Olympic Dreams

Anyone else seen this commercial?

It really just makes me a ball of mush it is just so adorable and sweet… 

ready for a weekend filled with olympics & relaxing

Dad’s Gift

So my step-dad’s birthday was yesterday {happy birthday!} and at the beginning of the week I had started to think about what I was going to get him.  Normally it takes me forever to pick out a guy’s gift {that doesn’t involve my husband} and so I was kinda/sorta dreading figuring out what to get him.  On top of that we will not be seeing each other until March so I needed it to be ship-able.  Some of our past gifts have been Omaha Steaks, crazy christmas lights, machinery for the house.  Well this year it took me 4.5 seconds to figure out what I wanted to get him {probably the fastest gift I have EVER bought}. 

The funny part? 

I typed in “dad’s birthday gift ideas” into Google and what do you know–the perfect gift link was right on top! WOW!  I heart Google.  You can read minds now.  

{monogrammed slippers!}

So through Red Envelope I found these slippers and they are just perfect for my step-dad! They are waterproof, have a bit of tread on the bottom for when he takes the dog out and wants to keep his slippers clean, and they can be momogrammed! Um so perfect.  My co-worker asked if they were Acorn brand and I had no clue what that meant so he looked at the website and a special bonus was they were Acorn brand {apparently a really high quality shoe/slipper brand}. They were only $39.95 {plus 5 dollar monogram fee}.  I was sold in really 5 seconds and 2 minutes later they were purchased and on their way to my step-dad. 

I texted my mom to make sure I bought the right size and she was really happy I was getting him slippers because their dog Max {who is like 150 pounds and thinks he is a lap dog} ate his slippers. 

 Seriously easiest guy birthday present I have ever bought! They should be arriving at your doorstep today and I hope you love them Tdog and happy special birthday to you!

Now onto my mom’s birthday present…

 

Oh Happy Day!

So I woke up this morning thinking it was Friday and then as I getting out of bed I realized it was only Thursday.  Why have I been doing that all week long?? No wonder this week feels like 2 smushed together!  So as I sit at my desk eating my oatmeal I am excited to do this random experiment of documenting my day with photos…this should be either really interesting or really boring.  HAHA!

8:40 or 8:41 which alarm you believe. rise and shine!

9:14am still gloomy and wet outside {looking through a screen}

9:21 am travel mugs are my friend

9:30am my commute to work. one flight. oh the life.

9:31am outlook is my best friend during the day. my first check of about 3,453,232 times I will check my email

9:45am oh sweet blogging how I love thee

 

10:40am one of the two recommendation letters I need to write for student staff members

11:45am oh student lock outs how I loathe thee…

12:02pm visiting the main office and seeing my peeps I work with on a daily basis

12:05pm checking my professional mailbox. yay no more judicial cases for today!

12:15pm my delicious lunch. who doesn’t love salad and chocolate milk?

12:58pm checking my personal mailbox with nothing fun and exciting in it…boo

2:37pm after 2 nights of duty I was super excited to get of these items today!

4:50pm spending the day making student judicial notices was no fun.  20 people will not be happy tonight.

5;35pm running on the track so I can have some fabulous italian for dinner

 

{Day in the Life}

This week has been exhausting and insanely busy and really I can’t believe that it is only going to be Thursday tomorrow.  So in order to spice up the week a little bit I am going to do a day in the life through a series of photos throughout the day.  A great way to put my Iphone into action and really help me get to FRIDAY!!! I really have no clue what tomorrow will bring so please excuse if I randomly picked a stupid and boring day.  I am just taking a shot in the dark and want to have a little fun…

unfortunately my day will not be starting with waking up to the early light in Paris…

{but a girl can dream}

Finally Hit the”Submit” Button…

So after a good couple months of trying to decide and looking at some pretty unrealistic & realistic vacations for ourselves we have decided on a destination.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t what the majority thought we should go on via the interwebs and it actually got NO VOTES! But after much deliberation we have finally hit the SUMBIT button online for our vacation! {whew!}

We are going to….

LAS VEGAS!!

We will be staying at the Wynn because although we wanted to do cheaper on our vacation this year and decided to chose the “cheapest” of our vacation spots we wanted to go all out on where we stayed.  So why the Vegas you ask especially with getting no votes!??!!

Here are a few reasons and so I will share with you since the decision was so prolonged…

1. We wanted to finish what we started on our honeymoon and it seems kinda incomplete when we tell the story…”so where did you go on your honeymoon.” Normally the conversation starts well we were suppose to… So now we can complete the wedding/honeymoon chapter on a great note and finish what we started a year ago. 

2. Like I said earlier it is dang CHEAP to go to Las Vegas yet still not be in the middle of Nebraska on off season.  We are definately striving for some financial goals this year and we didn’t want to blow our budget out of the water on this trip.  We just spent so much money less than a year ago on a wedding and honeymoon and we really wanted to stick to our economized year we have been living.

3. Our big goal is to get to Europe and although we will not being going this year we are hoping the money we save by doing something on a smaller scale will help us get there that much quicker.  Seriously if deciding to go to Vegas took us this long I have no idea how long it will be for us to decide our destinations for Europe!

4. We wanted to do something that we wouldn’t do with kids because sooner or later there will be kids in our future.  Some of the vacations we think about doing can involve kids, but  Las Vegas will not be on our top family vacations I am sure. HAHA.

5. Prior to us getting married we went on a little BlackJack spree and recently some of those stories keep popping up in conversations and we have been saying for the past couple weeks oh we should go down on a random day again and hit up the casinos.  Well apparently we have the itch to do some more gambling again and so this is the perfect time to go to Vegas the mecca of casinos!

We are excited to have some time to get away and enjoy ourselves in a place we have never been.  Plus we have an insider in Las Vegas and have gotten some tips on places to eat and try out {score!}.  Definately look out for a review of all things Las Vegas when we get back!

Anyone else been to the Vegas?? Recommendations??

BEWARE HACKERS

i am on to you. you will not be getting any of my money because I earned that money.  you did not. go away.

So I was checking on if our money cleared for the trip we just booked {more on that tomorrow!} last night and I found something a little kinda sorta funny in our account and so I showed the hubby who works at a bank for clarification.   What was seen in our account was multiple {actually 7 in a row}  of $0.00  trying to be ADDED to our account {not withdrawls}.  My husband informed me that most hackers do small or no amounts so the person doesn’t “notice” any pending transactions because after a day they leave your account page to see if they can make a connection with the account and once they get the connection THEN they go in for the kill and start to withdrawl small and large quantities from your account.

I am obsessive about looking at our account because I am the one who handles the finances and we are on a budget and so I like to keep everything updated so thankfully I noticed this on my bank statement as pending {this morning I looked and nothing was there like nothing happened}.   Plus it is just a habit for me to check our online bank account once or twice a day.

He grew concerned and so immediately called up our bank.  They seemed concerned because it was making the connection through one of our debit cards rather than our account number and so the company had more information then they should {like our security code on the back of the card}.  So these particular hackers knew our debit card information BUT NOT our account number or routing number information.  This is actually great {okay not great, but better} because the bank card just needs to be replaced rather than having to shut down the entire acount and re-open a new one since almost all of our bills get withdrawn. automatically.   So we put in a claim for the transactions that were trying to happen and then they shut down the bank card and ordered a new one.  Voila’! Pretty simple and only took about 20 minutes of our time and so definately worth the time and effort.  {never hurts to call!}

and for the record my husband thinks I like to give my debit card to shady employers at times and it was his debit  card that actually was linkedd to the hacker. i still love you. oh redemption.

moral of the story is to check your bank accounts on a regular basis and don’t be afraid to call to get clarification on account activity.

{picture of said hacker getting lasered by me}

Tastefully Simple Review

Another review coming your way–this time it is NOT about a movie! Last week we went to a Tastefully Simple party and didn’t really know what to expect or really what it was all about.  When we got there we were told some information about how it was food that had ingredients and all you had to add was either 1 or 2 ingredients to the mix.  A new catalog comes out for Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer.  I was intrigued because I had thought it would be all processed foods and would be frozen foods just at a higher end.  We were able to try all different appetizers, entrees, drinks and even desserts.  If you ever get to go to a Tastefully Simple party do not say no and do not eat prior because the food is DELICIOUS!!!

A lot of what we tried were things when you are entertaining and need some quick fixes, on the go yet don’t want fast food, and spices as additives to an already tasty dinner.  We tried a lot of them in dip form so we could get the flavors–but there are a ton of ways to utilize the foods to make it your own.  Such as the onion onion seasoning was made into a chip dip, but you can use the seasoning on different meats and into different soups you are making.   

Our favorites were the spices that you add to items to make delicious meals.  One of our favorites were a Dried Tomato and Garlic Pesto Mix.  That night we had it with olive oil to dip into bread, but we were also given recipe cards to try it on other items such as chicken recipes, pasta, etc.  It was incredibly tasty and I knew I could really get multiple uses out of this seasoning.  The best part…not UBER expensive and it lasts a long time.  This seasoning was $8.99 {not so bad, eh?}

 

One of my husband’s favorite was the pefectly potato cheddar soup mix.  He went back three times to get a serving and really enjoyed the flavors.  He thought this would be a great meal idea when we didn’t have time and with bread on the side could be a hearty meal.  I haven’t made many soups and so this is ideal for us to have it pre-made.  All you have to do is add water and voila’ you have a meal! This was even cheaper than the seasoning at $7.49 a mix. 

We bought a couple other items to just add to our pantry and whether it is we are having people over and need a quick dessert or dip, or wanted to add a bit more seasoning to our spice cabinet we are really thrilled to have some some cheap and easy options that we thought were very yummmyyyy. Some others we bought was the beer bread, key lime mix, apple cake mix, cheddar biscuits, and the onion onion seasoning. 

Anyone else gone to a Tastefully Simple party?? Thoughts???

Taking the Plunge: Week 6 & 7

So we had a holiday last monday and then I had a day off and then the week got busy and so I did not have a weigh in last week–but I had one this morning after 2 weeks of not being on the scale.  I was looking back at some of my monthly reflections and I realize that I did not really follow any of the advice I gave myself…seriously???!! So here it is the good, bad, and the uglyyyyy…

::GOOD::

-my workouts have been steady and since I have started this program and I have increased how long I can run for and how fast I can run for.  I am very proud of myself for this achievement and although I haven’t been able to reach my 3 miles in 10 minutes I have done other great things.  I ran 4 miles in 48 minutes, 2 miles in 10 minutes (twice).  I am hoping that by the begining of March I can get to my goal! I have also thought about starting to train for a 15k, but I want to reach my first goal prior to going onto another training program. 

::BAD::

-Since my workouts have increased tremendously I apparently thought this gave me a free pass to eat what I wanted {with some limitations}.  When I ran for the 4 miles I thought hey…I can have that beer and some chips because I earned it.  I also thought…hey I need to add some carbs to my diet because I am working out more rigorously yet forgetting that I needed to do it in moderation and during certain times {not at 9pm at night}.  This isn’t to say that I went on a binge and ate everything in site, I just didn’t really remember some of the key components of the south beach diet and let myself indulge from time to time during these past two weeks. 

::UGLY::

-well when you document it there is no fudging the results.  I am back where I was at the end of week 2.  Although I do feel fitter and not so “pudgy” and soft around the edges as I did at the end of week 2 I am not seeing the results on the scale.  So it turns out you can’t eat what you want and run 4 miles…HAHA!    

-i felt a little bit discouraged because my goal weight seems a bit farther away than normal, but in the same sense I feel great that I have been increasing my exercise and feeling healthy.  It is an odd mixture of emotions!

So my goal for this week is to get better control again with the south beach diet and I have decided to add a carb at the beginning of my day for breakfast.  I hope that this gives me the extra energy I need during the day for my workouts yet giving my body all day to burn off the carb I ate in the morning.  I am adding oatmeal to my diet and so lets see what results I get this week with this new plan. 

Beginning Weight: 191.8lbs

{End of} Week 1 Weight: 185.2lbs {6.6lb weight loss!}

{End of} Week 2 Weight: 184{1.2 weight loss!}-did not meet 5 lb weight loss

{End of} Week 3 Weight: 181.0 {3.0 weight loss!!}-went over my 1lb weight loss

{End of} Week 4 Weight: 182.4 {1.4 lb gain!}

{End of} Week 5 Weight: 182.8{.4 lb gain-blame it on the superbowl. haha!}

{End of} Week 6 & 7 Weight: 184 {1.7 lb gain-blame it on the red velvet cake I ate..}

Week 8 Goal: 1.7 lb

Total Weight Loss: 7.8lbs

Ultimate Goal on May, 30, 2010: 150lbs

And the proof…

GOOD HAIR Review

So another Movie on Demand rental this weekend and we were crossing our fingers we would pick a great one because the last was a dud {IMO aka in my opinion}.  Awhile back Oprah had Chris Rock on her show to promote his new movie Good Hair.  Seriously the Oprah show was hilarious and so I made my husband watch the show as well {we both really enjoy Chris Rock stand up acts and basically that was what Oprah was the entire hour..haha}.  We saw clips of this show/documentary on Good Hair and it really looked hilarious and had some great insight on black people’s hair {mostly women}.  

Once again a recap of my rating system for movies: { A+ }=in my all time favorite section {A} =it was really fabulous and a movie I could watch over and over  {B+}=Above average, a must see and will buy it if I had only rented the movie {B} = Average, glad I watched the movie and it kept my attention  {C}= Eh, I could take this movie or leave it. Not really my style and I would not purchase it  {F}= Ummm yea complete waste of my time and I would like the director to give me back whatever I paid to see this movie. stinky like old socks.

RATING: B

I know I have been raving about this movie and this rating is a little low for such a good rave and I will definately say it is a must see and very informative with a comedic spin to the movie, but I probably will not be buying this movie and I can’t put it in my all time favorites so I couldn’t rate it any higher.  It is a movie that I am glad I watched and would be great for children to watch to see the beauty and benefits of being au natural.  It was also great for my husband to see how much hair could cost {thousands of dollars} and so when I pay 100 to get it cut and colored he will be a little bit happier to open up our wallets. 

Now I am all about not giving away movies or having any spoilers in my reviews–yet this movie is the hardest to keep my mouth closed because I just wanted to shout out the hilarious statements made by people that had us rolling.  BUT then it wouldn’t be THAT funny when you saw the movie because well you will know it is coming.  I will just say this…don’t get up for a snack break when Al Sharpton is on the screen.

Happy Monday!!

hello weekend…

{source}

hope you get to feel some sunshine on your face

even if you live in the new england cold

happy weekend