And that would be my favorite animal, the shark.

Shark #5: The Lemon Shark

One of the cutest guys out there, the lemon shark gets its name from its yellow-tinged skin, which provides great camouflage along the sandy bottoms of the ocean. They are one of the bigger sharks that (thankfully) aren’t aggressive to humans, making them great swimming companions. Slightly unusual, they are marked with two dorsal fins of similar size, and a blunt-tipped nose. At it’s max, they can grow to be 11 feet long.

Shark #4: The Hammerhead Shark

What a freak of nature, and I LOVE it! If your mother-in-law turned into an animal, it’d probably be a hammerhead. They’re known for their extreme aggression. In fact, their favorite snacks are stingrays. I mean, c’mon, you know you’re tough when you take on a sting ray! As for their most unique feature, that strange boomerang disk jutting out of their bodies, it’s actually there for a reason. They have highly advanced sensory organs spaced out along their heads, making them one of the best at scoping out prey. The great hammerheads can grow to be 20 feet long.

Shark #3: The Bull Shark

Though not one of my favorites, I had to include the Bull Shark on account of they’re just so dang different! Bull Sharks are mean, period. Unlike other sharks, they don’t mind the taste of humans, and will come back for some more. But that aside, they really are awesome. What’s the number one awesome thing about them? They are river cruisers. They have been found thousands of miles away from the ocean up the Amazon River. And get this, you know that leaping thing that salmon do? Bull Sharks have been seen doing the same thing up rapids to get to Lake Nicaragua. Plus their babies are just oh-so-cute. They’ll eventually grow to over 11 feet long.

Shark #2: The Whale Shark

What a fish! The whale shark, being the largest shark AND the largest fish in the ocean, can grow to be 40 feet long! Scary, huh? Not really, as they get their name not only from their giant size, but also by the way they eat. Whale Sharks are filter feeders, meaning they feed on itty bitty little krill, plankton, and similar sized fish. They are gentle creatures, and are great to swim with. They might even let you ride on their backs!

Shark #1: The Great White Shark

I know, I know. How expected of me to include the Great White. But how could I not? Where would we be today without this colossus fish? What about the Jaws series? What about Shark Week on the Discovery Channel? Fact: Great Whites are a lot nicer than they may appear. Well, maybe not a fact, but definitely the opinion of many scientists. They hate the taste of humans, they’re just cursed by an overwhelming curiosity! Also, they have nerves on the tip of their noses that when “tickled” makes them feel really good. They’ll actually come back for more! Plus, these guys have to be the most awesome eaters out there. Everybody’s seen the videos. They can actually propel themselves completely out of the water at 15 miles per hour to catch their prey. Yeah, you feel bad for the little cute seal for about 2 milliseconds, but that’s just too cool to care for long! They’re one of the largest sharks, reaching over 20 feet long, and over 5,000 pounds. And with their superman senses, they can sniff out the tiniest amount of blood up to 3 miles away.

And that’s my countdown. Overall I think sharks are misunderstood. I think they should be loved just as much as that cute cuddly kitten trying to claw out your ankle right now.

Want your own shark with you everywhere you go? Get the Save Our Seas license tag for your car. It has a Great White right on it!

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

Therefore, I will be sharing some fishy crafts that I’ve found that are both easy and fun.

To start it all off, we’ll be making this adorable Lemon and Lime Fish!

These are the supplies you will need:

2 lemons
1 lime
2 allspice berries
a red radish
toothpicks
a sharp paring knife

Once you have all of your supplies ready, it’s really quite easy to make these fish:

1. On your work surface, position the lemon on it’s side to form the fish body. If it rolls,
trim away a small slice to create a flat bottom.

2. Cut a round slice from the second lemon. Towards the back of your fish’s body, cut a small slit; insert the round slice to form it’s fin.

3. Also from the second lemon, cut a small quarter-moon shaped slice of rind. Make a small incision in the top of your fish; insert the rind to form it’s head.

4. From the lime rind, cut two same-size rounds; attach to the front with toothpicks to form fins.

5. Also from the lime rind, cut two small circles; attach with toothpicks to form the eyes. In the centers, attach allspice berries (pupils).

6. Cut a small slice of radish; attach with a toothpick to form it’s mouth.

And voila! Hope you have fun making this cute little fish!

(Idea and instructions found on About.com)

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

Have I got your attention?

Let me start with some background information. Scott, our tech mastermind, makes incredible food, period. If he sets his mind to cooking something, he doesn’t settle for okay or even good. He shoots for exquisite. I have not eaten something he’s made and not enjoyed it thoroughly

…especially his banana bread.

Scott decided it was time for another batch of his delicious banana bread, and brought some in for the office to share yesterday. Unfortunately, I was not in the office all day.

Now, this is not the catastrophe. You would think a whole loaf of banana bread could survive one day to be waiting for me when I walked in this morning.

But this is where the music goes dark and sinister, maybe throw in some dun dun dunnnns.

When I came in, I was not welcomed by ooey gooey goodness. No, there wasn’t even a crumb-topped plate left as evidence. Where did the banana bread go?!

Scott sadly gave me the news. It seems a banana bread thief snuck its way into the office, unseen and unheard. It then gobbled down all that was left of the banana bread, finishing the last delicious morsel just as Scott entered the room. And with an evil little giggle, the thief made its speedy getaway, leaving me empty handed and belly rumbling.

“What does this awful creature look like?!” you may ask.

Scott’s reply, “it had a strangely close resemblance to Erin”.

Oh, the horror.

Here’s an artist’s rendition of what this gruesome monster may look like:

Be on the lookout, or your banana bread could be next!

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

But they haven’t seen anything, yet.

Next up is generation z. You might not have heard of them yet, as they were only born as early as 1995, but they’ll be entering the workforce very soon. And like every other generation, they have their pros and cons. It’s finding a way to work with those pros and cons that will help make this generation a huge success in your business.

Let’s look at the cons, then pros of their different attributes:

In a blog written by Penelope Trunk, a writer on managing careers, she states that “generation z will not be team players”. Instead, they’ll prefer to get things done themselves. This can prove to be difficult to work with, but at the same time they don’t need loads of direction. Their parents, as a result of their overkill parents, are less likely to tell them exactly what to do, where to do it, and when. Therefore, they learn to know what they want, and how to push themselves to get it (a skill I’m sadly lacking).

Because they’re so used to fast-paced games, computers, and school work, they will expect this same high speed in their jobs. If you think gen y gets bored too easily, then watch out. But on the upside, you can utilize this speed tremendously in your business. They will sift through information at speeds we could only dream of. They will also multitask as if by second nature, in the end boosting their productivity.

But with these skills, comes a little attitude. In an article published by HRGuru, they warn companies that this generation places “even less priority on their career in search of more flexibility and balance between work, family and personal time”. They also have a mistrust of larger corporations after watching their parents get laid off, even if they had worked there for many years. This means you have to give them more incentives to choose your business.

Eventually gen z will disperse into the workforce with as much ease as any other new generation. After the bumps and grinds, businesses will see their true potential, and make positive changes to accommodate and utilize their unique skills.

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

After a long day of school and then work, I sometimes feel so overwhelmed I can hardly stand it. I’m one of those people that can never seem to shut their brains off. The answer to my constant worries, anxieties, and overall craziness?

Yoga.

I’ve recently taken up this form of exercise on a whim, and I can already see it transforming my life. I was amazed after my first session, seeing the difference I felt going in, and coming out a couple hours later. During the class, all the little thoughts that run through my head constantly were quickly stamped out. For once I could just calm down, and be. When the class ended, I was shocked at where the time went. The next session could not come soon enough!

To all of the stressed and overwhelmed people that need help to find relaxation, I would suggest you try yoga on for size. Journeys In Yoga on Magnolia Street offer a free first session, and I’m sure other places do as well. And don’t worry if you’re not physically fit, and can’t bend both legs over your head while balancing on one hand, because I can’t either. There’s a yoga for everyone, whether you’re an everyday person, or a living rubber man! I hope you find as much joy in it as I have.

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

• An internship outside of the United States.
• A work environment that is relaxed, and fun.
• A job that helps me brighten other people’s day.
• Some way to release my artistic endeavors.
• An ever changing product so I’m never bored.
• And of course, more chocolate than I could ever want or need for my entire life.

With this in mind, I have decided that I will become the next Willy Wonka, by opening a chocolate shop here in Tallahassee. This idea is perfect for me because it answers all of the basic things I want for myself. I can take an internship in Belgium learning how to make some of the most awesome chocolate in the world. The environment will be entirely up to me, so I can make it as relaxed and fun as possible. Chocolate makes people happy, so I’d be honored to give this happiness to the people around me. I can decorate my product and design everything to let the artistic me out. I’d always be updating and changing my product, finding the best recipes. And the best part is that I’d be up to my neck in sweet, delicious chocolate.

I’m more excited about this idea than I have been for all of my past career choices. I’d be making more than just your normal chocolate candies. I’d serve chocolate drinks, like chocolate milk and chocolate frappachinos. I’d make chocolate dipped fruits and cookies. I’d have a full chocolate liquor bar. And I’d also have some fun dipping unordinary things in chocolate, for the daring consumers.

So look out for my chocolate shop in a few years! And in the meantime, any ideas for a name?

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

When I went to England two summers ago, you could say I freaked out just a little when I heard the voice come on over the intercom, announcing some plane departure or another, in an English accent!

Basically I’ve found myself wishing I had an English accent for most of my life. And since I’m terrible at impersonating any accent whatsoever, I’ve finally found the answer to my wish!

I read an article about a woman that fell out of a moving truck, splitting her head from front to back. She had bad headaches and back pain, but for the most part was alright. That is until she found herself talking in a European accent out of nowhere, about twenty years later! She’s never been anywhere outside the US besides Canada, and has never taken a foreign language class. She has an extremely rare condition called Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS). Sound made up? I thought so too. That might be because there’s only been about 50-60 documented cases throughout the world, the first one being a Norwegian woman during WWII.

If you’re interested, you can read the whole article at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008315220_foreign27.html.

So my best bet is to have major head trauma, and hope for the best!

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.

><(("> Becca Carpenter

Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.