If the first 10 days are any indication of how the year will go... I'M ALL IN BABYYY! Can I have a humble brag moment for a second?! Because, guys, my first week and a half of the year has been that good. 

Here are some of the highlights so far:

• Bold & Pop biz explosionnnn! We already kicked off some brand spanking new projects that I'm SO excited to work on and our email boxes have been flooded with schduling other new projects. Gosh, I love the new year and getting to help other biz bosses make their dreams a reality!

• Had an awesome coffee intro meeting with a fellow creative entrepreneur in the city who I just know is going to become a great new friend. One of my clients, who I also adore, made the intro and I am just so dang thankful to have such a supportive group of women in my life!

• Got to meet one of my biggest biz role models, Melyssa Griffin! #CareerFanGirl moment. I've looked up to her so much and learned so much from her blog while building my business and it was so dang cool to meet her. She organized a local NYC bloggers + entrepreneurs meet-up while she was visiting the city and it was SO awesome! Normally going to an event like that would kind of scare the crap out of me but, I put on my big girl pants and met an awesome group of like-minded goal chasers! We had so much fun getting to know each other that we're even going to start regular meet-ups. Woop, woop!

and then just some extra awesome bonuses

• The Seahawks won their first playoff game!

• We had our first surprise snow storm of the year

• I picked up some super cute new office supplies -- yes there are donuts and pineapple designs involved

• anddd the Second Avenue subway opened (YES really!) and I rode it... and it's more awesome than I thought it would be.

If there's one thing I can say.. it is that the positive vibes are a-flowing! I'm such believer in the power of a positive attitude and plan on lighting them off like fireworks this year! 💥 Is every day going to be full of glitter, ice cream, and ponies?! Of course not -- although it would be cool if it was! The point is, the way we approach things can have such a profound effect on the path our days and then ultimately months and years turn out. Put positive vibes out there and get positive vibes in return! Having a positive attitude isn't about always find the good in the bad either, because let's be real here... sometimes life will deal us some really crappy cards and things will just downright fall apart. Instead, it's about never forgetting all that you are thankful for even in the darkest times and using that as strength to continue on your journey. You know the one thing that the good and bad times have in common..? Neither last forever so this year let's all work on spreading a little more positive vibes -- because the world could really use a lot more of that right now.

So what is my advice on keeping the good vibes rolling? Here are 4 things I'm working on this year.

Setting Intention Goals

This year I went to town on my yearly goals -- both for biz and personal -- and keeping them at front of mind is key for me this year. So what does living with intention really mean? Well, something I did this year was pick a word to help define what I want this year to mean. Followed by picking a different work for each month. Each word focuses on a different part of my life or goals that I want to shine a spotlight on for the 28-31 days each month. This is also about focusing on the things that matter most in life. I'm definitely a goal-hustler, but life is more than just accomplishing goals. Living with intention is all about putting your full heart and soul into each thing you do and really giving it your all instead spreading yourself too thin and then disappointing yourself when you can't do everything. 

Creating a Vision Board

Adding on to living with intention, this is the first year I created a vision board. While I've had some digital versions before and I usually write down my yearly goals, I've never done a full-on vision board until this year. My vision board is all about capturing those positive vibes -- those feel-good emotions you're flooded with when you nail one of your goals. I wanted to create a board that gave me that kick of inspiration every time I looked at it. Why do so many people fail to keep up with their new year's resolutions and goals? 1.) Because it's not a part of our habits already and making changes are fricking hard and 2.) Because piggy-backing off of not being a part of our habits, it's easy to push them aside and forget about them. It's become the norm to give up on them so we don't give ourselves a hard time. Well, it's a little harder to forget when they're staring you right in the face each and every day which is why I love my vision board. It's a constant reminder of how far I've come, where I'm going and tangible goals I want to cross off. If you want to join in on the vision board party I also wrote a blog post on this if you are looking for some tips on why they can be powerful and how to create one.

Prioritizing the Positive

This year I'm really focused on trimming negativity from my life. Sometimes you just have to take a look at the forces in your life and evaluate what is good and what isn't for your well-being. Sometimes that is relationships you have, your career path, where you live.. the list goes on and on. If something doesn't feel good anymore and is bringing you down more than bringing you up, then it might be time to close that chapter -- even when it's hard. You know how they say when one door closes, another opens?! Well same goes for this. 

Letting Go of Guilt for Saying No

This one is a tough one for me.. (as I'm sure a lot of you!) While "no" can be looked at as a negative word sometimes, I'm flipping that on its head. While I still plan on saying YES to a lot of amazing things, I'm working on not feeling guilty about the things I say no to. The truth is there are only so many hours in the day and one thing I am guilty of is trying to do everything. I'm learning that it's okay to say no without any other reason than you're not feeling it. We all need some rest and the reality is we can't be everywhere all of the time. I would rather commit to one after work event a week and be fully present and excited about that engagement, than be burnt out each day because I committed to 4 events that week. I want to feel good about all of the things I say yes to and that means finding my limits and being honest about the things I can give my full attention. Now this does not mean to bail last minute on your friend's happy hour because you're tired. Guys, that's crappy and one of my biggest pet peeves. The key to living with intention is honoring your word from the beginning. Either commit or don't, but make that decision and stick to it.

I hope you've found some of these tips helpful! I know I've already said it a million times but I'm so excited for so much that 2017 is going to bring and I hope you are too!

It’s Valentine’s Day! The day that people either love, or love to hate. Whether or not you think it’s just a Hallmark holiday, one thing is true. The goal of the day is all about celebrating love. The people you love, the things you love to do, and (in this case) the things you love to eat! 

Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate some flowers and chocolates, but nothing quite says love to me like a nice juicy burger. Which is why, for the last 4 Valentine’s Days, Chris and I have celebrated our love with burgers. BONUS! Most people aren’t getting burgers on V-Day in NYC (I guess they don’t share our love), so reservations aren’t such a big issue. 

So if you’re looking to jump on the burger love boat, here’s three places you definitely need to add to your list!

5 Napkin Burger:

You don’t see a lot of so called “chain” restaurants in the city, but with  5 Napkin Burger's 5 current locations you can actually hit up this joint in Boston, Miami, and NYC.  

I keep coming back to this place because their Original 5 Napkin Burger has this rosemary aioli that I just can’t get enough of. 10 ounces of juicy beef with caramelized onions and gruyere cheese makes this one a classic for the taste buds. If you dig hand-cut fries, their’s are a classic, well-done side dish. I also love their cheddar tots, because cheese and potatoes can never really be a bad thing.

Burger Bistro:

Next up, is Burger Bistro. This joint is exclusive to NYC, but there are 4 locations throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens for you outer borough burger lovers! Burger Bistro is awesome because you get to make your burger exactly how you want it. If you check out my header image, it’s a picture of their menu that you get to draw on and check off the ingredients to your liking. 

Now V-Day isn’t on a Tuesday this year, but it’s worth noting that they have this awesome special, Free-topping Tuesdays, where you get up to 4 toppings free. Which is usually when I’ll order a few extra toppings, just because. Two reasons why I really love Burger Bistro. 1.) the toppings are a little different than some of the other places we go to. Mozzarella sticks?! Oh yeah! They also have the option for buffalo shrimp, canadian bacon and pickled jalapenos. A little something different! 2.) And two, they have some bomb side dishes. Featured here is their buffalo tots. If you’re a wing lover, these are totally in your wheelhouse. They also have these deep-fried corn on the cob with this fantastic sauce that is just a tasty way to start out your meal. 

Something about the way they season their meat is just really great too. Very well done guys!

Minetta Tavern:

If you’re a true burgerhead you’ve definitely heard of Minetta Tavern. Not only is it a classic tavern in the West Village, but they’re famously known for their Black Label Burger. Google it, you’ll find a write-up, or two, or a hundred ;-)

I was first introduced to this baby because Chris lost our annual March Madness bracket competition and this was my prize. It should also be noted that this lovely, perfectly-crafted burger will set you back a nice $28. See, it’s not just any ordinary burger. The Black Label is made from dry-aged beef cuts in perfect ratios and is cooked with clarified butter drizzled on top. The only thing that actually comes on the burger is caramelized onions and if you try and order cheese, they’ll ask you not to. While incredibly simple in its nature, the masters behind this burger have really developed time into crafting the perfect tasting burger. 

So is it worth the high price? Yes! I should note that the price does include fries too, which isn’t actually the norm in the city so the price ends up not being as bad. This is a burger you really want to taste the meat though. The way it is cooked creates a perfectly crispy crust on the outside of the butter and even I, the ketchup queen, resisted putting much on it. The meat just tastes that good. It’s not a huge burger, and it’s not anything crazy unusual, but it is a classic burger done so right. 

I would suggest getting a reservation here though, because this place does tend to attract a lot of people. 

And there you have it. 3 more beautiful burgers to add to your food bucket-list!