Lil Mys Ninja

{this moment}

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

1/27/12 Edition

{this moment}^* - A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

^*{this moment} is a ritual adopted from SouleMama which was introduced to me by Irene of Inspiration From The Little Things. If you would like to participate…then post your picture on a Friday and leave your link in the comment section and above so that I and others can visit you as well.

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

1/26/12 Edition This week I’m thankful for: ~ Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter! ~ Oh my word…Yummy doesn’t even describe it. What rock have I been living under?!? There’s flavored peanut butter?? I think I am in LOVE! And I’m thankful that a fellow blogger told me about this brand AND flavor! My apples thank me now… ~ Books! ~ I love to read and I’m thankful that I have the capability to. EBooks are becoming more and more popular. While I enjoy the ease of having several eBooks at my fingertips with one touch, I still prefer the actual hard copy book. There’s nothing like the smell of a new book and turning a page… ~ My job! ~ Even though these past four weeks have been so stressful that I feel like I’m hanging at the end of the rope, I’m still grateful for my job. Yes, it can be stressful and a lot of responsibilities weigh on me, but I still love what I do and I’m thankful that I have a job to go to every day. What are you thankful for this week? Linking with:

A Day In The Life Of My Eats…(WAIW #2)

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday lovelies! I find it easier to document my eats on the weekend so I’m sharing my Sunday with you all. I’ve found lots of great inspiration the last two WIAW’s and I’ve pinned several in hopes to try them. As you can see below, I’ve tried one for breakfast! First, let me start by thanking Jenn for hosting this amazing link party!

What WIAW isn't about:
Comparison - Judgment - Restriction - Guilt
What WIAW is about:
Celebrating one of the glorious things we all have in common: We all eat!

WIAW is about food and fun! It's about making new friends, breaking out of a food rut, inspiring yourself & others, embracing fruit & vegetables, finding new ways to eat your favorite foods, and so much more ♥

Celebrate blogging. Celebrate Food. Celebrate Individuality.
[Cause over here, we like to party!]

1. Pre-Run Fuel (8:30am):

I can never eat right when I wake up, but I knew I need something in my stomach, so I forced down half of a banana.

2. BREAKFAST (9:30am):

After my morning run, I ~~chowed~~ shoveled down some oat bran cereal before making a mad dash to church for mass. In the mix: oat bran made with almond milk and chia seeds, then sweetened with 1 tbsp of Musselman’s apple butter and 1 tbsp of Cascadian Farm Strawberry fruit spread. Yummy!!

2. SNACK (1:00pm):

I’m getting comfortable with making smoothies. Years back when I was a healthy conscious workout freak, I took the easy route and bought the ready made smoothies. Boy was I missing out! I love experimenting and making them now! This one is a Strawberry Blueberry green smoothie. Blended: 1 cup of strawberries and blueberries, 1/2 cup of spinach, 1/2 cup of vanilla Chobani yogurt, 3/4 skim milk, and 1 tbsp ground flax seed. All my smoothies make 2 cups worth and I just drink 1 8oz cup and leave the other half for PJ to snack on.

3. LUNCH (2:30/3:00pm):

We had a Relay for Life team meeting at a friend’s house. Our team will be selling grilled chicken and cheese quesadillas at the Relay to raise money so Chris and Laura kindly cooked some up for the team to sample. Double yummy! As you can see, I snacked on a little bit of chips and dip before enjoying those quesadillas!

4. SNACK (6:30pm):

I paired up a granny smith apple with 2 tbsp of Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter.

I THINK I AM IN LOVE! Okay, so I have been living under a rock. I had no idea that there was anything else out there other than regular crunchy/creamy peanut butter and almond butter. A huge thanks to RaceReady for turning me on to this divine peanut butter. I don’t think I can ever go back to the regular kind now.

5. DINNER (8:00pm):

I originally started with some shredded BBQ chicken (made in the crockpot) and steamed broccoli. Then I realized that I was short on my calories for the day so after I ate the broccoli, I put the chicken on a whole wheat thin bagel. But for some reason I wasn’t too hungry because I only at half of that sandwich.

I have the Red Nose 5k Run this coming Saturday, so Sunday was a run day for me. Here’s my RunKeeper report:

Do You Have A Road ID?

2012-01-24T21:20:00.003-05:00

A fellow blogger at RaceReady posted a review of the Road ID today. I have to admit that I’ve seen it before and heck, I’ve wanted one for a long time…but I am a slacker. I have yet to get one. Considering that I do a lot of running outdoors now, her post today has reminded me how important it is that I have one.

When I go out for a run, I always have my house key, my phone and headphones, and even a small hand-sized can of pepper spray at times. But alas, I do not have any ID. I’m ashamed to even admit that.

Road ID is not just for runners either. Cyclists wear them too! If you’re not familiar with Road ID, then I suggest you check it out, especially if you are a runner or cyclist. Should there be an accident, your Road ID may help save your life!

Please stop on by RaceReady’s review on the Road ID. She is also sponsoring a Road ID giveaway to one lucky reader!
I’ve entered!
If I don’t win, I definitely plan on ordering one. Good luck!

Tasty Tuesdays: Banana Bread

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning lovely readers and food lovers! Who likes banana bread? {raises hand}

I’m not going to lie, I never used to like banana bread…now I do! In fact, I even craved banana bread. A few weeks back, my church had a bake sale after mass and I picked up a mini-serving of banana bread baked in a cute mini-loaf baking stone. And ever since then, I’ve been craving it.

So I decided I was going to make it. But you all know me…I can’t just follow directions. I had to make changes! Well, I wasn’t satisfied with the final product…but PJ loved it! I noticed that since I used half and half white flour versus whole wheat flour, the bread was more dense instead of light and fluffy. I knew that would be the case in replacing white flour with whole wheat flour, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be as dense as it was. Plus, since I used Agave in place of the normal 1 cup of sugar, I had to figure an even mixture between dry and wet ingredients.

Before you try following this recipe, please note my comments at the end since there are a few things that I would adjust after having made this for the first time. So here goes:

Banana Bread
Adapted from My life before I “Kick the Bucket” and Recipes, Made My Way!

Ingredients:

2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup Agave Light
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp sour cream
3 ripe bananas
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
dash of salt (the butter I used was salted)
handful of chocolate chips, amount to your liking

Directions:

1.) Mash bananas with cinnamon and set aside.

2.) Mix the flours together and set aside.

3.) Mix the butter with the Agave well.

4.) Add egg and sour cream.

5.) Then add baking soda and salt.

6.) Alternate mixing the bananas and the flour to the bowl.

7.) When mixed well, add in chocolate chips.

8.) Bake at 350 for 50 30-40 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. I used a Bundt cake pan, but you can use whatever baking pan you like.

Notes for next time:

Use a mixture of 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 and 1/2 cup of white flour. This should make less dense and a bit more fluffier.
Add more bananas. The 3 bananas didn’t give enough of a banana taste. I would probably use 4 or 5 next time, depending on the size.
Bake for only 30 – 40 minutes, start checking at 30 minutes. The Agave and whole wheat flour bakes darker therefore it was hard for me to determine exactly when it was ready. The 50 minutes I baked it for was a little bit, causing the pan crust to be a little tough.

Oh well, you bake and learn. I’ve always been more of a cook rather than a baker. I’ll try again in a few weeks and hopefully it will come out the way that *I* want it to…we’ll see! {fingers crossed}

Linking with the following blog hops:

It’s Pinteresting Monday!

2012-01-23T14:12:00.001-05:00

Good morning bloggerville!

If you are a dedicated follower, then you already know that I’ve hitched a ride on PJ’s bandwagon with the healthy ~~kick~~ lifestyle. I haven’t been far from the wagon when I fell a few years back, so it’s been rather easy for me to jump right back on and I’m feeling great about it…in fact I’ve already taken over the reigns. Imagine that, right? But what I’m really excited about is that I have someone to share it with and he came to it on his own terms. You all know what I’m talking about. It’s easy to do something yourself, but oh-so-much-easier when your partner is involved too. It’s great because now we’re shopping for the same foods together instead of getting what he wants versus what I want, etc, etc, etc… Feel me? I’m happy that he’s open to the options that I’m throwing his way plus I’ve got renewed excitement over things like flax seed and smoothies as I had years ago. I love sharing things I’ve learned and love!

Anyhow, with all that being said…I’ve done quite a lot of “pinning” over the past week or so. The weekly link up party that Jenn hosts on Wednesdays has given me much inspiration! So here’s what I’ve been “pinning” on my “Healthy” board this past weekend:

Blueberry Pancakes via Sharon @ Bit of the Good Stuff

Oatmeal & Flax Pancakes via Jessica @ What Would Jessica Eat?

Homemade Trail Mix via Amy Elizabeth @ A Healthe Eater

Honey Whole Wheat Chia Seeds Pancakes via Julie @ Peanut Butter Fingers

Tuna Melt Panini via Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries

Parfait via Teniesha @ Vegan on the Go-Go

Egg White Microwave Oat Bran via Emma @ Microcosm of Life

3 Ingredient Fudge via Kristin @ Stuft Mama

I can’t wait to try all these yummy eats!

The Versatile Blogger Award

2012-01-21T20:22:00.001-05:00

Wow…I’ve been awarded my first blogging award! I’ve just recently became more involved in the blogging community so before I didn’t really pay much attention to stuff like this. When I first started blogging years ago, I didn’t expect it to come this far. I originally started just as an online personal journal for myself (it still is, of course). Then I went through a spell where I thought I had to have a “theme” and I couldn’t make up my mind on what ONE specific subject I could focus and write about ALL the time. Then I finally just settled on blogging about what I want, when I want…thus “A Day In The Life Of Maria…” was actualized. I blog about ~~anything~~ my daily interests or passions at that point in my life. I’ve recently started joining in on blog hops and link ups and I love it! I’ve learned a lot and it gives inspiration for many things from other bloggers in the blogosphere.

With all that being said, I’ve been award “The Versatile Blogger” award from Hi_D over at Random Hi_D. I never thought before that blogging about my random things would be much interesting so I was happily surprised when Hi_D announced this award to me.

So, here are rules for this award:

Thank the person that nominated you, and give them a shout out on your blog with a link to theirs.
Share 7 random facts about yourself.
Send on the award to 15 other bloggers whose blog you love and appreciate and then let them know they won the award.

Hi_D and I “met” though iBlog4.me and she is another Filipina! So right there we had that in common. She, like me, loves to post about anything that she finds interesting in her life at the moment. She also loves to read and write. (Sounds a lot like me again??) I love following her blog and seeing what goes on over on the other side of the world! I’m hoping to learn through her about life in the Philippines.

Seven random facts about me:

I’m a little bit OCD. Yes, I drive PJ crazy and some people don’t understand, especially him. I’m very very very particular about where things should be and how I do things.
On top of being OCD, I’m also a neat freak. It absolutely drives me bonkers when things are “messy”. They may be out of place (or if I do have a specific place for it, it NEEDS to be in the specific place) but as long as it’s NEAT, then I’m okay…for a little bit. Don’t get me wrong, I can “deal” with things being slightly messy or out of place. But after looking at it for a while, something builds up in me and I get so irritated until it’s fixed.
I’m short. I am 4 foot 11 inches. Yes, you read that right…just one inch short of 5 foot! I know, right? I couldn’t have been given just ONE MORE INCH? (That’s what she said…)
I hate wearing dresses. Feel privileged if you ever saw me in a dress in your lifetime. I’m a jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers type of girl. Every once in a while, I’ll wear heels out and about, but I can’t dance unless I’m in sneakers (and I LOVE to dance)! My daily work outfit consists of dress pants with a casual/dress top or business suits. So after working all day, I love to dress down.
I’m utterly in love with and completely fascinated with ♥ tigers ♥.
I’m my daddy’s girl. When it comes to my car, I can change my own tire and check the air pressure, change my own oil (on my car AND my bike), check all the fluids, change my own spark plugs, and change my own battery. Not to mention that I’m also a home owner, therefore I do everything with my house and yard within my means (with friends’ help included!) before I hire someone else to do it.
I’m a social butterfly but I also cherish my “ME” time!

It was really hard for me to come up with 15 blogs because with being so busy, I can’t keep up with a whole lot of blogs and most of the ones that I do keep up with have “themes”. In sticking with the “versatile” theme, I was only able to come up with nine. So I pretty much failed to meet rule #3…oops! I’m awarding the following blogs:

{this moment}

2012-01-20T01:27:00.001-05:00

01/20/12 Edition

{this moment} - A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

*{this moment} is a ritual adopted from SouleMama which was introduced to me by Irene of Inspiration From The Little Things. If you would like to participate….. then post your picture on a Friday and leave your link in the comment section and above so that I and others can visit you as well.

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-19T04:07:00.002-05:00

1/19/12 Edition This week I’m thankful for: ~ Experiences ~ Whether it be some new big experience or small day-to-day experiences; whether it be good or bad; I’m grateful to have the ability to experience them. I can see, touch, smell, feel, and hear…which is more than what some people can do daily and for that I am thankful. ~ Long time Best Friends ~ Friends come and go over the years in your life, but I will always have those special people who have been there ~~the longest~~ forever and will always be there when needed, no questions asked. Even though we’ve grown older and moved away, that friendship is still just as special. It’s hard to find friends like that now-a-days. I’m blessed to have those special people in my life. ~ Family ~ This week a friend of mine lost her father. He was a huge part of her life. Learning of her loss made me realize how ~~thankful~~ blessed I am to have both of my parents. Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Linking with:

My 1st Official What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW)

2012-01-18T02:34:00.001-05:00

I came across Jen’s blog one day while blog hopping for recipes. Her “What I Ate Wednesday” blog hop is full of health-conscious bloggers who share every Wednesday an entire day’s worth of eats from that week. What a great way to keep a food diary. Why would you care what I am eating? Well, I’m hoping that this will help any of you out who there curious about how and what you can incorporate in your daily meals to build a healthier lifestyle. You might have already read about my revived motivation to make a conscious effort to improve mine. I’m not one of those 3-meals a day type of person. I eat several times a day, spaced out and portioned properly. This is a perfect way to help keep myself accountable on my journey. Plus joining in Jen’s blog hop also helps me get meal inspiration from others! Thank you Jen for hosting such a fabulous blog party!

Click on the button below to join in!

Linking with:

Let’s get started, shall we?

Here’s what Sunday looked like. My first official day back at watching what I eat and counting calories.

1. BREAKFAST:

I had some turkey and diced potatoes left over from my breakfast burrito freezer cooking day so I used that to whip up a quick egg+egg white omelet. Topped off with about a tbsp of 2% reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese. Paired with about 4 or 5 strawberries, half a banana, and a glass of water.

2. MORNING SNACK:

I measured out 1oz of Emerald’s dry roasted almonds and paired it with Sargento’s “Light” string cheese. And of course, I drink more water. I haven’t figured out yet if I like the dry roasted or just regular almonds better.

3. LUNCH:

I love spinach! So lunch consisted of a spinach and broccoli salad with sunflower seeds and feta, topped with 2 tsp of homemade fresh squeezed lemon dressing. LOVE! I got the recipe for this yummy dressing from Michelle @ The Adirondack Chick. Oh, have I mentioned that I love love LOVE lemons?

I paired my lunch with a cup of Starbuck’s vanilla rooibos tea, sweetened with 2 tsp of Agave.

4. AFTERNOON SNACK:

I tried out one of those ready-made Yoplait smoothie bags. This is the Banana Strawberry one and I split it with PJ.

5. DINNER:

Left over chili topped with a tbsp of 2% reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop (about a tsp) of fat free sour cream. I paired it with a slice of Nature’s Own whole wheat bread to sop up all the yummy chili! And of course, more water to drink. You can find my chili recipe here.

Not too bad for watching what I ate. But I did miss my rice for that day. I’m Filipina-American so rice is a staple food in my daily diet. However, in the past year I’ve started mixing brown rice in with my jasmine white rice in an effort to have a healthier rice intake.

Monday was even better:

1. BREAKFAST:

Oatmeal made with 8 oz Silk Almond Milk with 1 tbsp of brown sugar and a few chocolate chips. Paired that with about 4 strawberries and my daily cup of coffee.

2. MORNING SNACK:

The 1 oz roasted almonds paired again with a stick of string cheese. Another cup of vanilla rooibos tea sweetened with 2 tsp of Agave.

3. LUNCH:

The spinach salad again but paired this time with some baby carrots.

4. AFTERNOON SNACK:

No more Yoplait smoothie bags, so on to the homemade smoothies! A multi-berry (strawberry, raspberry, & blueberry) smoothie made with a banana, 1/2 cup of fat free vanilla yogurt and 1 cup of skim milk.

5. DINNER:

I used my rice cooker/steamer to cook my rice and steam the thin boneless pork chop! The pork chop was seasoned with salt, pepper, and onion powder. The rice was a 1 to 2 part mixture of brown and white rice. Yum!

It’s been so long since I counted calories so it’s taking a little bit to get back in the swing of things. I think in the long run it will help with my running so I can make sure that I’m taking in enough calories.

If you’ve made it to the end of this post, then thank you for reading! Any input is welcomed!

Happy WIA Wednesday!

Tasty Tuesdays: It's Chili Season!

2012-01-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

One of the things that I like about the cold winter nights is having a nice bowl of some good hot chili! One night this past week it got cold enough for me to pull out all the ingredients for that pot of chili. I don’t have a crazy great recipe or anything, I mostly throw together the common ingredients but I love it and want to share!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground Beef

Diced tomatoes

1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans

1 can Pinto Beans

2 cans Tomato Sauce

Garlic, minced

Chili Powder, according to your taste

Chili Seasoning Packet

Salt, according to your taste

On my last trip to the grocery store, Publix had a great sale on their brand tomato sauce. Buying two 8oz cans saved more money over buying one 15oz can. So for this pot of chili I ended up using four 8oz cans in place of the two 15oz cans I normally use. I also used to use canned tomatoes but since we have been buying co-op bags this season, I have plenty tomatoes diced up and packaged in the freezer to use.

Start by seasoning the beef with chili powder, brown, then drain if necessary. I always buy very lean ground beef (93/7 or 94/6) so by the time it’s browned, there’s next to no oil left therefore I rarely need to drain the beef.

In one pot, combine all ingredients and stir. Heat to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer. I simmered my pot for about 20 minutes. I always eat my chili with some shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream (which I was missing since we ran out) and a slice of whole wheat bread to sop it all up! Enjoy!

Linking with the following blog hops:

Monday Confessions: 1/16/12 Edition

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Geek Saga)

I confess... I am a bit jealous that some people have today off. I unfortunately have to work on Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday. It sure would have been nice to have a three day weekend.

I confess... I don’t sometimes think before I speak. Yes, I know, I admit it. Now that I’ve said it, I’m beginning to wonder if I should have it in writing like this…

I confess... I want to hibernate during the cold weather. This past week has started to get colder. I mean I can’t really complain much cause it is January, but I hate being cold. Give me any other season BUT winter. Not to mention that my ankle is KILLING me right now. I took this past week off from running for fear that I may injure it because of the pain. I’m hoping it will begin to subside this week. I have a race in two Saturdays.

More Healthy Goodness!

2012-01-15T17:32:00.001-05:00

Yes, I made another trip to the store. After getting more meal inspiration from other bloggers, I decided to grab a few other needed items. The co-op bags that we get every other week (full of fresh fruit & vegetables) is currently on hold and they will not resume deliveries until the end of January. I didn’t realize how great it was to have all that good stuff until we’ve been without for a little over a month. So PJ and I both went shopping together this time and came out with more healthy and yummy goodness!

We stopped off at Kroger’s and I found that the single servings of Silk Almond milk was on sale! These are perfect for me instead of having a big carton in the fridge. I can grab these on the way out the door instead of having to worry about measuring out a serving or two. So you know I couldn’t pass up grabbing a few. Plus I’ve never tried the chocolate one, so why not? As you can see, we also grabbed some great snack foods with a couple bunches of fresh broccoli, which are my favorite. Now we’re ready for the week! Happy Sunday my lovely readers!

Currently…

2012-01-15T04:05:00.001-05:00

CURRENT BOOK(S) CURRENT PLAYLIST Just downloaded the following from my Shazam wish list: Work Out – J Cole Blackout – Breathe Carolina Good Feeling – Flo Rida CURRENT DRINK Mimosa CURRENT FOOD CURRENT FAVORITE SHOW CURRENT NEEDS I’m in desperate need for a vacation day or two from work. I. Need. A. Break. Oh, and more sleep of course. CURRENT TRIUMPH(S) Making it through this past work week. CURRENT BANE(S) OF MY EXISTENCE Slow people driving in the fast lane. CURRENT CELEBRITY CRUSH I originally fell in lust with Ian Somerhalder when he first played on the TV series, Lost. CURRENT #1 BLESSING My family CURRENT INDULGENCE

CURRENT OUTFIT PJ pants and a Habitat For Humanity t-shirt (one of the few long sleeve t-shirts I wear during the cold season) CURRENT EXCITEMENT The Oyster Festival in Charleston at the end of this month! Can’t wait to spend the day with friends, beer, and music…oh and OYSTERS!

CURRENT MOOD Sleepy @ 4am. CURRENT FAVORITE QUOTE OR VERSE CURRENT FAVORITE APP CURRENT FAVORITE PRODUCT The Rocket Blender

Linking up with Jenn at Perfectly Imperfect.

My Revived Motivation

2012-01-14T15:08:00.001-05:00

With PJ’s newly found motivation to eat better and be more healthy this year, I found myself last night spending hours in the blogging world hopping around checking out healthy bloggers that I found through a blog hop. I do know what the healthy foods are, but it was great to see how others incorporate these foods daily and their meal ideas. Thus, I now have a revived motivation to do the same again. Years back when I started working out and running, I changed my eating habits. I was one of those people that ate the way these healthy bloggers ate. However, over the past few years it has waivered a bit and I fell away from working out for a little while. For the most part, though, those eating habits stuck with me and I still try to eat fairly healthy. It is, after all, a lifestyle change, right? So I never really lost my re-trained eating habits. I still semi-watch what I’m eating; I still incorporate egg whites and lean meats in my daily diet; I still eat several small meals a day versus three big meals; and as you all know, I’ve become a runner again.

With all that being said, I stopped at the grocery store this afternoon and stocked up on fruit, a big tub of vanilla yogurt, baby spinach, cartons of egg whites, and bags of frozen fruit for smoothies (even a couple of those Yoplait smoothie bags that I’ve been dying to try). I didn’t intend to buy egg whites since I still have a few cartons in my freezer, but the brand that I love was on sale so I couldn’t resist! And now I’ve got ideas running through my head all day.

I want to buy more of a variety of fruit and freeze my own for the smoothies. Those bags of frozen fruit are convenient, yes, but I think I may get more of my money’s worth if I buy it fresh and freeze it myself. Plus, after I got home from the shopping trip, I noticed my neighbor out in her back yard picking greens out of her garden…so guess what? Yep, that’s right, I’m now yearning to plant my own garden!

But that, my dear readers, is another blog post…

{this moment}

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

1/13/12 Edition

{this moment} - A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

*{this moment} is a ritual adopted from SouleMama which was introduced to me by Irene of Inspiration From The Little Things. If you would like to participate….. then post your picture on a Friday and leave your link in the comment section and above so that I and others can visit you as well.

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-12T02:59:00.002-05:00

1/12/12 Edition This week I’m thankful for: ~ Helmet time! ~ It was so beautiful Saturday that I couldn’t resist jumping in the saddle for some helmet time! With this crazy South Carolina winter weather, bikers like to take advantage of whatever riding weather is thrown our way. I should consider myself lucky though considering I don’t have to winterize my bike and am able to enjoy some much needed helmet time in January! ~ Mimosas! ~ PJ and I now have a tradition during the holiday season. We enjoy mimosas on Christmas and New Year’s and this year we bought two bottles of champagne instead of just one. This work week has been crazy stressful so I couldn’t help but pop open that second bottle Tuesday night to relax with a nice cold mimosa! ~ My fur-kids ~ I don’t have kids…I have four-legged fur-kids. But they are JUST like kids. Socks is the eldest and it’s funny to watch how jealous Raven will get when Socks gets any type of attention from me. Raven is the typical annoying little sister. Their daily interactions keep me laughing! ♥ Linking with:

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T20:46:00.001-05:00

Tasty Tuesdays: Laura’s Homemade Marinara with Calamari

2012-01-10T00:12:00.002-05:00

Hello fellow food lovers! This week I’m introducing a dear friend of mine as my guest for this Tasty Tuesdays’ post. A couple weeks ago during a party at her house, she made some homemade marinara and calamari to die for! Well…okay, maybe not to die for literally, but lemme tell you, I enjoy some good calamari and her marinara sauce was so yummy that I asked her to guest post so we could share! So, with no further adieu, here’s the lovely Mrs. Laura…

I’m so excited to be guest blogging for Tasty Tuesday! I have the best time cooking for others, and putting my own twist on recipes as I learn more and more about cooking.

Traditionally, my cooking style is “throw-stuff-in-a-pot-and-see-what-happens”, so sharing my recipe has proven harder than I initially expected. I combined a pizza sauce recipe that is a favorite in my house, and some basic essentials of any good Italian tomato sauce. Although I used canned tomatoes (it’s January, after all), this sauce tasted fresh and flavorful. I would highly recommend adding fresh herbs from your garden if they’re available to add a little authenticity.

Start with a 2 quart (or bigger) sauce pan – I always try to make this in big batches so I can freeze it for later (add ground beef for spaghetti, etc). Cover the bottom of the pan with olive oil and add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. Put over medium heat until it starts to sizzle a little, but stir a little so the garlic doesn’t burn.

When the oil is hot (usually about 2-3 minutes), pour in your tomato puree and crushed tomatoes. The combination of these will give you the consistency of marinara sauce that you are familiar with. Mix together well.

And now for the fun part! For Italian food, I always go for the basil first, and add liberally. Again, if you have fresh basil, chop it finely and throw it in. Other essentials are sea salt, garlic salt, black pepper, and a pinch of ground red pepper (for a little kick). I also used oregano and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute for good measure. I find it best to add all the spices to the top before stirring, because it gives me an idea of what to add. There isn’t an exact science to this – it’s a matter of personal preference, and the more you make this, the better you will know what you like.

To counteract the acidity of the tomatoes, I like to add about a tablespoon of brown sugar. This doesn’t make it sweet, but tones down the tanginess of the tomatoes so you can really taste the seasoning.

Once you have added all seasonings, stir well. Bring your mixture to a bubble, then cover and turn to low heat. The longer your sauce simmers, the better the flavors will mix.

As a general rule, I simmer my sauce for an hour, remove from heat, and refrigerate overnight. When you want to heat it back up, put it back on the stove over low heat, and stir occasionally.

For the calamari, I used frozen rings I bought from a local seafood market. Now that I’ve done it once, I would prefer to get larger pieces and more variety, but these worked for my maiden voyage in seafood frying. I heated cooking oil (I used peanut because we had some left over from frying a turkey a few weeks back) in a medium sized frying pan as I made the batter. I took about 1-1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic, salt, pepper, and a pinch of ground red pepper and mixed them well. Then, I added water until I had a slightly thick batter. Dip the calamari rings in this batter, and then roll it in plain bread crumbs. Throw these in the hot oil for about 2 minutes – any longer will make them chewy. Be sure to do small batches, and scoop them out with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel to drain off excess oil.

Voilà! A simple and delicious appetizer that will impress guests and fool them into thinking you are a master chef!

~Mrs. Laura~
Follow: Mrs. Laura on Pinterest

Linking with the following blog hops:

Monday Confessions: 1/9/12 Edition

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Geek Saga)

I confess...Now matter how easy those videos or step by step instructions make it seem, cleaning squid is harder than it looks. I spent about an hour cleaning a whole box of squid because I was craving calamari. I should now be considered an expert.

I confess...Even though I sometimes complain about this crazy South Carolina weather, I love it when we get a day in January where I’m able to run in shorts and a t-shirt. Luckily those unseasonably warm days fell on the weekend this time and I was also able to enjoy some helmet time!

I Won…Er, Raven Won A Giveaway!

2012-01-08T18:27:00.001-05:00

I follow Michelle and Toby at My Tail Hurts From Wagging So Much. Back in November they held a giveaway on the blog post Pet Products for Your Home and Your Pet, which showcased several pet products. The winner was to receive a braised liver flavor Lickety Stik dog treat and a bottle of Comfort Zone stress-reducing spray for puppies and dogs.

I entered and won! Or should I say, Raven was the winner…she’s the one to use the prizes, of course! Technically we haven’t tried out the stress-reducing spray yet, but plan to later this month when we head to Charleston for a weekend. I wish we would have had it back in September when we went on our vacation. Poor Raven was stressed at having visited so many new places, especially New York City!

She has enjoyed the Lickety Stik dog treat though.

Socks was so jealous that she had to sneak in a lick too!

Thank you Michelle and Toby!
Raven (and Socks) thank you also!!

{this moment}

2012-01-06T06:55:00.001-05:00

1/6/12 Edition
{this moment} - A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

1/5/12 Edition This week I’m thankful for: ~ Dancing in the streets! ~ Our town held a New Year’s Eve celebration like we’ve never seen before. They closed off a couple of blocks in the middle of downtown, built a stage in the middle of an intersection, and brought George Clinton and P-Funk to ring in the new year with us! It was like our own little “Times Square”…and did I mention that it was free?? What better way to ring in the new year than dancing in the streets to the sounds of George Clinton and P-Funk?!?! I had a blast with my friends and my love! ~ Beaufort Stew & Oysters! ~ Mmmm…oysters! Some friends hosted a party for Anna, who was home visiting for the holidays. I LOVE LOVE LOVE oysters! The beaufort stew was great too but a little bit spicy for my taste. Not to mention that Laura whipped up some homemade calamari and marinara! Double yummy! (It’s so good that I want her to guest post a Tasty Tuesday blog specifically for her recipe!) ~ Reading! ~ It’s a gift!! If you know me at all, then you know that I love to read. When I was younger, I read tons of books. After high school, I kind of fell away from reading, however this past year I’ve made it a point to read more. I even set myself a reading challenge for the year to keep myself motivated. With that being said, our library now offers downloadable media…eBooks! It works just like a regular library book and you have to have a library card to check out an eBook. Since I have not used the public library in over 5 years, my card was no longer valid. Monday I registered for a new one. Now I’m ready to read more…and for free! Linking with:

Private Selections Frozen Food

2012-01-05T00:09:00.003-05:00

As a BzzAgent, I was invited to join this BzzCampaign but had never heard of the brand. I found out that it’s available exclusively at Kroger, which is convenient for me since there’s one a few miles from my home that I shop at periodically. In my BzzCampaign package I received three coupons for three free items; one pizza, one appetizer, and one dessert dish. So PJ and I set out for a trip to Kroger to grab the three items to sample.

Our Kroger only had three pizza options; BBQ Chicken, Margherita Napolitana, and the Fire Roasted Vegetable. I’m fairly picky when it comes to pizza so I chose the Margherita Napolitana since it had halved grape tomatoes and pearlini mozzarella on it. It’s a thin crust, oval-shaped pizza and looked delicious on the packaging. However I was not impressed with the size nor the taste. Let me just reiterate…I’m fairly picky when it comes to my pizza. The servings were perfect for just the two of us. I believe we got three pieces a piece after I finished slicing it. If it didn’t have the pearlini mozzarella pieces, then there wouldn’t have been enough cheese for my liking. I don’t think I’ll be trying this again. PJ didn’t care too much for it either.

Next we chose an appetizer. I didn’t much care for the selection that our Kroger had but we finally settled on the Southwestern Style Chicken Trumpets. I was a little leery since I’m not too fond of spicy things but I figured it couldn’t be too bad. Now those were pretty good! I believe there were about 12 to a box, however they were small so at first I was a little bit disappointed. But when I cooked them up and ate them I was surprised. I liked this better than the pizza! The chicken wasn’t dried out and the bite of the spice was just enough for me to handle. We finished the box between the two of us because they were so small. But I would definitely pick these up again simply just because they’d make a great snack to keep on hand…plus PJ liked this one too!

Then there was the dessert. We had three options; Blueberry Peach Panna Cotta, Northern Spy Apple Crisp, and Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I like apple but the Northern Spy Apple Crisp just didn’t look too appealing to me. Now I do like some pineapple upside down cake! It seems like the perfect portion size. But alas, it is 430 calories per serving…ouch! It came in it’s own little black bowl to be cooked in. It even had it’s own slice of pineapple on top! Very easy to make, just pop it in the microwave for a minute, turn it over, pop it out of the bowl, and voilà! I must say that for a frozen cake, it was actually really good and VERY sweet!! This was my favorite of all three items. I would definitely try this again but would make sure I ate it on one of my running days!
** I am a BzzAgent and was asked to share information regarding the PRIVATE SELECTION® FROZEN FOODS. In some instances I do receive product samples, coupons, collateral or other special premiums from BzzAgent.com, however that does not affect my judgment of my review. **

Tasty Tuesdays: Cheesecake Pancakes

2012-01-03T00:46:00.005-05:00

Hello fellow food lovers! I came across this recipe one day from BettyCrocker.com. In fact, I think it was emailed to me from their mailing list, I can’t really remember, but I had printed it out and set it aside to one day try mainly because I love cheesecake! Friday was the perfect day to try them out since it was the first day of my four day weekend! I must note that I made these with the assumption that I still had a bottle of strawberry syrup in my fridge. Sadly, I did not…but the pancakes were still good on their own!

Since I had only a half block of cream cheese to use (leftover from a dish I made the week before), I halved the recipe and of course, made my own version. Below is the recipe from the Betty Crocker website and my variations are highlighted.

Pancakes

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese {1/2 block (4oz) of the 1/3 Less Fat "Neufchâtel" Philadelphia Cream Cheese}

2 cups Original Bisquick® mix {1/2 cup Bisquick mix + 1/2 whole wheat flour}

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs {1/4 cup}

1/4 cup sugar {1/8 cup}

1 cup milk {1/2 cup}

2 eggs {1 egg}

Strawberry Syrup {I didn’t have strawberries on hand, and as I stated above, I thought I had the strawberry syrup but did not. Some people told me that I should have used jam or jelly in place of it, but I just did without. Next time I plan on having the strawberries and syrup!}
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup strawberry syrup for pancakes

{In order to get the graham cracker crumbs, I just took a bunch of graham crackers, stuck them in a ziplock bag, and then crushed them with a spoon…it worked perfectly!}

1.) Slice cream cheese lengthwise into four pieces. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; cover and freeze 8 hours or overnight. {I did this the week before and the cream cheese was still good to use even after having been frozen for a week.}

2.) Brush griddle or skillet with vegetable oil, or spray with cooking spray; heat griddle to 375°F or heat skillet over medium heat.

3.) Cut cream cheese into bite-size pieces; set aside. {I really just chunked the pieces and some of them shaved off slivers as I tried cutting them. So I had a mixture but it was good enough for me!}

4.) In large bowl, stir Bisquick mix, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, milk and eggs with whisk or fork until blended. Stir in cream cheese.

5.) For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/3 cup batter onto hot griddle. Cook until edges are dry. Turn; cook other sides until golden brown.

6.) In small bowl, mix strawberries and syrup; top pancakes with strawberry mixture. {Again, as stated above, I skipped this step.}

These turned out so yummy! I loved the chunks of cream cheese when I bit into them. I think the whole wheat flour made them a little more dense because they weren’t as fluffy but they still tasted great to me. I can’t wait to try these with the strawberries and syrup next time!

Linking with the following blog hops:

Monday Confessions: 1/2/12 Edition

2012-01-02T12:24:00.003-05:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Geek Saga)

I confess...Even though I've enjoyed sleeping in the past few days, it's made me feel rather lazy. I'm not used to sleeping in so much and then I feel like I've wasted half the day away. Maybe I'm just missing my spring and summer months. I think the days are starting to get longer, right?!?

I confess...Like most everyone else, I'm so not ready to return to work tomorrow. I had a blast this four-day New Year's weekend. I kinda wish I had taken an extra day off.

I confess...As I'm writing this blog post, I'm eating ice cream and pistachio cake instead of lunch. I really must get out for a run today...

101 Challenge Update: December 2011

2011-12-31T09:00:00.049-05:00

Learning & Growth

I've been telling my mom that I want to learn Tagalog but have yet to put forth the effort. For Christmas, she put in my stocking a pocket Tagalog dictionary. So I'm going to try to learn a word each week. I guess the letter "A" is a good place to start.

abala - busy, to bother

Philanthrophy

In the week of December, I signed up for three shifts of gift wrapping for Happy Wheels at the nearest Barnes & Noble location. I wrap gifts well so volunteering a few hours of my time for a wonderful volunteer organization is the least I could do. It's the children who benefit from it so it was well worth my time!

Blog Post: Holiday Gift Wrapping For Happy Wheels!

Financial

Paying off both my FIA credit card and personal bank loan are both underway. I will be making payments above the minimum amount due in order to get them paid off within my 1,001 days. I've also started rebuilding my emergency fund and am no longer dipping into it. I've set up regular monthly transfers to my savings in order to be consistent with putting a certain amount away.

Food

This month I tried four new recipes.

1.) Twice Bake Potato Casserole - it was pretty good but I enjoy PJ's cheesy potato dish over this one. I guess I'll leave the potato casserole dishes up to him.

2.) Alice's Best EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies - I made these for my job's cookie exchange for Christmas. I had to lecture PJ to stay out of them that night so I'd have some to take to work! PJ absolutely loved these cookies and I did too! I'll be saving this recipe (my variation, of course) to use again!

3.) Peppermint Marshmallows - I made these for my Christmas gift jars that I handed out to my coworkers. It took me three tries to find the right recipe and get a good batch. But I should be an expert now! They came out pretty good, if I don't say so myself!

4.) Cheesecake pancakes - I had half a block of cream cheese that needed to be used so when I came across this recipe, I figured it was perfect. I made these yesterday morning with the assumption that I still had a bottle of strawberry syrup in the fridge. Needless to say, I did not...but the cheesecake pancakes were still good without syrup! (Stay tuned this Tuesday for the blog post of my version of this recipe.

Entertainment

I slowed down this month on reading. Holidays always makes life busy so I unfortunately didn't get much reading in as I wanted. Which means that I didn't met my 2011 Reading Challenge of 20 books. I did, however, meet my original challenge of 12 books, I just happen to increase it to 20 after I met the original goal. So, with all that being said, I only finished one book this month: Breathless by Dean Koontz

Funny how I mentioned last month that PJ and I hardly ever go to the movies. Well, we hit up the theater again this month...this time for PJ's choice. He liked the first Sherlock Holmes so much that he wanted to see the 2nd one in the theater instead of waiting for the DVD release. I didn't care much for either movie. In fact, I fell asleep during the 1st one the 1st three times I tried to watch it. I forced myself to finish watching the day before we went to the theaters for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. I cannot tell a lie...I was fighting sleep during the movie! And I never have a problem with staying awake in a theater!

I'm 61 days down and only 940 days to go!

It's also the last day of 2011.
I wish you all a very Happy, Blessed, and SAFE New Year's!!!
See you all in 2012!

My 2011 In Pictures

2011-12-30T12:00:00.003-05:00

Now that 2011 is coming to a close, I wanted to do a year end post with the highlights of my year just as I had done the last two years. But this year I want to do something different and the other day I came across an idea. I follow Kristen at "From Kristen, With Love" and she did a "2011 In Pictures" blog post, which inspired me to blog my highlights in pictures rather that just listing them! With that being said, here's a look back on my life in 2011. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

~ January ~

We took a trip to Charleston for the Boone Hall Oyster Festival.

While there that weekend, we spent a day at the Patriots Point Naval Maritime Museum.

February

We celebrated our 1st Valentine's day. Instead of flowers & candy, PJ got me flowers & a fruit basket. He knows me so well :)

That same month, PJ's niece (Addison) was born.

March

PJ's family visits and we take a trip to Riverbanks Zoo.

April

I ran in the Cooper River Bridge 10K Run again after a 2 year hiatus due to a car accident.

And I beat my sister's time this year!

While in Charleston that weekend for the race, PJ and I visited the Firefly distillery.

And we had our caricature done at the Cajun Festival on John's Island.

Later that month the owner of my company treated his employees to a Harbor Cruise in Charleston on his boat, The Salty Dog!

May

My friends and I created a team and participated in the Relay For Life in honor of our friend, Chris Burkett. We raised just over $4,000 in a matter of 3-4 weeks!

I celebrated another birthday!

June

We bought a quick-setup above ground pool.

July

Auntie Maria visits newborn baby Caleb!
(My best friend's little sister delivers a healthy baby boy on 07/13/11)

That same month, PJ buys his first motorcycle and begins wrenching it.
I'm so proud of him!

August

We took a spur-of-the-moment trip to Table Rock Mountain for a weekend camping trip and I talked PJ into taking the day hiking trip with me up the mountain.

September

Our first vacation road trip! We spent 10 days traveling to Ohio to Pennsylvania to New York City to Upstate New York then all the way back home.
What a whirlwind trip! I LOVED it!

October

I participated in a Cancer Awareness motorcycle ride that my friend Beth organized.

PJ and I dress up as the Queen of Hearts and the Mad Hatter for Halloween.

November

The Britt brothers held their "3rd Annual Britts Thanksgiving Bash".

December

I participated in my first ever Toys For Tots Motorcycle Ride.

My friend Brandi and I volunteered our time to do holiday gift wrapping for Happy Wheels at a local Barnes & Noble.

I was blessed to celebrate another Christmas season with my loved ones!

Get ready 2012, here we come!

{this moment}

2011-12-30T00:00:00.002-05:00

12/30/11 Edition

{this moment} - A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-29T06:34:00.000-05:00

12/29/11 Edition
This week I'm thankful for:

~ Four day weekends! ~
Every year my company gives Christmas Eve, Christmas day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's day off. So at the end of every year, I have two four day weekends in a row! It's almost like a mini-end-of-year-vacation! Some of last weekend was spent being lazy in the papasan chair with Raven while reading, blogging, or surfing around on the web. I have one more four day weekend coming up!

~ Christmas holidays with my loved ones! ~
I rang in Christmas day at Our Lady of The Hills Catholic Church for midnight mass, celebrating the true meaning of Christmas - Jesus Christ! After sleeping in a little bit, we started the day with just us and the furkids, then headed to PJ's brother's house to spend the first part of the day with his family. Then we headed to my parents' house to have dinner and spend the rest of the evening with my family. I am truly blessed!

~ Running! ~
There was a time where I was not certain that I'd run again, much less ever beat my PR from years before. I'm happy to say that I'm once again a RUNNER and on Christmas Eve I beat my 5K PR time by 10 seconds! (Before Saturday, my 5K PR was 30:23 from 2006!)

Linking with:

Please Support Me In The American Cancer Society 2012 Relay for Life!

2011-12-28T21:40:00.000-05:00

This year, over 1.4 million Americans will hear the words "You have cancer". At Relay For Life we celebrate loved ones who have won their battle against cancer, remember those who are no longer with us, and fight back against this disease that touches so many. There are several friends that have been touched and affected by cancer. I relay for all of my friends and family that have to go through the battle. I relay for them and their families. I relay so that hopefully one day we will find a cure. In honor of them, I will be walking on April 20, 2012 in the 2012 Relay for Life of Downtown Columbia, SC.

At the event, our team will camp out overnight for 12 hours and take turns walking around the track to raise money and awareness! I really need your help to meet the challenge of meeting my fundraising goal. However, my challenge is nothing in comparison to the challenge that so many children and adults have to face 24 hours a day once diagnosed with cancer. I feel blessed to be part of such an important cause.

Last year, we were "Chris's Crusaders", but realized that for many cancer patients and survivors, a little humor and laughter can go a long way. We have always loved Chris just the way he is -- before cancer, and after. By embracing the changes that have come his way, Chris is an inspiration to us all. This year, in his honor, we are "The One Nut Wonders"!

Please help support my efforts with a tax-deductible contribution to the American Cancer Society. Any size donation is appreciated, none is too small!

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take…but by the moments that take our breath away.”
RELAY FOR LIFE WILL TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY!
Remember, Cancer never sleeps and on April 20th 7pm - April 21st 7am, neither will we!! Together, we can make a difference!

Warm regards and many thanks,

My Relay For Life Page: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/onwmaria
Our Team's Relay For Life Page: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/theonenutwonders

Tasty Tuesdays: Cocoa with Peppermint Marshmallows

2011-12-27T07:00:00.013-05:00

While surfing around Pinterest and blog hopping one day, I came across a great Christmas gift idea for my co-workers: Cocoa with Peppermint Marshmallows. Yes, I know that cocoa mix is common, however I decided to MAKE the peppermint marshmallows instead of giving the store bought kind. I don't know why, but I think the Little Miss Suzy Homemaker surfaced in me. So I googled the recipe for the cocoa mix. I can't remember where I found it but I know that I tweaked a little from the original.

Here's my variation for a batch of the cocoa mix I used in the jars:
2 lbs of Nesquik
2 lbs of confectioner's sugar (powdered)
16 oz of Coffeemate Creamer
2 (9.6 oz) packs of Carnation powdered milk

Mix ingredients well and fill the mason jars about 3/4 full.

Now for the peppermint marshmallows. I found two different recipes, Martha Stewart's and an adaptation from Our Best Bites.

I tried Martha Stewart's twice, even following all the suggestions in the reviews but to no avail, the marshmallows failed. Therefore, I decided to try the recipe from Our Best Bites. Well, let's just say, 3rd time's the charm! They turned out perfect!

Here's their recipe:
{This is their verbiage for the recipe from their blog post located here, my notes or variations are highlighted in yellow}
Homemade Marshmallows
adapted from Alton Brown, variations by Our Best Bites

3 packets unflavored gelatin
1 C ice water, divided
1 1/2 C sugar
1 C light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ~~vanilla~~ {Peppermint} extract
1/4 C corn starch
1/4 C powdered sugar
9 x 13" pan {I used a jelly roll pan since I wanted mini-marshmallows}
non stick spray
candy thermometer

1.) Place the contents of the gelatin packets into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1/2 C of the ice water. Stir gently to combine and then set that bowl aside.

2.) In a small saucepan combine: remaining 1/2 C water, corn syrup, granulated sugar, and salt. Stir mixture to combine and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and then clip a candy thermometer onto the pan. The sugar mixture needs to remain on a simmer and come to a temperature of 245 degrees F. It may take 20 minutes or so, so just stir the mixture every once and a while and keep an eye on the temp.

3.) After the mixture reaches 245 degrees, remove from heat. Slowly pour the sugar mixture into the bowl with the gelatin.

4.) After you add the entire sugar mixture to the gelatin turn the beater speed up to med-high. Continue to whip for 12-15 minutes, adding the vanilla in the last few minutes of beating.

5.) While your sugar goo is magically transforming into soft, fluffy marshmallows, prepare your pan. Combine the cornstarch and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Spray a 9 x 13" pan with non stick spray and coat the bottom and sides with the cornstarch mixture. Tap excess out and save it.

6.) When your marshmallows are done beating the mixture should be thick and white and luke warm. Scrape the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan. The stuff is sticky and gooey and it might put up a fight. {I took their advice and kept my spatula sprayed down with non-stick spray in order to work with and spread out the mixture in the pan. This is a MUST since the mixture is EXTREMELY sticky!} Once the marshmallow mixture is all in the pan you’ll need to spread it out.

7.) Let the pan sit at room temp for about an hour (to form a dry layer on the top) and sprinkle a couple spoonfuls of the corn starch mixture over the top. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and let it sit overnight.

8.) When they’re ready to cut, just pull the marshmallowy sheet out of the pan. It should pop right out. {I laid it out on dusted parchment paper and used the pizza cutter (also dusted often) to cut the mini-squares.}
Grab a pizza cutter, or a sharp knife if you don’t have a pizza cutter, and cut the marshmallow into cubes. It helps to dust your cutting implement with the cornstarch-sugar mixture. Especially after it gets sticky stuff on it.

9.) Once they are cut, dust each marshmallow lightly with the remaining cornstarch mixture. This makes them easy to handle and keeps them from sticking together.

10.) After cutting you’ll want to keep these in an air tight container or they will dry out just like store-bought ones do. They’ll be good for a couple of weeks if stored well.

Now that the marshmallows were made, time to get the labels printed and attached! PJ was my test subject. But I sure didn't hear him complaining about it as he tested several cups of cocoa to figure the best measurement for the directions. Then I was able to make the labels and attach them to the gift jars. Everyone at work was impressed and appreciative of my little project!

My mom even loved the idea so much that she wants me to make some gift jars for her coworkers too!
Linking with the following blog hops:

Book Review: Breathless

2011-12-26T21:50:00.000-05:00

Breathless by Dean Koontz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A friend of mine read this book and recommended it so I ordered it through the Goodreads book swap*. Then it sat on my coffee table for months. I finally picked it up last month and I loved it.

There are numerous points of view within the book, or rather characters and their storylines, so it seems to jump around a bit. But it didn't take me long to keep up and their lives all converge around a puzzling phenomenon so all the dots connect at some point. The encounter of a pair of extraordinary creatures never seen before are the center of the story. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat as the mystery of their origins unravels. I was intrigued through out the whole book and it definitely got me thinking more as the story began to reveal more possibilities.

I keep saying this...I want to read more of Dean Kootnz's books. I love how he has a scientific supernatural mystery spin on things.

*Unfortunately the Goodreads Book Swap is now closed.

View all my reviews

"I Has Ink V2.0"

2011-12-26T15:14:00.000-05:00

Good Monday-After-Christmas lovely readers! This week's Monday Confessions is taking a vacation.

With that said, the lovely Sweta over at http://www.sweta-online.com/ asked me to be a part of her "I has ink tattoo showcase". Since I love telling the stories behind my tattoos, I could not pass up this opportunity! Thanks to Sweta for featuring me!!

Please click on the button below to read the feature! Enjoy!

It's Beginning To Feel A Little Like Christmas...

2011-12-24T14:22:00.000-05:00

Finally Mother Nature has blessed us with a little cooler weather just in time for Christmas! I'm snuggled up with some hot cocoa and Raven for the day. I dare not venture out in the last-minute-Christmas-shopping madness! No thank you! I'm not moving until it's time for Midnight Mass...

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and may you be blessed with happiness and love!

Our 3ft Christmas Tree

Yesterday I was featured on For The Love Of Blogs!
Click on the button below if you're interested in checking
out my featured post.

Praying For Shayna Conway

2011-12-23T09:01:00.004-05:00

It's easy to get caught up in the Christmas season with running around, buying presents, making plans for dinner, etc. Some lose the Christmas spirit and their manners as they rush around trying to get last minute presents while braving the crowds at the mall and in the streets. It's easy to forget that others can lose a whole lot more.

This morning I read a blog post from a Twitter friend of mine named Rob. He and his family are dealing with a tragedy that happened a week ago to the daughter of a family friend. She will survive but will deal with a long road to recovery.

Please take a minute and read his blog post here.

I hope that you all will remember her and her family in your prayers during this Christmas season.
Merry Christmas.

{this moment}

2011-12-23T07:30:00.004-05:00

12/23/11 Edition

{this moment} - A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-22T01:33:00.001-05:00

12/22/11 Edition

This week I'm thankful for:

~ Times that my cat (Socks) makes me laugh! ~

After my shopping trip the other day I just kinda threw the empty shopping bags on the floor and forgot about them. After some time I realized that Socks was nowhere to be found. I happened to look in the kitchen to find her settled in one of my empty shopping bags. How could you not giggle at this sight?? ♥

~ Generous friends! ~Thankfully my friend, Kathee, let me borrow her Kitchenaid so I was able to make homemade peppermint marshmallows this week for my cocoa gift jars! I had fun with it and can imagine all the possibilities if only I owned a Kitchenaid. Kathee has been gracious enough to let me borrow it for as long as I'd like to use it. I'm planning on doing some recipes on my "must-try" list in the next week or so before I hand it back over. I know what's on my wish list now!

~ Music! ~As I'm sitting here typing up this blog post (which happens to be at 1:30AM), I'm enjoying the sounds of PJ playing his music. ♥ I love the nights that he's in his room (aka "man-cave"/"music room") and only the sound of his music fills the house as I'm sitting in the living room with my computer on my lap and the TV ~~muted~~ paused.
Linking with:

Holiday Gift Wrapping for Happy Wheels!

2011-12-21T23:15:00.002-05:00

Hello lovely readers! Some of you may remember my post about joining the running team called Team Happy Wheels. Due to my fulltime job, I'm not able to volunteer for the non-profit organization, Happy Wheels (what the running team stems from), however I had the opportunity to volunteer in another way...gift wrapping!

Barnes & Noble runs a holiday book drive each year. This year they chose Happy Wheels for the 3rd year in a row! (Last year the organization received 3000 donated books from the drive!) In return, Happy Wheels gift wrapped for free at two locations this holiday season beginning the day after Thanksgiving up to this week. We were also able to collect donations for the organization.

With all that being said, and plus the fact that my father volunteers to gift wrap for Red Cross every holiday season, how could I not participate?? So I signed up for a few shifts! I was able to snap a few pics in between customers during one of my shifts.

Happy Wheels Gift Wrapping Table

Brandi, my partner in crime

As of Monday, Dec. 19th, Happy Wheels raised almost

$1,000 in donations from gift wrapping!

A $20 and a $10! We had some awesome customers!!

Snip, snip...I swear I'm not crazy...

Please check out the Happy Wheels Facebook page! We love fans!

Tasty Tuesdays: Alice's Best EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-20T00:00:00.015-05:00

I've never participated in a cookie exchange because I've never really been a baker. But considering that I'm supposed to try 50 new recipes before July 28, 2014 (101 in 1,001 Days Challenge), I figured 'what-the-hey! Might as well!' And I'm glad I did cause I had fun making them! (Okay, so maybe I just really had fun using the Kitchenaid!)

I was blog hopping last week and stopped by Amanda's blog: The Beginning Of Everything, where I found Alice's chocolate chip cookie recipe. So I decided to try this recipe for the cookie exchange!

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups (12 oz) all-purpose flour *If at all possible, please weigh the flour {I weighed and used a mix of 6oz all-purpose flour and 6oz whole wheat flour.}
3/4 tsp. smallish-medium coarse sea salt {Pay no attention to the "Kosher" salt in the picture. After having realized I bought the wrong salt, I had PJ bring me home some Sea Salt just for this recipe!}
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
Preheat oven to 360 degrees.
Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes on medium-high speed on a K-5).

Add both eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated.
Finally add chocolate chips until well distributed. The cookie batter should be somewhat thick.
Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough or use a medium cookie scoop and plop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are nice and golden brown.
Remove from heat and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes. Pick up the parchment paper with the cookies still on top and transfer to a cool non-porous surface. Allow the cookies to cool on the paper for at least 3 minutes before serving.

So the cookie exchange was a success and I only had four left to bring home to PJ!

Linking with the following blog hops:

Monday Confessions: 12/19/11 Edition

2011-12-19T07:30:00.008-05:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Geek Saga)

I confess...I am one of those last minute shoppers. I used to be really bad about Christmas shopping, waiting until Christmas Eve to finish up. The last few years I've gotten a little better. Now I finish up the week of Christmas. I always say that next year I'll start shopping early. Early meaning shopping throughout the year and just stocking up on the gifts until Christmas gets here. Yeah, that NEVER happens, no matter how many times I say it. With that being said, I have just a few more little items to get in the next five days.

I confess...I tried to make homemade marshmallows with a hand mixer thinking it would work. My first batch of peppermint marshmallows failed because I did not get the thickness needed with just a little measly hand mixer. Luckily a friend of mine let me borrow her Kitchenaid and that did the trick! The 2nd batch was a success! But I found a different recipe that I think may be better so I'm going to do a 3rd batch.

I confess...I am in love with a Kitchenaid.

{this moment}

2011-12-17T01:09:00.003-05:00

12/16/11 Edition

{this moment} - A Friday ritual.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . .

Couponing: 'Tis The Season...

2011-12-17T00:28:00.000-05:00

Hello lovely readers! I'm sure most of you know by now that I've learned to coupon and am taking advantage of it 99% of the time when I go shopping. I try to use a coupon when possible! If you're not couponing...you should be! It's amazing the amount of money that can be saved! I've stocked up a little over the past few months on things like cereal, Chef Boyardee, soups, and even frozen foods. This new found interest has definitely helped me get more bang for my buck. I'm seeing savings anywhere from 25-70% on all my grocery shopping trips.

In a time where the economy is struggling, jobs are scarce, and money is tight; couponing has given me the opportunity to still give this season. I went through my pantry and filled up a grocery bag of dry and canned foods and condiments to donate to the local Harvest Hope Food Bank.

I challenge you to do the same!
It does not have to be the same exact thing, per se, but to reach into yourself and find a way to be able to give within your means. Please don't be so quick to brush this off and say you can't because there are many ways that you can give without reaching deep into your pockets. I came across a blog post at Couponing101.com about ideas on how to give for free. Please click here and take a minute to check out the possibilities!

Remember, no amount is too small for the person who needs it!

Currently...

2011-12-16T01:15:00.000-05:00

I came across this link party through Kristen Danielle's blog and found it interesting. It definitely gave me a subject to blog for today! Linking up with Jenn at Perfectly Imperfect.

CURRENT BOOK(S)
I've been trying to finish Breathless by Dean Koontz. It's not that I'm struggling or not interested...I'm loving the book! The problem I'm having is finding the time to sit down and finish it! If only there were more hours in a day...

Source: barnesandnoble.com via Maria on Pinterest

CURRENT PLAYLIST
Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO is a daily repeat. I get a laugh out of it because I immediately think of the video when I hear the song. Not to mention that it's a fun song to ~~work out~~ run to.

CURRENT COLOR
Black is really an ongoing color for me. I wear a lot of blacks, grays, blues, and earth-tone colors. I wear color every once in a while, but those are the color schemes that I mostly stick to.

CURRENT DRINK
I'm currently on a coconut rum & pineapple juice kick. I tend to always gravitate back to this drink when I've lost interest in some new drink.

CURRENT FOOD
Filipino dishes! I've been missing my mom's cooking so I've been calling my mom for her recipes, searching for recipes online and cooking filipino dishes.

CURRENT FAVORITE SHOW
I'm hooked...

Source: AETV.com

CURRENT NEEDS
Sleep....must...get...some....SLEEP!

CURRENT TRIUMPH(S)
This year I finally participated in the Toys For Tots Motorcycle Ride on 12/4/11. It was my first large group ride. Normally I don't like riding with a very large group for so many reasons. However, I'm glad I participated. It was fun!

CURRENT BANE(S) OF MY EXISTENCE
4th Quarter...'nuff said. In my career field, our 4th quarter basically runs from the end of September/beginning of October until about the end of January/beginning of February........Is it March yet?!?!?!

CURRENT CELEBRITY CRUSH
I don't really follow celebrities. But a couple of my all-time favs are Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale.

Source: People.com

Source: AlwaysGirls.com

CURRENT #1 BLESSING
LIFE!

CURRENT INDULGENCE
Blueberry Coffee from Dunkin Donuts. Now that's it's winter and getting colder, I find myself wanting to stop at Dunkin Donuts for a nice large cup of blueberry coffee before heading to work.

CURRENT OUTFIT
Since it's midnight and I'm sitting in the papasan chair at home, I'm not going to post a picture of my outfit. It consists of pajama pants and a Publix t-shirt.

CURRENT EXCITEMENT
Christmas season!

CURRENT MOOD
Tired

CURRENT FAVORITE HOLIDAY DECORATION
My little 3ft Christmas tree with the tiny blue ornaments and ice white christmas lights. Topped off with my Angel!

CURRENT #1 ITEM ON YOUR WISHLIST
The GoPro HD Hero2........WANT!
I've been eyeing this little gadget all year. Well, technically I've been eyeing the first generation Hero. However, with the release of the Hero2 and the desire to video more of my motorcycle rides, I now want it even more. I'm hoping that Santa will be nice to me this year. [winks]

Source: GoPro.com

Excerpt from GroPro.com:
2X More Powerful in Every Way
Professional 11MP Sensor
2x Faster Image Processor
2X Sharper Glass Lens
Professional Low Light Performance
Full 170º, Medium 127º, Narrow 90º FOV in 1080p
120 fps WVGA, 60 fps 720p, 48 fps 960p, 30 fps 1080p Video
Full 170º and Medium 127º FOV Photos
10 11MP Photos Per Second Burst
1 11MP Photo Every 0.5 Sec Timelapse Mode
3.5mm External Stereo Microphone Input
Simple Language-based User Interface
Wi-Fi BacPac™ and Wi-Fi Remote™ Compatible (coming soon)
Long Range Remote Control of up to 50 GoPro Cameras
Wi-Fi Video/Photo Preview + Playback + Control via GoPro App
Live Streaming Video and Photos to the Web

CURRENT NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION
I don't really do New Year's Resolutions. I am, however, participating in a 101 in 1001 days challenge. You can read more about it here.

Tasty Tuesdays: Twice Baked Potato Casserole

2011-12-13T07:30:00.003-05:00

PJ is famous within his family and friends for his ranch potato casserole dish. And I can't argue with why everyone likes it...cause I love it myself! Therefore I don't do potato dishes, I leave it up to him. However, when I came across this recipe in a blog post at Six Sisters' Stuff via Pinterest, I couldn't resist trying it out...with my own variation, of course! (Okay, have I posted ANY recipe that I've followed to a T??) Plus, I split the recipe in half in order to make just enough instead of an abundance of a dish. It was only three of us eating dinner that night.

With that being said, here's my variation of the recipe:

About 3lbs of potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 container of sour cream (8oz container)
1/2 block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 stick of butter (I used the salted butter)
1 jar of Hormel Bacon Bits
1 bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Scallions for garnish

Boil potatoes until soft, then drain.
Preheat oven at 350 degrees
Mash thoroughly with a fork.
Add cream cheese, sour cream, and butter and mix thoroughly until creamy.

Add generous amount of bacon bits, 3/4 of the shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper, then mix thoroughly.
Transfer to a buttered baking dish and top with remaining cheese

Bake until cheese is melted (about 20-30 mins)
Top with bacon bits and scallions for garnish.

Linking with the following blog hops:

Monday Confessions: 12/12/11 Edition

2011-12-12T07:30:00.005-05:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Greek Saga)

I confess...Although I was complaining that I wasn't in the holiday spirit because it was too warm, I'm still not ready for the cold weather. But Mother Nature must have heard me complaining because the temp has dropped the past few days. I'd be happy if we only had 3 seasons...spring, summer, and fall!

I confess...I'm creative in some ways, but not when it comes to crafts. I can write a poem but I can't go into a craft store and become inspired to do something crafty. I have no idea where to start. This season I wanted to do something crafty to give as gifts at work. I decided that Pinterest was the perfect site to surf around for ideas!

I confess...My new guilty pleasure is Hardcore Pawn on truTV.com. Talk about some crazy people! I get a laugh out of every episode.

Toys For Tots Ride 2011

2011-12-09T07:30:00.004-05:00

This year is the first year that I've participated in the Toys For Tots Motorcycle Ride. Thanks to my friend John for convincing me and Mother Nature for giving us a beautiful day, I decided to join in after refusing invitations for the past several years. Enjoy the video!

Juicing It Up!

2011-12-08T06:31:00.000-05:00

We get an SC Farmers Co-op bag every two weeks and they deliver it to work for us. So PJ and I end up with loads of goodies, both vegetables and fruits. Our freezer is even stocked up with corn because we've gotten so much of that this season! It's saved us plenty of money and forced me to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits. However, I don't eat as much fruit as I should so it tends to pile up on the fridge. Well, one night it dawned on me that I don't necessarily have to EAT all this fruit raw. I can use the oranges, tangerines, and tangelos other ways. Therefore I decided to juice them! It worked perfectly so last night I decided to do it again!

This is one of the times where I wish I had an actual juicer...but alas, I had to make do with my handy dandy Pampered Chef Citrus Press. I had two of each: Florida Red Naval Orange, Florida Naval Orange, and tangelo.

So I started out quartering the red naval orange then I remembered that the first time I did this, PJ mentioned the juice being a little bit bitter. I figured it was because I squeezed them through the citrus press with the rinds on. So I went through and peeled them all.

Much better! So I cut them up in sizes small enough to fit in the citrus peel and got to work! I love the colorful array of fruit I had in this picture below.

It took about a half an hour total to do it all. Juicing all the pieces were a pain but in the end it's worth it. (It would have been even better if I had that juicer!) I ended up with 2 cups (16 oz.) worth of juice out of six pieces of fruit.

Nothing like freshly squeezed orange/tangelo juice with your breakfast in the morning!

Tasty Tuesdays: Ginisang Mungo (Mung Bean Soup)

2011-12-06T07:30:00.007-05:00

I'm sharing another filipino recipe that I learned from my mother. I always call it Mungo beans but it's really called Ginisang Mungo, or otherwise known in English as Mung Bean Soup. I always have a bag of mung beans in the pantry, in fact right now I have one and a half bags. I get them from the Asian Market but I'm sure you could probably find them in your local grocery stores. I never really looked for them there.

There are several different variations out there. Here's mine that I inherited from my mother:

Mung Beans (Other recipes call for about 1 - 1.5 cups but I just eye it)
Pork, diced or cubed*
Tomatoes, diced
Onions, sliced or diced (depending on your preference)
Garlic
Patis or Bagoong (fish sauce)
Water

*You can use any type of pork. I've diced up pork chops or pork ribs. Some others use pork belly.

Soak the beans in water. I soak them overnight but you can soak them however long you wish. Drain.
Boil in a pot with new water until soft.
Fry the pork, garlic, onions, and tomatoes.
Add the patis or bagoong.
Mix with the beans.
Serve over a bowl of hot jasmine white rice!

Linking with the following blog hops:

Monday Confessions: 12/5/11 Edition

2011-12-05T07:30:00.014-05:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Serendipitous Life)

I confess...I hate when you've got something to do and some place to go (like shopping for my dad's Christmas present!), you get in your car, and then it won't turn on. *sigh* All the lights come on and it turns over but won't start. Gotta love car troubles. Needless to say I didn't make it to Best Buy. With that being said...

I confess...I hate changing spark plugs at 1:00AM on a Monday morning when my alarm goes off at 6:45AM. Oh did I mention that I rode the bike in high 40s at 11:30PM up to Walmart to get new spark plugs and brake fluid? Fun times...but it's times like these where having a 2nd vehicle comes in handy!

I confess...I hate that after all that work, the car still won't start.

Wanna try a blog hop? Try out Monday Confessions!

2011-12-04T12:00:00.004-05:00

Hi there fellow bloggers and readers! Like blog hops? Looking for a new one to try? Why not try out Monday Confessions?

I've blogged for a while but never heard about nor participated in a blog hop. I first heard about this through a friend's blog --->Tattooed Mommie<--- when she did a Monday Confessions blog post. Pretty cool idea not to mention that it inspired me to blog on a more consistent basis. Plus I started following Tara, the Monday Confessions Bloghop originator, at "A Serendipitous Life" and gained a new follower in return. And that, folks, was how I joined in my first blog hop.

Check out the rules in her blog post --> First Monday Confessions Bloghop!
Then grab the button below and join in!

Kroger's The Truly AwesomeTM Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-03T17:59:00.001-05:00

I was invited to join the Kroger's The Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies BzzCampaign after successfully completing my first ever BzzCampaign with the Fekkai hair products that I blogged about last month. I love chocolate chip cookies, so this one was right up my alley! And they're supposed to taste "homestyle"? Even better! So I accepted the invite and waited patiently for my BzzCampaign kit to arrive.

I do shop at Kroger (most of you know not as frequently as Publix, of course), but I never really paid attention to their brand. Every store has their own brand. Kroger's brand "The Truly Awesome^TM" offers, not only these chocolate chip cookies, but other things like yogurt cups and macaroni and cheese. No one that I ~~talked~~ "bzz-ed" to knew the name of Kroger's brand either.

I received two boxes in my BzzKit along with the BzzGuide and some $1 off coupons. I took one box home at Thanksgiving to share with my family and the other box to work to share with my coworkers. My dad gobbled a few and said that to him they tasted like the Chips Ahoy brand. PJ enjoyed them as well. My coworkers liked them too so I shared the coupons with them so that they may buy their own boxes to share with their families.

These chocolate chip cookies were just recently released for sale earlier this year. They are bigger than other brands, have wholesome ingredients, and are also free of added preservatives and artificial colors. Plus they have loads of chocolate chips in each cookies, which I love! What is a chocolate chip cookie without plenty of chocolate chips?? There is a downside though. The box, which has a suggested retail price of $2.79, only comes with eight! I would've liked to see more in a pack. So, if you run out to buy a box, I suggest popping one of them in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds. It tastes ten times better warm!

** I am a BzzAgent and was asked to share information regarding Kroger's The Truly Awesome^TM Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies. In some instances I do receive product samples, coupons, collateral or other special premiums from BzzAgent.com, however that does not affect my judgement of my review. **

101 Challenge Update: November 2011

2011-11-30T07:45:00.008-05:00

This month I started the 101 Challenge that I made mention of in a previous blog post. I'm off to a fairly decent start, or so I like to think. I'll try to post a monthly update at the end of each month so as to help hold myself accountable for completing my list! Feel free to help hold me accountable too!

Since reading is part of my daily life, my reading ~~challenges~~ goals were easy to jump right into. I'm already two books in on the 50 Books I've Never Read list, not to mention working on the third one right now. I've finally picked up that Dean Koontz book called Breathless that's been staring me in the face for a few months. I've been wanting to read it since I got it.

I'm two movies in on the Watch 12 Movies in theaters list. Normally we don't watch a lot of movies in the theaters but since PJ was off one night and we decided to get something to eat, he made mention of catching a movie too. So since Immortals was playing and I wanted to see it, we went. Then, of course, Breaking Dawn Part I was released this month too. Two movies in a theater in one month is rare for us. We actually went to see Breaking Dawn on the release date, so that completed my Go see a movie on opening night goal. Killing two birds with one stone!
I'm also two recipes in on the Try 50 New Recipes list. Okay, so I found two new recipes to try but being me, I ended up making variations of both recipes. So can I technically say I tried two new recipes? I think so...technically these are two dishes, recipe inspired, that I had never made before.
One of my items under my Random New Things section is to make a scrapbook. I've started it but I need to learn to be creative with it. I decided that I wanted to scrapbook my race bibs (for running) so I bought the book and the inserts. Now I need to let the creative bug bite me, get some colorful/designer pages and make it snazzy. I'll have to post the pictures once I finish it!

I'm 30 days down, only 971 to go!

Tasty Tuesdays: Tinolang Manok (Chicken Ginger Soup)

2011-11-29T07:30:00.008-05:00

Everyone leaves the nest sooner or later (me sooner rather than later) and we become independent...thus leaving behind the comforts of our mother's cooking. That's one of the main reasons I miss living at home with mom and dad...my mom's filipino cooking! That being said, I've been on the hunt for recipes for filipino dishes to add to my collection I've already learned from my mom. While surfing around I came across a blog called "Asian In America". The blog author is from the Philippines and shares her filipino recipes.

I found her blog post on her recipe for Tinolang Manok, otherwise known as Chicken Ginger Soup/Stew. (Tinola=soup based dish, Manok=Chicken) It reminded me that my mom used to make this dish all the time. I immediately started craving it so I decided to make it...with my own variation, of course.

Here's my variation of the recipe:

3 chicken leg quarters, cleaned and cut in sections
1 medium onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Ginger root, minced (tried the 2 tsp, but next time will add more to get more ginger taste)
1/4 cup Patis (fish sauce)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
black pepper corns
spinach leaves, a few handfuls (to my liking)
Couple of white potatoes, cubed
Oil for frying
water

Heat the oil in a soup pot, then saute the ginger root, garlic, and onion.
Add the chicken, then add the Patis and cover with water, then add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and pepper corn.
Bring to a boil.
Lower to medium heat, cover and simmer for about an hour.
Add the spinach leaves when done simmering, before serving.
Serve over rice!

This recipes calls for chayote (known in the Philippines as sayote), which is a pear-shaped gourdlike fruit. My grocery store did not have them so I substituted the cubed potatoes. (PJ loved the dish with the potatoes!) I've since found some chayote to use the next time I make this dish. However, next time I make it with potatoes, I'll wait and add them about halfway through cooking.

Linking with the following blog hops:

Monday Confessions: 11/28/11 Edition

2011-11-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Serendipitous Life)

I confess...I ate entirely too much on Thanksgiving Thursday...but who didn't, right? PJ and I get to spend Thanksgiving with two families...mine for the first part of the day and his for the last part of the day. So that makes for two spreads of Thanksgiving dishes! Lots of yummy leftovers! (That's where my handy-dandy FoodSaver vacuum sealer comes into play!) Hey, at least I made up for it the next day by getting out for a nice easy run, so I don't feel so bad.

I confess...After gorging out on yummy foods, I was completely useless for the next two days. Needless to say, I became a couch potato (or should I say Papasan potato?) but I needed some relaxing time away from the work stress.

I confess...I don't want to go back to work today...

Raven's Sunday Adventure

2011-11-27T22:09:00.000-05:00

I'm not one of those people that rush out to go stand in lines at midnight just to go shopping on Black Friday. With that being said, Raven and I spent the day indoors. I dared not venture out on the roads in that traffic. This is what Raven and I did on Friday:

Some of this...

And some of that

So with all our laziness that day, I decided to get her out of the house today. PJ was off today so we got to spend the day together. The weather was so beautiful that I didn't want it all to go to waste, so I talked PJ into joining Raven and I for a walk late afternoon after we finished all our errands for the day. I wanted to check out the park at Lake Harbison that I've driven by several times. I've lived in this area for 3 years and have yet to take advantage of their walking paths. Today was the perfect day to do it.

So I asked Raven if she wanted to go for a walk...

She was excited (as she is every time she goes for a car ride) to get out of the house. The walking path was about 0.65 mile long so she got some good exercise for those little legs. Plus she had a new experience...the ducks!

"I'm the King of the Dock!"

Mother Duck and her babies

Raven always looks at me & smiles as she prances along

Raven eyeing the duck

What is that thing??

Running With The Christmas Lights

2011-11-26T21:41:00.000-05:00

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."
~Steve Prefontaine~

One of my race partners in crime
After Race for Life in Oct.

While searching for a race to run in November to keep up my motivation, one of my running partners in crime mentioned the Sleigh Bell Trot 5k in Saluda Shoals Park. Beginning November 23rd, Saluda Shoals opens up for Holiday Lights on the River, which is the largest Christmas lights drive through show in our area. Each year they turn the lights on for the Sleigh Bell Trot and Stroll events two nights before. Running through the park with the Christmas lights? What better way to spend an evening run than with some beautiful lit scenery!

So I registered and I'm glad I did because I enjoyed the Christmas lights! The crazy South Carolina weather had worked to my advantage. It's November and Mother Nature heated up the day to around low 80s on Tuesday, thus allowing for a nice upper 60s temperature to run in come the start of the race at around 7pm. Did I mention beautiful? Okay, just checking.

The running man near the start line!

The speed work I did the previous week at the indoor track must have paid off. My average pace for this Sleigh Bell Trot 5K improved from my last 5k average pace in October for the Race For Life. That was an awesome feeling for me. Running and completing any race is an accomplishment to me, however improving my pace from last month was an added bonus! As the quote I mentioned above stated...it really is a feeling of self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement. (One of the reasons I love my Runkeeper app on my phone? To track my running over time. I know the races have chips but I'd much rather depend on the runkeeper app than the chip. You can see why in my list of cons below.)

The Pros:

beautiful scenery
close to home
parking within fair walking distance, shuttles included if you wanted to ride to the registration table

The cons:

Bib pick up table was not thought out well. My line was D-H and ended up being the longest line. Proper splitting of the alphabet based on the names registered could have prevented the long wait times for my line.
No water stations during the race, not to mention the long line waiting for water after the race.
Late start
A lot of manuevering around slower runners that took up the whole width of the run lane slowed me down quite a bit for the 1st mile or two.
Chip time and my runkeeper app doesn't match. I don't remember running over the start line, which makes me think that all chips activated at the start of the race. (Remember I said that I was at the back of the pack?) Good thing I activated my runkeeper app the minute I started running. According to that, I actually ran 3.25 miles in 32.08 with a 9:53 average pace, whereas the chip has me running a 5K(3.1mi) in 32:23 with an average pace of 10:26.

Despite the cons, I did enjoy the run through the park with the Christmas lights. If you're interested in the scenery, check out my videos below from when I drove through in 2009. Enjoy!

I Am Thankful For...

2011-11-24T08:00:00.006-05:00

Well, it's November 2011 and in the spirit of Thanksgiving today, I'd like to share with you some things I'm thankful for and why.

I am thankful for...my family. I don't know where I'd be without their love and support. I am who I am today because of that and they love me unconditionally. I'm blessed to have them all in my life.
I am thankful for...my friends. They are the family that I get to choose and their support has also made
the the person I am today.
I am thankful for...my health and life. There are many things throughout the years that I look back on and can't believe that I've done what I've done or gone through what I've gone through. But because I have lots of love and support throughout my life, I've overcome every obstacle in my way. And I am happy to be alive.
I am thankful for...my boyfriend, PJ. I don't know how he does it, but he is the only one that seems to be able to handle me and I admit that I can be a handful. No matter how much I irritate him or make him mad with my little quirks, temper, and mood swings; he handles it well, especially without anger, and loves me for who I am. I'm very lucky that he walked into my life.
I am thankful for...everything that God has blessed me with, from all listed above to include the roof over my head, the job that pays for my food and bills, the car that gets me places, and the pets that love me unconditionally.

With all that's going on in the world today, it's a good idea to take a step back and take a moment to look at what you have to be thankful for rather than complain about what you don't have.

What are you thankful for?

Tasty Tuesday: Baked Macaroni and Cheese III

2011-11-22T07:30:00.017-05:00

(Tasty Tuesdays Blog Hop from For The Love Of Blogs)

Every year my company holds a Thanksgiving luncheon on that Monday of Thanksgiving week. The owner supplies the meat while everyone is to bring a dish of some sort. Last year I brought Biko, otherwise known as Sweet Rice, a sweet Filipino dessert. A majority of people played it safe and didn't even try it so this year I went with something traditional...Mac N Cheese!

Now, I don't normally make mac n cheese from scratch. I'm a Velveeta-Shells-and-Cheese-out-of-the-box girl. In the past few years, I did come across a recipe that used a boxed mac and cheese product and made it look like a baked macaroni dish. I printed that and saved it in my binder cause it was fast, easy, and tasted awesome! But I wasn't going to use that for the luncheon. So I did a Google search for Macaroni and Cheese recipes and came across a simple one: Baked Macaroni and Cheese III from Allrecipes.com.

Now before I went shopping for the ingredients, I made sure to read all the reviews. I learned my lesson on not reading the reviews and I'm glad I did! More than half mentioned their own variations...so I did a variation also. Luckily I had a box of Ronzoni Quick Cook Cavatappi that I got for free so I decided to use that instead of the plain elbow shaped macaroni. I shopped for the other ingredients on Sunday, but decided to set the alarm for early Monday morning to cook instead of cooking Sunday night. The one box made a whole 9x13 in. stoneware pan full of mac and cheese. I guess it was a hit because I only had about 20% left by the end of the day, not to mention there were two other macaroni and cheese dishes!

Here's my variation on the above recipe:

1 16oz box of Ronzoni Quick Cook Cavatappi
1 8oz fat free sour cream
1 Eggland's Best large egg
1 12oz can of 2% Low Fat Evaporated Milk
1 Tsp Morton Light Salt
1/2 Tsp Pepper
2 Cups Sargento Cheddar Jack, shredded
2 1/2 Cups Sargento Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Combine and mix well in a large mixing bowl the egg, sour cream, and evaporated milk.
Combine and mix well the pasta with the cream sauce in mixing bowl.
Layer in a baking pan the macaroni mixture and shredded cheeses until pan is full. Top off with a nice heaping layer of cheeses.
Bake for 20 minutes (the recipe said 20-30 minutes but reviews talked of drying out so I baked it for only 20 minutes).

It turned out better than expected, although next time I would layer with more cheese to make the creaminess more cheesy. Enjoy!

Monday Confessions: 11/21/2011 Edition

2011-11-21T07:00:00.005-05:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Serendipitous Life)

I confess...I have a love/hate relationship with daylight savings time. I love that we get an extra hour of sleep, even though I technically don't get it since my body hasn't caught up with the change, but it's there if I need to hit the snooze button. I hate that it's dark by the time I got out of work. It hinders my running and I now dread the treadmill. So in an effort to avoid the treadmill, I've been in search of a good public track to use during the winter so as not to lose my motivation. I've found two indoor tracks so far and favor the more recent one I've tried. Luckily they are both free to the public.

I confess...When it comes to running I've never really tried nor took the time to understand speed work (intervals). However, the last couple weeks, since I'm stuck using a track, I've tried a little fast/slow rotation a few times (can otherwise be known as swing sets). Needless to say, it seems to have worked. Saturday I pushed myself to get out for a run with the intentions of taking it slow and easy. Instead of slow and easy, it ended up being my best average pace this year at 9:44/mi. I ran 2.01 miles in 19:34 with an average speed of 6.17. I should do speed work more often!

Book Review: Clockwork Angel

2011-11-19T09:28:00.000-05:00

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings on this book. I've read Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instrument Series and I love them. This book, however, didn't give me the same "on the edge of my seat" feeling that I had with the other series. The book drug out a bit in the middle and then ended right when I wanted some more questions answered. But I guess if I got those questions answered, then there wouldn't have to be another book, right?

In a slight way, it mirrors the Mortal Instrument Series but I guess deep down I kind of expected that. The similarities between Will and Jace are evident from the beginning, but I shouldn't have expected any less since they're both Hernondales. Tess and Clary are similar also mostly both with their struggles for loving a Hernondale. There are several other similarities between the two series but I don't want to list them all out. Some characters from the Mortal Instrument Series make an appearance, like Magnus Bane the Warlock and Camille Belcourt the Vampire. I'm glad that they were tied in since they are supposed to live forever.

It starts out with an ordinary girl who's Aunt dies and moves from American to England by way of a ticket sent by her brother Nate, who is already there. Once she arrives, she is then kidnapped and held prisoner and forced to learn her power, which she knew nothing of, and how to use it. Tess's story has me curious. The author leads us through her story as she finds out she's not completely human and can change into other people, alive or dead. Until she was kidnapped, she knew nothing of the Shadowhunters aka Nephilim and Downworlders or even the world they live in. She gets thrown in to it with many unanswered questions about who she really is and what she is. The author drops enough hints throughout the book to keep me guessing. She is a downworlder, but does not look like a demon...does not have the markings of a warlock...nor is obviously not a vampire. What is she? No one has the answers to give her, not even the Silent Brothers. The only person that Tess finds can give her the answer is the villain of the plot who they call the Magister.

I'll read the next one, Clockwork Prince which is schedule to released December 6, 2011, because I'm quite curious to find out who and what Tess really is. And to get the questions answered of how she came to be.

View all my reviews

Monday Confessions: 11/14/11 Edition

2011-11-14T10:28:00.003-05:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Serendipitous Life)

I confess...I may already be addicted to my FoodSaver. That thing is so cool, I have no idea what took me so long to get one! I spent a lot of time over the weekend vacuum packing veggies & meats/poultry. No excuse for throwing away food gone bad now...

I confess...I spent the other part of the weekend with my other new addiction...my new phone. I updated my address book & spent time making my new ringtones! I love doing that...

I confess...I'm ready for Thanksgiving weekend and lots of turkey! Aren't you?

Couponing: Donating To A Local Charity

2011-11-13T01:22:00.005-05:00

Back in September I wrote a blog post about how my couponing (or anyone, for that matter) can benefit the military families. It was also back in September that someone else was able to benefit from my couponing...a local charity! My company has decided to participate in monthly philanthropies with our business park. I was excited when I saw what September's philanthropy was - Pawmetto Lifeline.

If you know me, then you know how much I love animals. I even volunteered some time at a local no-kill pet shelter a couple years ago. I couldn't stay too long since every time I was there I wanted to bring home all the dogs and cats. But I did what I could. So when I saw the flyer, this was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the couponing skills that I learned and help the animals that I love!

It was easy as 1 - 2 - 3!!
1. I had the list of supplies the shelter needed.
2. I researched the sales and coupon match-ups for the local stores using Southernsavers.com.
3. I went shopping!

I was excited to be able to put those skills to use for a wonderful cause! Normally I'm strapped for cash and can barely give donations. However, in this case, the couponing is what made it possible for me to give more than normal. After my shopping trip, I spent less than $20 and was able to donate all this:

(With the sales & coupon match-ups, I saved over 50%)

If you're not couponing, then you should be! Check out your local charities and see who you can help!

Monday Confessions: 11/7/11 Edition

2011-11-07T07:00:00.028-05:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Serendipitous Life)

I confess...I was extremely excited when our new FoodSaver arrived. So much so that I was ready to pull out something from the freezer to repackage it just so I could try it out! Of course PJ looked at me like I was crazy & confused...what can I say? Just like a kid, I love new toys!

I confess...I'm excited that it's Monday for once. I was due for an upgrade with Verizon and I ordered my new phone last week. Which means, it will be delivered today! Can't wait! Another new toy to play with!

I confess...I don't like riding a cruiser as much as a sports bike. It definitely is a different ride, that's for sure. PJ got his bike running and I took it out for a little spin around the block yesterday. Let's just say that when I pulled off, I had to look down to see where my feet would go! I'm not used to sitting back with my legs forward. I don't think I'll be moving to a cruiser any time soon...give me my Ninja any day of the week and I'll be happy!!

Book Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

2011-11-05T21:58:00.003-04:00

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I remember seeing the preview for this movie and because it had Matthew McConaughey in it, I immediately knew that I wanted to see it. I'm a fan and seeing him in this automatically reminded me of how much I loved him in John Grisham's "A Time To Kill". With that being said, I decided to read the book before going out and seeing the movie. They say that the book is always better than the movie. And 99% of the time it is. So I bought the ebook version and finally got around to reading it.

Love love love it! Oh, and did I mention that I love it? Mickey Haller is a sleazy criminal defense attorney, who operates mostly out of the back of his Lincoln car. He's always looking for the next paycheck and trying to figure ways to get the most out of a deal, while still holding to his believe that everyone deserves a fair shot at justice. His clients are mostly drug dealers, gang members, and prostitutes, but we get to see a small soft spot for them as Connelly shows us that Haller sees them as just people who were dealt a bad hand at life and they're all just trying to survive.

Haller had a career long fear of not being able to recognize innocence if it stood in front of him. With being consumed with that fear, he didn't bet on being confronted with true evil one day. Until a rich Beverly Hills real estate agent named Louis Roulet comes along. At first, all Haller saw were dollar signs. But it didn't take long before his life and career gets turned upside when he realizes that he's defending a pure evil man.

I found myself on the edge of seat wondering what Haller was going to do next. I was so caught up in the book, I found myself cheering him on hoping that he'd find a way through all the legal tape he was faced with through out the book. I was sympathizing with him, I was getting frustrated with him, I was cheering him on when he had the upper hand. Connelly impressed me with the characters, suspense, moral conflicts, and the action. If I didn't say it before, let me say it again...I loved it!

View all my reviews

Fekkai Hair Products

2011-11-02T21:49:00.001-04:00

I was accepted into the Fekkai BzzCampaign and I have to admit that I was excited to try some new hair products. I don't do much with my hair, but I do like to try to keep it as healthy as possible. I've moved away from the brand name products that you find in the local stores and have tried to use salon products at the suggestion of others. After using Biolage for a while, I was ready to try something new. So when I received my BzzCampaign package in the mail, I started using it right away.

Now I have to mentioned, that after using one brand for a while, I was apparently used to the smell of it. So when I switched up to Fekkai's full volume shampoo and conditioner, I was overwhelmed by the fruity smell. I loved it! That was a definite plus. Now since I have long hair I always have the problem of it falling flat because of the weight. With that being said, my hair had volume at the beginning of the day and it looked great, but after a few hours it fell flat just like any other day. But as I said, that's mostly because of the weight and length, not because of the product. So it's really hard for me to rate the volumizing ability of the product. Other than that, I liked the product and would like to try it again, but unfortunately the price is a little out of my price range.

** I am a BzzAgent and was asked to share information regarding Frédéric Fekkai's hair products. In some instances I do receive product samples, coupons, collateral or other special premiums from BzzAgent.com, however that does not affect my judgement of my review. **

The 1st Day of the Next 1001 Days

2011-10-31T21:12:00.001-04:00

"Goals are a preview of future events and experiences in your life."
~Mark Victor Hansen~
Tomorrow it begins. I've decided to embark on a 101 Goals Journey called the 101 Goals in a 1001 Days Challenge. I learned about this challenge through another blog that I'm subscribed to called A Seredipitous Life. So, for the past week I've been drafting a list of 101 goals that I'd like to accomplish within that time frame. I do not have 101 listed yet but I'm off to a great start. You can follow my progress on my Bucket List page. Comments and/or suggestions are welcome! :o) I'm getting excited just thinking of the things to come!

Until next time...

Monday Confessions: 10/31/11 Edition

2011-10-31T00:19:00.002-04:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Serendipitous Life)

I confess...coming up with 101 ~~things~~ goals that I want to accomplish in 1001 days is a lot harder than I thought. I got the idea of participating in the 101 in 1001 Challenge from Tara at A Serendipitous Life. I've listed about 75% of the 101 so far. If you're interested in following along, check out my Bucket List page. I start the countdown on November 1st and I tried to list as many as I could before I started but it looks like I'll just have to list the remaining ones as I go along.

I confess...I can't wait for our FoodSaver Starter Kit to get here! I'm excited to try it out! I'd love to start setting aside meals in the freezer to keep longer, especially if we can't finish them as left overs. Not to mention keeping the freezer burn from all the meats I like to stock up on.

I confess...Although I should be in bed sleeping, I'd rather crawl up under the covers to read more of The Lincoln Lawyer. So, with that being said...Good night!

Monday Confessions: 10/24/11 Edition

2011-10-24T12:52:00.002-04:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Serendipitous Life)

I confess...I’m feeling the 4th quarter pressure twice as hard this year, now that I’m an Account Manager. The clients that are being assigned to me needs their site to be up and running for their annual enrollment, which means that I don’t have hardly any wiggle room in my timeline and it’s double the work. I’m beginning to feel as though I’m being set up to fail, even though I’m not. I’m really feeling the stress.

I confess...Fair Food is my guilty pleasure. I had been doing so well on eating right since I’ve been running again. But I did indulge one night at the fair and inhaled all that greasy fried goodness. It only comes once a year, after all. You know the saying that there is always a price to pay? I certainly remembered that later that night. My body rebelled and I woke up in the middle of the night all queasy. What a nice reminder of how unhealthy eating a bunch of fried foods can be. I’m sure the huge chili cheese hot dog and slice of pizza didn’t help either.

Yes, I am a Runner...

2011-10-17T23:31:00.002-04:00

I'm finally back at it! It only took a few years to get my butt back in gear with running again but I'm finally getting myself back on a schedule. I've been trying to find that love for running again since 2007. I've had some set backs. It all started when I left Blue Cross and no longer had my running buddies 2-3 mornings a week. Then I got in a car accident that affected my feet and legs. But even after I recovered from that, I had been out of running for so long that I couldn't seem to find the love for it again. I think it all boiled down to not finding the right motivation. Until now...

My friend, Brandi, posted on her Facebook wall about this non-profit organization called Happy Wheels. But it wasn't just the organization that caught my eye, it was the fact that they have a "Team Happy Wheels", which is basically a running team that signs up for charity races and walks. It's a great way to socialize with other runners in the name of great causes! And Brandi decided to start running and joined this team. She, as well as Happy Wheels, have been my motivation to get back to "pounding the pavement." Needless to say, I immediately signed up for the team and then registered for the Palmetto Health Race for Life. A few weeks later and I'm running with our Team Happy Wheels! And I loved it! What great motivation...but not only that, we are running for a great cause and I'm excited to be a part of it!
(Happy Wheels can also be found on Facebook. Click here!)

Team Happy Wheels

With all that being said, I'm making a goal of registering for one race per month thus giving me short term goals and the motivation to keep running. Keep your fingers crossed for me and keep me accountable!

Now since I've returned to running, I've been reading up on some good articles that you can find on Active.com. It is a great resource for runners, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned runner. Even though I used to be a runner a few years back, I'm refreshing myself with the beginner's articles. For any of you that want to start running but don't know where to start, how to do it, what to do, or what to expect; here a few great links to get you started:

And if you want to get up off the couch and get to running a 5k, then here's another article for you:

The Couch to 5k Running Plan

And yet one more important article:

Finding The Perfect Running Shoe...For You

Now that you have the knowledge, strap on your running shoes and get out there! Don't let anyone or anything get in the way of your running goals. Not only is it great exercise, but it's also a great stress reliever!

Until next time...

Blog Revamped! What do you think?

2011-10-15T22:16:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I've decided to stick with Blogger. While I liked things with Wordpress, I found that I could easily ~~"clean up"~~ revamp the whole look with Blogger too. I gave Wordpress a try for a couple days, liked what I did, and then went back over to Blogger and just revamped everything there to look the same. I even added pages to the site. It works just as well as Wordpress. Thanks to everyone for all your input. It was mixed reviews between the two sites, but it really is to each his own.

I've also changed my username from PartyGurle to Lil Mys Ninja. Some of you already know that I was thinking of a username change anyways. Now the next step is to get a domain. This wouldn't affect any of you that are already subscribed to the blog...the old website address will be pointed to the new domain. I just felt that it was time to move on from PartyGurle...I've had that username for over 10 years after all.

So thanks to all of you for checking out the new layout/look and thanks for sticking with me after all this time!! For those that have been around since the beginning, you know that I'd be lucky if I got a post or two in a month. You may have noticed that I've picked it up a bit. It feels good to be blogging more. Now if only I can find ways to expand my subscribers...

Until next time...

Book Review: Cross Fire

2011-10-15T01:00:00.000-04:00

Cross Fire by James Patterson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yes yes yes...I'm back to my edge of the seat, can't wait to finish the book and see what happens feeling with the Alex Cross series. Thank you, James Patterson! Once again, I love his fast pace, jump around style! This one was definitely a page turner, I didn't want to put the book down because I wanted to keep reading to find out how it all will fit together and play out.

Alex Cross's archnemesis is at it again! Kyle Craig is back and he's out to kill Cross this time. He's planning to finish the game. Of course, it happens just when you least expect it...just as Cross and Bree are happy and getting married. Not only has Kyle Craig kept himself in the fore front of Cross's thoughts with his periodic calls in the past, but he has strategically placed himself in Cross's life this time. Think Face-Off, the movie. Remember how the characters that John Travolta and Nicholas played switched lives due to a surgical procedure? Kyle Craig, the Mastermind, starts off the story line with a similar procedure. He has taken over an undercover FBI agent's life and undergone surgery to make himself look like the agent, thus allowing him to return to the FBI and work alongside Alex Cross while solving the sniper murders in DC. There are two different investigations going on during this book, the sniper assassinations and the numbers murder. Kyle Craig works both to his advantage as he tries to get under Cross's skin and at the same time trying to win him over as FBI Agent Max Siegel.

With all the plots going on in the story, in the end it all ties together and I loved it. It's definitely a must read for all you Alex Cross fans. Enjoy!

View all my reviews

Vacation Road Trip 2011 Part IV: Canastota, NY (Upstate NY)

2011-10-13T01:20:00.003-04:00

(All pictures from the Vacation Road Trip can be found in my online photo album...click here!)

So after leaving New York City, we headed up to the Upstate to visit PJ's family in Canastota. It was about a five hour drive. After we got out of the city (cause I drive like a New Yorker!), I pulled over and left PJ take over with the expectations of getting a nap. Well that didn't happen. Once in the passenger seat, I was enjoying the scenery too much to even think about sleeping. It was one of those times I wished I had a better camera for photography. I tried to take as many pictures as I could of the scenery, but it's hard when you're in motion and all you've got is a little point and shoot camera.

So I'm busy enjoying the mountains and getting some pictures when I noticed that this river we crossed a few time seemed to be overflowing. Then it dawned on me...we were seeing the floods that Pennsylvania and New York had been experiencing! And since I'm a volunteer with the DAT Team at Red Cross, I already knew that 95% of our team had been deployed in the North. I was seeing what they are currently working! We were lucky that we didn't come across any detours. I-88 was closed due to flooding but we were on I-81 and it was clear, except for the flooding right beside the road. Here are a few pictures that I was able to snap as we drove on...

As we got farther upstate the flooding became less and less. We arrived around 6pm, just in time for the cookout that PJ's family planned for our visit. He has a large family, like myself, so I got to meet several people and sorry to say that I don't remember hardly any of the names! It was a great evening with great food and great company.

When PJ's father and step-mother were visiting us earlier this year, I ~~made the mistake of mentioning~~ happened to mention how much I loved white water rafting and how much I missed it. I really don't remember how we got on the subject, but I'm glad we did! They planned a rafting trip for us on the Hudson River for that Saturday!

Okay, I know what you're thinking...STOP! Think upstate, people! Anyone that knows rafting knows that we are not talking about the muddy river waters of the Hudson in New York City. We are talking of the nice Class III and Class IV rapids of the Hudson River Gorge up in the Adirondack Mountains. We actually put in on the Indian River and meet up with the Hudson River a little ways in.

So we headed up to the Adirondack Mountains over to North Creek to stay Friday night at The Alpine Lodge a few miles from BeaverBrook Outfitters. It was an awesome lodge, I only wished we had more time to enjoy it. After we got settled in, we walked on down the road to one of the only two or three bars left open for the night. This was a small town (no cell service, of course) where everything seemed to close before dark. We made the best of it. In fact, I was so wiped out from all our driving during vacation that I called it an early night before anyone else did. Of course, that worked to my advantage on the river the next day!

Early Saturday we headed over to the outfitters, got fitted up for some wet suits (I got pants but passed on the jacket), got our gear, and packed onto the bus. Once we got to the spot where we put in, we got the safety speech and got to know our guide. He was awesome and fit right in with us! I'll spare the play by play for the day trip but let's just say it was awesome!! The water was choppy and lots of great rapids from all the rain they've gotten. I WAS LOVING IT!

We all stayed in the raft, although PJ almost got thrown out a couple times. Now our guide, on the other hand, was a different story! Our raft did an excellent job conquering the rapids...up until that last Class IV rapid they called the Bus Stop. So we're paddling through and paddling through and I turn and look back, just as I hear another raft close to us cheering their heads off, to find that our guide was nowhere to be found...Yep, that's right folks, we launched out guide out the raft! Classic! Now he was stuck buying all the guides beer that night after work. I'm sure he won't live that one down, considering he wasn't quite 21 yet. But we all had a blast, including our guide!

Those that have been rafting with me know that I don't come away without getting the CD of all the pictures, and of course a T-shirt for the river rafted. So enjoy!

(I'm in the front on the right, right up where all the action was!)

Boy what a day! We drove back to Canastota and enjoyed the rest of our visit. Sunday we packed up for our next stop. Final Destination...Home!

The trip home warrants another blog post so stay tuned for the final post in the Vacation Road Trip Series! For now, I'll leave you all with the link to the pictures from our Upstate New York trip...Click here!

Until next time...

Monday Confessions: 10/10/11 Edition

2011-10-10T10:01:00.003-04:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Serendipitous Life)

I confess...I've gotten bored with the ~~layout~~ look of my blog. I'm ready to revamp it...in fact, I'm ready to try a whole new blog platform. I see that some of the blogs I follow use Wordpress. It looks a lot cleaner than Blogger. This time I may not customize so much as I had done with this one. I've been trying to figure a way to drive more traffic to the blog, but in moving I fear that I may lose some followers. In response to a friend's 2 cents on my thoughts of moving blog platforms though, I'm considering getting a domain so if I choose to move again later, I won't have to worry about losing followers.

I confess...I'm jealous of those who have today off. I think we all should get Columbus Day off! I'm stuck at work this morning while some are home sleeping in on this rainy day...

Until next time...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Ride Out, With The Girls Out: Breast Cancer Awareness Ride

2011-10-07T12:16:00.001-04:00

Ride Out, with The Girls Out
Saturday October 22, 2011
Breast Cancer Awareness Ride
Join us if you can!

Thunder Tower Harley Davidson
190 Pontiac Business Center Drive
Columbia, SC 29045
803-461-1121

Donations only ride!
Kick stands up at 10:30 a.m.
Ride 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Route will include going past homes of breast cancer survivors in honor of their fight!

After Party at Thunder Tower 2-6 p.m.
For more info contact: Seanp@tth-d.com or Sarahp@tth-d.com
Or email: ysccolumbia@youngsurvival.org

Donations will benefit the “Young Survival Coalition” Columbia Affiliate, “Helping young women in the Midlands diagnosed with breast cancer"
Young women facing breast cancer together.

Read my blog post from the last Breast Cancer Awareness Ride I did with my friend, Beth!
Great Ride for an Awesome Cause!

Until next time...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Monday Confessions: 10/3/11 Edition

2011-10-03T23:48:00.004-04:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Serendipitous Life)

I confess...It almost slipped my mind that today was Monday Confessions. It's the 1st business day of the month, therefore I got paid today. Which means that I had to come home after work and pay all my bills. That's the good part of getting paid once a month. You knock out all your bills at the beginning of the month and you know everything's taken care of. The flip side of that is that your stuck with the amount left over to stretch over a 4 or 5 week period of time (depending on the month). That's the part I hate...

I confess...I'm super excited to be part of a running team again. Not only that, I'm super excited to be doing it with a fabulous friend of mine, Brandi! That and registering for races again are making it more motivating to get back into running again! Blog post to follow this week about this past weekend and the race with us and the team...

I confess...I am a strong person but I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. My feelings get hurt a lot easier than most people think. I'll just leave it at that...

I confess...We are now officially in 4th quarter beginning today (pertaining to my job field), yet I was stressed all the way back to last month. I'm not sure I can handle another 3 months of it. Lord, please give me strength and guide me through the rest of the year!

Until next time...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Book Review: City Of Fallen Angels

2011-09-27T23:09:00.002-04:00

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When the Mortal War ended in the last book, City Of Glass, I wondered where the author would then take the story line when I found out there was another book in the series. It seemed to me that particular story line would have been the basis for the whole series. After checking out her website, I've found that there will, in fact, be six books in the series. The first three; City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass, all had me on the edge of my seat. I was engulfed in the story with all the action & forbidden love and I found it hard to put down. I was kind of disappointed when I finished City of Glass until I learned of the fourth book, City of Fallen Angels.

Their lives continue on as they return to New York, but apparently the war is not over. Clary, who was excited of all the possibilities that lie before her (including being able to finally call Jace her boyfriend) soon discovers that nothing comes without a price.

I have to say that I'm slightly disappointed. I didn't get the same "on the edge of my seat, can't put the book down" feeling as I had with the three before. However, seeing that there will be two more books and how the ending played out in this one, I believe that City of Fallen Angels may have been a "stepping stone" book. Maybe it's just building us up to the next two. The battle has been won, but is this book setting the stage for the war??

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Monday Confessions: 9/26/11 Edition

2011-09-26T07:35:00.002-04:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Serendipitous Life)

I confess...I'm paying $30 a month for a gym membership that I don't use anymore. Just like most people, the first six months were great. I went to RPM classes and Body Pump classes. It helped that I knew a couple of people there too. But now, I can't seem to find my motivation to go there anymore. And the people I knew are now working out in another location. It was much easier to keep it up when I worked at Blue Cross because the gym was right downstairs from my desk. It only made sense to walk downstairs on the way home or on the way in to get my workout done. Oh well, at least I'm running again. That's easy enough to come home, throw on my running clothes, and take a lap around the neighborhood...

I confess...Sometimes my face is quite readable. I told one of my coworkers the other week that I had been biting my tongue all day that day. She then pointed out that even though I bite my tongue, it was written all over my face. I've been trying to be more patient with things at work, thus I've been working on not having my reaction written all over my face. But sometimes I just can't help it...

Vacation Road Trip 2011 Part III: New York City, NY (Manhattan)

2011-09-26T00:46:00.000-04:00

(All pictures from the Vacation Road Trip can be found in my online photo album...click here!)

According to Google Maps and the Navigation on my phone, it would only take about 4 hours to get to Manhattan. We tried to leave as close to noon as possible just in case. Needless to say, it took about 4 1/2 hours to get to New York City…but took about 2 extra hours to get through the Lincoln tunnel and to Stephanie’s street, not to mention that it was raining. Talk about some crazy traffic! Hurry and wait…that’s exactly what it was. Well, that it until we actually got into Manhattan and past that first intersection where we sat through 3 red lights because this flatbed truck decided to turn left from the far right hand lane. It was my first ever cars-honking-in-NYC experience.

The Lincoln Tunnel

Once we got past that, I was on a roll with driving down the streets of NYC. I don’t know why everyone was so worried about me driving in NYC! Which, by the way, had me so freakin nervous by the time vacation rolled around. Dude…I fit right in with the New Yorkers! Now, PJ on the other hand, I think lost all color in his face by the time we got to Steph’s place. He was so stressed that he couldn’t wait to get out of the car. Oops…

Anyhow, so we unpacked and left my car in the capable hands of the parking garage attendants for the next couple days. Thank goodness I did that cause while Steph was waiting for us outside, she saw two cars parked on the street get “bumped”. I certainly didn’t want to take that chance, so paying the parking garage for a few days was a small price to pay rather than having my car damage by a NY driver.

Since we got in late and it was raining, we lost a night of sightseeing. But Raven got her NY experience…hardly any grass around and she was quite confused. I tried to “curb” her like most NY dogs do, but she didn’t understand it. She needed grass. Poor thing, not only that, but all the hustle and bustle of the New Yorkers and the traffic had her so nervous and skittish! After our little walk down the block to the only patch of grass that I could find, we decided to stay in, order some NY pizza, do some drinking and watch a movie. Needless to say I don’t think I lasted past the first 30 minutes of the movie before I crashed. I was tired!

We woke up early Wednesday to get a head start on the sightseeing for that day. It was still dreary and was supposed to rain all day, but that didn’t stop us cause I had lots I wanted to see in our short time there! After breakfast and coffee, we headed for the subway. First stop – Ground Zero. That was my #1 “must” of the sightseeing trek across New York City. It was very humbling to stand there, right across the street from the memorials. To see them working on the new Trade Center known as the Freedom Tower, to see the memorial gift shop, to see the memorial plaque on the side of the wall across the street from where one of the towers stood…I have no words. We were unable to see the memorial since it would not be revealed until Sept. 11th. But I saw where it was and they had barriers and some police standing around. It was Sept 7th and they city was on alert for the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001.

The Freedom Tower

The Memorial which was still closed to the public

After Ground Zero, we headed to Battery Park to grab a ticket to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty. The original plan was to take the Staten Island Ferry since it was free and get close enough for pictures. But with the fog from all the rain, we decided to pay for the ferry to Liberty Island instead. And I’m glad we did. That was something else! She is so tall and to stand that close to her was awesome! We stayed only long enough to take pictures and pick up a few souvenirs. The ferry stopped off at Ellis Island but we decided to stay on the ferry and head back to the city.

The view of the city from Ellis Island

Next stop – check out the Brooklyn Bridge! I wanted to walk on it, but seeing as though we were pressed for time, I had to settle with just seeing it. And for all of you that know me, you know that I love bridges!

The Manhattan and The Brooklyn Bridges

The Manhattan Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge

So right about now it was nearing lunch time…so next stop – Chinatown! Hustle bustle craziness! Wow…is all I can say. We finally found a restaurant to eat at. Steph and I ordered half dishes because it just wasn’t feasible to cart around left-overs. PJ ordered the spicy General Tso’s chicken. He asked the server if it was real spicy and she said yes. So what does he ask for? Extra spicy! I laughed at him and asked if he was sure…”remember hunny, we’re in CHINATOWN!” But he was sure…I should have known better. Needless to say though, he was very disappointed as it was not spicy to him at all. You’d think it would be, considering the source.

So after we finished lunch, I had made up my mind that I wanted a purse. Steph told us what to expect and who to look out for. As we were looking in this shop, this lady dressed in black over heard me say to PJ that I didn’t see anything I liked. She then whispers to me asking if I like purses. SCORE! Or so we thought…Let’s just say it took almost a half hour to score. The lady kept saying “10 more minute, 10 more minute, my boss be back!” Ten minutes later, the same thing again. We decided to walk around to check out other places and we told her that we’d be in back “10 minutes”. Ten minutes later we returned and still we hear, “10 more minute, 10 more minute, my boss be back!” Finally Steph put her foot down and told her that we had no more time, we were leaving. (Thank goodness for an experienced Chinatown shopper, she knew how to work them!)
When all was said and done, we were taken to the back room and shown the purses and I walked out with what I wanted. And so did Steph. Mission accomplished!

Next stop – Empire State Building! The plan was to go up to the observatory, but the doorman told us that it was zero visibility that day. How disappointing! There was just no need to waste the money, so I settle for pictures in front and inside.

Last two stops before heading back to the apartment to check on Raven and grab dinner – Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral! Since St. Patrick is my patron saint, I could not leave the city without seeing the Cathedral, of course.

As we raced towards St. Patrick’s Cathedral, I almost didn’t see that we were passing the Philippine’s Consulate! So of course, I had to stop and take a few pictures to show my mom!

We stopped by the Rockefeller Center on the way to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We didn’t stay but for a minute or two outside to grab some pictures. We didn’t get a chance to go to the Top of the Rock. It was getting late and I really wanted to spend more time at the Cathedral instead. Plus we had to hurry home to take Raven out since she had been cooped up in her kennel all day while we were gone.

Luckily St. Patrick’s cathedral was right down the block from Rockefeller Center. Unfortunately I arrived shortly before daily mass had ended. The Cathedral was breathtakingly beautiful! Tourists are allowed inside after being searched. So we made our way to the gift shop so that I could pick up a couple of souvenirs, then roamed around the cathedral taking in everything. I wished I had time to attend mass there just once.

Holy speedy sight seeing Batman! Whew…what a day! And it wasn’t over yet…

After taking care of Raven and eating a quick dinner, we took off for Grand Central Station to head over to Times Square! How awesome it was to be standing in Grand Central Station!

Times Square just lights up the night. It’s hard to even realize how late it is when the whole street is lit up like daylight! PJ and I spent the last hour or so in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Times Square. By the time we finished up with that, I was exhausted and my feet hurt so I was ready to call it a night. Steph picked up some cupcakes from Crumbs, PJ and I grabbed a quick bit from a street vender, then we jumped on a bus. Needless to say, it was going the opposite direction that we needed to go. At the end, the driver called last stop and we had no choice but to get off after we had been hoping he’d take us back in the other direction. So as we found a bus stop and tried to figure out when the next bus would be, the cloud just opened up. So we opted for a cab instead. So all in all, in one day, I was able to experience the subway, the buses, and a cab ride in New York City. Wow…long day!

I crashed but was unable to sleep straight through the night as Raven decided that she was going to bark at every single noise from the street. And you know that New York City doesn’t sleep. Poor Raven…I’m sure she was so anxious to get out of the city!

We slept in a little the next day but still had some time to grab breakfast from a deli downstairs and hit up Central Park for a little bit. Raven got to tag along this time. Oh, and did I mention that the sun was bright and shiny? Of course it would be…on the day that we have to leave! But we made the best of a rainy situation and still were able to see all the sights that I wanted to see, thanks to Steph!

Central Park is just amazing…to have a park like that right smack dab in the middle of the city. It was a beautiful day for a walk to Central Park. I was sad to leave because there was just so much more that I wanted to see and experience. I hated that we didn’t have more time…

There are several more pictures that can be found in my online photo album...click here!

Next stop…Canastota, New York (The Upstate)!

Vacation Road Trip 2011 Part II: Gettysburg, PA

2011-09-20T23:09:00.000-04:00

We left Ohio Sunday afternoon and the next stop on our whirlwind vacation road trip was Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to visit my family!

When Grammy was still alive, our family drove up every year, mostly either during Thanksgiving or Christmas. Our trips up North became scarce after Grammy died, especially since my sister and I were getting older and I had gone out on my own. In fact, it had been at least 6 years since I visited, and unfortunately that was during my Aunt June’s funeral. So I especially wanted to make sure I stopped in to see my Aunt Nancy, Uncle Sidney and my cousins, Candy and Cindy Lou.

Knowing that PJ loves history, I had also planned on doing a Gettysburg Battlefield Tour on the double decker tour bus. My father took my family on one when I was younger. While I vaguely remember going, I don’t remember anything about the tour itself. Isn’t it funny how we seem to appreciate things a whole lot more when we’re older and can understand the importance? This go-round, I was just amazed at the sights and stories. The Gettysburg Battlefield consists of over 10,000 acres and holds over 1,450 monuments, markers, and plaques. The size of it is just rather amazing.

The night before it stormed horribly so we were very lucky to only have overcast skies during the tour that morning. It wasn't until the last 5 minutes that it started to drizzle slightly.

Eternal Light Peace Monument

Major General Henry W. Slocum
Commanding Twelfth Army Corps

Devil's Den

Little Round Top

Gen. Warren

Gen. Warren and me!

Left:140th New York Infantry Regiment
Right: 12th and 44th New York Infantry Regiments

New York State Auxillary Monument

The State of Pennsylvania Monument

High Water Mark

View the rest of the photos by clicking here.

After the tour we grabbed a quick bite to eat, picked up Raven from the hotel, and headed over to spend the afternoon with my family! I hope to make it up again soon so I can visit more of the family when I have more time.

My cousin Cindy Lou with Raven

My cousins Cindy Lou and Candy

Aunt Nancy and Uncle Sidney

That night I had scheduled a Cemetery Hill Walking Tour. Unfortunately it was raining (we’re talking nice big drops) by that time and when we arrived they asked to refund our money so they could close down for the night due to the cellar being flooded. PJ had his heart set on the Cemetery Tour, so instead of looking for another walking tour and being stuck in the rain, we decided to call it a night and head back to the hotel. Thus ends our Labor Day in Gettysburg, PA. We can always do the tour the next time we visit!

The next morning we checked out and headed to Lincoln Square for some breakfast at the Lincoln Diner and to take some quick photos of the square.

Lincoln Diner

Lincoln stayed on the 2nd floor
The window on the far right was his

Lincoln pointing to his window

Only PJ...

Lincoln Square

Sometime around noon, we swung back by Aunt Nancy and Uncle Sidney’s house since I left my sunglasses the day before. I said my goodbyes then we hit the road.
Next stop…New York City!

Monday Confessions: 9/19/11 Edition

2011-09-19T12:27:00.003-04:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Serendipitous Life)

I confess...I am officially the Queen of Procrastination. I still have yet to sort through all the vacation pictures...Hopefully this week? Yeah, I know that's what I said last week. But if I had followed through last week, then I wouldn't have been named the Queen of Procrastination, right?

I confess...I am antsy to go out on my first official call for the Red Cross DAT team. I know it sounds bad, because by no means do I wish a fire upon ANYONE...but I have yet to go on an official call while volunteering. I have to have 5 calls under my belt as a trainee before they can release me as a DAT team member. (Not to mention that Pam wants to make me a DAT team LEADER...no pressure there!)

I confess...There are days where I just want to do absolutely nothing but be lazy with my computer and the TV remote while glued to the couch. And I did just that yesterday...

Until next time...

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Couponing: How Military Families Can Benefit From The New Obsession

2011-09-18T14:48:00.003-04:00

If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, then you've seen me post some pictures and talk about how I've been saving money with coupons.
Yes, I coupon...but no, I'm not crazy obsessed like those people featured on that Extreme Couponing show aired on TLC.

I DO NOT dumpster dive.
I DO NOT stockpile coupon inserts in a room of their own.
I DO NOT have a stockpile in every nook and cranny in my home.
And I DO NOT spend 40 hours a week clipping and organizing coupons.

I DO, however, gather coupons that I would use from other couponers if they do not use them.
I DO stock enough for a couple of months and that's it (actually that's more realistic).
I DO realistically save anywhere from 25% to 75% as long as I manage the sales, coupons, and transactions properly.
And I DO make use of all the expired coupons by sending them to the military families overseas.

Did you know that military families that are stationed overseas can use coupons up to six months past the expiration date? Thankfully someone can get use of all those coupons that I don't use. A Google search brought up several sites with programs that you can participate in. I chose the Overseas Coupon Program.

For those that would like to participate, it's rather easy. It just takes a little bit of your time (once a month or more if you stockpile coupon inserts), some organizing, and just a little bit of money for shipping. With all the money saved, a few dollars or so is a small amount to spend in order to help others. Please note that this is a Patriotic Charity, not a Tax-Deductible Charity. However, you will be supporting the service men and women by helping them save money also! You probably will not use 75% of the coupons in the inserts you receive...but someone else can!

If you're interested in participating, here's how you can:

Insert taken from http://www.ocpnet.org/
How to Participate
1. Choose a base from the "Base List" page that says "Yes, Please Adopt Us!" in the left column.
2. Follow the instructions on the "Adoption Page" to adopt a base. (Typical questions answered at the bottom)
3. There will not be a confirmation. See the "Confirmation Requests" Page for more information.
4. Follow the instructions set forth on the "FAQ" Page to collect coupons and prepare them for mailing. You may also wish to visit the "Hints" Page.
5. Mail the coupons using information from the "Mailing" page. (Typical questions answered at the bottom)
6. Report your dollar totals using information from the "Reporting" Page. (Typical questions answered at the bottom)
7. Annual "Adoption & Donation" Pages will tell you the last time they were updated until the full year is posted. See note at the top.
8. Keep an eye on the "News" Page for program changes and explanations on delays.

It seems like the couponing bug is biting more people over the past few months. It certainly has bitten me! I get super excited when I look at my receipt and see how much money I've saved. If I knew it was this easy, I would have picked it up a long time ago. Now I'm glad to have found a way to put to use all the unused coupons I have. I certainly hope more people will consider sending off their expired coupons rather than trashing them!
Now, back to organizing my mailing for this month...

Until next time...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Book Review: I, Alex Cross

2011-09-15T13:54:00.002-04:00

I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finally! Patterson redeemed himself in my eyes. After being disappointed with Cross Country, I was ready for Alex Cross to come back to reality. As always, the book consists of short chapters which makes for a fast pace story line. I love that about Patterson.

This time the investigation hits real close to home. One of the victims is his niece. With having to fight that emotional tie to keep his head straight and continue the investigation, a wrench gets thrown in his life as Nana Mama suffers a heart attack. So while, Nana Mama is brought back to the core of Cross's life in this story line (after having been absent during Cross Country), technically she's "out of the game" for a majority of the story due to a coma. So, with the death of his niece that he barely knew anymore plus Nana Mama's hospitalization, Alex Cross had quite a plate full.

Not to mention that as he continues the investigation, Cross finds that the government and Secret Service are involved. Is it a cover up? What happened to the witnesses? Who is the real killer? High profile suspect?

If you're anything like me and tend to visualize the scenes as I read and get lost in the book, then be prepared for a few gruesome ones. Regardless, I really enjoyed the book and am happy to see that the Cross story line is back to normal.

View all my reviews

Monday Confessions: 9/12/11 Edition

2011-09-13T14:11:00.002-04:00

(Monday Confessions Blog Hop from A Serendipitous Life)

I confess...That I'm a day late and a dollar short this week. Can we pretend it's Monday instead of Tuesday...for this blog purpose only?? We got back from vacation yesterday around 4am so I spent the day running errands and relaxing before having to go back to work today.

I confess...Part of the reason I never take vacation is because of work. I hate leaving for a week of vacation (technically 9 days) and coming back to loads of work and spending the first day filtering through emails. Not to mention having to catch up with what I've missed and trying to figure out if anything fell between the cracks.

I confess...I'm a picture freak. I took over 1,000 photos during vacation. But in my defense, I've learned to take several pictures of the same shots because out of the 10 you take, only 1 or 2 will come out the way you want it. Not to mention that during the road trip, there were several (and I mean SEVERAL) photo opportunities along the way and a majority I missed because it was just not feasible to stop every single time I thought to myself "that would make an awesome picture!" Between Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York (and including the trip home) the scenery was just breathtakingly beautiful that I wished I could just take a video of the whole road trip.