Friday Five: A Big Announcement

Just in time for football season:

A special Friday Five- Pregnant edition!

1. I feel worried all the time. I guess that's going to be my life from now on though. (Women with multiple kids have told me the worry goes away by the second child, you're like, whatever - haha!) Physically, I am  nauseous and hungry all the time.
2. It was not a surprise. Not me, Type A, I like to plan :)
3. Am I gonna find out the sex? Hell YEA!
4. I haven't really had any cravings, but I have been eating sourdough bread and sharp cheddar for breakfast and dinner to ward off nausea. I have more food aversions. For a while, I couldn't eat sweets!!! I'm back though to my usual self.
5. First trimester is down and I gained 3 lbs. I really want to stay within a 30 lb gain. Oh yea, and I'm actually glad for the first time I'm so tall you still can't see my 3 lbs. (Well, maybe a little, just looks like I've been indulging in too many burritos :)).

Have a great weekend y'all!
P.S. I'll take any advice I can get from you experienced moms out there!

Random Thoughts

I submitted a quote from Star Wars for our office quote of the day. I was so proud of it and I knew Ethan would be excited. I showed him on my phone and he was horrified by my egregious error. I misquoted Yoda. I submitted “there is no try. Only do.” And it is “there is no try. Only do or do not.” Oops.

We both remember what we wore the first day of high school. Ethan was a throwback to the 80s in a preppy pink polo. I however, was in the hay day of grunge. I wore a navy and white plaid skirt with a white t-shirt and navy suspenders (I also informed him, I was getting a little “big” on top so suspender were probably not the best look for day 1 of high school). I wore my knock-off Birkenstocks as well.

I think I need to be more politically involved on a local level. VA (where we used to live) sells beer and wine in the grocery stores and Costco sweet Costco and has World Market. MD (where we live now) does not sell beer or wine except in liquor stores and has no World Market (I am attributing to the no wine except in liquor stores) and also Buy Buy Baby won’t ship (some products) to MD. Why discriminate Buy Buy Baby, I just need a shower gift?!

Thin Mints in the freezer might the best thing ever in the freezer.




We have some friends in town that moved to FL. We used to do fun things with them like go to Ren Fests and ghost hunting in Gettysburg. We haven't done anything fun like that since they left, so was it just them? I don't know how I got to be a fuddy duddy. I mean I used to be social chair for my sorority- I have ideas for fun stuff!

Me and my tuning rods trying to contact the beyond.

That is all, I have a productive weekend planned and the daggum weather better be on my side. I would prefer a nice sunny, warm weekend, but I’ll take no snow and sunny.

Let's Talk Hair

As I am getting older, my fine hair is looking less and less lackluster and more like a scraggly mutt. I don't color it, I don't blow dry it, but it's always damaged at the ends.

via

OK, maybe not this bad, but you get the idea. 

So, I am thinking of getting a "mom  do", 'cause I'm in my 30s.
Yesterday, I (shamefully) googled "Katie Vanderpump Rules" because I really like her shoulder length hair. The color is terrible, but I like the length. 

 via

I've had short hair before and didn't love it. Probably because I want to do nothing with my hair. I do not do styling in the morning. At all. (Yes, I realize in the pic above, her hair has been straightened to an inch of it's life). But I'm just not sure long is working that well for me anymore. It's too cold to wear a ponytail :)

Do you prefer short or long hair? When should one "give up" their long locks?

When Sorority Sisters Reunite

There are several of my sorority sisters that live int eh DC Metro area, so we finally got together for a mini-reunion this weekend. 
At one point, I remarked sn't it funny how in college, at an AX gathering we would talk (seriously and at length) about what fraternity we were doing homecoming with or what sororities were "good" and now we are talking about real estate prices, birthing, and politics.

iPhone pic shamelessly stolen from Facebook. Our waiter wasn't a very good photographer. Next time we might need one husband or boyfriend to silently join us and just take pictures for social media. 

It was fun, it makes me miss the simpler days of college, but I love seeing how everyone is doing and has changed.

Also this weekend, we finally got up and ready and made it to church (oh, and I'm not talking about the 8:30am service, but the 11am/ hangs head in shame). We like this one, so I guess we need to make more of an effort to go every week. I want to meet more people in our 'hood as well as do some good in the community, so I guess we need to get more involved.  It's hard though (even at church) to just show up to an event! Would you, should I not be a chickensh**?

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed a bit of Spring :)

Boys Behind the Blog Link Up #9

It's time for one of my favorite link ups! It's always a treat (?) to see what Ethan is going to say next.




1. If you could live anywhere, where would you live? Knoxville, duh. (I think he's being facetious because I always say I miss it).
2. Sand or snow? Sand (I've had enough snow this year, thank you).
3. What Winter Olympic sport would you rock at? Bobsled
4. You're cooking a romantic dinner- what is your go-to dish? A great dessert for my boo. (He knows me well)
5. Fill in the blank: This year, I gave (your wife/girlfriend/fiance's name) a ____________________ for Valentine's Day? Flowers and candy.

I don't have many pics of the E that I haven't used over and over, so I thought I'd get a new one. This is my sweet petunia:

Last night," please let me get a cute pic of you and the cat for the blog." I am trying not to offend, but you probably get what he's up to. (FYI, he's not terrible, just a jokester, we were both laughing)

 

Another Year, Another Leibster

I've was nominated for a Leibster last year, but sweet Kenzie has nominated moi again!

In case you forgot the rules, the Liebster Award is awarded to new bloggers by other bloggers. These new bloggers may have a smaller following, but show potential for growth. Here are the rules for the Liebster Award: 1. Link back to the blogger that nominated you; 2. Answer the 11 questions requested by the person who nominated you; 3. Choose 11 nominees with smaller followings (ranging from 200-2,000); 4. You cannot nominate the person who nominated you; and 5. You must let the bloggers know they were nominated.
Same as last year, I don't really follow the rules when it comes to these. I don't know 11 blogs to nominate (none of the blogs I read are "new") and I nominated last year, so I'm taking a pass.  I know I'm not in the spirit of things, but I try to link back to blogs I like and read often :).

1. What is your favorite thing about blogging? The awesome people you connect with.

2. If you had an afternoon all to yourself, what would you do with it? If money is no object, have a fabulous facial and massage at one of the fancy spas in DC.

3. What is your favorite hobby? Scrapbooking, although I never do it.

4. What is the last thing you did outside of your comfort zone?  I dunno- I don't like to talk on the phone (I prefer email), so making a phone call to offer condolences to someone I didn't know well.

5. What is one thing you wish people knew about you? I'm an open book, and most people think I’m really outgoing, but it takes me a while to get there. I’m really shy & insecure around new people.

I guess since this is a pretty narcissistic post, I'll post a pic of myself. This is my "ask me about myself" pose.

6. What is one goal that you have set for yourself this year? Pay off one of our many student loans.

7. You have a free night, go out or stay home? Depends, I like to stay in when it’s cold like now, but definitely go out and walk around when it’s warm.

8. If you could have any job, what would it be? Something where I felt like I really made a difference, like a vet or a smartie that could research cures for diseases.
9. What is your morning routine like? Snooze 5 times, get myself ready as fast as possible (brush teeth, contacts, full makeup & get dressed), always make the bed no matter no late I am (defies login I know), throw my lunch I made the night before in my scraggly Vera Bradly bag (those things are not meant to hold up to daily Metro commutes) and out the door I go.

10. What is your favorite book? Hmmmm, so hard, I have so many. I love Pillars of the Earth, Roses, I Know This Much is True, Nineteen Minutes, and Savannah Blues are my top 5 (for now).

11. If you could have a $500 gift card to any store, which would you choose? TJMaxx or Target. 


 

Dazed and Confused

is how I'm feeling after a 5 day weekend!
I know I keep saying I'm going to be a better picture taker, but this weekend I was not. Again.  

Saturday, we celebrated Valentine's Day at one of our favorite DC spots, Old Ebbitt Grill. I really meant to take some food porn pics of my amazing crab cake sandwich, BUT I was so hungry I gobbled it down before I remembered to take a pic. So Here you have a menu cover (whomp whomp, I know). The picture does really reflect the beautiful historic decor of this restaurant. I would highly recommend you try it if you're touristing DC. (It's right across form the White House & is the oldest restaurant in DC).

Sunday, I went to a bridal shower tea at the Willard. It's actually next to Old Ebbitt Grill and is super swanky. I took pictures in the lobby because I love fancy pants hotels and do manage to get pics in their lobbies (can we say redneck?). Anyway, the MoH did an amazing job and now I want to copy all her ideas!
Sunday evening I watched Downton Abbey and felt awfully British after my afternoon tea followed by my favorite Masterpiece Classic. (OK, it's the only Masterpiece Classic I watch.)


Monday was a holiday, so that means comfy pants!

Hope you all had good weekends, long or short.

Happy Valentine's Day

So far, I'm not doing so hot this Valentine's Day. 

• For Valentine's Day, I decided to take a cue from the 5 Love Languages (the best relationship book out there imo) and cleaned the kitchen til it sparkled this morning (acts of service), but then couldn't remember if that was one of E's love languages. Oops- Valentine's fail #1.

• Sweet E got me flowers and chocolate on Wednesday (before the big snow storm). I already ate the chocolates when I was having a late night, no work, TV watching party. Valentine's fail #2.

• I didn't get Ethan anything for Valentine's Day (he doesn't want anything). Likely a Valentine's fail #3. 

So there you go, how to keep the romance alive after over 10 years together. Any suggestions what I can do last minute to save Valentine's Day?!

Aaaaaand we have fail # 4, this is an ecard for SINGLES! Oh well, it's still how the E and I feel.

Thursday Happies

Well it's not quite Friday, but tomorrow is my day off, so it's my Friday & Monday is a holiday and that makes me happy, happy, happy.

I received the best email late last night that I had been waiting for- the office is closed Thursday due to weather! I of course had already made plans to stay up past my bedtime watching TV and fiddling on the interwebz (there are just so many cute animal videos out there!). So in case you weren't keeping track that's a 5 day weekend for me- holla!

We got a baby shower invite yesterday and I added it to the fridge o' joy. I love being a part of our friend's and family's happy events (and I love a themed party)!

My big kitty has big a super sweet lovebug lately. Last weekend he took a nap with me. He's usually pretty skittish. He's finally warmed up to me after 8 years- ha!

Valentine's Day is tomorrow. You know what that means- fancy Chick-fil-A date night and no dishes :)

Humpday Confessions

Yay, Humpday- halfway to a nice, long holiday weekend.

I posted yesterday about my pump me up jam and asked others what their song was. Yes, I didn’t know any of the songs (I did, but didn’t know the title until I you tubed it). Sad. No wonder Ethan doesn’t want me on his Pop Trivia dream team.

I don’t think I love shoes anymore. I used to, but nowadays I only wear the same 2 pairs of flats and heels that need to be shined and well probably just replaced. Walking around the city, you gotta have something you won’t fall in. (Although I do see some fabulous ladies wearing their big heels regardless)

I am a terrible "snoozer", like I seriously hit the snooze button 5 times before I actually get up. In an effort to get better sleep, I set my alarm for later and said I would just wake up when that went off. Now I just get to work later....

I watched Bad Grandpa and laughed so hard. Johnny Knoxville is from my hometown. It’s kind of embarrassing; we have him, Dolly Parton, and 2 NFL punters.

I have yet to get Ethan a V-day present, so he’s probably not getting anything (he doesn’t read this blog, so it’ll still be a surprise!).

I secretly wish I could get an awesome new camera and take some classes and be a great photographer. Then my Christmas cards and blog photos would be off the chain. I pretty much exclusively use the iPhone.

When I see service & police dogs, I want to hug and kiss them, even though I know they’re working.

 

 Remember Tiny Toons? I loved that show!

I don’t care about the Olympics (is that un-American?). I love movies about that Olympics though!

Beating a Bad Day

I woke up this morning feeling good, and then my last contact tore. One of the biggest hassles of moving is finding all new doctors and unfortunately, the eye doctor I found is terrible. I saw them early Jan. and still don’t have my contacts (not to mention, they botched my insurance, closed their entire office for a week, and don’t book appointments a year out). Don’t worry, as soon as I get those contacts, a Yelp review is coming their way. Today I am wearing my 5 year old Coke bottle glasses with the completely wrong prescription. So I look like a brunette Tori Spelling from Saved by the Bell.

Anyhow, I head downstairs to find cat barf all over the floor. Delightful. (Mercifully, E cleaned it up).

Instead of letting a bad morning wreck the rest of my day, I listen to my go to put me in a good mood jam.

How do you overcome a bad start to your day?

Do you have a go-to song?

Friday Favorites

1. With the cold weather, I am dying (plus, E likes to keep the thermostat at a balmy 65). I am loving my LL Bean WickedGood slippers. They are worth the investment (I asked for them as a b-day present)

2. Generic Argan oil. Do I need to tell you how dry and gross my skin is right now? I had a sample of Josie Moran's Argan oil and really liked it, but at $48 it was a little too rich for my blood. After reading another blog, I found Argan oil at the local fancy grocery for $12. Beware, don't put it in your hair though (mine is fine)- I looked like a major greaseball.

3. I don't even know if I can admit it, but I love Vanderpump Rules. Lisa Vanderpump is so stylish and I love her restaurants (if I had a restaurants I would totally want it decorated like hers). This past week was the (salacious) season finale. I can't wait for the (3 part probably) reunion episodes. Some of the people are the same age as me and older & that I just can't believe.

4. My new office (even if it's only for 2 months). It's so sweet and waaay more spacious than my previous cube space.

Ethan refers to that big chair as my "napping chair"!

5. This recipe:

Ingredients
1/3 cup oats
1 tablespoon raisins
2/3 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons greek yogurt
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (if desired)

Preparations
1. In 2-cup microwavable cereal bowl, stir oats, raisins, and apple juice until well-blended.
2. Microwave on high 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until thickened. Top with yogurt; sprinkle with brown sugar.

Things that are not my favorite- the Cake Boss red velvet mix. I made it for a party yesterday trying to cut some corners and it was dry and meh. So not worth the $6 price tag (for a box cake mix). When it comes to baking, homemade always is the best if you have time, otherwise I'll stick to Betty Crocker yellow cake or strawberry cake.  

Have a great weekend & stay warm my friends!

Humpday Confessions

I've had my 2 mo. sabbatical. What have I been up to- travelling the world, finding a cure for cancer? None of the above, just hibernating? Ding ding ding. (confession #1)

# 2. I had no idea who to root for in the Superbowl. Peyton did go to my Alma Mater (UT!) and he seems so nice, but there is another Broncos player that went to my Alma Mater, I'll refer to him as "Summer's Eve".  Another Broncos player did a terrible reality TV show on E!, I'll call him Massengill. Plus, the Seahawks had those flashy lime green splashes of color on their uniforms. It was hard. I just ate spinach artichoke dip.

3. I tried to binge-watch Breaking Bad, but just couldn't get into it.

4. I might go Bridesmaidzilla for my little brother's wedding. I am so excited for the shower and rehearsal and everything! I created a Pinterest page for the shower and everyone's probably confused since I've been married for oh 7 years. Also, I'm the oldest Bridesmaid (or am I a Bridesmatron?)

5. I recently re-discovered the EMP (English Muffin Pizza) and grilled cheese. It's all I eat for dinner anymore. So much for healthy eating in the New Year.

Well, that's about all I can handle until I get back into the swing of things. Pictures next post, promise!