The past week sucked, a lot. It sucked for all those non-specific reasons that seemed so bad at the time but now I can't actually remember any of them. Like when you wake up from dreaming and you have this very distinct feeling of happiness, anger, fear, but you only have a very foggy recollection of why....it's like that.
But that was last week. This is a new Monday, a new blog entry, and a new outlook. Oh hey, and it was 75° today! That's pretty incredible for mid March in IL. Every year on the first really warm and sunny day I decide that I need to be ridiculous and put on a dress, wear sandals, drive everywhere with all 4 windows down and the sunroof open, and basically act like it's the middle of the summer. That's exactly what happened today. I had on a yellow sundress, a pair of adorable new wedges and a bunch of tangled up hair and I couldn't have been happier, until I got home and looked in the mirror. I don't really know why I was so surprised, it's not like I have been going to the gym 6 days a week (like I should be)or going tanning on a regular basis but I wasn't ready for what I saw.
So, I have to do something about it. Typically when I decide I am going to do something I never make it easy on myself. I can't just invite people over for a cook-out and make hot dogs, I can't just decide to straighten up my house and not end up moving every piece of furniture, I have to go all out. Sometimes I like that about myself.
As a result, I decided to make a few changes that start right now. First of all, I am going to stop eating shit. It's technically junk food, but it's the same as far as my hips are concerned. I am going to the gym at least 4 times a week. Also, I am going to stop getting on facebook on a daily basis, I waste more time on that site then anything else. It's so bad that if I am getting on the internet for any other purpose I automatically sign into facebook out of habit and then have to stop and remember why I was actually on the computer. Another huge time waster is my cell phone. I have it within arms reach all the time. I take it with me to brush my teeth, I make sure I get it out of my bag and put it in the cup holder when I'm in the car, I even have it with me when I run out to the mailbox at work. Seriously, I am not that important, and 99% of the time no one is trying to get a hold of me.
I mostly just wanted to get this down in writing so that I wouldn't forget any of it. Also, I feel accountable to this blog and the 1 (maybe) person who reads it. So, I feel accomplished doing this for tonight. Hopefully in 7 days when I am back here I will be 5lbs lighter, a few shades darker and have thought of something interesting to write about now that I have the extra time. We'll see.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
I've Changed the title 4 times and still can't find one I like
An entire month? Is this for real? I didn't realize until just now that my desire to blog comes in so far behind my desire to catch up on my dvr on Monday nights. Real Housewives, Modern Family and Law and Order start to take up too much of my available dvr space and I can't stand it, I have to clear it out. It's not that my TV doesn't work the other 6 nights of the week but Monday is the only night my husband is at class so from 5pm-8pm the dog and I have 3 wonderful hours of the house to ourselves. I don't know what I'll do in a few months when Brian is done with his apprenticeship program and will be home 7 evenings a week. I shutter to think about it.
Other then my dvr I have been busy with friends, food and pinning. Since I discovered Pinterest most of my free time involves pinning things, making the recipes I pinned, posting status and pics of the recipes I made to facebookso that everyone can see how talented i am, and planning get togethers with my friends so we all can have an occasion to try out our Pinterest recipes.
Spending the majority of my day on Pinterest did inspire "Couples Cooking Night" at my house. One of the things Brian and I struggle with is not having very many common interests. Too easily we fall into a routine of me getting home from work, cooking dinner, cleaning up dinner and then maybe we sit down together for an hour or so and watch tv together but usually I find something else to do around the house while he watches tv or gets on the computer. So during the warmer months we make an effort to take our dog to the bike trail after dinner, have a bonfire outside or go for a bike ride. However, in the winter there isn't much to do in the evenings that doesn't require spending money or driving 30 minutes back into town. Because necessity is the mother of invention "Couples Cooking Night" was born.
"Couples Cooking Night" (herein referred to as CCN) is where one night a week we make dinner together, we usually pick out the meal and grocery shop ahead of time. But this isn't all fun and games, there are a few rules to CCN. The first (and my personal favorite) is that the tv is off and our cell phones are in the other room. It's funny how when you both have smartphones you can spend the entire evening next to each other but not actually communicate at all. The second is that we try to get a bottle of wine or something to make it feel special and give it a slight date night esque vibe. The only other rule is that we have to pick out the recipe together, it can be from a cookbook or online, just as long as it's yummy. Although at first I thought this was a good idea just because I would have some help in the kitchen one night a week it has turned into something we both look forward to. Brian usually sends me a text around 3pm when he gets home from work saying he is excited about our cooking date, which makes me happy and excited about it too.
Ahh, anyway I'm glad I have someone who loves me enough to participate in things like this with me. I just hope he doesn't expect the same cooperation when he gets tired of CCN and wants to start "Couples Video Game Night".....
Other then my dvr I have been busy with friends, food and pinning. Since I discovered Pinterest most of my free time involves pinning things, making the recipes I pinned, posting status and pics of the recipes I made to facebook
Spending the majority of my day on Pinterest did inspire "Couples Cooking Night" at my house. One of the things Brian and I struggle with is not having very many common interests. Too easily we fall into a routine of me getting home from work, cooking dinner, cleaning up dinner and then maybe we sit down together for an hour or so and watch tv together but usually I find something else to do around the house while he watches tv or gets on the computer. So during the warmer months we make an effort to take our dog to the bike trail after dinner, have a bonfire outside or go for a bike ride. However, in the winter there isn't much to do in the evenings that doesn't require spending money or driving 30 minutes back into town. Because necessity is the mother of invention "Couples Cooking Night" was born.
"Couples Cooking Night" (herein referred to as CCN) is where one night a week we make dinner together, we usually pick out the meal and grocery shop ahead of time. But this isn't all fun and games, there are a few rules to CCN. The first (and my personal favorite) is that the tv is off and our cell phones are in the other room. It's funny how when you both have smartphones you can spend the entire evening next to each other but not actually communicate at all. The second is that we try to get a bottle of wine or something to make it feel special and give it a slight date night esque vibe. The only other rule is that we have to pick out the recipe together, it can be from a cookbook or online, just as long as it's yummy. Although at first I thought this was a good idea just because I would have some help in the kitchen one night a week it has turned into something we both look forward to. Brian usually sends me a text around 3pm when he gets home from work saying he is excited about our cooking date, which makes me happy and excited about it too.
Ahh, anyway I'm glad I have someone who loves me enough to participate in things like this with me. I just hope he doesn't expect the same cooperation when he gets tired of CCN and wants to start "Couples Video Game Night".....
Monday, February 6, 2012
“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose”- Tennesee Williams
There is nothing I love more then being surrounded by my friends. I love having people in my home, entertaining, making food and everything that comes along with it.
When I was growing up there were always people at my house, and I mean always! I remember being little and waking up everyday to the sound of all my friends being dropped off at my house (my mom babysat 15 kids) and some of them not leaving until after dinner. It also helped that we were the only ones with a big pool in our backyard and everyone knows that along with a pool comes lots of friends during the summer, but I didn't mind.
Even when I was older and my mom didn't babysit anymore her friends would stop by everyday after school and bring their kids, we would all sit in my kitchen and drink kool aid and eat BBQ chips from Aldi then play outside until it was dark and they left. People felt so comfortable at our house that nobody ever knocked on the door, they would just come inside. I also remember having some friends whose parents would never allow them to have people over for sleepovers or to just hang out and I always felt bad for them because I couldn't imagine what that would be like.
I think growing up that way is partly the reason I enjoy being around my friends so much, I crave it sometimes. I have always been the one, regardless of which circle of friends it is, to call everyone and set things up, I've always been the coordinator. If a few weeks have gone by and I haven't seen everyone, I am planning something so we can all hang out. Or if I try out a new recipe that turns out well the first thought in my head is "Omg, this is delicious" and then my next thought is "When is the next time I can have everyone over so I can make this again?" If you ask my husband he can tell you that I just did this last week with some homemade donuts and I am still trying to think of a good excuse to have people over to spend the night so I can impress them with my dough frying abilities the next morning.
So if anyone reads this and thinks they might like to try these, please let me know because I am dying to try them with powdered sugar next time ; )
When I was growing up there were always people at my house, and I mean always! I remember being little and waking up everyday to the sound of all my friends being dropped off at my house (my mom babysat 15 kids) and some of them not leaving until after dinner. It also helped that we were the only ones with a big pool in our backyard and everyone knows that along with a pool comes lots of friends during the summer, but I didn't mind.
Even when I was older and my mom didn't babysit anymore her friends would stop by everyday after school and bring their kids, we would all sit in my kitchen and drink kool aid and eat BBQ chips from Aldi then play outside until it was dark and they left. People felt so comfortable at our house that nobody ever knocked on the door, they would just come inside. I also remember having some friends whose parents would never allow them to have people over for sleepovers or to just hang out and I always felt bad for them because I couldn't imagine what that would be like.
I think growing up that way is partly the reason I enjoy being around my friends so much, I crave it sometimes. I have always been the one, regardless of which circle of friends it is, to call everyone and set things up, I've always been the coordinator. If a few weeks have gone by and I haven't seen everyone, I am planning something so we can all hang out. Or if I try out a new recipe that turns out well the first thought in my head is "Omg, this is delicious" and then my next thought is "When is the next time I can have everyone over so I can make this again?" If you ask my husband he can tell you that I just did this last week with some homemade donuts and I am still trying to think of a good excuse to have people over to spend the night so I can impress them with my dough frying abilities the next morning.
So if anyone reads this and thinks they might like to try these, please let me know because I am dying to try them with powdered sugar next time ; )
Monday, January 30, 2012
Wonderful Monday...yes, you read that right.
Today was a breath of fresh air. After dreading going back to work all weekend I was pleasantly surprised when I woke up this morning refreshed and ready to start the day. Not only did I wake up bright eyed, but as it turns out, I had a fantastic hair day. You know the kind that you wish you could take a rain check on and actually save for a special occasion? Yes, it was that good. Also, dress that I ordered online a few weeks ago to wear out for Valentine's Day dinner with my husband came in the mail and I love it! More importantly, it loves me back.
I truly believe that I appreciate a good Monday more then the average person because for years I couldn't stand the thought of having to face another one of them. I think that anyone who has ever had to work in a customer service related call center, (or maybe just work with the public in general) will understand exactly what I am talking about. There is nothing worse then going to work at 8am only to sit in front of a computer for the next 8 hours and have strangers complain and yell at you because they don't understand a policy they signed up for. I had to do that for 3 years and when I quit I promised myself that no matter what I would never work in customer service again. As a result of those 3 years I now have a profound respect for those people that can do it, but I am not one of those people.
The job I go to every day now is a small (I'm talking 2 employees) law office where my responsibilities are very laid back and the atmosphere is very enjoyable. I can't even begin to tell you how much of a difference it makes in my overall happiness to go to a place everyday that I enjoy.
So, while so many people are singing the Monday blues right now and complaining to anyone who will listen about the horrible day they just had, I am grateful not to be one of them.
I truly believe that I appreciate a good Monday more then the average person because for years I couldn't stand the thought of having to face another one of them. I think that anyone who has ever had to work in a customer service related call center, (or maybe just work with the public in general) will understand exactly what I am talking about. There is nothing worse then going to work at 8am only to sit in front of a computer for the next 8 hours and have strangers complain and yell at you because they don't understand a policy they signed up for. I had to do that for 3 years and when I quit I promised myself that no matter what I would never work in customer service again. As a result of those 3 years I now have a profound respect for those people that can do it, but I am not one of those people.
The job I go to every day now is a small (I'm talking 2 employees) law office where my responsibilities are very laid back and the atmosphere is very enjoyable. I can't even begin to tell you how much of a difference it makes in my overall happiness to go to a place everyday that I enjoy.
So, while so many people are singing the Monday blues right now and complaining to anyone who will listen about the horrible day they just had, I am grateful not to be one of them.
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