Friday Confession

I have a lot to say about one of our best anniversaries ever, a relaxing July 4th, family visit and staycation weekend. But it has been a heavy writing week at work and my little brain has been more focused on the energy industry and office occupancy to even manage one coherent sentence about my life.

Random Friday Confession!
I really love my sister. Pretty much I have the best family ever, really, ever. But I am horrible about calling her... it is one of my flaws.

We both love texting cause there aren't screaming kids or husband distractions just me and sister talking.

What do two sisters talk about?
Here is the confession - We talk more than any other time of the year during Big Brother season. It's kind of our thing.

Last night I was getting ready for bed and talking strategy with my Big Sister. Maybe one day they will do a siblings season again and we can go in there and kick butt. :)

looks like we made it

On Wednesday don't you sorta feel like everyday from that point on will be Wednesday and we will never make it to Friday? My inner melodramatic voice has a very lengthy pout midweek and then some how all of the sudden it is FRIDAY!



What I am listening to:  Queens of the Stone Age single - My God is the Sun. Can't wait for the album to drop. On My Way by Billy Boy Poison - need to open road for this one. Tenuousness by Andrew Bird, instrument assortment gets me every time.

What I am craving: Some kind of salad with a spicy peanut dressing, refreshing limeade and a brownie or dense chocolate cake

What I am reading: (or not reading at jury duty) A Million Heavens by John Brandon. Picked it up for the unbearably gorgeous cover and then realised it was a desert novel... sold. Includes story telling from the perspective of a wolf.

Do you ever get jealous of other people's talent? Sometimes literature makes the center most part of my brain tingle and flash like a sparkler on fourth of July. I have a novel idea for a girl who experiences something traumatic or maybe amazing but it is scene through the perspective of her cat and somewhere between the back and forth perspectives the girl switches consciousness with her kitty and I'm not sure what happens after that but the girl enjoys curling up in the sun.

What is in my bag: At the end of the week is your purse exploding with a weeks worth of crap?
Currently I have the following lip products: (it is out of hand)
Softlips Strawberry
Maybelline Color Whisper - coral ambition
(2) Revlon JBK Balm Stain - charm & darling
Fresh Sugar - honey
Clinique Lip Smoothie - strawberry bliss

What am I doing this weekend? I dunno. Some cat time, maybe some free-decorating the living room cause we still haven't put things back after Christmas and there may or may not still be a holiday scentsy warmer out....

life hacks



I did something crazy last night. Not as crazy as misspelling my first name on my boss's birthday card this morning, but close.

I ate mushrooms.
On purpose.



Mushrooms are a no go for me. It is a texture thing. I prefer not to eat cooked slug. But I saw a recipe that added mushrooms to ground beef to stretch it. We normally half a pound of ground beef anyways and adding a little more veggies and bulk to a meal is great when you are feeding a giant man.

Source - Iowa Girl Eats

IGE instructed me to grind up my button mushrooms in the food processor and toss them in with my ground beef. She also SWORE I wouldn't be able to taste the difference. We cooked up a full pound of ground beef/mushrooms and divided it, saving 1/2 for tacos later.

VERDICT -- I could taste the difference. There was a distinct earthiness in our meat sauce. Texture was perfect. And if you hadn't told me I would have thought there was just a strange spice. Would I make it again? Probably. But I wouldn't use a full 8 oz package. For a non-mushroom eater it was a little to overwhelming at first and I might need to slowly increase the mushroom flavor. If you like mushrooms, what are you waiting for?

HUSBAND TEST -- David's delicate pallet detected no taste difference. None. He said the tomatoes overpowered the mushroom. I could probably hide real slugs in his meat sauce and he wouldn't notice...

 

Friday is my Favorite

We made it to Friday, last week was incredibly long for a short week and this week felt even longer.
So how about Friday Faves?

 :: A couple of weeks ago I got a stye (and a UTI - fun week) and so I stopped wearing makeup to help my eye heal. And the following week I broke out, like BROKE OUT. I had more zits than all my teenage years combined, even cheek zits. Never had a cheek zit before.

So the last three weeks have been a war zone on my skin. I think I'm getting things under control and below is a list of all my favorite skin care products.

I had a coupon for Simple products, so I bought the Face Wipes. I don't like having all the waste from a daily wipe, but I know how much I hate washing my face. Water drips down my neck and my arms and it skeeves me out. 

I really like these. They don't dry out my skin, but still remove make up and I guess clean my skin well cause Pimple City is on the way to a ghost town.(I'm new to this "washing of the face" stuff)

  

:: We are still on a budget, it doesn't leave much left over for fun. We have the $8 streaming netflicks and dude it is so worth the $8. We are power disc-ers. 

In the summer we love us some mam's. It's cheap and they are happy colors.

I think we need to have them everyday. I'm getting nectar & icecream (the flavor not the scoop o'icecream) next time I go. Yummers.

Let's go today! Yeah? Anyone?!

:: I never really watched YouTube, just the viral videos and things. I need new music SO bad, I'm in a music slump. So I've been listening to random people's vlogs. It's odd. But entertaining at work.

These are a couple of channels I watch.

• Essie Button 
• Tammy
• CJane
• Kandy
• Make up Never Sleeps

:: A few weeks ago I started my gratitude journal. LOVE IT. It is so simple but it truly has changed the way I see the world. I go through the day trying to find good things for my journal. Totally different than I ever have thought before.

"Think positively" is hard to swallow. It is so sparkles and sunshine and I am way too cynical to believe that sugary sentiment. But being thankful in life grounds me, focuses on blessings.

You should try it!

favorite things- gift review!

I was supposed to have my thank you notes written by Feburary and noticed yesterday I did not achieve that goal. I'm seriously going to be writing all my correspondence this weekend. On my honor.

Favorite things this Friday are inspired by thank you notes!

Kitty Water Fountain

Yes I am a crazy nut and asked Santa for a water fountain for my kitties. And they like it. I guess I thought they'd love it and invite all their kitty friends to a fountain party then I'd come home to cats in bikinis passed out with one paw in the fountain.
They don't love it that much, but they get fresh running, filtered water which can't be THAT bad, right?

Kitty Window Seat

I used some Christmas money to buy my kitties a window seat. I have mentioned how Michmansion doesn't have window sills, it is weird, but we don't. We had been using an old dish barrel box from a move. But it really only had space for 1 kitty and they had some trouble sharing. Until I found the TROFAST at Ikea and some carpet remnant in my mom's garage.
Kitties are in LOVE. Abbey particularly loves taunting the scary pitbulls next door. ;)

Urban Decay Eye Pencil Set

I have never worn eyeliner. It is scary and scratchy and smudgy. I am intimidated.
But, I figured I am almost 30 years old and I should be able apply a little liner. I research and purchased this Urban Decay set and have been "wearing" eyeliner everyday since (ha!), but not very well. I think I still need lessons, but the colors are cool.

Aerolatte Frother

Like hot chocolate? Coffee? Hate stirring?

But seriously, I didn't really have a problem with the stirring but thought hey, a gadget! It is pretty nice. We always have clean spoons now, mostly because David uses my frother more than I do. He likes a gadget too.

My mom also got me an immersion blender! Woo! I haven't used it yet. In the months leading up to Christmas I would say to my self, oh an ib would be great for this... and now that I have one I can't think of anything to immersion blend. Suggestions?

One more for the road, cause we all wish we could nap in the sun.

favorite things friday

*optional soundtrack for today's post

I've been thinking tomorrow was friday since tuesday. that's the kind of week it was.

- I think I would like grow olives as a profession. I'm not sure I'm an office worker. I can see David and me in the hill country growing olives. I need a financial backer, know any?

- The kitties got a water fountain from Santa, and Rigby finally drank from the stream. He has had wet ears for weeks now.

- Why does the dr insist on weighing me for a hurt wrist? I chose not to look at the scale.

- Goals for This Weekend -- de-christmas, clean out my purse, bra shopping (grrrrr), something unexpected, spring cleaning

What I'm digging lately:

Fabri-Tac - best.glue.ever. It dries fast, sticks to anything and holds lik super glue. I've wasted my life with a glue gun, modpodge, super glue, elmers, spray adhesive. Fabri-tac is it for me. We are married now.

Glitzerland - the perfect gold for my pink skin. I haven't worn nail polish since middle school, but ever since Sally Hanson Salon Effects I'm addicted.

thankful friday

last friday was Veterans Day, and I probably should have blogged this last week but I was terribly busy with the Nutcracker market and well, I was shopping...

If your only ongoing experience with the government is paying taxes every year and the occasional speed trap, you my friend, are a lucky ducky. Working with the government is like Weekend at Bernie's, wrestling a dead body.

David has been out of the military for 4 years this December.

I met Dp the month before he went to boot camp so military was pretty much all we knew. I had this idea that if we got married and I lived where he was stationed we would see each other A LOT more, but that didn't really happen. I was so cute and naive and believed that when we were out of the military I would be freeeeeeeeeeee as a bird now. No.

• Dp was still in the IRR- individual ready reserves. He got his discharge papers this July saying he was free from being called back, really really.
• The GI college benefits they bait you with are not, NOT, easy to get.
• The GI college benefits they bait you with are not, NOT, easy to keep. Sometimes you will be in your last semester of college ever and they will say you have used up all of your benefits.

In less than a month now David will be done with school and is currently looking for a job (holla if you have leads), and since September we have been benefits free. It was an unpleasant surprise and sent us scrambling to find some way to pay for school.

(this doesn't really sound like "thankful friday" but I'm getting to it, be patient. today is also "patience friday")

I was/am so scared about how to pay for this semester, but I am so relieved to be a real civilian. We are really free from the government now. We will always be veterans, and maybe you have to be a veteran to understand all the civilian benefits that are easy to get and easy to keep.

• I have spent 3 nights away from Dp in 4 1/2 years, which is still unbelievable.
• The government doesn't own him, seriously he was property, I'm not kidding. 
• We won't get a call in the middle of Christmas dinner saying we need to get back to the boat because they pushed up his deployment and he is leaving for 9 months in 3 days. Sigh, good times.
• I have a husband to carry heavy things, kill roaches, take out the trash, fill the car up with gas, and intimidate annoying solicitors.
• If we decide to have children one day, I won't be a single parent.
• When I have an emergency and need to talk to him, I can pick up the phone and will talk to him face to face that night. Instead of -- sending an email that says "next time you are in port I REALLY need to talk to you", and 3 weeks later he would buy a calling card and stand in a 2 hour line and we'd get to talk for 15 min.
• I own a house. And will be in this house till I decide I don't want to live here anymore.
• I can be a person again, not just a Navy wife, not following David around the country, not just planning for David's trips and welcoming David home. I can have dreams again, I am important again.

There are too many things I take for granted now that he is here all the time.

I am thankful to be a civilian.

thankful things friday

It is easy to forget to be thankful. Sometimes life is bursting with things that cloud a thankful spirit.

Every year right around the first cool front I watch White Christmas, because we all want snow snow snooooooooooow! Bing sings:

"When I worry and I can't sleep

I count my blessing instead of sheep.

And I fall asleep counting my blessings."

This November every Friday I am going to list what I've been thankful for this week. Because sometimes there is a heavy weight of negative on your shoulders and the only way to fight dark is with light.


1. Kitty snuggles. Abbey takes care of me when I am sick and Rigby takes care of me when I am sad, and what more could a girl need?
2. Steaked potatoes, steaked potatoes, potatoes that are steaked, steaked potatoes!
3. Cooler weather. Whew, its here!
4. Warm bed in the morning.

favorite things friday

I'm dreaming of a favorite thing that zaps fat away and doesn't involve giving up my comfort food. And if someone says exercise I'm going to punch them in the face! This week I'm liking --



Clinque Redness Solutions - Daily Relief Cream
So my skin is wacky all of the sudden. I look at myself in the mirror and I don't know who the heck is looking back at me. This lotion really helps with some of my redness, I'm instantly white within seconds of putting it on. I got the cleanser as well but still have all sorts of pimples (I think ladies call they blemishes but lets face the zit truth).

I find it funny that I use lotion to reduce redness, concealer to hide red spots (see aforementioned ZITS), foundation to further whiten and then go on top of it with blush to make myself.... red.... again.





SleepRight Slim Night Gaurd

Ok, so I don't love that I use one of these but I clinch and it hurts my jaw, this is reality. So I wear a mouth guard. I've tried lots of kinds, boil, no boil and trays. I found this SleepRight brand at Walgreens and loved it! No more football mouth. And when I found the SleepRight Slim I feel in love (as much as one can) with a mouth guard made for a mini person like myself. I go through about 4 a year and order them online cause the Slims are hard to find.





A Friday WISH
I wish it were cool. Like the rest of Texas, I wish it would rain and save my lawn. I wish could go outside and go camping and make smores. I just basically want a vacation. And a raise so I can go on my vacation.

favorite things friday

My favorite thing this Friday is

IT IS FRIDAY!!! duh

:: Eating Right
I eat frozen meals. I know, processed food is going to kill me, but some days it is too easy to grab a frozen and go. I hate how most frozen meals are so high in sodium; and I sure don't need any other excuse to bloat these days.

Randall's carries a store brand - Eating Right. Their frozen meals are the best I've ever had. Ok, are they the best thing I've ever tasted? No. They have no salt or fat! But they taste pretty dang good. I'm hooked. They are not a cure-all, still thinking about Carrabba's carrots and parmesan dressing.... yum.


:: Cocoa AlmondsMy mom raved about these for weeks. I finally tried one at her house. You know Hershey's Treasures with almonds? Yup that's what it tastes like except they are so satisfying and I don't eat 4000 of them, unlike Hershey's Treasures.








:: STYCD
Sheesh this season. Marko, Melanie and Sasha are just perfection. Also, I'm a Jess fan, the judges are too hard on him. Wed. Night was CRAZY! Gaga was there and the choreographers really went for it.

You MUST watch--

Marko with All-Star Allison
I loved the message of this piece- it is so easy to hate, it takes guts to be gentle and kind. And Marko made a wonderful apology to his mother for words that may have hurt her in the past. Wow. I love art. Art in all forms makes people think, drives people to act, and changes the world. I can not understand how the government thinks children don't need art in school. WE NEED ART.

Sasha and Melanie
The female body. Strong, powerful, beautiful. I officially wish I could dance. Last week when someone at work said I wasn't capable of taking on a large project (cause I was a girl), this was the dance in my heart.