Habitat For Humanity

My Monday kicked off on a great note. Instead of heading into work to sit in my cubicle for the day, I spent the morning volunteering at a Habitat For Humanity "Rock the Block" project. It was a beautiful morning to work on the maintenance/repairs of the house we were at - 64 degrees at the start of the morning, with the sun shining down upon us. My team and I worked on numerous projects - chipping old paint of the window frames, painting, powerwashing the house, landscaping, and making repairs to the porch.

Pretty cool that my company allows us to take time out of our work day to give back to the community. And it feels pretty great knowing you are making a difference in someone's life...it felt especially great when I learned the man whose house we were working on is a veteran.

After we completed our shift, we headed to Tasty Tacos for a team lunch, which served as a great opportunity to get to know one another better and reflect on the morning.

Habitat for Humanity is a great organization and I would definitely recommend checking them out, donating, and/or volunteering.  A couple of interesting facts I didn't know before signing up to volunteer:
*Families who apply for a home through H4H do not get it for free - they pay for it through a 20 year interest-free mortgage.
*They must be willing to volunteer 400 hours of "sweat equity"

S'more Cup

I wanted to bring in treats to work, as I officially begin my territory assignment, so I turned to Pinterest (where else) for some ideas and came across this recipe for S'more Cups. It was different from anything I have seen so I decided to give it a try.

Greeting Card

My lack of artistic ability does not stop me from trying to create. I had the idea to make my own greeting cards recently and after searching the web for a few minutes, looking for a fun and reasonable way to do so, I came across GreetingBee. I plan to continue my search for more options but overall I was pretty happy with this simple creation. I came up with the idea, thanks to a little Biblical inspiration. To all my super talented artistic friends, don't judge :)

The Way

Recently I watched my latest Netflix pick, "The Way". It's about a father who travels to Europe to recover his son's body, who died while doing the "El Camino de Santiago" pilgrimage, and decides to do the pilgrimage himself, in his son's honor. Some may protest my cinematic and literary picks can be positively awful, but I think this particular pick is a good one. Great scenery, good music, touching story. Watching this only makes me want to take time off and backpack through Europe for a few weeks. Any takers?

Sewing Lesson

A couple weeks ago I went home for the weekend to get my first sewing lesson. I thought pillows would make for a good first project. I met my mom at Hancock in Davenport and picked out some fabric - a floral pattern, and then green and brown to accent the floral. Saturday morning we got to work - measuring and cutting out the pieces and after a quick lesson on how to run the machine, I got to work. I finished 7 pillows in less than 2 days! I'm really happy with how they turned out. 

 

Not only was this a fun project that I really enjoyed working on, but we were resourceful as well. I reused some old pillows that I found upstairs at the house, saving us about $30, and the green and brown fabric were off of the remnants table at a discounted price.

I've already decided on my next project - a t-shirt quilt. I have a lot of old high school t-shirts that I just can't bring myself to get rid of because of the sentimental value they hold so I thought a t-shirt quilt would be a great way to preserve the memories, but still be able to clear some space in my closet. Stay tuned.

The Other Pitt

Brad Pitt's brother, Doug, recently starred in an ad for Virgin Mobile Australia and it's pretty hilarious. Check it out.

4 Day Weekend

Yay for 4 day weekends!!!!!!! ....except for when you spend it sick as a dog, like in my case. Without divulging too many details, the last 4 days I've divided my time between the couch and my bed. I made several tearful calls home (a ritual of mine when I'm feeling miserable like this) to get any and all sympathy my family offers, slept as much as I could, and watched a lot of movies and SATC episodes.

I could continue to complain about how I hadn't felt that awful in a very long time, how I missed my cousin's bridal shower, my grandma's birthday celebration, and my family reunion....but who wants to hear me whine?

There is a note of positivity to the weekend from hell - my friends. I don't like asking for help. My independence and stubbornness assures me I can take care of things myself most of the time, so you know I'm really having a hard time when I actually ask for help and don't put up much of a fight when offered help.

...not that I ever really stood a chance with Les. She pretty much refused to take "no" for an answer, like a good friend would. And thanks to her rescuing me, here is what my diet has consisted of the past few days:

But she really did knock it out of the park, friend-wise. She got me everything on my list plus a magazine Friday, brought me lunch Saturday, and stopped by Sunday. Each time she offered to help me out with things around the house...I told her no...She asked if I would be mad if she at least cleaned my kitchen...I said yes...She said she didn't care and got to work :)

S&J were out of town but it was no surprise when I got a text Sunday afternoon from Stacy asking me if there was anything they could get me on their way back into town. Earlier that day I thought I was on the mend, but after trying to be self-sufficient by running an errand, my body said "not so fast" and started feeling miserable again. Weakness won over stubbornness and I told her of a couple things I needed. I should've known I would be getting more than what was on the list :)

The Dr this morning said it was viral and just has to run it's course and advised a mild "BRAT" diet for the next couple of days. Don't be jealous:

The other positive (which I'm sure you can tell from the fact that I'm posting this), is that I'm starting to feel better. And thank goodness for that. At the risk of sounding dramatic, I wouldn't wish these past few days on my worst enemy. It was awful.

Random Thoughts After the Move

After what seems like a long, drawn-out process, the big move is finally complete. I appreciate the change in scenery, and although a little bittersweet, I'm excited to be living on my own again. It was hard to say goodbye to Westown - it was a pretty stellar place, but there are a lot of great things about the new place too...location, pool, and being on the top floor makes for a nice view from my balcony.

I decided to give the no cable thing a try, and so far, I'm happy with that decision. Thanks to Greg's antenna, the basic channels come in crystal clear and that's really all I need. And after 5 solid days of no internet, I was relieved when Thursday came and was able to sit on my couch and laptop, versus trying to get things done while at work or freeloading in the Starbucks parking lot, which I did twice. What? Don't judge - it was for a total of 5 minutes so my dad could check his status for work.

I am so grateful for my family and friends who helped me with the move and all those who offered to help. I still have some boxes to unpack, but am slowly getting settled and making it my own.

Proud Big Sister

'Lil and I went out to eat tonight to celebrate her 16th birthday. She chose one of her favorite restaurants, Granite City, so I picked her up and off we went. On the way there, she told me she made the cheer squad for wrestling and football for next year, she improved her grade in English, AND she got the job she interviewed for last week! So we had a lot of great reasons to celebrate. And you better believe there was chocolate cake involved :)

Stair Climber

Over the past 2 weeks at work, I've been making a conscious effort to take the stairs up to my training room on the 6th floor as much as possible. That equates to 104 stairs each trip, if I'm counting/remembering correctly. (This doesn't include the stairs up to the 6th floor of the parking ramp) Now, I'm not trying to make it seem as though I'm in amazing shape, but you'd think by running anywhere from 5-9 miles about 3 times a week would help make the climb a little easier but you'd be wrong! For me, at least, I am still out of breath and my legs still burn by the time I hit that 104th step.

Now I'm sure if I climbed stairs for longer than the 2 minutes it probably takes me to climb each time or more often than the 2-3 times per day that I do climb, I'd benefit more from an endurance/health standpoint, but hey, I figure it's better than just letting the elevator do the work every time!

Ocupado

First post in about 2 weeks! Why? My attempt at a few excuses below:

1. New job - I am in the 3rd week of my new job. So far it's going really well. I am learning so much and it's fun to connect the dots between what I knew from my old job to what I need to learn for this one.

2. Moving - I've been busy thinking/looking about where to take up residence next, which has taken some time but I finally found one and am excited to move into my new home.

3. School - Well, okay so this really has nothing to do with me not posting in the past 2 weeks, but I see I never posted about completing my first class. 4 more classes to go but in the mean time, I'm looking forward to spending my summer evenings outdoors, instead of in a classroom.

4. Training - Prepping for Dam to Dam by taking our mileage up a few notches each week. We've got 9 under our belt (well I guess I have 9, Jake has 11 - with an impressive time at that) Although 9 is more than I ran last year prior to the race, I'd like to get in a 10 or 11 miler in before race day.

5. Yoga - Les and I have been enjoying going to Iowa Powered Yoga the past few weeks. Ryan, the instructor, takes a much more relaxed, non-judgmental, and fun approach to Yoga than I've been used to. Attempting "Crow", doing part of the "I'm a Little Teapot" dance, and kicking your legs up so high when, going into a hand stand position, that you feel like you will topple over are just some of the things I've experienced in his classes thus far.

Here's to hoping for a more active blog for the rest of May!

Heart Attack Grill

I heard on the radio yesterday that for the 2nd time in 2 months, someone collapsed while eating at the Heart Attack Grill. I googled it when I got home to check it out further. This place is insane. The menu features such items as the "quadruple bypass burger", consisting of 2 pounds of hamburger and 20, yes, TWENTY slices of bacon and the "butterfat shake" which is advertised as "literally pure cream". Oh and if you weigh over 350 lbs, you eat for free. Yikes. I feel like I need to diet just from reading the menu.

Chimes of Freedom

I'm about 3 months late to the game on this but while checking in on some music blogs, I came to discover the Chimes of Freedom - The Songs of Bob Dylan album that was released in late January. I wouldn't consider myself to be a huge Bob Dylan fan, but there are some fantastic artists on here that do a beautiful job covering his songs. I haven't taken the time to listen to each one, but a few that drew me in include "With God On Our Side" by K'Naan, "Mr Tambourine Man" by Jack's Mannequin, and "Blowin' in the Wind" by Ziggy Marley. You can check out all of the tracks here. $0.59 from each sale of individual tracks and $11.90 from each sale of the album go to Amnesty International USA.

The Bachelorette

Saturday Les had one last "hurrah" as a single girl. We started the party off with a private shower, where we drank Sangria and other wines and indulged in cheese plates, bruschetta, cheesecake stuffed strawberries, cookies, and cake pops. Then we headed off to Trostel's Dish for dinner, where we again indulged - this time over LOTS of tapas like lettuce wraps, arancini, tuna tataki, edamame, mac 'n cheese, sushi, and more. And then we headed downtown to dance techno-style at Lime Lounge.

It was such a fun evening and I was so happy to be celebrating with my bestie (who was looking hot, btw!) You can view some non-incriminating photos on flickr :)

Camry-Toe

Colbert Report is one of the best shows on television. I usually don't get to watch when it's on at night because I'm already asleep, but every now and then I'm able to catch the re-run. Today I was crying I was laughing so hard during the opening segment. I highly recommend watching this entire clip, but if you don't have time, at least watch from about 2:18 - 2:50. Hilarious.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Are You Serious?

Last week, writer Samantha Brick was slammed for the article she wrote entitled, "Why Women Hate Me For Being Beautiful." In it, she describes that because of her good looks, she gets paid great attention by men who do everything from holding doors open for her to buying her bottles of champagne and bouquets of flowers. However, her beauty, she says, is also a curse because women "hate [her] for no other reason than [her] lovely looks."

I'll admit, after reading this, I rolled my eyes and thought, "is this girl for real?" I'm all for self-confidence, but this article reeks of narcissism. I can hardly believe that hundreds of women snub her day after day simply because of her looks. At the risk of sounding judgmental, I can't help but think she has a personality trait(s) that make her less than desirable to be around.

Anyway, she appeared on the Today Show last week and I had to laugh when Ann Curry's first question to her was "are you serious?"

I Dreamed a Dream

The Civic Center announced their 2012-2013 season line up, which includes the musical I've been wanting to see for YEARS - Les Miserables!! It runs October 2-7 and I cannot wait!!!!!!! You can see the full lineup here.

Everything is Great, Everything is Grand

I received "The Muppets" from Netflix and watched it last night. You cannot help but feel happy after watching a movie like that. It's so cheerful and fun. Loved all the cameos, the clever jokes, and the music, my favorite song being "Life's a Happy Song". I couldn't find the full video but here's a fun sneak peak:

April Fools

Temps in the mid 80's on the first day of April was no April Fool's joke and I've got a sunburn on my back to prove it! Jake and I took advantage of the nice day by visiting several parks. We started out in the A.M. going to Walnut Woods to walk on a nature trail and do some birding. Even though I am afraid of birds, I'm okay with looking at them through binoculars and can appreciate all the different kinds of birds there are out there. Some have such vibrant colors. I can only remember a few that we saw - a mallard duck, cardinal, robin, yellow-throated warbler, woodpecker, and a black-capped chickadee, I think. (Jake had to identify all of them besides the robin and cardinal :) ) Next stop was the Maffitt Reservoir and then onto Lake Ahquabi for another nature trail (hardly any birds to be spotted there) and we ended the day with a picnic, consisting of grilled chicken, chips & guacamole, strawberries and blackberries, and oreos. And before heading back to Des Moines, I requested a tour of Simpson College and Jake obliged. I'd never been there before so it was fun to see where he and some of my good friends spent their college years. Definitely a fun day!

OP, Welcome to WDM

Thanks to a text from Stacy the other night, I learned that one of my favorite establishments from college, the Other Place, is opening a location in West Des Moines!! I spent many Thursday evenings, FAC afternoons, weekends, and summer nights at the OP on "the Hill" in Cedar Falls during my college years.

This past fall, Jake and I went to a UNI football game, and I made sure that stopping at the OP for a drink and some pizza was on the itinerary. It was my first time there in about 4 years and brought back a lot of good memories. It's not only a nostalgia thing, they have great pizza too! Can't wait!

Green With Envy

One of my good friends from college recently moved to Germany for a year for her job. In an email to her today, I was telling her how I was trying to figure out plans for a trip somewhere in the next few months. Her reply to me included this:

"Our next 3 week line up is Switzerland this weekend, Budapest next weekend, Greece the weekend after (For Easter!) Should be fun and busy!

Planning on taking a week off in May as [her husband] has to use up his remaining vacation days and going to Italy (Venice and Florence) and then a couple days in the UK"

This, of course, comes one day after I was viewing her newest Facebook photo album that includes pictures of her in Paris, Zurich, Greece, and several places in the U.S. How lucky is this girl?!

I will always be indebted to her for giving me the opportunity to take my first international vacation, when I went with her to Greece in the summer of 2008. Maybe I can be indebted to her even more if I add Germany to my list...after all, she did end her email with this:

"Well, you are most certainly welcome to come visit here!! Or Greece!!!!!"

The Power of Women

After reading, "Mighty Be Our Powers", the story of how Leymah Gbowee brought women together to fight for peace in Liberia, I learned of the documentary that was made, based on this story, "Pray the Devil Back to Hell", and immediately put it in my Netflix queue.

If you want to read/see a truly inspiring story of just how strong, resilient, and powerful women can be, I highly recommend reading "Might Be Our Powers" and/or watching "Pray the Devil Back to Hell".

Cheers

What better way to appreciate 79 degree weather in mid-March than grilling out with your roomie and enjoying a Summer Shandy...cheers!

Midterm

It was brought to my attention in an email today that we are at midterm, and it got me thinking about how the first half of my semester back at school is going...

Remember when you were in college and there was always that one non-traditional student in the class who was always 15 minutes early to class, sat in the front row, always had something to contribute in class, seemed to be a brown nose with the professor as they talked about the industry, in relation to her full-time job and you always had to hear, "well, at my company..." and she just, well frankly, annoyed the sh*t out of you?

...funny how 5 years down the road, you can start to resemble that "lady". I was in denial about it for the first few weeks. I mean, it's not like a sit in the front row....2nd row. And I don't always talk about my own personal experiences at work...I let my other classmates talk too. It wasn't until we had to turn in our first homework assignment that I began to recognize what I've become. The assignment was to read a case study and answer 4 questions about it. Well, my paper turned out to be a little over 4 pages. We got into groups the night the case study was due to discuss them before turning them in, and as I looked around and saw the other papers, most everyone else had 1 or 2 pages. "Oh my gosh, I'm that girl in class", I thought. In my defense, it was double-spaced...although the assignment expectation was about 350 words....oops. I did get 100% on the paper though, with the comments of "way to tie in the HRM concepts! ...watch the length."

I'm starting to come to terms with it and accept that the 19-year-olds probably roll their eyes at me and talk about how annoying I can be, like I used to with the non-trads in my classes. Oh well, as long as I continue to do well in the class, I'm okay with being "that girl" (because I refuse to believe I'm old enough to be referred to as "lady")

Photo Project Failure

Well, for those of you keeping track, I state the obvious when I say I failed at my attempted photo project. No excuses - I chickened out at taking photos of myself and not taking a picture everyday led to forgetting what I wore on a particular day, and after that, I decided to just give up on the project. My bad. I don't want to give up on the idea of a photo project entirely, however, a fashion one appears not to be the one for me. I'm tossing around a few ideas and hopefully by the 1st of March, I can start on a new one.

President Awesome

Obama is the man, enough said.

New Jam

Cannot get enough of this track by fun. It is SO good! Check it out, seriously.

29 Cent Meal

I had all but one ingredient on hand for tonight's dinner of meatloaf and mac 'n cheese - a small can of tomato sauce that cost me 29 cents! I was very excited to have everything else in the pantry already.

Cupcake Bouquet

After seeing the idea on Pinterest, I decided to try my hand at a cupcake bouquet, in honor of Valentine's Day. It was a fun and tasty project, one that I would try again.

Baking With 'Lil

To help get in the spirit of Valentine's Day, 'Lil and I made cut-out cookies this afternoon. It was our first time baking in the kitchen together and I have to say, we made a pretty good team. Here is one of 'Lil decorating the cookies. A few more pictures on Flickr.

Vinyls

One of my most prized possession in my wardrobe, believe it or not, is a pair of Old Navy vinyl pants that I've had since circa 1999. Why? Simply put they are warm and comfy - perfect for lounging around the house on a cold day. I found another purpose for them yesterday - they make a good substitute for snow pants. Yesterday Jake and I enjoyed the 6+ inches of fresh snow we got over the weekend by taking a walk to Witmer Park and playing in it - snow angels, snowball fight, and playing on the swings. And the vinyls didn't let me down - they kept me warm and dry.

Photo Project - Day 1

Photo project is underway! You can view pictures here. No, I didn't take a photo of me in the outfit, which I admit, would be better. But there is something about taking a picture of myself that makes me feel awkward. "What pose? Should I smile? Damn, didn't get all of me in that one." After several tries, I got frustrated and decided the hanger could wear the outfit and be in the picture instead. It's not great, but it's only day 1. There's plenty of time to improve. I do welcome suggestions.

Sidenote: I got a couple compliments on my necklace today, both from older ladies. For a minute I wondered if it was a bad thing that I was wearing jewelry that appealed to the older generation. But I quickly pushed that thought out. I like it and honestly, that's all that matters.

Photo Project

In holding myself accountable for the resolution of taking more photos, I am taking on a photo project for the month of February. (I should preface this by saying I cannot take full credit for this, as Jake offered this idea to me after discussing the project with him.)

"A Tour of My Closet in 29 Days" - I'll be photo-journaling my outfit each day for the month of Februrary.

My goal in this is twofold:
1. The obvious - I use my camera more.
2. I give my wardrobe some "oomph" by getting creative with what's in my closet without having to go out and buy new items of clothing. (which, in turn, conveniently helps with my "less is more" goal)

Although it'll take more effort and force me to pick out my clothes the night before, I'm excited to take on this challenge and see what I can come up with.

Good Advice

I recently finished "Seriously, I'm Kidding" by Ellen DeGeneres, and as I listened to each chapter in my car, it solidified my admiration and love for her. She not only has the ability to make me laugh until I cry (seriously, watch "Here and Now") but she is one of those rare celebrities who uses her powers for good. I believe she's a genuinely good person and we need more people like her in our world.

That's why I was so glad she had several chapters of advice, so to speak, in this book. Here are several that have stuck in my head.

*Beauty: While talking about her CoverGirl opportunity, she talks about beauty and self acceptance. "True beauty is about who you are as a human being - your principles, your moral compass." She goes onto say that, "Above all things physical it is more important to be beautiful on the inside; to have a big heart and an open mind...Beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. It's about knowing and accepting who you are...Everyone has flaws. No one is perfect. Our flaws are what make us human. If we can accept them as part of who we are, they really don't even have to be an issue...Be who you really are. Embrace who you are. It's okay to be you."

*We all have too much stuff and we need to start the de-cluttering process.

*We need to pay attention to our bodies and stay healthy. Don't be lazy. Challenge yourself to get up and move around more.

*Secret of Life: Ellen says that the secret of life is to find happiness. Hold onto a sense of wonder. Notice all the incredible things around us, such as flowers and trees. She urges to not take things for granted, to appreciate what's around you, and to take risks, even if it's something small. "When you take risks, you will learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail. And both are equally important. It's hard to understand failure when you are going through it, but in the grand scheme of things, it's good to fall down. It's failure that gives you the proper perspective on success." She also says, "What's important is that you enjoy and appreciate everyday and that's something you can accomplish by just living in the moment. Don't look behind you and don't spend too much time worrying about the future. Just stay in the present."

*Stretch. Not just in the physical sense, but mentally as well. Keep your mind active and strive to constantly learn new things.

*Judgment: In talking about all the polls that are out there in the world, (such as a "who wore it best" poll) she says all they do is make you judgmental, something she does not believe in. "I don't think someone has to wear something better or have a better hair style. That's why the word 'different' exists in our language. We all spend so much time comparing ourselves to each other....It's not about being better than anyone else or having nicer things. I like being my own person with my own style and my own opinions. I think it's so much better to stand out in some way and set yourself a part from the masses....Who's to say what's better or worse? Who's to even say what's normal or average? We're all different people and we're all allowed to be different from one another."

*Have common courtesy. Be polite. Work on your manners. Say please and thank you. Be punctual. Just be nicer to one another.

*Get to know someone before making generalizations about them.

*Write a hand-written letter every now and again and set aside time to read.

*Be mindful of your actions and how it affects the planet: "The more we think about what we're doing and and what we're consuming, the better off we're gonna be." Recycle. Conserve water. Take reusable bags to the grocery store. Start to pay more attention to what's around you.

*Be honest.

*Stay positive: "It makes a big difference in your life when you stay positive."

*Be happy: She concludes her book with a few final words about happiness. "Do things that make you happy. Do things that make you feel good and proud. Contribute to the world. Help people. Make an impact. Show someone you care. Say something nice. Smile. Make eye contact. Laugh as much as you can. Emote - it's okay, it shows people you're thinking and feeling. Find out who you are and figure out what you believe in, even if it's different from what your neighbor believes in...Stay true to yourself. Have your own opinion...Don't worry about what people say about you or think about you...If we try just a little bit, we can make this world a happier and healthier one. And if we try even harder, we can do some pretty spectacular things."

The beauty of all of these things, is that they are relatively simple ideas. It's not rocket science and doesn't take a genius to understand. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's always easy to be positive or stop caring about what other people think or fully accept yourself, but they are all easy enough to understand and work towards.

Checking In

The nice thing about publishing your goals/resolutions online is that you feel like you are held more accountable. I realize we're only 18 days into 2012 and only a couple months in since my "goals" post, but I'm excited about my progress so far and feel it's worth documenting. It may come off as bragging and that I'm giving myself a pat on the back, but that's only because I am basically bragging and literally, right now, am patting myself on the back.

1. Career-Related Goal: I started my class last week and I think I'm going to really enjoy it. The professor is able to bring in 20+ years of HR experience and seems to have a passion for the field. I love that I can relate my "real world" job experience with the topics we are talking about in class.

2. Reading/Less TV: I've already made a few trips to the library and can count on 1 hand the # of hours I've watched TV in the last few weeks.

3. Fitness: I joined back up at the Y and am so happy with my decision. I also met with a wellness coach and we are working on a great plan that I'm excited about to keep up with a well-rounded fitness routine.

4. Less Is More: I earned $42.40 by taking some clothing items to Plato's Closet and took the rest (8 bags in total) to Goodwill after cleaning out my closet and drawers. It felt great to get rid of a bunch of stuff that I haven't worn/used in several years. (Thanks Jake for the help) I also demonstrated self-restraint at Target the other day when I put an adorable mustard-colored handbag on clearance for $11 back on the shelf before checking out, reminding myself that I am not in need of another handbag.

5. Photos: I'll be honest, this is one thing I've slacked on. I'm planning on borrowing the idea of a photo project of sorts, and will start that next month.

Surprise!

After church this afternoon, Jake asked if I wanted to go grab something to eat and I happily agreed. Little did I know, when we got to Jethros, there would be 8 others joining us. My friends threw me a surprise dinner party, in honor of me going back to school. I was completely surprised - I had no idea and I think it took me the entire meal to get over the shock! It was a great evening full of laughs and I couldn't be happier to be surrounded by all the love and support these people give to me each day.

I couldn't help but think on my drive home about how blessed I am to have such thoughtful and supportive friends. A night like tonight makes you realize how lucky you are.

Thanks again everyone!!

Last Thursday of Freedom

As Jake pointed out to me today, tonight was my last Thursday night of "freedom", as my class starts a week from tonight. "What are you going to do?", he asked me. I hadn't even thought about it being my last free Thursday night for a few months.

It didn't take me long to decide. On my way home, I decided to get wild 'n crazy by ordering a *cough* large *cough* pepperoni pizza from Casey's....all for me. I came home, ordered the pizza, put on sweats, picked up my pizza, came home and ate a few slices, put the rest in the fridge that will make for some great leftovers, and went to my room to have some laptop time before I turn off the lights and call it an early night.

Phew, hope I'm not hungover from all the wildness of this "last Thursday of freedom" :)

Resolutions

I'm not huge on resolutions but there are some things I'd like to start or do more of in 2012. I posted Goals back on 11/7 and I'm happy to report that I'm doing pretty well so far with this list. In addition to continuing to work on those, here are a few more....

1. Take more photos. This is something I haven't been very good about over the past couple of years and I'd like to get better about getting my camera out to capture more of life's moments.

2. Work on living with the mindset that less is more. Cleaning out closets and drawers (both here and back home), getting rid of clutter, and buying less.

3. Keep myself occupied with things other than watching TV when I have "down" time at home. I'm thinking seriously about getting rid of cable when moving into my next place. 1. I don't watch a lot of TV now, and can watch most anything online anymore. 2. I get irritated when flipping through the guide and seeing zero quality programming airing, especially knowing what we pay every month for it. 3. It'd be a great way to save money. 4. It'll help me stay on track with some of my other goals I set for myself back in November.

Along with my other goals, I think these are very attainable and I'm excited to get to work on them.

Strawberry Shortcake Kabobs

More praise for Pinterest - perfect "go to" when you need help generating some ideas when bringing food items to a party. I got this idea for dessert kabobs and thought it'd be perfect to bring for our New Year's Eve Eve party.

I couldn't find a ready-made lemon pound cake and I didn't have enough time to make it myself, so I put a spin on it and came up with Strawberry Shortcake Kabobs. Very simple - strawberries, angel food cake, and a chocolate drizzle to top it off. I was happy with how they turned out.