Dublin Proper

Fitness must haves for 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 21:46:00 +0000

I am sure by now everyone has stated intentions for the new year. Mine included taking better care of myself. I already do a decent job but there were certainly areas of improvement that I am taking under advisement!

With that a majority of the New Years resolutions revolve around fitness and since I love a gadget just as much as the next person I am rounding up my must have fitness items for 2015.

Core Ball

This is a must! You can take this thing anywhere! I travel with it along with my Barre3 App and I can do a workout where ever I am. This really cuts down on excuses now doesn't it!

VSX Leggings and Capris

Workout bottoms that fit are a must when you are working on your fitness but ones with attitude are even better. I love all the colors and patterns that VSX has been coming out with. I know a cool pair of leggings will always be noticed over plain old black.

Spiritual Gangster Muscle Tees

I love all my workout tops equally but when I discovered the muscle tees by Spiritual Gangster I was extra smitten. They are soft and have the best cut to them. I own the Namaste in white and the one pictured above. I can't say enough about them.

BKR Bottle

Everyone needs to stay hydrated so why not do so in style. I have been carrying mine around with me and to class since it appeared on Christmas morning. I love that it is a glass bottle so I am not drinking plastic chemicals and 500ml size I received (pictured above) is perfect to throw in your purse!

Getaway Bag by Stella and Dot

If you are looking for the roomiest bag known to man with a whole lotta style this bag is for you. I hosted a trunk show for Stella and Dot in December and used my winnings to get this bag because I thought it would be great for travel since you can zip around the bottom to make it larger. Well upon careful inspection I can also use it as a gym bag that I take with me to work. I change before I leave the office to save time and I can fit everything I wore that day to work in it with room to spare. Unzipped I bet you could fit a yoga mat standing on end. You must check it out!

Sugar Paper Planner

Last but certainly not lease you have to have a good planner to fit in your workout. I think pre-scheduling your workouts is the key to success and that is my mantra this year. Make it a can't miss appointment. I still like to carry a small planner in my purse to quickly write down a date but my true family planner is the app Cozi. If you have not heard of this app it may be life changing.

Cozi App

It has both a mobile and desktop version so you can login to it wherever you wish. You can create a family login so the calendar can be accessed from different devices throughout your family. If an event is added to the calendar everyone in the family knows that. You can tag events for just specific family members and set reminders. You can store recipes and create shopping lists with it. My favorite part is the To Do lists that I create. I may have 5 different ones going at the same time depending on what I am keeping track of. It is a free app with option to upgrade for a fee but I have found the free version has everything I need and more. Check it out I am sure you will not be disappointed!

What are some of your fitness must haves? I would love to hear about them, remember I love a good gadget!

~Jennifer~

You can find me on...

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Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Thu, 25 Dec 2014 12:00:00 +0000

I hope your day is filled with love and magic!

~Jennifer~

Christmas time is here

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 15:43:00 +0000

It is Christmas Eve and I can safely say I finally wrapped all my presents last night. Wow what a task! It is gift bags for everyone/everything from now on! I am kidding, sort of.

We will be heading up to good old Ashland for the afternoon/evening to celebrate Christmas with my family and then back to Dublin we go to await the arrival of Santa Claus! The boys are so excited and I love listening to them talk about Santa and what he will bring them. Though Santa is a great guy, even if I did wrap all his presents, I have to say my favorite part of the season is getting to spend time with my family. I love that on Christmas morning we can lounge around and not be rushed. It seems that all too often we are rushing through life and never really get to stop and enjoy each other. I am really looking forward doing that over this long weekend!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

~Jennifer~

You can find me on...

Twitter here

Facebook here

Pinterest here

Instagram here

Who doesn't love a challenge!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 17:32:00 +0000

I don't know about you guys but if there is a challenge I will most likely enter it and hope to win. At work I am always one of the first to sign up for whatever the challenge of the moment is. It makes me happy to win or at the least beat a lot of other people. I kid I kid (well sort of kid).

Since the new year is only weeks away and I need a salt and sugar detox like it is my job, my favorite workout/blog/everything company Barre3 is to the rescue. Beginning January 5th and running for 4 weeks they will be hosting a challenge to help everyone get back on track with their mind, body and health. I did the spring challenge not long after I started going to Barre3 and the support you get from it is unprecedented.

Each week of the challenge participants will:

Do four 60-minute workouts either at one of their local studios or online
Do one 10-minute online workout
Try one healthy barre3 recipe

If you follow me on instagram you know I have experimented with making the Barre3 recipes and they have all been big winners in my house!

So here are the deets on the kit which is $33 buck-a-roos (not bad for all the swag).

Each challenge kit includes:

Access to the Challenge and weekly emails loaded with tips, tools, and educational podcasts
Live Q+A with Sadie Lincoln
One weekly 10-minute challenge online workout
One new seasonal recipe to try every week
A personal tracking system to help you stay accountable
A glass barre3 signature water bottle
barre3 signature tote
barre3 wristband

challenge kit

Um hello I am signing up just for the super cute bag!

All joking aside this is a great time of year to recommit to yourself. I have found that since starting Barre3 last April, I have never felt better about myself. I have made so many new friends at the studio and my Barre3 Columbus family helps me more then they know!

So why not do something for yourself this year and join me in the challenge! Even if there is no prize for a top winner, the actual prize is feeling better about yourself and your body. I don't think there is any prize greater then that!

You can buy your kit at your local studio or online. I know I will be picking mine up tonight!

Join me in kicking 2015 off right!

~Jennifer~

You can find me on...

Twitter here

Facebook here

Pinterest here
Instagram here

Mornings

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 16:45:00 +0000

HELLLOOOO! Long time. Sorry about that. Trying to get some semblance of normalcy and routine in the house. If anyone knows how please let me know!

Per the title I am going to talk about mornings. Mornings are not my thing. You know when someone says they are a morning person, I just sort of look at them and think "Yeah right, LIAR, I bet you got here today by unicorn too!". That is what I am thinking if you have ever told me you are a morning person.

There are allegedly 2 types of people in this world, morning people and night owls. I think there has to be a 3rd type because I am neither of the previous two. I don't like to get up and I REALLY like to go to sleep though I do tend to get a second wind. I am able to stay up later when I push myself to stay up so I think I have some night owl tendencies but I turn into a pumpkin no matter what around 11 pm!

I think about how much more I could get done if I was either a morning person or night owl. Wouldn't it be nice to get up so early (and like it) that you can workout, shower, make a breakfast, and then get your kids up and ready. What a glorious scenario. Though I dream of one day having the will power to do that in the morning, it has evaded me.

For the night owls, my own mother included, how do you do it and still get up in the morning? I have tried staying up after the kids to get stuff done but I am just too spent be productive. It also puts me in need of multiple cups of coffee the next day to feel alert.

My question for the masses is:

What type of person are you and how do you use your type to get the most done in one day?

I would love to hear of any tips/tricks people use to balance life along with getting enough sleep!

Happy 4th of July

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 15:40:00 +0000

Popping in to wish every a safe and happy 4th of July!

Jennifer

My Week in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 16:16:00 +0000

Hey everyone! How has your past week been? Mine has been so busy that I have barely been able to do anything let alone a post so I'm glad I'm finally getting around to it. If you follow me on Instagram you probably saw a lot of activity last week.

We'll start off with last Tuesday. I went to the OAR concert at the LC pavilion and it was great! This concert I was very excited for because I had not heard an OAR concert since college and they were a pretty big band when I was in college probably because they were from Ohio State and everyone knew who they were. The concert started out with Phillip Phillips who surprisingly enough coming from American Idol was nothing like I thought he would be! He actually had a Dave Matthews Band esk sound which was very refreshing so I would definitely see him again in concert. When OAR hit the stage the place went nuts! Of course they waited until their last song of the night to play their most famous song "Crazy game of poker" that everybody knows so in general it was nice to hear them again. A trip down memory lane!

So on Wednesday to my surprise my husband had tickets to the box for the Clippers game so we got a babysitter again and headed down to Clipper Stadium. It was a beautiful night until a storm rolled in! It rained so they covered the field. It stopped raining so they uncovered the field, fixed it all up and sent the teams back on the field and it started raining again! So needless to say I didn't see much baseball on Wednesday but nonetheless it was still fun to get out!

Thursday brought my monthly book club which I always go to no matter what! I've been going for 10 years now and I rarely ever miss a bookclub. This month's book was The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline which I had already read. It was an excellent book and swingle worth a read because this really happened in the US! Not going to lie usually at the club we have wine, we eat cheese, and we gossip and we don't talk about the book. That is pretty much what happened last Thursday and I don't mind that at all!

On Sunday I got up really early to drive my youngest son to Connersville Indiana to a train station where they were doing A Day Out With Thomas. Oh my goodness the look on his little face when Thomas came chugging down the track was priceless! He is my little one that coughs out his funnel when he does couch so he has a full on obsession with trains to say the least. We spent about 4 hours riding on Thomas, playing with Thomas toys, watching Thomas on TV, and of course shopping for Thomas memorabilia. Needless to say my son was exhausted after his big day and has not stopped talking about it ever since! I would say this was the best day of his almost 4 years of life (his birthday is this Friday). If you or someone you know has a child who lives and breaths Thomas like mine does this is definitely something you need to do with them! You can find all the info about this at the link below.

http://events.hitentertainment.com/en-us/dayoutwiththomas

I hope everyone else had a wonderful week and weekend! Did anyone else do anything fun? I would love to hear about it!

Jennifer

Obsessions

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:21:00 +0000

Happy Wednesday everyone! I am back with another round of obsessions. So here we go!

Puffins

Oh my gosh I cannot get enough of these. I don't even put milk on them. I just east then as a nighttime snack and they are addicting. My favorite is the peanut butter and chocolate mix. Healthier Reece Cup anyone!

The Knockout by Secret

This sports bra is the real deal. I always have trouble finding one that keeps the girls in place and this one does the trick. I swear Victoria's Secret just know how to do it!

Chia Pudding

I found a recipe for this and thought her why not give it a whirl. It may look funny but it tastes like a dessert! I was shocked that something you have grown in a ceramic head for so long can make a delicious meal or snack. I definitely suggest giving it a try! http://pinterest.com/pin/104990235037688388/

Ladies of London

This show is just to funny you can't not watch it. Full of American ex-pats you see them make folks of themselves to their British counterparts in the "high society" of London. It is a guilty pleasure but a must see!

Do you have any obsessions? I would love to hear them. I am always looking for new ideas!

Jennifer

Father's Day Gift Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 00:53:00 +0000

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a wonderfully productive weekend. I know I did. Since Father's Day is on Sunday I thought I would share my picks for the men in your life whether it be your husband, father, grandfather, or a father to be. If you prefer to buy it or DIY it I hope this will help you find the perfect gift for your special guys!

Ideas for the lover of spirits

Beer Tender, Beer making kit, Anchorman flask, Bottle Opener flipflops, Whiskey Rocks

For the tech lover

HoverBar For iPAD, Flash Drive Cufflinks, Solar Charger, Guitar for iPad, USBCell Rechargeable Battery, Wireless Outlet Speakers

For the outdoorsman/DIYer

Power tools, Screwdriver keychain, Survival Bracelet, Portable Propane Stove/Oven, Mobile Shop toolbag,Tent Ceiling Fan with Light

For the man who loves games

Video Games, Board games, Corn hole game, Cards Against Humanity

For the golf enthusiast

Golf Bag BBQ Tool Set, TaylorMade Driver, Golf Club Storage Station, Monogramed Golf Shoe Bag, Kid Colored Golfballs (FREE if you have extra laying around!), Ball Markers, Trunk Locker

From the kids

I hope this list is a good jumping off point for you! I know I will be busy all week making/buying things for all the men in my life. Remember it is the thought that counts so even a store bought or homemade card can show them how much they mean to you.

~Jennifer~

Happy Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 01:05:00 +0000

Thank goodness it is Friday already! I am so ready for the weekend even if it is jam packed with kids activities.

Have a wonderful weekend and as always be safe!

Obsessions

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 19:53:00 +0000

I have decided to start posting on Wednesdays the things I find that I love or must have! Who doesn't love a suggestion list. I know I have found many of my favorite things by seeing what others like and of course what others pin on Pinterest.

Brad's Raw Leafy Kale chips

I decided one day on a whim to give these a whirl because I attempted to make my own and it was an epic fail. These are DELICIOUS! My favorite flavor is called Vampire Killer. These are a must try!

Barre3

This has seriously been life changing for me! I started 2 months ago and was hooked after my very first class. The instructors are the best I have had and everyone really cares about you and it totally shows. This is a must try if you have a studio close to you. More on my love for Barre3 in a future post!

Lou & Grey

I am in love with all of this line. I am already the biggest Loft fan ever and when this lounge wear line came out I became an even bigger one. The fabrics are easy to wear and so comfortable! It is a must try for anyone looking for lounge clothes that do not look like you should be going to the gym!

Check out my obsessions and let me know what you think!

Jennifer

Kitchen Drawer Purge

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:33:00 +0000

With the New Year in full swing I, like everyone else, have gotten the bug to purge and organize my home. I seem to collect lots of things over the year as I am sure you all do also. I have always had trouble getting rid of items because in my mind I think "what if I need that sometime and have to buy it again!" Well that has never happened yet so I have started purging more frequently. It does make you feel so much better when you have some semblance of organization, even if it is in a closed drawer that only you see!

This project first started out with me wanting to organize the junk drawer in the kitchen. You know the drawer you through anything random in because you haven't the slightest clue what to do with it. Well, sometimes a small project turns into something bigger!

The junk drawer before

I started thinking about the flow of my kitchen and how annoying it is when I am cooking and people are coming over to me at the island to get silverware when the plates are at the other end closer to the table. This was when I looked at the junk drawer and decided it would now be silverware drawer. How perfect to have your silverware beneath where you have your plates!

So I cleared out the drawer and replaced it with my silverware holder and napkin container. I have to say I love the change!

New silverware drawer

Since I moved the silverware I was left with a large drawer next to the stove on the island that was mostly empty other then measuring spoons and other misc cooking supplies. I decided it was time to purge my product make my island cooking station more convenient for me!

So I took all my cooking utensils out of the drawers beside the stove and beneath the stove and sorted them out on the island. Does anyone really need this many cooking utensils!!!!

Prior utensil storage area

I boxed up everything I am not keeping so I can donate it. I left myself with the bare essentials for cooking. Just a few of everything. Pretty much the ones that I use now on a regular basis. I mean come on I had 9 rubber spatulas! Once the purge was over I began the refilling of the drawers.

Um I believe I was photo bombed by a Yorkie!

I started by placing organizers I already had into the drawers. When it doubt shop your house. I did not buy a single organizer to finish the job. Everything was from other places in my home that were not being utilized in the best way so I brought them into the kitchen and they all work perfectly. They don't match at all but I am the only one who sees it regularly. Of course I am putting pictures of it on the Internet so maybe.....

Without further ado I present my newly organized utensil drawers!

I also moved a smaller drawers contents of unique utensils that are not used on a regular basis which in turn misplaced my K Cups. So I moved those to the smaller drawer now which is just as close to the coffee machine as they were before. Now the coffee drawer only has that, Coffee! I added a container to hold my long spoons that I always use to stir my coffee. I had put them in the silverware drawer at first but decided it didn't make sense since I only use them for my coffee.

I am so happy with how my drawers turned out! I think the flow of my kitchen is better and I am not rooting around under my stove for the utensil I need. Now I just have to remember where I moved everything! A bit of a learning curve is taking place but we will all get it soon enough.

Now my only problem is I don't have a junk drawer anymore!

Junk without a home!

I guess I have created my next organization project!

Anyone else catch the new year organizing bug?

What have you organized and how has it helped?

Where have I been?!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:23:00 +0000

Do not worry by blog friends!

I am still here and doing okay! I hope everyone is doing well. I will catch you all up on what I have been up to over the last few months I have been MIA. Below are a few pictures of my home decorated for the holidays. I hoped to post these earlier but better late then never right!

Our mantel

Our main tree

My kitchen wine tree

The boys tree in the basement

My dining room tree

Our dining room buffet

Our elf Juicy arrived and was sometimes mischievous!

We had some neighbors over and who doesn't love a cheese tray!

Our New Years Eve Spread

Jack had a friend stay over so they set up the tee pee and waited for the New Year!

All in all we had a wonderful holiday season. It went by soooo fast! I hope everyone else had a wonderful time and have started off the New Year happy and healthy!

I will be back tomorrow with a little project I tackled yesterday!

Glad to be back!

Happy Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 01:05:00 +0000

There is nothing like a gorgeous fire while snuggled in at home on a rainy cold Friday night!

HUGE Halloween party tomorrow night with the hub! Definitely pictures to come!

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful weekend!

Cheers!

How Pinterest-ing: Parmesan Baked Potato Halves

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:15:00 +0000

I am back with another Pinterest inspired recipe. I decided to give a potato recipe a try and the one I chose looked good and didn't require any ingredients I didn't already have.

Source: favfamilyrecipes.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I first cut all the potatoes in half. Then melted the butter. I forgot to take pictures of the process up until I put the potatoes in the pan. Bad Blogger!

45 minutes later I had parmesan potatoes!

They were really good but if I make them again (which my husband said I must do) I will add more parmesan in the pan. Some of them were not completely covered but they all tasted great!

Has anyone else tried a recipe from Pinterest?

Did you love it or hate it?

Halloween Mantel

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 01:10:00 +0000

I don't know about anyone else but I LOVE to decorate the house for holidays. With Halloween coming up I have been slowing adding more decor around the house. I actually think I like having it out more then anyone else in my house!

I put up my Halloween mantel decor recently. I try to change it up every year with something different so it isn't the same old same old year after year. This year I strung the spiderweb material all over the mirror above the mantel to give it height so the rest of the decor didn't feel so small against the large mirror. I hooked in a few of the spiders that came with the webbing. They really do look real if you aren't expecting to see them!

I was snooping around Tuesday Morning this summer and came across a witch's hat in the 80% off section so it came home with me that day. I love that new addition because it has built in lights that have two settings, flashing and not flashing. I really didn't think that would work when I bought it because of it being extremely on sale so when it worked I was pleasantly surprised!

I have 2 metal Halloween houses I put out every year so I built them up with small books so they are little taller. The tree I bought years ago from Hallmark still sits proudly in the middle. I added a few spider and pumpkin candle holders to add lower level detail.

The cat was a gift I was "booed" with at work last year. Frankly I didn't know where else to put him so on the mantel he went.

I draped the whole mantel with some black spiderweb fabric that was meant to be a table runner but I think the width works perfectly on the mantel.

Does anyone else do up a Halloween mantel or any other scary scene in their house?

I would love to see pictures!

Camping Cub Scout Style

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:58:00 +0000

I DID IT!

I camped a whole night out in the woods and didn't die! We had such a great time and I was way more worked up about it then I needed to be. I have to say I slept TERRIBLY but I wasn't the only one! My sister came along and I think she definitely left with a new found appreciation for "Roughing it!"

Here is a photo montage of our wonderful 24 hours in the wilderness!

In his brand new uniform

My little scout

Saluting the flag during the flag up ceremony

Geology lesson from a real geologist

Finding rocks
(we planted them, quartz is not just laying around on the ground at a scout camp)

Our nature hike

This was where we had out camp fire on Saturday night.
It really was beautiful!

Preparing to shoot a BB gun for the first time.
Glasses are a must, safety first!

Looking like a seasoned marksman!
This was his favorite part of the whole trip!

Ready for a "good" night sleep after a long day

We made it through and had fun doing it. I have to say I am not dreading the spring camp out now. I know what to expect and I know what to bring. Other then the raccoon scratching at our tent in the middle of the night, I was okay with being in the woods. The food was good, I was not cold at all, and I found a flushable toilet at the mess hall. All was well for this girl when I found that! I did this for my son and I will definitely do it again!

Has anyone else done something way out of their comfort zone for their child/children?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Leaving My Comfort Zone...................Camping!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:34:00 +0000

Well I may be crazy but making my son happy is my top priority so I am doing the unthinkable.......I am going camping with him this weekend for the Cub Scout camp out! I know, everyone I have told has asked me what shoes I am wearing because I never wear anything without a heel except to workout so frankly I am asking myself the same thing!

I am not the type of person at all who would voluntarily go on an overnight camping trip. To me camping includes a celebrity sized RV with cable and air conditioning!

I wouldn't mind sleeping here!

Source: ssqq.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I remember rolling up to summer camp and asking my mother where the hotel was. Needless to say the hotel was nowhere to be found!

Source: someecards.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

So when my husband was unable to make it to the camp out I said I would do it. My son is sooooo excited to go and I am sure it will be a fun time once I get there.

I have been preparing for the camp out for over a week. I am the proud owner of a 4 person tent on the suggestion of a coworker who camps regularly. I guess the 2 person barely fits two people and I need my space! I bought sleeping bags, head lamps, bug spray, and hiking boots for my son. I still need to make a trip to the store to buy myself some footwear that is appropriate for the great outdoors. In all honestly I am a habitual over packer so I will likely be way too over prepared for one night in the wilderness but better safe then sorry!

The day and night are filled with fun activities for the boys. I am definitely bringing my camera to capture the beauty of nature this time of year.

Does anyone have any tips for a first time camper?

Anything I must take with me?

I need all the tips I can get, wish me luck!

How Pinterest-ing Candle Cleanout

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 01:58:00 +0000

Has anyone else seen the pin on Pinterest where you can clean out every ounce of wax from a candle jar to be reused for other things? Well I saw it and decided I had to give it a try because frankly those Bath and Body Works candle jars are gorgeous and I can think of a ton of things to do with them when it is cleaned out!

Source: snapguide.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I started out with a candle that was burned down to the bottom. Why do they have to burn down through the middle leaving wax all down the sides? Question for another day I guess! I boiled water on the stove and poured it over the candle. I had to put it in the sink because I was afraid what might happen to the glass. Nothing did happen and I really should have considered the fact it is like a mini fire bowl when the candle is lit but better safe then sorry!

I stirred it around a bit to loosen all of the wax from the sides.

Then I let it sit until water was cooled down to room temperature.

Once it was cooled down there was a chunk of wax waiting to be removed from the top of the container.

I removed the wax and then dumped out the water.

I gave the glass a little scrub with soap and water to remove and residue from the jar and also took the labels off. Which might I add came off rather nicely!

And here I have a clean lidded jar to do whatever I want with!

SUCCESS!

This was so easy I will never throw away another candle jar again. I think I will use this to fill with Christmas candies and give as a gift. Picture a beautiful bow on this baby and I will be all set! I can also see etching a saying on it with my etching liquid. Loose change jar anyone!

Again Pinterest has not steered me wrong.

Has anyone else tried a project from Pinterest?

How did it turn out?

Cheers to the Freakin Weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:03:00 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! The title is an ode to the song that starts playing in my head at around 4 o'clock every Friday! I hope you have wonderful plans for this weekend. I myself have plans tonight so I am super excited! The hubs and I are going out to dinner with our friends Scott and Laura to a place called The Wine Bistro.

via

I can't wait to relax at a nice restaurant with a glass of wine with good friends! Love it!

Of course tomorrow is the Ohio State vs California game.

via

We take our football here very seriously in Ohio! We will definitely be watching the game Saturday at noon! The Buckeyes have not played the Golden Bears since 1972! Though I do find that when the Buckeyes play the stores are empty. Sometimes, and I mean sometimes, I sneak out to do some shopping when everyone else is watching the game. I know I know I am crazy but seriously if you want get a lot done in a small period of time go out during the game!

What does everyone else have in store this weekend?

Does anyone else take advantage of gameday to get some shopping done?

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How Pinterest-ing - Pizzadilla

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:37:00 +0000

As I stated in my prior post, I am going to attempt 1 thing a week from Pinterest and post about it here. My first attempt at a Pinterest inspired meal came in the form of The Pizzadilla.

I figured I already had most things on hand already so this would be an easy first attempt at a Pinterest recipe. So without further ado, this is how is all shook out!

First I laid out everything I wanted in my pizzadilla. Since I do not eat meat it was a no brainer to fill mine with veggies. I put in onion, green and red peppers, tomato, and mozzarella cheese. I laid it all out on 1 of the flour tortillas. Put the other one on top and popped it into the sprayed pan.

Rocket science I know!

Once it began golden on one side flipped it over.

If I am blowing your mind too much please sit down!

Once I had cooked it to my liking I cut it into pieces as pictured in the photo. I filled a small dish with pizza sauce for dipping. This is my best attempt at presenting my finished product.

I am sure my picture looks just a scrumptious as the one from Pinterest. This helped me realize that food photography is not my calling but I can live with that. The golden brown color of the tortilla in the Pinterest picture did not translate into my creation. They had to have used a whole grain tortilla. Consider that my contribution. My girl Bethenny Frankel always says "use what you have" so I did! I knew something from her Skinnygirl Rules book would come in handy other then her margaritas !

Well in the end it tasted like a quesadilla made with mozzarella cheese. It really didn't much flavor so the odds I will make it again are slim but that didn't stop me from eating the entire thing!

What can I say I was hungry and I didn't want to make anything else!

Has anyone else tried a recipe from Pinterest?

What did you make and how did it turn out?

Remembering September 11th

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 18:59:00 +0000

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I am sure everyone who was old enough to remember this day 11 years ago remembers where they were when the first tower was struck. I remember it like it was yesterday.

I was getting ready to leave for class when I saw the tower stuck by the first plane. At that point everyone thought it was a plane that accidentally went off course. My mom was already at work when this happened so I called her to tell her what I had just seen happen on the tv.

While I was on the phone with her the second plane stuck the other tower. After that happened I remember not being able to speak. I skipped class that day because frankly I was afraid of what was going to happen next. Then the pentagon was hit and the last plane was miraculously taken down in a field.

This day will forever be ingrained in my brain. I now have a better understanding for my parents and grandparents when they tell us the stories of where they were when major events in history happened. Every generation has a day they will never forget and this is mine. I wish for my sons that they never have to remember where they were when tragedy strikes our nation.

"The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom."

--Rudolph W. Giuliani. December 31, 2001

How Pinterest-ing Series

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 15:48:00 +0000

Hello Everyone! I don't know about you but I am a little more then hooked on this little website called Pinterest. Yeah aren't we all! I pin things on a daily basis now (thank goodness they finally came out with an app) but rarely go back and look at what I have pinned! I have friends who are in the same boat. You pin and pin and pin but for what reason? Isn't it supposed to help you organize your likes and store links to things you want to check back on?

Well I have decided to try one pin from Pinterest a week. There will be no pin too small. The type of pin does not matter but if I pinned it, I am going to try it! If anyone out there in blogland would like to have there Pinterest inspired project featured in my How Pinterest-ing Series just email me all the deets and you will be featured on the blog! Remember that it doesn't have to turn out well to be featured!

I think it is important to see what types of projects from Pinterest people are able to accomplish and if they turned out well or not!

Has anyone tried anything from Pinterest?

How did it turn out?

via Pinterest

Have you heard of Olioboard?

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 01:27:00 +0000

Hello everyone out there in blog land! I am popping in to tell you all about an awesome new site I found out about the other day. It is called Olioboard. If you have ever seen the design mood boards on Pinterest, then you have most likely seen the work of Olioboard.

I started using it seriously the other day when I was putting together ideas for our future office. Right now the office is a catch all for everything we don't want anyone to see. I was finally fed up with not having a plan at all for this space so I decided to log on to Olioboard and give it a whirl myself!

I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to use. It has a similar tool to Pinterests' "Pin It" you put in your browser to choose items/pictures from websites if you browsing the Internet and see something you like. They already have tons of different design options for you to use on the site itself.

Without further ado, here is the beginning of our future office!

I am still working on all of the details that we would like in the room but I think being able to pull all of your ideas together in one place is, in the words of Martha Stewart, a good thing !

Interior design is not the only thing you can do on this site. Using the browser clipper tool you can clip fashion pictures to create those lovely Pinterest clothing combinations that everyone wishes actually existed in their closet! My Pinterest closet sure is more fashionable then my actual one!

Has anyone else used Olioboard or a site similar to it?

What do you think of the site?

If you have used it, what did you make?

Feel free to link up your olioboards, I would love to see how creative my readers are!

Book Club Selection for August

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer {Dublin Proper}) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 19:12:00 +0000

Hello there all! Happy Friday to you! I thought I would pop in and tell you all about my book selection for one of the book clubs that I am a part of. This month I am hosting so you know what that means, I get to pick the book! FINALLY! I know you can barely contain yourselves with the anticipation of knowing what book I chose, Right?

Well here she is ladies and gents................

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I have just started reading it so I can't say much about it but I had heard good things from the ladies over at The Everygirl. They have started a virtual book club and this was the first selection so I had to give it a read!

For those of you who would like a small synopsis of the book here is the book description care of Amazon.

For fans of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary and Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It comes an irresistible novel of a woman losing herself . . . and finding herself again . . . in the middle of her life.

Maybe it was those extra five pounds I’d gained. Maybe it was because I was about to turn the same age my mother was when I lost her. Maybe it was because after almost twenty years of marriage my husband and I seemed to be running out of things to say to each other.

But when the anonymous online study called “Marriage in the 21st Century” showed up in my inbox, I had no idea how profoundly it would change my life. It wasn’t long before I was assigned both a pseudonym (Wife 22) and a caseworker (Researcher 101).

And, just like that, I found myself answering questions.

7. Sometimes I tell him he’s snoring when he’s not snoring so he’ll sleep in the guest room and I can have the bed all to myself.
61. Chet Baker on the tape player. He was cutting peppers for the salad. I looked at those hands and thought, I am going to have this man’s children.
67. To not want what you don’t have. What you can’t have. What you shouldn’t have.
32. That if we weren’t careful, it was possible to forget one another.

Before the study, my life was an endless blur of school lunches and doctor’s appointments, family dinners, budgets, and trying to discern the fastest-moving line at the grocery store. I was Alice Buckle: spouse of William and mother to Zoe and Peter, drama teacher and Facebook chatter, downloader of memories and Googler of solutions.

But these days, I’m also Wife 22. And somehow, my anonymous correspondence with Researcher 101 has taken an unexpectedly personal turn. Soon, I’ll have to make a decision—one that will affect my family, my marriage, my whole life. But at the moment, I’m too busy answering questions.

As it turns out, confession can be a very powerful aphrodisiac.

Sounded like an interesting read to me so here I go! I have until the 29th of August to finish so hopefully I will get a good start on it this weekend.

Is anyone else reading any interesting books?

Have any book suggestions?

I would love to hear from you!

Have a wonderful weekend!