Year In Review '08

So I did it last year, Click here, so I thought I would do it again this year. I just wanted to write down some of the things that happened this year that have made this such a wonderful year! Please join in on my blog or your own!

*Terry and I celebrated 2 years of marriage & 8 years together

*My mom celebrated her 50th birthday….in style!

*I celebrated 1 year at my job and I am still lov’n it.

*Obama was elected President

*Buying a new King Sized bed the beginning of the year…..a bed that just so happens to be the BEST bed in all of the universe.

*New blogger friends

*Seeing all my friend’s kids turn 1 year old and start to develop their personalities

*Having the opportunity to live with my sister

*Our orange kitchen

*DQ ice cream birthday cake

*All my friends who found out they were pregnant this year, and there were quite a few!

*Getting to co-host one of my friends baby showers, which was an honor.

*Facebook

*Terry making the decision to go back to school to start a new career – I am SO proud of him.

*Having my first spa manicure….and definitely NOT my last!

*Concerts, including: Iron Maiden, Tom Petty & Les Paul

*Introduction to Polka Floyd

*My parents who are just the greatest parents ever and who do so much each year that I could never begin to express how thankful we are for them and how much we love them.

*FINALLY, getting our wedding books after a mere two years of waiting

*Another year of being healthy

*Being blessed with a wonderful family, a great husband & a stable job


I am looking forward to 2009 a lot! I am excited to turn 29 (just 4 months for those counting down), I am excited to see what happens with Terry and his school, I can’t wait to meet all my friends new babies (there will be one as soon as January), seeing what happens with Obama as President, losing weight & being healthy…for reals, my sister turning 21, and just seeing what this year has in store. I know there is a lot of uncertainty in the coming year, but no matter what I am praying that this year will represent a new start in so many different ways.

My Favorite Things About Christmas ‘08

A little late, yes, but here were some of my favorite things about Christmas this year:

-Just the fact it was Christmas!!!!
-Christmas Eve at our house with the H. family
-Christmas morning with my hubby
-Terry wearing his snoopy PJ bottoms and red and green knitted footsie slippers. (it was adorable)
-My awesome French toast for Christmas morning breakfast
-Christmas day with the H. family
-My parents coming up for the weekend
-Prime Rib & Mashed Potatoes
-Movies, Movies, Movies
-Mario Kart Wii!!!!!
-So many awesome and thoughtful presents (thank you, thank you, thank you)
-My dad getting mad at my coffee maker (it was user error)
-SO much laughter
-Our Christmas tree
-Spending time with our families

There was so much more, but these are just a few! Thank you to our families for such a wonderful Christmas. We love you SO very much! Now on to the New Year!!

Out of Curiosity….

Is it bad that when I was driving into work today I wanted to speed pass the other drivers, fire mushroom shells at them to blow them out of my way, lay banana peels down behind me, and find a star so I was indestructible?!?!

Hmmm…..it has just come to my attention that I may have played too much Mario Kart this weekend.

Nope, Never Again…..Never Ever EVER Again!

So here is the deal…..I STILL have not finished my Christmas shopping. Yes, I am aware that today is December 23 and Christmas Day is December 25…I am working on it.

For those who do not know I typically start thinking about gift ideas towards the end of summer and with the exception of maybe a few stocking stuffers and candy, I am done by Thanksgiving. I like to have my gifts wrapped soon after that. This is the FIRST year I have ever been this late Christmas shopping and let me tell you – it sucks!

The lines sucks. The rude people suck. The traffic sucks. The stress of it all sucks. The deals, though great, are not worth all the craziness that comes with last minute shopping. Again, I hate it. I could not even begin to imagine waiting till the last minute like this every year…not fun. So why am I so late this year, well it has just been a crazy last 4-5 months. We have had so many wonderful and special things going on that we kind of just kept pushing the Christmas shopping back taking the stance that, well there is more time we will do it next weekend. Well here we are, just moments from the celebrations of Christmas and there are no more next weekends left. (deep breathe)

Tomorrow Terry and I will be hitting a few last minutes shops to pick up gift cards and such that we have not gotten yet. I am not worried that we won’t get done, I just hate being so late with everything. I feel somewhat thoughtless in my gifts, though I have put a lot of thought in them…just no action. I would also like the gifts to sit under our tree wrapped for longer then a few hours. I would also like to spend the time cleaning our house and cooking and baking instead of running out amongst the crowds to grab my whos-its and whats-its from the shelves. But that will not happen this year.

All I have to say is that I will NOT let this happen again, though I am not overly stressed I don't like the rushing. Who is going to start thinking about Christmas in May of next year – ME! Oh well, it is what it is.

Anyway, I probably won’t be blogging much the next few days but I did want to wish all of you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! May your travels be safe, your happiness plenty, the love you share with one another overflowing and may we all keep in mind the real meaning of Christmas and those people who may need to be in our prayers over this holiday.

Looking For Unique, Last Minute Gift Ideas....I Got You Covered!

I was looking around for last minute gift ideas and came accross a few I wanted to share. Go to http://www.gifts.com/ for other great ideas! I seriously LOVE this website.

Here are a few of my interesting recommendations for gifts, along with why it would be SUCH a great gift!! :)


1) Framed DNA Print - $550.00 (here)

Looking for a unique piece of art to hang on your wall, well what is more unique then you?! Nothing! So how about getting your DNA turned into a piece of art work?! It comes with easy directions on how to swab your own DNA or perhaps the DNA of the one you love. Then simply pick the color you want for the print and return your DNA sample to the company and 6-8 weeks later - art work! (or proof of something you don't want to talk about)

2) Star Wars Real Storm Trooper Hoodie By Marc Ecko - $98.00 (here)
Who doesn't want to stay warm in this hoodie? Zips all the way up to really impress your fellow geek friends! Seriously, you will be the center of attention at your next Rock Band or Worlds of Warcraft night.

3) Light-up Slippers/ Comfy slippers with built-in LEDs to light the way. - $39.95 (here)

Tired of not being able to find your way in the dark, no worries now! Just put on these fantastic (and SO fashionable) slippers that come with a built in LED light. Sexy, no?! Comfort and style isn't the message with these, it is all about moving at night without turning on a light. Now there will be no more stubbing your toes as you make your way to the kitchen for a late night snack.

4)Wireless Key Finder - $49.95 (here)

Always misplacng your keys? I know I am. Well you won't have to worry anymore with this wireless key finder. As long as your keys are in your home you just need to press a button and your keys will beep. Just remember, don't loose the key finder.

5) Fish Bubble Wall Mount Fish Tank - $21.95 (here)

Afraid that your kids or cats will go after your little goldfish? Well it isn't a problem anymore with this Wall Mounted fish tank! It not only decorates your wall but is out of the way of reaching hands or paws. Just remember it isn't art, it is real...you will still need to feed the fish!

6) Old-School Roller Skates - $69.99 (here)

Take it back to 1984 with these awesome roller skates. You can cruise around your neighborhood having fun and get a work out! Leg warmers and sweatbands sold seperatly.

7) Personalized Rubik's Cube - $29.95 (here)

You can put your picture on anything these days, so why not put it on a Rubik's Cube! You can add different pictures to the cube to create a cute stocking stuffer. Just remember how to get the cube back!

8) Peanut Butter of the Month Club - 3 months $59.85 (here)

Are you a peanut butter connoisseur? No, me neither but I do loves me some peanut butter and this is the perfect gift. Forget the traditional Wine of the Month Clubs or Chocolate of the Month Clubs, Peanut Butter is where it is at. Not a fan of Peanut Butter (as if) no worries because there is also available Olive Oil, Hot Sauce, Lobster, Necktie, or dog treat of the month clubs.

9) Stitch 'n Bitch Nation...Knitting Books - $10 (here)

Looking for something for that crafty person in your life, well then look no further. Enjoy this book that has attitude and great knitting patterns. I personally just really like the title.

10) Mickey Mouse Pop Art Toaster - $49.95 (here)

Kids won't eat there plain old boring toast in the morning as you rush around to get them to school on time, no more worries! How about sprucing up that toast with this Mickey Mouse Pop Art Toaster! Burns on pictures of your favorite Disney Characters...also available in the Princess series!

Adam Walsh Murder Finally Solved

What a relief that the family can finally have closure on this. Click Here

I could never and would never want to imagine going through something like this and for so long. It is wonderful though how much John Walsh has done.

Talk To Me...

First, good luck to my sister who is taking finals this week! I know she has been a bit stressed lately and I know for certain she misses all the bloggers. I am sure she will be back after this week!

So speaking of stress, I know this time of year can be really stressful. So how do you typically de-stress?

For me, this time of year, I like to bake and cook. The funny thing is about 5 years ago I really didn’t know much about cooking. I remember calling my mom and dad and asking them how to boil an egg. Which by the way is a logical question. (boil then add eggs, add eggs then boil, how long) But I defiantly got teased for asking a question like that….and rightfully so. But over the years I have gotten to the point where I do not need recipes as much and I enjoy coming up with new ideas and I think my food is actually good. The time I spend in the kitchen is relaxing….it is the cleaning up after and doing the dishes that stresses me out again!

Other then that music, hot showers, and sappy romantic comedies also help me relax in times of stress.

How do you relax?

"One of These Things Just Doesn't Belong...."

So we noticed this the other day when on 101.5 the River’s website. We were looking at the Top 20 most requested songs and notice one that seemed like it didn’t belong.

“One of these things is not like the other, one of these things doesn’t belong. Can you guess which thing is not like the other, before I finish this song?”

1 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Christina Aguilera featuring Brian McKnight
2 When My Heart Finds Christmas - Harry Connick Jr.
3 O Holy Night - Mariah Carey
4 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Kenny G
5 New Years Day - U2
6 Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - Sarah McLachlan
7 Last Christmas - Wham!
8 White Christmas - Tony Bennett
9 Please Come Home For Christmas - Aaron Neville
10 Christmas Time - Christina Aguilera
11 Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley
12 Silent Night - Gloria Estefan
13 All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
14 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Vince Gill
15 I Will Be Home For Christmas - Kristin Chenoweth
16 O Little Town Of Bethlehem - Sarah McLachlan
17 Christmas Canon - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
18 Why Couldnt It Be Christmas Everyday? - Bianca Ryan
19 White Christmas - Michael Bolton
20 Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt

I know many may have gone with “Last Christmas” by Wham, but no the answer I was looking for is “New Year’s Day” by U2. I mean really?! Now I am not sure if this is being requested throughout the year so much that it is STILL on the list or if people are actually requesting the song because they think it is a holiday type song. I really hope it is the first, because this is not a Christmas song at all! As Terry said, “This has no relevance to the Holiday season, it is nothing more then just a kick ass rock song.”


What are your favorite Christmas songs this year? (mine in the comments)

I Just Want To Be Liked

So I have mentioned before, some long while ago, that our neighbor doesn’t really talk to us. Most wouldn’t think it was a big deal but we have a condo and share a wall with this lady (duplex style condo) and therefore as we practically live together I think it is good to be friendly to our neighbor. Maybe I am needy….ok I AM needy, but maybe I want her to know we are nice people so if we have a really loud party she won’t call the cops or maybe I want her to like us so in case she decides that she wants to set her house on fire and collect insurance she will think twice because she really likes us and knows our house will be affected as well. Who knows really why I seek acceptance from complete strangers, but I do.

So after 2 years at our house I noticed I was finally getting a pleasant smile from our neighbor, the occasional “Hi”, and on rare cases even small talk….I mean it is like we are practically BFF’s. But imagine my surprise when T. tells me he has had numerous conversations with our neighbor for more then a year now. WHAT?! I mean not the long conversations that involve politics, religion, or the meaning of life but standard neighborly type conversations.....I wouldn't no exactly becasue I was not apart of said convo's. He actually referred to her by name in a conversation the other day. He was all like, “Yeah Cindy asked if we were having problems with our cable” and I was all like “who is Cindy” and he was all “Um, our neighbor”. Yeah, I had NO idea these two were on a first name basis! Now the jealousy is not because I am worried about my man talking to another women without me around – HA, as if....I mean have you met me. (I almost got that out with a straight face.) No the jealousy is because he somehow won her over and I didn’t. Dang nabbit, what’s up wit dat - I am likable.

Now I am aware of my pure awesomeness, and understand it can be intimidating to be around me at times, but that is my burden to bear and people should not feel uncomfortable around me. So as far as I am concerned it is on like flys to shit….I am going to make her my new friend….more so then Terry. Step one learn each others names. Hmmm….I just so happen to be making some homemade cookies this weekend and I think I will have to share them with my lovely neighbor. But only the sugar cookies, I don’t like her well enough to share the really good cookies – I mean honestly.


Should I talk to someone about my competitiveness and neediness – nah, it is just as healthy as my ego is....so I am fine. ;) heehee

It Is Cold, Rainy & I Have Nothing Else to Really Blog About

I really have nothing to blog about at the moment so here are a couple Blogthings quizzes to occupy your time.

You Are a Tree

You love every part of the holidays, down to the candy canes and stockings. And you're goofy enough to put a Christmas tree ornament on your tree!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

You Are Blitzen

Always in good spirits, you're the reindeer who loves to party down with Santa. Why You're Naughty: You're always blitzed on Christmas Eve, while flying! Why You're Nice: You mix up a mean eggnog martini.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Your Christmas Stocking Will Be Filled With Little Wrapped Presents

You've made Santa a very happy fellow this year. Don't worry - what happens at the North Pole stays at the North Pole!

What Will Be In Your Christmas Stocking?

Movie Review - Step Brothers & Wanted

This week we watched two new(er) movies. Step Brothers & Wanted. I have to say overall both were VERY good choices!


Step Brothers was Hilarious! Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly together are just brilliant. I want to hang out with them. And the absolutely gorgeous Mary Steenburgen, I mean come on she looks better at 55 then most of us look in our 30’s! It was a really good movie! Seeing these two men act like 5-year-old kids is just funny. I mean, there is a predictable plot, the characters are over done, and some of it makes no sense….but THAT is why it is so funny. And you shouldn’t expect more then good laughs and fart jokes. Favorite quote is when Dale (John) hears Brennan (Will) sing for the first time and says, “You have the voice of an angel. I mean, it's like a cross between Fergie and Jesus. I can’t even look at you right now.” HAHA! This is a movie you will just want to keep quoting.

As for Wanted, I have to say I really liked it, though I could say this movie isn’t for everyone. The movie is based off a comic and features James McAvoy (um, yummy), Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie and a few others you would easily recognize. This is one of those movies that is just cool. The movie isn’t always logical, a bit predictable at times, and there are some gaps and moments where you are like…what. But overall it has enough actions and cool special effects to keep you watching and I really don’t think this movie is trying to be anything other then a cool-ass action movie…….the kind of movie that has a lot of fighting, a lot of big guns, and a lot of chasing. The movie moves fast so you don’t ever really get bored watching, which is great. Oh, and did I mention James McAvoy is HOT! Overall, it was good….I would watch it again and I would probably buy it. K. even said, which I TOTALLY agree with: “If it wasn’t for the morality, I would want to be an assassin.” It does that, just makes it look cool to kick some ass!

And the BEST thing about both these movies is that they both featured the song, “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocell! How weird is that! They were in two completely different movies and settings. (p.s. that is one of my favorite songs)

Orange You Glad We Picked Orange!

So the weekend before Thanksgiving we decided to FINALLY get rid of the ugly wallpaper in our kitchen and paint our kitchen. We kept going back and forth between colors for the room. We have a deep wine color in the dining room next to the kitchen, a dark sage green in the downstairs bathroom and a light brown in the living room. We wanted to make sure it all went together and didn't clash. So what did we choose at the very last minute...orange. Yeah, forget trying not to clash. Yep we went with an orange color...or surprise amber to be exact.

At first it was a bit..um...bold, lets say. But now that a week has gone by and all the stuff is in the kitchen I really really like it!! We are not quite finished with it, we want to add a copper backsplash and redue the floors...probably this summer! But for now, here are some before and after pics!! (please ignore the edging, I still have to clean some of that up!)

AFTER: (this looks a tad lighter then it really is)

We are putting a copper tile-like backsplash under the cabinets and then under those small cabinets is the sink and in that space we are going to put new lights and a piece of slate chalkboard! In our heads it looks WAY cute:)

BEFORE: Blech. I personally loved that two different wallpapers

Prop 8 - The Musical

Gotta love them over at Funny or Die...

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

“Well if you don’t want our kids you don’t get us.”

So once again I should probably preface this post by saying that T & I do not have kids and maybe my thoughts are skewed a bit when it comes to what happens to a person once they have a child. Though I will say that I hope I am not SO wrapped up in my child that I forget about how important it is to spend grown up time away from my kids and with my husband and friends.

So here it is. When Terry and I got married we made the decision to not have young kids at our wedding. We had some teenagers there, but decided that we wanted to have an evening where there were no worries about what kids were doing or not being able to dance because of kids (we have been to those weddings) or worrying about the open bar or having to walk around running kids. We wanted people & parents to have a nice and fun night out for a few hours and many of our friends at the time did not have kids anyways, so this decision only affected a small group of people. So when my cousin & his wife said “well if you don’t want our kids you don’t get us” it caught us a bit off guard. Our intention was not to offend anyone, it was just our choice because it was OUR wedding.

So over the past two years many of our friends have started to have kids. Though this isn’t a part of life we are ready for at the moment, we love our friend’s kids very much and think it is fantastic. We even understand that things change and know we may not be able to do certain things with our friends like go to the bars on the weekend, have spontaneous nights out to dinner, or long nights of Euchre and wine like we use to be able to do. But I will admit...we really miss these things.

Now I know some people who have kids say, well we have kids now and you need to be respectful of that, my priorities have changed. (I have been told this) But in turn, I feel that just because we choose to NOT have kids people need to be respectful of that decision as well. I feel as though we are looked at as outsiders when we are with some of these people because we are not in their little “we have kids” group (as they call it).

So, we wanted to have a Christmas party this month. We told a few of our friends who have kids about the party but that it was for adults only. We explained why in a nice way not to hurt feelings....like I guess we did at our wedding. It has been 2 years since our wedding and this is the FIRST time we have asked to do something sans kids. A couple loved it and were excited for a night with the adults. However others were not so open to this decision we had made and said they will not be able to attend. They did not even say we will have to see, it was flat out we will not be there without a second thought. I feel bad they won't be there, I really do, but I don’t feel that I was wrong in saying that it is an adult only party. For one, our house is NOT child proof at all. Marble tables with hard edges, open electrical outlets because we are remodeling rooms, an open door to the basement so the cats can get to their box, cords everywhere, tons of collectible and breakable stuff…I could go on. Our house is just not safe. Plus, our house is not big and when you add a bunch of people and a bunch of kids it leaves little space. And plus, if those were not the most logical reasons, we would like one day…..just one flipp’n day alone with our friends and not their kids. We want to talk about grown up things with them again and not about teething, what food the child eats, if they are walking, who walked first, and so on….we listen to that all the time and we don’t mind because we love our friends and their kids. But just to have ONE night a year where we can have fun without the worries of kids and talk about the things in OUR life as well that are not related to kids would be fantastic. I really do not think that is too much to ask AT ALL. Infact, I am honestly a bit hurt by the whole thing in that it seems they don't even want to make an effort to be with us.

I think we just feel out numbered at times and like we don't really know what it is like to be in their "situation". Maybe I am wrong and so I know many of you have kids and this is why I ask these questions. Is it wrong of us to say no kids to something we do once a year? Is it wrong of us to ask our friends to spend time with us without their kids, even if it was more then once a year? Isn't it healthy to take even a couple hours away from your kid and work on your marriage and friendships by being with other people? Any thoughts on this?

Terry-ism

Terry said this to K & I this past weekend.
....

T: "Why do people use LOL when they text or read something funny online? Are they really laughing out loud every time there is something funny they read? If they are that is fine, use LOL but lets say they are sitting at their desk and type LOL to someone, I am sure they are not sitting there just laughing out loud at a text.”

He then proceeds to laugh out loud in this obnoxiously loud laugh while pretending to have just read something funny.

T: “I like to say LQTMS. Which is laughing quietly to my self. Seems more appropriate most times.”

....
LOL!!!