Savory Site Saturday

I am going to try and blog once a week about a website that I love.  It could be another blogger, cooking/recipe site, money saving, store, healthy living (aka diet), and just any site that I love or read on a regular basis or one that has helped me tremendously in the past. 

This week we will be checking out The Pioneer Woman.  She writes very eloquently and the best of all is that her reads are funny and always tickle me.  She writes about real life… As she puts it “Green Acres meets Harlequin Romance”!!!  That is the quote about her book, but I think it pertains to her entire website.

She is great.

Real.

Funny.

A mom.

(with funny stories)

And she has GREAT photos posted on her website that SHE took.  She even has a section on using your digital camera and how she’s learned, what things are, etc.  Mostly Greek to me as I use a point and click digital camera, but really, her pictures are awesome and NEVER short of spectacularly amazing!!!

Give her a read.

You won’t regret it.

You will keep coming back for more!

Driving Til the Map Turns Blue

After I get off work I am headed east til the map turns blue and I cannot wait.  My mother and father in law (aka MIL & FIL) should almost be there already with my two little ladies.  My sister in law (aka SIL) is headed down with her two children as well.  The oldest three grandchildren are all within 13 months of each other!!  Makes it nice they are so close in age so they like playing with each other.  They all love babying Brynn, which she loves (when she’s not screaming at them).  Since the girls are already there I get to drive down by myself with the windows down, wind in my hair, radio wide open and me singing at the top of my lungs… good times!

Anyways… I am headed down once the clock strikes 5 and I cannot wait to spend the weekend basking in the sun, lying in the sand, digging my toes in deep until the sand turns cool, treasure hunting for shells, sting rays, crabs, and sea cicadas.  Those are the little grayish white things that come in with the waves and then dig in the sand… did you know there are some places where people actually eat those things???  Ick!   Wonderful times and able to make great memories with my girls which has been my top priority this summer.

I’m sure by the time Sunday rolls around and I roll out of bed and step out on our balcony off our room with my cup of coffee in hand I will be dreading the drive home.  Whenever I get down there I dread coming home.  We are lucky though because we can go whenever we want.  My in laws bought a beach house in May and so far we have been burning up the miles between our house and the beach house!

I hope everyone has a great time this weekend and that you enjoy your children and spend some time with family.  Life is not guaranteed for a second so don’t waste it.  Unfortunately a guy at my work has experienced this first hand this year, twice.  He lost his wife about two months ago and it was not foreseen by any stretch of the imagination.  Last week he lost his mom.  Nothing is promised beyond this very second… so cherish everyone and everything around you.

Retail Therapy

Since I had a crappy day yesterday (ended up leaving work early too) I didn’t really feel like coming into work today, but I did. To make myself feel better I did a bit of retail therapy at Target during lunch. They have so much clothes on clearance right now that I justified it to myself with that fact. I got a really cute tunic style top for $18. Yes, still a bit high on the price side for me because I’m cheap, but is great for work. I also got two cute tank tops for $7 (each)!! I now have three of these tank tops in different colors/styles. I love them because they have adjustable shoulder straps, like a bra, for those of us that are short!
I’m back at work and I feel a bit better but now I’m longing to be at Target perusing the clearance aisles!

Cheesecake Incident

Well, no cheesecake for me.  We went up there at lunch and got our cheesecake to go.  I got a key lime mango cheesecake.  It looked great.  It was beautiful and delicious looking.  It was bigger than the normal cheesecake I was going to get so I figured I would eat half for lunch and then be done.  Probably about the same calories or less that way.  Anyways… I get back to the office take one bite and it’s awesome.  I’m drooling all over myself and just mmmm… good!  Then, I felt something in my mouth that just didn’t go with the creamy consistency of cheesecake.  OMG it was coconut!  I’m allergic to coconut!!!  I ask around and nobody has Benadryl.  I go to the CEO’s assistant and ask if she has some and tell her why.  She’s calling around, calls HR and is told we’re not allowed to stock it as a company but to keep calling around.  Nobody has any Benadryl.  I was just going to drive to CVS and get some but HR lady says she can’t let me drive because I would be a liability if my throat closes up and wreck my car.  They decide to call 911 to come give me an epi shot.  I tell them I don’t want to do that because I don’t want to pay for it.  They told me I don’t have to pay anything unless I go with them.  The CEO’s assistant is picking up the phone to call 911 and someone literally comes running in with some Benadryl.  I take the Benadryl and am following it up with some coffee to help speed it up.  So, I will be falling asleep here in about 30 minutes but at least I can breathe and am within my calorie range for the day!

Now I am cheesecake-less… WAAAAHHH!!!!  Oh well… just another day in the life of perfect imperfection! Ha ha ha!

 

"Like" The Cheesecake Factory

I went online last night and signed into my Facebook.  I “liked” The Cheesecake Factory and got a coupon that I could print for any slice of cheesecake, today only, for $1.50.  Can you say yummy lunch for me today!!!  Woo hoo!!  Go on and see if you can still do it today.  FYI… tomorrow is National Cheesecake Day and you can get any cheesecake for half off… still a good deal. 

 

Since I am back on the bandwagon of trying to lose weight you are probably wondering why in the world I am going to be eating cheesecake.  Why would anyone trying to lose weight eat cheesecake?  Aside from the simple fact that it is one of life’s most simple and purest of confectionary deliciousness but as long as I stay within the calorie limit that I’m supposed to each day I will still lose weight!  That’s the awesomeness of counting calories… yes, it’s better to eat healthy but you can’t be so strict that you cheat all the time so you have to allow some simple pleasures every now and again.  Granted, that’s all I will eat for lunch, but it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it!!!

 

Here is my plan for the day…

Breakfast:  Coffee (50) & nutrigrain bar (130)

Lunch:  Strawberry topped cheesecake (730)

Dinner:  Chicken stir fry… ¾ of a chicken breast (194.7), ½ C brown rice (85), 2 C stir fry veggies (90)

Total Calories for the day:  1279.7

 

I was going to eat more rice but I cut the rice down and added more veggies to compensate for the completely unhealthy and indulgent lunch that I will be eating!  With eating less than 1300 calories for the day I can still throw in an extra cup of coffee if I want it without going over.  I always leave some wiggle room for stuff like that. 

 

Regardless, go “like” The Cheesecake Factory on FB and go today for your $1.50 cheesecake AND you should go tomorrow too to get the ½ price cheesecake.  What wonderful goodness to start the end of the week and beginning of the weekend!

 

Love

J

Losing Again

I have gone back and forth, getting on and off again from the losing weight band wagon. Today, while hardly working at work, I made a speadsheet (I LOVE SPREADSHEETS!!!) To track me weight, calories eaten, and exercise to finally losing this last 15 lbs that plagues me. I did well calories wise and walked three miles tonight. I can do this!!! Luckily I had a good friend to walk with and enjoy her company. Now just gotta keep it up. Today I was at 140 lbs. I want to lose 2 lbs by Monday so I have to get off my tail more and I can git r dun!!!
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Monkey Toe Issue

Another reason I would change my long toe issue... Open toed shoes. They just don't look right because my toes are to the edge if not pushing over the border, but I can't wear boots all year long. Here are my monkey toes in my fave caged heels. They push the envelope!! Yes, I am obsessed with my toes and their imperfection but oh well!! If I drop a pen under my desk I'm good though!!
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IMG00362.jpg

you know that question that is on all the "get to know your friend" emails... What is one thing you would change about your physical appearance?

Mine would be my toes. They are grotesquely long and have been previously described as monkey toes. I can pick up things with them, swing from bunk beds and even scratch an itch with them! They really are long.

Wonder if they have plastic surgery for that? Hmmm....

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Stocking Stuffer Idea for Littles

I was reading another blog today and saw an awesome idea for stocking stuffers for my two girls that I am going to do this year. She took index card holders (on sale for .39 at Walgreen's this week) and she filled one with small note pads (.19 at Walgreen's this week), small pack of crayons, stickers, scissors, glue sticks, etc. This is a great idea for my babes!!! They can put them in their purses so when we go out to eat or out in general they can have something to keep them busy.

She also made other little kits too! Emergency sewing kit, first aid kit for your purse, snack kit, etc. Great ideas!!

Saving Lives

As I sit here on the American Red Cross bus waiting to give a donation I am perplexed. There are people in my office who won't donate blood because they are scared of needles. Really?? You refuse to save someone's life (or multiple lives) because of a small fear. The same fear they set aside when they have to receive a shot but suck it up anyways because they know it will do good. I hope they never have to go through a crisis that mandates they get a blood transfusion but at the same time I hope they do! I know, not very nice of me, but seriously... This simple act of donating blood could save someone's life or at the very least improve it. It doesn't cost you anything and because the blood mobile came to work we even get paid for the time we are away from our desks in order to accomplish this task. This is something you could do for free and actually be giving someone their life back or the life of someone they love. Its truly priceless and selfless!!
Go ahead and visit givelife.org or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE to schedule an appointment to save someone's life today.
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Just Another Day

Today is just another day pretty much like any other, but still it is a wonderful day!  We had some rain this morning which my mater plants needed badly, my girls are healthy and were ready to start the day, hubs is training outside today and the heat index is nowhere near 115 like it was last week, I am at work and am going to donate blood today and go to Target during lunch to return some stuff and get some deals (hopefully).  How is your day going?

Aly has been a little princess the past two days.  She has always liked to wear her hair down.  Has never been one for ponytails, braids or the like.  She got up yesterday and asked to wear her hair in two ponytails, one on each side.  I informed her they were called pigtails and she got a kick out of that!  Then, this morning she wanted to wear a headband in her hair.  I am not sure what has gotten into my little girl lately, but it’s OK for her to be a princess.  She is going to be my girly girl and I’m sure it’s going to wreak havoc on me, but oh well, for now it’s cute!

The Hump in my Vacation

Today is "hump" day in my mini vacation... the middle... nearing the end... wishing to be closer to the beginning. I've had a great few days with just the girls and I. Last night I painted the girls toenails. Painting a two year old's toenails is a bit of a clumsy looking task and takes much patience, but the smile on her face was well worth it. After we put the girls to bed I painted my toenails bright red.

Nothing makes you feel better than bright red toenails. It's instant sexiness in a bottle. Makes you feel wonderful. With every step you take you are looking at your feet just to see your beautiful toenails. Yes, I may be weird, but it makes me feel better knowing that one part of me looks put together.

Oh, and to go with the new paint job on my tootsies I got a hair cut... got my hair did... whatever! I feel great. A spunky new do to match my toes and to go along with my new hair color. Did I forget to mention that? Yes, I have had a week of wonderfullness and spoiling myself a bit. Yes, I colored my hair and painted my own toes, but they look great. Luckily I drew the line at cutting my own hair.

Now, THAT would be a disaster! Ha ha ha!!! I haven't tried that since I was about four and twenty-six years later I still remember the lesson learned from all those years ago. If you attempt to cut your own hair you will end up looking like a boy!!

Hope you are having a great day!

Girls Lunch Out

Today I took the girls out for lunch after Brynn's doctor appointment... yes, shots and finger pricks call for lunch on the town with my favorite little ladies. I had no preference on what I wanted for lunch so I gave Alyssa the grown up task of choosing where we were going to dine today.

Me: Aly ("alley") you get to choose where you want to go for lunch today. Anywhere you want!
Aly: YAY!
Me: So, do you want Chick Fil A? (which is the good ole stand by for our house)
Aly: No
Me: McDonald's? (figuring she wanted the toy in the happy meal and we NEVER eat there)
Aly: No
Me: Where would you like to go?
Aly: Remember that place we went with grandma where we got to eat wherever we wanted?
Me: (After thinking and thinking I think I figured it out) Golden Corral???
Aly: Isn't that the place we went but daddy didn't go?
Me: Yes, sure is. OK, Golden Corral here we come!
Both Girls: YAY!!!!

After being there for all of two minutes I learned why my little girl wanted to go there...

"Mommy? Is it time for dessert yet?"

Yep, my little "big" girl wanted to go there for the endless supply of (pseudo) ice cream, chocolate, fudge and strawberry topping, sprinkles, gummi bears, M&M's, brownies, cookies, pie, cake, pudding, jell-o, and whipped topping!

That's my girl... always going for the good stuff!!!

Feeling of Awesomeness

Do you ever get that feeling that you are the most awesome person in the world because of everything you got accomplished that day? I do too but today wasn't one of those days but I still feel great!!!

Hope you're having a GREAT day!

Off work!

I was off work yet again today. I took a planned two day work week giving me Wednesday through Friday off. It's been great to be home with the girls. I love getting up on a lazy morning, getting my coffee (in my ugly mug), and cuddling up with my girls while we watch some morning cartoons. Note the baby spoon in my coffee. Considering my youngest is two I guess it would be time to de-clutter and get rid of all the baby items that are no longer of use (or rather, donate to someone who could really use). But somehow I can't part with these last few items that I find lying around the house. Just admitting that my girls are no longer babies anymore is hard.
Oh well... back to my coffee (at 2:00 in the afternoon) to give me a bit more energy to clean the carpets. Not just vaccuum the carpets, but I rented a carpet cleaner from my good ole local HT. It's $29 for the wide track one and to me that is a deal for getting my carpets clean. I don't by the carpet shampoo they sell because (1) its too expensive and (2) it doesn't smell that great. I have learned through the years that I can use Clorox 2 in the carpet cleaners. It doesn't foam, it doesn't affect the color, is a great stain fighter, doesn't ruin the machine, smells much better and is way less expensive. Wish me luck on tackling the stains from leaky sippy cups and dirty shoes!

I am Perfect Imperfection

I am perfect imperfection... my life is not perfect but it is perfect for me! I am a mom. a wife. a daughter. a friend and confidante. I am nothing to some and everything to others.

I love my family. Especially the one my husband and I have created together. We have two beautiful little girls... Alyssa and Brynn. Together with my husband, they are my world. They aren't perfect either, but perfection lies within the eye of the beholder, so does beauty and to me they are all beautiful (or handsome as my hubs would rather be called).

Together with my girls, my husband completes me. Not only does he complete me but he completes my sentences. He is a man of honor and honesty. He wears a badge every day at work, but somehow comes home, sheds him uniform and becomes the fun loving man I fell in love with ten years ago. I fall in love with him all over every day when I see him toss our girls in the air or wrestle on the floor with him. They turn him into complete mush.... and I LOVE mush!

I am a daughter, and there I was not perfect either, but my parents taught me a lot. I respect them with all that I have and love them to no end. Without family you are nothing and I hold mine dear.

Now me... just me. I am nothing special but I lead a special life. I work hard at all that I do and somehow at the end of the day I look back and smile. I smile every night when I fall to sleep. I curl up with hubs, watch some cooking shows and the rest of the world melts away. I live every day like it's a treasure hunt. I look for things that make anyone special to me smile. There is nothing like giving presents, and they don't have to cost money... a random phone call to a friend just to say hi and catch up, a dandelion from the yard to make my girls feel special or cooking hubs his favorite meal. Everything is done with purpose....

Here you will find my purpose... my smiles... my treasures... my life.

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