2008 has been an interesting, challenging and far from boring year for me and those close to me. And not that 2009 is right around the corner, I’d like to share some of the amazing things that have happened and what’s to come in the next year.

I’ve been dropping hints here and there about a big something I was planning to tell you about and it’s finally time to tell you what I am really talking about. Some of you already know it, some of you have picked up the track on LinkedIn, but I’m making it official now. Drums please! Continue reading

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Wish you warmth, joy, closeness, friendship, success, health, lots of goodies, or, in short, everything and anything you wish for this Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

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Joanna Young has tagged me with this cool meme that I’ve been following around the blogosphere and secretelly wished to take part in. So lucky me, I got officially tagged!

1. My dog, Kayla, gets anything she wants from me if she gives me a certain sad look. Having her in our house changed everything I thought about me as a parent. It will take a lot of work for me not to spoil my children and not to cry like crazy everytime they fall or hurt.

2. When I think I need to start planning my wedding in February 2009, I get really, really scared. Not of the wedding, but of the whole planning thing. I sometimes feel my friend Oana’s idea to get married in Vegas would be a lot easier. And I’d have everything at once: wedding + honeymoon trip. Continue reading

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Crisis, depression, downturn – no matter how you put it, the feelings the current situation generates are the same: fear, panic, pessimism. Stories of layoffs and closed doors hit us on every channel: TV, newspapers, blogs, email lists at work, water cooler stories of what’s happening in other companies. I won’t link to any of these stories, I don’t want to help the general depression feeling grow.

The best advice anyone can give you is not to panic and not to give in to feeling depressed. You might have heard this particular piece of advice before, but you should repeat it to yourself daily, use it as some sort of personal mantra. Why? Because panic makes you stop thinking and because depression keeps you from seeing the opportunities lying right in front of you. As we all know, fortunes do not evaporate, they merely get redistributed. No matter how dire it all looks, we are far from having no options at all. Continue reading

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Hi everyone! As we’re so close to Christmas, a change of roundup would do us all good. So I’ve traded my reading list for a short and sweet goodies list: freebies, contests and promotions.

Are you looking for an awesome WordPress theme? You’re in luck, Alex of Blogsessive has just released version 2.2 of his Simple Balance theme, now with a cool Xmas Edition!

Hurry up to join Tamar Weinberg’s Christmas contest that focuses on making a wish for someone else. That’s a good change from our all to often selfish selves. Comment, tweet, but do join fast!

If you’re into amazingly beautiful, yet very healthy makeup, than you’ll love this! Robyn Bloom of Purely Cosmetics is giving away a set of ten brushes! Just review one of her products if you’re a customer for a chance to win it. If you’re not a customer, it’s time to get converted!

If you have some IT budget left and are in need of spending it on a cutting edge mail server, check out Axigen’s “Happy New Business Year” promotion for all three commercial products. If not, the header graphic is quite cool and fun to watch

And to get you all set up for a complete Christmas spirit takeover, check out what Chris Brogan has accomplished! He inspired a lot of people do to something nice for some less fortunate children.

Wish you all happy shopping if you haven’t found all those perfect gifts yet!

Disclaimer: I work with Axigen, Alex is my friend, I’m addicted to Robyn’s stuff, and I’m a huge fan of Tamar and Chris. Yet none of these are the reason for this post. You, my readers, and what you might need or find interesting or useful, are!

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