Thankful for Second Chances

Show Us Your Life: Things you make

2012-01-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

Today, Kelly at Kelly's Korner is hosting Show Us Your Life: Things you make. I know there are a ton of creative women (& men) out there, and I think that's awesome - especially if you can benefit from the proceeds of something like an Etsy shop!

I started making jewelry when I was in college - just for the heck of it. I was tired of paying $15-20 for a pair of earrings that I could make myself. Plus, I enjoy the creativeness of it all - picking out the beads, putting together ideas, and then bringing them to life.

A few years ago, I launched my Etsy shop: Hi, Lane.

Shell Love 'Em $9

I had the opportunity to host a booth at my town's fall festival a couple of years ago, so I partnered with one of my co-workers to make hand cut, kiln fired, glass jewelry pieces.

Royal Wire-wrapped Cross $10

It's been a few years since the festival & I don't spend nearly as much time crafting as I used to, but every once in a while I venture into something new.

Silver, Black & Pink Flower Headband $9

Paisley Fabric Flower Necklace - $12.25

Halloween Yarn Wreath $16.25

I love being able to say, "I think I'm going to try to make that," if I see something in a store that I really like, and I love being able to share those things in my Etsy shop. Stop by sometime!

Vomtastic.

2012-01-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

I know two posts in one day - things are getting crazy over here, right? But, this one was too good to share, and I know La Tache will enjoy it.

As she puts it, "Adventures in Customer Service" Vomtastic Thursday edition...

We have this client who comes in to pay his bill monthly. He works at McDonald's, in the kitchen, no less, and always smells like cigarette smoke and month-old french fries.

He always always always, without fail, tells (not asks) us that he is going to use our restroom.

First, our restroom is marked "private" for this very reason. It's the only one we have. There is no venting. It's clean because very few booties call it home. For this reason, we keep it "private."

Second, we had developed a system. When said customer comes in the door, one of us is usually quick enough to run to the bathroom and stay there until one of us knocks that the coast is clear. We've gotten away with this for the past few months.

Until today. I was concentrating on typing a letter, and got frustrated when I heard the door ding. Of course it's someone to pay their bill, so I'll have to break my concentration to help.

I'm 95% of the way through helping him, thinking he isn't going to use the restroom today, when he quickly mutters, "I'm going to use your restroom," while I'm mid-receipt writing.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

But, what can you do?

Now, my office has a clear view of the restroom. The customer goes in, starts to pee, and never closes the door!!!!

Vomit. Vomit Vomit Vomit. I literally can't believe this is happening, so thinking I'm seeing something, I run to my dad's office, which also has a clear view of the restroom.

Customer Lewdy Pants zips it up, waltzes back out, takes his receipt and leaves.

He peed all over the floor and toilet seat.

He did not wash his hands.

And he just visually violated me.

Ugh. Gross. Someone please bring me a vommy bag.

******

All this happened after the following conversation I had with one of our reps this morning...

Him: Hi Hilary, you know, I just got off a plane coming from Hawaii and you are the first person I called. Don't you feel special?

... more pointless convo ...

Him: Well, who do you think is going to be there in a catastrophe, it certainly won't be [competitor]. It's going to be me.

Me: We actually aren't putting much business with [competitor] because they did us dirty a few weeks ago.

Him: You know I won't do you dirty unless it's at a bar with a beer in my hand.

Ew.

Him: Okay, Hil, you know I love you. I'll talk to you later.

Awkward!

******

Is it time to go home yet?

Workout Duds

2012-01-26T08:56:00.000-08:00

Just an FYI - do not buy your activewear from WMart online unless you're sure of your sizing. Even then you'll probably end up taking it back. I knew this, yet I ordered clothes from them anyway. I ordered two pairs of capris and two tanks. First, their sizing online was S-XL, however they are made XS-XXL. Had I known this, I would've opted for the XS. Instead, I got a package marked S that was actually a L. The second pair was the correct S, but the crotch was to my knees, the waist was to my boobs, and the elastic in the waist was virtually non-existent. One S tank top fit perfect, but the other was entirely too small and short and it was the same brand! WMart FAIL.

Josh and I went to the mall last night, so I picked up these from Old Navy in all black...

[via]

& this is the surviving WMart tank that I got in grey...

[via]

Josh asked me why I was buying new work-out clothes. I said, "Honey.. I have to compete with porn stars at the gym... I have to be on my A-game, looking hot." To which he responded, "Honey, those girls are gross. You do look hott." He's learning. :-)

Now, if only those clothes could make me look like her...

No? You mean, I'll actually have to work for that? Darn.

Goal Update

2012-01-24T01:36:00.000-08:00

Read at least 25 books this year.

I just finished my first book last week (I know - so much for getting ahead of the game, right?), but right now I'm in the middle of two books. I'm halfway through one for Blogging for Books that's saved on my work computer (no, I don't read books at work - what are you talking about!?), and I'm halfway through Jaycee Dugard's memoirs. If I can finish 3 in January, I'll be making good time. Not to mention our trip to Michigan is coming up and this girl will definitely need some reading material to spend 38+ hours in the car!

Run 281 miles.

This goal has sort of taken on a life of itself. As far as running goes, I'm currently at 10.58 miles for the year. I know, not a lot. But, my workouts have become a lot more well rounded, and I'm excited to keep up the progress. I love feeling sore.

Saturday, I ran to my poll location and back (It was SC's Republican primary election day.) = 1.2 miles. I came home, did 30 minutes of cardio playing Wipeout on Kinect. (You may laugh, but don't knock it till you try it. It's 30 minutes of constant running, jumping & squatting in place.) I followed that up with this mini workout & two sets of arm & shoulder toning exercises...

Sunday, Josh & I hit the gym, where I found out the treadmill in the ladies' room is broken. Every other treadmill was taken, so I was banished to the elliptical. :-( I put in 2.17 miles there and then did a rotation on all of the circuits in the ladies' room.

I really like having a goal to work for, and I'm hoping I can hold on to the inspiration long enough to make working out a habit. But, if my legs can look like this, I'll do pretty much anything.

Ohh, and Josh bought me these on Sunday... yummy! Thanks honey!

Book Review: Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin

2012-01-23T07:57:00.000-08:00

*Ladies, if you will, say a little prayer for Josh today. He goes in for his big interview this afternoon!*

Love the One You're With is a story of comfortable love vs. passionate love. Ellen is married to her perfect match. He's attractive, smart, caring, and funny. She has the family she's always dreamed of, after losing her mom to cancer. She's happy - at least she thinks she is until she runs into her ex-boyfriend one day. He offers her a photography job that causes a rush of feelings from the past. Feelings of exciting, passionate, unrequited love. Did Ellen really choose the right man? Is she truly happy?

I'm a Giffin fan, but this one was a bit tough to really get into. Obviously, by the title, you know how the story ends, so there's no jaw-dropping secrets or turn of events. This was a decent book, but I'll be honest, Something Borrowed was better. Much better.

I give it a B-.

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this post. I purchased the book, and all opinions expressed are my own. :-)

1/25

Run Chart - Revised

2012-01-20T10:50:00.000-08:00

Remember the other day when I posted this run chart that I found on Pinterest?

Well, I probably should've made sure I could run as fast as it required. Because by the time I hit these points in the chart, I was literally loosing ground on the treadmill. It wasn't that I was out of breath, I just couldn't get my legs to move that fast!

I think the total 20 minute run was supposed to = 2 miles, but I had to make some on the spot revisions as to not have to pry myself off the wall behind the treadmill after I would have inevitably flown off! My run ended up being 1.5 miles.

I might have to add minutes 20-25 in order to finish out 2 miles, but that's okay, as long as I'm not breaking an ankle, I think I can handle another 5 minutes.

I really liked having the direction, though. It gave me something to look forward to as I counted down each minute. I just wish I didn't have to keep tapping the screen on my iPhone to keep it lit up so I would know what I had to do next. I know, I'm a rookie! I'll figure it out eventually!

MY Motivation to Work Out

2012-01-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

One of my goals this year is to run a 3.5 mile Mud Run in May. It has 29 obstacles. I'll be on a team of 4. My sister is 4'11" and weighs 100 lbs soaking wet. We can pick her up and carry her if need be. My brother in law is 6'2" and weighs 250 lbs. He can just stomp on people. Oh, and if you didn't know, this is my boyfriend...

He will leave me in the dust. If you're catching my drift here, it's that I'm the weak link.

I've also made a goal to run 281 miles this year. I started out the year decent. And then I drank entirely too much, had a nasty hangover, and lost my momentum. Today will be my first trek back to the gym on my own, and to be honest, the rainy, cold, gloomy weather makes me want to crawl on the couch and be lazy.

I've seen a few blog posts of pins that motivate each girl to work out. I have to say, Pinterest is great for getting you out of your funk (the sunshine helps, too :-)).

Those thighs are to diiie for

So I always thought I was stupid for lifting my boobs up to see my abs - this pic makes me feel better.

I'll take those abs & arms - please and thank you.

This is a great workout for those days I just don't feel like driving to the gym.

Another great tool for an at-home work-out. Also good for when you don't feel like weight training at the gym.

And the #1 motivator:

Brooklyn Decker aka. Josh's favorite actress

I actually think I will try this tonight. I usually run at 5.5-6.5 for 4-5 minute spurts, so this will push me, but will hopefully speed my run up and keep me from getting bored.

I'm hoping to pick up some new workout clothes soon, too. I've always worn t-shirts and whatever shorts/cut-offs I can find to work out in. Nothing's a motivation like cute clothes, though, right?

What motivates you to work out?

2012-01-17T07:56:00.000-08:00

[via]

Good morning ladies!!!

Please say a prayer, if you will, as Josh is taking a test today that could help him get a better job. It's something he's been talking about for a long time, and I know he'll do amazing, but all positive thoughts and prayers are appreciated!!

[ETA: Josh did awesome and spanked the competition. He finished in less than half of the required time. He has scored himself an interview. Which means that if he gets offered the job (at the interview, highly unlikely, right?) we'll have 5 days or less to get packing for our rearranged trip to Michigan. Our original plans are right on top of this job's start date :-(. But, if it wasn't crazy & hectic, it wouldn't be any fun, right? Thank you ladies for your prayers!]

Christmas 2011 Highlights

2012-01-17T00:14:00.000-08:00

[This boy is crazy. He cracks me up.]

[Hey! He looks familiar...]

[Georgia Belle now has so many toys we've had to purchase a toy bin.]

[Christmas morning]

[Crazy baby!! (Yeah, she's almost 4, but she's still a baby to me!)]

[Cheers for a flat screen!]

[Christmas kisses]

Class with a capital C.

2012-01-16T08:01:00.000-08:00

I encountered so much class this weekend, it was absolutely ridiculous. If my future children ever come close to acting like this, I will build a compound to rival Warren Jeffs' and lock them inside it for eternity.

1. To the ex-girlfriend who's name starts with an "S" and ends with an "am" (I wish she'd find my blog, because I'm not allowed to send her a message - believe me, I asked.): It is so classy to ask your ex-boyfriend for money he "owes" you. Honey, regardless of whether he owes you or not, it has been six years. Grow up and move on - you make yourself look like a clingy mooch. And don't you dare come back around unless you wanna see me in full on beezy mode. That's a promise!

2. To the dentist who is flaunting his "pimp" status: It is so classy to talk about how many girls you've slept with as you flaunt your "chains". The "chain" sporting the interstate you grew up on? I think I saw that in the quarter machine at the grocery store. I will be keeping my mouth away from those hands - no telling what kinda germs they carry!

3. To the naked Tebow girl: Oh, honey. No words. No words.

4. To the trainer at our gym who texted her "picture" to #2: Where is your dignity? Honestly. I will no longer let you annoy me by talking to my boyfriend and ignoring me. Instead, I'll just feel sorry for you.

5. To the group of golfers who blatantly cut me off trying to exit the restaurant: What happened to ladies first? I mean, I realize your brain cells might be dying with that USCocks hat cutting off your oxygen (sorry Cock fans, I couldn't miss the opportunity ;-)), but honestly. Where are your manners? Even after I called you out, you looked at me like I was the rude one.

What is wrong with people these days? Has class completely gone out the window? What happened to keeping your legs closed and saving your naked-ness for where it belongs? What happened to men being gentlemen, opening doors for women and not talking about girls like they're the flavor of the week?

An Addiction

2012-01-13T07:46:00.000-08:00

My name is Hilary, and I have an addiction.

I have 50+ books sitting on my bookshelves, waiting to be read, and yet I get sucked in to the library's used book sale.

To my credit, some of these were on my "To Be Read" list, so it actually saved me money to find them at such a discounted rate, right?

Oh, and I finally ~~came out from under my rock~~ joined Instagram. Username: CUHil. Leave yours in the comments and I'll follow!

About Me

2012-01-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

Katie @ The Amazing in the Ordinary (love her, btw) has tagged me in the About Me game that's floating around blog land. I'll try my best to keep this short & sweet as I know a lot of you hate reading & love pictures (how ADD are we?).

[the rules]

1. You must post the rules.

2. Post 11 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 11 new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

4. Tag 11 people and link them on your post

5. Let them know you've tagged them!

[My 11 Facts]

1. My fingers are double jointed, so they bend backwards.

2. I've surfed since I was 15, and I hate that the older I get, the less I seem to make the time to paddle out. :-(

3. Josh and I have talked about babies: we'd both like to have 4. (Crazy?!)

4. My ultimate career goal is to own the family business, work 7-3 when the kids are in school, and spend the rest of the time with them. (Also crazy?!)

5. I wish I had studied more & partied less in college. (Does everyone say that?)

6. I have two half sisters and one half brother. Each of them has one half brother, and two of them have three half sisters. That's nine total if you lost count. (Don't worry, I have a hard time keeping track, too.)

7. I'm the only woman in my family that's with an older man. My dad is 12 years younger than my mom!

8. I've been blogging in some way, shape, or form for 10 years. Yikes - I feel old!

9. I refuse to buy designer, because I can buy 20 items for the same price at stores like Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe. Sure, you get the duds every once in a while that fall apart after a few wears, but you take the good with the bad.

10. I don't watch live TV. Helllloooo DVR.

11. I have never died my hair. Not once. When I met Josh's friends in Michigan, one of the guys said, "You girls go talk about what color hair dye you use." It took everything in me not to pipe up and correct him, but I didn't wanna be the defensive weirdo girl that Josh brought home.

[Questions from Katie]

1. If you could only own cats or only own dogs for your entire life, which would you choose? Dogs. Hands down. I love my cat, but dogs are more fun!

2. What was the last dream (sleep dream) you had that you can remember? I have dreams all the time that Josh is cheating on me. Or that I'm being chased and someone is trying to kill me. Can you say insecurities much? I always tell Josh about them and he always laughs at me.

3. If you had no fear of failure, what would you do? Write a fiction novel.

4. If you could save only one photograph, what would it be? This one of my mom and I when I was a baby.

5. Deserted Island: What three books would you take? The Bible & 2 other books I haven't read yet - hopefully someone would rescue me before I finished them. :-)

6. What skill do you wish you had and why? I wish I had mad entrepreneurial skills. I admire people who have multiple profitable business adventures all at the same time. I think one business is all I can handle!

7. What is your favorite meal to cook? Smoked sausage spaghetti - my mom's recipe

8. How long does it take for you to get ready to go out of the house? To work? 1.5 hours. Out? 1 hour.

9. What is your favorite childhood memory? Christmas Eve with my family - opening presents and going to bed with my sister to wait for Santa

10. Deserted Island: What three movies do you take? (and yes, this strange island has a DVD player, don't ask!) Blue Crush, Center Stage, Four Brothers - my three favorites

11. How long on average does it take you to read a book? If it's an awesome book - 1 week. If it's an okay book - 2-3 weeks. If it's a blah book (yes, I finish them anyway) - a month or more.

[My 11 Questions]

1. What's your favorite blog to read (yes, you can only pick one)?

2. What is your favorite book?

3. What kind of car do you drive?

4. What's the one thing in your home that has to be a certain way? (Toilet paper over, clothes folded, DVDs alphabetized, etc.)

5. Tell me about your worst school yearbook picture growing up. (Mine involved SClub7-esque hair knots that made me look like Princess Leia.)
6. What's your favorite app on your phone?
7. Tell me one really quirky thing about yourself.
8. I just saw on the news this morning that a lady paid $50,000 to have her dog cloned. If someone offered to clone your family pet (all creepiness aside), what is the max amount of money would you pay to have it done?
9. What's your favorite Real Housewives season?
10. What fast food chain do you wish would go away and never come back?
11. How many US states have you visited?

So, I'm ADD and was reading blogs and writing one at the same time when I saw that Lauren at Souls to Squeeze (love her too, btw!) also tagged me!!

[Lauren's Questions]
1. Do you write with blue or black ink... or both? I prefer blue, but once I find a pen I like, it doesn't matter what color it is.
2. What is your favorite TV show? Oooh, I have so many! One Tree Hill, though, hands down.
3. What is your favorite accessory? My white rhinestone watch that Josh bought me for Christmas last year.
4. If you could give up one household chore... and NEVER have to do it again... what would it be? Emptying the dishwasher - that was my chore at home growing up, and now I'm scarred!
5. How many concerts have you attended? I have NO clue. My first concert was DC Talk when I was 3.
6. What is your normal bedtime? If Josh is home, 10:00. If Josh is working,11:30-12.
7. Approximately how many text messages do you send per day? Yikes! Like 75-100?
8. What is the last book you read? I'm reading "Love the One You're With" by Emily Giffen now.
9. Who do you think will end up winning the Super Bowl this year? I have no clue - I'll just pull for the Patriots since that's Josh's fav team. (Sorry Lauren!)
10. What is your biggest pet peeve? I have quite a few: People who talk crap about Clemson when their team isn't any better. Cars that don't have any tinted windows (the back ones are SUPPOSED to be - at least a little bit). Old people that drive slow. Mustache/beard hair on the sink. I could keep going...
11. What is your favorite soda? Dr. P.
12. Do you normally wear your hair up or down? Down 90% of the time.

[Now I Tag...]
1. Keri @ Jersey Roots to Cowboy Boots
2. Whitney @ the land of sunshine
3. Keely @ the Bonds of Medlock
4. Shayla @ Imperishably Beautiful
5. Abbie @ Satisfy My Soul
6. Megan @ Miss Madison's Charmed Life
7. Tatiana @ Living Life & Loving It
8. Ashley @ Life As I Know It
9. Sarah @ The Little Barras Family
10. Shannon @ Arkansas Runner
11. Alyssa @ My Husband's Watching TV

Whew - that post took me all day! Good luck girlies!

1, 2, 3 Strikes - You're OUT!

2012-01-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

[Today I have a post over at my private blog. I know for some reason it doesn't show up in Reader and I hardly ever post, so for those of you that usually follow, head on over.]

******

I have finally uploaded our Christmas pictures off of my camera (yaaay!), but no worries, I won't bore you with an over share three weeks post-holiday. Instead, I'll share random ones in the next few days that are just too cute/funny.

Today, you get a typical attempt for Josh and I to get a good photo...

.one.

[Great photo, but there's a baby in the picture.]

.two.

[This was my "OH GOD, the telescope is falling onto the fireplace/tv/dvd player and might take down a child or two in the process!" face.]

.three.

[Okay, I'm ready now, but Josh is over it.]

Now you know why we have to hire a photographer to take our pictures if we want decent ones!

Wanted: Hair Straightener

2012-01-09T10:39:00.000-08:00

Ladies, I need your recommendations.

I'm on the market for a new straightening iron. [Who would've figured dropping $18 on a new iron would mean that it would only last for a year?]

My hair is fine, but thick, and verrrry humidity sensitive. Now that it's longer, a 1" isn't cutting it very well. I'd like to have a 1.5", but nothing larger than that. I can stick to a 1" if I need to.

Oh, and the biggest criteria: the price. I'm cheap. I refuse to buy a Chi (or any of those other fancy schmancy kinds) unless I get an awesomesauce deal.

Now, if your recommendation made it through all that, please share!

Recipe FAIL and a few other Friday randoms

2012-01-06T07:32:00.000-08:00

one. Our Christmas gift to ourselves was delivered and installed yesterday! Y'all, we did three loads of laundry in three hours. That's a record for our household! That's like a tenth of the time it took before!

two. Today marks my first day of "planned" running. I'm hoping that by setting a goal ahead of time, I'll be more inclined to actually run the distance I set as a goal, instead of stopping after a mile because I'm bored. After four days in a row (on Monday), I'm excited for how sore/good I'll feel.

three. Last night's recipe of Stir Fry Chicken was an absolute FAIL. It was just wrong on so many levels. I had double the chicken, so I tried to double the recipe, but I ran out of soy sauce and only had half of what I needed. I substituted veggies and added some additional ones, so we had an entire large popcorn/mixing bowl full. I forgot to cook the rice before I started the chicken, and the rice takes 45 minutes more than the chicken. The veggies were overcooked. The water didn't turn to a "glaze" like the recipe said it would. The chicken was tasteless. The veggies were limp and mushy. Lesson learned: Leave the stir fry to the Asians.

Happy Friday, y'all!

Meal Planning

2012-01-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

One of my [unofficial] goals for this year is to start eating healthier. I know everyone says that, so you're thinking, okay, sure.

1. I eat entirely too much junk food. I will probably be diabetic by 40 at this rate.

2. I am lazy. If I have to put effort into cooking it, chances are, I won't. I'll settle for cereal instead.

Now, I'm not saying I'm going to cut out every single one of my cereal-dinners. (There has to be an up-side to the days Josh is on shift, right?)

Every time Josh and I go shopping together, a few things happen:

1. He complains that I don't ever buy healthy food.

2. He buys all fresh fruits, veggies, and meats. I buy cereal & milk. We split the bill in half. I eat about 20% of what we buy. If I'm paying for healthy food, I might as well eat healthy food, right?

3. We go to the store in the morning when I'm not hungry. We work out. We go home and I'm starving and I haven't bought anything to eat.

The best option I can come up with is to start meal planning. I don't mind cooking. I like finding new recipes to add to the collection.

Now, I'm not gonna go all crazy-meal-plan-3-months-at-a-time or anything because I have neither the time, space, nor resources for that. But, I think I can handle one week at a time.

Plus, cooking = leftovers = money saved on buying lunches.

[Yes, those are John Deere forks. Yes, I am embarrassed.]

So, I started last night. And I have to say, I am quite proud of my choice. Dinner didn't involve one starch!!

We had Broiled Tilapia Parmesan and Roasted Broccoli and Carrots (which I sadly, can't find the recipe for now).

It was super yummy, and I even had leftovers for lunch today. Instead of my usual crackers, cheese, and whatever else I can scrounge up, I had a healthy meal, and I'm not pining for a snack like I usually am at 3:00.

Tonight is Chicken Stir Fry.

Do you have any meal planning ideas? Tips? Tricks? Great recipes?

My Most Pleasant Hoo-ha Experience Yet...

2012-01-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

(I had the hardest time coming up with a title here, so just roll with it...)

I dread the girlie doctor. With a capital D. My experience with girlie doctors (post-college) has been less than stellar. Lots of cold hands, cold personalities, and not much chit chat. I don't know about you, but if someone is gonna be up in my hoo-ha, I'd like to have a little small talk first. Just sayin'...

So, when my coworker (the preggers one) was able to get an appointment with the doctor who my mom and sister have been seeing for the last 15 years, I immediately called and asked to see her from now on. Thanks to the crappy economy (straight from her mouth), she's accepting new patients for the first time in 3 years. A personal thank you, crappy economy..

I mean, with a last name that's identical to a very popular baby brand, this woman has to be a good OB/GYN, right?

And she was. In fact, she was so nice, I experienced verbal diarrhea more than once while I was in the room with her.

Like, "Did you know it takes a year to get divorced in SC?" which was followed immediately by, "I've been with my boyfriend for a year and a half now."

Wait.. no, that came out wrong.

And thanks to my verbal diarrhea, my brand spankin' new OB/GYN now knows my life story.

Eh, what can ya do?

Even though she "loves" my ex-MIL, she was amazing. She even launched into a very motherly, "Just make sure you're truly happy next time around" speech.

Seriously, I just made myself sound like an adulterous floosy who gives away entirely too much information to people I don't even know, and here she is concerned about my happiness.

Aside from her bedside manner, she was actually an awesome doctor. My sister's first pregnancy ended in stillbirth at 5.5 months due to neural tube defects. None of my previous doctors have even remotely inquired about any family history that I have, and I've never offered it up because it didn't cross my mind that it could be genetic.

But, since she's my sister's doctor, she already knew about my sister's first pregnancy, and so because of that recommended a Rx for twice the folic acid that a normal woman takes.

In the past, when I inquired about getting pregnant - hey a girl ALWAYS has to be prepared - my doctors shrugged me off - even when I was married! - and said, "You will need pre-natal vitamins." End of story. No explanation. As if I were just supposed to figure out what kind, where to get them, and what dosage.

I appreciate that she took me seriously when I asked her questions. That she took an interest in my health, and didn't just treat me like another file.

... even if she did say the word "DISCHARGE" a bit loudly in the waiting area. I mean, I guess you can't be perfect, right? :-)

2012 Goals

2012-01-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

I am not a resolution type of gal.

I abide my daily to-do lists and live for life's little projects, but New Years Resolutionista I am not.

I do, however, have two goals for this year.

one. Read at least 25 books. Last year, I read 16.

two. Run at least 281 miles. Why 281? Because I knew I wanted to run at least 200, and 281 is the distance from my now-home to my townhouse in my college town, and I think it'd be cool to know I ran that distance.

That's it - pretty simple. What are your goals for the year?

Proud New Parents...

2012-01-02T00:36:00.000-08:00

I cannot wait for delivery day!

Wrapping up the year..

2012-01-01T05:33:00.000-08:00

2011 was one of the best years of my life. I'm not just saying that. It truly was an amazing year for me. I lived more and loved more. That makes it a great year in my book.

January

Josh received an award for outstanding service for a particular accident he worked in the previous year.

February

I received gorgeous flowers from my Valentine.

March

I celebrated my first St. Patty's with an Irishman.

April

We celebrated the wedding of a good friend.

May

We took our annual trip to Lake Wateree.

June

I went home and met Josh's family - first time to Michigan.

July

We celebrated the 4th of July with a Detroit Tigers game.

August

I went to NYC with my mom and sister. They did shots. In a club. I was scared.

September

We braved a hurricane. Only rookies stay home.

October

Josh attended his first Clemson football game.

November

We celebrated an awesome Thanksgiving & Black Friday. :-)

December

(I haven't uploaded our Christmas pictures yet, so you get our Christmas card picture.)

Josh and I sent out Christmas cards - a first for both of us.

I can't wait to see what 2012 holds!! I have an inkling that it will be amazing.

Happy New Year!

2011 Books

2011-12-31T05:05:00.000-08:00

I didn't read nearly as many books as I had hoped I would, but here's the list for 2011...

Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright
Jemima J by Jane Green
Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffen
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffen
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold
Savannah by the Sea by Denise Hildreth
Savannah Comes Undone by Denise Hildreth
Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand
Savannah From Savannah by Denise Hidreth
With This Ring, I'm Confused by Kristin Billerbeck
The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand
Lost and Found by Jacqueline Sheehan
The Beach House by Jane Green

Sixteen books.

You can tell if I find an author I like, because I'm pretty faithful when it comes to reading everything he/she has written.

I hate setting a goal for myself because I hate being pressured to read, but I think in 2012, I'll aim for 25.

To check out all of my book reviews, click here.

TGIF

2011-12-30T07:33:00.000-08:00

I haven't been this happy to see a Friday in quite a while.

It's just been one of those weeks. You know the kind.

Yesterday, I got a stern talking to about being in the office and at my desk at 9:00. Not just walking in and getting settled in at 9:00.

"If you're going to take over this business one day, you have to get here early."

Ugh. I try. Really, I do.

And at 4:00 yesterday, I decided to take a test that has to be taken before you can write business with a certain well known health insurance company. It was a 75 minute test with 75 (I think?) questions.

First, there was no clock to tell you how much time you had remaining. I didn't look at the clock when I started.

Second, there were no question numbers, so you have no idea how many more questions you have left. Not fair.

Third, it's open book, but it is so ridiculously confusing. The questions jump all over the place. Even worse, the different plans that you're tested on all have similar names. So by the time you figure out which plan they're even asking about, you've spent your allotted time for that question just figuring out what they're asking.

I was not a happy camper yesterday afternoon. And apparently my dad told on me.

So, today, I got reprimanded for "showing myself" and "losing my temper." I was told if I need to excuse myself to go to the bathroom and regain composure, I should.

I mean, that's great and all, but my 75 minute ~~torture~~ test didn't allow for any bathroom time.

"If you're going to take over this business, you can't lose your temper like that."

~~If only she knew about the time my coworker and I took coffee mugs out back and smashed them on the concrete to vent our frustrations...~~

So, thank God it's Friday.

Josh even said we could go on a dinner date this weekend - dates make my heart happy. :-) [Can you say PF Chang's?!]

And, just to gush about my man, he downloaded a song that he said was specifically for me. "God Gave Me You" by Blake Shelton - I love that man. (Josh, not Blake Shelton...)

Anyone else excited that it's Friday!?

Mini Remodel Project: Laundry Room - Part 1

2011-12-28T11:46:00.000-08:00

Two days.

That's how long it takes for one load of laundry to go from dirty to clean in our house. Don't even get me started on the fact that it sits for a few days after that before it gets folded.

A normal laundry cycle goes like this:

Put laundry in washer, making sure to pour soap on the bottom as clothes won't be clean unless you do.
Add a tiny smidge of bleach unless you want clothes to smell they way they did when they went in.
Come back 10 minutes later because the washer is off balance.
Beat washer with hand, hurting hand.
Kick washer for hurting your hand.
Come to your senses and spend the next 15 minutes re-arranging the clothes until the washer finds it's "happy place."
Come back 10 minutes later at the next spin cycle and repeat steps 4-6.
Finally, clothes are finished. Put clothes in dryer.
Set dryer at maximum heat for maximum time: 50 minutes.
Re-start dryer after cycle 1.
Re-start dryer after cycle 2.
Re-start dryer after cycle 3.
Clothes are still wet. Go to bed.
Wake up. Re-start dryer.
Go to work.
Come home. Re-start dryer.
Find time somewhere in the next 12 hours to take clothes out of the dryer.
Go through clothes to figure out which ones your washing machine agitator destroyed.
Sew said clothes.

Not. Normal.

Josh and I have been itching to get a new washer and dryer, but we just had one problem:

[Notice the dent in the front where I beat it when I get mad.]

Our "laundry room" = a closet. The current unit is the smallest one available.

Our options:

Replace with equally crappy/small unit - $1200.
Replace with a washer/dryer in one that takes forever to dry (per the reviews) - $1200.
Replace with a grown up set of front-loaders & "remodel" the "laundry room" - $1600 & counting.

Well, why wouldn't we choose the most expensive option, requiring the most work? I mean, duh.

My brother-in-law, a carpenter, came over yesterday, drew Josh a level line, confirmed that the wall was non-load bearing, and told him to go at it.

[At this point, I was starting to have a heart attack, so I went to take a bath. I don't like demolition!]

[Eek, rotten wall (one of the only non-concrete walls in the house. Good thing we decided to tear it out!]

[Black mold? How am I not surprised?]

[You mean the dryer pipe has been broken for who knows how long? Mmm.. lovely. You'll find me in the corner chanting: "I will not blame my ex-husband's jerry-rigging for this problem."]

[This would be me sitting on the couch, watching... where I belong!]

There was a moment when I told Josh, "Just disconnect the pipes over a bucket so the little bit of water in them will drain out." FAIL.

You must turn the water off before disconnecting the pipes. What's that? You lost the T-bar that turns off the main water source? Probably should've thought of that before disconnecting the washing machine.

But, turns out 2" of water in the floor helps clean/break up the glue that needs to be scraped up.

The "after demolition" photo is on my nice camera, so that will come later, but for now, the last photo is pretty much what our house looks like, minus a 2x4 or two.

The appliances go back on sale on Thursday, so Josh and I are going to go make our first, large, joint purchase then.

My brother-in-law promised to help him "fix" it, once we get the new washer and dryer. Which means tile (thinking we're going to go with peel & stick directly on the concrete - no one is going to see it anyway), shelving, and finish work.

And if you're like me and just can't picture it, I'll be back with the proof that it will be okay.

It has to be.

Right?

Christmas Recap... kinda.

2011-12-27T11:41:00.000-08:00

It's Tuesday, so it's time to link up with From Mrs. to Mama to talk about our Christmases. And I was going to upload my pictures tonight so I could post them on Tuesday. And then I realized that today is Tuesday. Blogger FAIL.

So, instead, this is gonna be a mostly talk post. Sorry. Pleasedon'tthrowvirtualtomatoesatme.

Josh's goods...

t-shirts, socks, undies, and gym shorts out the wazoo
clothes
xbox 360 + kinect
xbox live membership
firetruck clock
circular saw
cash monies
cologne
Twizzlers (his admitted favorite gift)
Dick's Sporting Goods gift card
PF Chang's gift card

My goods...

cash monies (thank God, our dryer is on it's last leg)
jewelry (yes, ladies, the jewelry I was hoping for)
skillets
a hand-stamped "sister" necklace
chocolate
Charlotte Russe gift card
F21 gift card
2 Kohl's gift cards (thanks to Keri for one of them!)
perfume
a jewelry armoire
Sbux gift card
Christmas ornaments
jammies
clothes
iPhone arm band

The food...

We have a shrimp tradition at my mom's house. Christmas Eve is cocktail shrimp and Christmas Day is a Lowcountry Boil. We basically eat shrimp until they're coming out of our eyeballs.

The kids...

My nieces are 9, 5, and 3. The 9 year old is at the stage where she's just kinda, "Santa. Whatever. Okay. Can I go play on my iPod/Nook/whatever now?" and the 3 year old is just, "WEEEE! Let me swing from the fan & eat candy until I fall into a sugar coma!!!!" But, my 5 year old niece is the calmest, most sweet-natured child ever. So, when she found out that Santa went from Germany to Azores (in the middle of the Atlantic?) in the time she was at my parents' house, she flipped out. She has these huge, puppy dog, blue eyes, and she very quietly, but panicked, whispered, "Are we going to miss Santa?!?" We constantly assured her she wouldn't miss Santa, but she almost cried every time she heard jingle bell sounds on the radio. "I HEARD SANTA!" "No, Soph, that's the radio..." "Oooh, okay, if you're sure..." So sweet.

Gifting coincidence...

About a week ago, I got the gift I ordered my sister in the mail... a hand stamped washer necklace, with 4 beads (one for each daughter, with their names, and a pearl for her first daughter, who was stillborn). I texted her, "I am so excited about your gift! I just wrapped it!" She texted me, back, "Funny, I just got yours, and I'm so excited about it!" Neither of us said anything else about it. We opened our gifts on Christmas Eve and she had gotten a hand stamped necklace that said "sister" with a purple bead. The chains were the same - the bead colors were the same - same font and everything. I can't believe she managed to keep a straight face when she opened hers first!

Overall...

We had a great time with our family & friends. I can't wait to come back with some photos! In the meantime, you can enjoy this one of me in my new Forever Lazy that Josh's mom bought us as a joke. Those slippers are no joke, though! You can heat them in the microwave and they stay warm! Yes please!

{Oh, and sidenote: Josh and I are in the market for a new washer & dryer (front-loaders so we can stack). If you have a front-loader and love/hate it, please let me know! Consumer reviews are really important to me!}

Randoms

2011-12-22T05:28:00.001-08:00

one. I am officially off work for the Christmas holidays. And Josh just started his 3 out of 5 days of working while I'm off. :-(

two. My parents have picked War Horse as their movie of choice for Christmas Day. I'm not excited. My vote was for Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I might just have to take my butt to the movies all by myself.

three. I have one more gift to get Josh. I can't make up my mind! Thankfully, I have the next two days of nothing-ness to decide.

four. I gave Josh his Valentine's Day "gift" last night. He was pretty excited. He's actually never been to NYC. We're planning on spending Valentine's Day in NYC and his first comment, "Yay! We can hang out with my friend Rachel & her boyfriend." Oh... um... yay? Spending Valentine's Day with one of your "best friends" I've never met and don't really care to - eeexciting? :-/ Oh, aaaand he wants to make our snowboarding trip into a group trip. Romantic candle-lit dinners and nights spent in the jacuzzi? Nope. But, oh well, it's his trip home, so he gets to do what he wants.

five. Josh and I have decided to de-clutter over the next week, and I can't wait. When I'm out of the house I dread coming home because I feel like I'm suffocating in STUFF. I can't wait to have some more space around here!