Another month, another box! This is so much fun and I encourage everyone to participate. It is so fun to choose gifts for someone, and of course to open a box having no clue what is inside!
Holly and I both suggested a green theme for this month's box as Earth Day falls in April. Kaitlyn listened and agreed! This is near and dear to my heart for obvious reasons: my love of Arbonne and pure/safe/beneficial products as well as my vegetarian diet. I was thrilled to share items I love and trust with someone!

This month, I was teamed up with Natalie from At Home with The Hinkleys and Nicole from Sparkle, Baby, Sparkle! I had a blast following and getting to know both.

Natalie is very fun and opinionated and blogs on just about every topic under the sun - really! Politics and current events one day to a Birchbox review the next. It seemed like a challenge at first, but I chose some products I thought were neat that would suit her personality and interests.

A lovely note of encouragement

Adorable travel-themed notebooks. I LOVE how portable these are

Method hand soap - in cucumber. Yum!

Reusable mug. Super cute! Fingers crossed that my clumsy self doesn't break it anytime soon - it is glass!

The good stuff! We all know Burt's Bees makes an awesome lip balm. They are one of my favorites.

Sweet Basil Grow Kit. Knowing me and my black thumb, I'm glad to have this as a redo (or just for more herbs) in case I messed up the first time.

I'm already stoked to see what May brings! It is so much fun to get to know people this way!

This week, Karla teamed up with Leah for some fresh questions. Enjoy!

1. What is the funniest thing your spouse has done? Bekah – The poor guy will never live this one down. I didn’t even know him when this happened, but it’s the first thing I think of. When he was in high school, he one day asked his dad/stepmom if he could have ice cream. They said yes. He then asked “where is it?” to which his dad sarcastically replied “in the cabinet.” I guess it was one of those days because he searched the cabinet and proceeded to say “I can’t find it!” Sean – Laughed and encouraged my “mama duck” spiel of feeding potato chips at Disney while eating lunch. Which goes back to my “mama seagull” days of trying to chew and feed Skittles to seagulls? Bekah - Yeah...I'm not explaining that. 2. What is your idea of a good date? Bekah – Ideally it begins with us both having the same day off so neither of us are stressed from other commitments. Anything that we can take our time is great – our recent date in DC was great for that reason – we were able to walk to dinner with no time frame thus we were able to take our time and really stop to notice and enjoy things along the way. Sean – Time to focus on each other and together time. Even if it’s just to laugh together watching a show or movie. 3. What is your favorite memory of you and your spouse? Bekah – I certainly miss having more time to spend together when we both worked closer to more traditional hours. We’re both so tired now and don’t do a whole lot. As much as I hated all the time volleyball used to take up in his life, I do miss the social aspect of the outdoor group he used to play with in the spring and summer as well. Sean – Any vacation. She’s far less stressed and we have so much time to spend together.

mini golf always makes vacation happy!

Bekah - SO true. Can we go on one now?
4. What are some activities/hobbies that you and your spouse do together? Bekah – I’ll be talking about Appalachian Trail Days in a post soon. We’ve done that missions trip three years in a row (and I’m heartbroken about not making it this year!). It is great to serve others together.

Sean – Trail Days, vacations, The Office, new restaurants and some ol’ favorites.  5. Why do think your marriage/relationship is successful? Bekah – When we say we’re best friends, we really mean it. There’s no awkwardness or hiding our quirks. We own our weirdness together and we’re fine with it. Also, neither of us are fans of conflict- we get enough of that from other areas in life so we don’t see a need to stir up drama with one another. Sean – We’re compatible. While we can be ultra-opinionated or stubborn, our personality is actually very easygoing. Besides, have we mentioned same Love Languages?! 6. What is your spouse's dream job?  Is he/she currently in it? Bekah – I’m not sure that he knows yet. I think gym teacher would be an ideal fit for him. He is a knowledgeable and skilled athlete and great with kids! Sean – I think it was something government for job security and chance for continual upgrades, but I know she doesn't like all the “sequester” talk so I’m thinking she’s thankful she didn’t get into all that. Bekah – yes indeed. It sucks making high school hourly money, but at least I have a job and it’s one I enjoy! 7. What is the best gift your spouse ever gave you? Bekah – The claddagh ring he got me our first Christmas together is a classic. More recently, he chose two sea glass pendants for me completely on his own – I was wowed because I hadn’t mentioned or asked for them. He noticed my hunt for sea glass while vacationing in Maine last summer and he took it to heart- the best kind of gift.  Sean – “The Shirt” from Notre Dame. The student body produces this annual tradition to help raise funds. She gets me one each year for my birthday. And it was me who started searching for the seaglass in Maine. We stopped by this cove just outside of a little coastal town and I started taking pictures of the wildlife and scenery, then started into a small pastime of shell and beach rock hunting when I noticed something smooth and frosted in the sand. 8. Where do you see you and your spouse in the next 10 years? Bekah – In our own home with a dog or two and jobs with non-conflicting schedules. Sean – What she said, and hopefully a couple kids, that would be ultra-ideal!
9. Is marriage everything you expected it to be?  Is it much harder than you thought it would be? Why? Bekah – People were ALWAYS going on about how hard marriage was, the first year especially. I was terrified that we would randomly get in fights over nothing and be miserable. It’s not like that at all. It’s what you make of it. We didn’t expect any drastic change to come about because of marriage and didn’t enter with unrealistic expectations of each other which I think helped. It has not been bad for us at all! Sean – Yes and nope.
10. Who is your spouse's celebrity crush and do you look like them? Bekah – I tease him about having a “man crush” on Brady Quinn and other Notre Dame athletes, so hopefully I do NOT look like any of them! Sean – Hers are also of her own sex. Reese Witherspoon, Pink, Julia Stiles. I don’t really know of any celebrity guys she’s into (openly). I think they can be attractive and respectable at times so sure, I like them. Bekah- Ha! Generally when I find a celebrity male attractive, I eventually find out he’s a nutcase, so I just don’t bother. Though Reese just got arrested, so maybe it applies anyway. :/

One of the best things about the spring and summer months are the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies. Even though it will be awhile before I will see these guys pop up in a local farmer's market, I can't resist the containers of strawberries I see when I enter the grocery store. Yum!

I often have to put dishes together in a rush when we spend time with friends because I get off of work at 6 p.m. vs. the conventional 5. I rush home, throw what I need to together, and rush back out the door to hopefully have dinner in my belly by 8!

Last week was no different. A friend of ours spotted a (delicious!) veggie lasagna at Trader Joe's and picked it up to share with us. I knew just the thing I was going to make...until I went to the grocery store and realized they didn't stock what I needed. Great. Time to improvise.



Using fresh berries and my tips to bake beneficially, I managed to toss together a light, yummy cake to finish off our meal together. It is super easy and you can customize it to your favorite fruit(s) of choice! Enjoy!

Summer Strawberry Cake 

Applesauce: 1/3 heaping cup


This recipe is linked up at Hungry Little Girl, Jam Hands, Coastal Charm, Hun, What's for Dinner? and Keeping it Simple.

A few months back, I noticed a sign in my local mall's food court: “mezeh mediterranean grill- coming winter 2013.” I hoped it would be SOON, cuz it sounded yummy as well as likely to be vegetarian friendly. They ended up opening that very week, but as I don’t spend as much time at malls as I used to, I didn’t get around to trying them until last week. I've already been back if that tells you anything!

All pics were taken with my phone; excuse the quality!

As the title implies, mezeh serves Mediterranean fare - in a fast casual setting. The caliber and quality of the place far surpasses your typical food court suspects. The best restaurant to compare mezeh to is Chipotle – plus more choices and minus the horrific line (though I hope for their sake and mine that more people discover and frequent them as I want them to stick around permanently).

The only location is in the Annapolis mall, but their marketing materials indicate another location in Maryland (Wheaton Mall, it appears they like Westfield properties!) is in the works.

The ambiance is clean, colorful, and fun. There is a blend of fun bright colors on their signage mixed with old-world details like the jars of oils and spices on the shelves.

It works like this: get in line and "start:" tell the nice folks what kind of entrée you desire. Just like Chipotle, you build on whatever you choose: pita, wrap, plate, or salad.

From there you "add" your dips (up to three, you can pay a small surcharge for more!) and main filler...

hummus, tabouleh, and more!

This is a favorite of mine:  There is more than one vegetarian option! You can pick fresh grilled veggies which look AMAZING, but you can also choose falafel (a vegetarian chickpea-based patty). Of course, there is meat as well - chicken, steak, or sirloin.

You then "finish" and top your creation off with an array of toppings and sauces:

My first wrap - falafel on laffa bread

What was left of said wrap

Service is prompt and courteous. They must know that they are going to have tons of ignorant Americans coming through who know nothing about their cuisine as they are very patient and courteous when explaining the choices set before you. (I’m sure they have a good laugh at our expense at the end of the day and that is OK!)

For instance, I asked about the falafel my first visit and expected a brief yes/no answer; instead, the employee quickly offer me some to try before I made my decision. They were also quick to make recommendations for what sauces, etc. go well with what you have chosen which makes for an easy experience!

There is no mistaking that everything in front of you is fresh. You can tell that things are prepared on site and not left out all day to get gross. The signage totes “more fresh, less preservatives” and I have no difficulty whatsoever believing this.



The other items they serve support this theory as well: I was thrilled to see they serve three different varieties of Honest Tea in their beverage lineup. They could have easily gone with a nasty fountain brand, but stuck with a reputable, quality tea (that is also local - they are here in Maryland!) and even gave us choices! I love it!

I ordered the same wrap on my second visit, and it was equally delicious! I swear I meant to order the veggies, but the falafel was so good, I had to have more! I'm not too worried since I am definitely returning often!

wrap #2!

Mezeh recently released a deal via Groupon which I JUMPED on, but I would be making this a regular spot even without the deal because it is THAT GOOD.

If you are in the Annapolis area or ever passing through, consider this your place to stop! Prices are right in line with typical fast casual fare: a wrap and iced tea run me $9. Not bad for a filling and tasty meal that I truly feel is healthy!

I was greeted by a lovely surprise on Sunday evening. Miss Holly Higgins of Back Home Again nominated me for the Liebster Award that is frequently circulating throughout blogland. Due to my perpetual need for acceptance, of course I got on things right away!



Here's how it works: the nominee writes 11 random facts about their self,  answers the 11 interview questions given by their nominator, creates 11 new questions for the  11* bloggers to nominate and mention  in a post. Finally, go and tell the person who nominated you, along with the people you’ve nominated about your post.

*Holly mentioned that origins of the award and original terms are a bit murky. Nominating others is of course good, but it doesn't have to be all eleven. I tried to go with bloggers around 500 or less followers as the impression I got was that the award was geared towards newer bloggers.

So, here goes. Thanks again, Holly!

My 11 Facts:

1. I never had an interest in school or grades until I was almost done with college. My first semester after I transferred to Bowie State, I got a 4.0 and became one of those GPA-watching maniacs!
2. I detest the color purple. I used to love it and it must have been overkill, because now I even avoid touching things if they are purple.
3. Ironically enough, I do, however, enjoy grape-flavored items.
4. I am terrified of jellyfish. Sharks, stingrays, most other ocean creatures are fine by me...but a program on the Discovery Channel scarred me for life and I literally freeze with panic if a jellyfish is near. I stopped snorkeling on my honeymoon because there were so many!
5. I'm also afraid of electric blankets. I'm always cold and my husband is always saying we should get one, but in my head, that will only end with a fire breaking out.
6. I LOVE LOVE LOVE dogs but have never owned one in my life. It's sad but I am still hopeful.
7. I've never been a big chocoholic....I may or may not fight you for funfetti cake, however.
8. "I'd rather fight you for something I don't really want, than take what you give that I need." I won a Valentine's Day contest this year. I fought to the death for prizes I didn't like when I realized my main opponent was cheating. I don't like red roses and the bracelet they gave away was not cute at all. But I fought to the death and won. Don't get on my bad side ;) The bracelet did however buy my new laptop. :)
9. I met my husband on match.com at age 19. 
10. Speaking of random facts, I love reading the ones on Snapple and other beverage lids!
11. I love hammocks. I have one purchased and waiting for the day I finally have a place to put it up and enjoy it!

1. If you could learn another language, what would it be?
I took Spanish for two years and enjoyed it. I would refresh that knowledge to be practical. For fun, I would also like to learn Gaelic because of my Irish roots.
2. What is your idea of a perfect date?
April 25 because it’s not too hot and it’s not too cold. All you need is a light jacket.

I kid, I kid. I like a day where we can move at a leisurely pace and enjoy something together in our time. No deadlines or rushing around, just the freedom to explore and take our time. Our recent trip into DC was a perfect example of this. After our cherry blossom cruise, we walked to dinner but took all the time we needed to stop and soak things in along the way
3. If you could move anywhere, where would it be and why?
I have serious wanderlust so this is hard, but in general I most often say I want to go to the south. I’m southern at heart and also not a fan of cold temperatures, so somewhere with significantly less winter would be ideal.
4. What is your idea of a perfect date?
You’re quite obsessed with dates. See #2.
5. Gold or Silver?
White gold. I am starting to appreciate both but most of my pieces are still in white. I am actually allergic to sterling silver.

6. Favorite store?
Yikes! Probably Target or Trader Joe's. They are good at taking my money. :D
7. Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Couples Sans Souci In Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Gorgeous! Dying to go back!

8. If you could live in another decade, would you and if so, which one?
I would love to visit all of them because history is so fun, but realistically…probably not live. Things wouldn’t be as comfortable for certain women’s needs.
9. What is your favorite season?
Spring/Summer! Love temps in the 70’s/80’s and green everywhere!

10. What can't you leave the house without?
My cell phone and wearing mascara! Darn blonde eyelashes.
11. How do you motivate yourself to exercise?
The key is to find something you enjoy and go from there. I like yoga so it’s easy enough for me to do that, and my rule for myself is that I MUST do something, anything else while at the gym before my class. Whether it is a rep of weights or 15 minutes on the treadmill, I’ve gotten exercise and I haven't put crazy pressure on myself because that is ultimately a setup for failure.

I am nominating:

*Bloggers Anonymous
Janna @ Faith, Love, and Hope
Karla @ Forever Newly Wedded
Michell @ Prowess and Pearls

*Bloggers Anonymous is new, and as implied by the title, anonymous. I LOVE what they are doing however and want them to have as much recognition as possible. Not sure how this would work for them.

My Questions for the Nominees:

1. What is the ultimate purpose for your blog? What do you hope to accomplish through it?
2. What personal goal are you working on currently? How are you going about it?
3. Share the best getaway/vacation you have taken and what made it great.
4. What talent or hobby did you used to pursue that you no longer do? Do you miss it?
5. What cause or organization would you most like to devote your time and efforts to? Why?
6. Looking back five years, is your life now where you thought it would be? What is different?
7. What piece of encouragement would you most like to give to a blogger just beginning her journey?
8. Do you have any pets? Share pictures and a fun fact about them if you do.
9. Share your favorite recipe that you have found in blog land.
10. In terms of social media, which do you personally enjoy using the most?
11. What are you looking for in the blogs that you will nominate?

I need to begin this week with some serious sponsor love. I look forward to this link up and it has all come about due to six degrees (or way less) of separation. I'm proud to now participate with both of these ladies and sport them on my sidebar:

Kaitlyn

It began with Kaitlyn @ Wifessionals: I found Kaitlyn because someone blogged about a Cara Box exchange. I knew  I wanted in and signed up immediately! I had a blast with my first box and am happily awaiting the end of round two!

Karla

When assignments came in, the blogger I sent to participated in this here Newlywed Game link-up courtesy of Karla @ Forever Newly Wedded. Sean and I have had a blast discussing these questions week after week.

Two of the nicest ladies and two of the most fun blogger programs ever. Be sure to check them both out and join in on the fun!


Now, onto the good stuff:





1. What are your spouse's top 3 favorite desserts? Do you make any of them?
Bekah – Of course I make them! I LOVE sweets and I love to bake. He requests the great pumpkin dessert most often, but also likes my spice cake and key lime dessert.
Sean – Angel food cake with strawberries, I want to say tomato sandwich because it’s her absolute favorite summertime lunch pseudo-desert, and kit kat bars. I’ve made the tomato sandwiches before which she said she doesn’t remember; maybe it was on this blog.
Bekah – you did mention it in this newlywed game. It’s funny that you consider it dessert…though it IS delicious.

2. What are your spouse's hobbies?
Bekah – Volleyball, volleyball, and volleyball with some Gran Turismo 5 on the side.
Sean – Blogging and animals.

3. What is your spouse's Love Languages?
Bekah – Thanks for bringing this up! We are both physical touch and quality time which makes things easy on us!
Sean – What she said.

3. What is your spouse's go-to music for the car?
Bekah – talk radio and old rock
Sean – She forgot alternative rock as well. She’s mostly top 40 with some indie stuff thrown in, she found Ingrid Michaelson and The Lumineers early on.
Bekah – Yep. It’s a point of pride but one of sadness. I am happy for their success, but very hipster esque in wanting to keep them to myself.

Why yes, that is a horribly unflattering pic of me, but yes, that is me with Ingrid herself!

4. What is one of your spouse's fears?
Bekah – I don’t think of him being fearful of anything. He did mention not ever getting a home when I asked.
Sean – Not having a puppy for our own. Not getting a house as well. Hand in hand

5. What is on your spouse's to-do list for the home? [So what are home projects your spouse wants to tackle? Or other projects, if not home related.]
Bekah – to get a home! Hopefully also to get the computer desk in a state where I can use it!
Sean – We need a home first. I finally accomplished cleaning off my old computer desk for the most part so she can blog. But for her to-do list I feel she wants a house. Although she did talk to her dad about building an above ground garden for our patio.
Bekah – Aww, he listened! It was too pricy…we’ll see if my $1 Target plants grow and take it from there.


6. What is your favorite date night activity as a couple?
Bekah – Getting food out or game nights with other friends
Sean – Stay-at-home date is dinner and The Office or movie. Another is Tuesday night game night at our friends’ church or dinner out or at a friend’s.

7. What was your first impression of your spouse?
Bekah – On our first date, he wore glasses and had that “smart” look. Not that he isn’t smart…but you know the type. I thought he might think he was more intellectual than me or better.
Sean – She was very cute just like her picture on Match. She didn’t put me off with her personality or lack of intellect so I wanted to get to know her more and go on another date. Our first date was a movie so I didn’t have to have an awkward first date dinner full of silence and not knowing what to do or say.
Bekah - My friends think the non-dinner part to avoid awkward conversation is hilarious!

8. What is your spouse's dream vacation destination?
Bekah – Ireland!
Sean – She wants Ireland as well, but for her I’m going to say Europe and also to go back to Jamaica (she says it whenever it’s cold outside).

Go back to this? You bet I want to!

Bekah – Yeah. I miss our honeymoon spot quite a bit and I also have serious wanderlust for anywhere I haven’t been so long as it isn’t covered in ice.

9. What was your favorite part of your wedding? Something you worked on, looked for, researched...just something you were proud of and glad to have.
Bekah – we were worried about not being able to invite everyone to the reception, so we had the receiving line take place in a “mini reception” with drinks and cupcakes and just relaxed socialization. It was laid back and I enjoyed it.

Sean – My absolute favorite part was how pretty she looked and to have the ceremony to make it life-lasting. Also another favorite part, yet sorta awkward (<- word of the day) was when the bridesmaids walked down the aisle and we made eye contact and they gave me a smile like they knew I was the luckiest man of the day. Almost all of them were married at that time so they likely just knew how happy their grooms were on that special day and perhaps they themselves remembered how happy they were that day.


Bekah – Wow! What a great ending to this week. We’ve been married almost three years and this is the first time I heard this piece about my bridesmaids. You ladies are awesome!

Ever eat something you haven't in awhile and think to yourself  "wow, this is good! why did I ever stop eating this!?" Usually this happens to me with old school candy (jolly ranchers, anyone?), but when I chose to go vegetarian, it was zucchini that surprised me with this situation. When they are served to me, I love them. I just forget about them and never make them on my own.

Since making the switch, I've been using zucchini and squash in general more and more, with pasta in particular. One of our go-to lazy night dinners is spaghetti with zucchini (yum!). My family came over for Easter, and I had prepared a veggie lasagna. I pureed most veggies and added them to the sauce, but left the zucchini in chunks to be enjoyed (mom loved it!)

Since I found myself making my third variation of pasta with zucchini recently, I figured it was finally time to share a recipe. It is super easy and you can use whatever veggies you have on hand or whatever your favorites may be. And again, for picky eaters, you can puree the veggies in a food processor so they get the nutrients without picking through chunks!

Veggie Baked Pasta

You Will Need:

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Grease a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic salt and Italian seasoning if desired.
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
Chop vegetables while pasta is cooking and mix with sauce.

Spread half of drained pasta in dish.
Top with half of sauce mixture and then cover sauce layer with shredded cheese.
Repeat layering process with pasta, sauce, and cheese.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.


Keep an eye on Back Home Again to see this recipe featured. Thank you, Holly!

If you liked this recipe, please show some love to two ladies on my sidebar who are fellow veggie lovers. Their recipes outshine anything I could put on here:

Mary @ Mary Makes Dinner and Cindy @ Vegetarian Mamma! The pics alone should make your mouths water. I'm especially wanting to try Mary's Chinese Cucumber Salad, and Cindy's black bean avocado quesadillas have become an in-home staple of mine! They are the reason I finally gave avocados a second try.


This recipe is also linked up at Coastal Charm.

Confession time for me. I LOVE my job, but you know what I absolutely can't stand about it?

I think it is just plain awful when we have the "now hiring" banner on display.

It's good to have adequate staff so we're not all worked to death, but in an economy that still stinks, everyone and their mother is looking for a job. Any job. They see our sign and some sense of entitlement comes along and the embodiment of all my pet peeves ensues.

Don't get me wrong, I am sympathetic to the need for work. It's just hard to be sympathetic when said people looking for work display such abominable behaviors  The things that I seem to see on a daily basis now make me want to abandon humanity altogether. So, let me help...in my own snarky, sarcastic way. In the words of my beloved How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, "it will be sort of a...''How to'' in reverse!"


If you're looking for a job, do yourselves a favor and listen up. A lot of these tips are nothing new, but maybe they will help you in your pursuits  Or, if you are happily employed, share in my misery and laugh at the insanity I am about to share with you. This is not polite, proper, or politically correct. It certainly isn't formal. But it is real. You are getting honesty here, and hopefully if you take this to heart, you can eventually get yourself a job:

• Do your research BEFORE contacting us: Yes, a sign saying "now hiring" is a bit vague. It is one of many methods we use to get the word out. All you have to do is find our website and read up on the positions we have listed. We even have an online application so you can apply right there! STOP calling us because you saw the sign and want to ask precisely what we are hiring for. If you are smart enough to find our phone number, I would hope you are smart enough to use the internet and get your own basic questions answered before tying up our phone lines.

• There IS such a thing as a stupid question: Oh, I could go for days on this one. The things I hear make me want to slap a "don't bother" post-it on your app faster than the door can hit you on your way out. THINK about what you are asking. Just some examples:
• "Will there be interviews?" (no, we call and say "you're hired!" if your name simply begins with the letter of the day!)
• "I saw the now hiring sign. Are you guys hiring?" (I can't make this stuff up, people!)

• Discretion, Discretion, Discretion: Oh, how I thought everyone knew this one. I guess not. Get rid of that AOL handle from junior high. Or at least pretend it doesn't exist when it comes to your job application. If your e-mail address contains the number 69, innuendo  the words "cute," "kitten," "princess," "angel," or the like, congratulations, you have gotten yourself noticed! By noticed I mean we are all smirking and giggling that you actually put this down on your app. There are plenty of free e-mail options out there. You can make one just for job apps and still enjoy your personal....whatever in your off time!

• Do NOT bring your parents into this: Nothing puts up red flags quicker than helicopter mommies and daddies calling to volunteer as your employment reference. Or pick up and drop off your app. Or call to ask why you haven't been called for an interview yet. Or, my co-worker's personal favorite: "I'm dropping off my son's application. Can I have one for his girlfriend? It would be cute if they could work together." Anything really. If you are old enough to work, put your big kid panties on and go for it yourself! If your parents are interfering now, we can only imagine how much worse it would get should you somehow get hired.

• How you treat ALL staff matters: Before you ever get to a "hiring manager" (stop asking for one, really, most places get too many applications these days to deal with every single one of these inquiries), whether you call, e-mail, or stop by, you will be dealing with other staff members. In our case, the front desk staff. Which means yours truly. If you are rude with me, or I notices issues with any of the above, your chances of getting any further in this process just got shot down. Other front desk staff (or any) will agree. Remember, hopefully you are applying because you WANT the job, which means EVERYONE you speak to will be your co-workers. If you act in a way that makes us NOT want you as a co-worker, we will be very quick to let management know.

• Finally...Applying does not entitle you: This is a tough one for a generation used to earning trophies just for participating. The job market is competitive and an application is only step one. It doesn't necessarily lead to anything else. Learn that now. It is sad and it is tough, but it is life. Just because you applied does not mean you will get an interview. With the demand for jobs these days, it doesn't even mean you will get contacted. Someone actually yelled at my co-worker last hiring season, saying "it's rude of you not to give me the chance to even interview!" Well, no, it isn't. It's life. It isn't fair. It will do you a world of good to learn that now- especially since you just violated the last tip I mentioned and have now gotten yourself blacklisted.