facebook Page
• Click on the “Cash Rewards” link (see below)
• Once you’re on the contest page, click “Like” and share how you would spend/use $10K in extra cash

Good Luck!

According to LEGO, their new LEGO Friends is the first 100 percent LEGO building experience fully optimized to girls’ tastes and interests. Thousands of girls and their mothers worldwide participated in intensive research that validated the desire for more beauty, realistic details, accessories and interior building and role play opportunities in a LEGO offering.

Anchored by the introduction of a new mini-doll figure, LEGO Friends introduces a new LEGO minifigure platform tailored to girls’ requests for a more realistic, relatable and stylized figure. Designed to the same scale of the classic LEGO minifigure, the mini-doll figure stands roughly 5 millimeters taller than its minifigure sibling, yet features similar constructability, shares the iconic “claw” hand to hold the same accessories, can wear the same hair and headpieces, and is compatible with all LEGO building sets. A total of 29 different mini-doll figures will be introduced in 2012.

Girls can experience the new LEGO mini-figure dolls for themselves at the LEGO Friends event taking place this weekend!

She Is Dallas Info: The LEGO Friends event will take place February 11-14, 2012 at the LEGOLAND Discovery Center located in Grapevine Mills Mall, 3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway, Grapevine, TX 76051.  They are open from Monday – Friday: 10:00am – 8:00pm* (Last admission at 6pm), Saturday: 10:00am – 9:00pm* (Last admission at 7pm), Sunday: 11:00am – 6:00pm* (Last admission at 6pm).  Buy your tickets online and save 10% off the admission price at the door.  Admission at the door is $19.00 for adults (age 13+), $15.00 for children (age 3-12), Children aged 2 and under go free (prices shown exclude tax).   For more information, please call or visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Center website. You can also follow LEGOLAND on Facebook.

Activities for the LEGO Friends event include:

• Scavenger Hunt-Visit MINILAND during your visit and tell us where you spot the 5 LEGO Friends! You will write where you find each LEGO Friend hanging out on the Activity Sheet provided to you in admissions. Drop off your Activity Sheet at the Retail Counter as you leave to be entered in our drawing for a very special prize!  The Scavenger Hunt is available February 11-14 during operating hours.
• Themed Builds -Visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Cafe area to participate in our open theme building!  Available 10am-5pm (Saturday and Sunday Only)
• LEGO Friends/Princess Costume Contest – dress to impress!  Visit the theme building area to register for the LEGOLAND Discovery Center costume contest. One winner per age group (2 years and under, 3-5 years, 6-8 years, and 9-12 years) Winners will receive special LEGO Friend prizes! Costume winners will be contacted by phone the week after the event.  Available 10:00 am-5:00 pm (Saturday and Sunday Only).
• Visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Cafe and enjoy some warm delicious cookies.  Free while supplies last,  February 11-14 from 2:00 -4:00 pm.
• Stop by Princess Palace for karaoke and sing your heart out!  Available during operating hours.

And don’t forget on your way out to swing by the “LEGO Club” sign up counter to become an exclusive LEGO Club member! (Located near the “Pick-a-Brick” wall)  Receive special offers and discounts as well your very own LEGO Club magazine!

Create a great presentation for your dessert table, enhance a stand of birthday cupcakes or simply give the hostess a gorgeous gift for a housewarming! The designs are inspired from chic textiles, printed on recycled paper with soy inks, and fashionably hide the translucent paper we all use by default. Owner Carrie Middlemiss was chosen as Martha Stewart’s “Doer of the Week,” a program celebrating women who have turned a specific passion into a business.

This is a fun deal to enjoy any time of the year! Visit Juice in the City today!