{best} Case of the Mondays: Eva Frongello

We all know Mondays suck. 

Each week, I will feature a Monday in the life of someone who can provide some comfort/humor/ inspiration to the start of your week. 

This week, Meet Eva Frongello!

Position | Company: I am an attorney at Smith Anderson.

I am a litigation associate at a law firm in Raleigh. One of my favorite things about my job is that I get to work on so many different types of cases – some real estate, some commercial litigation, some medical malpractice . . . two days are never the same!

One word to describe Mondays to you? Hectic!

6:30, 7:00, 7:15, 7:30, 8:00

Awake . . . let’s be honest, Mondays generally involve a lot of snoozing, which is probably why they are so hectic. Every other day, I try and get to work between 7–8, but on Mondays I normally can’t pull myself out of bed until 8 . . . real world is hard! Once I can get my eyes open, I love spending 15 minutes or so reading a quick devotional, catching up on the news, and perusing social media.

8:10 AM

Time to finally face the day! Since I am already a little over an hour behind when I like to be sitting at my desk, today means I have time for a quick shower (and dry shampoo), throw on some semi-professional clothes, make myself peanut butter, honey and cinnamon toast, grab a banana and rush out the door.

8:30 AM

Heading to work! Mike and I love living in downtown Raleigh and walking to work. It takes me about 10 minutes door-to-door to leave my apartment, walk to work and be sitting at my desk. I love starting my day that way and it will be quite the adjustment whenever we move and have to face a daily driving commute.

8:45 AM

Work time! One thing about working at a law firm is I am required to “bill” my time or basically track and summarize each minute I spend working on different projects. Our firm requires your time for the previous week to be entered on Monday morning by 9 am, so this Monday (like most) I am frantically summarizing and finalizing my time on our firm’s system before 9 am. Once that is finished, I catch up on my e-mail and fill out a brief weekly workload report that gets sent to partners at our firm that explains what types of work I had the week before and what types/how much work I am expecting to have this week. 

10:00 AM

Ok, for real work time! Like I said before, one thing that I love about my job is that two days are never the same and that my days generally involve a lot of different types of projects. This morning, I am working on a real estate project which involves analyzing land surveys, drafting legal descriptions of the land (or basically describing what the surveys shows) and reviewing prior deeds of trust or other documents related to the land. It might sound boring, but I think it’s all really interesting!

12:00 PM

Lunch! Mondays normally involve going out to lunch because I generally skip the grocery store over the weekend, which means the Frongello household couldn’t pull a lunch together even if we had to. Today I got lunch from Sosta Café in downtown Raleigh. This is a local café and the food is PHENOMENAL! It’s also wonderful because the café is about a 10 minute walk from my office so it’s nice to get out and stretch my legs.

12:30 PM

Back to work! This afternoon, I reviewed changes to a draft contract and had a call analyzing E-Discovery issues in a case that I am working on. After that was finished, I spent the remainder of my day analyzing and summarizing documents that have been produced to us for a case. It sounds super nerdy, but I love doing that because it is like putting pieces of a puzzle together and you end up having a pretty in-depth knowledge of things you might not otherwise have thought about . . . . herbicides, pipes, insurance arrangements, etc.

6 pm

Monday = conquered! My summer has been pretty busy work-wise, so it is wonderful to be walking out of my office this early. I usually spend my walk home catching up on the phone with my parents, grandmothers, friends, etc. Today, I caught up with my parents . . . who are awesome by the way!

 

6:30 pm

Bike ride around Raleigh! Mike is also an attorney so it’s pretty rare that we are both off-work this early on a Monday. So today, in lieu of the gym (thank goodness) we took an awesome bike ride around Raleigh. When we got married, we registered for bikes and we have LOVED them (thank you Uncle Russ and Aunt Sherry)! On our ride today, we got some excellent views of the Capital, the downtown Raleigh skyline, rode through our favorite neighborhood in Raleigh and of course, got a little exercise.

 

8 pm

Dinner time! We are not the best cooks, so thank goodness we have anniversary leftovers from Angus Barn. Steaks, stuffed mashed potatoes and a great bottle of red wine . . . wish every Monday dinner looked like this.

 

9 pm

Bachelor in Paradise—Aloha Mexico! I wish I could say that I spent my free time on Monday night learning about the stock market or reading an intellectual novel but this is a Monday staple in our house. We very rarely miss a Bachelor in Paradise on Monday and Mike will unashamedly admit that he believes that it is the best show on television.

 

10:30 pm

Bed Time! What a great Monday it has been! Time to try and get a good night sleep in the hopes of hitting snooze a few times less tomorrow :) 

Want more {best} Case of the Mondays Series? Meet Kim, Courtney, Elizabeth Anne. And Emily. And Me. 

Live Life Like Your Dog.

Yesterday was National Dog Day. 

Your newsfeed was filled with everyone's photos of their pups dressed their awful costumes, on their best behavior and not peeing all over their house. 

I refrained from posting pics of the cutest pup around, Teddy (mostly because I post about 12 / day.) 

That said, in ode to all the pooches out there.... 

Why the heck not... Live like your dog. 

And no, I'm not talking about in the doghouse. But some of you men already know all about that...

1. Loves and Accepts Praise. Teddy loves loves loves people. Mostly because people = attention and the possibility of treats. One of the biggest things I've learned from having a dog is that your tone and your ability to praise the dog for the good things is HUGE (and in turn, disciplining from the bad is also important... but I'm not as good at that!) That said, the Ted loves praise. He accepts it openly - and has learned (for the most part) what will get him a treat. I think the ability to humbly accept praise is hard -- it's a fine balance between being modest and being braggy. Take a chapter from your canine's book and accept it openly!

2. But... is also selfless. Dogs want their owners to be happy. You don't hear them bitching about you coming home late or that you really, really need to throw out those ugly cargo shorts (but really, you should.) They are loving and patient, and will still love you no matter how bad your day is going. Try this with someone today. Even if they get on your ever-loving nerve.

3. He is always up for a walk. I'm looking at you, friend, sitting at you computer for hours on end to only jump up and go to Starbucks / Chipotle / Repeat. Your dog needs exercise every single day-- and so do you! Make it point to get up and MOVE. Did you know your iPhone (on the new iOS) has a built in pedometer in the HEALTH app? USE IT. 

4. Makes Everyone Feel Special. I don't know about you, but one of the best things about having a dog is the feeling you get coming home after a long day, and he is SO EXCITED to see you. No matter if it has been 5 minutes or 5 hours, there is a level of pure joy that you get from seeing him waiting and wagging that little tail. We're too often caught up in the daily drudge to make the people in our lives feel that important and special. Try it today - with just one person - to make them feel like you are SO EXCITED to see them. 

5. Fiercely Protective and Loyal. This may come in the form of barking at absolutely nothing or nearly attacking the Postal Worker (sorry Bill!), but your dog feels a sense of duty to protect it's territory. Although I don't suggest you, yourself, going and barking at those pesky kids that always walk through your yard, I do admire the overwhelming loyalty a dog brings. Be an advocate for your friends and family, or a cause that you care deeply about! 

6. Can just PLAY. Granted, dogs don't have jobs, taxes to pay or that looming deadline. But one of the things I most admire about sweet Ted is his ability to play - alone or with people and other dogs. Make sure to schedule some time during the week to get your wiggles out and play - whether that is at the golf course or painting or simply going to a dance class at the Y. Take time doing something that you love to refresh and relax!

What are ways you wish you could live more like your dog? 

It's another edition of Hump Day Happenings. 

Happy things around the web to get you through that middle day of the week!

Dare you not to laugh. This is my life / can I be best friends with this guy? #ReasonsGoingOutIstheWorst

Nom Nom. So you want to make me a cake? Try this gluten free, vegan cake.

Fem & Sexy. Love this sweet dress. Upcoming rehearsal dinner perhaps?

Splurge-Worthy. Capes are SO in this season. Swoon. 

Home Sweet Home. This is a perfect housewarming / back to school / I love North Carolina gift! 

Hail to the South. Sweet tea bourbon cocktail. Where's my drink?

Speak. The. Truth. 5 Minutes Early Is On Time. On Time Is Late. Late Is Unacceptable #PREACH. 

Travel. Going somewhere outside the good ol' USA? You’d better learn this. 

One change to make you happier & more productive

I've found it. 

I've found the ONE thing that makes my life exponentially better. 

The thing that can help my mood. My performance. My relationships. My Life. 

I don’t know about you, but when I get run down, exhausted, dog-tired, I’m not fun to be around. 

I can fake it for a while. I can pump myself with caffeine and put my best face on and just keep grinding. 

But I get to a point when I just. can’t. 

I get cranky. I feel a lack of motivation. And all I want is SLEEP. 

And then it hit me. Sleep. 

Sleep is what my body needs. My mind craves. But... I just can't seem to get enough of it. 

So, I decided to make a shift. 

I turned off the screens before bed.

There has been so much research that suggests that the blue light from all of those screens is SO bad of you before you go to sleep because your mind thinks it is day time -- and that you should be prepped and ready to keep on working! Um...no.

Here's how my typical night would go: 

I would watch trash TV quality programming in bed, while scrolling aimlessly on Instagram. Looking up, it would be 1am, when I find myself confused as how I spent so much time looking at someone’s brother’s cousin’s sisters engagement party photos and feeling sorry for myself that I’m not staying in a $4,000/night villa over Bora Bora like the Kardashians. Frustrated at my time wasted, I'd open my iPad to try to read an e-book and doze off. Unsuccessful, I'd tossed and turned until about 2:30 and and wake up with a terrible headache, grumpy and NOT ready to start the day off. 

So... I decided to slightly shift my pre-bed routine. 

I climbed into bed around 10pm and put my phone on Do Not Disturb (don't worry Mom - I'll still get your call in the middle of the night -- just won't hear the buzz from a Group Text about Labor Day plans)-- and put the phone away. With the TV off, and just the hum of the ceiling fan to distract me, I read a real.live.book. One that I hold and actually turn the pages. 

My stack of books from the Charlotte Library. On a non-fiction kick right now...

After about 20 minutes, I actually started dozing off with the book in my hand. Without checking my phone for messages or emails, I simply cut off the light and went right to sleep. 

And guess what. 

Changed my life. 

I’m not saying that this is a cure-all. And you know what, sometimes I just want to drift off to sleep watching Bravo reruns. But I actually woke up semi-refreshed. And didn't toss and turn for hours before drifting off to sweet, sweet slumber. 

There are certain nights that I won't be able to control WHEN I go to sleep, but I've realized that I can control HOW I go to sleep - and I really think.

So... if you're having some issues falling asleep - or just fall asleep faster -- try it out. Cut out the TV and phone before bed. I want you in a better mood... and I bet your boss does too!

Let me know how it works out! 

{the best} Case of the Mondays: Kim Kean

We all know Mondays suck. 

Each week, I will feature a Monday in the life of someone who can provide some comfort/humor/ inspiration to the start of your week. 

This week, Meet Kim Kean!

Position | Company: Vice President, Marketing at FanVision Entertainment

My job includes overseeing marketing, sales, client management and a little bit of everything in between.  The company is small, so I get my hands dirty a lot at the track.

One word to describe Mondays to you? Manic

I can’t write a Susie Sunshine tale about how great Mondays are and how you should embrace them.  I think most of us would agree the struggle is real!  Best case of the Mondays for me is that no one, including myself, is injured or crying at the end of the day.

7:30 AM           

Alarm sounds.  Immediately you are judging, rude!  I realize this is a later wake-up call than most others, but mornings are not my thing.  I also have a nasty commute that I purposely leave late for.  More on that later…

Have a quick chat with the man upstairs (mostly about the ‘no one getting injured or crying’ part) before my feet hit the floor.  Ready and out the door by 8:30AM.  Gus from down the street is outside and mad at me for letting someone else cut my grass.  He’s a talker.  I normally let him go on for a bit in his thick Greek accent, but this morning I can’t deal.  Bye, Felicia Gus. 

8:45 AM           

Reach the ‘highway to hell’ a.k.a I-77 and head north to my office in Mooresville.  What should take 35 minutes, on most days takes much longer in the mornings and afternoon rush hours.  This is why I leave later, to try and avoid the bulk of it. 

Traffic always comes to a halt around malfunction junction where 77 and 277 meet.  Coincidently, this is also where commuters decide they should wreck or break down.  After that, the road opens up a little and I hit the gas like Dale Jr. coming out of Turn 4 at Daytona.  Dead stand still starts ahead of exit 23 where the lanes go from four to two.  Whose genius idea was that?!  Slow crawl for the next 15 miles.  Every. Damn.  Day. 

I have no chill in traffic.  My vocabulary becomes extra colorful and creative.  Somehow I string together names, adjectives and phrases one might hear in a prison courtyard. 

9:30 AM           

In the office, I work on closing out the previous race weekend in the form of emails, calls and texts.  Alternate with bites of breakfast.

 

This Monday morning includes getting a recap on sales, talking with a race team that needs repairs completed, and writing thank-you notes.  Why does no one write notes/cards anymore?!

11:15AM        

Two of my three lines ring simultaneously.  Good times.

Go outside to fill up the bird feeder outside my window.  Here is the first diner of the day, plus a picture of a bird I named Clyde, who started coming by for daily visits about two months ago.  He’s made friends with the Al Jefferson  bobblehead.

1:30 PM          

After lunch, jump on a call with a race track to discuss a new marketing program we’re running.  They’re all about it.  YESSS.

2:00 PM          

Hit a slump.  Change Pandora from ‘90’s Country’ to ‘Today’s Hip Hop’.  Lil Wayne starts spitting hot fire and I perk up a little.  This is my favorite jam right now.

Spend the remainder of the afternoon emailing, finalizing the upcoming race weekend plans with the office and road staff, starting holiday sales planning, and approving artwork. 

4:35 PM          

Back to the Queen City.  Traffic is standstill on 77.  In addition to the normal congestion, there is a 3-car pileup.  Thank you, universe!  I crank up Taylor Swift and jam it out. 

5:30 PM          

Make it to the Dowd Y with just enough time to park, change and get to class.  Monday is ‘cardio strength’ class, and luckily Erin arrived early to set up my spot.  Thanks, pal!

Start the class feeling like She-Ra, then spend the next hour worrying that I will either throw up my lunch, or ‘D.J. Tanner’ in front of everyone.  (I’m sad for you if you don’t know that episode.)  I fear this EVERY Monday I take this class.  Right now you’re thinking ‘It’s not CrossFit, Kim.  Get it together’.  Whatever…  We proceed to do so. Much. Jumping.

6:30 PM          

Survive class.  We high five that no one D.J. Tanner’d.  Courtney tells us that she might have broken out into the meat sweats during class and this makes me laugh REALLY hard for the first time today.  HAHAHAHAHHAHA!!

7:00 PM

As I step out of the shower, the middle toe on my right foot begins to spasm and contort into what I can only describe as the Star Trek Vulcan salute…but with my toes.  They stay stuck like this for 20 minutes.  I make a mental note to get better sneakers.

7:15 PM          

It’s become clear at this point that I can no longer adult today.  Great timing for me to meet up with Rachel who’s a pro at acting out.  We grab a quick dinner and roll up to the theatre to watch Straight Outta Compton.  YES, please.

9:45 PM     

Mind.  Blown.  Movie was so good.  I leave feeling resentful of the police and also wanting to hear Eazy-E’s voice.

11:00PM        

Bedtime.  Attempt to shut my brain off.  Thankful I get to wake up and have another go at it tomorrow.

Want more {best} Case of the Mondays Series? Meet Courtney, Elizabeth Anne. And Emily. And Me.