Vacation is calling and I must go.  Where, you ask?  It doesn't really matter where.  When time off rolls around, it will be a wonderful experience based on my vaca needs.  Sometimes it could be an island paradise, sometimes Virginia Beach, other times a local hotel or even at home. 

The only thing that matters when I go on vaca, is that I get what I need and do what I want.  Actually, it’s more like don’t do anything.  I’ve been to Paris and England, the West Indies and a few local spots.  Sometimes the best vaca of all is right in my own bed – go figure.  It’s like…sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.  Sometimes you want to be a tourist, other times you’re in beach bum mode and then there is relax on 2000.

As you plan your vaca, decide what you need and do that.  If you have to consider the wishes of other family members, then make sure you at least have one day off to do you.  Chillin’ 2000.  Divas need R&R too you know.  Luv the kids, but it’s not just about them…hello, can I get an AMEN.

So if you have been following my posts, you know I wrote an article about the fabu new look of fitbit.  Well, there is more.  So my daughter purchased one and created a few group challenges.  Everyone that she invites to this group has fitbit and can compete against each other to see who has the most steps at the end of the challenge.  You can literally see each group members step total.  This particular one is for a week.  The software comments about the race, much like texting, but you also get to add your own texts as well. 

You can cheer on a buddy or simply talk smack, which is, of course, what I like to do.  I constantly threaten to dethrone the queen (person with the highest score) or threaten to win even if it mean my feet falling off.  All in fun, of course.  The wonderful thing about this is, it forces you to be accountable for the goal you set and if you are a competitive person like I am, you will certainly….get to steppin’

There is no down side.  You’ll make a few new friends, have fun and be encouraged to run or walk you race.  So diva’s if you haven’t joined a group yet, you're missing out.  Join the fun, walk to good health.  

Sometimes work and life, in general, can leave you stressed to the core.  Regardless of how you are generally enjoying yourself, sometimes just the sheer burden of responsibilities can leave you overwhelmed and exhausted - it’s all part of life.  Every once in a while, you have to carve out a little time for yourself and simply relax.  This week was a rough week.  Deadlines in the workplace, a shortage of staff and personal deadlines makes for both a tired body and mind.

It was very necessary to use my secret stress buster.  I pulled out my weapon of mass happiness.  I filled the Jacuzzi with my favorite bubble bath, put on my fav music, and yes brought in the chocolate covered strawberries.  With my bottle of Evian water, I was good to go.  It was awesome.  Every couple of months this is my get away, but this week it was my nightly ritual for 3 days.  Well chocolate covered strawberries was just one night.  You know, a girls got to watch her waistline.  Hey, a diva’s got to do what a diva’s got to do – relax when necessary.  Deadlines will be met and I will certainly get through my crazy busy week, but I knew it would be at a cost.  So, I made sure, I paid myself first each day by relaxing the night before.

As I always say, preparation is everything.  If we don’t take care of ourselves – who will.   Be your own best friend and not your own worst enemy – always plan to take great care of you diva.

What would you like to know more about?  Have you ever thought about taking a class simply to get more knowledge in the area of your interest?  Classes that help you improve the way you conduct your personal business, should not be overlooked.  So if you need to broaden your knowledge base on a particular subject, then diva get to it.  Most colleges/universities have adult classes you can take fairly inexpensively.  There are quite a few classes you can even take online.  From photography to computer literacy, there are a variety of classes - enough for everyone.

A great class to take is financial management.  We all have some knowledge in managing our personal finances, but if you have holes in your knowledge, now is the time.  Understanding where your paycheck goes each week is important to your future financial success.  Learning how to create systems to help you organize and analyze your financial data, is the only way to go. It's all about making good decisions to help improve your ability to save for your future. But of course, there are so many other classes you can take.  You would be surprised how many people use windows and don’t know all of its features.  Make your life easier – take a class.  Remember, knowledge is power girl.