A Bunch Of My Nonsense

Show Us Your Plum!

2012-02-01T08:58:00.001-06:00

My friend Janette is having a party over at her blog today! She and her friend Ashley are hosting a link party for everyone to show off their awesome products from Pick Your Plum! Have you ever heard of PYP? If not then you need to head on over to their site and check it out PRONTO!! Basically, they have a deal every day on some type of awesome product. It could be crafting supplies, cupcake liners, scarves, jewelry, baby items etc etc! Every day there is something amazing!

I first heard of Pick Your Plum from Janette. Did she send me a sweet email about how great their products were and suggest that I take a peek at their amazing deals? Nope. She sent me a text, demanded that I get online, and go to their site immediately! Of course I did and what did I find? Amazing scarves for a steal!!! I immediately bought three (two for me and one as a gift) and I have been hooked ever since.

Check out the two scarves that I got! I think the cream is my favorite because I wear a lot of black and it just goes with everything!

My friend Liz is modeling my black scarf and showing off another way to wear it. I never can decide if I like it better short or long! It’s pretty awesome either way I must say!

Pick Your Plum has quickly become my number one site that I check each morning when I get to work! You have to be quick because their products are so awesome that sometimes they sell out within an hour or so. The BEST part for me is their shipping rates. You pay one shipping charge for one or more items!! So you can get 10 of something and only pay a couple of dollars for shipping! Not to mention the price of their products are ridiculous! As in ridiculously CHEAP! But their products are excellent. Ever single item I have received has been amazing in quality and more beautiful than I could have imagined!

So bookmark Pick Your Plum’s website or their Facebook and check them out EVERY SINGLE DAY! Then go on over to Janette’s blog because it’s pretty awesome too!!

If you have received something from Pick Your Plum that you think is awesome and you would like to share then please link up with and join the party!!!!

Just A Tuesday Update

2012-01-24T14:07:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I finally started feeling more like a human rather than a mucus factory. I still have a man voice and a cough that will probably be around for a while. Why does it take so long to get rid of a cough!!

Saturday I over did it and ended up napping on the couch most of the evening. Sunday was better though and we ran our normal errands and saw a movie. If you haven’t seen Haywire … don’t waste your money. It wasn’t the big movie of the weekend (which was Underworld, which I totally wanted to see but Adam wasn’t for the mutants and vampires … whatever haha) but we thought it looked promising. Some of our favorite movies have been the ones that weren’t on any popular lists this past year.

I’m working on a list of movies that we saw last year. I think it would be cool to look back and see how many we saw! I’m thinking it’s around 30ish (in theaters)! I also just finished my list of books that I read last year and that was 38! Two more than 2010! What can I say, I love lists!! :)

A New Chapter

2012-01-20T10:10:00.001-06:00

This week has been a little weird for me. It’s the first week that I’m not making lists, planning food, or some type of party! I planned on taking it easy this week, relaxing, and getting my house back to normal. Well now I’m sick! Figures right? I don’t have a full on cold but it’s some kind of sinus infection or laryngitis that is kicking my butt. My chest rattles when I breathe and by the end of the day I’m worn completely out just from a normal work day!

This has been a BIG week for me in my personal life though. Adam and I had a discussion earlier in the week about our future. I have been wanting to grow our family for a while but I haven’t brought it up for various reasons but lately because his sister is pregnant. For one, I didn’t want him thinking it was just baby fever. I have felt this way a lot longer than she has been pregnant. Also, it’s her time to be in this spot light. She has wanted a baby for so long and didn’t think it was something that could be possible for her. She deserves all the attention and everyone taking care of her right now.

So I decided to finally bring this subject up. She is due pretty much any day (dilated to a one!!). I don’t know why I felt now was the right time but I just did. So I wrote Adam a long letter about the future I would love to have for us. I let him know all my reasons, fears, anxieties, and hopes. After he read my letter and processed it for a bit we had a discussion. Guess what? He’s on board!! Sure he is still nervous about it (so am I to be truthful) but we are both willing to go on faith and see what the future holds for us! I never thought this day would come for me.

I do have one goal to meet for myself though. I want to finally get out of the 200s in my weight! I haven’t been under 200lbs since my teens. So after I lose 17lbs we will start trying!! I will keep trying to lose weight until I am pregnant and then after talking to my Dr. we can decide what types of food I should eat and how to maintain my weight and not gain much during my pregnancy. Of course I want to be as healthy as possible before getting pregnant but this is at least a goal and a start of this process that I’m really excited about.

My Dr. is aware that I’m on Weight Watchers and losing weight. At my last visit he was all for me getting pregnant any time because I am healthy other than my weight.

So please say some prayers for us as we start this new chapter of our lives!!

(If I know you in real life, please keep this on the down low! :) Thanks!)

Burger King … Delivery?

2012-01-18T10:17:00.001-06:00

This morning while I was getting ready I was listening to the news. There was a story about Burger King’s new delivery option. For just $2 extra you can have a whopper delivered right to your desk or home. Currently it’s available only in Washington DC at 10 locations as a test pilot. The three guys in the video were raving about how awesome this was that they got delicious burgers in only 42 minutes.

Ok first of all … How lazy have we become that we can’t get our butts up and drive to get fast food. Does it REALLY need to be delivered?? Sure, I can see in instances where it would be convenient, like if you have a huge order for an office or for a bunch of guys at a job site. I can also see that if you lived in a big city and didn’t have a car, delivery would be better than taking a taxi or riding the subway. But to just call them up to deliver a burger and fries? Not so much.

Secondly … 42 minutes?? Do you know how many times I could drive myself to Burger King and back in that amount of time?

But seriously … who actually eats Burger King in the first place? I guess they are trying to boost sales and be ahead of the game by trying out this new strategy. Will it work? Who knows.

I say … if you really want fast food then get in the car, drive yourself, and get it yourself.

Do you agree? Disagree? Pretend this isn’t Burger King … what fast food restaurant would you be excited about having a delivery option? Me … I don’t even get pizza delivered because I don’t like paying a trip charge haha.

Baby Shower!

2012-01-16T14:28:00.001-06:00

What a great weekend we had!! It went by so fast!! Of course this past Saturday was finally baby shower time!! I spent the night Friday at my sister-in-law’s since we were having the party at her house. We had a lot of things on the to do list and we accomplished most of them Friday. Saturday we were able to not rush and take things easy getting set up for the party at 2:00. As hostess I was crazy busy the entire time and didn’t have time for pictures so I’m praying that other people took some!! I did take a few of the decorations before the party got started but none of the new mommy to be (Yes, I suck!).

Our invite! (I took parts of the names, addresses, and phone numbers off if you are thinking it looks funny).

Our invite that I designed!! Pretty proud of this!

Dessert Table (minus the punch bowl that hadn’t been placed in that big blank spot yet).

Better view of the dessert table with balloons.

Awesome banner and pom poms!

Diaper cake that was made by a friend.

Food table

Everyone brought a onesie to hang up! Loved this idea!!

I have only been to a couple of baby showers and each time after the gifts were opened I was pretty much ready to leave. We had games and lots of things going on so people stayed pretty interested. The party started at 2:00 and at 4:00 everyone was still like OK WHAT’S NEXT? That’s how I know it was a great party!

Yesterday Adam and I enjoyed a quiet day. We had a late breakfast, went to a movie, did some grocery shopping, and caught up on some DVR stuff. It was great to just have a day where I didn’t have to plan something. But now I’m kind of floundering. I need something to plan and keep me excited!! I’m going to devote my time to getting my weight watchers back on track!!

No Brain Left

2012-01-13T15:36:00.001-06:00

It has been a busy week of meetings, a class, a stressful work environment, and a ton of baby shower planning! I had several posts rolling around in my brain but my brain is now fried and refuses to process useful information. Maybe next week they will come back to me. I know Adam will be glad!

Tonight after work I’m heading over to my sister-in-law’s where I’ll be staying the night. We have a lot planned and a lot to do to get ready for tomorrow!! Mainly it’s gonna be fun fun fun (if I can stay awake!). I’m really thankful that I have been organized from the beginning with lists. This morning at 5am when I was packing my car up I didn’t have that feeling that I had forgotten something because I’ve had every single detail written down and planned. I’m sure there is SOMETHING that I did forget but my mother-in-law can bring it tomorrow.

So before I ramble about a bunch of other nothing I’m gonna leave with you a great song that I have recently discovered. A friend told me about a Christian group called Casting Crowns and I’ve purchased two of their CDs. This is my song for the year!! Love it!

Baby Shower Week!

2012-01-09T12:58:00.001-06:00

I completely missed my post for Friday! I had it half way typed out and then things got crazy and before I knew it the day was gone. But at least I tried right?

I attended two surprise parties last week. Thursday my sister turned 16! We surprised her at her favorite restaurant and then had some yummy cake!! Friday was my sister-in-law’s hunny’s birthday so we surprised him at his favorite restaurant. Needless to say I’ve had enough take out but we had a ton of fun!

This weekend I spent most of my time coordinating things for my sister-in-law’s baby shower that is this Saturday. I did some shopping at Hobby Lobby and filled up the dang buggy with things! I just have a few more things to get, a few errands to run, and then there is lots of things to make. It’s going to be pretty awesome! We may have gone a TAD overboard but that’s ok. I mean who knows if she will have more kids and who knows when I will so this could be a one time thing! Besides I haven’t gone over budget yet so that’s a great thing!

Here are a couple of pics:

This is just a quick pic of my table where I had everything spread out. Lots of pink and black going on here!

I’m staying the night with her Friday night and that’s when most of the stuff will be made but I wanted to try making the pom poms to see how they turned out. Pretty good I think! (This was tied to my lamp for picture purposes so ignore that part)

I’m pretty excited to see the final product on Saturday and I’ll be posting lots of pictures next Monday!

Hardest Part About Beginnings

2012-01-05T11:11:00.001-06:00

I recently signed up for the NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) for January. The challenge is to post something every day and there are helpful prompts to use if needed. Well I have a few ideas rolling around in my head but decided to go with today's prompt.

What is the hardest part about a beginning?

I love new beginnings. I get excited about change and mixing things up in my life. But I also start to worry about the end before the beginning is even over with. I worry about how long it’s going to take me to fail. How long will I stick with it (whatever IT may be) this time? What will so-and-so think if I do this?

I also tend to over analyze things. I get wrapped up in the planning and prep of starting something new that by the time I actually start whatever it is I’ve already convinced myself it’s impossible or too much trouble.

I function best by just jumping in to something and not worrying about all the details. It’s hard for me to do that but it is something I’ve been striving for the past year or so with success. I have become less afraid to try new things because I don’t worry about all the downfalls or what someone will think. I try to just go for it.

January Goals & Plans

2012-01-04T14:07:00.001-06:00

I made my grand come back yesterday and lost a follower. Go figure! HAHA.

Today I wanted to get down on paper (Err… screen) some of the things going on for January and my goals for the year.

Yearly Goals:

I have promised myself that this will be the last year that I will have the resolution of losing weight. I’m not going in to my 30s at the same weight. Not going to happen.
I want to be pregnant by the end of the year. My husband doesn’t know this yet and at some point we have to have this discussion.
I’m making a list of Household Goals, Work Goals, and Personal Goals that I want to keep up with every month.
Have a daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning and organizing schedule.

January Activities:

Tomorrow is my little sister’s 16th birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! :)

On the 14th I’m hosting a baby shower for my sister-in-law. It’s going to be the best shower EVER! She’s due Feb 11th but I really have a feeling that before the end of this month I will have a new niece!

January Goals:

Start taking a multi-vitamin every night.

Keep my laundry caught up!

Start some type of organization project at home and complete it.

Holiday Recap

2012-01-03T12:34:00.001-06:00

Hello bloggy peoples!!

Well I’m pretty sure by now that my followers have dropped by my absence. But that’s ok. I’m going to try to get back in to the blogging habit and post every week day with the help of the NaBloPoMo January 2012 Writing Prompts. I’m not sure if I’ll follow along exactly every day but I figured it’s somewhere to start and Lord knows I can use all the help I can get. I’m trying to find a purpose and focus for my blog rather than just floundering around. I need structure.

So today I’m gonna talk a little bit about our holidays. This year Christmas and New Years was seriously the best. I feel really bad saying this because it’s the first year after my step-dad passed away. I really missed him and I know my mom did too. Christmas was kind of magical for me though and I guess that’s where the guilt is coming from. I had always wanted my mom to come over to my house so that we could cook all day and spend time together. This year I got that. It was great. We spent hours making desserts and food. Any other year we would be at her house cooking all day. But I’m not going to let the bad override the good. Things are just different and it doesn’t have to be bad.

We had the best Christmas tree ever this year. It was more like a spruce type tree rather than a pine. (This picture was before the mountain of presents)

I did get some pretty amazing gifts this year. Adam got me a 5 in 1 griddler than can grill, griddle, or do a panini press. My mom got me a Nook Color that I’m LOVING! Who knew reading a book while waiting in line at the grocery store could be so awesome?!? I’m also loving the free books on Fridays.

I was pretty crafty this year:

I love this centerpiece.

This wreath took forever to make but it was worth it! This is also staying up year round rather than just being a Christmas item.

I learned how to make a bow via You Tube and made this nifty door hanger for my back door. (bad lighting here)

We made a lot of yummy food:

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels and Fudge

Chocolate Dipped Oreos

Cookie Dough Balls & Cream Puffs

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast!

Our New Years was pretty low key. The guys blew things up, we spent too much on fireworks, and we played a ton of cards. Our niece and nephew were down staying with Adam’s parents so we played a lot of Phase 10, Skip Bo, and some game called Apples to Apples.

Adam and I spent a lot of quality time together these past two weeks since he has been on vacation. I’m really going to miss that now that he’s back to work and his mood will get grumpier as the weeks go by. But I’m going to try to stay positive and help his good mood last as long as possible.

I hope everyone had a very happy Christmas and New Years!!

Which Way Am I Going?

2011-11-17T14:46:00.001-06:00

Well obviously I never back around to posting another post about the good parts of the weekend and now I don’t even remember what I was going to talk about. My brain feels like it’s going in a million different directions right now. So much is going on!! Nothing really bad other than continued worries and prayers for my nephew who is still in the hospital until they can get his pain under control. Between work, home, holidays, band, and just life in general I could really use a good 12 hour nap!! :)

Thank God for a good calendar and great friends and family to keep me sane and organized. I have so much I WANT to do and so much I NEED to do that I’m just very overwhelmed at the present time. But I’m determined to not let it get to me and just enjoy every single day the best I can and not worry about things that I just can’t get to.

Tonight we are doing something very fun and exciting!! We are going to the midnight premier of Breaking Dawn!! I can’t even begin to tell you how exciting that is for me! I’ve never gotten to go to a premier but this time I made it a priority and got it done. Pretty proud that I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and doing something a tad bit crazy. Three girls that I have worked with in the past are going along with my sister and her friend. We will be getting in line around 8pm tonight and camping out for a few hours. I made a fleece blanket to take with me since it’s going to be FREEZING!!!

The back is black and the front is the pink plaid and it’s folded up in the picture but it’s a pretty nice size for getting cozy!!

Well work is calling so I better get to it since I’m taking the day off tomorrow!!

Have a great weekend!!

Prayers Needed Please

2011-11-14T16:42:00.001-06:00

What a weekend it has been! Not all in a good way! My post today may be a little graphic so if you have a quesy stomach please do not continue reading past the picture below.

Friday around 3pm we found out that our nephew broke his arm in an ATV accident while he was at the deer lease. We didn’t have much info but we weren’t too concerned because people break bones all the time. He’s broken a wrist and an ankle just in the past couple of years (he’s 15). Well about 30 minutes later Adam called and told me to come home early because he had actually almost severed his arm and they were rushing him into emergency surgery. After I got home and we got changed we headed up to the hospital about an hour away. They had just finished the surgery and had put him in a room when we got there so we were able to get an update and see what was going on.

He broke the Humerus bone in his left arm, right above the elbow.
The bone broke and punctured the skin causing his muscle, artery, and tendons to be severed. Luckily most of the nerves weren’t damaged so full function in his hand and wrist. They put screws in the bone to put it back in place during that first surgery but they will go back in tomorrow morning and put in a metal plate to give the bone more stability and help his recovery. For a while it was a very real possibility that he could have lost his arm.

It’s been a pretty scary weekend for him, his parents, and all of the family. PLEASE keep everyone in your prayers. He has a LONG recovery ahead!

Tomorrow I will update some more about the good parts of our weekend and a movie review for Immortals!! :)

November Plans

2011-11-02T13:00:00.001-05:00

There is so much going on this month that I’m so excited about!

First of all Adam’s band is auditioning at a new club tonight and I took off work tomorrow so that I can go and hang out with them. They are playing 11pm to 1am so it will surely be a very late night!

Next, the 4th and final book to a series that I have been reading (Eragon) is coming out on Nov 8th!

The day of the 17th our District Office is having a potluck lunch for all the agents and staff. I’ve signed up to make a Chocolate Pie & Coconut Pie. YUM!

The night of the 17th we are going to the midnight premier of Breaking Dawn!! I’ve never been to a midnight premier so I’m SUPER excited to be going with some friends, my mom, and sister. I invited Adam but he very respectfully declined (as in HELL NO!). :)

Of course the 24th is Thanksgiving. I’m not 100% sure about what our plans will be since a lot of our family dynamics have changed. We have had family members move to another state, some passed away, etc. So we are still planning the whats and whens.

The 25th of course is Black Friday!! I’ve already started making my list of things that I will be looking for!! Ready to get my battle armor on!

We have a few new things coming up at work with policies and new programs that really aren’t that big of a deal but I always like a little change so I’m looking forward to those too!

So that is what I have planned SO FAR in the month of November!! This is definitely one of my favorite months!!

Halloween and Our Weekend

2011-11-01T09:03:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a GREAT Halloween and got tons of candy!! We didn’t do anything this year for Halloween. There were a lot of different reasons why but basically everyone just had a lot going on. We were going to going to go to a Haunted House on Saturday with a friend but he had a stomach virus and I had a migraine (worst of my life) so that was cancelled.

Yesterday we did dress up for work. Here is me:

I didn’t really have a costume going on other than wearing black. I just decided to let my inner goth/emo chick out for the day. (My sister is the one that says I’m goth on the inside … whatever … we know I’m all rainbows and unicorns.) ;)

My co-worker was bat girl and her little boy, that came to work with her for the day, was Woody from Toy Story. Our boss doesn’t like to dress up but she wears her Ghost vest. It was a pretty festive day.

We did get out Sunday and watch a couple of movies since I was mostly recovered from the migraine. We saw Puss In Boots and In Time (Justin Timberlake movie). Both were VERY VERY good. Justin Timberlake has definitely improved his acting skills!! Remember when he did that Disney movie?! Horror!

I’m SO happy that my calendar has finally rolled over to November! There is SO much going on this month!! Tomorrow I’m going to run down everything that is going on and what I’m looking forward to the most!!

Cold Weather

2011-10-27T13:38:00.001-05:00

Today I am loving the colder weather that is moving in to our neck of the woods. Yesterday it was 90 degrees and currently its about 61 degrees and should get down in to the 40s tonight. Snuggling weather! Tonight I’m going to have to break out my heating pad that I keep under my fitted sheet and under my feet when I’m sleeping. (Best thing ever if you are cold natured!).

For some reason when Fall really gets here and the temperatures drop I get more creative. I want to make things, clean things, reorganize, and change things up. I feel energized! I love change! I NEED change!

One of the big things on my to do list this week was to update all the apps on my iPhone and then update the software itself. Well stupid me didn’t back up my phone first and ended up crashing my phone and had to restore it to factory settings. LUCKILY when it did the update it did an automatic backup so I was able to recover 99% of everything. I had to redownload a few apps for some reason but I’m back to normal. The update that I did was a whole new operating system. Talk about change!! It’s kind of like having a whole new phone! There’s new things to discover!

Now that all that is done I’m in the process of backing up my phone and my computer. My computer here at the office has 10 years worth or personal stuff that would be horrible to lose!! Mostly pictures!

I’m off to start another backup … and maybe make some hot chocolate!! YUM :)

Your Last Meal?

2011-10-26T11:51:00.001-05:00

I’m not really big on cooking shows but there is a new show on ABC called The Chew that I have really gotten into lately. It’s a mix of everything! I’ve never gotten hooked on shows that are on Food Network because I either don’t like the person hosting it or it’s all to fancy smancy stuff I would never eat.

Well since I’ve been DVRing The Chew I have several recipes saved to make like Homemade Onion Rings, Ice Cream Sandwiches, Nachos, etc. Things that are logical in my opinion, not necessarily easy on some things but that’s how you learn to branch out.

I LOVE the hosts: Carla Hall (Bravo’s Top Chef), Clinton Kelly (What Not To Wear), Daphne Oz (Dr. Oz’s daughter), Mario Batali (Iron Chef), & Michael Symon (Iron Chef). The show is hilarious between all these guys!!

Last week they did an episode about Your Last Meal. What would you eat if you knew it was your last meal on earth? (Apparently the world was supposed to have ended on 10/21 … whatever). They had some crazy things … like Mario’s omelet with $300 truffles (mushrooms … not chocolates lol).

So I got to thinking … What would my last meal be? I’ve decided that it would be something like Thanksgiving dinner:

Deep Fried Turkey
Deep Fried Ham
Dressing
Mashed Potatos & Gravy
Fried Corn
Macaroni & Cheese
Rolls with Honey Butter
Chocolate Pie & Cheesecake for dessert

YUM! I can’t wait for the holidays and to cook a ton of food!!!

Tell me! What would be your last meal?

Movie Review – Three Muskateers

2011-10-24T15:57:00.001-05:00

Friday I bought the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie on DVD (we have already seen it once in theaters) for us to watch this weekend because I didn’t think we would make it to the theater to see anything. I wanted to see the New Three Musketeers movie but Adam wasn’t really gung ho about it. Well, we did end up seeing Three Musketeers and I kinda wish we would have just stayed home.

If you have been around my blog for any amount of time then you know I love action movies. Well Three Musketeers happens to be one of my FAVORITE movies. When Man In The Iron Mask came out with Leonardo DiCaprio I loved it too. It was a new spin on the Musketeers. But nothing could replace my love for the 1993 version. There will never be a better D’Artagnan than Chris O'Donnell or a better Athos than Kiefer Sutherland!

Now back to this new version. I was excited that Orlando Bloom was going to be in it! I mean he’s Captain Will Turner!! (Sorry I’m a Pirates fan obviously!). The new movie was shot in 3D so it was made to be seen that way. It had a lot of visual effects. We didn’t see it in 3D because of the times playing and the 2D was more convenient.

1. Did the trailer/preview give the entire movie away?
No, not really. But if you have seen the 1993 version then you know pretty much what’s going to happen. I swear they took word for word lines from that movie and put them in this one. This was a remake … not a different take on a same theme. Same story line exactly!

2. Is this a MUST see in the theaters or do you wish you had just rented it or is it that bad that you would have to wait for it to be free on TBS?
Save yourself the money and just wait for redbox. It is worth seeing but as a fan of these movies I’m disappointed. It just wasn’t believable to me. Some things were just kind of ridiculous and hokey. Especially the slow motion battle scenes. I hate that!

3. Which movie star do you think MADE this movie?
I would say Milla Jovovich was a stand out for me (She played in the Fifth Element, Resident Evil, Return To The Blue Lagoon, etc). She plays a double agent in this movie that can’t make up her mind whose side she is on. She did add a bit of newness to the storyline. I didn’t care for Logan Lerman’s D’Artagnan (He plays Percy Jackson). I liked him in PJ but just didn’t care for him in this movie.

4. Predictability?
100%. Ok sure, there are some flying ships that weren’t in the other movie but everything else was a carbon copy.

5. Rating?
Hmmm I’m giving this movie 2 stars. It was pretty to look at but completely left me wanting more.

13 Years!

2011-10-18T11:44:00.001-05:00

Today marks 13 years that Adam and I have been together as a couple. I can’t believe it’s been that long! Yet it seems like just yesterday we were sitting in Applebees Skating Rink and he asked me to be his girlfriend. We were young. It was awesome. It still is.

Some memories:

We were introduced by a mutual friend and we talked only on the phone from the beginning of August until Oct 16th when we met for the first time face to face. I had already fallen for him before this though. I played in the band (clarinet) and I was sitting with the band in the bleachers when he came walking up with his parents. I will never forget how nervous he looked or the green jacket he was wearing. My heart was pounding because I couldn’t believe this guy was really there for ME. I had never dated anyone before.

After the game he called me and we talked all night. He asked me to go to the skating rink with him on Sunday (Oct 18th). Sometime after we had been skating for a while we were sitting at a table and he took my hand and asked me to be his girlfriend. Young love. :)

The first time we kissed was a month or so after we had been dating. He was at my house and we were out in the barn feeding my horse. We were just there talking when he kissed me. It was a magical moment. He says that he misses the smell of sweet feed in my hair.

We went to a school dance but neither one of us really cared about dancing. So we went out to where his sister would be picking us up. We sat under an umbrella because it was raining and made out.

The first time he told me he loved me, he hung up on me. He said “I love you, bye”. I was shocked. I knew that I loved him but I hadn’t had the courage to tell him so. So I called him back and asked if he really meant it. Of course he did. I told him that I loved him too. Best moment ever.

A few years later when we were living together he surprised me by taking a bunch of blankets outside so we could lay out there and look at the stars. One of the top 10 nights of my life.

On Christmas day in 2006 he asked me to be his wife in front of his family and our friends, including the guy that introduced us. It was perfect. In March of 2008 we stood up in front our families and friends and declared our love for each other. I wouldn’t change any of it.

More times than I can count he has brought me flowers that he has either bought or picked himself, just because. He has always done those little things to make me feel special and loved every day. He is the most romantic thoughtful man that I have ever met. He takes care of me. He’s strong. He works hard every day for us. He’s the other half of my soul. I couldn’t be me without his love every day.

Over the years we were dating people would tell me that I should date around. That you shouldn’t just date one person. But I always said, Why would I want to date around when I have already found the love of my life? Sure I was only 15 and he was only 14 when we met but we both knew that it was a forever kind of love. When he asked me to be his girlfriend he was asking for forever … not just that moment.

Tomorrow I’m going to try to scan and post some old pictures :)

Movie Review - Footloose

2011-10-17T13:04:00.001-05:00

I’ve had Footloose on my calendar ever since I saw it coming out but didn’t think I would actually get to go see it in the theater. Adam isn’t too big on dancing movies.

Well since nothing was playing that we both wanted to see and I REALLY wanted to see Footloose he agreed since I went and saw Moneyball when I didn’t really want to. Fair is fair!

We both ended up LOVING IT! Well Adam liked it and I LOVED it. :)

Now, I have to fess up. I haven’t seen the original. Well, I think I did see it when I was little because I can remember a scene but I don’t remember anything else about it. I’m not sure how it compared but I heard a lot of ladies in the bathroom afterwards talking about how good the new version was but they still liked the original better. But who DOESN’T right?

Hopefully I can get on the ball and rent the Kevin Bacon version soon and I can let you know how much I LOVE it too!

I’m not doing my normal Q&A because let’s face it … we all know what it’s about. I will say that the dancing was awesome, the acting was great, and it was HILARIOUS!! I couldn’t believe how funny it was. I wish I could remember some of the lines that cracked us up!

Other than the lead characters (Ren & Ariel), Willard has to be my favorite. Especially when he’s learning to dance! I’m not sure how close the two stories are with the movies but his character was great!

So I give this movie a 10 because there is nothing that I would change or make better! I will definitely be buying this one when it comes out on DVD!

Gone To The Dogs

2011-10-14T13:32:00.001-05:00

Today I was going through some pictures on my phone and came across this one:

Isn’t she seriously the cutest thing EVER? We gave her this bone (like a rawhide thing) last weekend and she would hardly chew on it because she was afraid we would take it away. She just sat there looking from me to Adam, back and forth, HAHA!

We have a new addition to our office. He isn’t exactly on the payroll but he sure does keep us entertained. His name is Charlie!

(Please excuse our dirty carpet .. gotta get my cleaning girl on that PRONTO!).
Charlie is actually my boss’ dog that she rescued a few days ago. We have talked about having an office animal (cat or dog) before and now it looks like we have one. He can be a bit of a pain because he’s so hyper but he just has to go to his kennel when he gets out of control.

He prefers to chill out on the tile by the front door and greet all of our customers. :)

Giveaway Winner!

2011-10-11T08:48:00.001-05:00

Drum roll please …..

The winner for my giveaway of the My Memories Suite v2 is …

JANETTE!!!

Congratulations girl!!! I know that this will come in so handy for you since you have that new baby girl!!! I can’t wait to see all the fun things you do! I will email you the info soon on how to download the software. :)

BUT WAIT! For everyone else, you can get the software CHEAP with my promo code! Just go to MyMemories.com, click on software, and then chose the My Memories Suite. If you use this code: STMMMS20430 at checkout you will get $10 off PLUS $10 to use in the store! That saves you $20 and the software will only cost you $29.99!

This has been so fun!! Hopefully I can do some more giveaways in the future!! Thanks everyone for entering and having fun with me :)

Movie Review – Real Steel

2011-10-10T10:38:00.001-05:00

Thank you to EVERYONE for your comments and messages on my last post. I think I was having a bit of a pity party Friday but all your sweet words helped me realize that this blog thing of mine is great and I wouldn’t want to live without it.

~*~

Don’t forget that my giveaway ends TONIGHT at midnight!! I will announce the winner tomorrow!! I’m so excited :)

~*~

On to today’s movie review!

About: Set in the near future, where robot boxing is a top sport, a struggling promoter discovers he has an 11-year-old son who wants to know his father. His son finds a discarded sparing bot named Atom and together they train him and rise to fame in the robot boxing world. During their journey Charlie (the dad) struggles with not letting him self show emotion or get attached to the son that he has to give up at the end of the summer.

Rating: Rated PG-13 for some violence, intense action and brief language

1. Did the trailer/preview give the entire movie away?
This is the kind of movie that you KNOW what’s going to happen. It’s a family movie about the struggle with a father loving a son. It just happens to be fighting robots that brings them together. Of course there is a happy ending.

2. Is this a MUST see in the theaters or do you wish you had just rented it or is it that bad that you would have to wait for it to be free on TBS?
I feel that it’s a MUST see in theaters and take your whole family!!

3. Which movie star do you think MADE this movie?
Dakota Goyo!! He plays the son in this movie and he is an amazing actor!!! Of course Hugh Jackman is a hottie and an excellent actor too!

4. Predictability?
So I said previously that you KNOW what’s going to happen but really I had no idea how it would get to the inevitable end! The producers, directors, and writers did everything right in this movie!! During the final fight scene I was literally on the edge of my seat. It wasn’t a quick finish to the movie. It was drawn out, exciting, nerve wracking, and PERFECT!

5. Rating?
This movie was one of my favorites of the year. I will buying this movie when it comes out on DVD, which I hope is soon so that I can watch it AGAIN. LOVE it!
I give this movie 10 STARS!!

HELLO … Hello … hello …

2011-10-07T16:03:00.001-05:00

Is there an echo in this empty blog?

Hmmm … I think all my followers have given up on me. :(

Well that’s ok because I still love each and every one of you for any comment that has ever been left on my blog. It means the world to me that people have, do, and will come to my blog just to see what I have to say. Although it hasn’t been much lately and I haven’t been able to visit other blogs as regularly as I want that’s ok. Life happens and things get busy and a girl just has to do what she can! I wish that I had high speed internet at home so that I could blog surf. I SOMETIMES can on my iphone but that’s only if I hold the phone just right to get enough signal. The joy of living in the boonies!! I also wish that I could surf more while at work but I just can’t any more. I’ve slacked off for far too long.

So if you haven’t already (only 1 person HAS) please enter my first giveaway! I’m sure Janette appreciates the lack of entries because at the moment she is winning by default BUT I would love to have some competition going on here!!

So bring it on!! :)

My First Giveaway – My Memories Suite

2011-10-05T10:51:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was given the opportunity to review the My Memories Suite! I was so excited to receive a copy of the software to play with and IT IS AMAZING! Now that I have had the chance to experience it I get to tell you all about it and GIVE AWAY a copy to YOU!!!

I’m horrible about printing out pictures (and taking them). I have ONE photo album and it’s all pictures of when me and Adam first started dating. There is no decoration in it, just pictures = boring. I have always wanted to do scrapbooks but I just couldn’t afford to buy all the little stuff that goes with it and invest the time.

Well with this scrapbooking software you get so much already built in to it with a ton of options and templates. Then if you want MORE you can just go the My Memories site and download bundles that have different themes. The best part that I love is that you can use something OVER AND OVER AND OVER without having to rebuy it!

Once you are finished with your digital scrapbook you can just keep it stored online, convert the pages to JPEG, email it, or print it out in a book!

I’m currently working on two books. The first is one for me and Adam. Here is the cover:

I took the template called “Side By Side” that comes with the software and customized this front page to my liking. It was SO simple! The whole template comes with 14 pages and has spots for pictures and words.

The next book I’m working on will be for my sister-in-law. I created this one from scratch and each page will be unique. It will be documenting the highlights of her pregnancy and then my niece once she is born. The first page was made after her gender reveal party:

This one was also very easy. When you are creating something from scratch it does give you picture placement options you can choose from (or you can start with a blank canvas). I chose this placement and then added some text, pictures, and a little bling.

So NOW for the GIVEAWAY part! One lucky follower will win a copy of this software!!

Rules:
(1). Go to MyMemories.com and tell me what is your favorite item. Check out the Themes, Free Downloads, and the Dollar Store!

(2). You must be a follower of my blog to win. This doesn’t give you an extra entry but it is a must.

The giveaway will be open until October 10th at 11:59pm. I’ll announce the winner on Tuesday, October 11th!!

GOOD LUCK!

Movies and Stuff

2011-10-04T09:40:00.001-05:00

I didn’t get the chance yesterday to write out my movie reviews so I’m gonna give you a quick GO SEE IT! :)

We went to see Dream House with Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz (did you know they are married IRL??). We thought it was going to be a scary type of movie and it was a little startling at times but not scary. My only piece of advice … DO NOT watch the trailer. I knew exactly what was going to happen and I had it completely figured out. That was a bummer but the movie was VERY GOOD. Definitely a must see!

That was the only movie that we had planned on seeing but we uhm ~~snuck in~~ decided to see another and it happened to be just starting … so we went and saw Abduction too. ;)

Abduction is the movie with Taylor Lautner (Jacob from Twilight) and it was VERY good. It was a teen type of movie but had some action and romance that kept me interested. Another must see!

We didn’t make it to the fair this weekend. We went to Canton on Saturday with my sister-in-law to look for baby stuff and she got several really cute stuff. It’s amazing to me how much people sell stuff for that is so simple to make!

I should have my post up TOMORROW for the giveaway!! Stay tuned!!! :)

Fall Organizing

2011-09-30T15:41:00.001-05:00

Today is really starting to feel like fall!! The high is supposed to be 85 and that is awesome! Last night Adam had band practice so I decided to really get busy around my house. I ended up clearing off my bar and got all the papers, magazines, etc that I had never sorted through. Also, my dining room table looks gorgeous! See:

I used a centerpiece that I made last year and a cute pumpkin that I got at the grocery store for a dollar. I’m thinking it needs a little something more but not sure what … hmmm. Suggestions?

I have a very bad habit of piling things on my table (I’m a stacker!) and it ends up buried in junk. So in order to clean off my table I then had to reorganize my desk to make room for my sewing machine and wreath that I’m STILL working on. (sorry no pics of that … forgot).

My house is now pretty clean and organized, at least my 3 main problem areas and I got it all done in one evening. That deserves a pat on the back!

This weekend I’m hoping that we will make it to the fair! Nothing really brings that fall feeling better than a funnel cake and some carnival rides!! :)

Have a great weekend!

Good Deals

2011-09-27T09:11:00.001-05:00

Yesterday when I was getting some things at the store I got 3 very GREAT deals on these items:

I had gotten a coupon from the Pantene Facebook page for a FREE bottle of Shampoo or Conditioner (12.6oz) so I used that on the shampoo. Then in the paper this weekend there was a $3 off coupon when you get two Pantene Shampoo or Conditioner products. So I got a conditioner that was $3.78 for only .78 cents!

Then I also had a coupon for FREE Skintimate Shave Gel and got the one shown. Total savings $9.02! Not bad!

~*~

I’ve recently joined Social Spark, as you may have noticed by the post that published over the weekend. It’s really pretty awesome and hopefully I can make a little extra money to have for Christmas or crafting.

Click on this icon for more information:

~*~

Lastly, I have a giveaway that will be coming up the first of next week so keep your eyes open for that!!!

Movie Review: Moneyball

2011-09-26T15:06:00.001-05:00

Friday I really wanted to go see Abduction but ~~Adam~~ we decided to go see Moneyball instead. He wanted to see a movie in the big theater (leather seats that recline, huge screen, etc) because his back was hurting and it was more comfortable. The previews for Moneyball did look pretty good but I’m not a baseball fan in ANY way. Neither is Adam but he said it looked good.

What it’s about:
Oakland A's GM Billy Beane is handicapped with the lowest salary constraint in baseball. If he ever wants to win the World Series, Billy must find a competitive advantage. Billy is about to turn baseball on its ear when he uses statistical data to analyze and place value on the players he picks for the team.

Rating:
Rated PG-13 for some strong language.

1. Did the trailer/preview give the entire movie away?
I only saw the trailer once so for me no it didn’t.

2. Is this a MUST see in the theaters or do you wish you had just rented it or is it that bad that you would have to wait for it to be free on TBS?
Hmmm. Well I wouldn’t have minded waiting to see it in redbox or on TV but I don’t feel like I wasted my money by seeing it in theaters.

3. Which movie star do you think MADE this movie?
It’s a tie. Brad Pitt of course was the star but I LOVE Jonah Hill. He is so hilarious and such a versatile actor.

4. Predictability?
I had no idea how they were going to wrap up this movie. I was actually pretty surprised by then ending.

5. Rating?
This one is hard for me to rate. I enjoyed the “story” of the movie but it had A LOT of baseball in it. I didn’t feel like I missed anything because of my lack of knowledge on the sport but I kinda was a teeny bit bored. I wanted it to be a heart pumping, on the edge of my seat, will they win kind of movie and it wasn’t. But that’s just because it wasn’t that kind of movie. It was more about the characters and how they evolved.
So all that to say I’m giving it a 6. If you are a person that LOVES baseball you would give it a 10!

Save Money With Straight Talk

2011-09-25T09:05:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As I’m sure most of my readers know if you have been around my blog for any period of time, I’m a pretty frugal person. Especially lately! The economy has finally caught up with us and that means no overtime and no overtime pay! So the purse strings have been tightened a bit and we are keeping a better watch on how we spend our money. One of the areas I’ve wanted to check in to is lowering our cell phone bill. We pay a ridiculous amount of money each month for our two phones and of course we are locked in to a two year contract.

I can’t imagine paying less than $100 for two phone lines. It would be GREAT to have that extra money to help pay down credit card bills or go out somewhere nice once a month. Something else that is great is that there are no credit checks and no surprise bills. You know exactly what you are signing up for!

With Straight Talk there a no contracts and with their unlimited plan you can get unlimited calls, texting, picture messaging, and internet for around $45/month. Or if you aren’t a heavy phone user like me, then maybe the “All You Need Plan” would be better with 1,000 minutes, 1,000 texts, and 30MB of web data. For another example of a plan check out this video:

There are no activation, termination, or reactivation fees! So you use it as you want and need!

I have never had the need to call internationally but they offer that service as well. Wouldn’t that be great for husbands and wives to talk to their spouses overseas serving in the military!! Check out more about international calls by following this link: Call a friend

I was worried that only certain cell companies offered good phones but Straight Talk offers reliable phones from LG, Nokia, Motorla, Kyocera, and Samsung. Not to mention excellent reception and connectivity! You can even get a reconditioned phone for just $10! And these aren't just the base model call only types. The reconditioned phones are available with cameras, mp3 players, mobile web access, and blue-tooth capability. Smart phones are also available, new, with touch screens, app capable phones with features like voice navigation, camera, video recorder, music player, instant messaging, and Bluetooth. A great example of this is the NEW Samsung Galaxy Precedent which you can check out by following this link: Android on Straight Talk

Smart Talk is the official sponser of the FLW and you can go to FantasyFishing.com to enter their contest to win a share of $500,000!! Click on this link for more information: Hook, line and sinker. I know we could all use a little of THAT!!

So now your wondering WHERE to go to check out this awesome deal? Walmart of course! How convenient is that!!

Ready for the WeekEND!

2011-09-23T14:06:00.001-05:00

I can’t believe it’s FINALLY Fall!!! It feels AMAZING outside today thanks to a cold front that came through yesterday!!

I really hope that we can get out and enjoy the nice weather this weekend. Adam is scheduled to work tomorrow but in the next hour I suppose that could change. The overtime pay would be nice but so is having him home!

Tomorrow morning I REALLY need to go get my oil changed. Because I bought my car at a certain dealership, they give you a lifetime warranty but you have to have all your service work done there. Well it’s about 20 miles north of my house and I work 25 miles south of my house. Not very convenient!

In the evening tomorrow we find out what my sister-in-law’s baby is at her gender reveal party! Super excited!

Sunday we will probably spend the day running errands and hopefully get back in to our movie seeing routine. I’m trying to talk Adam in to seeing Abduction (with Taylor Lautner). I’m not a “Jacob” fan by any means but it does look like a good movie :).

What are your weekend plans??

Fall TV

2011-09-22T13:52:00.001-05:00

I’m so excited that I finally have something to watch on TV now!! All my favorite shows started coming back on this week plus a few new ones!

What I’m Watching So Far:

Biggest Loser – Not liking Anna whatever her last name is. The Dulvet dude is pretty cool though. Bob is still the BEST!
Law & Order SVU – I’m so sad that Stabler is gone! I haven’t watched the premier from last night yet so don’t give me any spoilers!
Grey’s Anatomy – So excited for this one! I think Meridith will be leaving at the end of this season … just a hunch.
Private Practice – I hope it gets better this season.
New Girl - (New show). We watched this last night. It’s pretty dumb but very cute and funny. I think will only last a season or two though.
House – My favorite show by far! Can’t wait for this premier Oct 3rd!
Persons of Interest - (New show) I have no idea what this show is about but Michael Emerson is in it (Ben from Lost) and it’s produced by JJ Abrams. Not sure you can go wrong with that!

I’m sure I left out a few that haven’t premiered yet that we normally watch but these are the ones I’m excited about!

What are you watching this Fall?

Back to Normal?

2011-09-20T09:36:00.001-05:00

I feel like life is slowly starting to find a normal balance again. It will never be the same but I feel like I’m finding a new pattern to adjust to.

We had my step-dad’s visitation last Tuesday and the funeral last Wednesday. The services were great and there was a lot of laughter and remembering, which is what it should have been. Don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of tears as well.

I wish there was more that I could do to help my mom out but all I can really do is just be available and understanding when she needs it.

I’m still pretty wore out and tired from all the going back and forth but I’m sure I’ll get caught up on sleep at SOME point! :)

In non depressing topics … my sister-in-law got moved in to her gorgeous new house and finds out TOMORROW if she’s having a little boy or girl!! (I’m voting girl!). We won’t know until Saturday at the gender party though. So excited for that!

And speaking of babies!!!! Did you see that Janette had a GORGEOUS baby girl last week??? When I talked to her yesterday they were home and doing great!

It rained Sunday night!! Like heavy hour long downpour kind of rain! There are no new wildfires and some of the biggest are 100% contained. I still have our emergency stuff packed but as soon as we get more rain I’m going to get it all put up.

It feels AMAZING OUTSIDE!! It feels like Fall is JUST ABOUT here! I’m dreaming of pumpkins, bonfires (maybe), hay rides, and corn field mazes!! Oh and turkey, dressing, and all the sides!! YUM.

I think I’m FINALLY back in the blogging world. I haven’t read or visited ANY blogs in over a week so please forgive me. I hope to be getting caught up or at least starting from today forward visiting my blog friends again! Thank you to everyone that sent your thoughts and prayers last week!

Prayers Needed Please

2011-09-12T09:39:00.001-05:00

I knew this weekend would be sad because we would be remembering the day 10 years ago when our world was forever changed by the terrorist attacks on 9/11. I had no idea that my world would again be forever changed this year.

Saturday my step-dad was at work in PA at an oil rig. He collapsed in the yard and never regained consciousness. We have learned that he had a massive heart attack. After only 40 minutes the doctors new they couldn’t save him.

My mother … I can’t even begin to explain, understand, or fathom her heart break. She’s devastated. We all are.

We weren’t close in a way that I shared confidences with him but I loved him like a father. He was there for me like my own dad NEVER was. I loved him because he loved my mom. I loved him because he was a great father to my little sister and loved her like his own. He was an hard working, loving, caring man that would do anything for anyone.

He should be flown home today. This afternoon I’m going to the funeral home with my mom because she wants to be the first one to see him.

Please, keep us in your prayers. We need comfort, peace, and a whole lot of strength right now. Please pray for my mom. She has lost her best friend and love of her life.

Watching Fires

2011-09-08T13:39:00.001-05:00

Well I have been MIA this week and it’s been NUTS! This is what is going on around in my neck of the woods:

These three pics are from the fire burning in Bastrop which is pretty far south of us near Houston but it has burned 33,000 acres so far.

We have another fire that is about 70 miles North East of us in Cass county that has burned 30,000 acres SO FAR and we have been getting a lot of smoke from that one. Especially in the mornings.

As I was typing this out I found out that we actually have a fire that has rekindled just 11 miles from where I work and it’s getting out of control. Hopefully they can get back under control soon.

Last night I got things together in case something happens around my home and we need to evacuate. I got some pictures, family heirlooms, our birth certificates, marriage license, etc together. I meant to pack a bag of clothes but will get that done tonight.

Fire scares me. BAD. When I was about 8 or 9 we lost our house to a fire. I remember we walked into our house and it was full of smoke. My mom had me take my brother and run across the street to have our neighbor call 911. We watched our house burn to the ground. This week I have had nightmares about watching our house and land just burn up. I’m worried about the house and our “STUFF” because it’s time, money, and memories we have invested but really the only thing I am truly worried about is our animals. I have 2 dogs, a cat, a bird, and pot bellied pig that we would have to move with a tractor. I worry something will happen during the day and we won’t be able to get home in time.

My heart goes out to all the fire fighters that have been working non stop this past week to get control of these fires. I have several friends that are out there giving their all that I’m saying prayers for. It’s amazing to see our communities coming together though taking collections of money, water, food, etc to all the fire departments. Also we have thousands of animals (horses, cows, pigs, etc) that are being evacuated and people are opening up their land and homes to help. Amazing!

Please pray for us in TX. We could REALLY use some rain!

Do You Sew?

2011-08-31T10:47:00.001-05:00

I have been interested in buying a sewing machine for the past couple of years. I just have never researched it. But today I’m starting my search and wanted to see if any of my blog friends have any input.

I’ve tried just typing sewing machines in to google and you can imagine the amount of info I got back. I really don’t know WHERE to start. I’ve never owned a sewing machine and haven’t used one much. I basically just have the DESIRE and not much else.

These are the types of things I want to make:

(Source)

Nothing complex. Just simple household stuff.

So any suggestions? Any good blogs that you know of that are super sew happy that could be of some help?

Thanks friends!!!

B-Day weekend & Movie Review

2011-08-29T10:27:00.001-05:00

I completely blew my diet this weekend. But that’s ok. Back on the right track today!! Adam had fun Saturday night when we surprised him at his sister’s house. His parents, sister, her boyfriend, and a couple of our friends were all there. Then we all went out to Shoguns for some YUMMY hibachi food! I love getting a great cook that has a funny personality and keeps things entertaining.

The rest of our weekend was pretty lazy. We did end up seeing a movie Sunday. I didn’t think we would at first since there really wasn’t anything new playing that we were interested in. But, then we saw the preview for Columbiana. All the reviews said it was excellent on Fandango so we decided to give it a shot.

Here’s MY review.

About:
A young woman grows up to be a stone-cold assassin after witnessing her parents' murder as a child in Bogota. She works for her uncle as a hitman by day, but her personal time is spent engaging in vigilante murders that she hopes will lead her to her ultimate target - the mobster responsible for her parents' death. (IMDb)

Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images, intense sequences of action, sexuality and brief strong language

1. Did the trailer/preview give the entire movie away?
Nope! I had no idea it was going to be such a BADASS movie.

2. Is this a MUST see in the theaters or do you wish you had just rented it or is it that bad that you would have to wait for it to be free on TBS?
I think it is definitely a must see! If you don’t want to see it in theaters then rent it when it comes to redbox. It was an EXCELLENT movie. Yes it’s about murder and revenge but it was a great action movie that didn’t have any gore factor to it.

3. Which movie star do you think MADE this movie?
The obvious is Zoe Saldana. She plays the lead actress and is about as badass as it gets for a lead female in that strong role. But for me what stole the show was Amandla Stenberg. She plays the 10yr old version of Zoe’s character Cataleya. This little girl is going to be a big name VERY soon. I didn’t realize who she was until this morning. She is going to be playing Rue in the upcoming book to movie adaption of the Hunger Games. She was amazing in Colombiana and she’s going to be EPIC in Hunger Games.

4. Predictability?
0%. While it wasn’t a movie with a whole lot of plot and not a lot of surprise you just didn’t know how in the heck she was going to get through this situation. I was really on the edge of my seat.

5. Rating?
I’m giving this movie a 9. I don’t know if it’s just that I loved the actresses so much but this is one of my favorite movies of the year. I loved pretty much everything about it!

~*~

In other movie news … did you see the sneak peak of Hunger Games on the VMAs last night!!?? It’s LITERALLY just a peak but I’m SOOO excited to finally see Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. For those that have read the book … Did you hear Rue’s whistle at the end. Gave me goosebumps!

Happy Birthday to My Other Half

2011-08-26T15:18:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to my amazing husband!!!!

Today he turned 27. I have some things planned for the weekend but I don’t want to give anything away just in case he decides for once to actually stop by my page. :)

I did make some AWESOME red velvet cupcakes last night and homemade cream cheese frosting. Not to toot my own horn or anything but I have never tasted a better frosting in my entire life. Seriously!

Adam was scheduled to work tomorrow but they cancelled it which is great! More time to spend together this weekend!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Weigh In Day

2011-08-25T15:33:00.001-05:00

I had a post all planned out in my head for today. My problem was that it was in my HEAD and not on PAPER (or screen really) and now it’s gone. POOF. It’s been happening a lot to me lately!

Another thing, I have a magic bullet food chopper, blender thing that I keep at work to make smoothies. Well on my way to work this morning I thought of something for dinner that involved chopping up some type of food and I told myself to make sure I remembered the blender. Well I get to work and promptly remembered to set my blender out by my lunch box. But guess what … I can’t remember what I was going to make. No clue!

So frustrating!

Let me put THAT thought from your brains … no I don’t have pregnancy brain. 100% positive.

So in good normal news, I lost another 2lbs this week! That is a total of 15.6 pounds in 8 weeks!

My goal for the next week is to lose 5lbs. It’s gonna be pretty hard but my original goal was to lose 23 by the end of August. This will at least put me very close to that goal!

My other goal is to get my blog comments replied to! Sorry! I do read them and appreciate each one. It’s hard for me to reply at home because I’m usually reading them on my phone while I’m cooking dinner and it’s hard to type and cook! Don’t give up on me! :)

Thanks to all you that are still coming back to my blog when I FINALLY get around to updating it!

Movie Review – Conan the Barbarian

2011-08-23T11:28:00.001-05:00

This is a day late, but a busy girl has got to do what she can. :)

This past weekend we actually saw several movies, but only one in theaters. At home we watched The Last Samuria (pretty good), Sucker Punch (don’t waste your money), and Pirates of the Carribean 3 (love it even after 1000 times).

The one we saw in theaters was Conan the Barbarian. I remember seeing the TV show back in the day and I liked it then so I knew this was going to be on my list of MUST SEE in theaters.

What the movie was about:
A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil. (IMDb)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, some sexuality and NUDITY!

1. Did the trailer/preview give the entire movie away?
No, it really didn’t. I went in to the movie not knowing what was going to happen or really who the characters were. For some reason this trailer wasn’t overly played. (Maybe that’s why it tanked at the box office?)

2. Is this a MUST see in the theaters or do you wish you had just rented it or is it that bad that you would have to wait for it to be free on TBS?
Normally Adam and I have the same opinion about movies. We like the same types and we usually feel the same after we see them. Not this time. Also, not in the way you would expect. Adam hated it. He honestly felt like it was the biggest waste of money and said he would have asked for his money back if he could. I, on the other hand, enjoyed it. It wasn’t spectacular and definitely not worth what we paid for admission ($11.25 each – OUCH) but I left satisfied. There was a lot of gore and blood splatter. It was so unrealistic though that it didn’t really bother me. A few times I had to close my eyes. I really liked the overall story line. But I think I figured out why Adam hated it and I liked it. It reminded me exactly of a trashy romance novel like this:

Not this exact book (which I do own by the way) but you get my point. It was the typical buff, long haired guy, out to save the world and his leading lady story line.

So as far as the actual questions of is it worth a theater price … maybe not. I liked it, but I’m just weird like that.

3. Which movie star do you think MADE this movie?
When I saw the guy playing Conan (Jason Moma) I didn’t really think of him as hot. But after seeing the movie he went up a few notches on the hottie radar. I think it’s just the knight and shining armor appeal though. He does have a way of cutting his eyes that are very nice. He also has a rather nice booty (haha).

This is the guy playing Conan’s father (Ron Perlman). Doesn’t he look like Harry from Harry and the Hendersons??

4. Predictability?
It was a bit predictable, but just like all movies that have the eventual outcome of good conquering evil. I didn’t really care for the ending though. I needed a little more mushy, love stuff. (Again with the romance novel aspect)

5. Rating?
Because our opinions were so opposite and I don’t think I paid enough attention the flaws of the movie I’m giving it a 5 out of 10. I would definitely watch it again once it’s out on the movie channels.

What’s better than a list?

2011-08-18T15:12:00.001-05:00

A list with bullets of course! I saw this post on my blog friend Amy’s blog a few days ago and promised to eventually steal it for my own! :)

I can't...

go a day without telling my husband I love him
wait for a big thunderstorm with lots of rain
stay off of Pinterest
wait for Fall!

I can...

make an awesome home made chicken pot pie
knit, cross stitch, and crochet
bed my fingers weird because I’m double jointed
type really fast

I won't...

worry about other people’s opinions
give up praying for someone that needs it
betray my friends or family
get discouraged in my weight loss

I will...

be in love with my husband until the end of time
one day have his child
always be myself
try to be a better blogger

I shouldn't...

be wanting cookie dough
be wasting so much time on Pinterest
sit on the couch in the evenings instead of working out
put things off until the last minute

I should...

learn to like salad (will never happen)
be a better employee (see second bullet in above)
bet better about sticking to a budget
being doing a lot things on my to do list

Our Weekend & Movie Review

2011-08-15T14:07:00.001-05:00

We had a great weekend full of laughs!

Friday after work Adam and I tried out a new Pizza place that was pretty good. Then we hung out with his sister, her boyfriend, and their friends for a while. Saturday, we ran our errands, watched a movie, and then went to see his sister’s new house that they are buying. Can’t wait to help her start decorating in a month! We have to get it ready for their baby that will be here in Feb! Then we all headed to a little place to eat and hung out on the patio for about an hour chatting and loving the cooler weather (only lasted 1 day). Sunday, we had breakfast, went to TJ Maxx, PetCo, and a tool place that Adam wanted to visit! We didn’t have much time really at home but it was still a fun weekend!

~*~

OK, on to the movie review. We decided to see a movie called 30 Minutes or Less.

We were afraid it was going to be dumb. It seems like all the comedies have just gone down hill. They are either about pot smoking dumbasses or just not thought out at all as far as plot. Well this movie proved that there are still some good comedies to be seen!

About:
Two guys need $100,000 so they kidnap a pizza deliver guy, strap a bomb to his chest, and make him rob a bank within 10 hours. The pizza guy enlists the help of his best friend. This is a hilarious movie about the plight of this guy trying to rob a bank and not get killed.

“Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, nudity and some violence”

1. Did the trailer/preview give the entire movie away?
NO! Surprisingly not at all. I was very impressed with how much depth and comedy this movie had.

2. Is this a MUST see in the theaters or do you wish you had just rented it or is it that bad that you would have to wait for it to be free on TBS?
It wasn’t an action packed block buster so I wouldn’t say it’s a must see in theaters but I would definitely recommend it for “mature” audiences. I would definitely see it again.

3. Which movie star do you think MADE this movie?
Jesse Eisenberg (from Social Network & Zombieland) and Aziz Ansari. Jesse has great comedic skills. I loved him in Zombieland and he was great here too. This is the first time I’ve seen Aziz in a movie. He hosted the MTV movie awards last year (or the year before) and was hilarious. He had me rolling with laughter! Danny McBride & Nick Swardson also lived up to their comedic skills.

4. Predictability?
0%. It’s not that it really had any big major plot twist but that it was just so surprisingly funny that I left the theater saying WOW.

5. Rating?
8 out of 10!

Next Week: Conan The Barbarian!!

Weight Watcher Update

2011-08-11T13:43:00.001-05:00

Today is weigh in day!

Last week I didn’t even post the results of my weigh in because I was just frustrated and had gained .6lbs.

This week I lost 2.2lbs!!!

My problem was that I wasn’t eating all of my allotted points. Also I wasn’t snacking. I think I was getting too hungry at meal times so my metabolism was going into starvation mode because I was SO hungry! This last week I have found some really great snacks and that has helped a lot. Here are a few examples of what I’ve been snacking on.

What healthy snacks are you snacking on??

Randomness

2011-08-10T13:31:00.001-05:00

I haven’t posted anything in a while about what’s going on in our lives. So what’s been going on in my world?

I’m completely addicted to Pinterest again. I had sort of forgot about it for a while but I’m hooked again. Do you need an invite? I will send you one! I’m on a mission to convert people to this awesome hobby! (My mom and sister are now hooked!)

I’m still rereading the Harry Potter series. I’m currently on book 5 (Order of the Phoenix). I’m taking it a whole lot slower this time around. Last year I read all 7 books in 10 days!

Adam’s band played this past Saturday. This is the first time they’ve played with all of Adam’s new equipment. (He’s the sound guy.) He recently INVESTED in two huge speakers, cables, and other stuff I have no idea what it’s function is. He was pretty nervous about it but everything sounded excellent! They have two or three more gigs booked there in the next couple of months.

My diet is still going fairly well. As of this week I have been in Weight Watchers for 6 weeks and haven’t missed one meeting! I’m very proud of that. More update on this subject to come after tomorrow’s weigh in.

That’s pretty much it. My life is kind of boring at the moment, which I’m not complaining about at all. Is there anything good on TV? About the only thing I’m watching now is So You Think You Can Dance. Are there any new shows I’m missing out on?

Movie Review – Rise of the Planet of the Apes

2011-08-08T14:07:00.001-05:00

It’s time for another weekly movie review!

This weekend we saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

This was not my first pick for a movie this weekend. I have been seeing the trailers but said it didn’t look like something I really wanted to see. It looked very sad. I don’t do well with animal cruelty. I suggested the Change-Up for our weekend movie but Adam said it looked stupid and he wanted to wait until it came out on Redbox. (If anyone has seen it please tell me if it was good so I can talk him into seeing it now).

Well he talked me into see this movie instead and I was really dreading it. But I needed something to review today so I tried to just step back and look at it objectively. Didn’t work. I was totally sucked in!

Let me start by telling you what it’s about:
There is a man named Will that works for a company creating pharmaceutical drugs to cure Alzheimer’s. They of course do testing on chimps. Something goes wrong in the trials and the apes had to be euthanized. One of the females had a baby and they didn’t realize it (PUH-LEEZE). Will took in the baby (Caesar) and raised him without the company knowing. Soon, he realized that the drugs given to the mother were passed on to the baby and everything is perfect. Over the next 5 years he studies Caesar and further develops this drug. Caesar becomes part of the family with Will and his father. During an altercation between Will’s father and the neighbor, Caesar attacks the neighbor causing him to be locked up in an Animal Sanctuary with other apes. Caesar, who is incredibly intelligent, figures out ways to get in and out. He eventually over throws the people keeping him there and leads all the apes in a revolution!

The movie did have a few instances where I got teared up because of the animals but overall it was a great movie.

1. Did the trailer/preview give the entire movie away?
No not at all!! I love surprises in a movie and this definitely had a couple.

2. Is this a MUST see in the theaters or do you wish you had just rented it or is it that bad that you would have to wait for it to be free on TBS?
I could go either way really. It was a great movie that I’m glad I saw but not something that MUST be seen in theaters. It would be just as good when it hits Red Box.

3. Which movie star do you think MADE this movie?
Caesar of course! You forget that he is not a human. I also loved James Franco (Will) and John Lythgow (Will’s father). One thing that made me feel a little better about this movie was that I heard there wasn’t even one real monkey actually used in the movie. They were completely CGI animations. I would have never known!

4. Predictability?
You know what’s going to happen (as with most movies) but it doesn’t give away the hows and whys.

5. Rating?
I’m changing my rating scale from 5 stars to 10 stars. I feel like I’m limiting myself too much with just 5 stars. So I give this movie a solid 8! It did have some cruelty to the animals as expected but I found myself cheering them on to rise up and be liberated!

This was the first Planet of the Apes movie that I have ever seen so I have no idea how it relates to the ones before it. From what I think I know about the previous ones I think the apes talked and completely acted human? Maybe even from another planet or something crazy?

On the upside ….

2011-08-05T10:42:00.001-05:00

There has been a lot of negativity going on in my world lately. I thought that I had stayed immune to it. I’m generally a happy person. I don’t worry about things much and just go with the flow. I look at the positive not the negative. I’m definitely a glass half full kind of person.

I didn’t realize that it was actually effecting me until today for some reason. It’s like it just HIT me. I’m being a total bitch. Maybe it’s PMS, maybe it’s work, maybe it’s just life.

Where did my happy self go that actually enjoyed her job? Where did my inner sense of adventure and love of change go? Where did my smile go?

I’m not sure the answer to any of those questions but as of this moment I’m gonna strive to bring them all back. I don’t like this debbie downer I’ve become.

Some things to make me happy:

Cherry Blossums – Because pink flowers are just awesome.

The chance of rain next week! This 113 degree weather HAS TO STOP!

Having one of these with my lunch!

Because it keeps me sane on days that work is too much to handle.

The thought that fall isn’t THAT far away!

Christmas …. in August?

2011-08-03T09:50:00.001-05:00

Adam and I have been together for almost 13 years (married for 5 years) and I have been under the impression that he didn’t care for Christmas. Not the actual meaning of Christmas but more of the decoration stuff and the commercialized part of it. I have learned recently that he in fact DOES like Christmas. I have never gone overboard in decorating because I thought it wasn’t his thing. He made a comment to his mom that he loved how people he knew when he was younger had beautifully decorated houses and it smelled and looked like Christmas. He remembers how much he loved it.

So my mission this year is to do Christmas the way I’ve always wanted to do it and bring that Christmas spirit to our house. I have already started planning. Is that weird? It is only August. I don’t have a lot of money so I thought by starting early I can make things or catch some things cheap before they get marked up for the Christmas season.

So here are some things that I’m loving:

I’m going to make this in red and hang it on one of my hard to decorate walls. Maybe with a green ribbon to hang it? (Thanks Janette for giving me the instructions on how to make this!!)
(Source)

I love this! I don’t have a chandelier so that could be an issue but I’m still thinking this would be beautiful to have during a party.
(Source)

I love this centerpiece. I’m thinking that Hobby Lobby or Michaels would have everything I need to make this.
(Source)

Those are just a couple of pics from what I have found on Pinterest. Do you have sites you like to go to for inspiration on projects? What about home sites to get decorating ideas?

Movie Review – Cowboys & Aleins

2011-08-01T10:30:00.001-05:00

This weekend we were finally able to see Cowboys & Aliens! I keep calling it Cowboys vs.. Aliens but I keep getting correct so I’m trying to be proper and use the &! :)The Old West.. where a lone cowboy (Daniel Craig) leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been... Written by Universal Pictures (Courtesy of IMDB)

~*~

I LOVED this movie! Another guy movie all the way. It was action packed and to me it never had a dull moment. It was as if the creator of a John Wayne movie got together with a creator of a bad ass alien movie and said LET’S MAKE A MOVIE!

There were a lot of small kids in the theater and I have seen several reviews on Fandango saying that it’s a great movie to take your kids too. I’m confused by that. I mean, there were ALIENS! Not pretty cute mars men, but head biting, killing people aliens. I would have been terrified as a little kid. Heck, I was jumping out of my seat yesterday!

It has everything I could ask for in a movie. Suspense, humor, tragedy, lessons learned, action, adventure, and that jump out of your self surprise.

1. Did the trailer/preview give the entire movie away?
No, I don’t think so.

2. Is this a MUST see in the theaters or do you wish you had just rented it or is it that bad that you would have to wait for it to be free on TBS?
I think this is a must see in theaters. But then again … most movies that I see I feel that way about … that’s why I see them in theaters. It had a ton of action, explosions, and surprises that you just wouldn’t get the full effect of in your living room.

3. Which movie star do you think MADE this movie?
The actors were great! I will forever and always be a ~~Indiana Jones~~ Harrison Ford fan no matter what role he is playing. I have never been a Daniel Craig fan, as far as looks. He’s alright but he’s at the bottom of my hottie list. In this movie … let me just say … he has moved up a few notches! Dirtied up, with some chaps, a cowboy hat, and gun slung on his hip those baby blues are looking mighty fine! Olivia Wilde (from House) was also great. I loved the character she played!

4. Predictability?
It’s not a movie that you don’t know what’s going to happen. I mean you know there are going to be aliens, you know the cowboys will win in the end. But there are few surprises along the way that will keep you on your toes.

5. Rating?
I would give it 5 (out of 5) stars. It was an awesome movie! (Other than the guy next to us talking through the WHOLE thing and then when the movie stopped half way through and had to be restarted … LOL)

Next Week:
The Change-Up (Possibly)

Weight Watcher Update

2011-07-28T12:54:00.001-05:00

Today is weigh in day!!

My goal for last week was to lose 3lbs and I didn’t make it so I moved that goal to this week.

I made it!!! I Lost 3lbs exactly!!!

So that means I have lost 12lbs total, in ONE MONTH, and I have reached my 5% goal!! I got recognized at the meeting today which was really cool. Who doesn’t like a little applause right!?!

Today I’m basking in my accomplishments (no food rewards!) but I’m getting ready to start my next goal to lose 11 more pounds by the end of August! (Avg 2.75lbs per week – totally doable).

What are YOUR goals? Anything YOU want to brag about?

Movie Review – Captain America

2011-07-25T13:17:00.001-05:00

Nothing very exciting happened this weekend. Adam had to work Saturday, most of the day. I watched Where The Red Fern Grows and BAWLED my eyes out. Then we watched Toy Story 3 and I got a little teary.

So I was really excited for Sunday to see a DUDE movie that didn’t make me cry like a girl, HAHA!

Before I get into my review of Captain America … Is everyone aware that these super hero movies are leading up to something? In May of 2012 all these super heroes will collide in a movie called The Avengers! Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and others will be joining forces. There other huge names that I’m not sure what their rolls will be yet. Check out The Avengers on IMDB.

Ok on to Captain America.

IMDB description:
After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals.

This was a guys guy kind of movie. Now I don’t mean that ladies won’t enjoy it. It' is a fantastic movie all around! To me it was the least cheesy of all the super hero movies to come out lately. It was a bad ass movie with a ton of action. There was a little romance going on as well for the ladies. The ending was a shock to me! I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds in the next movie!

1. Did the trailer/preview give the entire movie away?
No, not at all! I mean I new he was a super hero and he was gonna kick bad guy booty but I didn’t know all the details!

2. Is this a MUST see in the theaters or do you wish you had just rented it or is it that bad that you would have to wait for it to be free on TBS?
I think it is a must see in the theaters but probably not worth the extra money to see it in 3D. We saw the 2D version but a lot of people I’ve seen on facebook and the internet said that it would have been just as good in 2D. I didn’t feel in any way that I wasted my money.

3. Which movie star do you think MADE this movie?
Well of course Chris Evans did! He’s Captain America. I also loved that Tommy Lee Jones was in the movie … he is one of my favorite actors. Also, another favorite it Stanley Tucci! I love how versitile he is in his roles! The fact that he has been cast in The Hunger Games just makes me giddy with excitement!!

4. Predictability?
Well I was shocked by the ending but maybe others weren’t? I mean we all knew he was gonna win though right? That’s what super heroes do!

5. Rating?
I would give it 5 stars (out of 5) because it wasn’t cheesy, it was easy to follow and understand, it was action packed, and there was a really hot dude as the lead. Go see it!

Next Week: Cowboys vs. Aliens!!!
(This MAY get pushed back a week because we have family coming in from CA this weekend!)

Thank GOD it’s Friday!

2011-07-22T15:03:00.001-05:00

Hello blog friends! Thanks for sticking around through my craziness and not giving up on me :). One day I hope that work will either slow down or I’ll just be superwoman and get caught up (I can dream right).

Yesterday I had my Weight Watchers weigh in. Not a good report unfortunately. I gained .2lbs. That’s not bad over a whole week but when I didn't even have ONE cheat day it’s a little bit of a bummer. Looking back on my foods I didn’t even use all my allowed points each day. Maybe I wasn’t eating enough of the RIGHT stuff. Even though I was under points I wasn’t making the best choices.

So it’s a new week and my goal is to be down 3lbs next Thursday to hit my first 5% goal!

~*~

I’m not sure yet what our weekend plans will be. Adam is working all day tomorrow so I’ll probably be doing house cleaning stuff. Maybe bake a cake.

Sunday we will probably be seeing Captain America. That was the plan so I’m sure that won’t change.

Hopefully next week will be a little less crazy and I can actually be in blog land reading, commenting, and posting!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

That’s Just Life

2011-07-20T13:37:00.001-05:00

So what’s been going on with me lately? Other than work being completely crazy and causing me to lose my mind that is!!!

Monday I had to go see my chiropractor for a problem with my foot. Somehow I got the bones out of whack causing the nerves, muscles, and whatever else to get inflammed. So he had to adjust my foot and ankle and then put these nifty electro pads on it to help with the inflammation. I’m going back tomorrow morning for round 2.

Also on Monday, when I got home I realized that there was white stuff all down the side of my car!! At first I thought it was paint and was about to have a stroke! Then I touched it and realized it’s chewing gum. Somehow gum got stuck to my tire and then on my way home it streamed out all over my car. So Tuesday I spent 30 minutes in the heat with some dawn detergent and water washing this side of my car. It worked!

Yesterday, I was JUST about home. See that yellow sign? My road is RIGHT past it. Well I came up behind this tractor so I was going really slow to stay off his tail. A dog PASSED me! Seriously! I was laughing so hard at this dog totally passing my car up like it was a turtle.

That is really all that is new and interesting in my life at the moment. Unless you want to hear me whine about how busy work is and how I haven’t had time to read blogs or comment. But I won’t whine about that because a job is a job and a paycheck is what I need. :)

Happy Hump Day!

Movie Review – Deathly Hallows pt2

2011-07-18T09:45:00.001-05:00

Well Harry Potter weekend has come and gone. I’m feeling a little sad that we will never go to the theater again to see our favorite trio (Harry, Ron, & Hermione) on the big screen together. I asked my husband Saturday night, “So now that Harry Potter is over, does this mean we have to grow up?”. He said “Yeah, I think so.” :(

Ok, enough with the sad. Let’s talk about how totally amazing this movie was! We saw the movie in 3D Saturday night and then AGAIN in 2D on Sunday!!! It was THAT good!

I’m not going to give away in major plot points or tell you what happens but I am going to talk about how I felt throughout the movie, which can be a slight spoiler. I read all of the books last year so I knew what was going to happen but it’s so different to SEE it and have someone experience it with you. **Side note: I’m really glad that I didn’t reread the books right before I saw the movie**

This was our first experience with a movie that was originally 1 book, broken into two movies. I was very curious on how the second one would begin. I was very pleased that it went from a preview, directly into the last scene shown from part 1 and then on to the rest of the story. It was like the movie took a breath and continued on!

Part 1 and 2 were complete opposites. Part 1 spans the course of months where as part 2 covers maybe a couple of days. It didn’t feel overly rushed, it felt just right! About half way through, when something happens to one of the characters I started crying and I didn’t stop until the movie was over. I’m not talking a tear here and there. I CRIED for almost 45 minutes, along with everyone else in the theater. (Sunday I was able to hold most of the tears back but not all). Because I don’t want to ramble on too much here are some questions that I’ll be answering about each movie I review:

1. Did the trailer/preview give the entire movie away?
Not at all! I had already read the book of course so at first I felt like they were giving away too much (the ending is RIGHT THERE) but in the end it just didn’t matter. It didn’t diminish the movie at all.

2. Is this a MUST see in the theaters or do you wish you had just rented it or is it that bad that you would have to wait for it to be free on TBS?
I think it is a must see in theaters (multiple times if possible). I don’t think the 3D matters much. A few scenes were cool but when we saw it in 2D we didn’t feel cheated at all. Adam hasn’t read the books so it was all new to him. After the movie, on the way home, he asked questions about why this and why that and I was FINALLY able to answer them rather than saying I CAN’T TELL YOU YET!

3. Which movie star do you think MADE this movie?
To me this type of movie isn’t about the movie stars … it’s the characters. Of course Harry, Ron, and Hermione are the favs but the others that really stole the show this time were Professor McGonagall, Molly Weasly, Luna, Nevelle, and Ginny.

4. Predictability?
For those that had not read the the book it was 0% predictable! Adam had a couple of things figured out but not the WHY behind them. He was completely taken by surprise!!

5. Rating?
The best! Did I limit myself to 5 stars last time? Well this one deserves a million! This movie stuck more to the books than any other (except maybe the first one). And the ending … PERFECT!

6. Best line from the movie?
I have two:
Molly Weasley - “Not my daughter you bitch” (High five Molly!!)

*Ginny sees Ron, Harry, and Hermione for the first time and only has eyes for Harry (rather than her brother)* Ron says - "She hasn't seen me in 6 months and it's like I'm Franky First Year."

My only critique of this movie (and it’s a very small one) is that there were a couple of back story pieces of information left out. They weren’t essential to the story really and to those that had not read the book you would never know it was missing. On the way to see it again Sunday I brought along my Deathly Hallows book and read Adam two full chapters to explain some things he had asked questions about.

If you are not caught up on these movies do it NOW and go see this in theaters!!! You won’t be sorry!!

Next week: Captain America

Harry Potter Weekend

2011-07-15T13:14:00.001-05:00

Have you seen this picture floating around the world??
(source IMDB)

“IT ALL ENDS 7.15”. That is TODAY people!!! I’m so freaking excited!!

Adam has to work tomorrow so we won’t be going to the movies until Sunday :(. I’m so jealous of everyone that saw it at midnight last night!! I saw on facebook that some people are already going again today!!

Other than Harry Potter, I’m really not sure what our plans are for the weekend. A lot depends on what hours Adam ends up working tomorrow. I know that my house needs a good cleaning and I need to workout again. I did my first WW workout last night using a stability ball. So far I’m not sore, so hopefully it helped!!

So I leave you with a few more funny gifs …

This will be me at the closing credits.

Weigh In & I’m Featured!

2011-07-14T12:57:00.001-05:00

Today was weigh in day with Weight Watchers!! My goal for this week was to lose 3lbs.

My total lost was 4.2lbs!!!! That means I’m down 9.2lbs so far!!! *HAPPY DANCE!*

The next goal is to hit my 5% mark so I need to lose 2.8lbs by next Thursday! Completely doable!!

~*~

Today I was featured on Janette’s blog for a GREAT idea she has come up with!!! She takes two bloggers, has them answer some fun and interesting questions, and then puts their answers side by side! It’s a fun way of getting to know some new bloggers or find out some things you didn’t know about your favorite blogger!!

Thank you Janette for picking me!!!!!! Click the button to head over to her page and check it out! Sign up so that you can be featured too!

Weight Watcher Update – Food Planning

2011-07-12T09:43:00.001-05:00

Today I start my third week of Weight Watchers. It’s actually been going a lot better than I thought it would. I don’t feel deprived or starved. The only negative I have is the headaches from lack of caffeine but that will correct itself eventually.

I have learned a lot about how I eat and my own habits. The biggest thing that has helped me stick with this is using the paper journal to track my food rather than online or mobile. When I used the online or mobile tools I always had to write it down and then go input it online when I had time. Now I just carry my journal with me and jot everything down as I eat it.

Another thing, besides the ease, that I love about the journal is that I can flip back to previous days really quickly and see how I did. Let me give you a couple of examples.

Last week (A Wednesday)

Breakfast:
Turkey & Cheese Sandwich Thin – 6pnts
Snack:
2 Fig Newton Fruit Thins – 2pnts
Lunch:
Smart Ones – Fettuccini Alfredo 7pnts
Coke Zero – 0pnts
Dinner:
Grilled Chicken – 3pnts
Black Eyed Peas – 1pnt
Green Beans – 0pnts
I had 17 points leftover from this day!

This past Sunday

Breakfast:
Blueberry Muffin – 15pnts
Snack:
Chocolate Covered Twinkie – 13pnts
Lunch:
Popcorn @ the movies – 7pnts
Dinner:
Grilled Chicken – 3pnts
White Rice – 2pnts
Ranch Style Beans – 2pnts
Gravy – 1pnt
Sweet Tea throughout the day – 18pnts
I went OVER my daily points allowance by 26pnts!!

Now all kinds of things went wrong over this past Sunday. We went out to eat and I thought a Blueberry Muffin wouldn’t be too bad. WRONG! I should have gotten the scrambled eggs and bacon. Now yes, I did knowingly eat a Chocolate Covered Twinkie but who knew it was better than a muffin! (It was super yummy btw). When we went to the movies I decided to chow down on some popcorn instead of having lunch. Point wise it was about the same for a lunch, but I wasn’t full and my stomach wasn’t happy. My dinner was about normal. My sweet beloved sweet tea. Oh how I miss you sometimes, but you just aren’t worth the points. It’s shocking to me to see how much food I can fit into my daily allowance if I plan. But by just winging it and eating (and drinking) junk I totally blew the day! Thank the weigh watcher creators for giving me extra weekly points!!

My goal for this weeks weigh in on Thursday is to lose 3lbs! Fingers crossed!

Movie Review Monday

2011-07-11T13:45:00.001-05:00

I don’t think I have really put much about this on my blog (or haven’t in the past anyways) but we see a movie pretty much every single weekend. For $15 (includes 2 tickets, huge popcorn, and a drink) it’s not a bad date if you ask me. My hubby was never a big movie person until we saw Avatar. He has been hooked ever since. I’ve always been a HUGE movie person and I love going to the movies. That is one thing that I love about marriage, it’s always changing and you always discover new things.

So my blog BFF Janette has told me several times that I need to start posting my reviews of movies for the world to see. So that is exactly what I've decided to start doing each Monday. I’ll try to be spoiler free but if I just have to say something spoilery I’ll flag it!

Do you like my snazzy button?!? It’s pretty awesome! You can head over to Janette’s blog and tell her how much ya love it because she made it!! You can also think her for the questions that follow … because she came up with them.

So onto the movie review for today!! I hope you enjoy!!

Yesterday we saw Bad Teacher. I had really been wanting to see it because I love Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake. He isn’t the best of actors but he’s hilarious on SNL and is great at comedy. Adam hasn’t been all that gung ho about it but he said it did look pretty funny so he agreed.

IMDB describes the movie as “a comedy centered around a foul-mouthed, junior high teacher who, after being dumped by her sugar daddy, begins to woo a colleague -- a move that pits her against a well-loved teacher.”

1. Did the trailer/preview give the entire movie away?
Bad Teacher had it’s funny moments, most of which did come from the trailer. There were a few laugh out loud moments that were new that did make it somewhat enjoyable.

2. Is this a MUST see in the theaters or do you wish you had just rented it or is it that bad that you would have to wait for it to be free on TBS?
In my opinion it wasn’t worth the $6.50 (each) admission. I would have been ok spending the $1 to see it in Redbox but I would have preferred it to be free. Like I said it had it’s funny moments but mostly it was just overly raunchy and dumb. Adam thought parts were hilarious (that I did not) but he still said overall it was stupid. Overall it’s a forgettable movie that I don’t think people will be running out to buy once it’s on DVD.

4. Which movie star do you think MADE this movie?
There were several big stars in this movie: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Jason Segel, and Molly Shannon. Cameron Diaz of course made the movie what it was. I don’t think anyone else could have played the part of the sexy, don’t give a shit, jack daniels drinking, teacher. Justin Timberlake was a pansy and I didn’t enjoy his character at all. There is a scene that I think will be burned in my brain forever (not in a good way).

4. Predictability?
The overall story line was 100% predictable.

5. Rating?
1.5 out of 5 stars for being overly raunchy and dumb. I bumped it up .5 because as I was writing this out I thought of a few funny scenes that made me LOL again.

So tell me what you thought about this movie if you have seen it. Am I way off? Was I just not feeling it??

Also, is there a question you would add to my weekly posting that you would like to know about a movie?

Next Week: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows II

Crazy! Plus Pictures!

2011-07-08T10:05:00.001-05:00

Something crazy is going on over here in my little world. It’s Friday morning and I’m caught up on ALL of my replies to comments on blog posts from the whole week!! Go me!!

Another crazy things … I recorded Big Brother for the first time last night. It was funny … but I just wasn’t that interested. I’m not a big fan of reality TV (like this) so I just didn’t get into it. I think the one guy that was the jerk on the previous show will be a pain in the ass all season and he may be worth watching but I’m just not invested in it. Also, why does it come on 4 times a week plus nightly shows on showtime? Crazy!

Are you ready for a THIRD crazy thing!?! I finally found my micro SD card from my old cell phone. I changed phones in February and immediately lost my card. So now here’s a brief look at some pics I found!

Halloween 2009 – Lexi was the evil witch! :)

Nov 2009 – My first beautiful homemade chicken pot pie!! YUM!

I took a picture of a picture in Dec 2009 that I found of me and Adam from BACK IN THE DAY! I loved wearing his jacket …I still have it. :)

January 2010 – My husband works at a box plant. He used old boxes to insulate our porch so our dog Pepper (RIP) would stay warm. Awesome dude!

February 2010 – Extreme Home makeover came to our town!

April 2010 – I saw a rubber chicken riding on the back of an 18-wheeler.

July 2010 – This is how our 4th of July usually starts!

August 2010 – I bought a new car.

For some reason after this I slacked off on my picture taking. Nothing really that funny or interesting to show. But I do have a mystery picture to share. I know what it is but it took me forever to figure it out for some reason. So tell me … what do you see?

Weigh In Day!

2011-07-07T13:17:00.001-05:00

Today was weigh in day with Weight Watcher. I had my mind set on a number and ACHIEVED IT!!

I lost 5lbs!! Woo Hoo!!

I don’t really have a number set in mind for next week but I want to accomplish my 5% goal by 7/21 (2 weeks).

~*~

Quick recap of our long weekend!

Friday:
We saw Transformers and it was AWESOME! Ate a yummy dinner at Applebees that was only 6 points!

Saturday:
Mostly we stayed around the house during the day and went to the band gig that night. A great night but didn’t get in bed until after 2:30am.

Sunday:
Up at 7am and went to an air show at the airport. It was AMAZING! I had never been to an air show before. It was about 110 degrees at least and we had to carry around umbrellas to keep from getting too badly sunburned. When we were leaving an F16 flew about 100 ft over our car and scared the CRAP out of us! It was great! :)

Monday:
A friend of ours came over and him and Adam blew up stuff for a while … it’s a must on 4th of July haha. At dark we did a few firworks but nothing big compare to what we normally do. Normally we have about an hour long show and we only had about 10 minutes this time but it was still pretty!

We Want To Know

2011-07-06T10:49:00.001-05:00

Is it really Wednesday ALREADY!?! Don’t get me wrong … this is a GOOD THING, I just have a million things to get done by YESTERDAY!

It’s time for We Want To Know with Janette, Mamarazzi, Seriously Shawn, and Impulsive Addict.

I forgot to state in my original posting of this that today’s questions are from Janette (SORRY!).

1. Name five of your favorite new blogs that you're reading.
I don’t have FIVE new blogs that I’m following just because my life has been very crazy but I do have three new ones that are really great!

2. When you were a young child or teenager, did you have an idea of how many children you wanted and what their names would be? Did you follow through on your ideas?
I never really had a plan in mind for when I had kids. In fact when I was a pre-teen and teen I didn’t want kids at all. I did think it would be nice to have an older brother, so as I got older I decided I wanted a boy and then a girl. Now I’m thinking just one and I don’t care if it’s a boy or girl! :)

3. What is the silliest thing you fight with someone about? Could be your spouse, sibling, parents, co-worker etc.
My husband and I have an argument at least once a week about my hairspray consumption. I don’t use a TON of hairspray but he hates walking in the bathroom just as I’ve sprayed it. He says I could single handedly restore the ozone by not using hairspray … I think he’s completely exaggerating!

4. What is your favorite scent that other's may not find very nice? ie: gasoline, sweat from your sweetie, etc.
I love the smell of my puppy dog. Not when she’s been outside because then she just smells like a dog. But in the morning when she’s being buried in the blankets and is all warm she smells very sweet.

5. Thoughts on Plastic Surgery? (had it? want it? regrets?)
Some people take it WAY past the extreme. I think the best plastic surgery is when you can’t tell anything was done. I know people who have boob jobs that I would have never known if they had not told me. Once I’m a healthy size and after I have kids I wouldn’t mind having a few tucks or lifts here and there.

Questions Contributors:
#1 – Homesick Cajun
#2 – Lindicious Life
#3 – MY QUESTION! WOO HOO!
#4 – Amy King

Weight Watchers!!

2011-06-30T10:54:00.001-05:00

I haven’t been doing much different on my Couponing or Price Matching. Ok that’s a little bit incorrect. I haven’t been doing AS WELL as I was so there is nothing really to report. It gets frustrating at times because I clip all the coupons and I usually end up buying off brand because it’s cheaper even with the coupon on the name brand. I’m still saving on average about $10 - $15/wk so I guess it’s worth it. That’s at least $40/month.

I’m doing something for MYSELF with that extra money. Initially I was doing this to put towards credit cards but I decided that I would put it towards a Weight Watchers membership!

I joined WW this past Monday!! It’s really going a lot better than I thought it would. My BIGGEST issue is that I don’t like fruit or veggies. They are FREE foods so I can eat as much as I want of those. This week I’m learning to like strawberries. I’ve been putting a little bit of Stevie sweetener on them and it’s going good. I just don’t like the tartness and the texture. I’m getting over it though.

Any suggestion on what my next thing to like would be? Tips on ways to “doctor it up” to make it go down easier?

Is anybody else out there doing Weight Watchers or some other form of diet?? I would really love to have a buddy throughout this. My husband just doesn’t get it… He’s a skinny guy and all my friends are very slim and fit.

I plan on doing a weekly update with my weight loss from the week. Would y’all be interested in seeing just the pounds lost or actual weight? Would that be motivating to anyone? It seems like it would be easy once I’m fit to say “Yeah I used to weigh such and such” but it seems hard to put that out there NOW when I still weight that much. But it’s only a number right?

Would love to hear any input!!!

I will be MIA until next Tuesday. Adam and I are gonna have a long 4 day weekend together. So far here is our plans:

Going to see Transformers 3 tomorrow!!!
His band is playing Saturday night.
Going out on a boat with some of his friends (EEEKKK!!)
Air Show on Sunday
4th of July party Monday evening with FIREWORKS! (Praying for no burn bans!!)

Have a happy, great, and SAFE 4th of July!!!!!!!

We Want To Know

2011-06-29T12:14:00.001-05:00

It’s Wednesday so I’m linking up with the usual Wednesday Crowd Mamarazzi, Janette, Impulsive Addict, and Seriously Shawn for We Want To Know Wednesday!!!

This weeks questions are from Impuslive Addict with the help of Amber and Nadine on Q# 4 and Vandy on Q#5

1. What was the last thing you searched for online?
A phone number. I hate using a phone book. Google is so much faster.
2. If we visit your home state, what is one MUST we should do before leaving?
You must visit the Texas State Fair and try all the fried foods. I’ve only been there once myself but apparently it’s the thing TO DO if you are visiting from out of state. I’m not really sure what else we have that is unique. I haven’t traveled out of TX much so I’m not sure what everyone else is missing out on!
(I have never tried fried butter – heard it’s good though")

3. What do you think pharmaceutical companies should invent a pill for that isn't on the market yet?
Instant weight loss! One pill and BAM … skinny city! A girl can dream.
4. When was your first kiss? Was it good or bad?
I don’t remember the exact date … I’m sure I have it written down in an old diary … but it was sometime in November or December of 1998 (I was 15 & he was 14). My first kiss was with Adam (my husband). We had been dating for a few months and he went out with me to our barn to feed my horse and it just happened. It was his first kiss too. It was an awesome kiss. :)
5. What is your guilty pleasure tv show that you cannot miss?
Currently it’s So You Think You Can Dance. I’m rooting for Melanie to win!! Also there is Biggest Loser, Law & Order SVU (HEARTBROKEN that Det. Stabler is leaving the show), Grey’s, and Private Practice.

Falling Behind

2011-06-28T13:55:00.001-05:00

I’ve been a pretty bad blog friend lately. I haven’t written a post and haven’t been commenting. I’ve been reading though!

My life is just absolutely crazy right now! Work is nuts, home is crazy, and I go and start new ventures and make more trouble for myself. I have to many pots in the fire should I say.

I do have some really awesome news! My sister-in-law and her hunny is expecting a little bundle of joy Feb 2012! We are all so excited for them! (This is Adam’s little sister). It will be their first baby and it is already a miracle. Neither one thought they would ever be able to have babies!

My couponing/price matching has gone to the pits. I’m still doing it all just not as rigorously as I was. So that’s costing me money.

I plan to be back on track after this weekend! I’m taking off work Friday so I’ll have a 4 day weekend!!!! So excited for this!

Please forgive my bad blog friend behavior!

TGIF

2011-06-24T10:48:00.001-05:00

I’m SOOO glad that it is Friday!!! I might actually get to spend some time with my husband this weekend. Sure we spend time together after work each day but it’s usually between cooking, eating, cleaning, etc. The weekends are OURS … especially Sunday.

I’m not really sure what this weekend will bring. Adam had to leave work early yesterday because he had a really bad migraine. It got a little better last night and he was able to eat some dinner. This morning it was back and he couldn’t go to work. I’m praying that he’ll feel better!! Migraines are horrible things!!

If he is feeling 100% I’m hoping we’ll catch a movie this weekend, eat at our favorite restaurant, and just relax. He hasn’t had a day off in two weeks!!! (I’m not counting yesterday or today because being very ill doesn’t count as a day off).

One other thing that I’m REALLY looking forward to is drinking a HUGE glass of sweet tea on Sunday!! Last weekend I decided to give up tea and soda for one whole week. It’s been tough. I did it for several reasons. Mostly because it was something really hard that I knew would stretch me a little bit. If I can do something really hard that is this minor then I can do something else a little harder … Give up potatos? **shudders**. Seriously though it has been tough and that’s a good thing. Maybe I’ll lose a pound or two as well!

Have a great and safe weekend!!!

We Want To Know!

2011-06-22T09:34:00.001-05:00

It’s time for We Want To Know Wednesday with Janette, Mamarazzi, Seriously Shawn, and Impulsive Addict!!!
This week’s questions are by Seriously Shawn!

1. What is the best or worst pick up line you have ever been given?
I honestly have no idea. Adam and I have been together since before we were actually teenagers so if a guy has tried to pick me up I was probably oblivious. I did have one guy at a bar, that our band was playing at, follow me around asking what bands I liked. After the 5th time of telling him I was not interested Adam stepped in and he got the hint! Does that count?! HAHA! I’m so naive.

2. What is your most and least favorite day of the week?
I don’t really have a least favorite. Maybe Tuesday because Friday is SO far away! My favorite day is either Sunday or Monday. Sundays are always a day for just me and Adam so that makes it special. Mondays are like a mini New Years. You get to start all over again!

3. How many hours of sleep do you require each night?
At LEAST 6. I prefer 8 to 9 but I can function on 6.

4. Is there a song that takes you back in time? What song is it and what memory is it attached to?
Well I pretty much relate every song I know to a person or situation so really they all take me back. OUR song is I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing by Aerosmith. This is how it became our song: Adam & I were still in the friend stage and I don’t think we had even met face to face yet. (We talked over the phone for 2 months before meeting). Our mutual friend that introduced us (via phone) told us we were perfect for each other and would end up married one day. The movie Armageddon was big and so was the song. So our friend called the radio station and dedicated that song to us. It was more of a joke but it meant a lot to both of us. We started dating shortly after and the rest is history as they say. We played the song at our wedding and I love hearing it come on the radio. It takes me back to the early days (years) of our relationship and also our wedding.

5. What is your biggest guilty pleasure.
Just one!?! Hmmm probably watching reality tv. I hate drama filled tv shows (ex: The bachelor) but I get SUCKED in! I’m annoyed, frustrated, but so intrigued. I do draw the line with Toddlers and Tiaras or Bridezillas. I can’t handle those shows. I love Wedding Sunday on the WE channel. I want to be friends with David Tutera!

My newest guilty pleasure may be Extreme Makeover Weight Loss. Have you seen the host????
YOU ARE WELCOME!

Psycho Turtle

2011-06-21T15:22:00.001-05:00

I had a moment last week. One of those what the heck was I thinking kind of moments. I probably shouldn’t advertise how much of a ditz I am publically, but here I go anyways.

Last week I pulled out of my driveway onto our road and half way down to the main road there was this turtle. It was a regular turtle … nothing fancy. Well I decided I wanted to take a picture of him (or her) because it seemed like the thing to do at the time. So my brilliant idea was to pull my car beside it, open my door, and take a picture. Easy! (OK maybe it was a tad LAZY). Now we do live on a dead end street so it’s not like I did this on a main hwy or anything (I’m not that dumb).

Anywho … I pulled up, popped open my door and saw that the turtle was a LOT closer than I had expected. He looked up, opened his mouth, and HISSED at me!!!!!

I screamed, slammed my door, and floored it! Needless to say a minute later I had to pull over because I was laughing so hard. I just ~~ran~~ sped away from A TURTLE!

Now keep in mind this turtle turned in to something like this!

Ok maybe not … but that’s what it seemed like at the time!

Random Monday

2011-06-20T14:37:00.001-05:00

I’m BAAACCCCKKKKK!!!!

Ok so you didn’t really know I was gone right? Well Wednesday (or maybe it was Thursday) my computer got a virus and crashed. I haven’t replied to any comments from last week so if you commented on my Wednesday post and you are thinking I’m a rude person please forgive me! I will get caught up ASAP.

I can use my phone for email and internet but I can’t type or think the same way without feeling the keys. PLUS I just have been SO busy and it’s hard to use my phone at work for an extended period of time.

This weekend Adam had to work 13 hours Saturday and another 10 hours Sunday. Needless to say he is not a happy hubby. He won’t get a day off until this coming Sunday. I could never work 13 days straight! I would die!

While he was working his tail off I did take another (one day) cake class this weekend. We learned how to make BUGS!

Here is my cake that I made:

This would be perfect for a little kid’s birthday cake!! While it was a lot of fun to do it was also a lot of TIME! Now I know why these kinds of cakes are so expensive when made by a professional. I spent about $10 to buy things I didn’t already have but probably put in a good 6 hours of work.

Ok that’s enough randomness for today. I gotta get to responding to comments now!

We Want To Know Wednesday!

2011-06-15T12:55:00.001-05:00

It’s Wednesday so it’s time again for We Want To Know with Mamarazzi, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict, and Janette!

This week the questions have been brought to us by Mamarazzi! Well except Question #2 which is by McKenzie and Questions #3 is by Date Girl!

{1} You have been asked to give a 10 minute speech to teenage girls. What is it about?
I would probably tell them to be young and enjoy life. Don’t grow up too fast! There is plenty of time for that later on!

{2} Do you have a pet? Tell us about them. No pets? Why?
YES we love our babies!

Lexi is 3 yrs old. She’s a terrier mix of some kind.

Chloe is our fluffy (not fat) kitty. She’s about 11 yrs old.

Our newest addition is Buddy. He looks like he’s a full blood lab and he’s about 7 months old.

Oscar and Ellie are Quaker parrots. They are about 4 years old.

Homie is ADAM’S pot bellied pig. He’s about 12 years old – we don’t get along … haha.

{3} What is the biggest inconvenience about the place you’re currently living?
How far we are from town! It’s at least 20 to 30 minutes to get into town. My work is about 45 minutes away. But I wouldn’t change it because living in the country is way better than living in all the noise of the city. I NEED to see stars at night!

{4} What do you think is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?
Falling madly in love the man I’m married to! Other than that probably the decision to move out when I turned 18. I don’t mean that in any way negative towards my mom but if I had not moved out when I did then I wouldn’t be where I’m at today in life. Things fell in place as they were supposed to.

{5} What are the THREE "nevers" of your life? (things you would never do or have never done)
For some reason these were really hard to come up with! Not that I’ve done a bunch of bad things but my brain is just not working today!!

I’ve never smoked and NEVER will
I’ve never flown in a plane … Maybe one day, if we ever go anywhere
I’ve never met someone IRL that I met on the internet / blog world.

Weekend Recap, A Giveaway, & Awards

2011-06-13T10:44:00.001-05:00

We had a blast this weekend visiting with our friend that was down from Arkansas. I think all we did was eat! (Mexican food, breakfast food, desserts, hibachi)

It was really great to catch up and laugh all weekend! Adam had a lot of fun! Maybe sometime later in the year we’ll be making a trip up that way to see him and his family.

We saw Super 8 yesterday! It was REALLY good! I’m so glad that the trailers didn’t give away what IT was. The suspense was the biggest element. It reminded me of the Goonies a little bit.

Why is there ALWAYS a chubby one? HAHA

~*~*~*~

I have a few other things to talk about other than my weekend. Have you seen the giveaway over at Dandelion Wishes? She’s giving away a $25 gift certificate to the etsy shop Ash At Home. Check it out and sign up … or rather DON’T because I want to win. :)

~*~*~*~

I’ve received two more awards that I would like to pass on.

The first from Beverly @ The Beverly Buzz awarded me this:

THANKS BEVERLY!!!

Rules:
1. Mention the blogger who gave you the award (see above)
2. Link to their blog (see above)
3. Pay it forward to 5 bloggers

Janette – The Johanson Journey
Sarah Kate – Dixie Creek Farm
Audra Kate – Southern Girl In Heels
Amy – Nine Ninety One
Amy – Fourth Frog

Next I received this award from Sarah Kate @ Dixie Creek Farm last week. Thanks girl!!

The rules for this one are to name 7 things about myself. Well since I JUST did that I’m going to link you to that post HERE if you would care to read them again.

Also I’m supposed to pass this on to three Stylish blogs that I love:

Janette – The Johanson Journey
Amy – Nine Ninety One
Audra Kate – Southern Girl In Heels

Company’s Coming!

2011-06-10T11:19:00.001-05:00

Well obviously I missed my Simple Savings post yesterday. Honestly though I don’t have anything to report. Just the same ole stuff. I had about the same savings this past weekend.

Work has been super duper crazy busy. We hired a new girl that is working 2 days a week (and hopefully more in the future). She’s doing a lot of marketing so even though she just started Tuesday I’ve had a lot of quotes to do with the people she’s been contacting.

Home life has been crazy as well. A friend of ours, that lives on the far eastern side of Arkansas, is coming down for the weekend. I’ve been cleaning my house from top to bottom. I know it probably doesn’t matter to him but when I know company is coming I can see every speck of dirt in my house! I was scrubbing a toilet at 5am this morning. Obsessed much? I completely take back all the times I groaned when my mom made me clean when company was coming over. I thought she was a psycho cleaning nazi!! HAHA!

Our friend should be here sometime this afternoon and I’m sure we’ll be hittin up our favorite Mexican food place, because there is nothing better than some good tex-mex enchiladas. The rest of the weekend will involve Adam’s other friends coming over to the house. I’m sure there will be guns to compare, beer to drink, things to blow up, and whatever else they can come up with to bond over. Silly guys.

Adam will miss his friend again after Sunday but hopefully it won’t be long before we can visit or he can visit again.

Happy Friday & Have a great (and safe) weekend!!!

WWTK - wk 8

2011-06-08T08:54:00.001-05:00

It’s time again to link up for We Want To Know Wednesday hosted by Mamarazzi, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict, and Janette!

The Questions for today were given to us by Janette! (Great questions this week!!)

1. Everyone seems to have a quirky family situation-- what is something unique about your family dynamic?
I have 3 dad’s named David Allen! Confused? Ok so let me give you the run down here. My mom was married to my dad – David Allen S. They divorced when I was 2 and when I was 5 she married David Allen J, which is the father to my brother & sister. After 11 years of marriage they divorced and a few years later she married a guy name David E Allen. Now David #3 (my current step dad) goes by the name Clayton due to a conflict of grandmothers wanting him to be named after their husbands. Clayton stuck so I guess that grandmother won in the in! HAHA! BTW my mom had no idea that his name was David until they were dating … So glad she didn’t run screaming the other direction!

2. What is the most stressful aspect to blogging (aside from the network going down)?
Just trying to think of something to say that people care about reading. I used to stress majorly over my whole blog aspect and I had almost decided to just get rid of it. Then I started meeting people and making friends and it changed the way that I look at it. It doesn’t really stress me out too much any more. On days that I don’t have anything to say I just don’t say anything. I hope that it stays like this for me because I really do love blogging.

3. We all end up on a blog at some point in our day, but name your top 3 favorite websites you flock to daily (non blog)!
Facebook, AOL (mail), and People

4. What’s your sign? Believe in it or not, does any part ring true to you?
I don’t believe in horoscopes, psychics, or tarot cards. But putting that aside for the sake of fun I did a little research because I remembered something in the news recently about the signs changing. I’ve always been listed as a Pisces and have always agreed with the description. But now I’ve discovered I’m an Aquarius and I completely agree with that one too. So depending upon the stars, moons, alignment, or whatever else these crazy people go by I guess I’m somewhere in the middle! Check out this site HERE to see descriptions.

5. IceCream!! ICECREAM!! We all scream for icecream! Name your favorite flavor/brand!
My CURRENT favorite is Red Velvet Ice Cream by Ben & Jerrys. As far as brands I usually stick with Blue Bell though. They are the best!!

BONUS QUESTIONS!

A. Name the blog you credit for linking up with us today?
Janette @ The Johanson Journey

B. Suggest a question you want to see in future WWTK’s!
What phrase that people say really gets on your nerves?

Awarded!

2011-06-07T16:05:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was tagged for an award by my bloggy BFF Janette!

Thank you so much Janette for thinking of me! :)

The rules for this awesome gift are that I must share 7 facts about me and give it away to another 10 blogger pals!

1. I’m a very messy but organized person. There is always order to my chaos … Even if it’s only visible to me.

2. I can crochet, cross stitch, knit, and sew. Yes I’m 28 not 60.

3. I love to play any kind of game and I’m very competitive. My husband kicks my butt at Monopoly and I’m determined to win at least once in our lifetime.

4. I read VERY fast (probably why I need glasses). A 400 page book would take me less than a day to read if I really put my mind to it.

5. My favorite color is pink… who would have known right!?!

6. I have been at my job for 10 years next month!!

7. I really hate having to pick what’s for dinner each night. Also all of my winter foods have been taken off the menu so I need more summertime recipes.

People I’m tagging!!

Janette (Who says I can’t?)
Mamarazzi @ Dandelion Wishes
Sarah Kate @ Dixie Creek Farm
Living A Goddess Life
Audra Kate @ Southern Girl In Heels
Amy @ 4th Frog
Amy @ Nine-Ninety-One
Ashley
Seriously Shawn
Molly @ The Fuschia News

~*~

Friday Confessional

2011-06-03T10:34:00.001-05:00

Linking up with Mamarazzi for Friday Confessional!!!

I confess … I’m doing two posts today!! Usually I’m lucky if I can crank out one but today I’m going for a double!! Check out my other POST to see all the swap goodies I got from my new friend Audra Kate.

I confess … I’m very unhappy about having to work tomorrow. I’m even unhappier (word?) that he has to go in at 3am.

I confess … I’m super duper excited about the MTV Movie Awards show that is coming on Sunday. I can’t wait to see the Breaking Dawn trailer! Check out a sneak peak HERE.

I confess … We have a new girl that will start working here next Tuesday. It will only be a couple of days each week but I’m SOOO thankful to have the help!

I confess … I need to get my twitter back up and going. Did you know I had one of those things?!? You can go HERE to add me. My profile is private so you will have to send me a request to let me know who you are. I plan on using it more to update about my coupon savings, great deals I come across, and just random nonsense.

I confess … It’s 101 degrees outside and I’m freezing in my office. I’m seriously about to go get a broom so that I can close the vent on the ceiling.

Blog Swapping!

2011-06-03T09:31:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I signed up for my very first blog swap over at The Fuschia News!

I prayed that I would get paired up with someone nice and would make a new friend! My prayers were answered plus some! I met a really great new friend named Audra Kate! Check out her blog and say hello!

Our theme was summer time. These are the really great things that I received from Audra Kate.

A beautiful black & pink apron! I guess I should have taken a picture where I was actually wearing it but I did not. Oops!

She is a great listener and picked up on things that I really liked! I can’t wait to get started on this book!

I’m SO beyond excited about this Fondant book!! Lot’s of new things I didn’t know how to do.

A yummy smelling watermelon candle! Smells like straight up summer!

I usually only wear MK lipgloss but I think I have a new favorite!! I thought this would be a bit TOO pink but it’s perfect!

This is my new favorite color of all time. If Barbie had a favorite nail polish it would be this one!! It’s the absolute perfect pink! Not too pepto and not too in your face PINK.

I’m so glad that I did this and can’t wait for another swap to come around so I can join up!! FUN!!

~*~If you are here from the blog swap link please also check out my normal daily post for the day HERE~*~

Simple Savings

2011-06-02T09:21:00.001-05:00

Today’s post is pretty much the same as last weeks … just new results.

I did price matching and couponing again this week and finally got my first FREE item!! I was so excited.

Here are my results:
Price Matching Savings = $5.44
Coupon Savings = $10

TOTAL SAVINGS $15.44
(That’s $1.57 better than last week!)

My biggest savings this week was on Trash Bags.

I’m kinda picky about my trash bags so that’s why I buy the expensive kind. We used to buy the cheapos but would always end up having to double bag because of a rip or something so it ends up about the same really.

Anyways, the retail price of these (at wal-mart) is $10.47 for the 65 count. Brookshire's had a sale for $5.99 on the 15-80 ct! So I did a PM and got the 65 count for only $5.99 (Saved $4.48 instantly).

Then I remembered that I had a coupon for $2 off any purchase of Glad trash bags plus a Lysol or 409 product. So I hit the cleaning isle in search of any Lysol or 409 product that was $2 or less and found 409 for $1.98! So I got the 409 for FREE! The coupon expired that day so it worked out perfectly!

The main thing I have learned this week is to always pay attention to what you are getting, what you have, and what’s on sale combined with other savings.

Something that made me so happy this week was that Adam got into the coupon mode! He was at wal-mart (by himself) to pick up some toothpaste. Well he noticed there was a sticker on it for $1 off (instantly). So he got two and had them ring them up separately so he could use each coupon right then because it was limited to one coupon per transaction! SO SMART!

We Want To Know

2011-06-01T13:27:00.001-05:00

It’s linking up time again with Mamarazzi, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict, and Janette for We Want To Know Wednesday!!!

Today’s questions are from Impulsive Addict!

1). If the blogging world had a talent show, what would your act be?
Well I was going to say cooking or baking but you all already know that about me. I’m also really good at doing peoples make-up!

2). What's the most likely reason you might become famous?
Excellent customer service? No? I don’t guess there is a lot of famous customer service reps out there huh? Let’s just go with cakes! Maybe one day I’ll be a famous cake baker on tv! (Yeah right!)
3). What question are you repeatedly asked that you are tired of hearing?
Well my last name is McCoy so I’m always asked if I’m related to Neil McCoy (whose last name isn’t actually McCoy BTW) or if my parents own McCoy lumber here in town. NO! I’m also not related to your wife’s cousin’s brother’s aunt. SERIOUSLY!
4.) What's the last thing you broke?
A couple of months ago I had dishes stacked up in my drain rack beside the sink. Well I went to reach above it to get a glass and knocked off a baking dish that was my FAVORITE! It shattered all over the floor. So sad :(. But my mom got me a new one so all is well… Well except the fact that the one I broke was red and the new one is yellow but it still works the same. (Thanks Mom BTW!)
5.) Finish this sentence. I can't believe I used to ________.
NOT BLOG! Were did I put all my thoughts??? Even though sometimes I get frustrated or overwhelmed I can always go over to my private blog to blow off some steam and work out my thoughts. I can’t imagine not writing!

Aren’t these smiley’s just awesome!! I love them!

Weekend Recap

2011-05-31T11:35:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a GREAT Memorial Day weekend!! Ours was busy but I also feel like I’m rested so that is great.

Friday we had our party for my Father-In-Law’s retirement. We also got to visit with my sister-in-law and her family before they moved. My “practice” cake was a huge hit at the party.

Yummy right! It was fabulous! Keep in mind I had never made this so I wasn’t sure how the flavors were gonna mesh but it was perfect! The one on the left is actually the cake I did for the graduation party. I didn’t have time to take a before of the practice one before it was cut into. The girl I did the cake for LOVED it and was totally surprised! YAAA!

Saturday evening we were bums and watched a bunch of movies and played a riveting game of Monopoly which I lost. I always lose to Adam at Monopoly. Maybe next time!

Over the course of the weekend my sister-in-law told us about this rock formation that a friend of hers had taken her to years ago. Apparently the found it on google earth or something and decided to go check it out. Well she found it again and we all decided to go. I wish I knew how to show you what it looks like on google earth but until then just check out the pics that I took while we were there.

This place was about a half of a mile off the road in the middle of the woods. There was a wide path to get to it but that’s it. Very weird. The lighter colored one in the last picture is about 25 ft tall. Adam said the rocks are no more than a hundred years old because of the drill holes. Apparently they didn’t do that pre 1900. (Does that make sense?) So I’m guessing someone with a lot of money decided to get 8 huge slabs of granite and set them up in a field for their own enjoyment. I would love to come back and have a picnic. It’s beautiful!

Sunday or Monday (I really can’t remember when now) I made these awesome chocolate chip cookies. With all the baking and cooking I’ve done I have NEVER been able to make a good chocolate chip cookie. They always turn out cakey and spongy. Very weird. So I tried a new recipe and did a few things different and they turned out PERFECT!!! I think Adam has eaten half of them! (The recipe made about 3 times as many shown, this is just the first batch).

Ok so now that you are sufficiently hungry for sugar and bad stuff I’ll say goodbye for today! HAHA!

Happy Tuesday!

Friday Confessional

2011-05-27T09:59:00.005-05:00

I’m linking up with Mamarazzi and Glamazon today for Friday Confessional!

I confess …
I’m really going to miss the Oprah show. It was very sad to not have anything on my DVR to watch this morning. I cried on all three of the final shows this week. :(

I confess …
My flowers at my house look amazing. I had no part in it though. Adam has been watering and feeding these babies! I always forget and I just don’t have time to water them. He does it better anyways.

I confess …
It’s going to be a busy weekend. We are having a party tonight for my father-in-law’s retirement. Also my sister-in-law and her family are officially moving to AL so we are having their going away party too. Tomorrow a girl I work with is graduating high school and I’m making her cake for her party.

I confess …
I’m VERY nervous about making this cake. I have only made one other cake for an official event not within my own family. I made a practice cake this morning and we will have that tonight at the family parties. I’m glad my family doesn’t mind the rejects of my baking.

I confess …
I would really love a day within my three day weekend to just relax and do nothing, preferably with a pool. We don’t own a pool. I wonder if we could go to a hotel. Would they notice?

I confess …
I hate already completely checked out and don’t want to work today. Our phones are down so that’s a plus right!?! No phone calls!

I confess …
My confessions are very boring today!

Have a great &safe weekend!

Simple Savings – Price Matching

2011-05-26T08:52:00.001-05:00

This week I changed things up a bit and added Price Matching into my grocery shopping routine. All the sales ads and matching coupons up got a bit overwhelming but I set it aside until I could actually sit down AT HOME and go through everything and make a list.

My overall results:

Coupon Savings $6.95
Price Matching Savings $6.92
TOTAL SAVINGS: $13.87

BIGGEST SAVINGS:

Wal-Mart’s price $1.98. Family Dollar had this on sale for $1 so I did the PM. I had a .75 cent coupon. (If I would have had more of these coupons I would have bought more.)

FINAL PRICE: .25 CENTS!

Second Biggest Savings:

Wal-Mart’s price for these were $2.98 each. Dollar General had a sale 2 for $3. So I did the PM and I had a $1 coupon and a .40 cent coupon.

Final Cost: $1.60 or .80 cents each.

For the next couple of weeks I’m going to work on the price matching and finding more good deals. I did buy a couple of things I didn’t need like paper towels and fabric softner but at a $5 savings (total) I couldn’t pass it up. Don’t worry I only buy one of each… I’m not going psycho hoarder crazy (yet).

We Want To Know Wk 6!

2011-05-25T10:53:00.002-05:00

It’s time again for We Want To Know Wednesday with Mamarazzi, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict, and Janette.

Todays questions are from Seriously Shawn. Link up … join the fun!
My post today is lacking in pictures but it’s been a very busy week and I’m lucky to even be able to get this up! Hopefully I can get around to all of my bloggy friends to comment!

1.} What must you do before you go to bed at night?
Check that the back door is locked, the porch light is on for the puppy, brush my teeth, and use the bathroom! Other than that I’m good for sleep!

2.} What is one thing you must snack on at the theater?
POPCORN! I love movie theater popcorn!

3.} Before going on vacation what must you do?
Make a huge list of everything to bring. If not I will forget something important. I even list underwear just in case. Then I cross it all off as I pack each thing in the bags. Also I guess we would need to arrange food and care for all of our critters.

4.} What is one thing you must do every day?
Tell my husband that I love him and pray. Also I have to check my email and facebook every day! Gotta be honest!

5.} Is there something you do that must be done in a particular order?
Pretty much every routine that I have. The most important one is in the morning. I’m the last one to leave our house so I have to make sure everything is off and my house will still be there… Here’s my routine:

Unplug my hair straightener
Turn off the fan in the bedroom
Make sure my bedroom door is shut
Turn the AC up to 75
Put my lunch with my purse
Make sure I have keys, glasses, and my cell
Get my stuff together and lock the door on my way out
Feed the puppy

If I miss one step in that process it throws me off. Like Monday I forgot my lunch because I got a phone call from my sister-in-law as I was turning up the AC. Therefore I skipped step #5 and proceeded to #6. HAHA.

Weekend Recap

2011-05-23T14:28:00.002-05:00

It seemed like we had a very busy weekend but now that I look back on it, we didn’t really do that much. Adam worked Saturday morning. I had planned on getting stuff done around the house while he was working but due to a certain little doggy that is terrified of Thunder I was up until 1am. So I slept in and when he got home at 11am we got ready and went in to town.

We did get to see Pirates of the Caribbean. Thankfully we got there about an hour early to buy our tickets. We walked next door to Taco Bell for some quick (cheap) dinner and then got back to the theater about 15 minutes before the movie started. It was already PACKED!!! Luckily we got seats where we normally do. People were coming in right as the movie started or right after and ended up sitting on the steps. It was nuts.
The movie was EXCELLENT! I highly recommend it to anyone that’s a fan of the Pirates movies or just in this genre in general. It was different than the first three and had a new story line. I was bummed that Orlando Bloom wasn’t going to be in it. He was very nice to look at. BUT there was a new hottie! Sam Claflin.

This picture is the only one that I could find that I liked but I’m sure more will come out soon. I swear I’ve seen him in something else but according to IMDB he’s only done TV movies (The Lost Future & United) and TV Series (The Pillars of the Earth & Any Human Heart). So this is his first major movie!! Big things in the future from this guy. He is cast as the Prince in Snow White and the Huntsman … opposite Kristen Stewart. It will be very interesting to see how that turns out!

Ok so back to real life here … Saturday evening when we got home we watched the sun set from our pasture. BEAUTIFUL!

Sunday we did our grocery shopping and I added the art of price matching to my couponing. Check back Thursday to see my results!

The rest of the day we were lazy. Watched some tv, had dinner, and went to bed earlier because Adam had to go in early this morning.

I haven’t had time to finish updating all the things I want to on my blog but I’ll be working on that throughout this week!

Happy Monday!

Some Changes

2011-05-20T12:13:00.004-05:00

Notice anything different? Anything at all? HAHA.

I may have made a few MINOR changes … ok I pretty much went pink … all the way! I loved my background that I had before, with the black and white damask pattern, but it just felt boring. I’m completely dumb though and accidently deleted all my content in the sidebars. I lost my reading list for the year :(. I did back up my template but when I restored it it didn’t have the content of the widgets, just the widgets themselves… bummer! So you may keep seeing a few changes as I add stuff back and rearrange to figure out what I want and where I want it. I'm loving the 3 columns!

I would like to give a couple of shout outs to some people that helped me!

Janette @ The Johanson Journey - Thanks for showing me picnik! I'm so hooked and love creating my own custom stuff on it!! Very much worth the money to go for the full program!!
A Randomlicious Blog For The Soul – She offered to help me with my blog, doing something more custom but I decided I just wasn’t ready to figure out what the heck I wanted! Thanks for you patience with me! (And getting me HOOKED on pinterest!)
Lena @ Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates – Thanks for the help on your FREE template and responding to my emails so quickly! I found a template that was perfect for me and her EXCELLENT tutorials helped me customize the header and she helped me make a few changes to the code to better suit my tastes! She has some excellent choices of Free stuff and tutorials for all kinds of things!

~*~

Adam is scheduled to work tomorrow but we won’t know for sure until 3pm so we don’t really have any weekend plans yet. I think it is supposed to rain, which is good, but it limits what we can do. I do know that at some point we will be seeing the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie!

I’m a huge fan of these movies and pretty much know them by heart. I heard that there will be another one after this plus maybe more. Maybe like a James Bond type of thing? I was disappointed that Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley weren’t in the movie but I guess there story was wrapped up in “At World’s End”.

Hopefully Adam won’t have to work and we can make more plans! Doesn’t it suck when work majorly interferes with your social life?!?!

Have a great weekend!!

Simple Savings – Good Deals

2011-05-19T13:39:00.002-05:00

Coupon Savings from the past week- $7

I haven’t been very good about shopping deals. This week I’m trying to step up my game a little and score better savings, not only with my coupons.

The biggest thing I’m saving on right now with my coupons is Allegra-D. Adam has very bad allergies and has been taking Prescription Allegra daily. Well we were paying $22 for a one month supply (60 pills). Now that it’s over the counter it’s $20 for 20 pills ($60/month). So until the price lowers I’m using $4 off coupons each week.

I do have to run to the grocery store (Wal-Mart) after work to pick up something for dinner and I have a few things that I’m going to get CHEAP!

Country Crock Butter – Dollar General has these on sale for 2 for $3. I can price match and get them at wal-mart for the same price. So for one it will be $1.50 - $1 coupon = $.50 (SCORE!)
Vlasic Dill Spears – On sale for $1.88 - $1 coupon = $.88
Oscar Mayer Beef Franks – On sale for $1.68. I have a coupon for $1 off 2. So I will pay $2.36 for 20 hot dogs rather than the $7.98 for two normal price! (BIG SCORE)
Franks Hot Sauce – On sale for $1 – $.75 = $.25. (I missed a $1 coupon in the paper making it free)
French’s Mustard – On sale $1.37 – $.50 = $.88 (Gonna get two of these)

So I’m not sure all the regular prices on these but as I make my purchases I will write down the original price and compare my savings. I still have other stuff to get and ads to go through but I didn’t want to miss these!

So I should be able to get butter, pickles, 40 hot dogs, a bottle of hot sauce and 2 bottles of mustard for $5.75.

We Want To Know Wednesday

2011-05-18T11:42:00.004-05:00

It’s time for We Want to Know Wednesday with Mamarazzi, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict, and Janette.

The questions for today are brought to us by the letter M as in Mamarazzi!! Check it out, link up, and join the awesomeness!

{1} If you could choose a Super Power, what would it be?
Wow, that’s a hard one!! I can tell you a bunch I wouldn’t want to have (Mind reading, x-ray vision, etc). Ok I’ve thought and thought … I have no idea. Maybe a more creative mind? Is that a super power? I have no creative mojo today.

{2} What would be your first frivolous purchase if you were awarded a million dollars, tomorrow? 100 acres with a huge house of my dreams.

{3} What would be the hardest current luxury for you to give up?
Air conditioning! I was going to say electricity but really it all boils down to AC for me. I could deal with living by candlelight but I HATE being hot and sweaty! I’m totally dreading summer.

{4} If you were given a choice between being given great wisdom and great wealth, which would you choose?
Great wisdom. Surely if I had great wisdom I could then have great wealth, or I would realize that money is not really what’s important in life, people are.

{5} If you were to be stranded on a deserted island for 100 days what 5 THINGS would you pack?

I would pack my hubby first of all. I couldn’t survive without him. Literally.
My camera and lots of batteries. Deserted Islands are beautiful and it’s not like I’m not coming back right.
I would have to get some kind of digital reader (Nook or Kindle) and download like a thousand books to read. If I can read a whole book in a day and still work 8 hours imagine what I could do with a full day to read!
A generator so that we could have electricity and power to charge the reader haha.
A big knife … because I’m not going to be stranded in the jungle without a weapon.

(All photos courtesy of Microsoft Office)

Dancing Predictions

2011-05-17T09:18:00.003-05:00

So I’m putting my predictions out here for Dancing With The Stars. I’m not a normal watcher of this show but decided I would be this season because I really like Kendra. I knew she wouldn’t win but planned on just watching while she was on. I’m hooked!! So here is how I think it’s all gonna go down!

The top 4:

(Ralph, Chelsea, Hines, & Kirstie) - Source

I think Ralph will go home tonight. Then the final two will be Hines vs. Chelsea. I really hope that Chelsea wins but I will be ok if Hines won.

So who do you think will win??

Today is proving to be frustrating here at the office. This part of my mouse is not working:

I use this little wheel basically on ever single web page. Especially for work stuff. Yesterday it just broke. If I put pressure on it towards the left it will sorta scroll but not much. Very sad. :( I love my pretty pink mouse. But I’ll just have to deal with it for now until I can get a new one.

Happy Tuesday!!

Simple Savings – Paying Bills

2011-05-16T14:43:00.001-05:00

IF YOU ARE VIEWING THIS POST ON MONDAY 5/16 PLEASE SEE CORRECT POST HERE! UGH!

I’m going to apologize up front for the length of this post! There is just no way to shorten it and still get all the information in.

I’m deviating from the normal coupon talk today and I’m going to share a little bit about how I pay my bills. I don’t really have anything new to share about couponing and I’m still learning a lot so I thought I would share something that I DO know about. I have been using this system, that I made up, for about 8 years and it works for me. A friend of mine uses it and has really liked the simplicity of it. I really hope that I have explained it in an easy to understand way! So here are the steps (with an awesome BONUS at the end!)

Step 1:
Make a list of every bill that you pay. I’m not talking about groceries or gas. I’m talking about the house payment, car payment, credit card bill, utilities, etc. Even if it’s a 3 month loan from your mom write it down!
List these things:

Name of the bill (Daycare, Electricity, House, Car)
How much is it
When it’s due
How you pay it (Online, Phone, Mail, In Person)

Step 2: When do you get paid? When does your spouse get paid? Let’s say for simplicity and example purposes you both get paid every two weeks and it happens to be the same day. (I can dream right?). You need to make a sheet like this. (Keep it simple for now)

Step 3: Now you are going to take your list of bills and start plugging them into this sheet. Let’s say for instance that you pay daycare once a week. Well you only get paid every other week so wouldn’t it be simpler to either pay it every other week if possible or at least account for that money so you don’t have to worry about overspending?

Start with your largest bills first. You only have so much money to spend so you need to make sure the dollar amount is evenly distributed and that you are getting bills in the right slot so that they are paid on time.

I put in daycare first because it’s the same amount and it’s a constant. Next, I chose the House payment of $500 due on the 1st and put it under the second paycheck column (20th). Now the next largest is the car payment of $300 due on the 28th. You would think that should go under the second paycheck column because it’s the closest paycheck to that due date. BUT, if you do that your money will be off balance. So put it under the first paycheck column. Keep going and until you have everything listed. If it’s gets confusing and you are not sure what to put where start off by only going by the due date. Put all the bills after the second date under that column and all the ones closest to the first paycheck under that one. You can go back and rearrange later to better balance the dollars.

You probably already pretty much know what bills you pay where, but by listing them like this you are accounting for the money you need to pay your bills immediately rather than waiting for the bill to actually come due.

Step 4: Ok so now you have this fancy list of all your bills. This is what I do each pay day. The same day my check hits the bank I balance my check book up to that moment. Then I add in my paycheck. To me this is starting fresh. I look at my chart to see what bills get paid for that week (Adam gets paid weekly so that’s our schedule) and then I pay them. It doesn’t matter when the due date is to me at that point because that was all set up when I made the chart. I keep the exact same schedule every single month. The same bills get paid on the same week every time.

Now I have one bill that I cannot pay early and that’s my electricity. I put a sticky note in my checkbook to remind me that X amount of dollars is not to be spent and stays in my account until I can actually pay that bill. I have several bills that are auto drafted. I record them in my checkbook on my payday and show the actual draft date. This way I’ve already deducted it as if it’s already paid.

For me it reduces our stress about money because I take out the essential living money the day I get it. What’s left over is for gas, groceries, and whatever else comes up. I could take this further and budget all the other stuff like gas and groceries but that just doesn’t work for me. Do what works for you and start small.

Now here’s the HUGE benefit to paying your bills this way!!! Are you ready for it?

I get at least two extra paychecks a year without working any harder! Adam has at least two as well! Seriously! No lie.By paying your bills by your paycheck, rather than the due date, and keeping the exact same schedule you end up getting really far ahead on your bills. Once you get so far ahead, you can skip a check and not pay any bills out of it. This is something that I always triple check though before I skip a check. I pull out my original chart with all the due dates and make sure that by skipping a check I’m not going to be missing any due dates and throw off my system.

What could you do with an extra paycheck? Go on a trip? Put it in savings? I usually use these to pay off debt, put in savings, or buy something great (like my vanity).

I really REALLY hope that this is useful info to someone and maybe makes like a little easier. Money scares me. When we were first on our own I was terrified about paying bills and making sure everything got paid. This system was a result of that!

Please let me know if this isn’t clear and you need any further explanation. Also, I would LOVE to hear if this works for you!

Weekend Recap

2011-05-16T14:41:00.003-05:00

I haven’t caught up with my blog reading because everything is SO JUMBLED!! I need a better system for keeping up with the blogs that I read every day rather than just relying on blogger to tell me what posts are new.

Every since things went all crazy last week my recently updated blogs are in some funky random order. So please forgive me if I haven’t commented or read your blog. I’m just starting over from here! UGH
Okay back to our regularly scheduled post here. Adam worked all day Saturday so I did my best to be productive around my house. I did my normal cleaning routine plus went through some paper work. I even made my bed up with the fancy comforter I got for Christmas and all the pillows that came along with it. I vacuumed every piece of carpet in my house along with all the corners … HIGH FIVES FOR ME!

Sunday we ran around town, ate some breakfast, went to a book store, and grocery shopped. We also saw Thor!

I’m not one of those girls that typically drools over another man. My hubby is all the man I need. But let me tell ya ladies, Chris Hemsworth is very nice to look at! I’m not usually a fan of longer hair on guys but this dude rocked it.

And the scene where he has no shirt – GREAT SCENE.

The movie itself was really great too. If you go watch it stick around until after the credits … there is a preview for part 2 (The Avengers)!

Our weather here in E. TX is absolutely perfect! A little chilly in the mornings and nice in the afternoons. In a few weeks I will be praying for winter time so I’m trying to absorb as much of this as I can! Maybe we can eat dinner out doors tonight!!

We Want To Know Wednesday

2011-05-11T09:32:00.002-05:00

It’s time again for We Want To Know Wednesday hosted by Mamarazzi, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict, and Janette.

This week the questions were brought to us by my bloggy bff Janette! Head over, link up, and join the fun!

1. What game show have you always thought you could be on and totally WIN!
Wheel of Fortune! It’s really to only game show that I watch but I love playing along and I can usually guess it before the contestants on the show do. One time I solved a 10 letter bonus puzzle with just one letter showing. Proud moment.

2. Do you have a tattoo(s)? What are they and what made you chose them? If not, would you get one, yes/no/why?
No, I do not have any tatoos. Yes, I would love to have one. I just can’t narrow down what I want. It’s a huge decision to me and I don’t want something on my body forever that I’m not 100% committed to.

3. What is your favorite piece of jewelry that you own?
My engagement / wedding ring. This may be the common answer but it truly is my favorite. I think my rings are very unique and of course they mean a lot to me. Not just the memories of Adam proposing and our wedding but just the whole journey of our lives to get to this point.

4. What is your driving pet peeve(s)?
I have a slight case of road rage sometimes. Riding my tail is probably my biggest annoyance. Especially when I’m doing the speed limit if not more! I WILL slam on my brakes or decide to go 20mph just to tick you off and will laugh and wave as you speed around me.

5. What was your favorite sitcom growing up that you wish was still on?Saved by the Bell, Growing Pains, Boy Meets World, and Full House were my favorites! I still love catching the reruns to this day.

Weekend Recap

2011-05-09T12:22:00.002-05:00

Our weekend was NON-STOP!! I’m still trying to get caught up on my sleep.

Adam had to work 3am to 11am Saturday and I left around 10:30 to go shopping with my sister-in-laws and have lunch. We had a lot of fun shopping but I was wore out! I did score this awesome new necklace though from the $1 Jewelry store:

It’s very awesome to be able to get a necklace with matching earrings for just a BUCK! They aren’t too cheaply made either. All the other stuff I’ve bought from there has held up well so far.

While I was out shopping Adam was helping the band get set up for their show that night. We ended up getting home around the same time (5:30) and said hi to each other before he went to take a nap. I dozed for a bit on the couch, but nothing to brag about. We were up and headed to the club by 8:30. Really it’s a biker bar … club just sounds so much better. The show went great. It was the first show with the new drummer. A few issues but overall it was really good. I wish I could post one of the videos I took but, until it’s been approved by the band, they have to stay private.

We got home around 2:30am and I HAD to take a shower and wash my hair. I cannot go to bed smelling like an ash tray. I think we finally went to sleep around 3am and I was probably out before I was fully laying down.

After washing my hair again Sunday morning it still smelled smoky. Or maybe it’s just all in my sinuses. Yuck! Sunday was not a very productive day. I got my kitchen cleaned, made a cake, and then took it over to the in-laws to celebrate my father-in-law’s birthday. The rest of the day passed WAY to quickly. Adam had to go in early again today so thankfully we were in bed early last night. I still feel like I could sleep another 5 or 6 hours though.

Hope your Monday goes by quick!! I’m already looking forward to bed time!

PS. ALL OUR BABY BIRDS FLEW AWAY OVER THE WEEKEND :(

Five Little Birdies

2011-05-06T15:08:00.003-05:00

I have nothing to talk about today. Why am I posting then? To show you THIS:

Every year we have swallows that build a nest on the porch of our office and lay one or two batches of eggs. This is batch #1! There was actually 5 but he’s hunkered down in the back. My boss took this picture Tuesday and already 2 babies have flown away. It’s amazing how fast they grow!

The only plans we have so far for the weekend is the band my husband is in (he’s the sound guy) is playing tomorrow night. This is their first gig since my brother-in-law moved to Alabama and they had to find a new drummer. So I will not be in bed until around 2am Sunday morning! It’s fun and worth it though!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!!!

Thursday’s Simple Saving

2011-05-05T10:45:00.002-05:00

This past week was my first time to actively clip and use coupons. I shopped the way I normally did and used whatever coupons I had that matched up to things that I need. I only shopped at my normal store, Wal-Mart, and did not do any price matching. (In other words I was a bit lazy this week.)

Results:
I used coupons and saved $7.25. Not much but that’s $7.25 still in my pocket not theirs and required almost no work on my part other than printing and clipping a few pieces of paper. I said previously that Adam eats a lot of cereal and one of my coupons was to buy 3 boxes and get $1 off. Since I normally buy 2 this wasn’t any extra hardship for me to go ahead and get an extra one.

What I learned:
You can use expired coupons! I had 3 expired coupons and they still worked. Now, the lady at the register may not have noticed and if she had she may have not let me use them but she didn’t so it was a plus for me. I wouldn’t rely on them for big shopping trips but if you have one that expired in the past couple of days don’t toss it before you try!

You will always find a great coupon right after you paid full price. I bought some Woolite Dark Detergent for around $10 on Sunday. I got home with the Sunday paper (that I bought in the same shopping trip) and there was a $3 off coupon for the Woolite.

Plans for the next week:

Get the coupon policy for each store
Is there a way to see future sales or coupons coming up?
Comparison shop and price match
Venture outside my comfort zone of Wal-Mart

So did you save any money this week? Link up share how much and how you did it! It doesn’t have to be couponing. You could have skipped Starbucks this week to save some dough and that counts!

We Want To Know Wednesday

2011-05-04T13:54:00.002-05:00

Linking up for another edition of We Want To Know Wednesday!

Hosted by Mamarazzi, Seriously Shawn, Janette, and Impulsive Addict.

1. If money didn't matter, where would your perfect vacation take place? Briefly describe.
I have two places that I would LOVE to go. My top pick would be Scotland. I love reading romance books that are set in Scotland, I love the accent, the culture, and the castles!

My second pick would be to go to Necker Island. It’s owned by Richard Branson. I want to go here so bad that I’ve even checked the prices! Check it out: http://www.neckerisland.virgin.com/
You will want to go with me! I think we can get a better deal with groups over 20! Who wants to come!?!

YES PLEASE!!!

2. What's a bad habit that you have (or had) that is/was hard to break?
Not washing my face at night! I KNOW that it is imperative. I used to be a beauty consultant with Mary Kay. I told other women to wash their faces but it’s SO hard for me to take those extra two minutes to do it myself!

3. If you weren't on a diet or counting calories, what would you like to have for dinner tonight?
Oh good Lord. Where to start. So since we aren’t counting calories and I’m on this fictional planet where diets do not exist I’m assuming I would have a bottomless stomach and could eat how much I wanted and not feel sick right? Right! Let’s start off with some bread sticks and some alfredo sauce to dip them in. Yummy carbs. Then the main course would be creamy Fettuccini Alfredo with fresh Parmesan cheese. (More carbs please!). Then I would end my meal with a huge slice of New York Style Cheesecake, hold the cherry sauce please. What did you say? I had that for my birthday last year? Surely not! This is fiction we are talking about!

4. If you had the chance to interview anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what's one question that you would ask?
This is always a hard one for me! But I think I actually have an answer. I would want to interview Kate Middleton … or Duchess Catherine should I say? I would ask her what it’s like to be in that world? To go from a normal girl to the future QUEEN of England. It’s like something out of a fairy tale to me.

5. Describe yourself in 6 words.
Honest, Loyal, Nice, Trustworthy, Caring, and now Hungry

Tuesday Tribute

2011-05-03T12:35:00.004-05:00

Check out Janette’s blog and link up for Tribute Tuesday!!

Today I’m giving a tribute to someone that I’ve known my WHOLE life. Even before I was born!

My MOMMA!

We don’t get to see each other nearly as often as we would like but we do get to talk on the phone several times a week and that is great! I can call her up with any of my problems and she’s always ready to listen and help me work them out. We share a lot of the same likes, dislikes, and hobbies. It’s all her fault I’m addicted to Twilight. Yep, she was reading the books back when they FIRST came out. I refused. But she got to say the big mom “I TOLD YOU SO”. (See mom, I told the world you were right).

We both love things that are crafty, cooking, taking care of the men in our lives, and are very loyal to our friends.

She’s a beautiful woman inside and out and I’m very glad that I get to call her momma.

Here’s some of my favorite pictures! I didn’t have many on my hard drive. :(

My smokin’ HOT mom when she was 15! I wish I looked this good NOW!

Mom and I the day after I was born!

My first birthday!

Now I’m a big girl and all grown up.

On my wedding day! Not sure why she wasn’t smiling here! It wasn’t from a lack of happiness.

There’s that smile! Maybe she likes him more than me? Nah :)

Hopefully one day we will have kids and she will ~~get off my back~~ get to be a grandma again. (Just kidding about that one part … sorta).

Happy Mother’s Day Mom!

Great Weekend & Great Find!

2011-05-02T15:24:00.002-05:00

My plans for the weekend that I had for the weekend changed Friday evening. I had planned on spending my whole Friday evening working on my final project cake for Saturday. Then I found out that Adam was off work and I hated to spend so much time on other stuff when we could be spending it together. I called my Cake Instructor and she explained that we weren’t learning anything new and it was just to show off our final project. I opted to just not go. So I had a cake free weekend. It was kind of nice actually.

Saturday we got up very early (6am) and was out of the house by 8 to go to Canton Trades Days. For those not in East Texas this is a huge place that is mostly out doors that you go to and shop from local vendors. This is how big it is!

They have stuff like this where you can come across some treasures buried under the junk.

Or pretty girl things like this!

I have been going here off and on my WHOLE life because my grandparents used to be vendors and I would stay all weekend in there motor home and go exploring at night. So fun!

For the past year or so I have been looking for a make-up table or vanity to go in my bedroom. No luck at all. I felt that I was being way too specific. I wanted something in wood (not painted), tri-fold mirror, a couple of drawers, and I wanted it to be two seperate tables. This was my inspiration for what type I wanted:

I wanted drawers instead of little cabinets but this was the general idea of what I wanted.

After 5 hours of walking around and talking to a lady who thought she knew someone that would have exactly what I was looking for we bought this beauty! I’m so glad that I held out for exactly what I wanted rather than settling for something else.

We had to go back Sunday to pick it up since we were in my car. I’m so excited that it is now home in my bedroom! I LOVE IT! My budget for this was no more than $150 but all the ones I was seeing similar to this were around $300 … another snag that was a hold up. The lady had this for sale for $189 + tax ($205). I ended up getting it at $175 including tax. Not too bad!

We did have a great weekend and got to spend a lot of time together. Sunday we watched an all day marathon of Law & Order SVU while we rearranged the bedroom and cleaned the house up. Great day way to end the weekend!

Friday Confessional

2011-04-29T10:52:00.004-05:00

IT’S FRIDAY!!!!

I’m linking up with Mamarazzi and Glamazon for Friday Confessional again.

I confess …
That I did not get up early to watch the royal wedding. I’m actually really glad I didn’t though! I got up at my normal time of 4:45 and when I got out of the shower at 5:00 she was just walking down the aisle. So I got to see the wedding from aisle to kiss and that was pretty awesome.

I confess …
I really wanted there to be more romance to the kiss. Yes there was two and that’s all great and history making but I wanted MORE.

I confess …
When I was watching them stand during the ceremony I had this horrible thought … What if there is this AFV moment where Prince William or Harry passes out … How horrible would that be? Seriously!? Talk about going down in history!

Non Royal Confessions:

I confess …
I’m eating Chicken Teriyaki for breakfast. I don’t segregate my foods to specific times of the day. I just eat whatever sounds good in the moment. Pizza for breakfast, Waffles for lunch, Cake for dinner … whatever.

I confess …
I’m really very sad that my last cake class is tomorrow morning. I started out taking these classes not caring about decorating cakes but just wanting to know how to bake a better cake. Very impressed with the skills I have picked up. I’m not even half way done with my final project though EEEKKK!

I confess …
I’m already tired of my blog look. I love the print but I just wish that it was more sophisticated and classy looking. I’ve entered every imaginable giveaway for a blog makeover but sadly have not won. I may just have to actually pay someone to do it but refuse to shell out big bucks for it. I also have no idea what I really want so I need someone who is willing to work with me and give me suggestion but be open to my input as well. Any recommendations??

I confess …
I’m very thankful to the comments I got in support of my new Thursday theme. I’m a little nervous that nobody will be interested in linking up or that I will fail miserably. But I’m confident that all things happen for a reason so I’m sure it will all work out!

Have a great weekend everyone!