What a Year

I have had a grand year this 2010 and if nothing else it was damn busy!

i would try and do a recap but it wouldn't be complete because i know i would miss a BUNCH of important things that happened this year. It seems to me that the years tend to run together and go by way too fast as i get older.

I think the biggest change in my life this year is becoming a second assistant manager. This change has made me a harder worker and in turn makes me work longer hours. It also seems to have it's down fall like missing out on special moments or having to delay them (such as thanksgiving and christmas eve this year) Also it has made it so i don't have nearly as much time to do everything i want to do. I mean i have done a great amount of sewing a cooking and reading this year but in turn my house has been way messier then it should be a lot of the time, i have gained weight because i just don't want to think about my daily food, and the holiday season seemed rushed and almost forced.

Don't worry too much though, i always make an effort to make things feel special. I had some amazing times with my friends and family that were just random days we spent together. Some of my favs were making taco soup for nearly everyone i know. This is my go to meal these days. i hope to find another amazing recipe in 2011 that i can make for any person and get rave reviews. I painted pumpkins with my mom and grams something i had never really done with them but it seems to go over very well and i think it would be fun to make it a tradition.

I also lost friends. some just by not seeing them very often and some by disagreements. i hold the friend i have dearly but i am learning slowly to detach some of my emotions from friends in the interest of not getting hurt or hurting them. In the past i have been so invested in everyone that i, at times, have forced my out look into them. Having friends is a huge responsibility that gives you the greatest reward but if you abuse that responsibility it can also give you huge disappointment. This coming year i hope to not hurt anyones feelings and inturn i hope that people also try and not hurt mine. I will try my best not to cry over things i can't control and don't affect me. Everyone can live their own lives and i can live mine and as long as the times we have togther are great that's all that should matter.

Other goals i have for 2011 are fueled by my love of being domestic! i would LOVE to learn now to knit and how to quilt. I picked up a class brocure from Jo Ann's and i think this is an attainable goal. Also i think it would be really great if ALL the gifts i gave this year were HOMEMADE gifts! there is nothing more special than a gift that someone had made specially for you and i hope to share that joy with everyone i know over the year (ok lets take mat out of that grouping b/c i don't think he'd be happy with ALL homemade gifts)

Over all i am happy and a little surprised i survived the year. I hope that the next year goes a bit smoother and a bit less stressful but bring just as much joy and happyness as this year has brought.

CHEERS and HAPPY NEW YEAR

Day....WHATEVER... of Christmas

OK well I have to admit I just don't have time to blog every single day of these Days of Christmas. I am going to try and do it every couple days and I will choose the topics that I feel best suit me. Today I will be skipping day 4: Tips and tricks to budgeting because if you know me at ALL I am not the one to ask about budgeting. OK well I do give good advice but I don't live by that advice so no one should really listen to me!

Day 5: Favorite Movie or Special


My all time favorite Christmas movie is "One Magic Christmas". It is a very under rated Christmas movie but I think the way I was raised I just relate to it. It is about a family who has hit hard times and are really struggling to make it through the holiday season. The mom has completely lost the Christmas spirit. An angle appears to the little girl and helps the mom find the Christmas spirit. Now that is just an overview of the story but what I really remember about the movie is little scenes. I love when the little girls uses the bathroom and the bath tub over flows. I don't know why that scene has stuck with me through all these years. Also, the mom works in a grocery store and she makes announcements about the specials. Every time I make announcements at work I think about that part of the movie. I feel like the family is real and the situations are real. It isn't one of those overly fluffed up movies that could only be real in a world of make-believe. When I was younger I related to the young girl but now that I am getting older I relate more to the mom. It is a movie that has lasted through the ages with me.

If you haven't seen it I recommend at least checking it out once. It is usually shown on the hallmark or oxygen networks during the holiday season.

Day 2 and 3 of Christmas

Yesterday I hurt my back just as I was about to write Day 2 of Christmas so I wasn't able to get it done yesterday so I'm combining them today. Luckily I didn't have a lot to say about day 2 anyways.

Day 2 of Christmas: Shopping tips and tricks

I gotta say I'm not exactly the best at getting deals while shopping. I do suggest going shopping on black Friday if you can stand it because you do get pretty great deals. I just don't have the time or interest to seek out the best deals and make sure I buy the items in time to take advantage of those deals. I do have a friend who is amazing at taking advantage of deals and that is @Tara1316 on twitter. I would refer anyone asking about shopping deals to her.

Day 3 of Christmas: Most wanted or best gift

Well I would think the best gift I ever got for Christmas was my Radio Flyer wagon I got from my uncle when i was like 6 or 7. I loved that thing. I used it all the way up into the teens where we finally destroyed it by trying to go down a bumpy ass rock hill as fast as possible. I was in a phase where I had to be as good as the boys (and prove it) so we made it into a game to get down this rocky dirt hill in the little red wagon. Boy was that an adventure.

Day 1 of 12 Days of Christmas

So I've decided to do this 12 Days of Christmas Challenge thing that is going around on the blogs these days. Now granted everyone is already done with their 12 days and are onto like day 14 so I'm a little behind but I thought it would still be fun to do it.

DAY 1: Holiday traditions

We are still a young family with no children but we still have our own traditions. First of all it is all kicked off with shopping at midnight on black Friday. We love doing this together. We then sleep all during the day.


Also we also have to decorate the tree together. I have to admit I put up the tree this year while mat was still sleeping and when he woke up he was pretty upset that I had started without him. We put on the ornaments together.


I also have my own tradition where I buy Christmas tins from the Helping Hands thrift store by my house and then do TONS of baking to fill them all and then give it all away to co-workers, friends, and family.

Christmas Project

Every year I get so creative around Christmas time and I just love doing crafts. Maybe it is because I'm stuck inside all the time because of the cold and rain. I just don't seem to do many crafts during the summer. Anyways, last year I made fleece pillows for each of my girls because we knew we were getting Snuggies from Kristin's mom. Whats more perfect then a Snuggie and a matching pillow! This year I found a really fun project to do on the Flamingo Toes Blog. The dish towels were so adorable and seemed easy enough to make.



I was so excited that I found the exact fabric at Jo Anne Fabrics when I stopped there after my weight watchers meeting. I started by cutting out the temp-lets they give and then cutting them out in the fabric. I then had to MAKE the towel part. This part was tricky because you have to make such small hems on the edges of the towel so it doesn't fray.

Finally I was sewing on the fabric designs when I learned that I SUCK at sewing around a curved edge. I can sew straight enough hems all day but a curved line did me in. On the final ornament I had to sew on I think I finally got the hang of it but the rest look like a child tried to sew them.


Sewing on the rick rack strings was another mistake I made... I should have used the same color tread because you can see thee while line down them and it doesn't exactly go straight either.


Over all the towel is pretty cute! I'm disappointed I couldn't make the ruffles because I don't have the right presser foot for my machine! I was thinking about making these towels of others too but I think I'll buy the towel pre-made so I just have to get to designs on it.

Is there such a thing as TOO Confident?

I was listening to this song the other day as I was going to work and I enjoyed it because it was catchy and I admit it was stuck in my head for the rest of the day but as I was listening to the song it began to HATE IT!

Keri Hilson - Pretty Girl Rock Lyrics

Uh uh uh aahh uh uh
I can do the pretty girl rock rock
Rock to the pretty girl rock rock rock
Now what’s your name

My name is Keri, I’m so very
Fly oh my, it’s a little bit scary
Boys wanna marry, looking at my derrière
And you can stare but if you touch it Imma bury

Pretty as a picture
Sweeter than a swisher
Mad cause I’m cuter than the girl as with ya
I ain’t gotta talk about it baby you can see it
But if you want I’ll be happy to repeat it

My name is Keri, I’m so very
Fly oh my, it’s a little bit scary
Boys wanna marry, looking at my derrière
And you can stare but if you touch it Imma bury

Pretty as a picture
Sweeter than a swisher
Mad cause I’m cuter than the girl as with ya
I can talk about it cause I know that I’m pretty
And if you know it too then ladies sing it with me

All eyes on me when I walk in,
No question that this girl’s a 10
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful
My walk, my talk, the way I dress
It’s not my fault so please don’t trip
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful

Aye, now do the pretty girl rock rock rock
Do the pretty girl rock rock rock
Do the pretty girl rock rock
All my ladies do the pretty girl rock rock rock
Do the pretty girl rock rock rock
Do the pretty girl rock rock
Do the pretty girl rock

(Now where you at)
If your looking for me you can catch me (that’s why)
Cameras flashing, daddy turned his head just as soon as I passed him
Girls think I’m conceded cause I know I’m attractive
Don’t worry about what I think, why don’t you ask him? (owoaah!)

Get yourself together, don’t hate (never do it)
Jealousy is the ugliest trait (don’t, never do it)
I can talk about it cause I know that I’m pretty
And if you know it too then ladies sing it with me

All eyes on me when I walk in,
No question that this girl’s a 10
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful
My walk, my talk, the way I dress
It’s not my fault so please don’t trip
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful

Doing the pretty girl rock rock rock
Do the pretty girl rock rock rock
Do the pretty girl rock rock
Do the pretty girl rock rock
All my ladies do the pretty girl rock rock rock
Get along with your pretty girl rock rock rock
Still show me your pretty girl rock rock rock
All my ladies do the pretty girl rock rock rock

Sing it with me now
All eyes on me when I walk in,
No question that this girl’s a 10
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful
My walk, my talk, the way I dress
It’s not my fault so please don’t trip
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful

All eyes on me when I walk in,
No question that this girl’s a 10
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful
My walk, my talk, the way I dress
It’s not my fault so please don’t trip
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful
Don’t hate me cause I’m beautiful

Owoahaha!

It got me to thinking is there such a thing as TOO much confidence. I mean don't get me wrong I think every women should feel good about herself and I would never want to say that someone doesn't have the right to feel beautiful BUT to what extent does your confidence end up hurting others? I feel like this song promotes that fact that women who are stereotypically "beautiful" are the only beautiful women in the world. There are so many other songs that have promoted beauty and confidence in such a more classy and respectful way that it sucks that this song is here.

Personally I think the most beautiful women I know are the one's who don't realize just how beautiful they are. The one's who don't put hours into how they look each day. The women who lets their personality shine. The one's who warm and friendly to EVERYONE. The women who doesn't think she is better than anyone, or that anyone is better than her. These women are the one's who should be celebrated. These women are the one's who make the world a better place rather than making others feel uncomfortable and like they aren't part of this exclusive "beautiful ladies" club.

I don't know maybe I'm being over sensitive of a bit too feminist but if you know me you know I'm not some revolutionary feminist women. I love cooking and cleaning and I would love to be a stay at home mom but that doesn't mean I don't believe in the power of a women!

Taco Soup

I have made this taco soup several times now for many different people and I have yet to have someone say they don't like it, So I figured I should do a blog about it!


Taco Soup
Makes 8-10 servings. WW Pt Value: 7-9.
Cooking time is 4 hrs in a 5 qt Crock pot.

1 lb ground chuck. ( I have used ground turkey and ground beef every time I made it with great results)
1oz envelope dry ranch style salad dressing mix. (this last time I made it I used fiesta ranch)
1oz envelope Taco Seasoning mix. (I used HOT taco seasoning this last time to spice it up for Mat)
3-10oz cans diced tomatoes w/ green chillies
2-21 oz can pinto beans drained and rinsed. ( I just used 16 oz cans b/c I didn't find 21 oz)
2-15.5 oz can hominy drained
14.5 can stewed tomatoes, undrained.
1 cup finely chopped onion. (I used yellow sweet but I bet a red onion would be good too)
2 cups water. (add or decrease the amount of water to make it more soup like or more stew like... I think the 2 cups is just perfect)

Brown the meat then add all remaining ingredients into the crock pot and mix well. Cover and cook on low for 4 hrs. (you could even cook it on high for 2 hrs but I haven't tried that yet. You can leave it cooking all day if you wanted)

Suggested serving ideas is to line a bowl with tortilla chips and ladle soup on top. Dollop w/sour cream and sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro. (gotta be honest I haven't done much of this because the soup is just so good on it's own.)

I served this soup with my Sweet Corn and Bacon Empanadas... but that's for another blog post

Hope everyone trys making this soup with great success. I know it will soon become a family favorite!

updating my list of thing to do before i'm thirty

I've been thinking a lot of all the things i want to accomplish before I'm 30 lately and I was curious how I'm doin on the list i made...

*Party like a rock star

*Full day at a spa (I've gotten a full body massage and a pedicure at one time but I'm not sure if I'd count this as a full day)

*lose 50lbs (once again on my diet unfortunately that 50 lbs is more like 80 these days)

*have a kid

*spoil my mom

*meet my dad

*better my credit

*week long vacation out of the country

*have a savings

*climb a rock wall

*be at least a second assistant (this is something i can say i have actually accomplished! it feels good to have SOMETHING crossed off the list)

*wear a pair of designer shoes with a little black dress

*volunteer regularly

So I haven't really done as much as I would like on this list and I only have 3.5 years to get these things done! It seems like a long time but damn does time fly! I think I need to start actively working on this list. So here's to accomplishing things in life!

Sometime's things just happen that you have no control over

Well I know I have tweeted about this situation and maybe not in the most flattering way possible but that is simply because tweets are meant to be in the moment. I rarely think through a tweet but react in the moment. Sometimes when I'm in a moment I express feelings that aren't necessarily how I feel about everything but an emotionally charged reaction to feeling hurt or betrayed. Anyways I have done lots of reflecting and I know that it is impossible to go back the way things were with this old friend I had, but I'm feeling OK with that these days.

This friend I had has been a friend to me for many years. I have to add that we have been friends off and on over these years. Most arguments start with a disagreement over a boy which is quite sad but a fact. We first became friends in high school when I moved to Kirkland. She was the first person to offer me a place to eat at lunch. We were inseparable all through high school to the point that people were annoyed by us. We were such fun loving girls who went to school together, worked together and went on family vacations together. Our first fight was in high school when we were fighting over a boy we worked with. We went weeks without talking and grew apart in the process. Unfortunately a horrible thing happened to this friend and we realized how much we meant to each other so our friendship began just where it had left off, like no time had passed. We had an amazing senior year and made so many great memories that I will remember for my entire life.

The summer after we graduated she met her future husband and our relationship drifted once again. We were growing apart in two different directions. We didn't have any real conflicts and we still worked with each other. I was even in her wedding. But our friendship wasn't the same( I was in the party hard stage of my life and she was settling down).

We started to become close again when she started having struggles in her life. I wanted to be there for her and help her through the hard times. I gave her an escape from the life that had made her depressed and in turn I had gotten my friend back. It was so nice to have these fun times with her again and we were building amazing memories once again. We were both helping each other grow but with grown comes changes and once again we started heading in two different directions. She had developed a new found freedom and she wanted to experience everything she hadn't in the past few years while I was settling down and had a different outlook on life. I admit that as the friend looking into her life I was concerned about her getting hurt since she had become so fragile in her struggles in the past. I felt the need to protect her (in her eyes it even looked like I was trying to control her) I didn't want her to struggle anymore and of course being the strong willed women I am, I thought I knew what was best for her.

This friend of mine is also a very strong willed women and she wanted to experience life her way. This in turn caused us to butt heads once again. Yes the arguments seemed to usually stem from relationships with men but I have learned that they were much deeper than that. We are just two very strong women with two different outlooks on how to live life. I admit that I was more to blame for our friendship ending in the end. I just couldn't sit by and watch my friend put herself in situations where I knew she could end up crying over.

So I guess I am using this blog as a bit of closure on this situation. I want to say sorry to everyone that has had to be in the middle of all of this unnecessary drama. I also want to wish my old friend all the best in her life. I know that she will do well. She is strong willed and she knows what she wants and she goes for it. I'm glad to see she is living a happy life and she has so many friends to support her and be there for her.

Who knows we've become friends again in the past so you never know what the future holds. I know that if either of us truly needed each other we would be there and I guess that's all you really need in life sometimes.

bills... Bills... BILLS

Well, I guess I should finally confess: I am a bill avoider! I have stacks and stacks and stacks of mail taunting me in my car, on our desk, and in our mail slots... and I just AVOID them at all costs! I tend to just to ignore things that stress me out and bills is a HUGE stress! First of all they are way too much money and I don't even know where to begin to start paying them. The amounts on those stupid sheets of paper from doctor offices and from dentist offices have too many options on how to pay. Should I write a check and send it in? Should I write down my card info and send that in? I can't possibly pay this entire amount all at once. What if I call to make payment arraignments and they say " NO, you HAVE to pay in full RIGHT NOW!" What if they are mean to me and treat me like a low class person b/c I have outstanding bills.
Seriously these are the things that keep me avoiding those bills stacked high around my life!

Yesterday I had a break through! I opened my mail! Every last bit of it! I found all the bills that need to be paid and I put them neatly in a stack with all intention on calling them and setting up a payment arraignment! The only problem with that is, that I have actually got to call them! That is my plan for today. I have serious anxiety about this and if I get one little problem with setting up a payment plan I will be ruined on this for probably another 6 months!

This is by far the worst part of being an adult. It all started with going to college. I deem this to be my biggest mistake in life. I got thousands and thousands of dollars in student loans without knowing ANYTHING about them. I still don't understand them. It have god knows how many different student loans. How do I know which one to start paying back first? How do I even know who do call? All this money I owe and I don't even have a degree to show. (but this is another blog all together)

Anyways, I have two years to get my debit under control and start to bring my credit up to a respectable place so that we can buy a house! Please wish me luck and support me in any way you can because I really want a house!

Fantastic Fall!

I just love this time of year I always feel so crafty. I love changing the decor to my fall decorations! I haven't gotten much new since last years shopping spree (fall for $40) but i still love what i have for our small apartment!

This year a made a new wreath that i saw on the cover of Women's Day Magazine.

What you will need

A styrofoam wreath
black duct tape
2 bags of candy corn
glue gun
fun fall ribbon
Spray sealant
PATIENCE: i gave myself an entire day to make the wreath b/c i needed breaks but i would say it probably wouldn't take longer then 2 hrs if you worked straight.

So at first i though i would paint the styrofoam black but realized it would take A LOT of paint plus the hot glue would probably melt it. Then i wanted to just paint regular duct tape black but then i realized i didn't even have regular duct tape so i figured i would just buy black duct tape. I found it for a little over $3 at walmart. more than $2 less then at safeway where i was going to originally buy it but i forgot. i also got the candy corn from there... less than $2 per bag. The most expensive part of the wreath is the styrofoam wreath which was about $8 at micheals. way more then i was expecting to spend on it but worth it. oh and the spray sealant i got was from Micheals as well and it was around 47 as well. ( i used the whole can)

So you start by wrapping the wreath with the black duct tape.I made sure to do it as tight and as smoothly as i could. this part was pretty simple.

Then the magazine suggested that you layout the candy corn before gluing it on. Something i would have never had done on my own but I'm really glad i did b/d getting them on evenly and in a good pattern proved way more difficult then i expected. i laid out the front of the wreath first then glued it down then moved onto the outside edge gluing as i went and then the inside. This is a pain staking process but if you are patience it turn out pretty good. I made sure to take long breaks so i didn't get burned out.

once glued on i brought the wreath outside and sprayed a coat of sealant on it and let it dry then flipped it over and added the sealant from the back to get all edges of the candy corn. Once dry i added the ribbon. the magazine had a black ribbon pictured but i went with a fun and festive fall ribbon and i tied a bow at the top of the wreath to add a little flair.

i hung the wreath on my front door and was very please

Horror struck the next time it rained! The moisture in the air proved that the sealant hadn't completely sealed the wreath and i awoke with a puddle of sticky goo in my door way and a melty wreath. i brought it inside and let it dry and took inventory on the wreath. Only a couple candy corns fell of so i glued them back on, too off the ribbon and then resealed the wreath. Second time was the charm and i haven't had a sticky problem with the wreath since.

it is so much fun to have a wreath that i made hanging from my front door! i think i will add just a touch more sealant and then store it away at the end of the season and see if it lasts till next yr... i'll make sure that i store it alone in case it melts on hot summer day!

Twitter

Oh how i love me some twitter!
i am purely and 100% addicted!!
I love to post all my random thoughts! i know that everyone truly does care when i take a shower and that I'm currently laying in bed. i find twitter as a grand human study where you go to find yourself surrounded by people just like you! I have gotten to know so many amazing people through twitter! I admit there are times i feel like a bit of a crazy stocker following someone and all of the people that they follow. I feel like i have who new groups of friend from twitter. never mind that i haven't ever really met anyone of them.
Twitter is also an amazing place to get help. Say you have a problem. all you need to do is tweet about it and instantly you can get a grand variety of answers back that completely help you out! Also if your feeling down your amazing followers always know just the right thing to say to make you feel not so crazy.
I have gotten so many ideas from twitter as well. ideas as to what to cook, what to craft, places to go, things to eat.
I have gotten new blogs to follow! this is really a great thing because i had been recently turned off from blogging because the blogs i follow and enjoy are at times ran by such bitchy snobbing girls who turn their noses up at people who are a little more out spoken and non-reserved as they are. sorry i don't have a stick up my ass!
Anyways i thought a short little blog to let y'all know i'm still alive was in order. I am seriously going to try and start my blogging again. i swear!

My birthday gift from Tara

We left early Wednesday morning and started our road trip down into Oregon. Our destination was the KOA campground in Astoria and we also wanted to explore Seaside and Cannon beach.
Our trip down involved a couple of random stops. One to a walmart where we got some much needed supplies like a lantern and speakers for our ipods.

Once we arrived at the camp ground we quickly checked in and set up camp then headed out to seaside to do some exploring. The sun was just starting to peak out as we arrived on Seaside and it was just beautiful. We wondered in and out of all the stores.This is us waiting for our deep fried snickers that we decided to try out by sharing oneDeep Fried Snickers!!Candy store where we got way too much candyOn the beach the first day

We played Skee Ball at the arcade








On Cannon beach after we went body surfing for over an hour. it was so amazing. i don't think i have ever actually swan in the Ocean. it was so much fun i could have done it all day long! After body surfing we changed into dry clothes and then headed to Mo's where we had lunch. I got the tuna melt and Tara got a bacon cheese burger then we split them to share. we both agreed the tuna melt was better ( seafood b/c we were at the ocean)

Our drive home was also quit an adventure. We stopped where ever we wanted which included a Ross, a drive down a long road in search of the Eagle sanctuary that we never found, a small park that had a naked baby and the parents smoking weed and drinking, a toll ferry that was more like a floating barge that we had no idea where it was taking us, and a stop at a camp ground thathad an amazing view of the Columbia river.

Over all the trip was amazing and we hating coming back home. I most defiantly want to make this a yearly trip if possible

Let's talk about Vegas!

As you have probably read in the past Mat and i LOVE Vegas! We went back in april for his and Tara's birthday, and since that was the period where I wasn't writing blog post i thought i would reminisce about it in a blog post for you guys!






It was a really fun trip with Tara, Kristin, Crystal, Willy, Mat and I. We love Vegas because every time we go it is a whole new experience. I try and do things we hadn't done on past trip because there is just so much to do.

This is a picture of all of us on our last night in vegas. We finished the night in Crystal and Willy's room just hangin out.

We smoked Cigars of the first time at a little Cigar bar in Cesare's after out dinner at Boa. It was fun because we were the only females in there other than the waitress and Mat looked like a total pimp.


We spent some time with Crystal and Willy in old Vegas but i had to leave early to meet up with the girls for our night at Thunder From Down Under. i also got to try a deep fried Oreo while in old vegas... Pretty amazing

Pic of me and the girls outside. We are all so beautiful!

This is all of us on our big night out. We had this corner booth in Rockhouse. This place wasn't super full but that's house we liked it. We did a good amount of dancing (and the waitress spilled a beer on Mat)

Tara, Kristin and I also enjoyed a night watching karaoke. These two guys were amazingly into it and sang several times. The little white guy actually hung out and talked to Tara most of the time. Everyone called him Stifler

(Tara is enjoying her's and Mat's birthday dinner at Boa. (mat picked the place b/c it is his favorite place b/c they make the ceaser salad right in front of you)

Over all it was an amazing trip and i am so glad we were able to enjoy it with Willy and Crystal because they are moving away now so I'm glad to have these memories with them.

OMG i'm writting a blog post!!

I'm not exactly sure how long it has been since the last time i wrote a blog post, simply b/c i forgot to check before i started to write this, but I'm excited to try and start up again! I miss recording all the fun things i have done in my life with my friends and family! I miss having an outlet to fully explain how i feel. I blame twitter to my lack of blogging. it seems that since i have an outlet to record everything i am doing, WHILE i am doing it, coming back and writing an entire blog post seems silly.

I have tried to peel myself away from my phone a bit recently and so i find that I have more of a need to blog about the whole experience of life back here. Don't get me wrong there hasn't been a real decline in my twitter use but while doing thing like hiking or tubing i have been trying to leave my phone behind. also my phone battery seems to not be lasting as long as i would like it to do so toward the end of the day between7-9pm my phone will die and there is the end of my 140 character blogging. Anyways i have a lot to blog about and a lot i have be doing in the past several months that i will be blogging about in random unorganized posts.

I hope you guys are excited that I'm back to blogging as much as i am and i hope that i keep up at it because it is so nice to have this record of my life!

things to looks forward to hearing about:
*vegas
*camping
*summer fun in the sun
*promotion at work
*new and old friendships
*growing older
*losing/gaining weight
*love
*things/people that inspire me
*dreams of the future
*debit horrors

I'm so NOT into the computer lately

OK guys here i am finally blogging a REAL blog! it had been so long and I'm not really sure why. it seems like lately i hate wasting my time on the computer when i have friends to hang out with with to do around the house or TV/movies to watch! I have been doing so much lately and i have been so happy it is amazing!

Work is going better than i could have ever thought it could when i moved to a new store. i am learning so much and everyone is so nice and genuine! i have become the in-store recruiter and hiring coordinator as well as the new hire mentor. I am going to a meeting to learn to do the scheduling. I have learned ICC which is receiving all the orders the store has. I have worked hard but it doesn't seem hard because everyone at the store works together. I am working with the produce on their service scores this quarter and so far this yr on the two shops they have gotten they are still at 100%.

In my personal life i am pretty happy as well. I have had some falling outs with a couple of my friends but i haven't let them get me completely down. I am too opinionated and i try to help too much without fulling thinking through my approach which results in fights and misunderstandings. I am working on letting things go that i have no control over and letting people make their own mistakes. it is a difficult thing to do when i see my friends so unhappy sometimes. i have been trying very hard to be able to hang out with all my friends and i feel like i have done a pretty good job lately...went ice skating with crystal and her kids. It was so much fun and it makes things like ice skating so much more fun with you have kids with you! they really enjoyed it and it was fun to watch them as they tried out ice skating for their first time... I went snow tubing with Laura and it was absolutely too much fun! I also was able to hang out with Linnea yesterday for a while and help her out around her house before her baby boy come! I love that i live just down the street from the girls (Tara and Kristin) because i am able to just stop by anytime for a visit... even if i should try and do it more often. i had Debbie and her little brother over the other night for dinner and a movie and it was really nice to be able to cook for people. I'm such a hostess.

Things with mat couldn't be any better. i was a bit worried when i changed stores and i wasn't going to be working with him anymore but i think it has made it nice because we have more to talk about! Also we don't get annoyed with each other and work and let it carry over to our home life. it is nice to be able to look forward to seeing him when i get off work.

Over all I'm doing pretty well i my life is moving ahead as i would like it to (god that sounds corny) I hope to take the RLD test here in the next couple of months and hopefully pass this time... If i pass i will began manager training and hopefully eventually become an assistant manager!

Since it has been a while here is nothing about my life at current

Stole this from a a blog i follow whom of which i also follow on twitter... @exmi Blog: http://www.expensivemistakescheapthrills.co.za/

Opening…

Do you get regular massages? nope never have... really really really want to though

Do you have an answering machine? no i have a voice mail linked to my cell phone

What cuss word do you use the most? fuck maybe... not really sure and i don't think i swear THAT much really

Are you underweight or overweight? very much overweight... i will always b overweight but right now i'm at the high end

Can you see your veins? uummm not really no

Favorite…

Soap? the kind that foams... too fun!

Fruit? oranges when they r good (when they r bad which happens most time they r really bad!) and uummmm strawberries!!

Kind of red meat? what ever... i love me some steak but a good hamburger is damn good too!

Fish? don't eat much fish

Candy bar? peanut butter cups or sour patch kids

Have You Ever…

Eaten a whole bag of potato chips? uummm yes... more often then i would like to admit

Eaten lobster? Nope.

Climbed a mountain? nope but it would b fun

Been skydiving? nope not a fan of that free falling feeling

Been water skiing? yeah never stood up.... i like tubing

Do You…

Wish you could change something about your life? that i wasn't so broke all the time (but that is something i need to handle)

Like your nose? i do... i real fathers mom (my grandmother) whom i've only met a handful of times once said that i have a perfect profile... that has always stuck with me!

Like salt and vinegar chips? yeah used to think they were gross and weird but one day i tried mats... they r yummy

Eat salsa? hellz yeah!!! i wanna make nachos now

Own a boat? nope but damn i would kill to have one... might buy a blow up 4 person boat this summer.. wanted one last summer but they were all sold out everywhere... damn heat wave!!

What Is…

A small thing that people let slide but that actually has dire consequences? i can't think of anything on my own so i am going to use the previous answer........"Not dealing with an argument as it arises. Putting it off until later, or pretending everything is fine, only results in an accumulation of anger and resentment. The Boyfriend and I try to (his doing, mostly) deal with things right then and there, even if it means a public argument."

Your most macho trait? being a lazy slob who doesn't shower all day and eats like it's going out of style... kinda gotta work on this!

The longest relationship you’ve ever had? the one i'm in currently... not sure exactly how long we have been together maybe goin on 6 yrs but only offically been exclusive for a little over 4 yrs

Your most embarrassing thoughts? usually my thoughts about myself... if people could hear those they might look at me twice

Your most shameful moment? oh i have a bunch of those... but whatever... i made it past them and am stronger b/c of it

This/That…

Bath/Shower? shower but a good bath can b nice too

Markers/Crayons? Markers.

Pens/Pencils? Pens.... but i do enjoy using a pencil every now and then... brings me back!

Jelly/Cream Cheese? jelly... i am not a fan of plain cream cheese

Bagel/Toast? how about a toasted bagel? OMG YUM

Finish…

My greatest weakness is... spending money

I wish I was…a bit thinnner

Three things I wouldn’t do for a million dollars are…kill someone, eat poo, alienate myself from my family

The oddest thing I’ve ever put in my mouth is…uummm this will go without answer b/c it is something a lot of people do but i'm not about to put it on my blog

Firsts…

Credit card you had? also the last one i had... also only made one purchase on it

Loan you got was for? school :-(

Paycheck was for how much? almost $500 for the week i think?

Time you had stitches? only time was in my foot when i cut it open climbing on a car and cutting it on the whipper blades

Time you went to the hospital for something? when i sprained my ankle... i hadn't been in so much pain (i dont' injure myself much)

Lasts…

List everything you ate in the last 24 hours? shit it has been a lot... corn dog, sun chips, craisins, dt dr pepper, hash brown hamburger helper, ice cream, blueberry strudel toast, more ice cream, more toast, Smirnoff twisted (3), left over hash brown hamburger helper with eggs

Last thing you used a credit card for? school

What was your job previous to the one you have now? auntie annes pretzels

Last thing you celebrated? new years... by sitting at home

Last time you were at a sports bar? it's been a while (i am becoming such a home body ) i'm betting the last sports bar i was in was Bostons