Insights, Advice & a Whole Lot More
Yankee Swap
The 2017 holiday season is in full swing, and as always, by this point in the year, I am getting tired. Our family has been to 6 Christmas concerts in 12 days…baked 20 dozen cookies…made (and decorated) 3 gingerbread houses…wrapped upteen gifts…and attended 8 holiday parties, eac
Sarah YakelDec 19, 2017
Purple and Gold…and Green
My alma mater’s football team is on a pretty impressive winning streak. The James Madison Duke Dogs won their 25th consecutive game in dramatic fashion this past Friday night. Clad in their signature purple and gold jerseys, they defeated Weber State in the quarterfinal round of
Nathan GilbertDec 12, 2017Cyber Thieves Don’t Take Holidays
Over this past weekend, I joined the masses of Americans out shopping for Christmas. I went to eight stores across three counties in under six hours. Afterward, I joined most of Fauquier County on Main Street to watch the Warrenton Christmas parade with my family. And, to end the
Sarah YakelDec 5, 2017Disney Cruisin’ – Vacation Diversification
The week before Thanksgiving, my family and I were fortunate enough to go on a Disney Cruise from Port Canaveral (Florida) down to the Bahamas. For a family of our size and ages, we have found that it is close to a “perfect” vacation for all of us. I don’t know that there’s any o
Nathan GilbertNov 29, 2017News Flash: Traveling With Kids is Hard
This past Thanksgiving week, my wife and I made the somewhat suspect decision to travel to the Gulf Coast of Florida and back (with a layover in Dallas) with our three children, ages 8, 6, and 3. While our time in Florida with family friends was a lot of fun, the travel part was
Nathan GilbertNov 28, 2017Counting Blessings
This weekend, our family went on a little mini-vacation to the Gaylord hotel in National Harbor. If you’ve not been, the hotel is quite stunning when decked out for Christmas. Numerous trees, twinkling lights, water fountain shows set to Christmas music, gingerbread villages—Chri
Sarah YakelNov 21, 2017The Annual Rotary Raffle
This past Saturday, my wife and I were fortunate enough to be guests at the annual Warrenton Rotary Raffle gala and dinner. It was my first time attending this type of event, and it was certainly a lot of fun. The purpose of the evening was to raise money for all of the wonderful
Nathan GilbertNov 14, 2017Deep in the Heart of Taxes
Sarah Yakel So, every relationship seems to have the fun one—the cool parent, the fun loving spouse, the crazy sister…and, as you may have already guessed, Nathan is the fun partner here. He posts about cool beer toting burros or cult shows like Stranger Things. I post about tax
Nathan GilbertNov 7, 2017
Stranger Things
I am not sure how many of you are fans of the hit Netflix show, Stranger Things, but my wife and I are pretty much addicted. Before I go any further, this is NOT a spoiler post, as we have yet to watch season 2, which was released this past Friday. I am sure some […]
Nathan GilbertOct 31, 2017
It’s All About the Dash
Last week, the ladies of Meridian all attended Leadercast Women, brought to Warrenton by LFCC Workforce Solutions. It was a powerful day of speakers and networking with other women in the community, and we all left with a lot to think about. One of the speakers was Dr. Bernice Ki
Nathan GilbertOct 24, 2017What the Heck is a Melt Up?
The new normal in our industry is media outlets and analysts alike coming up with the latest and greatest “term” that we should all be focusing on and worrying about. Lately, I have seen the term “melt up” used quite a bit, and it is somewhat obviously an oxymoron. I might argue
Nathan GilbertOct 17, 2017A Seinfeld Rally?
Most of us remember the 90’s sitcom Seinfeld—as one of Nathan’s and Sarah Irving’s favorite shows, it is often quoted here at Meridian. As for me, I am still afraid of licking cheap envelopes. Seinfeld also indelibly marked things like the Soup Nazi, Fesitvus, and yada yada yada
Nathan GilbertOct 10, 2017