Cha Cha Cha Chia

As I was getting ready for work this morning, I heard a commercial come on, "...in honor of the 44th President Barack Obama, the Chia Pet company presents this Special Edition Chia Obama" I quickly went over to the TV and saw this:



I found this hilarious...not only because it's an Obama Chia Pet, but because it reminds me of my brother-in-law. Within the first year or so of him and my sister dating, he got her a Chia Pet for Christmas. (along with 2 mens-size large flannel shirts.) It seems the perfect opportunity to give him the "gift that grows" back, as he is an Obama supporter. I texted my sister immediately to tell her the good news :)

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Saturday evening we did some more shopping, only this time it was all about my sister. Katie rarely gets the chance to shop for herself, so we took the opportunity when we got the chance that night.

Another thing about my sister is that she is pretty conservative when it comes to her clothes - she doesn't ever get too trendy and always leans toward the "safe" side. Saturday night I told her she was going to step out of her comfort zone and at least try some pieces she would steer clear of otherwise.

I tried to pick out some items I know she would never pick out for herself, knowing she would think, "I can't pull this off" or "this wouldn't look good on me", but not go so far out, that she would be too uncomfortable. She was a team player and tried on leggings w/ sweater dresses, skinny jeans (her "biggest fear"), and lots of tops w/ both color and patterns. I was proud of her for trying new things and happy that we made that trip all about her. She walked away with a great new pair of jeans ($28), and 4 shirts (for a total of about $75), 3 of which were completely different from anything she would've picked out/gotten for herself, and all of which she looked great in.

Black Friday

I've never ventured out on Black Friday to snag some good deals - until this year. Friday my mom and I went down to Davenport for the day to try and get some Christmas shopping done and we had a lot of success. It wasn't the traditional study the ads the night before, get there at 5 A.M., and go to all the "hot spots" - our only stop was the mall, and we didn't get there until about 10. But, it worked for us and our goal, which was to pick out a few things for me for Christmas.

We made up a loose game plan in the car on the way down - hit up Younkers first to see if a couple of door buster items were still available, then Express to take advantage of the 40% off before noon deal, and then any other stores that caught our eye, ending with Von Maur.

No luck at Younkers, but we hit the jackpot at Express. I tried a lot of things on and left the dressing room with several "keep" items. We had about a 45 minute wait to check out, but we passed the time by figuring how to get the best bang for our buck with the coupons I had and figuring out how much we were saving (over $250). After a few more stores and a lunch break, we ended the day at Von Maur, where I had more success (every item was off the sale rack, with the exception of a pair of boots) and managed to spend the rest of the balance on my gift card.

Although my first Black Friday experience almost felt a little selfish, since the majority of the day was spent looking at stuff for me, it was successful and a lot of fun. (For the record, I did ask my mom if she wanted to go into a few stores, and I did get one thing for Rachel) My mom was/is an awesome shopping partner - we may not always have the same taste, but she is always helpful, patient, and seems to have fun, even if she's not looking for herself.

Weekend Fun

Friday night Jake and I went to Wicked at the Civic Center, and although it was my 3rd time seeing the play, I enjoyed it just as much as the first. Our seats were the closest I've ever had, so it was fun to see the costumes and set in detail and Elphaba knocked "Defying Gravity" out of the park (the highlight of the play for me).

Before the show, we dined at Sbrocco, a place I've been wanting to try out for a while. We decided to pick 3 items off the social plates menu, and although I wasn't absolutely blown away, it was definitely enjoyable. We ended the night with a few martinis at the Lift and had fun making some "top ten" lists of places we want to travel to, both in the U.S. and internationally. (possibly a future blog topic).

Saturday I went to my friend Mike's wedding. I was so happy to be there and couldn't help but shed a few tears at the ceremony as I witnessed this great couple, who have been together for 17 years, come together in marriage. The reception was also a great time. It was nice to spend some time with my co-workers outside of the office.

Today I've had a laid back, but productive day - laundry, target run, grocery shopping, cooking (and by cooking I mean throw some ingredients into the crockpot), reading, and knitting were all on my to-do list and all have been checked off!

Excited for a short week at work and looking forward to a nice Thanksgiving weekend with my family.

Fil-A to the Rescue

Tonight KC and I were planning on meeting at Cheesecake Factory for dinner. I arrived before she did, so I sat down at a table in the bar area. I waited for about 10 minutes and once KC got there, we waited for about another 5 and still no one had come by to take our orders or even to say that they would be right with us. We were pretty disappointed so we decided to just leave and go elsewhere.

We decided cheap was the way to go, so we just ended up at the food court. I got in line at Chick-Fil-A and per usual, received prompt and polite service. Soon after KC and I met back up and sat down to eat, a Chick-Fil-A employee came by and asked if there was anything else he could get for me. Not only that, but he asked KC if he could get her anything, even though she had gotten Wendys. Wow!

I normally don't ever email comments to restaurants, but I decided to write to both restaurants tonight. One to Cheesecake, informing them of the lack of service we received. I also told them they should be embarrassed to know that a fast food restaurant provided me better customer service than they did. And one to Chick-Fil-A, giving them high remarks for the service I received tonight.

Valued Customer

Last Wednesday, Jake and I went to Pablos for lunch. As we were about to get in line to order, I remembered I didn't have any cash and needed to stop at the ATM (because they only take cash). So, we walked back to where my bank is and then back to the restaurant.

As I placed my order, the owner said, "Did you just go get cash?" and I said yes, and he replied with, "I saw you guys stop and then walk away. You didn't have to leave and go do that. You could've just evened up with me the next time."

Now, it probably helped that I was with one of his most valued customers, but I was still very impressed. Definitely makes me want to keep going back to give him my business, knowing he appreciates mine.

Quotables

After seeing Roman Holiday for the first time back in the winter, I immediately admired Audrey Hepburn and her style (and sidenote - fell in love with Carey Grant), so I was intrigued when I saw this headline. After reading that article, I came across some of her quotes and decided it would be fun to share a few that I felt spoke to me:

*If you ever need a helping hand, it's at the end of your arm; as you get older, remember you have another hand. The first is to help yourself, the second is to help others.

*I believe that happy girls are the prettiest...I believe that tomorrow is another day....I believe in being strong when everything seems to go wrong.

*I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally...

*People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

*Your heart just breaks, that's all. But you can't judge or point fingers. You just have to be lucky enough to find someone who appreciates you.

*I was asked to act when I couldn't act. I was asked to sing "Funny Face" when I couldn't sing, and dance with Fred Astaire when I couldn't dance - and do all kinds of things I wasn't prepared for. Then I tried like mad to cope with it.

*The best thing to hold to hold onto in life is each other.

Goals

I've been thinking a lot in the past couple of months of some goals I'd like to set for myself. I thought about waiting until the new year and start fresh in 2012, but after giving it some more thought, why wait when I can start some of these now?

The list I've made so far might be a little ambitious, but still attainable. And the hope is that posting this will hold me a little more accountable.

Here are a few goals I've set for myself to start working on now, and continuing through 2012:

1. Advance my career. I'm very lucky to have a job that pays my bills and know that that in itself is a blessing. And, without trying to sound egotistical, I am very good at what I do. But I know I need to step out of my comfort zone and take on a new challenge.

2. Read 1 book a month. I've fallen off the reading wagon since my laptop purchase. I think I've only gotten through 2 or 3 books since then. Yikes. It'll be good to focus my eyes on something other than a glowing screen all evening, every evening, and it's a very doable goal. Any good reading suggestions are welcomed, as I sometimes choose the wrong book (*cough* The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter *cough*)

3. Try out some DIY projects. I've never really been a crafty person per se, but I think it would be fun to try out a few different projects and see what I can do. I'm not the most artistic person in the world, but that shouldn't stop me from trying. Maybe one or two will actually turn out....stranger things have happened! And with the assist of Pinterest, I shouldn't have any trouble coming up with some ideas.

4. Learn to sew. This kind of relates to #3, but I consider it to be a bit of an undertaking. My interest in sewing was pretty non-existent up until a year or two ago. But I've definitely warmed up to the idea of wandering through the fabric store and online to see what cool material and patterns I can find. This will shock my mom, as it was one of my least favorite errands to go on with her growing up. I loathed the fabric store!! I know I'll need to start small - like maybe some pillow cases or something, but I know with the teacher I have, (yep, Mom, that's you!) I'll definitely learn a thing or two. I'm hoping for a lesson or two when I'm home for the holidays.

5. Up my fitness routines. After quitting the Y several months ago, my main source of exercise has been running. And running is great, don't get me wrong, but I think it's important to incorporate other forms of exercise into my fitness regime, especially on the days I don't run. I've been saying for about two years now that I should start lifting, so, this is how I plan to start "upping" my fitness. I haven't decided if I'll join back up with the Y or utilize the gym at work, but it'll be nice to work and tone muscles that don't really get worked while running. I'd also like to try out the Nike Training Club. Since I don't have an iPhone or iTouch, I won't be able to use the actual app, but You Tube has a bunch of different "Get Fit" videos I can rely on. I've heard great reviews and it's free!

I think these 5 are some good starting points. Here's to successful months ahead.

Pinterest

I finally hopped on the Pinterest (not Pin Interest, as I mistakenly say sometimes) train and I gotta say, I'm kinda hooked. I've spent several hours looking at all the different "pins" and "boards" and am slowly creating a few boards of my own. I like the idea of sharing all kinds of creativity in the areas of food, fashion, DIY projects, and home decor.

I've been wanting to try my hand at some "crafty" projects, and Pinterest seems to be a great platform for getting some ideas going, like these bracelets, for example.




It's also great for generating ideas on different hair/makeup/clothing "looks", so many delicious-sounding recipes, as well as ideas on different fitness regimes.

My initial thoughts are positive and I plan on continuing to give Pinterest some of my time.

5 Reasons Why 11/1/11 Is Good

1. Drank out of the red Starbucks cup today
2. Got my "Indivisible" Starbucks bracelet (thanks Jake!)
3. Spent my lunch hour at St Ambrose for All Saints Day, followed by a quick lunch at Pablos
4. Went for a short run but wasn't ready to come back inside quite yet, so I walked around my neighborhood while listening to a podcast
5. The weather - 73 degrees and sunny!

31 Days To Be Thankful - Wrap Up

My attempt to write a thankful post everyday in the month of October was a success and I had a lot of fun doing it. I think it's healthy to take the time to see all the good that is out there, even if it is something as small or common as a voicemail or having a productive day. If it makes you feel good, then that's all that matters.

Surprisingly, some days were a bit more challenging than they probably should have been, but it was good for me to exercise the "positive" side. For some, positive thinking is like second nature and takes nearly zero effort. For me, it can require a little muscle work. And although some days seemed to take a little more effort, it never seemed like a chore. I never dreaded sitting down with my computer to write the post. In fact, it was quite the opposite - I looked forward to it.

I noticed that as time went on, the more positive I became in my overall daily thinking. (minus "debbie downer") I hope to continue making it a habit to take time out of each day to be thankful and think of the good things in life.