Gifts To Cherish

Well folks nesting mode has officially kicked in and I got around to thinking about some of my favorite gifts that I received over the years and still use today.  I love buying gifts for people and taking time to find the perfect gift that will put a smile on someone I love's face.  Lately I will admit I have been giving more gift cards, but am determined to get back into thoughtful gift mode.  One of my favorite places to shop for fun and unique gifts are small boutiques and ETSY!  ETSY is my obsession and I am one that gets excited when one of the blogs I read features a new shop they love.  It is so hard to weed through them all!

I figured I would feature a handful of my favorite gifts that have stayed with me through numerous moves, and life changes.  One has even survived being broken into small pieces and glued back together by my grandfather.  I love things that are homemade, and that reflect my personality.

This was a gift that I received almost 8 years ago from my dear friend Kerry Kopec for my birthday.  I have a strong superstition that this sign is good luck and plan on having it forever!

Complimentary Cereal bowl this gift was given to me by my volleyball teammates on my 20th birthday.  I still use it everyday and even got it for John almost 7 years ago for Christmas our senior year of college. 

Love sign, this was a wedding gift from our extremely creative friends the Gainor's who always find the most perfect gifts!  This is a gift I often give along with a registry item just to add something a bit more personalized.  Etsy shop link below:

Nancy Nelson Painting:  My mom got me this about five years ago for Christmas.  Nancy Nelson is a Cape Cod artist who paints beautiful, bright floral prints.  I love her work!

Quote Frame: I actually bought this for John and I but I love it and have also given it to people as wedding gifts before. ETSY link below

Tiffany Vase and Candle Sticks: This was a special gift from my BF Erin for our wedding and I love looking at these simple but elegant candle sticks in our dining room everyday!

Palin Stuffed Animal for the baby, I just got this gift from Aunt Darlene this past weekend and am in love with it!  I am sure our little munchkin will be too! It is amazing how much it resembles our first baby.

I realized as I walked through my house that I have a lot of favorite gifts, and have even more from our baby showers!  I love our guacamole bowl we got as an engagement gift from Naya, our handmade crochet baby blanket from my stepmother Michelle, and John's former nanny when he was a baby, the baby's taggy blanket from John's cousin Christie, plus many more!  The bottom line I think the key to gift giving especially for bridal showers and baby showers is to buy something off the registry and send something personalized as well.

Here are links to some of my favorite ETSY shops, please feel free to share your favorites too!

Super Cute Boys and Girls Monogrammed Dresses and Jon John's
http://www.etsy.com/listing/74187050/monogrammed-seersucker-jon-jon?ref=pr_shop

Dog Collars With A Southern Flare!
http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?q=pecan+pie+puppies&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US

Quote Frames From Above:
http://www.etsy.com/people/thesugaredplums

Love Plaque Shop:
http://www.etsy.com/people/PrettyMyDrink

Addison Logan Leashes and Collars:
http://www.etsy.com/people/AddisonLogan

Monogrammed Onesies/Burpies:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/kalamitykids?section_id=7806639

Perspective

Last night when we got home from Baby Prep Class our house was hot.  At first I thought it was just because JMS had turned down the AC and then come to find out the unit outside was not working.  Lately I have been thinking a lot about how lucky we are, and things are really starting to gain a whole new perspective for me as I get closer to giving birth to our first baby.  While I am a person that takes time at least once a day to look around and appreciate what I have no AC, 8 months pregnant, in the middle of a Florida summer got me a little grumpy.
 
For five hours we had no AC, but thank the lord we were able to fix the problem and get cooled off.  I will admit that I complained and got irritated with the situation at first .  But then took a deep breath and thought to myself why am I being like this?  At least I, A. Have the option of AC in the first place B. Have planned for emergencies and  to be able to pay for something like this if it did ever happen.  C. Had Kevin the AC man was on call.  When I snapped out of my little frustration is when I started thinking.  There are people out there that do not have AC,  there are children starving in Africa, there are soldiers in the dessert fighting for my safety in 130 degree heat with combat gear on, you know where I am going.  The point is that those five hours reminded me about the importance of putting things in perspective.  No matter what in life little things will happen that are not convenient, are uncomfortable, are challenging, etc but at the end of the day everything in life happens for a reason, and there is always someone that is going through something harder.

My belief has been if you are a good person, work hard, make a difference then good things will come to you.  I don't believe in entitlements if they are not deserved, and believe that by proper planning and being smart with your decisions that you put yourself in a position to be "ok" if a challenge in life may arise.  I think a challenge in our society today is that too many people expect to be given things, rather than planning and finding a way to work hard to get through things on their own. In two months we are going to have our first baby and each day I day think about the important values and wishes that John and I have for our child.  That is another blog post for another day.  But it is important to me to make sure that as our child grows that he/she understands the importance of perspective and reflecting on the little things they will be so fortunate to have.  It is about appreciation, understanding, hard work, and not taking things for granted.  I think that not enough people sit back on a given day and think about how fortunate they are for those little things such as air conditioning, food on the table, and good health. 

This article attached is another thing that made me once again think about how lucky I am this week.  When I thought up this idea to raise money for Make A Wish during my time on the NCAA Division II SAAC, I never in my wildest dreams thought it would turn into what it has today.  But it has, and I am so proud of the NCAA and Division II student athletes for continuing these fundraising efforts to make such a huge, impact, and difference in so many lives on an annual basis.  While the story brings tears to my eyes for sadness in what this little girl and her family have gone through, but they tears of happiness for the work that has been done to make a difference for families and children like this. 

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2011/july/make-a-wish+family+thankful+for+dii+efforts?&utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NCAA%20News%20Direct


It is truly inspiring.  As the weekend draws to a close I urge everyone to take the time this week to reflect on the little things, put things in perspective on your own, and enjoy each day because we can.

Two Of My New Favorite Recipes

Well....I guess some could say the nesting instinct has started to kick in for Nicole.  I always enjoy cooking, but over the past week I have been scouring cook books, and organizing pretty much everything in our house.  Therefore I believe I am nesting.  Today I wanted to share the recipe for my favorite Chocoloate Peanut Butter Chunk Cookies and my Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad.  I am trying to perfect the art of cookie making before our child enters this world.  My mom is great at many things, but it is a running joke in our family that she is not a baker.  What matters is the effort, and she will read this so I will reminisce on the time she wanted to make sugar cookies with pink sprinkles for my birthday in  kindergarten.  To say the least they were very good, but the sprinkles had trouble sticking and the shape was a little off.  They were made with love so in the grand scheme of things it didn't really matter :) Love you mom

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Stolen from Ina Garten herself: (My intention was to put a pretty picture of the freshly baked cookies, on a nice dish....well as you can see there is one left after two days so I guess that is a good sign)

1/2 Lb. Unsalted Butter Room Temperature
1 1/2 Cups Light Brown Suger, Packed
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Lb. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (This weekend I used half chocolate/half white chocolate)

Preheat over to 350 degrees

Mix butter and sugars until light and fluffy in electric mixer
Add the eggs, one at a time
Add the vanilla, peanut butter, and mix
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and add to the batter mixing only until combined
Fold in Chocolate Chips

Bake for exactly 17 minutes, I typically use an ice cream scoop to lay the cookies on the cookie sheet and they make a medium sized cookie.

Southwest Chopped Salad

This is the perfect salad for a hot summer night!  I paired this with a Simi Cuvee we got in Sonoma last December for my husband to enjoy :).  Any riesling or slighter sweeter wine compliments nicely

1 Head of Iceberg lettuce chopped into small pieces

1/2 Red Onion chopped into small pieces

1 Small Can Black Beans, Drained and washed

1 Small Can Shoepeg Corn, Drained and washed

1 Small Red Pepper

1/2 Pint of Cherry Tomatos cut in half

1 Large Avocado

2 Breasts of chicken chopped into pieces, cook on the stove with cumin/paprika seasoning

1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro

1/2 Fresh Squeezed Lime

Sprinkle With Mexican Cheese

Top with Tortilla Strips

Dressing: Any Chipotle Ranch you find that you like!  I feel like everyone has different tastes for dressing!

Pregnancy Favorites

Once again I find myself constantly thinking about all the blog topics I want to write about each day and my struggle to find the time to do it.  It has been a crazy few months and we are in the final stretch before we meet our little munchkin.  To say the least I am getting really, really, excited to meet our little munhckin.  As I have said in previous posts I have had a great pregnancy, and feel very blessed for this.  I have been eating healthy the majority of the time, and working out everyday to keep my energy levels up.  I haven't had any super weird cravings with the exception of the (mushroom, meatball, and pickle pizza one night) but have certainly developed a list of favorites in my diet.  We just came off a three week trip up North where to say the least I indulged in some fabulous New England eats.  The ice cream in New England is like nowhere else, Florida does not have any homemade Ice Cream places like my hometown fave Carter's in Bradford. I figured I would share some of my pregnancy favorites from food to miscallaneous items.  I will try to keep the list at bay!

1. Terra Blue Potato Chips: Amazing, Jetblue serves these on their flights and that is where I became addicted.  You can find them at pretty much any grocery store and they are better then real potato chips!

2. Fruit Salad: easy enough, my favorite mix is strawberries, bananas, razzies, bananas, kiwi, peaches, grapes, and cantaloupes

3. Simply Lemonade:  This is actually a big pregnancy craving as I typically don't drink sugary fruity drinks and I need this everyday.  I usually do half water half lemonade.

4. Summer Sanders Prental Work Out:  I tried a half a dozen prenatal DVD's and finally stumbled across this one.  The challenge is many pre natal DVD's don't make you sweat or make you feel like you have worked out.  Yes you are suppose to keep your heart rate under 150 but if you are in shape you want something more and this does it!  I usually add in a couple of cardio boosting moves in between sets to get the heart rate up a bit.

5. Crocs Adrina Jelly Slippers:  Traveling through airports in heels has not been working for me these days!  I discovered these great shoes that are super comfy!  I have always been a fan of Crocs Mary Janes, but these are just kind of fun, and I get a lot of compliments on them!

6. Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches:  This is my way of trying to control the ice cream craving, they work the majority of the time. 

7. Belly Buds:  I just bought a pair of these babies, and I love how they stick on your stomach and allow the baby to hear music without you having to hold headphones to your tummy. 

8.  Erin and Timmy:  Erin is my massage therapist at SB Spa in Tampa and I love her.  Timmy is my pedicure guy at Venetian Nails and the man gives the BEST foot massage in the entire world (besides my husband of course) This is going to be a hard one for people to get unless you visit Tampa.

9. Dear Baby Blog:  I have a whole list of baby blogs I follow but Dear Baby is one of my favorites.  Melissa also just started blogging on Babble which is another great blog I follow.

http://dearbabyblog.com/

10. Dad's Pregnant Too Book: John and I had a date to Barnes and Nobles early on in my pregnancy to pick up some books to start reading to the baby, and for us to read as well.  John had gotten some great books on preparing to be a dad from others but this is hands down the best one and a gift I will certainly start handing down to friends that become pregnant for their husbands to read.  It is hysterical!

11. PopCorners: I am obsessed with this snack as well! The thing that stinks is I can not find them in grocery stores.  I am going to order direct from the website this week.

12. Whole Foods Chicken Salad:  We were up in Boston and the Whole Foods there did not have the same chicken salad as the Whole Foods in Tampa which was a major bummer because it is my favorite.  The whole foods classic chicken salad is delicious.  These are the ingredients I can tell are in it: Scallions, Cilantro, Red Onions, Chicken, Mayo,Basil, Lime and I don't know what else but sssssssoooooo good!

13. Snoogle: This is a ginormo body pillow that keeps me in place at night considering I am always flipping on my back. 

14. Guacamole: See previous post, but avocados and guac have been my favorite. I actually got into a disagreement with a woman at Whole Foods about avocados being healthy for your baby.  Too say the least this woman had the nerve to say to me that eating to much avocado each week was bad for the baby and that she was a nutrionist.  My response was "Actually they on the top ten best foods for your baby while pregnant, and I am going to eat as much as I want." Then walked away with a bag of six avocados.

15. Pirates Booty: Yum! Enough said!

16.  Last but not least my husband......I am the lucky one to only have him but my favorite part of being pregnant has been John singing to our baby, dancing with my stomach, reading books to the baby, kissing my stomach, and doing so many wonderful things to make this easier for me.  I am truly blessed and feel so fortunate to have him.  I also love how he is not afraid to show outward affection to the bump.  One of my favorite moments was him dropping me off at the airport, getting out of the car to give me a kiss, and kissing my belly in front of about 50 people in the baggage line and having the steward say how sweet it was.  He is truly the best!

Decorating Complete...For Now At Least

I have been meaning to publish this post for months now.   We moved into our new house September 1st and now in May we are finally feeling settled.  The newest addition to my decorating woes would be the nursery.  Which you will see in one of my photos below....it is a mess right now and for some reason I am being extremely indecisive about decorating.  This is very much unlikely me, as I am normally one to make a decision and get moving on it. 

Here is a tour of our new house.  One of the things I wanted to provide some detail on is our paint colors.  I feel like one of the hardest parts about decorating is finding the right paint color.  I wish I had taken before pictures of this house.  The entire house was painted bright yellow!  We repainted the whole house to make it more neutral.  Conveniently enough we had just built our house in GA and had really liked the paint colors we picked for the main areas in that house so we went with the sames ones here in Florida.  The color throughout our main area is called Kilm Beige by Sherwin Williams.  The darker accent color is called Latter by Sherwin Williams and is on the same paint swatch.  Being a very plain decorator I wanted to add some color to my office, bathrooms, guest bedrooms, and laundry rooms.  Under each picture I will write the paint color used.

The biggest challenge for us was finding a resale home in a devastated real estate market.  Unlike the Georgia market, Florida is much different when it come sto styles of homes and availibility of new homes.  When we lived in Augusta there was a huge inventory of new homes and we were able to build ours from scratch with everything that we wanted.  It took a little getting use to when we moved to Florida and everything was stucco, tile roofs, and tile floors.  I had Southern home withdrawals for a bit and wanted my dark hardwood floors, molding, and southern glazed cabinets to be converted to our Florida house.  Unfortunately in Florida those types of things really don't go with the houses down here.  When we moved to the Tampa area last July there was barely any new construction going on because the market was so horrible.  In Florida there are a lot of gated communities and "lifestyle subdivisions" to choose from that fit your needs.  When we started looking at homes I really thought we would never find something that we liked.  We literally looked at about 100 homes.  All of them needed work, many didn't have even the simple things we were looking for like granite counter tops.  Finally we came across this house and when I walked in John smiled at me because by that point he knew that I would like this house.  Now mind you I am a woman, and there are still a list of things that I would like to change with this house. But right now I have to say I love our home, I love our neighborhood, and we finally are settled and ready to add another beautiful member to our family!  Although there are days when I miss Boston so, so, so, much, my family, my friends, the seasons, etc.  I have to say I love living in Florida.  It is a relaxed lifestyle, it is nice all the time, there is no state income tax (so you get a raise if you move from MA), and the cost of living is half of what it is in Boston.  Yes, this is my sales pitch for everyone to move down here :)  Enjoy!

Front of the House

Grand Room: Paint Color Kilm Beige Ben Moore

Kitchen : Paint color Latte Sherwin Williams

Dining Room : Paint Color Latte & Kilm Beige Sherwin Williams (Yes I still have not put pictures in many of the frames in our house)

Sitting Area (That white couch is ruined now that we have Palin. For some reason she seems to migrate there to prop herself up and look out the front door)

Master Bedroom: Kilm Beige

Guest Bedroom: Paint Color November Skies Benjamin Moore

Guest Bedroom 2: Before emptied out for the nursery, Color Nantucket Breeze Ben Moore

Now a mess trying to figure out what we are going to do for the nursery!

Office: Paint Color Silver Sage Restoration Hardware

Lanai

Our Favorite Spot at Night to sit out and relax with the cool Florida breeze!



I Guess We Can All Learn From Geese

I love passing along motivational stories to our team at work and this weeks "Weekly Inspiration" has already circled quite a bit so I thought I would post.  Although I think the purpose of this story was to be directed to organizations I think that the same goes for our family and our lifes.  Living life with purpose, and doing things to come together is what truly matters.  We all got caught up in the hectic day to day grind sometimes, and I love weekly inspirations because it gives me a moment to reflect quietly and make the simple changes that make a difference in all that I do. 

Enjoy!

A Lesson From Geese:

Fact 1: As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson 1: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Fact 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front of it.

Lesson 2: If we have as much common sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

Fact 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson 3: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each others' skills, capabilities, and unique arrangements of gifts, talents, or resources.

Fact 4: Geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson 4: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one's heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

Fact 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

Lesson 5: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

Strawberry Truffle ...An Easter Tradition!

I love Easter!  It has always been one of my favorite Holidays for 5 main reasons.  1. I still buy an Easter dress, and love shopping for Easter dresses.  If we have a little girl we are in big trouble as I have already found about a 100 dresses I would love to prance her around in.  2.  I love Easter dinner, we have traditionally had honeybaked ham w/ glaze, mashed potatos, carrots, asapargus, shrimp and grits, and many more 3. I love the feeling of spring and time spent with friends and family 4. I love Cadbury Eggs 5. And last and most important Strawberry Truffle. 

This Easter is different then pasts as it is first we are not actually spending with our family.  John and I are excited to spend a very special Easter with Amber and James, Palin and Lilly in Sarasota!  We can't wait to see them, have some rest and relaxation on the beach, and a delightful dinner on Sunday.  Hopefully a few games (that I will win) in between laughs and drinks (pregnant woman cocktails for me).

Strawberry truffle is really not limited to Easter, as it is a dessert I make for most dinner parties because it is an easy crowd pleaser.  I wanted to share my recipe with all of you to have for Easter and any other time when you want a delightfully delicious dessert!

Nicole's Strawberry Truffle:

2 Pints Organic Strawberries

2 Defrosted packages of frozen strawberries

1 Round Loaf of Angel Food Cake

1 Large Fat Free Cool Whip

Step 1: Pull Apart pieces of angel food cake and lay on the bottom of the truffle bowl

Step 2: Drizzle Frozen Strawberrys and one cup fresh strawberries over angel food cake

Step 3: Layer with cool whip

Step 4: Repeat Step 1-3 one more time

Step 5:  Slice Fresh strawberries and arrange on top

Enjoy!

My Favorite Things April~ Target Spotlight

Since things are starting to get a little tighter I decided to indulge in a little trip to Tar-Ge' to see what I may find to get me through this weird stage where maternity clothes are too big and some of my work dresses are a little too fitted.

So here we go...

1.  Merona One Shouldered Lace Dress:  I bought this in a bigger size to wear  on Easter and hopefully to my brother in laws gradation.  I love dresses and love this style, color, and price!

2. Comfy Robe:  I figured as I get bigger mine won't fit so I picked up one of these babies  perfect for summer, cool, and lightweight

http://www.target.com/Gilligan-OMalley-Slub-Robe-Bright/dp/B0047ZAV8U/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=robes&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-5&qid=1302133357&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=Gilligan%20OMalley%20Slub%20Robe%20Bright&node=1038576%7C1287991011&searchSize=90&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0

3.  Sheered Tunic: Very soft and comfy, and perfect with leggings.  Only $21.99, I was looking at a J. Crew one that is very similar for $68 yesterday!

http://www.target.com/Mossimo-Shirred-Collar-Tunic-Top/dp/B0041CN2GC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=tunics&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-2&qid=1302133531&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=Mossimo%20Shirred%20Collar%20Tunic%20Top&node=1041790&searchSize=90&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1041790&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0

4. Ponte Knit Skinny Pants:  I am loving leggings lately and tunics, these are only $29.99 and the fabric is actually fairly thick vs. that thin see through stuff I find most places.  They remind me of BCBG's leggings which are great quality but literally 4x the price.

http://www.target.com/Merona-Collection-Lavendar-Ponte-Pant/dp/B003OR8ABM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=black%20ponte%20pant&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-1&qid=1302133782&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=Merona%20Collection%20Lavendar%20Ponte%20Pant&node=1038576%7C1287991011&searchSize=90&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0

5. Knit Dress:  Nothing like a quick knit dress to throw on to head to the beach, or add a big necklace and a belt for a casual night out.  I bought this because I figured I would be able to grow into the A-Line fit and it would still be flattering.

http://www.target.com/Merona-Maternity-Scoop-Neck-Knit-Dress/dp/B004QJ25C2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=knit%20dresses&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-4&qid=1302133945&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=Merona%20Maternity%20Scoop-Neck%20Knit%20Dress&node=1038576%7C1287991011&searchSize=90&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0

6. Merona Cardigans:  Everyone loves cardigans and these Merona one's come in every color, and are only $17.99.  They are very similar to J. Crew's classic cardigan but I actually like how they fit a bit better as they are somewhat fitted to your body. I think this spring floral print would look great with a black pencil skirt, a skinny belt, and some black patent leather peep toes!

http://www.target.com/Merona-Essentials-Cardigan-Sweater-Purple/dp/B004GNGMHC/ref=sr_1_38?ie=UTF8&id=Merona%20Essentials%20Cardigan%20Sweater%20Purple&node=1041790&searchView=grid5&searchSize=90&keywords=cardigans&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1041790&sr=1-38&searchRank=target104545&frombrowse=0&qid=1302134032

7.  Rolston Patio Set:  I got most of the pieces of this patio set last year, but today decided to pick up the Chaise Lounge for our Lanai since it was on sale.  I love our patio set! It is affordable, looks, great, and we get tons of compliments on it!

8. Castela Trunk:  I found a seagrass trunk at Pottery Barn for $249 dollars, then I found this very similar trunk at Target on sale for $50.  I love the Seagrass look and wanted something to store extra sheets and blankets for the guest bedrooms.

http://www.target.com/Castela-Trunk/dp/B000UZVLQM/ref=br_1_1?ie=UTF8&id=Castela%20Trunk&node=14183021&searchSize=90&searchView=grid5&searchPage=1&sr=1-1&qid=1302135003&rh=&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&searchRank=salesrank&frombrowse=1

That's all I have but hope you enjoy, and maybe treat your self to something new and affordable.  I don't know when I became such a bargain shopper but I am proud of my buys!

Guacamole....My Favorite Food In The Entire World

I am obsessed with guacamole, and I always have been! Pregnancy thank the lord is no different, my biggest fear was that I was not going to want my delicious concotion, but the fact is I have wanted it even more.  We probably eat Guac at least five days per week.  One of my favorite gifts I have ever gotten was my guacamole bowl from a dear friend named "Nuda".  In fact JMS commented last week that this is our "Most used wedding gift and food item" The link below will lead you to where you have to go to purchase this baby. 
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/prep-utensils/molcajete/s395196

I figured I would share my secret recipe to all my fellow guac lovers out there.  The thing is I make guac and decide how much of each ingredient I put in based on the dayand how I am feeling.  This is what I use:

Nicole's Guacamole Recipe:

4 Ripe Hass Avocados~ Remove Pits and Mash in Bowl first before adding other ingredients

One Small Jalapeno Pepper Chopped

1/4 Quarter of a Red Onion Chopped

1 Small Ripe Tomato

2 Minced Garlic Cloves

Chopped Cilantro (As much as I feel like on that particular day)

1 Teaspoon Cumin

1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt

1 Lime Squeezed

Mash in your Guac Bowl and you have the most delicious snack ever!!!!!!!

 Enjoy!

My First Professional Article Published!

ASC A Smart Move Toward Future Stability in an Uncertain Future BY NICOLE SEMERARO

It has been a dynamic year for the ASC management and development industry. 2010 marked the busiest year in Physicians Endoscopy’s (PE) history of ASC development and 2011 is gearing up to top it. Some may wonder how this is possible, considering statistics show that ASC growth has leveled off in the past few years. With the uncertain future of healthcare due to reform, the question is what has caused such an increase of physicians interested in developing new centers or to sell equity ownership in their existing centers?

Nicole Semeraro

There is no single answer to this question. For some, the answer is to gain long-term stability and prepare for any future changes. For others, it is survival. With professional fees on the decline, physicians need to identify other revenue sources to tap in order to grow their practice. The answers can be different for every practice. Each situation is unique and equally complex, but there is a possibility for the positive outcome that the physicians are looking for.

With speculation surrounding healthcare reform and what it will mean, many physicians are recognizing that there’s strength in numbers. At PE we are seeing a large number of physicians that have not yet developed an endoscopy center wanting to do so now. We are also introducing the joint venture concept to hospitals and physicians, as potential new opportunities to encourage a long term relationship that creates increased efficiencies and long term stability. Many of our projects under development are made up of coalitions where physicians are joining forces to develop a center which has been their long-time dream.

When you look at how the market has evolved, you’ll see that a majority of large physician groups have already developed a center. You will also see a number of physicians that have thrived independently for their entire careers and want to retain that independence, while benefitting from ownership in an endoscopy

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center as well. For these physicians, the coalition approach is best suited for their needs. They can preserve their independence on the practice side, while coming together as a team to develop an ASC that provides high-quality care for their patients. It is also an opportunity for long-time independent physicians to forge stronger relationships with their physician colleagues.

This is the case for one of our centers currently under development in a historically challenging Certificate of Need (CON) state, a regulatory process that adds an entirely separate level of complexity to the project. The relationship began nine months ago when two of the physicians decided to set up a meeting with PE to discuss the possibility of developing a center. The physicians were presented an overview of the process, financial illustration, and appropriate next steps to move through the process. At the end of the initial meeting, the physicians knew they needed to do something, and agreed to continue through the due-diligence process to determine if it made financial sense. The end result has been five separate solo physician practices have joined together to develop their own endoscopy center. With the professional guidance necessary to align the physicians, Physicians Endoscopy was able to navigate this complex situation by putting together a business plan whereby all the physicians would benefit as a singular group. When asked why the physicians now decided to come together to develop a center, Co-Medical Director Bill Watkins, MD responded, "This is something that we had been thinking about doing for a long time and should have done years ago. The reason we came together to develop a center now involves a variety of factors, such as declining professional reimbursement. Also, we have seen our patients going to surgery centers outside of our county where they can get the same procedure done at a lower cost. We need to recapture this lost revenue. By bringing in Physicians Endoscopy, an unbiased third-party, to manage everything related to the center, we don’t have to worry about anything but our patients." Banding together five different physicians from five solo practices is no small feat. The most important part of the process for PE is to ensure that all physician concerns are addressed and all parties feel comfortable and confident in the decision. The integral role of a professional management company in these relationships is guidance and sharing its expertise in managing a number of different physicians in separate practices to make for a smooth transition that allows the physician to primarily focus on providing great care to his or her patients. At present the CON application is under review.

The second scenario we are seeing is where existing centers are selling a minority interest to management companies and other physicians. This is not just

Our latest acquisition in Augusta, GA is a prime example of acquisition for growth. An existing, successful endoscopy center sought the opportunity to become even more profitable by adding a management partner and recruiting area physicians. Discussions began a year ago when a group of GI physicians approached PE to help put a plan together. How could we position this acquisition opportunity to be a win for them, the new physicians, and PE? We agreed that the next step would be to identify physicians in the area to potentially join practices and buy into the existing center. In the state of Georgia, under a Letter of Non-Reviewability (LNR), all physicians must be in the same practice in order to do their cases at the endoscopy center. This makes the process a bit more complicated, but the physicians agreed to bring in PE to assist with those issues. Over a year’s time PE went through the offer and negotiating process, the practice merger, and the equity sale in the endoscopy center. Deals like this are extremely complex as there are so many moving pieces on both the practice merger side, as well as the center side. There are many decisions to be made and strategic timing of events in order to get to the final signing. The end result of this project was the merger of two of the largest Augusta

any acquisition; this is what we refer to as "Acquisition for Growth." We have been successful in identifying endoscopy centers within a specific geographic area where there are still physicians that could potentially join forces with the existing center to increase volume, utilization, and efficiencies. By coming together through the acquisition, these new physicians provide value to the existing center because increased historical volume of the newly merged group will increase revenue. The physicians gain a business partner with proven expertise to offer guidance and increase operational efficiencies. It is a sound investment that will secure their financial future.

"We believe that coming together will allow our practice to continue to recruit new physicians, maintain our income, negotiate better as a larger group, and continue to grow."

–

Assistant Medical Director,

Augusta Endoscopy Center

Rick Hodges, MD14 | EndoEconomics FEBRUARY 2011

area GI practices into one group and subsequently PE and the new physicians’ equity purchase within the endoscopy center. Why did this group decide to do this now? "It is something that we had wanted to do for the past few years. We did it for long-term stability, security, and planning purposes. We have two physicians that will be retiring in the next five years, and we believe that coming together will allow our practice to continue to recruit new physicians, maintain our income, negotiate better as a larger group, and continue to grow," said Rick Hodges, MD, Assistant Medical Director at Augusta Endoscopy Center.

No one knows what the future holds for healthcare. What we do know is that there will be changes, and there needs to be increased efficiencies in the delivery of healthcare at a reduced cost to the system. Endoscopy centers are the perfect solution for increasing efficiency, reducing healthcare costs, and streamlining care through proven methods of benchmarking. The above examples are ways to increase efficiencies and long term stability for the future. Coming together in an "Acquisition for Growth" or with other solo physicians in your area to develop a new center or enhance an existing center are strategic approaches to solidify your position in the market for years to come. This is an exciting and opportune time for you as a physician to make your dream of owning a center become a reality.

Nicole Semeraro, Vice President, New Business Devlopment.

She can be reached at

Ms. Nicole Semeraro joined Physicians Endoscopy in April of 2009, and has been in the healthcare sales arena for the past four years. Prior to joining PE, Ms. Semeraro served as Vascular Access Manager for one of the top five medical device companies in the world, Covidien. Her responsibilities included managing a team of sales representatives to reach company sales goals, generating new physician relationships, consulting with vascular surgeons on new devices, organizing and implementing clinical evaluations for new accounts, and training new members of the organization on key product lines. Ms. Semeraro started her career in pharmaceutical sales with Sanofi-Aventis, focusing on key product lines within the osteoporosis, insomnia marketplace. Ms. Semeraro earned her bachelor’s in marketing from Bentley University in 2005, where she played Division II volleyball. During her time at Bentley, she was a member of the prestigious NCAA Division II Student Athlete Advisory Committee where she represented student athletes from across the country on a variety of legislative topics that directly affected college athletics. Ms. Semeraro spearheaded the first ever NCAA grassroots fundraising campaign in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation which to this day still continues to grow and has thus far contributed over $730,000 to the children’s benefit foundation. nsemeraro@endocenters.com.FEBRUARY 2011 EndoEconomics | 15
Ownership