This morning, I had my radio debut!
(Picture from Instagram! For those who asked about my maxi dress on Instagram, it’s Tart and I bought it on super sale through RueLaLa. I couldn’t find the print version online anywhere, but I did find it in black on Zappos.com. It’s super comfy!)
Remember about a month ago when I had a photo shoot on a Saturday morning at the Golden Ocala Country Club? Well, the photo shoot was for the July issue of Ocala Magazine. Every year, the magazine selects 40 local leaders to showcase in their “40 Under 40” feature. I was totally shocked and very excited when I got the email informing me that I was on the list and feel honored to be featured in the magazine this month along with 39 other incredible community leaders.
Since many of the people who live in Ocala have lived in Ocala their entire life, I sometimes feel like a bit of an outsider. Ocala definitely has that small town feel where everyone seems to know each other and it seems like many of those who may go away to college often move back and pick up right where they left off. It can feel difficult to break into such a tight knit community sometimes, so I felt very honored that Ocala Magazine embraced me as someone who is very new to the area.
This morning, I was asked to come in for a radio interview along with three other people from the 40 Under 40 feature. I met up with Stacey Rollins, the director of Hilton Ocala’s hospitality sales and Jaime and Simon Amir, twin brothers who own Christie Dental of Central Ocala, and we spoke with Kelli from Ocala Magazine on the air about what it meant to us to be part of the 40 Under 40 feature.
Kelli asked us all about our jobs and our community involvement. It was laidback and fun. We had a blast!
Oh! And I have something totally random that I wanted to blog about that popped into my head on the way to the radio station. If you are looking for a totally random gift idea for a female friend or family member in your life, I highly recommend the Ms. & Mrs. emergency kit! (I guess they are now Pinch Provisions emergency kits? Mine is a few years old and it looks like the brand has changed a bit.)
My mom put one of these emergency kits in my Christmas stocking a while ago and I threw it in the glove box of my car, figuring I wouldn’t really use it all that much. Well, as it turns out, I have used it a bunch.
The kits are full of random things you may not have in your purse but you might need in a pinch like a brush, stain remover, nail file, deodorizing towelette, wet wipes, nail polish remover, a needle and thread, etc. When my mom first gave it to me, I thought I wouldn’t really use, but it has saved me (and Ryan!) on a few occasions! This morning I used the nail polish remover pad to take off my chipped hot pink nail polish before I walked into the radio studio. It looked very unprofessional and I totally forgot to take it off last night, so I was very grateful I had that handy little kit stashed in my glove box!
You could also assemble your own little “emergency kit” as a gift for a friend/family member. They might think it’s kind of strange at first, but I have a feeling they will thank you later. I know this is a totally random tangent, but I just had to share!
Lunch
Moving on from emergency kits…
After our time on the radio, I met up with a friend and coworker for lunch at Earth Origins.
We all got the salad bar and I enjoyed every last bite!
Health Warrior Chia Bars Giveaway Winners
Congratulations to…
- Michelle: “These look awesome! I would love to try the PB and chocolate :)”
- Carah: “Coconut!!!”
- Laura Mae: “I am WAY EXCITED to try the coconut!!!”
- Tonya: “Either coconut or acai berry. They both sound awesome!”
- Bobbi Julien: “I would love to try some of the Chia bars. I am allergic to gluten, dairy, and soy and am vegetarian by choice. It’s very rare I find a snack that I can eat; that actually tastes good.”
All of the winners have been emailed directly to avoid confusion since the comments were all so similar on this giveaway and many people entered with just their first name. I hope you love these chia bars!
Question of the Afternoon
- What is one gift you received in the past that you thought was a little random that you ended up using a lot or absolutely loving in the end?
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congrats on being selected for the 40 under 40 list!! thats such an honor! and ahh it looks so fun to be in the radio station! and omg i love that emergency kit gift idea- co cute. have a great weekend!!
I have two friends who were also featured in 40 under 40. They’ve been in Ocala for several years, and you’re right everybody does know everybody here. Would have loved to listen to the source if I knew you would be on radio!
Wow, so awesome, that’s great about being on the radio, such a neat honor to have received! Also, that salad looks so refreshing on a hot summer day!
That’s awesome! Looks like lots of fun!
Totally random, but I recorded Bridezilla’s last Friday, watched it yesterday, and one of the featured pairs lives in Ocala lol
A tea pot! My dad is the random gift man…always something practical…it’s for making fresh leaf tea but it’s the perfect size for two ginormous cups and any tea bag does the trick. Love it!
JCrew sells those kits and I just bought one on sale for my girlfriend who is getting married in September. It has that new name that you mentioned, and I thought it was adorable and hopefully useful! I’m glad to hear you’ve used it a lot!
A Shake Weight. HAHA. I’m totally kidding. Although, my brother did give me one as a gag gift. Yeahhhh! But this is a really good idea because I’ve had times where I should have taken my nail polish off before entering a building. Definitely could have used this one!
What an awesome experience!! You are totally deserving!!
How exciting! What an honor to be chosen!
Congrats on the radio debut.
That sounds like it would be a lot of fun to participate in.
Congrats Julie! That is so cool that you were featured–you totes deserve it! <3
That is such a good idea about the emergency kit for cars/purses. Love the idea.
Congrats! Being on the radio is so exciting! My boyfriend gave me a watch for Christmas two years ago. It was a cheap style and rubber so I never really thought I was going to wear it. Turns out I wore it to work as a dog trainer everyday because the dogs can’t break it if they jump and hit it. Plus it was waterproof!
I’ve gotten an emergency kit before too! At first I thought it was pretty silly but it has saved me.
Looks like you had fun at the radio station. Your salad looks delicious!
That emergency kit is such a good idea! I am definitely going to use that idea for stocking stuffers. Congratulations on your radio spot and your 40 under 40 feature. I’m a new reader to your blog, but I love it so far!
I think the car emergency kit idea is a great idea. I’m going to have to keep that idea for the holidays. Thanks 🙂
Congrats on being on the radio! That is a really good idea to have that kit in the car! I can’t imagine how many times that could have been useful!
Hopefully we can get you a TV debut on FOX in the near future 🙂
🙂 Thanks so much, Julie! Loved chatting with you last week!!
When I graduated from high school, one of my aunts gave me a basic tool kit. I thought it was so odd but it ended up being such a useful gift. I used it all the time in college, hanging things in my dorm rooms and then when I moved into an apartment. It was a smart gift.
My two most random gifts that i was not a fan of when i received them were 1. An electric tire pump for my car from my dad (has saved me multiple times) and 2. A bread maker from my fiancé. I never mentioned ever wanting to make bread, but he got it for me randomly, and now I make my own bread every weekend and totally love it!
Congrats on your achievements!
Congrats! That’s such a cool thing to be a part of!
For Christmas last year my brother got me that infomercial cereal bowl that has two spots, one for the cereal and the other for the milk, and then you tip the cereal into the milk when you’re finally ready to eat it. It’s supposed to keep cereal from getting soggy I guess? Haha he knows what a cereal killer I am. Anyway, it was funny at first, but now I use it all the time! Not just for cereal but to keep chips and dip separated as well as other things. It comes in handy!
I remember back when I graduated from high school a friends parents got me a tool kit. I was really confused and quite honestly thought it was a weird gift that I would never use. They even told me at the time “I know this seems weird, but once you’re out on you’re own you won’t realize how often you’ll need this stuff.” That toolkit has saved me so many times! Hanging up picture frames, assembling furniture, etc. Every time I have moved since then I think of them.
I fully intend on paying it forward and using that as a gift idea for a high school graduation some day.
Congrats on your radio debut and your feature in Ocala magazine! That’s huge and you certainly deserve it with all of your hard work you’ve been putting in 😉 The salad looks amazing by the way! Strangely, my Grandma got me a flash drive once and thought it was the coolest thing ever and I use it all of the time for photos and papers!
Congrats on your radio debut!! How exciting!!!
The emergency kit for the car is a great idea! I may need to pick one up for myself!
Hmmmm. I always think the Soft Lips chapstick I get in my stocking isn’t as cool as the rest of my presents, but I always end up using it more than anything else!
CONGRATS! That is an awesome accomplishment! 40 under 40!
That is awesome! Your dress is super cute – I love RueLaLa but I never stay on top of it enough and the shipping sometimes takes forever….maybe I am the only one who has that problem?!
Congratulations on your radio debut!
I love the idea of an emergency kit. It reminds me of those DIY kits that are put together for bachelorette parties but mostly as gags Haha! Yours is much more functional 🙂
Aww congrats on the debut!! Sounds like it went really well.
I’ve seen those kits before and thought of getting one. I always forget to take my nail polish off when it gets chipped and have had to go buy remover many many times.
HAHA. When I saw the first picture of the emergency kit pouch I thought the nail polish remover pad was a condom….. different kind of emergency. Congrats on the radio debut and the award! So well deserved.
Congratulations on your radio debut, that’s awesome!
Congrats for getting picked, that’s awesome! Looks like a lot of fun. Also, your salad looks to. die. for.
Congrats on being selected–I’ve had friends chosen for our city’s “20 under 20,” so I know something like this is a huge honor.
Oh, and I feel like I need to run to Target and the drug store to make up my own emergency kit for the car. Great idea (who cares if it’s random?)!
That’s awesome that you got chosen!! Congratulations!! And that kit you mentioned is such a great idea – never heard of them! I may have to give friends that for presents!!
Congrats Julie! This is fabulous — hard work pays off!
That’s awesome you got to be on the radio! Those emergency kits are such a good idea!
congrats, that is exciting and an honor. What sort of community involvement do you have? Are you still active in the Junior League?
Congrats! That’s awesome that you were chosen. Hopefully this will ease your uneasiness about belonging to the community.
I have gotten so many gifts that I would scratch my head when I got but then wind up using them all the time! I really do love USEFUL gifts! I never give people birthday presents or presents in general that they will NEVER use – I ALWAYS make sure it has a part in their lives, even if it’s a Whole Foods gift card! LOL! – THAT will be used for sure!
I always look forward to seeing who makes 40 under 40! I was very excited to see you featured! Congrats!
Wow! I love your dress. You look so amazing. It’s nice to hear that you had a good time during your radio interview. Also, the lunch is super delish! 🙂
Woops! I accidently entered the giveaway that’s already over. Congrats to the winners though! And congrats to you on your radio debut and being honored like that! 🙂
The most random gift was the one I got my from dad for my bridal shower over 8 years ago. He had my mom give it to me last and it was my own tool kit! I was sooo excited! Even though Gary has tons of tools at our house, I use it in my office ALL THE TIME & think of my sweet dad! 🙂
Wow… what an honor. I hope I can make a difference in my community like you have 😀
What a cool opportunity and congrats on such a great honor! 🙂
Congratulations! What an honor! How neat to be on the radio. My mom gave me an electric blanket for Christmas one year. I kind of rolled my eyes, thinking I’d never use it. Well, during the winter, I use it just about daily. 🙂
Congrats on the 40 Under 40! I live in the area and knew 3 other people on the list this year, too. It’s definitely something to be proud of!
Congrats!! Love your dress!
That’s awesome you were on the radio! How big is Ocala?
My cousin gave me an emergency kit from J Crew for Christmas this year! So funny how much they can fit into those tiny bags… and there are things in there that you don’t realize you need until you need them! Love that you wrote about this.
I absolutely love those Mr. and Mrs. kits! I use to work at a small boutique that sold them. Just so you know they make ones for a bride-to-be to give to her bridesmaids (or at least they use to). Just a thought for your sister’s upcoming wedding!