You've Caught Me Cogitating.

2011-12-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

It's almost 2012, and I've been reading through my old blogger and Facebook posts (<-- thanks to timeline!). I found the following post on my blogger account and thought I'd take a look at what from that list I've accomplished, as well as add to the list my other "accomplishments" from this year. So without further ado...

From a January 2011 Post:

"I have GOT to make a list. There are so many things I want to do and they keep getting lost in my head so I forget them all until it's too late.

Re-paint hardware on bedroom furniture
Buy paint for the house
Get hardware for new jewelry holder
Fix night stands
Trim blinds
Re-finish the damn vanity
Get fabric and/or curtains
Finish painting the kitchen
Re-finish lamps on nightstands

Okay that's a start."

So of that list I...

Re-painted the hardware on our bedroom furniture
Not only bought paint for the house, but managed to paint all but one hallway and one ceiling of the house.
Got hardware for the new jewelry holder and made it.
Trimmed one set of blinds and it was a nightmare. We'll do the rest eventually.
I did indeed re-finish the damn vanity! I also managed to completely re-do our second spare room and change it from an un-used craft room into an every-day-used "closet"!
Not only was the kitchen painted, but so was our bedroom, the guest bedroom, "my" room, the upstairs bathroom, the downstairs hallway, the powder room, the study, and most of the basement.
We ended up getting new (cheap!) lamps at Ikea for our nightstands. I also got a gorgeous antique quilt that I hung behind the bed.

As far as house changes, let's go by room:

Our Bedroom.

I painted it green (instead of the THREE colors it was: a strange tan, a country blue/gray, and white).
I found and hung a BEAUTIFUL antique quilt above the bed.
We found really simple little bedside lamps at Ikea that have awesome little push-switches on the cords (not those blasted turn switches) that I stuck to the sides of our nightstands with Command Adhesives so it's just a matter of pressing a switch.
I moved one of the dressers out of the bedroom to make more room and put it in the guest room. Now our bed is centered (which makes me feel a LOT better!)
I got rid of our tiny laundry basket by the bathroom and got us both cheap (but pretty!) laundry baskets to put in our closets. More space in the bedroom!
Paul took down our TV in the bedroom and moved it downstairs. We replaced it with the mirror that belongs on the dresser.
We trimmed the blinds in the bedroom. Whew. What a task.
My jewelry stuff and clothes came out of the bedroom and went into my closet room. Paul's clothes went into the master closet.

Hall Closet.

Got a face-lift via a Pinterest idea. Put the sheet sets into one of their pillow cases and stacked them by room. Then I took the other half of that shelf and put candles by season. I also equipped the closet with a few cleaning supplies for upstairs spot-cleaning.

Guest Bedroom

This room got painted a lovely sky blue. I also hung several things in this room that are red or mostly red.
The dresser that moved from our room into this one now houses what's left of my craft supplies (I sold most of it at a yard sale that paid for my closet organizer and my little sheep skin rug).
The closet in this room is now a bit of a catch-all rather than Paul's closet, but will probably be organized next year.

The Spare Room.

We had NO use for this room. We don't need two guest rooms, and we already have an office, so since we lacked SEVERELY in closet space, I just turned it into my closet. I realize I may have to give it up someday, but for now it's serving the only purpose suited for it.
I painted the room pink.
After re-finishing the vanity we got for free, we moved it upstairs.
I hung the closet organizer after Paul mounted the support beams for me.
I removed the rod and shelf from the tiny closet in there and put my baker's rack in it to hold small articles of clothing that don't hang up.
I bought and painted two great shelves (Goodwill, $5 for both) and Paul hung them (after a LOT of frustration!) on the wall. My shoes are on it.
I hung my jewelry holders and small shelves to hold my nail polish.
I hung all my clothes on my closet organizer so Paul could have the bedroom closet.
Now I use this room EVERY day since we have a TINY bathroom in our bedroom and I didn't want to take over the main bathroom since it's usually the one people use the most.

The Upstairs Hallway.

Didn't get painted yet, but I did hang around a dozen picture frames in there. Whew!
FINALLY found candles for the stairs that have automatic shut off times and Paul bought some batteries for them.

The Living Room.

Got completely rearranged into a MUCH better system. Now it's like we have two rooms in there AND everyone can sit more comfortably and closer to the kitchen.
Got the fireplace and chimney cleaned and inspected. A+.
Paul ordered wood for the fireplace and we've been using it a TON!
Paul did an AMAZING job of running cable for the TV and running a new power outlet above the fireplace and hung the TV there. This will be a great resale feature as most people would want to hang a TV there like we did but wouldn't want the cords showing.
Got the Squeezebox set up in the living room so that we have music upstairs now too.

The Dining Room.

Not a lot done in here, but I did move the table around the other way so that there is more room in there.

Kitchen.

Not a lot done in here either, but I did get some of the appliances moved out of the kitchen so that we had more space, and found a plate holder to hold the plates in the hutch vertically.

Powder Room.

Got painted and my stuff was moved out of it and into my closet room.

Study.

Got painted.
Paul got a new desk (and made money off of it, of course), so that got put in and the room got rearranged to fit it.

Basement.

Paul ordered, built, and set up the home theater. He built an entire wall (with the help of two Chrises) to house the screen and hung that, then he built a box for the projector and set that up too.
We painted MOST of the basement after that was all done.
He also built a platform for the theater chairs.

That's it for the house! We didn't end up getting anything done to the outside of the house except for tearing down the small fence in the back yard against the house.

Now, for highlights not related to the house from 2011:

January 2011
Started making and drinking my own smoothies. Discovered Spinach tastes GREAT in smoothies!
Had a series of HORRIBLE headaches for the longest time. So glad those are gone! Going easy on the Sudafed from now on...
Started going to 24 hour Fitness regularly (but dropped the ball on that one; picking it up again in the new year).
Saw Tron: Legacy and liked it a LOT, but still love the original better :)
A very dear friend decided she didn't want to be friends with me because we disagreed over me not going to church. She believed I was only "sitting back and complaining" instead of "being in the church and doing something to change it." She couldn't understand, no matter how I tried to tell her, that the reason I can't go to a church right now is because I don't feel that I'm supposed to be in one and because I would feel hypocritical being part of something with which I disagree so much. That for the people I feel I'm "called" to "be a witness to" going to church would only hurt my "witness." She also didn't seem to think my convictions were valid because they didn't line up with hers. I believe she will learn as she matures and experiences a little more life that not all convictions are alike and it's not our place to say that what one person feels "led" to do is wrong because it's not what you're "led" to do. Sorry for all the quote marks, but I don't like church language but was in it so long that I don't know how else to say it.
January 22, 2011: "Traded my old HTC Hero for a $300 sewing machine AND had beau jo's pizza! Good day!"
Discovered "Dollar Store Crafts" website.
"Ophiuchus" was introduced as a "new" astrological sign. While I don't fall under it's pull since I was born after it came along, I found it interesting that my birthday fell both within the Ophiuchus sign AND the Sagittarius sign.
January 13, 2011: " lol. "Tempus is fugiting away."
Watched all of BSG. Changed my life.
January 7, 2011: " "No more Mr. Nice Gaius!""
Discovered My Fitness Pal and the Epilator. Both have really come in handy.
February 2011
Read The Island of Dr. Moreau.
February 22, 2011: " You know, since my experience with BSG, I now often wonder if Deja Vu is just because "this has all happened before and it will all happen again...""
Discovered My Best Friend's Closet, Coastal Contacts, and Paperback Swap.
Was hooked on Stephen King books the ENTIRE year!
First Superbowl party at our house was a blast. Having a big theater room means lots of company for events like that!
February 6, 2011: " Fake hair, fake teeth, fake tan, fake nails... remind me what pageants are supposed to teach little girls?"
March 2011
March 31, 2011: " I wish someone would send me an Edible Arrangements "bouquet." They look so so so yummy!" I still want one of these!
Found out H&M was coming to Denver.
March 29, 2011: "There is an owl hooting outside our window! It's so cool!"
Discovered Heartsy... don't like it now though because it's not just for Etsy anymore.
Got really pissed off when "Dr." Oz said that eating a gluten free diet makes you fat.
Found out the last installment of the Inheritance series was coming out in November of that year.
Liz and Chris got a TEENY puppy and named her Link. She was the size of a potato when they got her!
1up Video Game Bar opened... I still haven't been.
March 17, 2011: " You know you're a geek when your car makes a funny sound and your first instinct is to turn it off and on again."
Discovered Good Reads.
March 10, 2011: " The ultimate celebration of finally being able to wear normal sized swimsuits? Getting to have one made specially for me at Papaya con Leche when we go to Costa Rica at the end of April! Crossing my fingers... it would be so cool!" I did indeed get one! A VERY cool one that I like a lot, too.
Discovered the Elkhorn Lodge in Estes Park!
Discovered Woman Freebies.
April 2011
We left for our Honeymoon to Costa Rica! SUCH a fun time.
Cleaned up the front corner little garden area.
Had a GREAT Easter party!
Went to Tennessee and attended the wedding of two very dear friends: Chris Yount and Chrystal Yount.
Started watching Mighty Boosh the entire season. I love that show.
Discovered Truffle salt/oil... never turned back.
Discovered Big Fat Cupcake... yum.
Learned that I would be moved to a different department at work. Little did I know...
Fell in love with collapsible bags that turn into fruits or veggies or bugs :)
Can't believe I got to spend some time with my Virginia... I love her.
Paul surprised me with a Kitchenaid Blender!
April 6, 2011: " I wore no makeup to work today... perfectly comfortable. I love Colorado attitude toward outer appearance. "Less is more" (as it applies to makeup and effort toward hair style) is totally alive and well here!"
April 6, 2011: " Last night at a cookout Paul Jensen kept my drink filled (and brought me water towards the end of the night) kept an eagle eye out for burgers to be done, took my glutard bun, cut it open, made me a burger, and brought it to me... then he went and got himself one... and all without me ever asking! Good hubby points galore!"
May 2011
FINALLY found a boomerang pillow! Cheap at Walmart for $10!
May 28, 2011: " ‎$105 worth of unopened NARS cosmetics from a makeup artist at a yard sale for... $12. Boo. Ya."
May 25, 2011: " Got my Google Music Beta invitation! w00t!"
Became suddenly obsessed with anything vanilla scented or flavored... and I hated it up to that point.
We started going to trivia with Geeks Who Drink at Pasquini's in Lone Tree.
The "boy" I used to babysit (Derek Mefford) graduated HIGH SCHOOL.
Started using a Caboodle to house my makeup... makes life easier in little steps.
Second year anniversary! Since it was cotton, we both got each other Tshirts: Paul got a Goonies Tshirt and I got a Princess Bride tshirt... great minds! Since we went to Costa Rica for our belated honeymoon this year, we spent the day in Manitou... lots of fun!
Played in the Pinnacol Volleyball Tournament for the second year in a row. The team I was on took 2nd place. Little did I know...
May 10, 2011: " Today: upper 70s... Tomorrow's high: 45"
Saw "Thor." First time I've liked that "muscly" body type... whoa.
Growing your hair out is a process: " My hair is finally long enough for a side messy bun and side swept bangs. Finally... hassle free hair." May 10, 2011.
May 5, 2011: " 'A good compromise leaves everyone angry.' - Christopher Paolini, Eldest"
June 2011
DISCLAIMER: This one contains information that may make men uncomfortable to hear. It definitely makes women uncomfortable when they think about it. Or experience it. Here's it is: Got my IUD "installed." Was SO painful, but so worth it. No more hormones and no more having to do ANYTHING to do with birth control. I didn't pay a DIME for this method and it will last me up to TEN YEARS! Thank goodness I was still on my old insurance when I got it since the cost was $600 without good insurance!
Edward Scissorhands at Film on the Rocks!
We did not win the HGTV Green Home 2011 in Stapleton.
Had to take the purple out of my hair for potential job interviews. So sad.
Attempted an Etsy store... didn't work out :)
June 16, 2011: Laid off of a job that I had for over two years. I created the position, then was moved to a new department and asked to train them on how to do my job, then was laid off.
Visited Glenwood Caverns! So much fun!
June 14, 2011: Found out a dear friend of mine who is more like a sister to me would be battling cancer effective immediately. She is fighting so hard and is doing a great job of it! Love you Rachel!
June 12, 2011: " "Yen" and "ken"... two amazing words that are seldom used today but should be. #vocabulary"
June 10, 2011: Ordered my Nook Touch after selling my 2nd gen Nook for $100 to someone at Pinnacol.
June 9, 2011: " I just tried Goats Milk at the insistence of the girl at Savory Spice... I want to drink it forever. It's even good plain. And I HATE milk."
June 4, 2011: " Woke up to a strange noise that I correctly deduced as a a coyote or fox. It was the latter and it scaled our fence and escaped." This was such a strange night! And sound!
Had my first Norwegian Pancake after Paul figured out he can use Coquette Creperie's flour to make them for me!
Discovered Pinterest!
July 2011
Had the big yard sale to pay for my closet room.
Went to the Denver Ikea July 30 with Paul! We had some food and walked around and come out with a few small items.
July 27, 2011: " Hummus... where have you been all my life?!"
Discovered the ARC .99 Sale... will be doing this every year, I think. Fresh "new" wardrobe for pennies on the dollar!
July 25, 2011 (Around 3 am): " I just woke up to the sound of "smacking"and saw wege eating a bird on the floor in front of our bed. I'm trying to not puke."
From Nikki Schreiner :) - July 19, 2011: " I just wanted you to know that I have changed my mind about skinny jeans--if you find the right pair, they ARE fabulous, ha! Annnnd, have you seen this...?
http://everythingalice.co.uk/"
Discovered Sunshine Cafe in Silverthorn. Yum!
Camping the weekend of July 15 with Liz, Chris, Emily, and Justin.
Saw Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and The Avitt Brothers at Red Rocks with Doug and Lucinda Rountree! Had VIP seats thanks to Doug! So awesome!
July 8, 2011: " I just saw Tyce Diorio from So You Think You Can Dance on an episode of The X-Files (Season 9 "Improbable")!!!! Ha ha ha!! Awesome!"
Finally saw Rocky Horror Picture Show and LOVED it!
Spent July 4 weekend in Steamboat with Justin and Emily. Jolly Rancher Vodka!
Got a visit from Ryan and Colette Warden.
August 2011
Did NOT get the job with Chipotle. And they were SUPER shady about it too.
Was visited by our little neighbor kid... who hopped our fence and just talked my ear off for an hour.
August 27, 2011: " Doing my nails and watching Boy Meets World in bed with hubby!"
August 26, 2011: " In next year's presidential election I'm doing a write-in of Laura Roslin. Who's with me? "
August 25, 2011: " Pauly just treated me to a Ross trip! Told me I could haz all the things I picked :) Feeling spoiled!"
August 23, 2011: " I thought my shopping cart at the store earlier looked lovely: peaches from colorado, zucchini from colorado, three tubs of hummus (on sale!!), strawberries, and yogurt covered cranberries."
August 19, 2011: " "The Girl from Ipanema" + Vanilla Cream Candle + Cool and cloudy breezes outside + Cooking spaghetti... sigh."
August 19, 2011: " The guitar bits on Catch Hell Blues (White Stripes) is, in my opinion, so very sexy."
Discovered Pho Yo!
Paul had his wisdom teeth out :( He went under talking about Zombies and Golf. He woke up and said, "My left toe hurts a little."
Finished the vanity!
Got to know my neighbor, Jessica, and her husband and kids, Andy, Caden, and Ilyn at the yard sale!
August 1, 2011: " Whoa. Grace Potter did a version of White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane? Cool."
Tyson Chicken Nuggets "Dirty Thocks" kid... so cute!
September 2011
Found my antique wall quilt!
Two crowns and a filling :(
September 27, 2011: "When I was a kid, a watering can made out of a used laundry detergent container was called 'ghetto'... now it's called 'upcycling.'"
September 23, 2011: " Paul brought me home a Nintendo 3DS!!! — with Paul Jensen."
September 23, 2011: " I gotta admit, although being laid off is scary and rough and hurtful, I'm happy to have been able to spend my time finally nesting in this house. I had surgery RIGHT when we moved in so it's been a long time coming!"
Ripped down the fenced in are in the back yard up against the house.
Denver and Amy visited!
Got the Libman Freedom Mop. Really did change my life.
Went to Paul's house in NC to clean up after the HORRIBLE renters. Had a horrible time doing that (although cleaning wasn't bad at all because I like to do that as long as I have my headphones) but hanging with family was very fun.
October 2011
Taking your own holiday pictures = near impossible. New respect for photographers. That's saying something because I had an immense respect for them before!
Coffin Races in Manitou Springs with mom, dad, Justin, and Emily! SO much fun!
No Halloween party this year. Too busy.
AJ & Squirt's Cheer Competition - had so much fun watching them!
I'm on Google Maps!!
Gluten Free potato soup at Safeway?! Will wonders never cease?!
Found fleece lined leggings and got back in touch with my friend Johnny Kimmich.
Started work at RezStream.
Found out that Baz Luhrman is doing a film adaptation of The Great Gatsby! And that Leonardo DiCaprio is playing Jay Gatsby!
Killed a black widow on the back door... EEKS!
Took me an entire day, but I spray painted 12 frames and filled and hung 24.
Got my nerdy glasses.
October 9, 2011:Me: (Laying in bed) "We didn't watch last week's did we?"
Paul: "No."
Me: "Wait, do you know what I'm talking about?"
Paul: "Breaking Bad."
Me: "Whoa."
October 9, 2011 (Earlier that day):
Me: "It's cold down here." (Wishing Paul would go get some wood from the back yard)
Paul: "Should we start a fire?"
Paul: "Could you maybe cook something for breakfast?"
Me: "Already on the stove."
October 8, 2011: " Snow, fire, Nutcracker Sweet tea, and Sci Fi channel presents "Carny" while Paul plays Zelda on the 3DS :)"
Saw Real Steel... loved it!
Woodchuck "Fall"... yum.
Held our own "Beerfest" with tons of booz and food... it was epic.
November 2011
Paul's cousins move out to Colorado Springs and we get to spend a day with them and Paul's Aunt and Uncle.
Saw my first Harry Potter movies and was hooked.
Had EVERYONE over for Thanksgiving dinner. Liz and Chris, Mom and dad, AK, Emily and Justin and Emily's Mom and Stepdad... LOTS of delicious food.
Liz started a new tradition for post-Thanksgiving meal time... making ornaments! Lots of fun make glitter ornaments with Mop&Glo!
Went Black Friday shopping for the first time ever... was a breeze! Went to H&M, World Market, and Bath and Body Works.
Conversations about "Happy Holidays" vs "Merry Christmas."
Discovered a coffee I like so much that I can drink it black!
Worked at the Holiday Food and Gifts Festival with Elissa from Salus. Had a ton of fun!
Received my autographed copy of Christopher Paolini's "Inheritance" from my friend Chris Yount.
Made an 8lb candy wreath.
Went to the opening of H&M!
Sent Paul a message involving "8008135" and his coworker asked "Where can I get one?"
CSU/CU Hockey Game and discovered Mellow Mushroom's Gluten Free pizza!
LOVE American Horror Story on FX.
December 2011
Got to see Aunt Jen and the boys for the first time since 2008.
Had the family at our house for Christmas again.
Discovered "Tokyo Milk" products and love them!
Had Liz and Chris over along with mom and dad and ak and Lily for Christmas Eve dinner. Mmm the sweet potato casserole was as good on Christmas Eve as it was at Thanksgiving!
Stocking Stuffer shopping was done the day BEFORE Christmas Eve this year, as was wrapping presents. Had a lot of fun shopping and wrapping with everyone.
Spent the night before Christmas Eve reading the last bit of Inheritance. Three hours in front of a roaring fire... wonderful night.
Sent out Christmas cards for the first time. Sent out around 50.
AK Graduated.
Had birthday WEEK! Zoo/Museum/Zoo lights, Ice Skating and Jim N Nicks, Mellow Mushroom and cake and Sherlock Holmes 2, Stoup!
PEACH WHISKEY!
A TON of snow.
Great Christmas Party... best yet!

WHEW! That's my 2011 highlights list! Coming soon... The Year in Pictures.

The Rory Gilmore Reading List

2011-12-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

I found this, of course, via Pinterest and absolutely love it. It's something I'll aspire to for the rest of my life, for sure. Not because "Rory read it," but because it's a really fantastic list of wonderful books and books just for fun... a great mix! So... here is where I stand initially:

The Rory Gilmore Reading List

This color means I’ve read this book. (Current Count 43)
This color means I haven’t read this book. (Current Count: 298)

1984 by George Orwell
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Archidamian War by Donald Kagan
The Art of Fiction by Henry James
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Babe by Dick King-Smith
Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney
The Bhagava Gita
The Bielski Brothers: The True Story of Three Men Who Defied the Nazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and Saved 1,200 Jews by Peter Duffy
Bitch in Praise of Difficult Women by Elizabeth Wurtzel
A Bolt from the Blue and Other Essays by Mary McCarthy
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Brick Lane by Monica Ali
Bridgadoon by Alan Jay Lerner
Candide by Voltaire
The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
Carrie by Stephen King
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman
Christine by Stephen King
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
The Collected Short Stories by Eudora Welty
The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty by Eudora Welty
A Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
Complete Novels by Dawn Powell
The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton
Complete Stories by Dorothy Parker
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas père
Cousin Bette by Honor’e de Balzac
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Cujo by Stephen King
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
David and Lisa by Dr Theodore Issac Rubin M.D
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
The Da Vinci -Code by Dan Brown
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
Demons by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Deenie by Judy Blume
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band by Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx
The Divine Comedy by Dante
The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
Don Quijote by Cervantes
Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhrv
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales & Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Wiesen Cook
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn
Eloise by Kay Thompson
Emily the Strange by Roger Reger
Emma by Jane Austen
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Ethics by Spinoza
Europe through the Back Door, 2003 by Rick Steves
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
Extravagance by Gary Krist
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore
The Fall of the Athenian Empire by Donald Kagan
Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World by Greg Critser
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
The Fellowship of the Ring: Book 1 of The Lord of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce
Fletch by Gregory McDonald
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger
Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers
Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut
Gender Trouble by Judith Butler
George W. Bushism: The Slate Book of the Accidental Wit and Wisdom of our 43rd President by Jacob Weisberg
Gidget by Fredrick Kohner
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels
The Godfather: Book 1 by Mario Puzo
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Alvin Granowsky
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford
The Gospel According to Judy Bloom
The Graduate by Charles Webb
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Group by Mary McCarthy
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry (TBR)
Henry IV, part I by William Shakespeare
Henry IV, part II by William Shakespeare
Henry V by William Shakespeare
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
Holidays on Ice: Stories by David Sedaris
The Holy Barbarians by Lawrence Lipton
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III (Lpr)
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
How the Light Gets in by M. J. Hyland
Howl by Allen Gingsburg
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
The Iliad by Homer
I’m with the Band by Pamela des Barres
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Inferno by Dante
Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
Iron Weed by William J. Kennedy
It Takes a Village by Hillary Clinton
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
The Jumping Frog by Mark Twain
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Just a Couple of Days by Tony Vigorito
The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Lady Chatterleys’ Lover by D. H. Lawrence
The Last Empire: Essays 1992-2000 by Gore Vidal
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield
Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
The Little Locksmith by Katharine Butler Hathaway
The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The Lottery: And Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Love Story by Erich Segal
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
The Manticore by Robertson Davies
Marathon Man by William Goldman
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir
Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman by William Tecumseh Sherman
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
The Meaning of Consuelo by Judith Ortiz Cofer
Mencken’s Chrestomathy by H. R. Mencken
The Merry Wives of Windsro by William Shakespeare
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion by Jim Irvin
Moliere: A Biography by Hobart Chatfield Taylor
A Monetary History of the United States by Milton Friedman
Monsieur Proust by Celeste Albaret
A Month Of Sundays: Searching For The Spirit And My Sister by Julie Mars
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall
My Lai 4: A Report on the Massacre and It’s Aftermath by Seymour M. Hersh
My Life as Author and Editor by H. R. Mencken
My Life in Orange: Growing Up with the Guru by Tim Guest
Myra Waldo’s Travel and Motoring Guide to Europe, 1978 by Myra Waldo
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin
Nervous System: Or, Losing My Mind in Literature by Jan Lars Jensen
New Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson
The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
Night by Elie Wiesel
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism by William E. Cain, Laurie A. Finke, Barbara E. Johnson, John P. McGowan
Novels 1930-1942: Dance Night/Come Back to Sorrento, Turn, Magic Wheel/Angels on Toast/A Time to be Born by Dawn Powell
Notes of a Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Old School by Tobias Wolff
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life by Amy Tan
Oracle Night by Paul Auster
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Othello by Shakespeare
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan
Out of Africa by Isac Dineson
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition by Donald Kagan
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Pigs at the Trough by Arianna Huffington
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain
The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker
The Portable Nietzche by Fredrich Nietzche
The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O’Neill by Ron Suskind
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Property by Valerie Martin
Pushkin: A Biography by T. J. Binyon
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
Quattrocento by James Mckean
A Quiet Storm by Rachel Howzell Hall
Rapunzel by Grimm Brothers
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Rescuing Patty Hearst: Memories From a Decade Gone Mad by Virginia Holman
The Return of the King: The Lord of the Rings Book 3 by J. R. R. Tolkien
R Is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton
Rita Hayworth by Stephen King
Robert’s Rules of Order by Henry Robert
Roman Holiday by Edith Wharton
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
The Rough Guide to Europe, 2003 Edition
Sacred Time by Ursula Hegi
Sanctuary by William Faulkner
Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford
Say Goodbye to Daisy Miller by Henry James
The Scarecrow of Oz by Frank L. Baum
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette by Judith Thurman
Selected Hotels of Europe
Selected Letters of Dawn Powell: 1913-1965 by Dawn Powell
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Several Biographies of Winston Churchill
Sexus by Henry Miller
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Shane by Jack Shaefer
The Shining by Stephen King
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
S Is for Silence by Sue Grafton
Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Small Island by Andrea Levy
Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway
Snow White and Rose Red by Grimm Brothers
Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World by Barrington Moore
The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht
Song of the Simple Truth: The Complete Poems of Julia de Burgos by Julia de Burgos
The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker
Songbook by Nick Hornby
The Sonnets by William Shakespeare
Sonnets from the Portuegese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
A Streetcar Named Desiree by Tennessee Williams
Stuart Little by E. B. White
Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust
Swimming with Giants: My Encounters with Whales, Dolphins and Seals by Anne Collett
Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Tender Is The Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Term of Endearment by Larry McMurtry
Time and Again by Jack Finney
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Tragedy of Richard III by William Shakespeare
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The Trial by Franz Kafka
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson
Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Ulysses by James Joyce
The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath 1950-1962 by Sylvia Plath
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Unless by Carol Shields
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
The Vanishing Newspaper by Philip Meyers
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
Velvet Underground’s The Velvet Underground and Nico (Thirty Three and a Third series) by Joe Harvard
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Walt Disney’s Bambi by Felix Salten
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
We Owe You Nothing – Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews edited by Daniel Sinker
What Colour is Your Parachute? 2005 by Richard Nelson Bolles
What Happened to Baby Jane by Henry Farrell
When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

By Popular Demand: Recipes for Homemade Beauty Products

2011-06-03T18:29:00.004-06:00

I pinned some homemade beauty products I made this past weekend at www.pinterest.com and got some requests for the recipes, so I thought I'd just post them right here! About time too... my blog's been lonely.

Pumpkin Papaya Facial
(This recipe is courtesy of www.Spaindex.com)

2/3 cup fresh papaya, mashed
15 oz. can pure pumpkin
1 egg, beaten

1. Prepare the mask. Cut the papaya in half and scoop out the seeds. Scoop out the papaya fruit and mash it well to eliminate lumps in the mask. Beat the egg until it is frothy. Combine that with the papaya. Add the pumpkin to the egg/papaya mixture and whip together. You can also mix the ingredients in the blender or a food processor for an extra smooth mask.

2. Prepare your face. Wash with your daily cleanser and remove all residual makeup on your skin. Rinse with warm water. It's very important to have clean skin to ensure you get maximum benefits from the facial.

3. Apply the Mask. Cover your entire face, being careful to avoid the immediate eye area. If you have sensitive skin, test the mixture on your hand before spreading it on your face. You'll feel some tingling as the enzymes in the pumpkin go to work immediately -- gently exfoliating your top layer of skin. It works like a scrub without being abrasive to your skin. Leave the mask on for 10 minutes.

4. Rinse Off Mask. After you've relaxed for ten minutes it's time to rinse. The mask is fairly thick -- head for the kitchen sink.

**I didn't need any moisturizer or anything after this treatment. My skin was so soft, toned, and smooth that I was shocked! So far mine has stayed "good" in the fridge for a few days. I don't know how long it lasts but I figure when it starts to smell bad I'll toss it :)

Strawberry Enzyme Scrub
(This recipe is courtesy of www.honey.com National Honey Board)

8-10 Strawberries

2 tablespoons Apricot Oil (you may substitute olive oil)

1 teaspoon of coarse salt, such as Kosher Salt, or Sea Salt

Mix together all ingredients, massage into hands and feet, rinse, and pat dry. Strawberries contain a natural fruit acid which aids in exfoliation.

** I did not substitute Olive Oil for the Apricot Oil. It's really easy to find the various beauty oils either in the grocery store with the olive oil (it's perfectly fine to use these as long as it says "100% ____ Oil" to my knowledge). However I found mine at Vitamin Cottage before I saw the cheaper ones at the grocery store. Also, if you want more of a "scrubby" texture, add more salt. You really don't need it though because the acid in the strawberries works GREAT. I've also still been using this one for a few days but keeping it in the fridge.

Costa Rican Honeymoon [!] Point of Excitement #2

2011-03-24T18:56:00.000-06:00

Packing.

I love to pack. I love to plan! I have combined all of my tiny lists into three or four large Task lists on my Google Calendar. This point of excitement stemmed from one tiny little piece of luggage. It's not so much luggage as storage.

It's my teeny little jewelry box. It's black, it's leather, and I got it at Target for $5 when I couldn't find a jewelry role. I think the reason I like it is because I can only fit a few pairs of earrings, a few necklaces, and a few rings. That means that only the favorites come along. That means that this tiny little box contains my tiniest little shiny feminine treasures. I'm often told that I'm easily amused and/or amused by the little things in life and I think that's not only okay but a very good thing. Because it's the little things in life that sometimes stem from the deepest most meaningful truths in life. In this case I think the truth is that less is more. The less you have, the more it means to you.

But on a lighter note... it's really kind of sick how much I love to plan for a trip and pack. It's kind of nice, because you have time to think of little things that you might want to bring (like my teeny sewing kit... you never know when you might bust a seam!) or finding out that the sunscreen you planned to buy there (since you brought a ton of stuff like that to Spain only to discover you could have just as easily bought it there) costs around $22 a bottle (tourist town... thank gods for Trip Advisor reviews!) and you can be prepared. It also gives you time to realize that there's a chance your luggage could get lost the first few days (like it did on the Portugal leg of my trip to Spain) and that if you don't have the items you need for your main excursions on the first two days packed in your carry-on bag and your luggage DOES get lost then you miss out on or are not prepared for the best part of the trip!

You also have time to find and order various waterproof cases/covers for your electronics.

See... better to have and not need than need and not have :)

Dr. Oz: Enemy of Gluten Free Efforts

2011-03-23T20:35:00.001-06:00

Today while working out I became interested in a television program that was showing photos of gluten free foods, so I switched my headphones from my Zune to that program and listened. It didn't take me long to become outraged.

Dr. Oz's passion for this topic stems from his belief that "Gluten Free food is making us fat." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I'm in such a state of disbelief and outrage that I'm finding it hard to organize my thoughts properly and will have to break this down bullet style. The general topic being, SHAME on you Dr. Oz for discrediting an industry that is helping millions of men, women, and children to lead normal lives.

Dr. Oz said: Gluten Free food has more calories and more carbs and fewer nutritional benefits so it's making people who aren't allergic to gluten fat.

I can't believe how silly and ignorant this point of view is. It's hard to know where to start. I'll start with this: Everything makes you fat out of moderation. You say that there are 130 more calories in the gluten free waffle you selected than in the non-gluten free waffle you selected. Well then I'll eat one waffle instead of two. Shouldn't you be more concerned with getting your viewers and clients to eat healthy breakfasts? And when they do have foods that are a little less than perfectly healthy, to eat them in moderation? Me personally, I like to make a smoothie of fruit, yogurt, fresh spinach, flax seed, and orange juice for my breakfast. No how healthy does your waffle look?

So you may say, "But Dr. Oz said that this only applies to people who aren't allergic to gluten. That only people allergic to gluten should eat gluten free diets." Well then explain to me why, if all of this gluten free food makes us so fat, you can't find an overweight diagnosed celiac or person with a gluten sensitivity? By Dr. Oz's logic, since all we can eat if we want to have the same kind of food as "normal" people must be gluten free, we should weigh twice as much. In reality, it's the "normal" people who tend to weigh more.
You also said that gluten free foods lack fiber on your segment. That is very true and it's very difficult for us to find the correct balance of nutrients for our diets. It is not, however, as impossible as you seemed to implicate. With the industry beginning to grow and understand the life of someone who cannot tolerate gluten, products that help us to get our nutrients are appearing. Katz Gluten Free appears to be pioneering this effort (in my opinion, as I haven't seen any other gluten free producers focused on providing the nutrients we missed... only on the wonderful goal of making it taste halfway normal).
You also seem to neglect to mention that despite the fact that those gluten free foods have such a low amount of fiber in them, we are able to get some fiber from them. We are getting more with them than without them. Again, you efforts should be focused on teaching people who to maintain a healthy and balanced diet regardless of dietary constraints, rather than misleading viewers into thinking that there is no way to eat gluten free and get fiber.

Dr. Oz said: You should not eat a gluten free diet if you are not allergic to gluten. It will make you fat.

This falls under the same type of category above, but needs to be pointed out specifically. Again... the first thing dietitians will teach is moderation. Eating a gluten free diet is healthy for people who are not allergic to gluten. It's just as possible for people allergic to gluten to moderate the food they eat as it is for people without that allergy. I use My Fitness Pal to help me keep an eye on my calories, cholesterol, vitamins, nutrients, fat intake (all three kinds), sugar intake, sodium intake, water intake, and workout efforts.
Since you mentioned that 99% of people have some sort of sensitivity, it would logically follow that it would behoove most of us to avoid gluten in our diets. To say that living on a gluten free diet will make you fat is ignorant at best. At worst, it's a stance that is very harmful to an industry that is allowing children to have a birthday cake, men and women and children to have a burger on the Fourth of July, and the general benefit to all of us of being able to eat like the rest of the population.
Not only that, but your stance is completely untrue, if not purposefully misleading. Perhaps if someone were to shove gluten free food in his face constantly with no attention paid to caloric intake, carbohydrate intake, fat intake, and all of the other things that need to be moderated in our diet, he may gain weight. But again... that can be said of any kind of food! You discredit yourself by saying this and hurt the efforts all of us who are making an effort to get food producers and restaurants to understand, accept, and provide for those of us who are not able to tolerate gluten.

Dr. Oz said: Getting off of gluten will NOT make anyone lose weight.

When Dr. Oz attempted to get the expert on his segment to agree with this statement the expert informed him that, actually, people with an allergy to gluten will lose weight. You can ask most people with this allergy the same question and they will tell you that they did indeed see at least some weight loss. Before you go on your show and use your (somewhat misplaced) influence to tell people all about the evils and lies of gluten free food... check your facts out.

While Dr. Oz's segment did promise tips on discovering whether you are gluten intolerant (stop eating it) and "healthy" recipes for a gluten free diet... the beginning of this segment destroys any amiable efforts the "Doctor" may have had for the rest of the show.

Even the "expert" he had on the show said that the recipes they shared on the show are foods that he eats every day for dinner. Exactly. Gluten free diets and healthy diets are one in the same. The "expert" understands that gluten free food in moderation is no worse for you than is any other food.

Dr. Oz,

If your goal was to bring awareness to the elevated levels of calories and carbohydrates in gluten free foods, and not to give the appearance that gluten free food is evil, secretly extremely more unhealthy for you than regular food, and just some kind of excuse to jack up the cost of food, you failed miserably.

I am outraged at your portrayal of a wonderful group of products that allow me to enjoy more than just fruits, meats, and vegetables. I am 26 years old and have known I was severely allergic to gluten for nearly three years now.

I was told after being hospitalized around 2004 that I had Crohn's Disease and would have to take a handful of pills every day for the rest of my life and would constantly struggle with a disease for which there was no cure and little maintenance.

After four years of living with pain and discomfort and extreme inconvenience in every area of my life, I went to another doctor. This doctor told me immediately that he was almost positive that I did not have Crohn's, and that he suspected it was a problem with gluten. After several tests to rule out other possibilities and a blood test to find out if it was just an allergy or celiac (both have the same "felt" symptoms, but celiac does permanent internal damage when gluten is consumed), it turned out to mercifully be an extreme allergy.

So I proceeded with the extremely difficult process of learning how to eat gluten free. Even three years ago the market was as different as night and day from what it is now. I could not find any decent tasting bread, bagels were non existent, and forget about any sweets or crackers. I could not go out to eat with friends because I couldn't be sure the restaurants fully understood what gluten was and how to avoid it.

Luckily, with the growing number of people diagnosed with the same allergy, companies began to recognize it and provide us with options already available to "everyone else." With companies like Udi's Gluten Free, Glutino, Outside the Breadbox, Larabar, Mary's Gone Crackers, Ian's, Pamela's Products, and Kinnikinnick, we are able to lead normal lives and enjoy the foods that others are allowed to enjoy as well. With restaurants like Ling and Louie's, Outback Steakhouse, and Beau Jo's Pizza, we are able to go out to eat with friends and have more than a dry salad (with no croutons, of course).

I have been eating gluten free foods (pasta, bagels, bread, muffins, crackers, soy sauce, microwave meals, restaurant dishes) in normal healthy moderation for three years and have NEVER been in better health. I keep track of the foods I eat and the exercise I get with My Fitness Pal, and I exercise regularly. I am 26 years old, 5 feet 2 inches, and weigh 127 pounds with a body fat percentage of 22. I am, gluten free food consumer though I may be, arguably among the more healthy part of the population.

I lost 20 lbs in two weeks after beginning my gluten free diet. I felt more awake, more alive, more "with it" than I ever had in my previous 23 years. I spent my entire life thinking my body just couldn't handle breakfast, when in fact the problem was that most breakfast foods contain gluten. I stopped getting sick. I went down from a size 6 to a size 2, mostly due to the extreme bloating associated with consuming gluten when an allergy is present. I would literally look 6 months pregnant for several hours (and feel like I was experiencing labor pains to boot!) after having gluten, and still do to this day even if I "just have a little" gluten.

All of this to say... Dr. Oz, if you've never experienced it, or never at least known someone very close to you who has, or even properly researched the subject, you have ZERO authority to speak on the subject. If your segment on gluten free foods has done anything, it's to confuse and mislead the population. Shame on you for any damage you may have done to this extremely helpful emerging industry.

I Haven't Blogged in a While...

2011-03-18T16:56:00.000-06:00

... so what have I been up to?

Work.
Working out.
Taking care of sick Paul.
Laundry.

That's about it!

Oh and being constantly pre-occupied by our impending trip to Costa Rica :)

Thankful for You.

2011-03-10T19:10:00.001-07:00

I want to talk about how thankful I am for FRIENDS. I'm not talking about acquaintances. I'm not talking about Facebook contacts. I'm talking about friends. There are so many that I am fortunate enough to be able to call my friends. There are different kinds of friends, but all of those who are true mean the world to me and I want to talk about some of them. If I were to write one blog about all of them, and talk about them in as much detail as I want to, it would be an impossible blog to finish. So I'm just going to mention the ones I'm thinking about on any given particular day.

Paul would, of course, be on my mind most :)
Paul is my husband, but has been my friend since High School. We didn't date as kids, but we spent a lot of time with each other. We both loved video games, movies (especially 80s movies), Tahitian Treat, Kittens (his cat was a bit loose so she was always popping out kittens), and lady-bug-removal.
Wait, what?! What is Lady-Bug-Removal you ask? Well, we were friends in Tennessee, the state bug of which is the Lady Bug. Paul's ceiling RIGHT about his bed in Tennessee was for some reason the hoppin'est lady bug club in the state and was CRAWLING with them. Because it's the state bug, no one can "exterminate" them. So what did we do? We got out the vacuum and sucked them all up. Regularly. I have never seen a lady bug and not thought of Paul.
We still do a lot of the things together that we've always loved - watch 80s movies, play video games, search for Tahitian Treat - but we're always learning to love new things together too. Lately we've been doing a lot of Home Customization. We have worked together to paint, scour Craig's List and thrift stores for furniture, and even build a home theater. Even if one of us may have worked on one thing more than the other, we always help each other out in any way we can.
We like to spend our time watching pretty much any Sci-Fi show we can get our hands on, scoping out scores at thrift stores (he found me a "Yoohoo Chocolate Drink" shirt last time we went!), working out together, watching the Kittehs, hanging out with each other's friends, enjoying all of the MANY things to enjoy in Colorado, and really just being together.
It's not always a picnic, we both are having to learn how to work with each other and to be patient with and support each other. We are even having to learn how to "fight" with each other in a constructive way (if a couple doesn't fight... then they don't ever talk to each other). But there's never been a moment where either of us is not crazy in love. Sometimes it's crazy-for-loving-you feeling, sometimes it's crazy-because-of-loving-you feeling, and sometimes it's just crazy-in-love-with-you feeling, but in any case "crazy" and "love" are pretty much always involved.
Love you Mr. Man Sir Person Guy.

I think next I'll talk about my closest friend here in Colorado. Our friendship is one of very few good things that came of our attendance at Long Hollow Baptist Church.

Our meeting up here in Colorado was a thing of awe.

Some awe.

You may say it was awe-some.

Lizzie and I knew each other in high school from Sunday School. I was brain washed back then and spent most of my time with people who have proven to be the farthest thing from real friends. Lizzie and Paul and a few others were the only exceptions. Lizzie and I didn't hang out much because, again, I was wasting all my time with other people thinking they were my friends.

So... fast forward many years and halfway across the country later. Paul and I are doing some shopping in a Target near our house. We round a corner and meander to the middle of the aisle looking at the items on the shelf. After turning to put an item in the basket I look up and see.... Lizzie. Wait, I'm sorry... didn't I say I knew her from Tennessee? Yes I did. We both sort of just stared and pointed at each other for a few seconds. Our husbands, each knowing his own wife (and "how she is") but not knowing the other two people standing in front of them, cycle quickly from confusion to panic and back to confusion. Paul is thinking "Oh shit... what did this girl do to piss off Jess and what is Jess going to do to her?!" Finally they are relieved of their concern and confusion when Liz and I start talking.

As it turns out, Liz had married Chris and his job had moved them both out her. She and I had lost touch after Long Hollow completely. Liz had been working not far from the Target all day, and Chris had not gone to the store by their house downtown as he was supposed to earlier that day, so when he picked her up from work they both just stopped by this Target. At the same time. And were walking down the same aisle at the same time we were. Some awe, right?

We would soon discover that Lizzie and I were actually separated at birth. At least that's what our husbands have come to believe and remind us constantly. We're both very socially awkward, think "too much," are quite "Sheldon-y," and share many common interests from our Nintendo DS to our crafts to our love of all things Sci-Fi and correct grammar and spelling. Oh and baking. And entertaining. And Christmas. Ya we're a lot alike. This is important to me because not very many people "get" me. I'm a lot to get, but you get a lot when you do get me I think. I'm so thankful that Lizzie understands me in every way.

Later, Chris and Paul would become good friends, and we would all end up getting along with each others so well that few weekends would pass without us hanging out, and we would often have dinner together during the week as well. I credit a lot of this to Chris and Paul who can get along with literally anyone. We all love to grill, or watch movies, or camp, or really do pretty much anything together. Including celebrate our anniversaries which are a week apart. See? Lizzie and I think a lot alike.

Well I'm going to end with those two for now. There will be many more to come though!

Newsflash: Stealing is NOT okay.

2011-03-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

I can't understand how someone can just take something that doesn't belong to them. I don't understand how that person can live with themselves.

Taking something that doesn't belong to you is shameful. It indicates that you have no conscience, care only about yourself, will do anything to anyone to make sure you get what you want, and in general that you are a low and disgusting human being. When you take something and ALSO feel no remorse, feel as though you deserve what you are taking more than the person who has paid for it, or believe the world owes you so it's okay for you to take it, that makes you worth half as much as someone who takes it and just feels nothing.

Parents, be parents and teach your children that stealing is WRONG. That it's important to be a good and trustworthy person and to take care of your fellow human beings rather than screw them at any opportunity. Human nature wants to behave otherwise, and if we don't actively teach our children this truth they will learn from the examples they see rather than the words you speak and become part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

And don't tell me stealing is not a big deal because if you believe that you're not far from the guilt of the person doing the taking. Stealing is stealing. Whether you broke my window and stole my car stereo, which was the first present my husband ever gave me and the first "nice" stereo I ever had (and didn't even have for a year even though I was always careful to take it out of my car); or you decided to take the inexpensive arm band that holds my Zune while I work out when I left it on the machine last night rather than turning it in to the desk... you are guilty of stealing. Either way you have no integrity and no respect for anyone but yourself, and you don't deserve any. It IS a big deal, and stealing is stealing no matter how much or little you take.

Shame on you.

Costa Rican Honeymoon [!] Point of Excitement #1

2011-03-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

Because we had to work around our Frequent Flier Miles (the only way we could afford this trip) and the times the shuttle is available to take us from the Airport to the hotel, we are staying an extra night in San Jose each way! We plan to just unload at the hotel the first night (we'll be arriving around 1945 in San Jose) and then walk around town and see what we can stumble onto. The shuttle will be there to take us to the first hotel the next day around 1500.

On the return trip, we want to find something to do in San Jose (like maybe a zoo?!) because we'll be there from around 1400 then all night then our flight will leave around 710 the next day.

So excited... still.

Costa Rican Honeymoon!

2011-03-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to describe how EXCITED I am for our honeymoon! When we got married (May 15, 2009) we didn't have the time off or the money to take a honeymoon so we postponed. Last year my surgery ate up a lot of my time off, and Paul had yet to be able to build up time off from his job, so last year was out too. This year we didn't think we'd be able to afford a honeymoon, but then this great deal came through Living Social Escapes and now we get to have one!

We had always planned on going out of the country, and wanted some place warm but not over-done... we just couldn't pick a place! So this package was perfect. Here are the details:

Travel Info

Days : 7
Available From: 22/02/2011 (Tue 22, Feb )
To: 30/11/2011 (Wed 30, Nov )

Places

Photo Gallery (11 photos)

Description

HIGHLIGHTS:

Arenal Volcano
Nature Hike
Costa Rica Zip Line
Tamarindo Beach
Kayak Adventure

ITINERARY (6Nights/7Days)

DAY 1 l : (SAN JOSE - ARENAL) – Arrival. Meet and greet at the Juan Santamaría International airport, where our representative will take you to your shared shuttle service to the Arenal Volcano area.

OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION: MAGIC MOUNTAIN (Standard Room w/breakfast)

DAY 2 l : (ARENAL) AM Arenal Volcano Hike: Enjoy the most extraordinary view of the Arenal Volcano on a gentle Hike along the base of this marvelous “Mountain of Fire”. The hike begins in one the trails close to the volcano, this trail will take us through the forest over recent lava flows and the area destroyed in 1968 now in the process of regeneration. We are going to be on this trail for about 2 ½ hours.

PM Arenal Zipline Tour: Moving through the rain forest, above the Arenal River Canyon, our tour offers you with an unforgettable encounter with nature. The Arenal canopy tour consists of 13 platforms reaching up to 130 feet in high, 9 cables reaching up to 230 feet high and a maximum length of 103 feet. There is also a 1.68 feet long hanging bridge between platforms. The entire run between platforms takes between 1.5 to 2 hours. The canopy tour ends when you reache the rappel for a single run of 157 ft.

OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION: MAGIC MOUNTAIN (Standard Room w/breakfast)

DAY 3 l (TAMARINDO) Morning shared shuttle to Tamarindo.

Today, after breakfast get ready for your shared shuttle transfer to Tamarindo. The vivacious town of Tamarindo offers a fusion of beautiful seashore, warm Pacific breezes, great restaurants and hotels, exciting gift shops and fun nightlife. Located on the North Pacific, Tamarindo is one of the most popular beach destinations in Costa Rica, visitors will find a wide range of accommodation options available. It offers an assortment of hotels in a variety of price ranges.

OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION: TAMARINDO DIRIA (Tropical Pool Room w/breakfast)

DAY 4 l (TAMARINDO)

AM Kayak Tour: This tour is truly for everyone with a sense of adventure, the ability to handle a little bit of physical activity and love for nature. Created to give you “Fun on the water” and bring you with close contact with nature. Once in the tour, we'll paddle 30 to 40 casual minutes along reefs and beaches with spectacular cliffs filled with pelicans and frigate birds to one of our destinations, to land on a gorgeous and secluded white sand beach. Our native guides will share the best of the local biodiversity and look for your safety at the same time.

OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION: TAMARINDO DIRIA (Tropical Pool Room w/breakfast)

DAY 5 l (TAMARINDO) Day at leisure.

Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort is located in Tamarindo, Guanacaste, one of the most popular beach destinations in Costa Rica. The hotel is set right in front of Tamarindo beach, a 2 mile stretch of white sand and warm blue water. Nature is abundant in this area, and Leatherback Turtles lay their eggs in the northern part of the bay.

OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION: TAMARINDO DIRIA (Tropical Pool Room w/breakfast)

DAY 6 l (TAMARINDO) Day at leisure.

OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION: TAMARINDO DIRIA (Tropical Pool Room w/breakfast)

DAY 7 l : (TAMARINDO to SAN JOSE) After breakfast, shared shuttle transfer from your hotel to the Juan Santamaria International Airport for international departure.

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Hotels:

2 Nights MAGIC MOUNTAIN (Standard Room w/Breakfast)
4 Nights TAMARINDO DIRIA (Tropical Pool Room w/Breakfast)

Tours (on shared basis):

Arenal Volcano Hike (includes transportation and guide)
Arenal Zip Line Tour (includes transportation and guide)
Half Day Sea Kayak Tour (includes transportation and guide)

Transfers:

Meet & Greet at airport upon arrival
Transfer from San Jose to Arenal
Transfer from Arenal to Tamarindo
Transfer from Tamarindo to San Jose

MEALS: All Breakfasts

PACKAGE DOES NOT INCLUDE:

International flight from the US to Costa Rica.
Departure tax $26 to be paid at airport upon departure.

SPECIAL NOTES:

Upgraded version of this package available upon request at a surcharge
For travel during Easter Week (April 15th – April 24th) per person surcharge will apply based on availability
Shuttle from San Jose to Arenal departs at 15:00 from pick up point – please contemplate at least 1 hour minimum from international arrival
Shuttle from Tamarindo to San Jose arrives at 12:30 – please contemplate an extra 3 hours for international departure.
Reservations required 7 days in advance and are subject to availability
Prices do not include international airfare
Other conditions apply
$26 per person international departure tax not included

Woo Hoo! Man I cannot WAIT for that Zip Line tour!

I'm really glad that the main language is Spanish. I'm much more comfortable knowing that I can communicate adequately if necessary. Most places will have English speakers available, but it's still really nice to know. They also say that asking for drinks in Spanish gets them in your hands quicker than asking for them in English.

The gluten issue won't be an issue from what I've read for the most part. It looks like the main foods involve corn tortillas, rice & black beans, fruit, and seafood. Those are all my favorite foods! Also, seafood is the least likely meat to have gluten ingredients incorporated. I will be bringing along a healthy supply of Larabars to ward off hunger in places where I can't find food. The hotels provide breakfast bars and I'm really excited about all the fresh fruit!

We did remember to make sure that our passports are updated and I was kind of sad when I remembered that mine is now a card and not a book. They're doing that now instead. I don't have to carry a big book or a bulky passport wallet, but the stamps are fun :) Glad I got that updated right after I got married! We are borrowing a large suitcase from some friends (thank you Lizzie and Chris!) and plan to use that to pack bulky but light items, and stuff that you can't bring on the plane anymore (like sunscreen). Should be pretty easy to fit a lot of our stuff in there and not have to carry on TOO much, but carrying on what we can will save us having to pay for more than one suitcase.

A few items I plan to bring are, of course, my floppy hat... my snorkel gear... and my Nook. SO glad I don't have to pack bulky books! AND that I'll have ALL my books with me!

Well more to come, and I plan to TRY to update this through the "getting ready" process and through the trip, but for now I'm signing out!

(PS Sorry for the bad formatting... this particular theme doesn't seem to adapt very well.)

Poll Time: "I'm Sorry If I Did Anything Wrong."

2011-03-01T19:17:00.005-07:00

I'm curious.

When you hear an apology like this, what is your reaction? What do you take it to really mean? How do you feel when you receive an apology worded this way?

Do you apologize in this manner? If so, what do you intend the meaning to be?

To me it means, "I don't think that I did anything wrong, but in order to a)be polite even at the expense of honesty as I was raised to do or b)save my face for getting caught but avoid actually apologizing, I'll put the word 'sorry' in a sentence addressed to you." I'm just not that easily fooled. My Bullshit Meter is extremely accurate and sensitive. And neither accuracy or sensitivity are required to recognize the false tone of this fake apology in my opinion.

A close cousin to this type of "apology" is:

"I want to apologize if I have done anything wrong."

To me this one is even worse.

"I want to apologize..." - But I won't even do it arbitrarily this time...

"...if I have done anything wrong." - ...and I still don't believe it's necessary, BUT I want to give the appearance that I'm sorry for what I've done.

One COULD say "Oh Jes... you're just arguing Semantics." But at what point do semantics become miscommunication?

Thinking about what one says is becoming a dying art. We all just sort of "parrot" what we've heard others say in similar situations and think might mean what we are trying to say. I can't stress enough that we do not think about the words that come out of our mouths as often as we should.

Every now and then we do. You know, when you think, "Hmm. I wonder why we say 'I want the whole nine yards?'" (The Phrase Finder).

It's been my experience that so few people actually know what they're saying that they can't even spell the word or phrase correctly.

I won't give out any names (and no offense intended!), but recently someone typed that before my surgery she considered me to be "well in doubt." I was a little confused until she explained that I was "blessed" in the bosom area. That's when I was able to determine she actually meant "well endowed." Big difference in the meaning of those two phrases! The first would mean something along the lines of me lacking a great deal of hope, while the second means "having plentiful supplies of a resource."

There are other examples, like:

"You get the just of it."

("You get the gist of it" - GIST: The main point, as of a question; the point on which an action rests; the pith of a matter; as, the gist of a question)

"I could care less."

("I couldn't care less." You could not possible have any shred of an opinion on the matter. Saying you "could" care less communicates that you do have at least a slight amount of input or interest.)

The point, again, is that we just don't tend to stop and think about what we're saying and therefore what meaning we are communicating.

That being said, I realize that a person apologizing this way may not realize how insincere the apology feels. They may have been apologized to this way so many times that they don't realize the actual meaning. It's not always a matter of being unable to comprehend what the words are communicating, but sometimes just a matter of not realizing what the words actually mean.

"I'm sorry that I ran over your cat. I did do it knowing it was wrong and that it would hurt you, but now I'm regretting my poor decision and bad judgement."

In this example you recognized what you did wrong, admitted without lame excuses that it was wrong, and offered your sincere regret for your rash actions.

"I'm sorry if I ran over your cat."

"I want to apologize if I flattened your cat. I didn't know any other way to stop it from screeching all night long."

In the second example, you admit nothing and offer only a reason as to why it was okay for you to what you did. Looking at what you said you might be able to realize that you gave a very poor excuse and that there is no right or good excuse for what you've done. It's time to take the blame instead of giving it out.

This ended up being a longer post than I had intended, but I believe it's a subject worth some attention. Clear communication is essentially to accurate understanding. So before we say something... let's stop and think about what we're going to say first. Or at least close to the time the thing we are saying exits our mouths.

Jes Tried It: Homemade Smoothies!

2011-03-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

I fell in love.

With Jamba Juice.

But alas... the relationship was costly. Literally... my wallet could not handle $5 drinks two to three times a week. So I looked at the ingredients in my favorite drink (Aloha Pineapple, No bananas, Sub Peaches) and decided to give it a try at home. Here's how the process went.

The ingredients for the Aloha Pineapple were:

Pineapple juice blend
Pineapple sherbet
Frozen strawberries
Nonfat plain yogurt
Frozen bananas (I subbed Peaches for these)
Ice

Well I didn't like the idea of sherbet because of the sugar content, so instead of plain nonfat yogurt I used flavored yogurts (peach, strawberry, lime, blueberry, etc). I found a bag of fruit at Kroger (Kind Soopers out here) of Strawberry, Pineapple, Peach, and Mango frozen fruits. Perfect! Except that it was pricey for the size. Next I added orange juice. This took some time to get the amount right. For a while this worked great!

Eventually I found a BIG bag of the same fruits (but this time Dole brand instead of Kroger brand) for the SAME PRICE as the little one. This big bag was three times the size of the little one. Score.

Next I read that you can add spinach to a smoothie and will NOT taste it. So I gave it a try. It looked SO GROSS that I had to smell it before I drank it. It smelled like yummy fruit smoothie so I tasted it... NO SPINACH FLAVOR! Score.

Next I read that Flax Seed could help me to pick up some fiber that my Gluten Free diet leaves out (the spinach was to help with my iron), so I got some of that and used my coffee grinder to grind it up. I add a heaping big spoonful to every pitcher now.

So... the magic potion for smoothies follows. However, I'm not a measurer, so you you'll have to kind of play around with it! If you do it in this order and pulse the blender four or five times (waiting until it all settles back to the bottom each time) it's easier to blend.

Fresh Spinach (I buy baby spinach at walmart in the plastic box thing)Frozen Frozen Fruit (whatever you like, see what I use listed above)
1 container yogurt (I always use a Yoplait Fat Free)
Ground Flax Seed
Orange Juice (again, to desired thickness)

Blend and go!

I keep wanting to try apple juice instead, but for now I just really like the tart flavor the OJ gives it. Later when I want sweeter flavor I'll use apple juice. Mott's no sugar added 100% juice is my favorite apple juice. Also, if you prefer a more milk shake type texture (as opposed to this icee type texture) use fresh fruit instead of frozen!

Hope you like it!

Jes Tried It: The Epilator... Friend or Foe?!

2011-02-25T19:11:00.001-07:00

Puberty left me with two curses: breasts that were WAY too large for my small frame, and really dark coarse hair. I was able to get the breasts taken care of by having a breast reduction surgery last summer (the health benefits of that decision are outstanding!) and I've finally figured out the coarse hair situation. I thought I'd share for the benefit of any other girls out there interested in an EXTREMELY effective and much less expensive way to remove unwanted hair.

We've ALL tried so many methods of hair removal. I personally have tried the following:

Nair (I did this as a kid before I ever shaved)

Shaving with SO MANY different kinds of razors

I've tried waxing (it got my legs the smoothest but was NOT cost effective)

I even tried this stuff (it worked... but it stank to HIGH HEAVEN... ask any of my other roommates who also tried it... they will agree with both statements)

So... as a last ditch effort... I decided to try the Epilator I bought this one:

It had the highest rating on Amazon for the price range I was interested in, and some of the reviews even gave it a better rating than the more expensive one. It has certainly lived up to it's reputaion!

An Epilator is basically a devise that groups together a TON of tiny tweezers and runs them randomly as you glide the device over your leg (or arm, underarm, anywhere you have unwanted hair). Sound painful? Damn right it's painful. It's somewhere along the same lines as tattoo painful.

However...

It gets better! The more you use the Epilator the fewer hairs you'll see and the hairs you DO see are much softer and finer. This makes it SO much less painful. The level of pain is cut in half after the first time, then half of that the second time and so one and so forth. If you go too long without using it (right now I need to use it about twice a week) the pain level may go up just a little, but not to the initial level. The reason for this is partly because the amount of hair is SIGNIFICANTLY less and partly because your skin just grows accustomed to the procedure.

Results?

Not only are my legs smooth but you can't see the dark hairs under the skin like you can when I shave. Also, the hair grows back MUCH more slowly. Where I would have 1/4 hairs after one to two days following a shave (I'm not joking or exaggerating) now I get no regrowth for at least two days, and the baby fine hairs begin to grow around the third day. Even now (it's Friday and I haven't done it since Monday night) the hairs are barely visible and I can only slightly feel them.

So where do I use it?

If you really want to know... I do my legs (ankle to knee... my thighs are easy to shave and have almost nothing on them for a week), my underarms, and my arms. I recenctly started doing my bikini line, but you have to be REALLY determined to do this. The results are better even than waxing but it's really painful the first time, even using this stuff:

It doesn't numb the skin completely, but makes the level of pain bearable. Just remember to wipe off any left-over spray before you start working on the area. It's rather pricey (this 1.5 oz can cost me around $11) but very worth it for the first few times working on the bikini line, or any area you just can't stand.

I have even less re-growth on my bikini line than I do on my legs or arms. AND I know it won't even come close to hurting as much as it did the first time as a result of that. So I'll keep using the numbing spray the next one or two times than have a go at it without and see how it goes. A word of warning: be VERY careful to not let the Epilator go further than you want it too when working the bikini line... OUCH!

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Softer smoother legs (it exfoliates a little while it works)
MUCH finer hairs
Less time spent removing hair throughout the week
Cheaper (think of the cost of razors and shaving cream and waxing...)
A lot of the hairs will eventually stop growing (may take a long time) since they are being pulled out by the root bulb

Cons:

Painful at first (but remember this goes away FAST)
Ingrown hairs can be a problem. I've always had them so I'm accustomed, but I just use Neutrogena Acne Wash on a really coarse exfoliating cloth that I found at Wal-Mart all over the areas I epilate each day in the shower. The Salacylic Acid in the acne wash helps to remove those layers of dead skin that block the now-weakened hairs from coming through. The bonus of this is your skin is SO smooth and fresh from the strong exfoliation you're getting!
You'll need to set aside some time to do this the first few times, or if it's been a while since you did it. The best way to do it is to go slowly allowing the little tweezers more time to grab more hairs. The instructions recommend that from ankle to knee you take twenty counted seconds.

Notes:

As with most things in life, it's very important to follow instructions if you want good results. Read the instructions that come with it completely before using it. There is some good advice on the Amazon page I linked to earlier in this blog and you would benefit greatly from using it. Here is the best piece of advice from those reviews in my opinion:
How to start.
1) Take a long, hot bath.
2) Shave. If you are persistent, that's the last time you ever will.
3) Use SilkEpil on just shaved skin. Yes, there will be hardly any results, but there won't be any pain either, and your muscles will relax; it's important to get into the habbit or relaxing while epilating, reduces the pain greatly.
4) Repeat next day (except, of course, no shaving). Heck, repeat later same day. You will achieve the results gradually while staying within your comfort zone as far as the pain goes. Do it every day until you feel in control, then gradually reduce the time interval between epilations to up to a month.
5) When you begin feeling pain on one leg, switch to the other. Somehow that reduces the pain.
6) Use long, quick strokes until you are comfortable.
7) Holding the device so that it rotates in the direction of the hair growth makes the process much more gentle on you and more time cosuming.
8) If you feel like giving up at any point, remember the 2nd epilation will be nothing like the first; the 3rd will be a breeze.

In case you didn't find the link to Amazon where I bought mine, here's the info about the specific model I bought:

Braun 5270 X'elle Body System Epilator

by Braun

4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1,205 customer reviews) |

Like(17)

List Price:	$74.99
Price:	$69.57
You Save:	$5.42 (7%)

In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Electronica Direct. Gift-wrap available.

7 new from $67.83 2 used from $60.99

The Braun Silk-Epil Xelle Body System Epilator offers:

40-tweezer epilator for long lasting smooth skin.
Massage rollers to reduce pain.
Built-in SmartLight to highlight every hair.

Try to not be scared off by some of the negative reviews... it's been my experience that most of the scary negative reviews I read on this product are from people who either just weren't ready to deal with a little bit of pain at first (which is understandable) or from idiots who habitually ignore directions and advice.

Happy Hair Removal!

Jes Tried It: Very Cool Fitness Tool

2011-02-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

Since I'm allergic to gluten (the long list of foods I can't eat tend to also make me miss out on vital nutrients and get too much sodium and sugar) and because I live in Colorado where Healthy Living is the goal of 85% of the population, I decided I would find a program that I can access online and use on my phone that would let me track the food I eat.

I got that and SO MUCH MORE with My Fitness Pal!

Since disclosure is the best way to have a healthy life, physically and mentally (try it... you'll step up your game when it's all laid out for the world to see) Feel free to go here to check out my various fitness, food, and exercise diaries.

Here's what you get with My Fitness Pal (keep in mind that once you're entered your sizes and weight, level of physical activity required by your job, weight loss goals, and amount of weekly exercise these goals are automatically tailored to you):

Under "Your Fitness Goals" you will see:

Nutritional Goals

* Net Calories Consumed (Total Calories Consumed - Exercise Calories Burned)
Carbs, Fat, and Protein per day

Fitness Goals

Calories burned per week
Workouts per week
Minutes per workout

Your Diet Profile

Calories burned from normal daily activity
Net Calories Consumed
Daily Calorie Deficit
Projected Weight Loss

You can track the measurment of your neck, waist, and hips as well as your weight.

You get to keep a food diary broken down by Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snack (these are customizable) and the food entries give you all of the nutritional information when you enter them. I changed some of the categories that are tracked on my Food Diary so I could see my Fiber, Fat and Cholesterol intake as well.

It even helps you to track how much water you get each day! I wasn't kidding before when I would say that I drink a LOT of water...

And you can record and track your exercise by Cardio or Strength exercise. As you can see from mine, you can actually search for or create your specific exercise and the system will either estimate the calories you burned for you allow you to fill in your own calories. The system estimated 203 I think for 30 minutes of "moderate effort" rowing but I did 251. I just noticed that it's recommended I get 45 minutes a day of workout so I'll try to gauge my speed/effort from now on to allow myself to make it to 45 minutes. Eventually I'd LIKE to be able to row for an hour!

And those are just the basics! Everything is completely customizable. Have the same breakfast pretty regularly? Set it as a Meal or just click "Use Yesterday" or "Use Recent" from the Quick Tools list!

The ability to track how much of my daily nutrition is on or off track has been invaluable already. I know I'm getting way too much sodium and way too little potassium, so I know to look for foods that give me more potassium and less sodium (high sodium content is a MAJOR flaw of Gluten Free foods in most cases).

I'm also able to stick more closely to my workout regime when I see "You Earned 251 Calories from Workout Today!".

Even if you're not up for or in need of a "diet" give this a try. It's fun to see what you eat and what nutrients you are getting and to be able to look back on it all. Not to mention, if you ever need a record of what foods you've eaten for medical purposes (ex: me and my headaches!) you'll have it all right there!

Jes Tried It!

2011-02-25T16:20:00.002-07:00

I decided to start reviewing stuff I use on my blog since it seems to go over well on Facebook. This way it will be concentrated into one blog instead of being spread out over several status updates!

Nina: You asked about the Week Long Detox Diet... as soon as we do it this summer I'll let ya know!

Reviews should start going up later tonight.

Thanks for reading!

Reminding Myself of Life Before Breast Reduction

2011-02-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm all healed up, once summer rolls back around and all of those "Before" summer clothes come out of hibernation I'll take my "After" photos in them. But for now... I like to remember the state I was in before because it makes me increasingly grateful that I was able to have this surgery...

Before...

And After (at same weight)...

Totally changed my world. SO happy. Can't wait to buy my first REAL swimsuit this summer!!

Summer TV Has Bested Fall TV

2011-02-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

Eureka
So You Think You Can Dance
Breaking Bad
Haven
Warehouse 13
Terriers (RIP)
Damages

These are the shows I wait for during the year and

House
Fringe
Bones

those are the shows that fill the rest of the year.

The one exception is Big Bang Theory. It belongs with the awesome summer shows.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2011-02-18T17:36:00.001-07:00

I was looking for a picture and decided I wanted to put up some of my favorite pictures. They are my favorites for many different reasons and I love them all. I'm so thankful to live in an era where we can capture our memories with images and be able to view them again and again; and especially to live in the advanced stage of that era where there is no limit to the amount of pictures we can take and keep and view again and again.

Let's start with the food pictures. As most of you know, I LOVE to bake/make candy... basically create any tasty and lovely food treat I can!

I made this Peppermint Bark with Ganache Filling for some family gifts for christmas. They were yummy... but I love how pretty they are!

I love to make Meringue Cookies, and these were my best yet. I dusted them with edible gold Luster Dust and dipped them in chocolate.

I love this idea I saw in a magazine. I sliced the apples fairly thin, then used my mini halloween cookie cutters to cut these shapes out of the centers, and finally dipped them in a lemon juice/water solution to keep them from browning. The dip that you see to the right was phenomenal. It was from the same magazine. It's very fluffy caramel apple dip!

This was my first ever cheesecake. It was so good. It's a Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust and Sour Cream/Sugar/Whiskey topping.

This cheese ball has become a regular demand at get-togethers! I don't always make it into a pumpkin shape (this one was for Halloween '10), but that doesn't affect the sharp, cheesy, spicy flavor one bit.

I made the Butterscotch Gingerbread Skeletons at my first apartment in Colorado (in Lowry) around Halloween '08.

These were gifts I sent back with Paul to his family when he went for a week around Halloween '09. They are made with Honey Crisp Apples, dipped in caramel, coated with peanuts (or sprinkles), and then drizzled with white chocolate and finished off with fall-colored round sprinkles.

One of my favorite pictures of my Meringue cookies. This was obviously before I learned how to use my camera at least sort of well. Wish I had a really nice camera!

Now for the Places Pictures...

This and the following picture were taken on my trip to Spain during the summer of '07. This is "graffiti," although I think all building should have art like this on them.

Oh man camping. I love it so much. I can't wait to go again this summer! The last few times I've gone we've gone up near the end of the summer when the days are plenty warm but the nights are frigid. The nights will always be cold... but hopefully we can get up there when the nights are a little warmer!

I love all the places Paul and I have gotten to go to so far. This was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park the weekend after we got married. We also love to go to local places like the Zoo, Science Museum, and many of the parks that our area has to offer!

I love this picture of our back yard. This is our first house the summer we bought it. I can't wait to see what we can do with the back yard to make it our own this summer!

Our first house... of course I love this place! I love the picture too. Can't wait to have it painted hopefully this summer!

I love this picture of a hike we took for Father's Day this past June in Boulder! It was Beautiful. Can't wait to go again this year!

From the same hike... love this picture of dad... so dad-like!

From the same hike... isn't that beautiful?

At Bishop's Castle on our First Anniversary!

Playing Ski Ball at the Penny Arcade in Manitou

Hiking near Manitou

Garden of the Gods

I got to see Mary Poppins! It was amazing. Best live musical I've ever seen... and I've seen a few living here!

I love this picture from the first years we went to the Renaissance Festival.

Gorgeous camping spot near Breckenridge (we find spots by driving until we can't fit the car through the rough path any further then stop).

Camping August 2010 with Liz and Chris Smith (and Val). The boys are throwing an ax and a hatchet into trees... or trying to.

This was one of my favorite days. I took my book, an apple, and a blanket to the park behind my apartment complex (Lowry) and read all afternoon. Amazing.

Now some of my favorite pictures of myself through the years...

Red hair in college

Purple hair in college

The Wege and me reading

WONDERFUL feeling seeing this after surgery (breast reduction)

Wearing the hat mom knitted me (there's an owl on it!)

And while we're on the subject of pictures of people...

Love this picture of my niece Ava and me! (Please note that the correct way to type this kind of caption.)

One of my favorite pictures of my husband and me

The day we got married having a party at Monica & Todd's

Dad took this picture while Paul and I were getting our Marriage License the day we got married (again... note the CORRECT usage of "I" when labeling a photo).

And of course the Mr. Wege (pronounced "weej"). He HATES for computers to get the attention HE should be getting.

And lastly... a few photos of things I love...

I don't know if it's the colors or the containers, but I just love this picture.

This has to be the best summer scent ever.

I still LOVE these candle stick holders that I got at Goodwill last year. Wonder where they'll end up in the house?!

Well that is all I have for now. Aren't pictures fun? I love looking at them, and I hope you enjoyed the tour too!

Sneak Peek: Blue Room

2011-02-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

I finally got the Blue Room (which is the guest room) cleared out last weekend! It was sort of catching all of the stuff that was going to be put out when the space was available (I still need to build some shelves though) and all that's left is a small box hidden in a corner. So... I was able to at least place the furniture. Here are a few pictures to give a little preview of the idea...

I love this. I found it at Goodwill last year. I think it's meant to be a table, but was on the wall behind my bed as a wall hanging in the last apartment, and now I like it as a drape!

The bed is the perfect color for this room; especially since I'm doing mostly red in the room because I love red on bright blue. The lamp was my grandmother's, the owl is from Goodwill, and I found the pillow case at the Goodwill Outlet Center on Mississippi.

This little guy is going to be painted red and hung on this wall between the closet and the door.

Also... a few more found items for my Pink Room...

This, of course, will get painted and then will house all my thread. Goodwill for $2.99!

This is another vintage BEAUTIFUL book I've scored off of Paper Back Swap!

Sneak Peek: Pink Room

2011-02-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

I made a little headway recently with my "Pink Room" (which is essentially "my" room for all my "girly" stuff and projects) and I thought I would share some early pictures! Here they are!

Here is my antique trunk that has migrated into my Pink Room for much needed storage. I want to make over that lamp and lamp shade. I'll also probably be painting the drawers a better blue. The scarves are a project mom and I are working on. I LOVE the little book on top of the trunk. I got it from Paper Back Swap!

I love this thing. I got it at a yard sale last year for 25 cents! I want to make an entirely new pin cushion for it and re-paint it at some point.

I think I got this at one of my thrift stores that I go to out here... the tiny drawers really come in handy!

This has got to be one of my all-time favorite scents. It helps that it's a pretty pink color!

Three little containers I love. The birdcage is from Michael's dollar section, the tiny candy jars are from Ross (wish I could find more!) and the little antique pink glass bottle is from an antique store in Denver called "Garage Antiques" (which is in Denver's Santa Fe Art District at the NW corner of 8th Ave.& Inca St. Address is 801 W. 8th Ave. Denver, CO 80204).

Some of my favorite books that I'll keep with me in my room and my Masquerade mask. The Wicked book is a pop-up from Paul for Christmas!

These are little Big Lots finds. I'll spray paint them later and hang them there under the window sill.

This little guy is a flower pot that I got at the thrift store. He wasn't chipped when I got him which sucks. I have the piece, but I'm not allowed to super glue stuff so I have to wait until Paul can do it. I glue myself to things or things to myself. Or things to things. Or myself to myself. Ya I'm just not allowed.

That is the end of my sneak preview for my pink room! But... here are a few pictures of the work I've been doing on our bedroom too!

The green is the new color.

I love how the curtains look on that wall color.

The old blue color of which I am NOT a fan.

The irony is, I'll have to paint this wall that awful blue before painting it green because the green looks very different on the white than on the blue. Dang it.

More Swapping... this time clothes and accessories!

2011-02-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

There is a shopping center near where I live called Southlands and within that shopping center is a store called My Best Friend's Closet. This weekend while trading some clothes there I found these AMAZING earrings and just had to share. They are vintage (which is obvious because they are clip ons) and the fact that they are owls (which apparently is "in" right now) makes the fact that I found them before some snobby collector could charge $20 for them in a less fair store absolutely astonishing. Look!!

I love that price tag! I especially love that I got these earrings, a pair of shoes, and five shirts and walked out of the store with a remaining $20 credit. And I only brought in six or seven purses, plus two reusable shopping bags containing both clothes and shoes. I will most certainly continue to give this store my business so long as they remain so fair to both buyers and sellers/swappers!

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More Swapping... this time clothes and accessories!