2019: The Year of Taking Risks

Posted by random olio

I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been busy. 2019 has been a big year for me full of change, growth, and taking risks. I started the year out by having eye surgery in January. I was extremely nearsighted and finally found out I was a candidate for PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy). It has a longer recovery time than Lasik, but the benefits far outweigh the downsides to recovery. And now – I have 20/20 vision. It is crazy being able to see in the middle of the night without glasses, to be able to waterski and see the boat, to not have to worry about ripping a contact, or traveling and taking glasses, and extra contact lenses, and all the cleaning products needed. It is definitely on the list for one of the best things I have ever done.

I continued on my personal journey and received my certification as a Life Coach. I was certified in September and now have a 6 week coaching program where I help you know what you want, believe you can get it, and achieve what you never thought was possible. This program has literally re-wired my brain, changed how I show up, and I am now doing things I never thought possible. Becoming a certified coach is now another item on my list for the best things I have ever done.

2019 has been the year I took risks and changed my life. What changes do you want to make in your life? What feels impossible to you?

I may not post on randomolio.com as often as I used to, but I will be writing more at: tamiconklin.com – my new Life Coach website. If you scroll down to the bottom footer, you can subscribe and get updates when I post new blogs. If you are interested in learning more, sign up for a 20 minute consultation with me.

Special Christmas Delivery

Posted by random olio

Big news! Our son, Nico, arrived at 1:37pm on Christmas Day. We came home on Sunday and are now adapting our life to this little guy (aka baby items everywhere).

Daily Random Olio blog posts will be on hiatus for a while. Baby first, sleep second. Stay tuned for updates in the future.

Meet Fashion Santa

Posted by random olio

For those of you that have read Random Olio over the last couple of years, you may remember that I am not big on holidays. Most likely a product of my childhood, they have never really been my thing. My dad was overzealous about Christmas, and so there are things that make me nostalgic, as there are memories I have where he seemed happy and completely into the moment. Yet most of those moments were things I witnessed not really things he taught me or I learned from his example.

He was all about Santa, in the decorate-your-house kind of way. Not as much as a kid but when I was in high school and college and no longer lived with him I would usually see him for part of Christmas day. His house, with haphazard furnishings throughout the year, would transform into a showcase for Santa and Father Christmas decorations. Some of them actually creeped me out in a wizard-like or scary old man way. Somehow as he got older, he would wait until after Christmas to purchase a Santa or two on clearance. Only to pack them away and bring them out for a few weeks the next year.

In any case, I am all for change and a new look on things. So when I heard about Fashion Santa I thought “why not!” He hails not from the North Pole, but from a shopping mall in Toronto, Canada. He is styled in clothes from stores in the mall in a lumber jack meets metrosexual St. Nick way. Along the way he is raising money for a charity that helps sick kids. So all in all the 2015 looking Santa is doing good.

Next I would be curious how the stylist would upgrade Mrs. Claus. Anyone up for the task?

Happy belated 3rd Birthday, random olio!

Posted by random olio

Every year I seem to forget my birthday (not really) but I am fine to let it pass by. This past week was CRAZY and I completely looked past the fact that January 8th (last Thursday) was Random Olio’s third birthday. It is hard to believe that I have been writing every weekday for the past three years.

There have been many times over the course of the year where I have questioned whether I should keep posting a blog every day. I contemplate the time it takes to brainstorm, be inspired, write, edit, write, edit, and sometimes throw stuff away. In the end I do it for you and I do it for me. Random Olio makes me think outside myself. I have to be “on” for work in a certain way each day. Random Olio is the outlet that allows me to put myself out into the world with my ideas, inspiration, and questions. It has nothing to do with being “on” at work, but instead allows me to be free and speak what is on my mind. I wonder at times if I did not write if I would be consumed by work or if in some ways my voice would be quieter.

Thank you to each and every one of you that takes the time to read Random Olio. With close to 800 posts in 3 years, I have had a lot to say. While I do not know how long I will continue, I appreciate each day and post you read and commented on. Keep coming back, tell me what you think, and speak your mind.

Happy Belated 3rd Birthday Random Olio!

random olio 2014

Posted by random olio

It has been a full year. I traveled to Shanghai, Chicago, Oakland a few times, to LA, Bend, oh the list goes on. I went to a few weddings, luckily no funerals. I worked countless hours in the office, and at home on my couch. I visited my niece, Facetimed with her and my sister, and missed them in between. We saw family, friends, and played on our own a bit in other parts of the country and the world. I went No Poo in 2014, and then started using loo poo shampoo and wash my hair a lot less often.

We tried new things, thought about the past, and planned and brainstormed the future. We laughed, cuddled, giggled, listened, gave advice, learned a lot, and cherished each other more. Like I said, it was a full year. Here is my list of favorite random olio posts of 2014. In no specific oder: