Lori Rivero, Realtor Coldwell Banker Realty

We all know what it is.. some deal with it better than others... some just don't deal with it at all... It is called STRESS. I can honestly say that I am happier now in my life than I have ever been.  I have a wonderful husband, and fabulous career, healthy grandchildren and grown kids that can support themselves!  (Parenting Goal 101 Achieved!)  But, I can also say that with all of the wonderful things going on there are additional levels of stress that I have determined can be dealt with in a number of ways.... Stress Level 1:  Your morning wake up is a text sent by a client, the boss, or the lender that keeps the world going around that says.... something is amiss............. OOPS... looks like I better drink my coffee before continuing the read of this text....... this is not a critical 911 text... yet... this we can deal with after the appropriate amount of caffeine. Stress Level 2:  This is the stress level that keeps you awake at night, not nec...

One of the many things you will notice when arriving in SWFL, along with the beautiful beaches, the outdoor dining, fishing, dolphin watching, golfing, parasailing, Parrot Head Clubs, and Tiki bars are  "The BINGO Halls"! My father-in-law introduced me to bingo at the Moose Lodge about 7 years ago... it was fun Thursday night entertainment, cheap drinks and winnings to be had.  But, one thing always stands out to me... the sea of gray hairs.... Admittedly, at first I felt uncomfortable and felt like I was in the wrong spot.. how could a crowd of 70 somethings be fun?   Let me be the first to say, Age is JUST a number.  I think I found my people! This is a group of people who have lived their lives as professionals, military men and women, truck drivers, secretaries, Mom's and Dad's, now Grandma and Grandpa, or even GREAT Grandparents... they come to SWFL from all parts of the country to call the Sunshine State home.  Some have accents making easy ...

So, I wanted to just share my story as a person who went through their first hurricane as a Florida resident... I have been here through other "threats"... and tend to follow the vibe of my husband, who went through Hurricane Charley, and lived to tell me about it. But this crazy storm of a size that no one had ever seen before, made me nervous. The images that were coming across the TV of the spanking Irma was delivering to the Caribbean were horrifying.   Okay, I was flat out scared.  When I saw friends and neighbors packing up and heading out, gas stations over run, and water and bread were no where to be found... I had to fight my own "flee" instinct.  I wanted to run. We were not able to leave as we cannot leave family behind.  A medical issue kept all of us from leaving together.  So, we set up camp with all of our provisions at my in-laws home.  I never could have anticipated the amount of work that goes into prepping your home and yoursel...

I was out at a vintage shop yesterday checking out the cool shabby chic and refurbished furniture pieces... each vendor has their own little space that is decorated with cute decor items and furniture... I am a sucker for this kind of shop!! I was walking through and noticed this phone....... it says  "OLD Phone"..........  it is a Bell phone... from Bell Atlantic........... and it is cool because it has the auto redial button....... how freaking cool is that? Now, we have computers in the palm of our hand that you don't even have to press buttons to dial... you can just tell Siri to do it for you! But, seeing this labeled as OLD made me think............ am I now considered Vintage because I had one of these phones?  Because I know how it works?   But, it also made me think about all of the wonderful benefits of having one of these............. versus the computer in our hands we can't live without....... When you called someone...... and they were havin...

Remember the days of RSVP's, returning a phone call after they left a message, picking up the phone to hear the beep of a vm left?  Remember when the cell phone would let you know that someone was on the phone when you called them........ so you could leave a message... and they would call you back.  Remember the basic etiquette of a response? I have learned that people have become such slackers in the department of phone/text/email etiquette. Not only do people not leave messages...... but they use the "missed call" feature of their phone as proof enough they called and therefore deserve a return call.  " Hey, you called me?"... My rule is, no message....... no return call.  If it isn't important enough to leave a brief message... it must not have been important to call me. Let's not start talking about FACETIME.... UGH!  There should be a proper etiquette about calling someone FACETIME.  Don't call before 10:00 a.m. or after 8:00 pm   unl...

Nothing screams health and happiness like a sick person on an airplane! Have you seen the show Fear the Walking Dead???   The prelude to the Walking Dead series?  The zombie apocalypse starts with a cough on the airplane! I flew from St Louis to Charlotte, with an extended layover in Charlotte before leaving to Tampa.  I personally don't mind layovers.... it gives me a chance to grab a bite to eat and people watch.  (Which btw is one of my favorite things to do)  I saw everything from a group of Catholic Priests to a yard of butt crack!  Seriously, when is this butt crack obsession going to end???  Pull up your pants!!! Personally, I don't like to fly.  I am a bit of an anxious flyer...... so I am a little "hyper aware" of my surroundings when flying.  I watch people carefully.... and worry about turbulence.. I hate it! This particular flight from Charlotte to Tampa was full.  People were a bit grumpy because the flight was ...