Play More, Laugh More, Live More

50th Anniversary Cruise

2012-01-22T15:54:00.002-05:00

Last week we went on a cruise with 22 of us to celebrate my grandparent's 50th anniversary. It was fantastic and reminded me why I love my family.

Day 1: Swimming with the Manatees in the Crystal River

Day 2: Disney Half-Marathon (#14 in tutus) and watching the 50 years of Fig Newtons video that my dad made.

Day 3: First day of the cruise. Let the eating begin.

Day 4: Day at sea + 1st formal night.

Day 5: Swimming with the Stingrays and Pounce

Day 6: X-Rails in the Mud in Cozumel

Day 7: Monkeys + Shark Feed in Roatan, Honduras

Day 8: Ruins in Costa Maya, Mexico

Day 9: Anniversary Celebration + Final At Sea Day

Overall it was a really fun trip and we are looking forward to our family reunion this summer and hopefully another cruise in a couple of years.

5-Year Anniversary

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Richie and I celebrated our 5th anniversary last week! Because we got married so close to Christmas, this is the first anniversary that we weren't with family. Since we're going on the cruise next week, we decided to keep it low-key and just do dinner and exchange presents after dinner.

We had dinner at Vermillion in Old Town Alexandria and not only was it delicious, but they gave us a free dessert and cute little happy anniversary card when they found out it was our anniversary. I wanted to take a picture of the entire meal because it was all plated beautifully, but I couldn't resist this cute childhood reminiscient dessert we had. Can you pick out the oatmeal cream pie, snickers, and hostess cupcake?

After dinner we went home and exchanged presents. When I said that this was my only craftiness for 2011, I lied. I based Richie's gift off of a couple of ideas I saw on Pinterest here, here, and here and merged them together to turn it into my own Date of the Month Club. The basic idea is that I put together 12 prepaid dates for Richie and me to enjoy together over the next year. Because they're prepaid and planned already, we'll actually do them. I decided to put the dates into a scrapbook for two reasons - I thought it would be cuter to display them and that way we can go on the dates and replace the gift cards and vouchers with mementos (movie stubs, pictures, etc.) from the dates into each month and turn it into a keepsake of the year as well.

Since I took the time to put this all together, I had to make sure the package itself looked cute.

Inside the scrapbook I did an introduction note, all of the promised goodies, and a page for each month's date. If I was really crafty and had a lot of time, this would be much cuter. But I'm not, so it's not.

Since you probably can't read anything in my awesome pictures, here's what my date of the month club (borrowed from Love, Actually) includes:

A bag of Hershey's kisses that are redeemable for the real thing
Romance Reward coupons for different things like a massage, treat, etc.
One all-inclusive paid vacation for two (Groupon for a hotel + breakfast)
12 prepaid dates

And the dates I decided on that work specifically for us are:

January - Movie tickets to go see Sherlock Holmes and Coldstone gift card
February - Romantic Valentine's Day Date
March - Gift card to a restaurant where we had one of our favorite meals
April - New card game + gift card to Buzz Bakery for dessert
May - Richie's birthday date; a movie, gift card to Five Guys, and other treats
June - $20 to go get breakfast at the Old Town Farmer's Market
July - $20 for dinner and schedule of National Harbor summer outdoor movies.
August - Eastern Market card from our DC Walks + $20 to buy goodies
September - Subway gift card to take on a bike ride and picnic
October - Information for the Maryland Renaissance festival
November - Richie's choice of dinner at the 100 Best DC area restaurants
December - Go see the lights and a performance at the DC temple

2011 New Year's Eve & Party Ideas

2012-01-01T13:04:00.002-05:00

Last night Richie and I co-hosted a New Year's Eve party with our good friends, the Morgans, that live in our same building. And after last night I've decided that I'm never hosting a party alone again. Having another couple help out made setup, cleaning, and cooking so much easier, especially since they just live downstairs and could go grab things that I forgot.

If any of you have ever been to one of our parties or done anything with me, you know I'm a planner. I'm okay going to a party that is just people hanging out but I like to be creative and throw in a couple of small things to make the party more memorable. So when we decided to throw this party I started searching the internet for New Year's Eve party ideas for adults. And there were a couple of things out there but most of them were types of drinking games or other things I didn't think were appropriate for our group. So using things I've seen on Pinterest as inspiration, I planned the party on my own. And hopefully the next person that Googles New Year's Eve Party games for adults can get ideas from our party.

Decorations

I tried to keep the decorations simple but unexpected. The noisemakers were really cheap at the party store and the stars were leftover from our Black and White Party last year. I saw this balloon chandelier on Pinterest a while back and knew I was going to try it at our next party. It was so simple to make (put pennies or marbles in the balloons to weight them down) and it was a hit.

Fun & Games

Another idea I saw on Pinterest was a mom that made countdown bags for her kids to help them stay awake until midnight. Her bags were full of cheap treats and goodies. I thought the idea was fun and came up with the idea of doing countdown boxes with games and prizes for each hour of our party. We didn't actually end up opening the boxes right at 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00 but it was somewhere in that hour that seemed like a good stopping point for the group.

Each box was based on a theme and contained three different things - the theme, a game/activity, and a prize. The 9:00 box was all about the past year with the theme "We Were There." The game was 2011 events and pop culture trivia and the prize was movie tickets. It was pretty entertaining to see how frustrated people got when they couldn't remember things like who won the Super Bowl. I was pretty impressed, out of 31 total points possible the winner got 21 correctly. Email me if you want to see the trivia questions I came up with.

The 10:00 box theme was New Year's Resolutions and looking forward to 2012. The game was to match celebrities to their 2012 New Year's resolutions. Luckily enough there were a number of articles with resolutions for the stars. This one was pretty fun because it was really just everyone guessing to see if they could come up with the right answers AND some of the stars' resolutions were hilarious. My favorite was Rob Kardashian's resolution to launch his new dress-sock line successfully in 2012. What was even better was that the winner of this game got 8 out of 11 resolutions correct by sheer guessing. He won a $12 Panera gift card for his efforts.

The final 11:00 box's theme was celebrate. It was filled with noisemakers and toys for celebrating the new year. There wasn't really a game associated with the theme other than one of the noisemakers had a lucky sticker on it (I didn't tell anyone while they were choosing). The person who picked the lucky noisemaker won a $12 Target gift card because who doesn't love Target. The best noisemaker of the night, however, was the conch shell brought by our friend Ryan.

And finally for the midnight celebration we broke out the sparkling juice - red grape, white grape, and apple cider - with fake plastic champagne cups. Because plastic champagne cups makes drinking sparkling juice way more fun.

The Food

Again, we tried to keep the food as simple as possible. We made most of the savory dishes and our co-hosts brought some beautiful looking desserts. Most of our savory dishes were better hot so we prepped three batches of each and just kept throwing things in the oven for a few minutes when they started to run low. It worked beautifully and I don't think anyone was ever hungry. For the first time I ever I also copied all of the cute parties I've seen out there and made fun labels for the food. It was easy and amazing how much cuter it made the whole setup. Oh and of course we had to have drinks - citrus water, lemonade, and diet coke.

We also had this really good cowboy chip dip, buffalo chicken dip (so easy), and everyone else brought either a sweet or salty snack to share. So yes, we had plenty of food. Email me for any of the recipes.

Party Favors

One of the first things I decided when starting to plan the party was that I really wanted to send people home with something. We ended up sending everyone home with plates of food so we didn't have to keep it all, but I wanted to send them home with something else. When I searched the internet the only ideas I could find were breakfast and hangover remedies, neither of which really seemed appropriate. So I decided to make a CD, not of the top Billboard songs from 2011 that most people have heard on the radio a million times this year, but of our favorites songs from 2011. It definitely included some of the biggest hits (Rolling in the Deep, Party Rock Anthem, Last Friday Night), but it also included some of our favorites that people probably have never heard (Bulletproof Weeks by Matt Nathanson, Eyes Like Static by Rocky Votolato). And I know people don't really CDs anymore but I figure they can put it on their computer on iTunes and listen to it however they listen to music. And they were a simple way to say happy new year as people were leaving. Email me if you want the full 20 song list.

And that's it. The party was completely planned, shopped for, setup, thrown, and cleaned up in less than 48 hours. Everything was fairly simple, and that's how I think parties should be, but it all came together really well and everyone had a blast (I hope).

What I'll Do for Motivation

2011-12-11T19:38:00.001-05:00

I'm running another half-marathon in less than a month and I haven't run once since the marathon six weeks ago. Not the best training plan. So yesterday I made a bet with my little sister, dad (who runs constantly), and brother that I could run as many, if not more, days than they could between now and January 5th. If I lose, I shell out $100 to whoever beats me.

I first started running in 2004 because my sister-in-law laughed when I said that I was going to run 5x a week until her wedding. I did it and have been running off and on ever since. It's about time to get back into a routine of running regularly and I figure nothing else has motivated me, so why not try out a full-fledged competition. It worked once before and hopefully it'll work this time. My new routine starts with a morning run tomorrow. Between my running bet and my new eating plan, I'm hoping to lose the five pounds I'm guaranteed to gain on the cruise in January.

Here goes nothing.

My Craftiness for 2011

2011-12-05T00:26:00.001-05:00

I saw this idea on Pinterest over Thanksgiving break and decided it was about time I break out the Christmas stamps, ribbon, and craft supplies I bought last year. And unlike so many of the other crafty ideas I've tried in the past, I didn't fail miserably. I think this idea might just stick because brown paper packaging (craft paper) is cheaper than wrapping paper and this was not only fun but fairly simple. And who doesn't love a red-nosed Rudolph?

12 Days of Christmas My Way & Giveaways

2011-11-30T23:46:00.002-05:00

I love surprising people with out of the blue gifts, thank you notes, etc. Anything to make them smile. I also love putting together Christmas lists and buying everything on them for myself. Oops.

And this year I'm celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas my way - giving away all sorts of goodies to make people smile and giving you all the chance to win a gift for yourself. If you've never read my book blog before, now is the time to start. Each day for the next 12 days I'll be posting a Christmas gift idea and a chance to win that gift. And I won't tell if you keep the prize yourself.

It all starts now with a $25 Amazon gift card. So get moving and make sure to check back every day to see what else you can win for your holiday stash. Here's a sneak peek at all that's coming. All I can say is that if I wasn't already going to feel guilty about the dozens of Christmas cookies I'm going to eat, then I might have to rig the giveaways to win these for myself.

Why I Want to Get Healthy

2011-11-27T23:47:00.000-05:00

I'm going on a cruise in January with basically the entire family to celebrate my grandparents' 50th anniversary. Everyone else in the family has been getting healthy and losing weight. Me? Nope. I've been eating striped delight until I have to lay down and watching Modern Family reruns. All of that stops tomorrow. I've got 20 lbs to lose by January 7th and since five of those pounds are ones I put on eating mashed potatoes and rolls over the Thanksgiving break, it should be doable. I'm going to check in here on a regular basis to track my progress and keep myself accountable.

Want to know another reason I want to lose weight? Apparently it's easier to be pregnant and lose the weight after if you're in good shape before you get pregnant. And no, I'm not pregnant so don't get any ideas. This does not mean that if I lose the 20 pounds that I'm going to try and get pregnant but it's a good step in the right direction for someday.

I know 20 lbs is ambitious but I'd rather be ambitious than not push myself and settle for something less. I'll be happy as long as I try my best. Heck, I ran a marathon. That means I can do anything right? Wonder how long it'll take for that to wear off. Here's the plan.

Exercise
20-30 minute strength/interval workout 5x a week (Jillian, Biggest Loser, Body for Life)
Run 3x a week - 2 short runs (3-5 miles) + 1 long run (6-12 miles)
Yoga 1x a week

Eating
Follow the 17-Day Diet plan starting Cycle 1 again tomorrow.
Cycle 1 consists of lean protein (ground turkey and chicken really), limited fruits, limited vegetables (non-starchy ones), probiotics, and lots of water. No sugars and no carbs for 17 days.
Cycle 2 will begin on Day 18 and adds in more lean protein (shrimp), more fruits, more vegetables, and limited carbs (oatmeal, etc.).

Extras
15 minutes of scripture study a day
Blogging/updating on my progress at least weekly

Lemon Cake Pops Giveaway

2011-11-13T23:37:00.000-05:00

Do any of you remember about a year ago when I went all crafty and tried to make cake pops? You don't? Well, all you need to know is that I failed miserably. And that there are people out there who are brilliant and will just make them for you. Let me introduce Debra Drake, the owner of Sugar and Spice.

Debra is a full-time business major with a passion for baking and crafts. She started making cake pops as a way to combine the two into one fun hobby and has since made over 2,000 cake pops. She began Sugar and Spice in January 2011 and has been making cake pops (and other goodies) ever since.

She's also generously offered to give away a dozen of her lemon cake pops to one lucky reader of either this blog or my book blog, Book Nook Club. These fresh and light lemon cake pops are sure to satisfy your sweet craving for lemon. Sugar and Spice's lemon cake pops decadently moist, covered in yellow candy coating and hand-piped elegant swirls. I'm still trying to figure out a way to win this one for myself.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. You can earn an extra entry by checking out her Etsy store and telling me what you like most or by liking her Facebook page. Giveaway is open to US and PR residents only and ends at midnight EST on Tuesday, November 15th.

Secrets to A Successful Shopping Spree

2011-11-12T23:41:00.000-05:00

Over the past six months I've accomplished quite a bit - overhauled my book blog, ran a marathon, completed some large projects at work, and transitioned into a dinner cooking lawyer's wife (I cooked dinner three times last week). So when I got my Gap/Banana Republic Friends & Family coupon for 30% my entire purchase this week, I decided this weekend was a great time to celebrate my accomplishments.

I'll preface this by saying that I have a lot of clothes, but I hate shopping. Correction, I hate shopping with other people or when I'm not in the mood, which is most of the time. When I shop, I go with a purpose in mind and have to stay focused. And when I'm done, I'm done. If I have to wait on other people, deal with them being wishy-washy on decisions, or listen to how bad things look on them, I get impatient and leave. I'm definitely more productive and successful in my shopping trips when I go alone.

I've also done enough trying on of clothes that I wear the same thing when I know I'm going to be doing some major shopping - loose fitting jeans, comfortable slip-on shoes, camisole, and some sort of zip-up or button-up shirt over the camisole. I also put on a little makeup and wear my hair down. For some reason that combination makes the shopping process so much easier and the makeup helps things look better.

My perfect outfit + hair down + shopping alone tactic worked well today and I couldn't stop smiling as I watched the "Money Saved" amount on the register continue to go higher. I may have spent quite a bit but I saved almost 2x as much as I spent. I stopped smiling when I got home and realized I literally had to reorganize my closet to fit all of these things in there. Luckily Richie is working so I had plenty of time for the overhaul. And sorry for quality of the photos, I took these on my iPhone.

4 Banana Repulic Sweaters

5 Banana Republic/Gap Cardigans

3 Banana Republic Tanks

6 Pairs of Flats

3 Pairs of Gap Jeans

2 Banana Republic Dresses

Zaties Book Purse Giveaway

2011-11-06T14:19:00.001-05:00

I love when I find out about new book things. While I was trying to come up with an idea for Briel for her birthday, I came across Zaties Books and their gorgeous book purses. I contacted Zaties Books to learn more about their purses and the more I learned, the more I liked. So without further adieu, let me introduce you to Zaties Books and my newest list wish addition, their recycled handmade book purses.

What is Zaties Books?
Zaties is a “green” company that grew out of the cooperative efforts of two friends with a passion for books and creativity. We specialize in unique handbags crafted from recycled books, but also branch out into a number of other items like portfolios, e-reader cases, Christmas ornaments, wreaths, and home décor accents.

Your tagline is “Rescue. Recycle. Repurpose.” What does that mean?
That’s what we do. We rescue old books destined for disposal, recycle what we can and repurpose these treasures into beautiful and functional pieces. Every piece we make starts with a recycled book.The majority of the books we recycle have been damaged or discarded. We acquire them through libraries, second-hand stores, garage sales and even friends’ attics. Removed pages are also recycled. The fabrics we use are made from all-natural fibers (usually 100% cotton) and many of our handles are as well.

Do you ever feel bad about destroying books?
This is a question we get ALL the time! There are definitely some books we will not touch. We will never create anything from a Bible. We will never use first edition or collectible pieces. We love books, too, and are very, very careful to never harm rare or valuable volumes. The truth is we do not destroy books. In fact, with the rise of e-publications, we see this as a rescue mission, a preservation of history through repurpose. When we make the purses, we actually remove the covers while keeping the pages in tact.

How did you get started?
A little over three years ago I saw a book purse on some crafty website. Just looking at it gave me heart palpitations. I mean, it was my two greatest fetishes – books and handbags -- combined into one item! How cool is that? Almost immediately I set out to make one myself. I grew up sewing and designing my own patterns, so this simply presented a new challenge for me. After I perfected my pattern, one turned into twenty.

Is there anything else you'd like readers to know?
Zaties gives 10-30% of all profits to charities that fight against world hunger and domestic violence. We have a heart for hurting children, be they abused, underprivileged, orphaned or simply thirsty. This company serves as a means by which we can help our community and the world, not only through responsible recycling, but also through financial assistance.

Who wouldn't want one of Zaties Book Purses? I know I do. Lucky for you, Zaties Books has offered to giveaway either the Martha Stewart purse below or a $50 credit for any other item in their store. That $50 credit could get you any of these gorgeous pieces of art. So check out their site and start picking out what you want to win.

To enter:

Saved by the Sour Patch Kids

2011-10-31T17:38:00.000-04:00

Eight months ago I had this grand idea that this was going to be the year that I ran a marathon. I convinced my dad and sister that this should be the year that they run a marathon too. So we signed up to run the Marine Corp Marathon in October. October was far enough away that anything seemed possible. When the Providence half-marathon rolled around the first week in August, I planned on using that race as my launch pad for my training. And yet somehow that training just didn't happen. Sure, I ran a couple of 12-milers and one 18-miler but there isn't a chance I could say I trained for this like I should.

You can imagine my nerves as this weekend approached and I realized that after eight months, this grand idea was actually going to happen whether or not I was ready or not.

The first ten miles of the race were great. I ran with my little sister and she told me details about all of the college boys she's dating. But at mile 10, I told her that it was time to leave me because I was going to do what I needed to (meaning go slow) in order to get over that finish line. She left me and cruised through the rest of the marathon. And I kept going.

About halfway between mile 16 and 17 I almost gave up. My body decided that it'd had enough and I started to get that feeling you get right before passing out. I slowed down and walked very slow for about a quarter mile trying to decide whether or not I wanted to just quit at the first aid tent until I found some incredible spectators who were holding a huge bowl of candy - sour patch kids and Swedish Fish. I took two and never looked back. From then on my body recovered (with the help of a ton of other spectators who were passing out food/drinks to the runners) and I was able to get back into the race mentally.

And when I "Beat the Bridge" (passed mile 20 within a certain time limit), I have never felt more proud of myself because at that point, I knew I could do it. And I did. I finished a marathon yesterday.

Let me give you a piece of advice. If you're going to run a marathon, run the Marine Corp Marathon. In one word, it was incredible. I've now run 12 half-marathons and one full and this was by far the best race I've ever done. There were supporters everywhere, the course is beautiful, and there is just something inspiring about being served water and cheered on by marines who serve our country. It really is the country's friendliest marathon.

I Made Dinner!

2011-10-25T22:03:00.002-04:00

I did it. I made dinner for the first time since Richie went back to work last Monday. And the first time (other than things like nachos and quesadillas) in probably the past three months. I've played sous chef quite a bit, but I made this one all by myself. And it was actually really good, good enough that Richie gave it a 4.443 out of 5. I'll take it. The sweetness of the butternut squash was perfect with the creaminess of the goat cheese, and I highly recommend this dish.

Roasted Winter Squash with Baked Goat Cheese over Fettuccine

Ingredients
6 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (2 1/4 pounds)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (4-ounce) packages goat cheese
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 pound uncooked fettuccine
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°.
Place squash and bell pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil; toss well. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and black pepper. Bake at 425° for 40 minutes, stirring once.
Place goat cheese in freezer 10 minutes. Cut cheese crosswise into 8 equal rounds. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Dredge each round in breadcrumbs; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 6 minutes.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Return pasta to pan; add reserved pasta cooking water, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, red pepper, and garlic, tossing to coat. Place 1 1/4 cups pasta in each of 8 shallow bowls; top each serving with about 1/2 cup squash mixture and 1 goat cheese round. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

Giveaway: Handmade Kindle Covers by Elizabethsplace

2011-10-23T14:00:00.000-04:00

I'm beginning to think eBook reader covers are like purses - you can't have too many. And unlike purses, when you switch them up, you don't have to worry about forgetting to transfer over everything so really they're even better. I bought a Kindle a month ago (and sent it back a month ago so I could get the new Kindle Touch in November) and already have two covers, one that is functional and the other one that I couldn't resist because it was so cute.

One of my favorite places to look for Kindle covers is Etsy because they're handmade, one of a kind, and so much cuter than the standard Amazon cover. Check out some of my favorite designs by Elizabethsplace. I actually have the blue dotted flower cover in yellow and love it!

Elizabethsplace has graciously offered to giveaway one of her Kindle, Kindle Fire, or Nook covers to one lucky reader. Leave a comment to enter once and follow Play, Laugh, and Live for an extra entry.

For more information on Elizabethsplace and her products, check out her store and Facebook page. She also sells very cute snack pouches, coin pouches, and iPad covers.

Giveaway is open to anyone and ends on Wednesday, October 26th at midnight EST.

Why I Can Run Reason #3 and #4

2011-10-23T13:40:00.000-04:00

I was a little distracted with my garage sale yesterday and forgot to post why I can run a marathon. So here are reasons #3 and #4.

Reason #3 - I don't want to waste the money. I paid a good $150 for this race and hate wasting money. If I don't finish the race and get the medal, that $150 will be down the drain.

And reason #4 - My body is strong and I've been training (although not as well as I would have hoped) my body for this day. My body can do it so that's half the battle right there.

Come by tomorrow for a great Esty giveaway!

Why I Can Run a Marathon Reason #2

2011-10-21T23:05:00.000-04:00

I'm only on day two and almost forgot to write about why I can run this marathon. Luckily it's only 11PM so I still have an hour to get my reason in.

Reason #2 that I can run a marathon - I've run 11 half-marathons and my body is used to stretching itself a litlte further than it is used to. I'm relying on my body to hold up for the six hours that I'll be moving for the marathon, especially since my longest run was a 4 1/2 hour 18 miler. But I've done this before with half-marathons and it's a mental game. I know my body can handle it and am going to spend the next week convincing my mind to agree with my body.

10 Days and Counting

2011-10-20T19:06:00.000-04:00

In ten days I'll be running my first ever full marathon. I've run a ton of half marathons but never run the full 26.2. They say that finishing a marathon is more mental than physical and I'm hoping that's true. As I'm counting down the next ten days, I'm going to use this blog as way to convince myself that I can do it with my top ten reasons I can run a marathon. And who knows, by next Saturday night maybe I'll have convinced myself it's true.

So let's start with #1. I can run a marathon because I will be runninig with my favorite running buddies - my dad and my little sister. I definitely couldn't do it by myself but with my little sister, dad, and aunt running with me, it makes it that much easier. And that much more fun.

Phoenix Rock & Roll - January 2010

Providence Rock & Roll - August 2011

Nashville Rock & Roll - April 2009

Salt Lake Half Marathon - April 2010

Maui Half Marathon - January 2011 (#10)

Spooky Halloween Giveaway

2011-10-17T23:07:00.002-04:00

Even though I won't actually have time to celebrate Halloween next week, it sure doesn't mean that I can't pretend. I spent almost my entire day on Etsy yesterday checking out all sorts of cute decorations that I couldn't make myself even with step by step instructions. If you've never searched Etsy before, I highly recommend it, especially for homemade gifts, but do need to throw out a warning that it's addicting.

Out of everything I looked at, these glitter art pieces by CherieBee were some of my favorites.

And lucky for all of you, CherieBee has generously offered to give away any Halloween product (up to $26) from her store to one of my readers. That means these gorgeous glitter art pieces or any of CherieBee's other products could be yours just in time for Halloween. It's as simple as leaving a comment on this post.

So many Halloween decorations are either gorey or just gross, but these are pieces of art and I could see myself keeping up all year round just for the glitter alone. They actually remind me a lot of this awesome episode of Homes by Novogratz where a New York artist did some great glitter pop art.

Winner must live in the US and leave a valid email address. Giveaway closes Friday, October 21st at midnight EST.

**This giveaway is now closed and the winner is #8 Kara. Stay tuned next week for some more great giveaways!

Change is Coming

2011-10-02T13:14:00.000-04:00

I feel like we somehow missed September in a whirlwind of natural disasters, trips, and rain. And all the sudden it's October and the day that's been coming for 14 months is almost upon us - Richie starts his job in two weeks!

After he took the bar, I tried to persuade Richie to get a temporary job to keep him busy until he started his real job. Looking back now, I couldn't be happier that he didn't. Because if he had, we would've missed out on some great trips (Hawaii, Europe, Kansas, Texas, North Carolina, NYC) as well as strengthening relationshisps with our family and friends. And he's had the time to fine tune his cooking, cleaning, and painting skills. I'll post pictures of our new place soon, but Richie has become my favorite home decorator.

People keep asking me if I'm excited about Richie going to work. I laugh and say yes, but honestly, I'm nervous. I'd gotten used to having a husband at home to take care of me, and I'm not sure I know how to go back to taking care of us both. I've cooked dinner less than ten times in the last year and not sure I remember how to make anything other than pasta. And my hands are softer than ever because I haven't had to wash dishes.

And most of all, I'm scared that between our busy schedules I'm not going to see him. I keep telling myself that working at a law firm isn't so bad, that he won't have to work really long hours. But I really don't know. I'm not sure I can deal with being home alone all the time and eating by myself every night. And most of all, I'm going to miss having someone to hug and talk to when I get home from work every day, even if I didn't always want to talk.

So yes, change is coming. And I have a feeling once it finally gets here, I'm not going to know what hit me.

Birthday Wishes

2011-08-15T21:33:00.001-04:00

Lately I've been thinking a lot about birthdays. Probably because my big project from last year (the one that started the blog neglect) is celebrating its first birthday this month. Really, we are having a month long celebration. Anyway, I've had birthdays on the brain for one reason or another.

This post could be dangerous. Richie says that anytime I start making lists or talking about things that I want I end up buying them for myself so no one has anything to get me. I really am a terrible person to buy presents for. Really, I just have no patience. When I decide I want something, I want it. And I get it. But that all changes this year. I started an allowance system for myself (another post for another day) so I can't buy any crazy things without saving up. Not a new concept I know, but it's new for me.

But anyway, back to the point of this post - what I want for my birthday. Or... a list of things I can spend my allowance on.

#1 - An Amazon Kindle
#2 - New down pillow
#3 - Runner's Massage Stick
#4 - Flowers
#5 - Waterproof armband for my iPod Nano
#6 - Hand Mixer (so I don't have to break out by Bosch all the time)
#7 - A new purse in a fun color like yellow or blue or something else pretty
#8 - Cute but simple necklaces
# 9 - Spinning classes
#10 - Foot spa (one of those ones that you can give yourself a pedicure)
#11 - Running tank tops
#12 - Wrap around ear buds (the ones that wrap around your ear so they don't fall out)
#13 - Cake Decorating Classes (They have them at Michael's)
#14 - A Maid
#15 - Red Velvet Cupcake

June 2011

2011-07-01T10:02:00.000-04:00

My poor neglected blog. I honestly think this is the first time I've ever gone an entire month without posting at least once. The sad part, I have a lot to write about. In the past month we went to Europe (I will post about that), bought bikes, started running again, and well I guess that's about it. But that's a lot for us. So here's to hoping that July will be a better month for this old thing because there is something exhilarating about putting something out there for the whole wide world to see.

Wishing I Was the Wicked Witch of the West

2011-05-15T22:53:00.000-04:00

In the past three weeks I've eaten better and worked out more than I have in the past three months. Guess how much weight I've lost? If you guessed none, you guessed right. Haven't lost any inches either. And my clothes aren't fitting any better. I've had my butt kicked at my boot camp class, lost all feeling in my arms for days after my Biggest Loser yoga session, and sweat enough to make me look like I'd been in a wet t-shirt competition in my first Bikram yoga class. All without the pleasures of eating chocolate, ice cream, or Krispy Kreme donuts.

And everything over the past month has just proved what I've been telling myself and everyone else for the past seven years - the only thing that helps me lose weight and feel better about myself is running. I hate it, but it's true. Boot camp and yoga might be toning me, but it sure doesn't have the same melting effect. And I need to melt. If nothing else, this past month has given me the motivation to start running ~~regularly~~ again because it's really not very fun to workout and skip out on dessert without seeing any of the benefits.

Tonight I put together my Marine Corps Marathon training plan, and I'm not sure I've ever been so nervous to start anything in my life. But that's why I have only two goals for the marathon. The first is to finish. And the second is to start. And to be consistent in my training, something I haven't done since Nashville in 2009. If for some reason I don't finish the race, it is not going to be because I didn't train and try my best.

And hopefully a month from now, I'll be telling you about my experiences melting, rather than wishing I was a Wicked Witch.

P.S. I put up a new widget in the sidebar so you can follow along with me on my training. By the time the race comes around, I should've logged around 500 miles. Wow.

Fast Five

2011-05-05T22:13:00.002-04:00

It's May. Can someone please tell me where the year went? I was sitting here reading friends' blogs tonight for the first time in months and realized that I have no idea what's going on in anyone's lives. And because I get the worst blogger of the year award - people probably have no idea what's going on in ours either. I forget how much I use blogging to keep in touch with people and feel like by not blogging I've been missing out on a lot more than I first realized.

So since I know you're all dying to know, here's a quick update on our lives.

- Richie has officially been on "break" for nine months now. Luckily, there's an end in site and he'll be finally starting his full-time job at a law firm here in DC in October. I think we're both going to be in for a rude awakening when he goes to work and there's not someone home to cook, clean, and basically take care of us both all day. He's much better at it than I am.

- We've been and will be traveling quite a bit. We went out to see my family in Kansas in March, followed up by a quick trip for half-marathon #11 (which is a pretty depressing story actually) to Kansas in April. In the next two weeks, we're both going home again for our siblings' graduations.

- As soon as I get back from graduation, we're leaving again for our big trip (well excluding Hawaii of course) to Europe. We figured it would probably be our last big hurrah before Richie starts working in the fall and my family happens to be going at a time that works great for us. Richie and my family will do a week in London and Paris and I'll meet them for ten days in Switzerland and Italy. More details to come but so far I've been playing travel agent and I'm really excited about this one.

- I hurt my knee about six weeks ago so I took about that long off from doing much (other than playing on my weekly vball team) of anything active. I'm fighting my way back into shape with a boot camp class, which I kicked butt in today by the way, and slowly getting back into running. I am still running the marathon.

- Work is picking up again, but in a great way. I'm getting to introduce some new ideas to my position and am thoroughly enjoying the challenge. It might be a long summer, but I think it'll be worth it.

And that's it. Our life for the past three months wrapped up in five fast bullets.

My Month of May

2011-05-01T12:38:00.003-04:00

I started to write about how we have holidays that celebrate other people but not one that celebrates us individually...then I remembered that we actually have birthdays for that reason.

In most of the magazines that I get, they have monthly themes - different foods to focus on, healthy habits, etc. I've decided to follow along with my magazines and give May a theme - me. I've been neglecting myself for one reason or another the past six months and need to get back on track. Making May all about me sounds like a good way to kick start me back on the path to feeling good about myself again. I've put together a calendar for the month that is full of things that I'm doing just for me, things I've neglected, things that make me feel good, and things that just plain make me smile. Beginning today.

Sunday, May 1 - Begin a month of no sweets. I did this a year ago and felt awesome afterward.
Monday, May 2 - First class in a month-long boot camp class. Three days a week of getting my butt kicked.
Tuesday, May 3 - First of five Bikram yoga classes (have a Groupon I need to use).
Wednesday, May 4 - Get my blood taken (was supposed to a month ago) to get healthy.
Thursday, May 5 - Go to Aveda in the mall to replace my black eyeliner.
Friday, May 6 - Go bowling with the great friends we've made in the Alexandria 1st ward in the past 3 years.
Saturday, May 7 - Take a leisurely walk in DC to see Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
Sunday, May 8 - Get myself a present for Mother's Day.
Monday, May 9 - Take ten minutes to get my eyebrows waxed on my way home from boot camp.
Tuesday, May 10 - Watch old episodes of Gilmore Girls while running on the treadmill.
Wednesday, May 11 - Play volleyball with my favorite team.
Thursday, May 12 - Leave work early.
Friday, May 13 - Go see a chick-flick with the girls while Richie is out of town.
Saturday, May 14 - Enjoy a night of spiritual pampering at our Stake Women's Conference.
Sunday, May 15 - Go see The Garden Oratorio at the LDS Temple Visitor's Center.
Monday, May 16 - Buy myself something small while picking out my sister's HS graduation present.
Tuesday, May 17 - Go for a walk during lunch and eat outside.
Wednesday, May 18 - Eat only fresh fruits and veggies all day to rebuild my love for fresh foods.
Thursday, May 19 - Go to sleep early.
Friday, May 20 - Go on a date with Richie. Hold hands while we walk and eat something delicious.
Saturday, May 21 - Go to the Old Town Farmer's Market and make homemade crepes with fresh berries.
Sunday, May 22 - Take a beautiful drive down to Mt. Vernon and take a nice long nap after 9AM church.
Monday, May 23 - Give myself a home pedicure (perfected this during spa night).
Tuesday, May 24 - Run five miles without stopping while watching Gilmore Girls.
Wednesday, May 25 - Order takeout Thai food for dinner so we don't have to cook.
Thursday, May 26 - Eat out for lunch.
Friday, May 27 - Start a weekend reading marathon to keep my company while Richie's in London.
Saturday, May 28 - Eat breakfast in bed without worrying about crumbs.
Sunday, May 29 - Call one of my best friends and catch up without worrying about how long we talk.
Monday, May 30 - Buy myself a new skirt.
Tuesday, May 31 - Let myself get excited while packing for Europe.

Weekly Walk #1: 7th Street NW

2011-05-01T10:44:00.001-04:00

One of the goals I set back in January for 2011 was to play tourist in DC. Inspired by my friend Jenny and all of my favorite Rick Steve guide book walks, I decided to buy a pack of cards that have 50 DC city walks including culture, food, and historical stops along the way. I bought the cardsd probably two months ago and finally decided to get them out yesterday. Our walk yesterday inspired me to start a weekly thing, going on the walk and then taking my readers along for the ride. So here goes the first of 50, a walk down 7th Street NW DC.

Borrowed from http://john15-11.blogspot.com/

It all started at the colorful Friendship Arch, or the colorful mark of DC's Chinatown. We actually skipped the next two parts of the walk (we only had two hours of parking), which were Wok & Rol - the location of Mary Surratt's boardinghouse where the Lincoln assasination plot was hatched - and Full Kee, which apparently has a great shrimp dumpling soup.

Stolen from Darcee's blog since she never sent it to me

The next stop on the walk was what the card called the MCI Center, know known as the Verizon Center, and home to the Washington Wizards, Caps, and numerous live concerts throughout the year. Oh and Monster Truck Ralies like the one we went to months ago with our good friends the Bowens and Besseys.

After the Verizon Center, we made a detour of our own and thanks to Groupon learned all about crime and punishment at the National Crime and Punishment Museum. We started by trying our hand at crime and found we weren't so successful as Richie got put in the stocks for kissing me on Sunday, apparently not allowed in colonial times.

We then tried out being part of the depression era gangs but after seeing the Bonnie and Clyde's death car, we thought better of it. So instead we tried out the punishment part of the deal. The photo shoot was pretty fun but the food wasn't up to par and you all know how Richie is about his

food. So we worked together and built a tunnel through the wall and escaped. It's pretty amazing that we made it actually since only about .05% of all prisoners who try to escape ever do. Must be because we make such a great team. After all of our troubles with crime and punishment, we decided maybe we should join forces with the good guys and tried our hand out at being cops. And CSI investigators.

We thought we'd finally found our place in the world of crime when we saw our pictures on the America's Most Wanted Set. Oops.

We left the National Crime and Punishment Museum in a hurry and continued our walk down 7th street. After such a crazy day and some terrible prison food we were famished. Luckily the walk directed us to one of our favorite restaurants, Jaleo, for a couple of Spanish tapas. Specifically, my favorite - these bacon covered dates. Pretty much incredible. Added to the coliflor with dates and olives and free bread they give out to tables, yep, this was a great snack for two famished walkers.

After we finished up our snack, we crossed the street to the home of Clara Barton, where the founder of the American Red Cross Society worked to find missing Civil War Soldiers. She was also the first female federal employee to receive equal pay.

Back on the other side of the street we visited the Shakespeare Theater Company, home of shows like All's Well that Ends Well, the Merchant of Venice, and the one I was dying to see but ended April 10, The Ideal Husband.

And finally, we ended our walk at the bottom of 7th Street at the National Archives, the home of a beautiful fountain, square, and of course the National Archives.

Walk Winner: Crime and Punishment Museum - a little pricey but still very fun. It has a lot of cool stories, interactive games/exhibits (which is a must for me) as well as beginner information on CSI type stuff.

My Must-See: Square/fountains in front of the national archives. Very European and beautiful. One of my favorite pictures and views from the site.

Best Bite: Bacon covered dates at Jaleo.

Join us again next week as we play tourist in a different part of DC.

**Sorry for all of the formatting issues, Blogger just did not like some of my photos.

Week 2 Recap

2011-04-11T23:25:00.000-04:00

Two words - start over. When it's warm out I'm a sucker for ice cream. And popsicles. And anything else cold and creamy, none of which make for a healthy meal.

With half-marathon #11 coming up this weekend, this week will be better.

Week 1 Recap

2011-04-03T20:40:00.001-04:00

Last week I started off my two-month fitness competition, and for how out of shape I am right now, it actually went fairly well.

The Bad:

I couldn't resist the turtle cheesecake at girl's night, or the Potbelly cookie at lunch, or the chocolate chip cupcake during date night. Apparently I'm a social sweet-tooth.
I never eat enough protein. Carbs are easy but I have to force myself to eat turkey, eggs, cheese...
I only made it through 15 minutes of Jillian before I got overheated and had to stop.
And the next night I threw up after my three mile run (not right after...).

And the Good:

I remembered my love for fresh fruits and veggies.
I walked by the candy jar at the office without taking a piece. Over and over again.
I worked out five of the seven days (and three of those were runs)
And...I lost three pounds

Yes, I'd say it was a pretty good week. We had turkey meatballs with edamame, baked almond chicken with wild rice, grilled chicken with herbed quinoa, and grilled shrimp and asparagus with baked sweet potato fries.

This week I'm going to be even better by saying no to cookies and working out even longer.

From the Diary of a Productive Girl

2011-03-30T18:51:00.000-04:00

I feel like I've gotten nothing done at work over the past three weeks other than adding things to my to-do list. It happens. We all have those weeks. Monday I went and hid in an empty office upstairs so no one could find me. And today I went into the office until noon then worked from home the rest of the day. And let me tell you, there is nothing better than working from your bed in your pajamas. And unlike some people that I know who get distracted, when I work from home I'm way more productive than when I'm at the office.

Best of all? The items that have been sitting on my to-do list forever (timesheets, reading documentation, creating process flow docs) because they take a concentrated amount of time...DONE! There's nothing better than checking off something that's been carried over for weeks, or months because you just couldn't get to it. I'll be a little more patient tomorrow when I go back into the office because my list will now fit onto one page. And there is nothing more stressful than having a two page to-do list. There's always something on the other page that you're forgetting.

So hurray for laptops. And pajamas. And being able to walk into my kitchen to make myself a ~~snack~~ cherry vanilla smoothie whenever I feel like it.

Step 1: Write It Down

2011-03-26T19:35:00.003-04:00

In everything I've ever seen and read about making exercise a habit and losing weight, one of the most important of sticking to any plan is writing. Writing down your stats at the beginning, writing down what you eat, writing down your workout/eating plan for the week, and so on. Apparently there's some sort of connection to writing things down that makes it more real. Like if you write something down, you won't ignore it as easily as if you just thought about it. As I mentioned in my post last week, I joined a two-month get in shape competition at work that starts Monday. The goal is to get in the best shape possible and whoever does that, wins.

Since apparently writing is such a big connection to sticking to good health habits, I'm going to track my progress here. Maybe that'll give me something to write about as well. On Sunday I'll post a quick recap of the previous week and a look at the meals and workouts for the week ahead. And on Monday, I'll post my weight and any difference from the previous week.

I did all the prep work today - took measurements, looked up some good healthy recipes, stocked up on good food, and planned out my schedule. So let's start it off right with those lovely measurements.

**Since I didn't want the entire world to know all of my actual measurements, I've added an obscure, only known to me, number to all of these measurements. I'll use the same number throughout so I can measure any changes.

Stat	3/25/2011
Weight	179
Neck	55
Chest	83
Below Bust	69
Waist	69
Hips	79
Butt	80
Thigh	65
Calf	57
Bicep	53
Forearm	51

Thursday Thoughts

2011-03-25T00:25:00.001-04:00

I'm trying to find my blogging groove again. I've been all about book reviews but have lacked in the regular blog post department lately. When I used to blog on a regular basis (like in 2009), I would just post about whatever was going on at that point in my life. What I was doing, feeling, and thinking. So to attempt to get back into the groove, here are some things I've been thinking lately.

I hope BYU never does well in sports again. Not really, but I just can't take games like tonight's loss against Florida. I was literally sick for hours afterward because of the ups and downs in that game. And as much as I love Jimmer, I kind of wanted someone to give him a good kick in the butt tonight when he just kept putting up threes that he couldn't hit. Still proud to be a cougar.

It was a weird work week. It started out on Monday with an hour long conversation with my bosses where I almost broke down from feeling overwhelmed. And then today, I came home feeling more hopeful and optimistic than I have since probably last August.

Not sure if it was just sheer desperation for motivation or what, but I joined a two-month fitness competition with a bunch of people at work for a cash prize of somewhere between $150-$200. A fitness challenge that I probably can't win but I'm going to give it my best shot.

I have a lot of clothes but there is something about buying and wearing new clothes that gives me a sense of confidence and excitement. For some reason even if I don't love it, wearing a new shirt just says, "It's going to be a good day." That and getting my hair highlighted. Which I may do this weekend.

My iPhone is the worst thing that ever happened to me. It makes it way too easy to say buy now without thinking twice. Not to mention games like Angry Birds, Words with Friends, and Tap Zoo just to name a few. But at the same time, best thing ever. How else would I look up David Cook's version of Hello during American Idol? My laptop? Yeah right.

And on the last note of the night, I hate it when people are in cars in movies and tv shows. I cover my eyes and get all anxious that someone is going to be in a car crash. Because why else would there be a car scene? Closed my eyes through the last few minutes of Grey's tonight because I just couldn't take it. Can't a writer come up with a better way to injure someone than in a car accident?

Life Update #306

2011-03-06T13:44:00.003-05:00

I really should be kicked out of the blogging world for neglect. I have been terrible this year about blogging, and I hope that'll get better but I can't make any promises. I used to blog at night while Richie was studying but now that he's off for the year, we tend to spend the nights together doing other things. Hence the blog neglect. So that I don't actually get kicked out, here's a kick update on our lives.

First off, I signed up for the Marine Corp Marathon in October. Yes, I did say marathon as in a full marathon. It sold out in 24 hours so I'm glad that we got in but it's a little daunting. 13.1 miles is one thing, 26.2 is another. But I said this was the year, and this is going to be the year.

Second, I somehow got an eye infection from my contacts (and no it's not pinkeye) so I get to be the really cool girl in her awesomely cracked glasses for the next week. I haven't worn glasses outside of the house since maybe 8th grade so it should be quite the adventure.

Third, my volleyball team made it to the play-offs in our league this week and we're hoping to win yet another championship t-shirt on Wednesday night. And then it might be time for a short break from volleyball.

And finally, we decided after a long week at work that we needed another vacation. Or really I just felt the need to spend money since I haven't in a while. Either way, we are going to Kansas this coming weekend to see my family AND to go to the One Republic/B.O.B concert on Friday night. My little brother is done playing basketball and the rest of my family is on spring break. It should be the exact break I need after a long couple of weeks at work.

Book Recommendations?

2011-02-20T13:55:00.003-05:00

If you didn't know it already, I love to read. A while back I joined up with some other great bloggers to review books on Book Nook Club. I had no idea that reviewing some of my favorite books on my favorite blog would eventually lead to me getting emails at least 2-3 times a week to see if I'd like to review a book. Which means I get a lot of books, brand new books even that other people want to read as soon as I'm done with them.

And now comes the point of this post - I use paperbackswap.com to trade out books that I've read for other books that I want to read. I finally went through my bookshelf last week and sent 24 books to people, which gave me 24 credits in return. Add that to the 13 credits I already had and I now have almost 40 credits, or 40 books I can request.

I have 40 credits and no books to use them on, which is where you come in. I know the majority of you read, a lot. What are some of your favorite all-time books or favorite books you've read recently? What books should I use those 40 credits on? I've got an open shelf for books in my room and am counting on you to fill it up for me. I'll take any recommendations you've got and if you have a list of more recommendations than you want to include in the comments - feel free to email me.

Hawaii 2011

2011-02-15T19:08:00.006-05:00

I know I'm a little late with this post but better late than never right? Here are just a couple of my favorite moments from our Hawaii trip in January. We started the trip with two days in Oahu where we went to the flea market, visited Pearl Harbor, and went to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Then Monday we went on a muddy hike with some of our friends that live in Hawaii. The hike ended at a beautiful waterfall with cliffs to dive off of.

On Tuesday morning we flew to Maui where we stayed for the rest of the week. Tuesday morning we went on an incredible whale watching tour where we saw probably close to 50 different flutes. The scenery was almost as incredible as the whales.

Wednesday (and Friday) we went scuba diving and saw a couple of sharks and some pretty fish. Not the best scuba diving I've ever done but it was still pretty fun.

Thursday was probably one of my favorite days - we drove the road to Hana. If you're ever going to Maui and are planning to drive the road, don't do it without first reading Maui Revealed. It has an entire chapter on the road to Hana that includes fun places like secret (but safe) caves, unique ice cream stops, and hidden pools to swim in. It was definitely a day to remember.

Friday we went scuba diving again then ended the day playing at the beach, playing some very competitive beach volleyball during a gorgeous sunset, and eating a delicious meal at a homemade Italian place.

Saturday was our last play day. We started it out with surf lessons (everyone got up and rode a wave) then went and played a game called Monastery Tag at one of the beaches near our apartment. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time, maybe ever.

And then came Sunday, race day. This half-marathon was different from all the rest in two ways - this was #10 and my mom and grandma (yes I said grandma) did it with us. There is something incredible about three generations of women crossing the finish line at the same time.

Half marathon #11

2011-02-10T00:11:00.001-05:00

Training for my next half starts Monday complete with a colorful training chart and prize bucket.

My Next Project: Me

2011-02-08T22:33:00.002-05:00

I'm a project manager at heart. I love spreadsheets, lists, and planning. I love following up with people, writing with bullets, and scheduling and crashing schedules. Working with other people and being in charge of a team, check. It's much easier going and doing a job every day when it comes naturally to you.

Now why can't I take that same mentality, that mentality that comes so natural to me, and apply it to me own life? I just read a soon to be published book called The Me Project - it's similar to The Happiness Project but not really - and in the book it says this about the project manager, "You are the only one who is going to make this happen, so when I refer to the project manager - that's you, baby." It's incredible that I never really put two and two together. A good goal is something that is specific, realistic, and has a set period of time (e.g., run a marathon by the end of the year). A project is something that has a set beginning and end. A goal = a project.

I should be treating my goals at home like I treat my projects at work - put together a plan, schedule it out, and stick to the project plan. The project team may only consist of me, myself, and I but I still need to keep myself (as the project manager) accountable for making sure the project gets done. My own personal projects are no less important than the ones for clients at work because I am just as important. And I need to keep telling myself that.

So no, there is absolutely no reason I shouldn't be able to run a project from start to finish in my own life as well. So tonight instead of running, ironic isn't it, I'm going to put together a project plan for running a marathon this year. Because there is just something that is less intimidating to me about starting and working on a project than working on a goal.

All I Want is a Roller Coaster

2011-02-03T12:26:00.003-05:00

Do you ever have those times that you just feel blah? Hawaii was incredible but ever since I got back I've just been feeling stuck/stagnant/blah, whatever you want to call it I'm there. It's kind of like when I was younger and too short to ride the roller coaster so I had to settle for the merry-go-round. A merry-go-round has its place in an amusement park and don't get me wrong, I always go on it at least once. But it is nothing like a roller coaster, not even a kiddie one.

Around and around in a circle going up, down, up down but never feeling the anticipation as you are pulled up the first big hill or the rush as you speed through the loop or even better the feeling of weightlessness, that you could do anything, as you speed over the quick but gravity-defying bumps on the track. At the end of a merry-go-round ride you don't think ooh let's do that again, you think well that was nice, what's next.

That's where I'm at right now except I feel like I can't get off to see what's next. I know there is some huge coaster looming in the distance waiting for me to get on, but I'm strapped to this painted horse going in circles with no end in sight.

And maybe I shouldn't be complaining, I'm not depressed and the merry-go-round I'm stuck on isn't a bad one. It's just not a roller coaster. And once you've been on a roller coaster once, it's tough to be satisfied with anything else.

Packed and Ready

2011-01-14T08:12:00.001-05:00

Know what is? Yep. It's definitely a picture of a very empty fridge. Know why?

We are going to Hawaii tomorrow!!!!!

2011: The Year I Simplify My Life

2011-01-05T18:42:00.011-05:00

I've been thinking long and hard about what I want to do in 2011. I know this list is late, but it was pretty hard to write because well, there's really just so much I want to do and make better. So this year my resolution for the year is to simplify my life. And I'm going to do that using these 11 (had to be 11) goals. I decided for once to make all of my goals things that I want to do and things that make me happy so they are a little more realistic. In addition to making me happy, all of my goals are simple. Four. Words. Simple.

Run a full marathon.
Read all the scriptures.
Read 50 different books.
Date my husband, weekly.
Play Stay on guitar.
Clean something every day.
Blog 3x a week.
Play tourist in DC.
Go on 10 trips.
Budget to save $5000.
Laugh every single day.

I'm not sure anyone really noticed, but run a marathon is #1 on my list for a reason. There's no significance to the rest of the list, but every time I thought about what I wanted to do this year running a marathon was the only thing that I came up with. If I don't do anything else this year,

I WILL RUN A MARATHON!

Top 10 of 2010

2010-12-30T19:15:00.001-05:00

For our Christmas card this year we came up with a list of our top 10 moments for the year. And honestly it was hard, really hard. Because 4 of the 12 months were spent working or studying for 80 hours a week. So here's our final list of the highlights of the year. Stay tuned tomorrow for my goals for 2011.

1. Snowpocalypse - we got almost two feet of snow and a week off school and work.
2. My job - I started a new position at the same company in February and it has been a crazy whirlwind (in a good way) since.
3. Richie graduating from law school. Enough said.
4. Running three half-marathons in Phoenix, Salt Lake, and NC
5. Our road trip to Cedar Point this summer.
6. Family - we saw family a lot this year and not just for the holidays. I love my friends but nobody will ever touch the relationship we have with our family.
7. Our cruise in September where we tubed, snorkeled, and fed stingrays.
8. Richie passing the VA state bar in November.
9. Volleyball - I didn't really how much I missed it until I started playing again. Pickup, a great women's team, and an awesome coed team (league champions!) have made this year so much fun.
10. Celebrating our 4th anniversary and looking forward to an even better 5th year together.

4 years

2010-12-28T13:19:00.001-05:00

Four years ago I married richie in the Washington dc temple and my life changed forever.

Like our song (calling you by blue October) says, I still can't believe he actually picked me. And that I get to spend the rest of eternity with such an amazing man.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T18:00:00.001-05:00

I did it. I've officially become an apple person. I'm blogging from my new iPhone while richie is sitting at my feet playing words with friends on our new iPad. Add that to hanging out with my family, a cute pair of Uggs and I got everything I asked Santa for (and didnt) this Christmas. Merry Christmas everyone!

Most Exciting Christmas List Ever

2010-12-15T23:11:00.002-05:00

With ten days left until Christmas I'm 100% sure that this list is probably already too late, but I'm just now getting around to thinking about what I want. So here is my 2010 Christmas wish list and you'll notice none of these things are too exciting. I apparently just bought myself everything I wanted this year.

USB heated gloves (my office is FREEZING)
Massage (this is always a good present idea)
Knee-high boot socks
Cute bracelets, rings, or earrings
Aveda brown and/or black eyeliner
iPhone
Gym bag (needs to be big enough to hold a volleyball)
Cupcake/Cake Carrier
Good tweezers
Cute scarf

And that's is folks, my all so exciting Christmas list this year. Really I just want to be with family. And I know I'll get that present so anything else is just bonus.

Week in Review: Photo Edition

2010-12-14T00:03:00.007-05:00

I only need one word to describe last week - amazing! I'll leave the rest of the story to the photos below. If nothing else at least check out the picture of Richie's homemade Richard Simmons costume for my work 80s party. And now to the photos...

Tuesday Night Cookie Swap - Delicious Girl's Night

Wednesday Night Coed Volleyball Championship - Epic Victory

Thursday Night Work 80s Christmas Party - Best Costume

Saturday/Monday Office Cookie Day - Failed BFL Challenge

Maybe next week you'll get some actual explanations to go with the pictures. But I feel like words would just take away from how awesome last week really was. This week brings pretty high expectations!

I Like a Good Challenge

2010-12-05T21:09:00.005-05:00

I'm on day five of my yoga challenge and doing great so far. I'm still liking the feeling of strength and flexibility that yoga gives me. Friday night I did a 45 minute class from yogadownload.com, yesterday I slacked and only did a quick couple of poses, and then tonight I finished it out with 20 minutes of poses on Wii Fit.

But on to the bigger news - tomorrow I'm starting a 12-week Body for Life challenge with my friend Afton. With Hawaii in six weeks I needed something to kick my butt back in gear (on top of the half marathon training) and Afton's done it before and was up for doing it with me again. So tomorrow starts day 1. And the best part is that the program actually sounded pretty doable to me.

Exercise:
Three days of intense strength training (Afton's coming over on M/W/F to do this with me)
Three days of a 20 minute intense cardio session

Eating:
5-6 six small meals a day, every 2-3 hours
10 cups of water
Each meal includes one portion of lean protein + one portion of carbohydrate
Two meals a day at least include a serving of veggies
One meal should include 1 TB of good/natural fat
One "free" day a week - but when I say free, I'm not going to binge

I'm going to add in my own exercise on top of this exercise plan because there's no way I can run a 10 mile run in 20 minutes no matter how fast I run and that half-marathon is going to be real long if I don't run more than two miles in the next six weeks. I'm also going to continue playing volleyball at least twice a week AND finish out my yoga challenge. And since no blog should go to waste, I'm going to track my progress on my workout blog.

I Can Wear Animal Print...Maybe I Can Do Yoga Too

2010-12-02T23:00:00.005-05:00

I'm going to start this post by saying I really know nothing about yoga other than it makes me feel strong and stretched out after a good run. And that the few times I've done it, I feel much more relaxed and not as sore the next day. So when I read about Sassy Molassy's 25 day yoga challenge, I figured why not. This doesn't mean that I'm going to stop running (dad - that was for you) or my other activity this month but rather add in yoga to help me stretch and strengthen my sore muscles.

The challenge is basically to do some sort of yoga (doesn't matter how long or what pose) every day for 25 days (up until Christmas). I've only ever been to one real yoga class, but we have a couple of DVDs and I've recently learned there are all sorts of free classes online you can watch on your computer so it's something easy to fit into my schedule if I don't want to leave the apt.

So far so good. I did 20 minutes of yoga with our Wii Fit yesterday and did a 45 minute class on yogatoday.com tonight after a 3 mile run. Let's see if I can keep it up for another 23 days.

Who Knew I Could Wear Animal Print?

2010-12-02T00:18:00.005-05:00

Christmas shopping has begun. Too bad the only person I've bought presents for so far is me. I've never been much of a dress person but after watching 10 episodes of What Not to Wear and going to an Ann Taylor fashion event this week, I decided to try a couple out. And lucky for me, these beauties were over half off and fit me like a glove. Add some black tights, heels, and sparkly jewelery and I'm ready for the six holiday parties coming up in the next three weeks.

Oh and funny story - I went and looked for these dresses on the internet and found these images. On these tall long-legged models, the dresses hit high above the knee. On me, they hit right at (or maybe a little above) the knee. Sometimes I forget how short I really am.

What I'm Thankful For...

2010-11-30T00:51:00.002-05:00

...I'm thankful that today is the very last day of November.

By anyone else's standards my November was probably pretty awesome. But by my standards, it pretty much sucked. I'm more than ready to move on to December and whatever it might bring. And hopefully it brings a whole lot of challenging and thought-provoking adventures, people that need me, and new found motivation to get off my butt and run. But if not, it will at least bring a lot of quality time with my nephews, which makes any month a good one.

P.S. I wrote in my journal for two hours yesterday about the things I'm really thankful for. I'm not completely heartless.

The Start of Our Thanksgiving Vacation

2010-11-29T00:04:00.003-05:00

Last week we went to spend the week with Richie's family. One guess where we spent last Tuesday afternoon?

And no, wearing a Cowboys' helmet does not by any means make me a Cowboys' fan.

Feeling Crafty

2010-11-27T23:35:00.004-05:00

The only stores that I dared visit on Black Friday were Michaels and Jo-Ann Fabrics. I don't have many Christmas decorations and wanted to pick up a couple of things since the majority of their Christmas decor was 50% off.

Sadly I didn't get much in way of Christmas decorations, but I was reminded how much I've always wanted to try making cakepops. And since their sucker sticks and melting chocolate was on sale, I figured what better time than now?

So anyone want to come over and make cake pops with me? The possibilities are endless, but these are some of my favorites.

Christmas Cards are Coming

2010-11-24T13:18:00.006-05:00

I would love to have time to make cute homemade Christmas cards but if any of you know me, I'm not that creative or that crafty. I prefer to just buy something and that's why I'm very excited about the chance to review Shutterfly's collection of invitations, cards, and announcements. Check out my favorites here.

Consistently Me

2010-11-18T19:09:00.005-05:00

A couple of nights ago someone mentioned that they thought I had a "type A" personality. My first reaction was to take offense to the comment and then I realized that okay maybe I do have a type A personality sometimes. So I went home and took a personality test.

You know what I learned from the test? My personality is all over the map. For every single question I answered I had to think it through and ask myself is this talking about at work, in sports, at home, in relationships, etc. I couldn't just pick one answer for what I would do in a specific circumstance or which characteristic fit me best. I kept going back and forth on words like, "Organized," that fit me completely most of the time but definitely not at home.

I had a terrible volleyball game last night and to get out the frustration, I went home and played RockBand. There is something theraputic about drumming VERY hard and VERY loudly. When I told a guy at work about it today, he laughed and told me that he never would've imagined me doing something like that. Goes to show how much people don't know about me - probably because I compartamentalize and fit my personality into a box for whatever situation I'm in. At work I try to be responsible, organized, confident, upbeat, and positive. But as soon as I get home the organization goes out the window. And when I'm around people I don't know, the confidence goes out the window and I become shy and reserved.

Interesting isn't it? I wonder how my life would be if I could just stay consistently me throughout the day and throughout everything I do. And if these traits come and go with the box I'm in, what is actually me?

Thank You

2010-11-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

This post may not surprise anyone else, but it definitely came as a surprise to me this year. This year is the first year that I remember where Veteran's day hasn't just come and gone like any other day for me. The first time Where I actually noticed that it was Veteran's day before the day had passed by. Now don't get me wrong, it's not like I've never known anyone who has either served or is currently serving our country, but this year for some reason is a little different.

Maybe it's because I'm learning that nothing comes without a price and hard work. Or maybe because I've been feeling extremely grateful lately for how blessed I am. Maybe it's because I have good friends now that go to work for us each and every day. Or maybe it's because I recently came across a friend's blog from when he was serving in Iraq for 18 months.

Or a combination of all of the above.

Whatever it is, I feel the need to stop and say something today - to thank the people serving and fighting for our country so I don't have to. Thank you.

What Can't You Live Without?

2010-11-08T08:26:00.003-05:00

This past week I had a girl's night where everyone that came brought one thing (up to $10) that they just can't live without. We played a gift exchange game where people opened their gifts and told us why they couldn't live without them. And in the end, everyone ended up with something new to take home and possibly a new thing they couldn't live without. We had a good variety of things including brownies (with the secret recipe), favorite lotions, gift card to Groupon, razor and blister protectors, a girly book and candy, a airplane travel pillow, and much more. It actually turned into a very fun night and a good variation on the typical gift exchange.

It also got me thinking about my favorite things and the things I couldn't live without. There were a number of things that came to mind while picking out my gift, none of which I actually chose to use. But here are my top ten things (other than people) that I can't live without (forgetting necessities like food, water, etc. - oh and I tried to stay around the $10):

My journal and a good pen
A soft blanket
A Sports bra
My iPod armband (to carry my armband while I run)
My binder of our ~100 favorite recipes
Aveda eyeliner
Bobby pins
Costco allergy pills
My key lanyard (yes, just the lanyard)
The fan in our bedroom

What would be on your list?

Can Being in a Rut Be A Good Thing?

2010-11-02T21:49:00.005-04:00

Is a rut the same as a routine? Normally when I think of a rut I think of being stuck in a rut, one I can't get out of. Lately I feel like I'm in a rut, but it's not one that I really want to get out of. I work normal hours, hang out with Richie, play volleyball a couple of times a week, go out with the girls or other couples, read and write in my journal at night (sorry blog...journaling has taken over again), and get a good amount of sleep. Then I do it all over again.

Maybe it's my need for control, but I like this routine I've found myself in. But when does too much of a good thing or too much of the same thing just become too much?

The Day I Almost Had a Heart Attack

2010-10-23T11:14:00.005-04:00

There is something to be said about being prepared for a test, as in I've already taken the test once so I've seen the questions even though I couldn't finish because the computers shut down prepared. Going into my exam on Tuesday I felt pretty ready. Going in yesterday I felt extremely ready.

But somehow when I was going to hit the End Exam button because I was tired and just wanted to be done with the whole thing, my heart started pounding so hard that it was physically painful, not to mention exhausting. And then of course after 30 seconds it pops up a survey on the test taking experience so I had to wait for my results even longer (a whole minute, it was pretty tough).

In the end I saw the congraulations I was hoping for and all of the heart pounding was about nothing. But for that minute, I really did think that there was a possibility I'd failed the exam. I'm not sure my heart could've taken much more.

Finally, An Update

2010-10-20T23:30:00.003-04:00

I'm still not sure where the summer went but now that it's the middle of October I guess everyone deserves an update on the past few months. Let's just start out with the most exciting news...

Richie passed the bar!!!

He can now officially practice law in VA. And onto a little less exciting but still very exciting note, we picked out half-marathon #10 (can't believe we're already on 10). Maui Oceanfront half-marathon here we come. That's right...

...we're going to Hawaii in January.

Plane tickets are already purchased so whether we run or not, we're going. In not quite as exciting but still fun news, work has slowed down a lot lately so I get to go home at night.

I'm playing on a coed volleyball team.

I haven't played on a team in four years and forgot how much I missed volleyball until I started playing again. Better even is that the team is awesome, really just awesome. I may go through withdrawal when the season is over.

Oh and for those of you who were wondering about my test on Tuesday...I got through question 160 of 200...

...and the server crashed.

So they canceled all of the tests for the day (including a number of people taking their medical boards) and I have to retake it on Friday. Kind of frustrating but I guess I should be grateful for the realistic dry run of the test.

And that's it really. We've been loving the beautiful fall weather, using lots of Groupons for fun date nights, and really just enjoying the extra time we have right now to hang out before Richie starts working crazy hours for good.

Wishing and Hoping, Thinking and Praying

2010-10-17T21:16:00.003-04:00

This is one of those weeks where all I can do is hope and pray. Well maybe nothing that dramatic, but it is a pretty big week. Tuesday morning I'm taking my PMP (project management professional) exam and Wednesday we find out if Richie passed the bar. So yeah a pretty big week with hopefully a celebration just as big this weekend!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-10-06T08:48:00.002-04:00

Sorry for yet another dry spell without any posts. Things have been a little crazy the past couple of weeks. First it was my birthday, then it was a wedding (and all sorts of other excitement), now I'm studying for my PMP (project manager professional) exam, and next I'll be trying to fit in the other 50 books on my 100 in 2010 list. But no fear, sometime this week I will be posting pictures and stories from our insane weekend of driving in the rain, white water rafting, riding roller coasters after dark, going to a beautiful wedding, and running my 9th half-marathon. Stayed tuned.

Can I Make the Cut?

2010-09-20T19:57:00.005-04:00

One of these days I am going to stop listening to other people's recommendations. Based on a recommendation by my friend Kaylyn, I started Jillian Michael's 30-day Making the Cut program today. After workout #1 and being red-faced and out of breath...not sure it was the best recommendation to take. But the program promises to get you in the best shape of your life; I'll keep you posted on if it works out or not.

If I'm still alive that is.

My Fun List

2010-09-16T22:10:00.004-04:00

Based on my friend Kaylyn's recommendation, I picked up the book The Happiness Project this week, and am about halfway through it. There have been a lot of pieces here and there have really stood out to me (I'm sure you'll hear more about this in the next couple of weeks), but the one chapter I just read just begged to be written about. The chapter is titled "Be Serious About Play," which if you've ever read my blog, fits. I think playing and having fun is a huge part of your overall happiness, hence the quote my blog is based on.

In the middle of the chapter she talks about her goal to find more fun in her life. After reading it it got me thinking about the things I find truly fun. Here are the things I immediately put on my fun list, but I'm going to post this in my sidebar and continue to add to it as I find the things I do for the pure fun of them. Maybe if I remind myself of them, they won't get pushed behind the must-do's so often. What's on your fun list?

Writing in my journal
Playing the piano and singing or just singing
Playing volleyball or racquetball
Playing games (all sorts) with my family
Getting lost in a good book
Solving mysteries/finding answers to problems
Playing host/planning things/seeing other people have a good time
Girl's nights full of good conversation or just any conversation

Things You Do Not Want to See On A Cruise

2010-09-12T20:52:00.005-04:00

The past week, well except for last Sunday, was exactly what I needed. The ship was HUGE, the entertainment was amazing (#1 for four years straight), the food was good, excursions were a lot of fun, and overall the week was the relaxing vacation I so desperately needed.

The week started off a little hectic. We decided to chance it and fly into Florida Sunday morning (our flight was supposed to get in at 11AM; the cruise left at 4:30 PM). We figured in the middle of the summer with beautiful weather, we would have no problems. And of course, we were wrong. Our plane took off from DC at 9ish and promptly turned around and landed back at the DC airport 10 minutes later and proceeded to cancel our flight. They smelled smoke in the cockpit so these guys met us on the runway.

JetBlue was great and managed to get us on a United flight that got into Orlando at 2:45 PM, which eventually got us to our cruise ship at 3:45. The last passengers were supposed to have boarded at 3:00 PM, but I guess I sounded desperate enough, and they let us on. Once we actually got on the boat and got to our room, I saw this and almost got off the boat. (The magazines were really laid out like this; I just took the picture.)

But then everything went smoothly. And I even took pictures that you'll get to see tomorrow but here's a little preview.

How Much is too Much: The 16 Point Rule

2010-08-29T19:59:00.005-04:00

Every once in a while I'm given the chance to review a book that really touches me in one way or another. Recently I read, Good Girls don't have to Dress Bad, by Shari Braendel, and it did just that. One part of the book - the 16 point accessory rule - has stuck with me ever since I read it and changed the way I do things in the morning.

The 16 point accessory rule as explained by Shari is, "a great way to gauge whether you are wearing the right amount," of accessories. You count up the things that you are wearing and add/subtract points until you get to between 14-16 points. No more, no less.

Now I know what you are thinking - 16 accessories is an insane amount and there's no way I could ever wear that many accessories. But Shari gives you easy points to start you out. Here are the starting points:

One point for each of your shoes (easy two points)
One point if you have a pretty pedicure that is showing
One point for each garment you are wearing, two points if it has more than one color (this could be an easy say 4-5 points)
One point for each of your rings (wedding sets count as one)
One point if you have makeup on
One point if you've had a compliment on your hair in the last two weeks
One point for nice nails (just need to look taken care of)

So if you think about that list, that could be an easy 12 points right there before you even really start adding in true "accessories." All other accessories (watch, bracelet, necklace, belt, headband, etc.) count as an additional point and earrings count for two. It's amazing how quickly you can hit that 14-16 point zone and also amazing what hitting that 14-16 point zone can do for your outfit. A simple black and white blouse and skirt can become a standout outfit when paired with colored shoes, earrings, and a belt. The 16-point rule is a simple way to determine if you need a little more or little less, and I've really enjoyed trying to win the game each morning.

For those of you that see me on a regular basis, you'll probably notice I've been wearing more earrings, bracelets, and makeup. I've also been on a pretty big jewlrey kick, and this is why. I cannot wait to go on the cruise next week and buy all sorts of fun and CHEAP jewelry. 16 point zone, here I come.

For more info on Shari's book, check out my full review here.

Feeling A Little Spontaneous

2010-08-25T20:06:00.003-04:00

In ten days, we will be here...

Yep, a 7-day cruise that I booked today. I thought it was about time for a vacation, a real one. And I couldn't be more excited to hang out with my hubby for an entire week. Let the countdown begin.

From the Journal of a Fun Starved Girl

2010-08-14T20:07:00.004-04:00

Over the past four months as I've been working a lot of hours on a daily basis. I'm not complaining because I love what I'm doing but just stating the facts :) Because of the longer hours, I've started to keep a semi-regular (like once a week) journal because it's easier to write in my own personal journal than here. Especially about personal things. But every once in a while those journal entries can also translate to my much neglected blog. Today's entry is one of those that will maybe give you a little perspective as to how my summer has been thus far.

I remembered something today - I used to (and still do I'm learning) really like to play. I used to go out and do things. I used to play and be silly. This weekend I did that for the first time in weeks, well months really, and I've missed it. My mind kept trying to drift back to work because that's all it has known this summer, and I kept forcing it back to the task at hand - having fun and enjoying the company of the people around me.

It was much more difficult than it should have been, but I'm going to start slowly weaning myself off of work so that next time I have a fun weekend full of good friends and fun, it won't be like I'm experiencing something new. It will feel like it is supposed to - natural.

Sad, I know. My summer project ends this week. I'll be back soon. I promise.

Three Months Later

2010-07-25T20:55:00.006-04:00

Last summer we played a lot. And when I say a lot I mean like every night. We went to Europe for two weeks, hung out with friends, cooked, and worked out almost every day.

This summer has been the complete opposite. All we've done is study and work. But guess what - this week that all changes. Richie takes the bar Tues-Weds and after he's done our summer finally starts.

We don't have any big plans, just a lot of little ones - tubing, kayaking, bike riding, hanging out at the pool and beach, cooking (a lot), reading, and doing the one thing we haven't done all summer - relaxing.

Top Ten Reasons I've Stopped Blogging

2010-07-16T21:35:00.003-04:00

Every few days someone mentions that I've stopped blogging. I used to be the everyday blogger and now I'm the MIA blogger. So to answer the question people keep asking...here are my top ten reasons for not blogging lately.

# 10 - I'm not crafty. Every blog I read nowadays is about some cute craft and reminds me how not crafty I am. And how much time I don't have for trying to become crafty.

#9 - I don't have kids. If a blog doesn't have crafts, it has kids. Don't get me wrong, I love kids and post pictures of my nephews often but my nephews can't keep my blog going daily.

#8 - We stopped cooking all together. Richie eats something simple, and I eat or forget to eat. No more fancy (or not fancy in my case) food.

#7 - I stopped working out right about when I stopped cooking.

#6 - I've only read about three books in the past three months and none of them were that great. It definitely does not help my 100 in 2010 goal. This fall will be a reading frenzy.

#5 - I haven't left my house all week (other than work) except to buy groceries. That's how boring my life is right now. With Richie studying for the bar, I literally do nothing.

#4 - We haven't been on a date since graduation, and we don't have a vacation planned until after the bar. Maybe I'm on a studying for the bar leave of absence.

#3 - I have nothing to write about so I waste too much time trying to come up with anything.

#2 - I can count the exciting things that have happened this summer on one hand - I went to see my family, I got a raise and window seat at work, and Richie graduated from law school. Done.

#1 - I worked 230 hours in June. That averages out to about 12 hours a day. Add that to ten hours of sleeping/eating and that doesn't leave much time for blogging. Or anything else.

But there is good news - work is slowing down, Richie takes the bar in two weeks, and I've got big plans for August. I'm anticipating a roaring comeback. Soon.

Just Plain Mean

2010-07-08T21:39:00.008-04:00

Last week I went to Kansas to play with my family again while Richie finished up his bar prep course. Like always, we played a lot, ate a lot, and slept a little.

Friday we went and picked out a puppy for one of our family friends. I learned a lesson while we were picking out the puppy. Never take a four year old to look at puppies unless they get to bring one home. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see Brazen fall in love with this cute little guy - he named it Foxy - and not be able to take his puppy with him. I made my mom be the bad guy and tell Brazen, while he was crying, that Foxy just couldn't come home with us this time. He ended up with a Beta fish instead.

But you know what I realized? I'm a lot like Brazen and that puppy. Every time I go home to visit my family, I fall in love with them all over again. And every time, it breaks my heart when I realize that I just can't take them home with me. Because who wouldn't miss these guys?

Two Nails + A Dead Battery = A Blessing in Disguise

2010-06-13T17:05:00.007-04:00

Do you ever have those days, or weeks in my case, where you feel like everything went wrong? This week it was my car. Wednesday I drove over two nails on the way to work and killed my tire. Then last night after dinner Richie and I came out to the car to find it was completely dead. A nice family gave us a jump start so that we could get to Autozone but when we got there we found out the battery itself needed replaced - the guy couldn't even get it to read on their battery life tester. A new tire, a new battery, four hours, and $200 later my car is working as well as ever.

And even as bad as the situtation was, there is only one thing that crosses my mind when I think back about this week. God heard and answered our prayers for safety before we drove back and forth to Ohio last weekend (some 800 miles) because someone or something was holding our car together until this week when it was safe to let go.

The Only Thing Better Than A Good Coaster is a Great Memory on One

2010-06-07T00:05:00.005-04:00

This weekend Richie and I went on a spontaneous limb and decided on Wednesday to take a couple of days off to join my family at Cedar Point in Ohio for a coaster filled weekend. It's one of the first times we have just decided on a whim to take a trip, and I'm so glad we did. A weekend away from work and studying was exactly what we both needed. And there is nothing better than making great memories with the people you love most.

**Sorry for the picture quality - all of these were taken on cell phone cameras.

Losing It

2010-06-02T09:23:00.004-04:00

Control is such a simple word. But such an important one as well. I'll admit it - I'm a control freak. Lately at work I feel like with my new role I have a little less control over the projects I'm working on, which is both a good and a bad thing.

The bad thing is that as I've lost control at work, I've also lost control in all of the other parts of my life. Rather than controlling my life, I've let other things control me - TV, food, and stress.

But not anymore. I'm done. I'm taking control over my life again starting today - no more hours of TV or letting a week go by without running. And no more making excuses for myself because I'm stressed from work.

Simply Delicious

2010-05-23T21:28:00.002-04:00

A while back I said I would post simple recipes (along with the crazy ones that Richie makes) and since then I've only posted one. So here are a couple of others.

Spinach Artichoke Dip (based on Alton Brown's)

1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach
11/2 cups thawed, chopped artichoke hearts (frozen or canned work)
6 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Warm up the cream cheese in the microwave for 30-45 seconds until warm and soft.

Step 3: Mix all of the ingredients together in a big bowl.

Step 4: Put all of the ingredients in a baking dish and put in the oven.

Step 5: Bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly on top.

Serve with fresh veggies, tortilla chips, or sliced bread.

Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad

Step 1: Cut small slices of watermelon.

Step 2: Drizzle with fruity olive oil.

Step 3: Crumble goat cheese on top of the watermelon.

Step 4: Top with pine nuts, small pieces of basil (optional), and a little bit of salt.

A delicious sweet and salty combination.

Short and Sweet

2010-05-20T19:16:00.002-04:00

I got an email from BlogHer a couple of days ago telling me that my ads have been suspended because I haven't posted on my blog in over two weeks. Wow. It's the first time in almost three years that I had so long between posts - including when I was in Europe for 2 1/2 weeks last summer. And I really have no excuses other than I haven't felt like blogging. In case everyone thought I died, I didn't. I'm alive and well. I've just been spending my time working, celebrating Richie's graduation, playing with family, and well...who am I kidding...watching Alias. Really, the majority of my time has been watching Alias.

And now it's time to go finish up season 3. I'll be back soon (hopefully sooner than two weeks this time).

Someone Tell April I Said Hello

2010-05-01T19:09:00.004-04:00

Can someone tell me where April went? I somehow missed her and now it's May. I really feel like I lost an entire month, but when I look back, it was actually a pretty eventful one. So here's a quick recap since my blog has been lacking lately.

At the beginning of April I got transferred into yet another "role" at work. I'm on our two biggest projects, which means long hours and a lot of responsibility. It's been a great challenge, but I'm ready for the 60 hour work weeks to stop.

The middle of April came and went with half-marathon #8 in SLC as well as great catch-up time with my friends and family. After I got back, I went to see Kris Allen at Hard Rock Cafe. Thanks Darcee! Continued to work a ton, went to lots of baby showers, and played a lot of volleyball.

And finally, the end of April brought with it a cold and allergies that took me out for two weeks but did give me a chance to catch up on my 100 in 2010 challenge. I couldn't even celebrate the fact that Richie finished law school on Wednesday or that one of my best friends is moving to NY (she's been out of the country for two years) at the end of the summer.

And then today as the perfect start to May, I went down to Eastern Market with a couple of good friends then went over to the International Fine Arts Festival in National Harbor (the perks of having an office there). Other than it being 90 degrees + humidity, it was the perfect day.

So that's what we've been up to. I'm hoping that with the showers, May also brings less hours at work, an appropriate law school graduation celebration, fun time with family, and a body that's ready for swimsuit season (I'm starting Jillian Michael's 30 day shred on Monday). And more than anything, I hope I have time to enjoy every day of it. No more of this losing months at a time.

100 Books in 2010: Books 21-25

2010-04-24T11:56:00.004-04:00

What do flying across the country, being sick, and having a husband in finals have in common? A lot of free time to read books. I'm actually on book #28 in my 100 in 2010 challenge so this post is a little behind, but that's okay. Here are books #21-25.

#21 - Fifteen Years by Kendra Bellamy (Number)
A book about a man with a troubled childhood that left his favorite foster family fifteen years ago. In this fifteenth year he decides it is finally time to find them. A decent read. 3 stars.

#22 - The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks (Movie)
I've read a lot of Nicholas Sparks' books, and this one followed the same typical Nicholas Sparks' route for me. Add that to the fact that I had Miley Cyrus in my head (who I don't particularly like) as the main character from seeing the movie, and this book was good but not great. I prefer The Lucky One. 3 stars.

#23 - Take Three by Karen Kingsbury (Number)
If you've never read a Karen Kingsbury book, check out my review of her first series - Redemption - and then go buy it. But realize that you'll be sucked in for a total of like 20 books that follow the Baxter family. I liked this book, but it wasn't my favorite of hers. 4 stars

#24 - Palace Circle by Rebecca Dean (Historical Fiction)
A book that was supposed to be like a Phillipa Gregory novel (The Other Boleyn Girl), this book highly disappointed me. It was split into three smaller stories that followed different main characters (that were all related) and just lost me somewhere in between part 1 and 2. 2 stars.

#25 - Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace by Dianne Sweeney (Review)
If you've ever experienced online dating, I'd pick this one up for a good laugh. It definitely had me chuckling and glad that I haven't had to go through the horror stories that others have. This book is a quick read, quirky, and a lot of fun. 4 stars.

My favorite out of those five is hard to pick because I liked them all but didn't love any of them. I would probably have to choose Kissing Frogs because it was quirky, and I like quirky. Or Take Three just because of Bailey and Cody.

Living Rich with #8

2010-04-22T22:50:00.011-04:00

A couple of years ago one of my family's friends Rich Lloyd found out he had terminal brain cancer. Before he passed away his family started the "Live Rich Team," to promote living our lives as richly as he had. I may not actually have ever met Rich, but I ran in his honor this weekend and wore my Live Rich t-shirt proudly. And the rest of the weekend, I lived richly.

It all started with one of my best friends Cate who picked me up at the airport and took me to play volleyball and then to a sleepover at her house.

We had some very fun company for the sleepover (I got to sleep in a bed and not a cage).

Then Friday we drove around, did some shopping, and saw some great scenery that I've been missing for the past three years.

And then ate my favorite salad ever - berries, candied nuts, and poppy seed dressing. Yum!

After hanging out all day, Cate dropped me off to go meet up with my family for a Live Rich picnic and carb-loading. Grandma and Grandpa came down to cheer us (or in Grandpa's case - make fun of me) on during the race.

Saturday was finally race time. There's something special about wearing matching shirts. I draw the line at tutus, but the matching shirts was kind of fun. Somehow my dad didn't make it into any of my pictures, but he was living richly as well.

And we finished the race looking almost as happy.

If you are looking for good after-race treats, you should definitely run Salt Lake. They had creamsicles, cold apples and bananas, fresh rolls and cookies, and chocolate milk. Add that all to a downhill race and cheap pedicures, and it was definitely one to remember.

We finished the weekend off with a BYU volleyball game, some light shopping, seeing some great friends, and just hanging out as a family. I came home with two new t-shirts, a great bathing suit, altitude sickness, and a determination to start living my life more richly than before. So far I'm failing miserably but it's an every day thing right? And something we can do together :)

At least for this weekend, try it out - live rich.

Review and Giveaway: The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow

2010-04-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

Meet Karla, Kelly, Marilyn, Jane, Jenny, Karen, Cathy, Angela, Sally, Diana, and Sheila. Eleven girls that all grew up together in Ames, Iowa and forty years later are still friends today. Jeffrey Zaslow spent a year visiting each of these women in their homes and listening to their stories. Voted as one of the top 10 books of the year by People Magazine, The Girls from Ames is a true story about these women and the lives they have shared together from childhood to now into their forties.

I loved this book. Because they are real women, I could relate to each one of them in their own way. Zaslow throws in a well-balanced mix of the triumphs, heartbreaks, and miniscule details that don't seem to really matter but are what really make up a great friendship. I laughed at moments and cried at others. And I fell in love with the girls from Ames.

On top of the stories about the women, he also random information about studies on friendships between women and how having close friends can have a very positive impact on your life. And how as great as it is to have friends that know you now, sometimes it's just nice to see those "old friends" who knew you when you were just getting started in becoming who you were. It definitely made me want to put down the book the moment I was done and pick up the phone to start calling all of my best girl friends. 5 stars.

I highly recommend this book to everyone and luckily enough, TLC book tours has offered to giveaway one copy to one of my readers just for leaving a comment on this post with your favorite thing about your best friends. Giveaway ends Sunday, April 25th at midnight EST.

**I was given this book to review as part of TLC book tours. This is my honest opinion.

And the Light Gets Brighter

2010-04-13T22:12:00.005-04:00

Richie finished his last ever law school class today. Two more weeks, and he will be officially done.

90% Syndrome

2010-04-11T22:59:00.004-04:00

At home, there is one thing I'm really good at - starting projects. And one thing I'm really bad at - finishing them. I get really excited about something and want to start right away. The problem is that before I finish a project, I typically get really excited about something else and start that. Some call it being easily distracted; I call it 90% syndrome.

Do you know how much shorter my to-do list would be if I could just get through that last 10% of everything? Like when I make dinner, washing the dishes right away. Or instead of just addressing graduation announcements, I'd actually stamp and send them. And instead of doing laundry and leaving it on the couch, I'd actually fold it and put it away.

Anyone else have a problem finishing things you start? Any great ideas for getting through that last 10%?

100 Books in 2010: Books 16-20

2010-04-08T22:00:00.002-04:00

Last week I realized that I'd only read one book since my last post three weeks ago and was way behind on my goal to hit 100. So over the weekend while my city was overrun with tourists (have I mentioned how much I hate tourists), I decided to catch up and finished five books over the weekend. I'm still a little behind but I'll get there. This time the books are all very different, but other than one, I thouroughly enjoyed them all.

#16 - Cardboard: a Woman Left for Dead by Fiona Place (Review)
A ficticious but very realistic portrayal of a woman struggling with an eating disorder and other social disorder. Very insightful and thought-provoking. 5 stars.

#17 - Love Mercy by Lisa and Ty Samson (Partially set in DC)
A non-fiction account of Lisa Samson and her daughter Ty on their journey in the United States and Africa (a lot of info about the AIDS problem) to follow Christ in their everyday lives. I honestly found this one to be somewhat dry and boring, but someone else might love it. 3 stars.

#18 - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (Best Seller)
This one has been coming up on the "need to read" list for a while now so I finally decided to pick it up. It wasn't the best book I've read in the past year as it may have been for others, but I did enjoy it. I loved the idea of a literary society and want to form my own. It was an easy read and a book I would recommend for anyone that enjoys historical fiction, stories about relationships, and/or novels written through letters. 4 stars.

#19 - The 7 Gifts that Came to Earth by John Mellor (Number)
"Seven precious gifts are bestowed on the Earth but not revealed. A young boy is charged with finding them." This book reminded me a lot of The Little Prince or the Alchemist. It was broken into seven books that each contained a gift that was given to the earth. The books themselves are intriguing, and I found myself constantly trying to figure out the gift. A short and interesting read. 3 stars.

#20 - The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow (Best Seller)
Named as one of People Magazine's top 10 books of 2009, this is a heartwarming non-fiction look into the lives of eleven girls from Ames, Iowa that met during their childhood and have stayed friends for the 40 years since. This book reminded me of everything I love about female friends and why I make an effort to stay in touch with the "old friends." It made me laugh, cry (a lot), and want to pick up the phone to call every friend I've ever had. I definitely recommend to any woman. 5 stars.

It's hard to pick my favorite book out of these five because they are all so good and different, but I would have to say The Girls from Ames.

Some Much Needed Motivation

2010-04-07T23:59:00.004-04:00

It's official. Half marathon #8 is in 10 days, and I'm finally registered. I was really hoping that my dad would let me just skip the race and go visit with my friends all weekend. Not so much.

Since I couldn't get out of the half-marathon, I decided I needed to find some sort of motivation to get me running since nothing, even the cherry blossoms, has worked so far. This week I found the perfect motivation.

I got season two (already watched season 1) of Grey's Anatomy from NetFlix. The catch? I can only watch while I run. So far this week I've run more than in the past three total.

Anyone have any great suggestions for my next series once I finish Grey's? I'm thinking now that it's almost over, it's about time I watch my first episode of Lost.

On Being a Mom - Someday

2010-04-04T19:42:00.003-04:00

I'll preface this post by saying no I'm not pregnant and no I'm not planning to get pregnant anytime soon. That's not what this post is about. Now that we've got that straight here goes.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about being a mom and what kind of mom I'll be. What will we teach our kids and how we will help them understand the difference between "right" and "wrong?" Richie and I got into a long conversation last night about how we were raised and how that contributed to the decisions we each personally make in our daily lives. I won't go into the specifics, but it was very eye-opening.

Then this weekend, our church had its semiannual general conference where leaders of the church give talks that are broadcast to the millions of members across the world. I felt like one of the main themes today was on the importance of teaching your children and being an example to them so that they without a doubt know who you are and what you believe. That when your kid has to make a decision about what's right or wrong, they'll be able to say I know what my mom would do in this situation. I'm not saying that they will always make that decision but wouldn't it be great if they didn't have a doubt about the choice that you would make?

That's a lot of pressure, but it's a good pressure. People say that if you wait until you think you're ready to have kids you'll never have them. I may never really be ready but there are a lot of things I could do to be more prepared today. Start learning more, strengthening my own beliefs, and making better choices. And maybe that way when it is time for me to have kids of my own, it won't quite as big of a leap - and don't worry, I know it'll be huge - to put the routines in place and to be that good example I want to be.

Book Review - Cardboard: A Woman Left for Dead

2010-04-02T16:46:00.002-04:00

When Fiona contacted me about reviewing Cardboard, I was a little hesitant because it covers such a sensitive subject - anorexia. As I'm sure we all have, I had a couple of friends during high school that struggled with eating disorders so I decided that I would give this book a chance.

It's been a long time since I've read a book that really put me into a life I've never known, into the shoes of someone whose path I've never traveled, and into a mind that I could both relate to and not understand at all. That's what Cardboard did for me. The book is written in what feels like stream of consciousness narrative from a woman who struggles with anorexia, which leads to other psychological and social disorders (e.g., afraid of employment, afraid of relationships with men). Parts of the narrative are written in paragraph form and other pieces are written in short chunks of what really feels like a random thought in the woman's mind. The different types of narrative mixed together perfectly matched what I imagined the main character's mind to be like. I love modern literature, and this fascinated me.

This is also one of those books that is both hard to read and hard to put down. I kept getting caught up in Lucy's almost recovery and then heartbroken as she continued to falter on that path. Even though it was fiction, the story felt very real, like it was written about someone in particular or from the author's own personal experiences. And even though I personally don't have an eating disorder or suffer from any other psychological disorders (that I know of), I could relate to Lucy's desire for control and her nervousness and fear when she sensed a loss of control. I probably wouldn't pick this book up to read again but I'm glad I read it in the first place because it was eye-opening, insightful, and definitely worth reading. 5 stars

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-03-30T21:57:00.002-04:00

Sorry I've been MIA lately. I've been working a lot more than normal the last few weeks and by the time I get home at 9:00 and eat dinner, blogging just doesn't make the top of my list of things to do. Hopefully things are going to slow down at work in the near future but for now hang in there. I'll be back as soon as I can.

I Should've Been More Careful What I Wished For

2010-03-24T21:40:00.007-04:00

Every once in a while I tell Richie that I wish I could come home and just have some time to myself to do things like read and blog without feeling guilty about ignoring him. Mean I know. I am definitely taking that wish back now. Two weeks after graduation Richie starts studying for the bar. He was reading through some prep materials and "what to expect" type things this week and they said that in addition to a five-hour class, he is supposed to study another 7-8 hours a day. I'm pretty sure that means 13 hours a day, which is about how many hours I spend sleeping and eating in any given day.

7:30 - 8:30 AM - get up, eat breakfast and get ready for class
8:30 - 9:00 AM - take the metro to class
9:00 - 2:00 PM - Prep course
2- 2:30 - Metro home from class
2:30-3:00 - Eat lunch
3:00-7:00 - Study (the first four hours)
7:00-8:00 - Eat Dinner
8:00-12:00 - Study (the second set of four hours)

And it'll be that way for about 10 weeks. Can someone tell me where there is time for me in that schedule? I guess I'd better take full advantage of him now while I've got him. And from May - July, I'm thinking weekend trips, lots of girl nights, and maybe some marathon training.

Who Loves Books?

2010-03-18T19:52:00.007-04:00

For the last two years I've been writing book reviews on Book Nook Club. Last month I went from not only being a reviewer but took over as the keeper of the blog. In the past month I've gotten like twenty emails from authors asking for people to review their books on Book Nook. I'm already at a point where I'm reading about a book a week and can't take on much more right now, but I feel bad telling these authors no. I send the list of books out to the other people who are already reviewers but typically don't get a great response and end up with 2-3 books a week that are just dying to be read with nobody to read them.

I think it'd be nice to have some more reviewers on the site with different tastes so I don't have to say no to authors all of the time. So this is my open invitation to anyone that loves books and would enjoy writing book reviews (books you've chosen and/or books that publishers send you to read) to join Book Nook. Just leave a comment or email me if you'd like to join, and I'll get you all setup.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to Me and My New Flip

2010-03-17T21:48:00.008-04:00

Since I apparently didn't have enough to smile about today, my office decided they wanted to add one more thing to my list by picking my name out as the winner of our annual St. Patrick's Day raffle. So now instead of just seeing pictures, I'm going to start posting awesome videos using my brand new UltraHD Flip Video Camera.

Why I'm Smiling Today

2010-03-16T22:57:00.002-04:00

Other than the fact that I haven't run in over two weeks and am running half-marathon #8 in less than a month, there is nothing I can think of right now that can take the smile off my face. And plenty of things that keep making it bigger.

The first being my job. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a transition in roles, and it's been great. I've been given a lot more responsibility (and a lot more visibility) and am loving it even if I work more hours than I did before. I've been given some big projects because my boss trusts me and feel great that someone at the office is behind me in everything I do. I am busy though which means that I less time for things that I love.

Like blog hopping. I love finding one new blog of a good friend because it undoubtedly means I will find other blogs of our mutual friends and acquaintances. And well if you couldn't tell already, I like blogging and like reading other people's blogs.

Know what else I like? Brian Regan. He's been my favorite comedian since Jordan introduced him to me with his, "The big yellow one's the sun," comment my freshman year at BYU, and this Friday I'm finally going to get to see him in person. Happy birthday to me!

Speaking of BYU - I get to go back to visit in 29 days. We moved to DC three years ago this summer and haven't been back once. Not only will I get to watch the last men's home volleyball game -this is very exciting for me since volleyball was a big part of my life while I was in school - and eat at Brick Oven, but I will also get to have a sleepover and whole day with one of my best friends and get to see a bunch of other people while I'm there. I'll just ignore the fact for now that I'm running a half-marathon in a much higher altitude than DC.

Instead I'll focus on the fact that when I get back from Utah, my husband will be in his last week of law school. After three years, it's almost over. I can almost see that light peeking out from behind the clouds; it will probably get cloudy again right after graduation when he starts studying for the bar, but that Sunday he graduates will literally be a sunny day.

And then I'm sure there will be something else that makes my day and makes my dimples show (like any of you that know me well know they do).

Because there always is.

A Mean Girl but Not a Queen Bee

2010-03-14T21:17:00.004-04:00

I'm pretty sure we've all seen the movie Mean Girls with Rachel McAdams and Lindsey Lohan. I know I have and if you haven't, you should - it's hilarious.

So tonight I had dinner with two of my good friends from high school who I haven't seen in over three years. They both have cute little boys, and I had a lot of fun catching up with them. But while we were talking about memories from high school it made me wonder which of the Mean Girl groups I would've fallen into during high school. And is the way I see (and saw) myself in high school completely different from the way other people saw me? Was I one of those girls who left other people out, that thought I was better than everyone else, someone that hurt other people purposely? Was I a mean girl? And sadly, I think the answer may be yes but not in the sort of way that everyone wanted me and wanted to be me - just that I remember intentionally making decisions even though I knew that they would hurt other people. And selfish decisions that were good for me and no one else.

I like to think that I've grown out of that phase of my life and that I think a little more about other people when I make decisions and do things, but I know I still slip up more than I should even seven years after high school. And I'm hoping seven years from now when I'm looking back at this period in my life, I'll only be able to remember the times I helped rather than hurt other people. And realize that no, I am not a mean girl - just a girl who forgets to be nice every once in a while.

The Power of Two Little Words

2010-03-12T19:22:00.004-05:00

It's amazing to me how much power a little, "Good work," can do. I've been working in my new role at my job for about three weeks now and got a note from one of our clients today to my boss telling him that I was doing a good job. And it was exactly what I needed after a couple of weeks of feeling like I'm in a spinning class - working hard but going nowhere. It's incredible how much more I'll do for someone if they give me positive feedback; it just makes me want to prove them right, that I really am doing a good job.

It was the perfect end to a long week. The client may forget they once said I did a good job, but I won't. And that is what will get me back into the office and happy to work again on Monday.

Happy Friday everyone!

Black and White Party Continued: The Good Stuff

2010-03-10T19:36:00.009-05:00

And now for post #2, the good stuff. Our black and white party turned out great. We had 28 people show up, which is a ton for our little apartment, but it ended up a very fun group. It looks like everyone had a good time.

Or maybe they were just laughing at our "accent" wall.

Or the other decorations.

Or, maybe they were afraid of Darcee.

Or the white Aruban beach bum angel.

No matter what they were smiling about, they all left smiling. That's what I'd call a successful black and white party.

Black and White Party: Part 1 - Games

2010-03-09T18:00:00.002-05:00

This is going to be a two-part post...this post is all about what we DID at the black and white party. I looked for a long time and couldn't find any great ideas for games/activities so we combined other ideas and created our own. Maybe next time someone else looks for ideas, they'll find this post and be inspired. Tomorrow's post will be the rest of the party - food, decorations, and people.

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Game #1: Just Say Yes (AKA the necklace game)

Setup:

Buy enough black and/or white necklaces/beads/whatever really for each person at the party. It doesn't matter what color they are; we had a mix of both.
Print out a list of all the ways you can think of to say yes. For example: yes, yeah, sure, uh
huh, mmhmm, certainly, definitely, si, oui. Display them in the room in a very visible manner. We printed them in white, put them on a piece of black cardstock, and hung them up on the wall.

Play:

When guests arrive at the party give everyone a black or white necklace (not both) and explain the rules. Nobody is allowed to say any of the "yes" words listed on the cardstock. If someone else hears them say yes, then they take their necklace(s). Once you lose your necklace you're allowed to say yes again; you can get back into the game by winning a necklace from someone else. At the end of the party or the end of an allotted time period the person with the most necklaces wins a prize. Randomly throughout the night we would hear cheers from different places in the room as necklaces moved from person to person. It was pretty funny. The girl sitting on the ground on the right hand side of this picture was the big winner.

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Game #2: Black and White Sedarahc (charades backwards)

Setup:

Put together a list of black and white items (we had about 120) and write them out big enough for someone to read from a couple of feet back on slips of paper.
Split up into teams (this depends on how many people you have; 4-6 is a good amount of people per team).
Find a timer. We used an iPod but a 1-minute sand timer probably works best.

Play:
One team goes at a time. They choose ONE person from their team to be the guesser. The guesser sits in a chair, and the rest of the team stands up in the middle of the room. A person from the other team holds the stack of cards with the black and/or white items to be guessed. As soon as the playing team is ready, they say go and the other team holds out the first card. The playing team works together to act out the item on the card without any verbal communication. Only the guesser sitting in the chair can guess the item. Once the guesser gets the item, the team moves onto the next card. The team keeps going for the full minute trying to get as many items as possible.
Each team is allowed one skip per round but if you skip a card, you HAVE to play the next one so you want to be careful about what you skip. Once the minute is up, the other team picks a guesser and plays out their turn. The team who has the most points once the cards run out (or you've got through the allotted amount of rounds) wins.
This game is hilarious. We've played it twice now, and it definitely works better with small groups (4-6 on each team) and a bigger space, but it's fun either way. Next time you're looking for a different type of party game, try this one out. I think these guys are trying to act out white rabbit.

My dad came up with the items on the cards (so Richie and I could play) and some were really obvious and some were pretty obscure and very hard to get. They can be whatever you want; our list included movies, song titles, people, and things. Here are some ideas to get you started. If you want the full list email me , and I'll be happy to send it over to you.

Shaun White (Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding)
Baa Baa Black Sheep
White Men Can't Jump (movie)
White blood cells
White and Nerdy (Weird Al song)
Ebony and Ivory
Albino
Crossword
Panda Bear
Black Hills of South Dakota

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Game #3: Black and White Name that Tune

Setup:

Put together a playlist of however many songs you want (estimate each song takes about 30-45 seconds to go through; we did about 35 songs in 30 minutes) that have black or white in the song title or in the artist's name. (You could do album name as well, but that's a little too much effort for me.)
Split the group into two teams.

Play:
Push play on your playlist. Each team tries to be the first to yell out the artist name and title of the song. Whichever team yells it out first gets the points. It's not a one team takes all thing; the points can be split depending on who yells out what first. So say team A yells out the artist and team B yells out the song title. Team A gets two points for the artist and team B gets one point for the title. Once the title and artist have been correctly guessed, move on to the next song. Keep going until you've gone through your entire playlist. The team with the most points wins. You can track points however you want, but this is what we typically use.

Artist name = two points
Song Title = one point
Movie/Musical song is from/part of = one point

**When we play with my family, each person only gets one guess per item per song. So say a song came on and I said Billie Jean and was wrong, I would not be allowed to guess the title again for that song even if I knew it was actually Black or White. But I could guess that the artist was Michael Jackson. We didn't add that rule this weekend because I thought it might complicate things a little too much. My family is pretty advanced when it comes to playing Name that Tune.
Here are some of the songs we came up with. If you want the full list, email me and I'll gladly send it over to you. It's fun to have a pretty good mix of different genres, artists, etc. on the playlist so that everyone can be involved. Ours had everything from Taylor Swift to Led Zepplin to Les Mis. It's always interesting to see who guesses what; you learn a lot about people from the music they know. Easy and definitely a fun party game.
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Prizes (because what's a game without prizes):

We bought a bunch of random black and white prizes (list below) that ranged from a pack of whitening toothpaste to Zebra cakes to gift cards. Before the party we taped a number (1-16) on each of the prizes and taped another set of numbers (1-16) on the bottom of each of the pieces in our chess set. When a team won a game, they were given the chance to pick a chess piece from the board. Whatever number they picked was the prize they won. This way it was completely random; everyone won something, but we got to pick out a random selection of prizes to make it more fun (for us).

Here are the prizes we used (but there are plenty of others you could come up with). We're also cheap so you could make these a little more valueable if you feel like it.

Whitening toothpaste/floss
Box of popcorn
Zebra cakes
Black and White Milano Cookies
Two different gift cards
Movie Tickets
Pack of black Icebreaker gum
Black and white striped socks
Dominoes game
CD of all of the Name that Tune songs
Chapstick (black and white of course)
Black nail polish
White candle
White air freshner/night light
Cookies and Cream Hershey's Bar

February Food

2010-03-08T20:20:00.004-05:00

I'm still waiting on a friend to get me pictures from the black and white party, but I promise a post is coming soon. For now you'll have to settle for pictures of the food weRichie made in February. I'm going to start making notes about the recipes we used (if we used one) because most of the things we make are actually fairly easy, they just look pretty once Richie is done with them.

Tuna and Veggie Lettuce Wraps

Deconstructed Shepherd's Pie
This was delicious and so easy. Richie just cut out the center of the potatoes and roasted them then filled them up with the normal shepherd's pie filling.

Pear Walnut Salad (with honey olive oil dressing)

Lasagna Verde
Okay, this one really is complicated. Those are fried spinach leaves on top.

Grilled shrimp with mango salsa
(we love our grill pan!)

Cucumber Veggie Salad

Cauliflower and Bacon Gratin (Giada recipe)

Asparagus Carbonara

And my favorite (and the only one I actually made)

White pizza with pepperoni, olives, and artichokes

Hoping that Order from Chaos is Contagious

2010-03-07T23:32:00.003-05:00

Lately I've just been feeling overwhelmed, like there's so much I have to do that I just didn't feel like starting any of it. So I just didn't do anything. For two weeks.

But today while were putting our apartment back together after the black and white party last night (went great by the way, more details to come), I realized I was going to have to start somewhere. So today I spent ten hours completely reorganizing our apartment. I either found a place for everything or made a new one. And I feel 100% better already. Hopefully getting some type of order at home will help me get some type of order back into the rest of my life. Here's my day in numbers.

1 much happier me
2 laundry baskets completely full of clothes
3 storage containers gone through (lots of stuff thrown away)
4 breaks taken during the day to eat, drink, etc. (I was on a roll)
5 rooms (out of six - I didn't do the bathroom) decluttered and reorganized
10 hours cleaning/reorganizing
11 hair bands found that are now on my wrist
12 bags of trash/junk ready to be thrown away
13 empty water bottles found
14 shelves cleaned/cleared off and organized
15 minutes of TV watched (this is normally my biggest problem)
25 items of expired food/drink trashed from food storage
75 books donated/gave away
100+ things flung (I do believe I killed this challenge)

100 Books in 2010: Books 11-15

2010-03-05T00:00:00.004-05:00

As I start writing this, I realized that I've been reading a lot of chick-lit lately. So sorry for the lack of variety in these books. I'm right on schedule...only 85 books to go in my 100.

#11 - Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin (Made Into Movie)
Quick and funny read about an upscale nanny, definitely nothing live changing. It did seem to say a lot about marriages/family relationships among rich families. Cute though. 3 stars.

#12 - Devil's Food Cake by Josi Kilpack (Sent to review)
Called a, "Culinary Mystery," this is a book about a middle-aged "busybody" type woman who likes to get involved in the mysteries in her town even though her detective boyfriend asks her not to. Mix some humorous detective work with some delicious recipes, and I actually really liked this one. 4 stars.

#13 - Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (made into a movie)
I've never seen the movie and had no idea really what this book was about but when I saw it at the library as part of their "bag of books for $1" sale, I picked it up. It took me less than two days to read, and I laughed out loud throughout. I think my favorite parts were the headings of each chapter: 128 lbs (from where, why, why,)... calories 1500, positive thoughts 0. Hilarious. 3 stars.

#14 - The History of Lucy's Love Life in Ten and a Half Chapters by Deborah Wright (ten in the title)
A twenty-something girl gets a time machine and goes back to meet her historical fantasies (e.g., Casanova, Leonardo DiVinci, Ovid, and Lord Byron). During her journeys she realizes how great her current boyfriend is. Another pickup from the bag of books for $1 sale and another silly chick-flick book with a good theme. Predictable but cute. 2 stars.

#15 - Truth, Next Exit by Michele M. Paiva (books to review)
This book goes through a number of scriptures and relates them to real life with a focus on our physical and emotional well-being. It included a lot of good ideas for relating those particular scriptures to real life, and it was an okay read.

Not the best five books I have ever read but my favorite by far was Devil's Food Cake. I'd even go so far as to recommend it; I'll be looking into the next "culinary mystery."

Just An Average Girl Looking for the Missing Piece

2010-03-03T22:27:00.007-05:00

For the past six months or so I've been trying to figure out where I'm going and what I'm doing with this blog. You may have noticed I've been all over the place and just writing mostly about my life. I've been trying to find my niche and haven't gotten there yet. But I did figure out something - I can't write a blog about just one thing. There are people out there that have blogs that focus on one specific thing whether it be running, crafts, couponing, or cooking. I can't do that because I'm not great at any of those things. Something I've always been proud of is that I can do just about everything, I just don't do any of it extremely well.

The problem with that is that it makes for a somewhat jumbled blog from time to time. So forgive me as a I try to piece together exactly where I'm going and what I really want to write about. Because believe me, I do want to write about something, I just haven't figured out what that something is yet.

So for now, you're going to get a little bit of cooking, a couple of crafts and tips here and there, status updates on my lack of running, and random pictures of my family and friends. And hopefully you don't all stop reading before I put all of those pieces together because eventually when I do, the picture is going to be crystal clear. And I for one can't wait to see what that picture looks like.

The Best Kind of Fling: Spring Fling 2010

2010-03-02T20:06:00.022-05:00

Our apartment just doesn't have enough space for everything we have (let alone everything I wish we had). So this weekend while I was reading blogs I came across the Spring Fling challenge on lifefrosting.com. And because I'm always up for a challenge, I'm joining in. I'll track the things I fling on my sidebar to stay accountable. Feel free to join in and start flinging.

Challenge

To "fling" 100 things by the first day of spring, March 21st.

Fling

Get rid of in any way - paperbackswap, ebay, craigslist, Salvation Army, trash, recyling - just something that gets it out of your apartment AND (I'm adding this in) out of your car. It has to be GONE not just out of the apartment and waiting to be taken away.

Bonus
Don't get anything to replace the things I fling.

Giving It Up Round Two

2010-03-02T00:19:00.004-05:00

Back in January I decided to give up sweets for a month just to prove that I could do it. I did it, and it really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Having put sweets back in my diet (plus some), I decided to try it again but this time I'm taking out another one of favorites - soda and juice. I can still drink things that are good for me like milk and "flavored waters" like Crystal Light but no empty high-calorie drinks.

I think this one will be much harder than the sweets, especially since we've got a free soda machine at work and that Orange Fanta calls my name every day. If you've ever gone off of sugary drinks and have any good suggestions, I'll take any help I can get.

Oh and don't forget to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Walmart gift card and free toilet paper. Giveaway closes Sunday.

Valentine's Day Date #1: Paris

2010-02-28T18:09:00.007-05:00

For Valentine's Day this year, Richie put together a game called "Match-2-Date." Since all he gave me at first was the name of the game with no explanation, I immediately Googled the game and was greeted by a game where you have the opportunity to match couples up and help people fall in love. I was more than a little confused. Sure I like games but matching other people up? Been there, done that.

The present wasn't actually the matchmaking game but rather something Richie made up himself. He printed out pictures from our last three years together, two from each particular "day", and put them together in a matching game. I match the two pictures from that "day" and win the date. This month I picked pictures from our trip to Paris last May and won a trip down the "Champs Elysees."

In Paris we started with a climb to the top of the Arc de Triumph.

We got a late start on our date on Saturday but
we were planning to start at the end of the street at the Masonic temple.

Then we started our walk down the street just watching
all of the people around us and enjoying the scenery.

And of course we had to stop in the upscale stores along the street. Louis Vouitton in Paris; Gap and Banana in Old Town. And just like in Paris, I tried on a lot and didn’t buy anything.

After all of that shopping, we got hungry and what better to eat in Paris than pastries? The pastries in Paris were a little more abundant and colorful, but the pastries in Old Town held their own. See if you can tell which came from Paris and which came from here.

After a lot of walking and eating no so good for us sweets, we finished the night relaxing under bright lights.

I’d say it was a great day. Both times. Stay tuned for trips to Santa Monica, Provo, and Rome.

Black and White Party Food

2010-02-25T19:28:00.005-05:00

Richie and I are throwing a black and white party next week. I'm still not quite sure what that means but all I can think about is I hope someone brings at least one (or all) of these!

Homemade Oreos

Black and White Cookies

Spinach/Artichoke Dip with Blue Tortilla Chips

Black and White Cupcakes

Get Your Roll On Giveaway

2010-02-24T00:37:00.006-05:00

I'm giving away free toilet paper and a $50 Wal-Mart gift card over on my review blog just for telling me how you roll. Even if you don't like Wal-Mart (although I don't know anyone who doesn't), I know everyone needs toilet paper. Go. Now.

Update: I just heard that the comments on the giveaway weren't working properly. I've fixed it so you should be able to comment over there now. Sorry!!!

I Have a Confession #22

2010-02-22T23:38:00.005-05:00

You know all of the delicious looking food I post on my blog like here, here, and here... well I didn't actually make all of those things. Not even 10% of those things. The rule of thumb is that if it's not sweet (a.k.a. dessert), I didn't make it. My husband did. And I just take all of the credit.

But I do cook, really I do. My meals just don't look as pretty so they don't get pictures - just recipes on my sidebar weekly menu. But my friend Cate recently pointed out that the food I actually post on my blog is a little intimidating and too advanced, which is another reason I don't make it.

So along with the pretty looking pictures of food, I'm going to try harder to post everyday recipes that I (not my husband) make and love. I'm going to post the recipes as we actually make them (no onions, citrus, etc.) and link to the original recipe. Get ready for a lot of chicken, pasta, or both. I'll start out with a recipe that uses ingredients most people have on hand. We've made it twice now, and it takes maybe 20 minutes at most (really - not Rachael Ray style) and is delicious.

Cashew Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry (in a Peanut Sauce)

Sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey

Stir Fry
4 cups broccoli florets (you can use whatever - we've done broccoli, celery, and carrots)
3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1lb. skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed (we just substituted garlic powder)
2 cups cooked rice (you can make however much you want)
1/2 cup cashews
4 TB vegetable oil

Instructions:

Combine all of the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
Cut vegetables and chicken into bite-sized pieces (we like "matchsticks" for celery or carrots so that they stay kind of crispy).
Heat 2 TB of oil in skillet or wok over high heat until hot.
Add chicken and half of the ginger and garlic. Cook and stir until chicken is no longer pink, then remove from skillet/wok.
Reduce heat to medium-high and heat remaining oil in the same skillet. Add remaining ginger and garlic and vegetables and cook for about 3-4 minutes until veggies are crisp then return chicken to skillet.
Stir in sauce; bring to a boil. Let cook for 1-2 more minutes stirring occasionally then pour entire mixture on top of rice to serve.
Sprinkle with nuts.

So in other words - five steps. 1- Mix sauce. 2- Cut chicken and vegetables. 3- Cook and season chicken. 4- Cook and season vegetables. 5- Mix together and pour over rice. Told you it was easy.