2010.. a review.

My loves.. I'm back. Finally feeling back to myself.. thankfully. I have a billion and half things to write and post, but first things first. 

1.What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
I fell unabashedly, whole heartedly, in love. I've loved before, but not like that. It ended, but I thank God everyday I was able to feel that regardless of how long it didn't last. And, I hit a telephone pole. That was awesome. Not. 

2.Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn't have any, so I guess I did. And the only thing I want to do in 2011 is to remember to be happy in every single moment and love it.. and do a lot of hot yoga. 

3.Did anyone close to you give birth?
Ew, no. 

4.Did anyone close to you die?
Kind of. 

5.What countries did you visit?
None.

6.What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
2010 has been a year leaving me so thankful for the good times. I want more of those good times. So many that I get used to them and almost forget to be thankful for them. 

7.What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Well.. there was January 1st when I hit the telephone pole. And then When I say John Mayer in concert. Ooooh my. 

8.What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I survived it and got into some amazing yoga postures. 

9.What was your biggest failure?
I moved back home. FAIL. 

10.Did you suffer illness or injury?
It would be easier to list the times when I didn't this year honestly. 

11.What was the best thing you bought?
My ticket to see John Mayer. 

12.Whose behavior merited celebration?
I think we all could have done better. 

13.Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
There are times and places in which I wish I had acted different. I hope I carry that with me the next time I'm in that position. 

14.Where did most of your money go?
Rent. And then my car. 

15.What events did you get really, really, really excited about?
John Mayer was by far the biggest high light of the year. 

16.What song will always remind you of 2010?
Taylor Swift - Today was a Fairytale

17.Compared to this time last year, are you:
i.happier or sadder? Happier, I think.
ii.thinner or fatter? the same!.
iii.richer or poorer? Richer actually. 

18.What do you wish you’d done more of?
Hmm.. good question. I think I'd have to say giving my time to others and yoga. 

19.What do you wish you’d done less of?
Stressing out. 

20.How will you be spending Christmas? 
I spent it with my family.. 2011 will be done the same way. 

21.Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
My mom, and Caitlin. 

22.Did you fall in love in 2010?
I did. 

23. How many one-night stands?
I had flings, but no one night things. 

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Dexter, No Ordinary Family and Big Bang Theory come out on top. 

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No way. I don't know what hate is. Really. 

26. What was the best book you read?
I can't say I had a favorite this year. 

27. What was your greatest musical discovery or rediscovery?

Nothing new in 2010... 

28. What did you want and get?
Everything.. except a new job. But that will happen in due time. 

29. What did you want and not get?
A new job. Here's to 2011!

30. What were your favorite films of this year?
I didn't really do a good job of seeing new movies this year. 

31.What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Had a BBQ.. turned 27. . Eeeps!

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Slept with John Mayer. Hey- we all have fantasies. Don't Judge. 

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Same as 2009. 

34. What kept you sane?
My friends and family. Couldn't have done it without them. Yoga and school. Kept me busy and my mind off of things. 

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most/least?
I was pretty disappointed by Jesse James. I mean why in the world would you cheat on Sandra Bullock.. and with that? Really? But I'm still riding high on the Britney train. 

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Still not sure why it's so hard for everyone to have equal rights. 

37. Whom did you miss?
I missed a lot of people. 

38. Who was the best new person you met?

Everyone new was awesome. 

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:

Be thankful, it really can just be over in a moment. 

40. Do you have any lost feelings of others.
I'm not sure I understand the question?

41.Quote a song that sums up your year:
I don't think there's one that can adequately sum up the entire year. 

Here's to 2011!

Coming down...

borrowed from somebodies tumblr. 

So, I've been basically going through what I consider to be detox the past few days after all the meds I've been on with my asthma- and it's horrible. I can't even begin to tell you how horrible I feel and unfortunately it's pretty much a 24/7 thing right now. I have found some relief in peppermint candies though and eat them non-stop just to get a little relief. 

Please bear with me as I'm certainly not suffering from writer's block and am absolutely dying to write, but just can barely stomach staring at the screen long enough without wanting to heave over. 

Everyday seems to get a little bit better though so hopefully regularly posting will resume ASAP. 

Thanks for sticking with me, I love you <3

Stilettos Aren't For Everyone.

I was in the mall this past weekend (not by choice, trust me) and while I was there I ended up behind a woman who was attempting to wear some stilettos. She was failing miserably though. The heel itself was definitely one of the skinniest I've seen while the height really wasn't that bad, probably only 3", which I believe isn't enough to even consider it a stiletto, but for arguments sake, we'll just say it was.

Here's the thing though, if you can't walk in them... don't wear them. Heck, don't even both buying them. I searched trying to find a pair to show you, but they're definitely a few seasons past (which there's nothing wrong with) because I couldn't find one.

Every time this girl took a step her foot and ankle would roll outward and she would wobble on her little bitty heel. If you're going to buy shoes like that, you need to own them when you walk in them and if you can't own them, then don't buy them.

It's just not pretty. At all. Trust me on this. Just because a shoe looks good on the rack, then looks pretty good on your foot, if you can't walk in it and rock it when you do, it's ugly. Just trust me on this.

Merry Christmas

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:8-14

This by far is one of my favorite bible verses, and so with it, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Because it's Christmas.

I paid for someone's toll yesterday as I paid for my own.

It's only a dollar.

And to be honest, I do it even when it's not Christmas anyway.

It's only a dollar.

You should too. A small cheap gesture goes farther than you'd think in someone's life.

Not everyone has tolls they have to pay on a daily basis in order to use the freeway, but I'm sure you could think of something small and cheap and easy to do.

Make sure you tell me too. I love hearing that stuff.

Candy Dipped Peanut Butter Ritz Sandwiches

Yes, I realize that title is a mouth full, but I didn't think of it myself. It actually came from Kevin and Amanda's blog. Amanda posted this recipe the other day and when I first saw it, I thought, Hmm.. what a weird combination, but yet it looks so tasty! So when Gramps went to the store later I had him pick up some Ritz and some vanilla candy chocolate. Unfortunately, the store was out of the chocolate so I had to wait until I felt up to going myself. Which was today.

Which goes to show just how amazing these are, because instead of posting cupcakes, I'm posting these.

After I got home with the chocolate though, they kind of stopped sounding good to me. Because they have kind of weird ingredients that make you go Hmmm. But, seeing as how I had everything I needed anyway and I'm rolling on 2 hours of sleep, I figured Eh, what the heck and made a dozen.

And Gramps loved them so much that even after that first batch, he asked me to please make some more so he could have them as dessert when he was finished with dinner.

He never does that.

Ever.

That's how good these are.

So, her pictures over there are way better than mine, but this is my blog, so here are my pictures.

The players:

And this is the one thing I love so much about these.. They are so incredibly easy. No oven. No stove. Only 3 ingredients. 

Anybody can make these.  

I used Reduced Fat Ritz (hey- it's what Gramps bought), Simply Jif Low Sodium Peanut Butter (hey- it was on sale), and vanilla candy chocolate, which is basically just white chocolate, don't be fooled. 

You can totally use regular Ritz and regular peanut butter, but you can also make it less bad for you by not. They came out so, so, so amazing that I will forever choose the oh-so-slightly-less-bad-for-you option. 

Makes me feel less guilty since I can't stop at eating just one. 

So, spread some peanut butter on your Ritz. Be generous, peanut butter is a gift from God. 

And make it a little peanut butter Ritz sandwich by topping it off with another Ritz. 

By the way, I think this might be the best food picture I've ever taken. 

Melt your chocolate in a bowl in the microwave. I did 45 seconds, stirred, 45 seconds, stirred, until it was done. 

It doesn't take that long. 

And then dip and coat. I forgot that picture, but I bet Amanda has one. 

And then I stuck them on a cookie rack on top of foil to dry. 

But if your as impatient as I am, I suggest you put them in the fridge for a few minutes. 

Then you can eat them right away. 

And as long as you make them the not so bad for you way, you'll love eating them so much that you won't start to feel guilty until you're on number four. 

Trust me. 

T-Bones (surprising) fail.. and then success.

I love hamburgers. A lot. They are always my favorite thing to order when I order or eat out. They are just so delish. I don't know what it is about them that I love so much, but man do I love them. One of my favorite places to order burgers from out here is a place called T-Bones. They have a few locations around New Hampshire, but they are still family owned and only a NH chain. I've never had a problem with them before and totally understood why they had been rated #1 burger in NH for the last 100 years, or something like that. 

The other night though, I ordered a hamburger for take out as we had absolutely nothing in the house to eat. When I was ordering it, the woman on the other end said it would be about 15-20 minutes, so I went with 20 just to be safe. Once I got there I had to wait an extra 10 minutes, which is fine, except I had to listen to one of the employees complain the entire 10 minutes extra. I don't mind waiting extra, I know things get backed up sometimes, it happens, so I really didn't mind, but the waitress complaining the entire time about someone she works with was just over the top. 

Then when I got home, this was my lettuce (courtesy of my camera phone)..

I know, right?

That led me to sending the following email to let them know about my experience. 

Hello,

I wanted to just you know about an experience I had in your restaurant tonight. I'm not upset or angry, just a little disappointed in the level of service and quality. First, let me say that you really do have the best burger's and everyone I know knows I love them and good they are. Tonight I ordered a B.L.T. burger for pick up. I was told that it would be ready in 20 minutes, but I ended up having to wait an additional 10 minutes. Which really doesn't bother me at all, I know the kitchen gets backed up and what not. However, my problem was that the entire time I was waiting I had to listen to one of the waitresses complain and complain about her job and the other girls that she worked with to the hostess- and it wasn't just an "Oh my gosh, I'm so frustrated!" moment- it lasted at least 10 minutes and was still going on when I left. I know we all get frustrated with our jobs, but that's what break-rooms or out best friends are for, not the greeting area of a restaurant. The other issue I had was in my burger. While the quality is usually exceptional, tonight this is what I found: [picture above]. Brown squishy wilted lettuce. Unfortunately all my lettuce was like this. Which in and of itself isn't a big deal- lettuce wilts, but to have it brown and squishy and just gross and then to put it on someone's burger? Ick! I have a really hard believing that this was just an oversight as how can you miss it? I really believe it was just laziness and not caring. After having to listen to the disgruntled employee for 10 minutes and then to come home to this when I went to eat it was just really disappointing. Thanks for taking the time to read about my recent experience. 

But then they turned that fail into a success by replying with the following

       Thank you for writing. I am so sorry to hear of your experience! As you can

imagine, the type of bantering you overheard while waiting in the lobby is

completely unacceptable; we are truly disappointed that this was your

experience and I assure you it will be addressed. As for your burger, it

looks as if your e-mail was supposed to include further details regarding

your meal, if that too was less than satisfactory please do not hesitate to

share the details, we certainly appreciate your feedback.

If you would be so kind as to forward me your full name and address I would

love to mail you a gift certificate with hopes of making this up to you as

well as to thank you for your feedback, allowing us to learn from your

experience.

Regards, Lisa 

And I can't tell you how unexpected that was. I didn't really expect anything in return other than a "thanks for bringing it to our attention," but they went one step further. I just wanted to them to know what had happened and instead they turned my bad visit into something really positive, which only makes me want to brag about them more. I wish more companies worked like this too. I know things happen, which is why I wasn't terribly upset with my experience, it was after all, only the first time, and I still would have eaten there again in the future, but instead of taking that chance that I might go somewhere else, T-Bones automatically fixed their mistake and insured that I would continue being a customer. Kudos to them! It's nice knowing that where I choose to spend my money is appreciated, because that's really what it comes down to. 

Going forward.

I decided this holiday season that no longer am I going to say Happy Holiday's when I'm at work.


For here on now it's Merry Christmas.

Unless they have a Jewish-looking nose. 

To them I'll say Happy Holidays. 

Apple's (as if there was any doubt) success!

I love Apple. No, like really love. And it's not just because they're products are sophisticated, sleek and stylish. It's also because they're quality products and I know when something goes wrong, which is hardly ever, I can count on Apple to fix it. They stand behind their products and I never have to think twice about the money I spend when buying a new laptop.

Here's my most recent story which happened last night, but by the time this posts it will have about 3-4 days ago (yes, I'm that ahead on publishing posts). Last night my battery charger for my MacBook stopped working. It worked and then it didn't. The light on it stopped going on. I was able to wiggle it and get it to work for the rest of the night, but this morning it was back to being dead. My MacBook is only about 6 months old, definitely still under warranty, so I made a Genius Bar appt. for this afternoon to take it down there.  

                                   

My appointment was for 3:30, but me not even making the connection that it's the Christmas shopping season AND I needed gas, didn't end up getting there till about 3:45-3:50. No problem though because a very nice associate quickly made me a new appointment for 4:00.  

4:00 came and my name was called immediately. I didn't have to wait until 4:05 or even 4:01. I sat at the bar explained what happened, they tried a couple things then promptly went out back, got me a new charger and I was on my way and back in my car by 4:15. 

Now that is service. 

And this is why I don't mind paying extra for a top quality laptop. This was the first time in my life of owning iBooks and MacBooks and iPods and iShuffles that I've ever had to stop at the Genius Bar for them to look at something. My computer never crashes and never gets viruses. My iPods always play and my iShuffles always shuffle. And when I did finally need help with something, they didn't ask me a bunch of silly questions, they just gave me what I need and sent me on my way. I love that. 

Can't sleep. Again.

So, I thought I'd share this with you while I'm waiting for sleep to visit. It's something that's moved me since the first time I read it and I hope it moves you too.

"Do you know what every single scandal has in common? People involved never woke up on a Thursday morning and said, “I think I’ll wreck my life today!” Sin is a death of a thousand cuts, a slow walk of a million little steps. Let’s save the energy we usually end up using to judge those who have fallen and instead invest it in moments like this to work on our own lives and walks of faith." -Jon Acuff

Every time I read it, it never fails to evoke such empathy in me. I think of all my own mistakes and screw ups, and maybe someday if you're lucky I'll share one, or maybe two of them with you. But, I think of these things I did and I can't help but look inward and ask myself how dare I even have a passing thought on some one else's life.

I was watching "The Good Wife" last night on TV and the main character is in the process of making a mistake and she repeats to herself over and over and she's about to do it, "this is a bad idea.. this is a bad idea.. this is a bad idea," but she carries on anyway. How many time do we do that ourselves?

If you're anything like me, it's a lot.

Yummy Delicious Brownie Bites.

A while ago, P-Dub had these amazing brownie bites on her site and so I decided to try them out. They came out amazing. I mean, so amazing, that they melt in your mouth. So amazing that everyone who tried them immediately fell in love with them. So amazing that they are now requested. They are a little time consuming and a little messy, but oh so worth it. 

Start your oven off at 325. 

I made them using plain old brownie mix from a box. I am so semi-homemade.

So make your brownies according to the box directions. 

Add in a cup of chocolate chips. 

I just use the expensive grocery store brand. I've found that using the more expensive kind definitely makes a huge difference in the flavor. 

You'll need a mini muffin pan. Make sure you extra, extra, extra grease it and then add some flour. 

Scoop your brownie mix into your pan. I used a cookie scoop to make it easier and have them all come out even. 

Now put your brownies into the oven for about 9-10 minutes. I like mine to still be a little squishy in the middle, so feel free to cook them just a little longer. 

FYI.. it was about here that my camera batteries died and I had to switch to the camera on my phone, so the rest of the pictures suck 100x more than they normally do anyway. 

Now your chocolate glaze. You can eat them without the glaze, but they won't be anywhere as enjoyable. 

Cut up your 8 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate 

This was my hand afterwards. Yum.. not. 

Then you'll need 8oz. of heavy cream.

Add 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup to your heavy cream.

                                      

Then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the mixture and pop it in the microwave for about a minute.

When it gets out of the microwave add your chocolate. 

And stir until it's all mixed together. 

Take your brownies out of the oven when they're done and turn them upside down on your cooling racks. Let them cool completely, about 10-15 minutes. 

Then it's time to dunk. 

I used a large salad fork to dunk my brownies, it was perfect for letting the chocolate drip off. 

I stuck my cooling rack inside of a cookie pan in order to contain the mess and this worked perfectly. You can use max paper I'm sure, but there is a good possibility that it will pool and get soggy. 

May the force be with you in that case. 

So once they were all coated, I added some sprinkles. 

I love sprinkles. 

I let them set for a while as well. Luckily our porch is like a second refrigerator this time of year, so I let them chill out there for about an hour to let the chocolate set. 

If you need the complete recipe and much better pictures, you can get it from P-Dub here. 

Yes, please.

I need me some Wolverine. 

Anxiety Triggers

You probably would never guess, but I'm not really a people person. I mean, I can be, but I prefer not to be. I'm a self-proclaimed loner. I'm not really good at making new friends, which is why I prefer to hold tight to the ones I do have. I'm quite introverted and need plenty of time alone to decompress from anything and everything. I've not good at parties with tons of people I don't know and when it does come to large groups of people I tend to anxious and make a face much like this..

So needless to say, I hate the mall.

No, really, I do. Even when it's not a holiday, there's just so many people everywhere. And the slow people always cut you off and then drag along and then randomly. Stop. Throwing you completely off guard and causing your stress level to sky rocket. Sometimes you try to move around them, but it's always difficult because you have other random people coming at you. There just seem to be no rules, it's like a free for all.

Or is that just me?

I'm pretty sure I'm not alone here though. If all the people there weren't bad enough, then you have to deal with the people at the stands in the mall who try to stop you so they can put weird stuff on your nails, or sell you a new cell phone when your's already works just fine, or they want to curl your hair with some straightener that they claim is a miracle. Well, quite frankly, it's not because the only thing coming from their stand is not a miracle, but rather the smell of burnt hair and those people letting them touch their hair are just crazy. You're not touching my hair, oh, no, you're not.

Now I understand why people go postal and why I need to get all my shopping done in February next year.

An American Classic

About a week ago, my mom was craving Rice Krispy Treats and kept bringing them up over and over. Finally, on like the 4th or 5th time of her talking about how long it's been since she's had them, I decided to make them, if only to get her to stop hinting to me about them. And so I went out and bought the ingredients:

A box of Rice Krispies cereal, a bag of marshmallows and a quarter stick of butter. 

I have to say too, these really are the easiest things to make and oh so yummy. No baking required!

Once again, I forgot to take a couple pictures. So bear with me. 

Melt your butter in a large pan and once it's melted add your marshmallows. Stir and stir until your marshmallows are melted and then add your cereal. Stir and stir that around until your cereal is properly coated in marshmallowy goodness and then transfer it to a 9 x 13 pan. I think the next time I make them though I'm going to toss in an extra handful of marshmallows. 

Once in the pan push it down until it's as level and even as you can get it or want it.

The directions say to use wax paper or a greased spatula, I say just use your hand. 10, 000x easier. 

Then enjoy. Try not to eat them all at once though, even though that's barely possible. 

Once you have a bite, you remember how good they were and next thing you know, half the pan is gone. 

The recipe for these can be found on the side of any Rice Krispies cereal box. 

There's something about making these that just brings back awesome childhood memories for me of when I was a kid making them with my mom, and I'm sure it'll do the same for you. I somehow remember them being a lot more difficult to make when I was a kid and now that I've remade them and realized how easy (and cheap!) they really are, it's definitely something I'll be making a lot more of. 

Nom, nom, nom.

A letter to sleep

Dear Sleep, 

      I miss you. I really wish you would come to visit once in a while, more than once a week and at 3.. sometimes 4 am, when the day is so soon going to interrupt our beautiful meeting. 

      I want to spend time with you, cuddle with you, love you, enjoy you, play little spoon to you... but you no sooner come than you're gone again, another 20 hours out of reach. 

      

      I know you have other places to go and people to see, I'm not trying to run your life, I just wish you'd make a little more time for me. 




I'll love you always, 
    even though you leave far too soon, 
          Elizabeth

My thoughts on... honey.

I love honey. It's so good just by the spoonful, in some tea with lemon or apple cider vinegar, in peanut butter, and even mixed in with my face masks or baking soda. And if that wasn't enough, it can usually be found in this adorably cute bear container..

How cute is that?

But yes, you read right. Lately I've begun mixing honey in with my baking soda whenever I use it. Previously I was just mixing baking soda in with my Noxema, which you can totally do with whatever facial cleanser you use, but I decided to try it on it's own and on a whim pulled out the honey. 

(You can read about my love of baking soda here if you need to play catch up.)

Now before you think I'm weird for that, wait, never mind, I am weird for that. I do a lot of weird things like that now that I think about it. I mean, after all, I do put sake on my face everyday. 

But, anyway, so I had read about honey having benefits on the face when used as a cleanser or in a mask. And while, I never bothered to follow up on it, I always kept it in the back of my mind. 

And tonight I just decide to add some to the mix, and I couldn't be happier I did. My face has never been so glowy. 

Can I just for a moment point out that in all my years of using all those crap facial cleansers and this and that, my face has never ever looked as good as it has since I began adding these natural, chemical free,  products to my skin care regimen. I really am 100% shocked as to how well they've worked and what a difference they have truly made. 

Let's get back to the honey, honey. So after getting this amazing glow I decided to see what was in it that makes it so great. Well, it turns out that first of all honey is a humectant, which means that it traps and retains moisture in your skin, supposedly keeping it from getting dry. I need a week or two before I can say I agree with this or not. 

Honey also contains glucose oxidase, which when combined with water is suppose to produce hydrogen peroxide. I'm not a scientist, but that's what they say anyway. Honey is also suppose to contain antioxidants and flava-flavonoids that act as antibaterial agents. Which is always good if you have acne prone skin like I do. 

In addition to all that, honey is suppose to reduce scarring and it's also rumored to soothe irritated skin and even out complexions. 

In summary.. you need to try it out for yourself. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I know it sounds odd, but give it a shot. And if not, it's always a good thing to have on hand for that nasty sore throat. 

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Who doesn't love artichoke and spinach dip? It's one of my absolute favs with tortilla chips, especially the blue ones. It's not something that needs an introduction so we'll skip directly to the players. 

Allow me to introduce the cast

 You'll need a frozen package of spinach (thawed), an 8oz package of cream cheese, a 1/2 cup of Parm. cheese (I used a little extra though), a 1/2 cup of shredded mozz cheese (I used a little extra of that too, and took the lazy way out and got preshredded), a 12-14 ox can of artichokes and about a teaspoon give or take of garlic powder. 

First, preheat your oven to 325-350

Thaw out your spinach in the microwave if needed and then make sure you absorb all the extra water that comes out form it, otherwise you'll have soggy spinach dip. 

Add your block of softened cream cheese. 

The cut up your artichokes into whatever size you want to eat on your chip. 

I cut mine up  little too small, I like it chunkier artichokes. 

Add then to your bowl

Then add your cheeses

And your garlic

Mix it all up really well

And then I forgot pictures after that, but you toss it in the oven for 20-25 minutes until it's warm and creamy and brown and toasty. 

Let it cool for a few minutes and then dive in. 

Cuteness.

I found this online and I thought it was absolutely adorable, so much so that I had to make one, post it, add a permanent thumbnail link to it, and then write about it for you.

So, basically, go check this out. You can put in your own words, or give it a link to something, in this case I told it to use The California Transplant for words and ta-da! There it is. You can then customize the font, the layout, the amount of words, the color, and lots of other stuff to make it uniquely you.

And mine definitely is, uniquely me!