Category: Just me being me

SIX the Musical is at the National in DC!

You guys know that I haven’t run a sponsored or gifted post in quite a while here on the blog. It’s not because I haven’t received offers… it’s just that I’m very, very, very picky about what I want to write about. With that in mind, when a contact of mine reached out to ask if I was interested in checking out the opening night of SIX the Musical in DC… I basically vibrated with excitement!

I first heard a taste of the SIX the Musical soundtrack on a Peloton ride with Bradley Rose earlier this year. I loved it and quickly clicked the ‘heart’ to add it to my Peloton Spotify list. SIX music came up a couple more times on other Broadway rides and every song was so fun and energetic that it kept me moving and grooving the whole time (while also sweating).

Just a week or two ago, I was considering planning another trip up to NYC to see the show, but decided to hold off since we are still working on (and paying for) our bathroom renovation.

And then, like an angel of Broadway musicals… I received an email with the opportunity to see SIX the Musical at The National Theater in DC!

I found out on Friday that I was invited to attend the show AND the fabulous pre-party, which had a dress-code of “cocktail with a royal flair” and you guys… this is a 44-year-old woman who has MULTIPLE outfit options that meet that criteria sitting in my closet waiting for me to take them for a spin!

Since both my friend and I live a bit further out in the country, DC can be a challenge to drive to. So, we decided to take advantage of the Metro, which was super easy and dropped us off just a 4-minute walk from the theater.

Here’s a cute picture of Jenni and I from the pre-party:

And yes, I wore a crown. Because… why not?

As for the show. OH MY GOSH. THE SHOW!

Here is basically all I knew about it going into it:

From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the mic to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an exuberant celebration of 21st-century girl power! SIX The Musical is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over!

It was everything I hoped it would be. Girl power and hilarious and catchy songs and fabulous costumes. It was an amazing concoction of powerful voices, fantastic dancing and OHMYGOD the harmonies. It is not often that you see a show where all of the lead singers are similarly strong, but last night’s cast of SIX the musical was MAGICAL. We LOVED the performance and I’d totally see it again. And again.

As for MY favorite queen. It’s a tough pick (and may change as I start to listen to the soundtrack on a never-ending loop), but for me it’s Anna of Cleves. Followed closely by Catherine of Aragon. Dang it, actually I love them all!

SIX The Musical is playing at The National Theater in DC from July 5 – September 4, 2022. You can find more information and buy tickets here: https://www.broadwayatthenational.com/show/six/

Disclosure: I received 2 tickets to Six the Musical at the National Theater in DC in exchange for social shares about the show. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I loved it so much!

Some “Me” Time

Oooooh doggy, I’ve been stressed up in here. At work I’m the head of a 2-person marketing department and my fantastic social media specialist put in her notice in early March. This is a super bummer because she was wonderful at her job and also a really nice person who I very much enjoyed working with.

On top of losing a fantastic employee and friend, this also sucks because I had to handle offboarding her, working with recruiters and various websites to find her replacement AND after she left cover both of our jobs until the new person started.

As of today, I’ve been covering two jobs for 5 weeks.

This is NOT sustainable. On top of my normal work + her work, I also reviewed over 80 resumes, had over a dozen Zoom interviews, two in-person interviews, a million conversations, one offer suddenly rejected, started over and another offer accepted. This week I’ll start onboarding the new person while still covering all the extra work until she gets up to speed.

So yeah, my shoulders have been living by my ears.

I very much feel burnout creeping in and I really need a weekend away. Preferably with sand between my toes and a fruity drink in my hand. And no responsibilities.

Since that’s not on the schedule right now, instead I decided to take Friday off for a “me” day. It was basically my last chance for a day off until I have my new person onboarded, so I jumped on it!

After dropping Jack at school:

  • I had a facial appointment where my face, shoulders, neck, head, feet and hands were massaged for an hour and it was transcendent.
  • I did a little thrift store shopping.
  • I met up with my husband for a yummy lunch.
  • I did a little more thrift store shopping

And then, suddenly the day was over and it was time to take Jack to Tae Kwan Do.

Honestly, I feel like taking a day off was like putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. I’m still exhausted and need a real break. Anyone want to plan a beach getaway for me…?

I’m a 2022 Leaders in Law Honoree!

I usually keep my work life out of my blog life, but I’m so thrilled to share that I WON AN AWARD! You have to understand, I am not one of those people who brought home trophies when I was a kid. I’m Gen X, so I didn’t get any participation trophies. And I certainly wasn’t good enough at any sport to win one. So, if I ever am lucky enough to win something it’s a pretty huge deal to me.

With that being said, as a grown adult I have been honored a few times over the years.

Back in 2015, I was a Bloggie award winner. The Weblog Awards were the largest blog awards in the world and in 2015 Pocketful of Joules won for the category of Best-Kept Secret Weblog. As it turns out, 2015 was the last year of the Weblog awards (after running fifteen years)… so I guess I also have the honor of being the last winner of that category.

There was no trophy though. Just saying.

In 2016, I was honored again and was absolutely flabbergasted that a piece of my writing was honored at the Voices of the Year awards. My piece of writing that won is really special to me, because it is about some of the simple pleasures of being a mom. You can read it here: I Want You.

The awards were presented at the BlogHer conference in 2016 and I received an actual trophy, which I proudly display in my home office:

Well, consider this my trifecta of awards because last week I was an honoree at the 2022 Daily Record Leaders in Law awards. I won in the category of Law Firm Support Staff for my work as Marketing Director at my law firm. The criteria used in selecting the awards included: demonstrating excellence and achievement in the legal profession, maintaining a leadership role, and demonstrating a commitment to mentoring.

This award is so special to me, because I’ve been working in marketing for over 20 years and I really do love what I do. I enjoy being able to market the firm, work with attorneys to help them better market themselves, and also serve as a mentor to other marketing colleagues. I didn’t have a mentor to work with early in my career, and I try very hard to be that person I needed to others.

There was an award reception last week and I dressed a little extra sassy to attend:

My firm had four winners that evening, including myself, and additional attorneys attended to show their support. They called each winner up to the stage while a 30-second video played talking about how awesome they are. Thankfully I did not trip. They also included profiles of each winner in a special supplemental issue of the Daily Record, which was also handed out at the event.

And check out this bling:

Now THAT is a trophy!

And yes, it feels awkward and braggy for me to share this news because as a woman we are all so trained to minimize our accomplishments. However, I work hard at juggling my work life and my blog, as well as being a mom and a wife and a sister and daughter and friend… And if I were mentoring someone who just won this award, I would tell them to ENJOY it and celebrate. I earned this award, I feel worthy of being honored and I’m so very proud to share it with you all.