Maybe I should have had a royal wedding

Ah, tis the season for weddings. I mean I should know - we've got 4 in the next 3 months. Ok well 3. One has already come and gone...but I digress. We all know that 2011 will be the year of the biggest wedding since Princess Diana and Prince Charles. As it should be. Prince William will marry Kate Middleton in a ceremony as large as the one of Charles and Diana.

I had been doing a search this afternoon for something related to a wedding gift when Google instantly brought up a website for Royal Wedding souvenirs. Clicking through, it was quite comical to see what some people had come up with. Some of the best I found?

Well you've got the standard William and Kate bobblehead...

And the officially minted coin...

But then you have the crazy ones. Royal wedding condoms anyone?

My all time favorite? Royal wedding barf bags complete with the phrase "Throne Up" on top. What someone might need these for is beyond me but I'm sure people are buying them.

I wonder what kind of souvenirs I would have if I had a royal wedding....

With 14 days left, I'm sure that Kate is sitting pretty somewhere while the whole country of England tends to every last wedding detail. I wonder if she is having as much fun looking at the ways that people are cashing in on her nuptials like we are?

3500 miles and I'm still alive!

3500 miles, 54 hours, 12 tanks of gas, and countless food stops later and I'm still alive. (And I think that I still have 3 friends and a husband!) I should warn you though, road trips are not for the weak at heart. It honestly took everything in my power to get me through the trip.

Take for instance the fact that I consented to driving all the way through the night on our way there just so that we could make an open bar (that was the guys' idea!) but was totally vetoed when I begged and pleaded that we stop overnight on our way back. Not everyone can pull 2 all nighters in a matter of 5 days (hello college!)Or that there were 5 people (3 boys and 2 girls) crammed into a pickup truck that smelled like rotten eggs and sweaty feet by the time we crawled out of it yesterday. Diane and I blame it on the boys.

But it's not all bad. There were is so much that you get to see when you're on a roadtrip. Things that make you laugh and things that make you cry. So here are some of the things that I got to see during this trip.

Your typical "Biggest {fill in the blank} in the World" kind of displays. This one was obviously named the Enchanted Highway (I don't see it either)

 Interesting city names.

 My husband drinking milk from a carton and eating oreos while reading Glamour. That much time in the car can do that to a person.

  

Beautiful sunsets...

  

...and beautiful sunrises.

The Ohio River from atop a riverboat. 

The Cinncinati skyline after a really hard rain. 

But best of all, we got to see two friends tie the knot...



If you asked me yesterday I would have said, "I'm not doing that again for a while." But today, I know that I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Coupons? Yes please!

I can remember going grocery shopping with my mom when I was a little girl and she would pull out that infamous coupon organizer. Instantniously I would groan. Like it was a natural reaction. I vowed never to carry one of those coupon organizers to the grocery store.

Fast forward 18 years. My sister and I are no longer sharing toys or clothes (well she often didn't know that she was sharing clothes) and we are now sharing coupon sites and discussing how to get the most of out each of our shopping trips. Leave it to TLC's new show to throw us into the crazy conundrum of extreme couponing. 

I am determined to be the lady who gets $646 worth of groceries for $6.46. Ok, so maybe I'm not going to be that crazy but man that sure would be nice.

But this could get addicting. Take for instance my recent shopping day. Starting with Walgreen's I walked in armed with my coupons that were clipped from the Sunday paper and my weekly circular. I purchased $120 worth of items (including 3 things of laundry detergent, 4 bottles of shampoo, and razors for Griff) and walked out of there spending $63 with coupons totaling $11 off a future purchase. 

I instantly called the hubs and made him guess how much I saved.

Me: Hun, guess how much money I just saved at Walgreens?

Hubs: {obviously busy doing something else} How much?

Me: Just guess!

Hubs: $5

Me: What? $5? No guess again.

{silence}

Me: Ok fine...{jumping up and down in the parking lot}$50!!!!!!

Hubs: {still obviously doing something else} That's nice.

Someday he'll get just as excited as I did.

Albertsons (our local grocery store) was much of the same story. I purchased $100 in meat including pork, chicken, and steaks and only paid $50. And I'm talking like over 16 lbs. I didn't even bother calling home.


Needless to say, I'm hooked. So maybe my garage won't look like this

{How much BBQ sauce and tuna do these people honestly eat?}

but  I will strive for this

{$0 for cereal? Count me in!}

I guess I'll have to just eat my words about never carrying around a coupon organizer...maybe i can make mine really cute...

And we're off...

Well not quite yet...but we will be early Thursday morning! We're off to Cinncinati on an adventure that most people wouldn't dare to endure. I do have to admit, it's not for everyone. But me? I love a good ol' road trip. You heard right...road trip. As in we're driving....to Cinncinati.

{Cinncinati or bust!}

This is my 3rd time heading off on a cross country trip. Well ok it's not really all the way across the country like my trip from Connecticut to Cali was...or like the big move out to Montana. But it's still far.

Griff and I had a blast on our trip from my East Coast hometown to his Northwest temporary town. When we got to Great Falls I even asked him if we could keep going. The coastline wouldn't be much further. He politely told me no but I knew that it would be something that we would do again.

Since this trip kicks off our wedding season (5 in the next 7 months!) we needed to be as frugal as possible. And since we live in a town that costs at least $500 to fly out of every time (its like they're holding us hostage!), we knew that we needed to consider another option.

We considered it all...boats, trains, and planes...but each one was a no-go. Driving seemed to be the only other option. And we wrangled 3 friends into thinking the same way.

I hope that we're friends when this is all over...

Well folks, I did it...

Please Note: This is not an April Fools joke. Everything that you will read from here on down is totally true.

Well folks, I did it. The big PWC (thanks for the acronym Em!)...the Post Wedding Chop. 9 inches of those long flowing locks came off last night and I have to say, it feels good! A little liberating and a little scary all at the same time. But it was time. So here you go...before and after!

BEFORE

{Long and flowing! I'd take back the Hawaii part of this pic, not the hair.}

AFTER

{Not a good pic since it was taken with my phone but it will have to do.}

I love it. It took me 10 minutes to dry it this morning and I even contemplated not using the flat iron. Imagine that. Now will I love it 2 weeks from now? We'll just have to see!

P.S.  I know. I need to get better at this blogging thing. I have a few things up my sleeve so I think this post just might have been the motivation to get back at it.

My Sweet Valentine's Day present

I just had to share my present from my wonderful husband today:

{Yep - made me cry}

He enlisted the help of a co-worker to get the right address for work since he was still our in the field this morning.

And the tulips were such a great choice! Especially since we've been having very spring like weather here! Ok so maybe Valentine's Day isn't too bad

Thank you Hubby!

Issues

I'm having some issues with Blogger at the moment. I'm not in love with this new Template Designer...so for now I'm going to turn it off and just leave it for another day. Or at least until I can figure it all out again.

Ah, technology...its a love, hate relationship.

Valentine's Day Dinner

As I mentioned before, I'm not really all that into Valentine's Day so when my husband mentioned that he had bought something for me, I knew that I needed to get him something but I didn't know what. Last year I made him this frame with our picture in it that has all the things that I love about him handwritten around the mat. And I wasn't sure if I could top that this year.

And then I thought, "Well why do I have to do something different from what I do every day? Isn't there something that he loves that I could put a little extra twist into to show a little extra love today?" Cooking! My husband loves my cooking.

"Hunny, I'm going to make you and extra special meal for Valentine's Day. Anything that you want. I'll even skip my lunch and come home an hour early and make it. No matter how hard it is. Whatever you want."

He pondered it for a bit and thougths were running through my head too..."Is he going to want steak...or maybe a roast." And then he stopped...

"How about lasagna?" I was blown away. Lasagna? That's an easy one! "Well yeah. I haven't had lasagna in a while and that sounds really good to me."

So that's what we're having tonight. Lasagna. It's the simple things that make my husband happy - and that's one of the biggest reasons why I love him.

Happy Valentine's Day!

True Life: My Dog Has a Blankie

No I'm not kidding. And just like Linus, she totes that thing around the house making sure it's always in her sight. Don't believe me? See for yourself...

I'm not sure we'll be able to take this away like we might be able to take a blanket away from our future children. Then again, she is slowly eating it (yes, she bites off little pieces and chomps on them and then swallows them...I would hate to she what her insides look like) so we might not have anything to worry about.

For now though, we make sure that it is always in her kennel when she goes in there and she makes sure to pull it out of there when she comes out. It's quite amusing to watch actually.

Go ahead watch it again. You know she's hard to resist.

Heritage & Craft

I am in awe of this new business that I came across while reading one of my favorite wedding blogs (yes, I've already done the wedding thing but I still love a good wedding related read).

Heritage & Craft is a company that rents out vintage finds (and they will even do a custom piece if they can't find what you're looking for) for weddings, photoshoots, parties...or anything else that you can think of. And Erin, the owner, is currently my hero. I mean who would have thought of taking your vintage finds and renting them out to the masses? Not me, but boy do I wish that I had!

I just wish her shop was here in Montana...I could get lost in a place like that.

Head on over to check her out! Her stuff is great!

Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes

So I thought that I would share a new favorite recipe that I made for a birthday here in my office. I highly dislike cake. There is just something about that frosting and the way that it tastes that isn't appealing to me. I will however eat cupcakes. (Yes, strange...I know) 

I think that you can make them much tastier and the frosting choices aren't that sugar strung store bought stuff. So everytime I find out what someone likes, I try to turn it into a cupcake.

And this time it was banana cream pie. Now I didn't come up with the recipe on my own but they were cupcakes from scratch so I was very proud of myself and they were quite delicious. I highly recommend them for your next gathering!

Better-Than-Banana-Cream-Pie Cupcakes

Recipe from Delish.com

Cupcakes:

2 1/2 cup(s) flour

1 tablespoon(s) baking soda

1 teaspoon(s) cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon(s) salt

1/2 cup(s) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup(s) granulated sugar

3/4 cup(s) packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

4 very ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup(s) plain yogurt

1/2 cup(s) chopped walnuts (I left the walnuts out because I forgot to ask about allergies)

Filling:

1 package(s) instant banana pudding

2 cup(s) milk

1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

Frosting:

1 package(s) instant vanilla pudding

1 cup(s) milk

1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

1 container(s) (8-ounce ) extra-creamy whipped topping

1/4 cup(s) confectioners’ sugar

Garnish:

2 cup(s) crushed cinnamon graham crackers

Banana slices (optional)

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, with electric mixer, cream butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with -bananas and yogurt, mixing on low speed just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy; do not overmix. Gently fold in chopped walnuts if you are using them.

2.Fill each muffin cup about three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes 5 minutes in pan, then remove cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.

3.Meanwhile, prepare filling and frosting. Mix banana pudding with milk according to package directions, adding vanilla. Chill for at least 30 minutes. For frosting, mix vanilla pudding with milk and vanilla; fold in whipped topping and confectioners’ sugar until frosting is creamy. Chill for at least 30 minutes to set.

4.Once cupcakes are cool, insert a paring knife into top of each cupcake, making a small hole in the center. Spoon filling mixture into a zip-top plastic bag. Snip off a small corner of the bottom. Squeeze about 1 tablespoon filling into the hole in the top of each cupcake. Swirl frosting on top of each cupcake; sprinkle with graham-cracker crumbs. Top each with banana slices as desired. Keep chilled.

They were so moist and tasty! I hope that you enjoy them like we did!

Thanks for reminding me

So I got this in the mail yesterday:

A gift? For me? You shouldn't have!

And got super excited because it said "Our Gift to You!" on the outer envelope. So I ripped it open and found this:

Isn't that bag on there devine? I want that one!

OMG! $100 to Coach?  This must be my lucky day! Enter the fine print...



Full priced Coach Store? But we don't have any full-price Coach stores here in Montana!!!! (although I never thought about it really until this just reminded me) What is that all about?! Don't you know I have to shop for things like this on the Internet?

Maybe next time this Mike guy should just save the 44 cents he spent on postage and not get my hopes up.

 
Oh well...it wouldn't have fit into my new budget anyhow : (

Oh Valentine's Day

Hearts and roses, chocolate and cards and a day to say show everyone around you how much you love them. Who wouldn't enjoy a holiday like that?


You're looking at her...ok you're not really looking at me but I would be the first one to raise my hand if someone asked that question. Some people (mainly women) don't understand why I don't get all giddy school girl when it comes to Valentine's Day. Why?

Because I don't need a holiday or a card or a box of chocolate to tell someone that I love them.


My husband - I probably tell him I love him more than 30x a day. And no it's not just the honeymoon phase. My family, my friends - I'm constantly saying I love you when I end a conversation with them or I send them an encouraging word when they're having a bad day.


And most of all, I highly dislike the decorating for Valentine's Day. Now Christmas? I get antsy without the decorations as you saw in this post. But all that pink and red stuff around my house? No thanks - definitely not a priority of mine.

So maybe there is something wrong with me but I bet there so many others out there that feel the same as I do. Of course I will do something special for my hubby (I have some cute, meaningful ideas up my sleeve) but it's not really a necessary holiday for me. Sorry Hallmark.

Fly

I couldn't help but share this wonderful quote that a fellow blogger posted the other day. It totally sums up my life in the last 2 years. I've gone out on so many limbs and have been able to do nothing but fly. My risk this year is taking this house that really is only ours for a short time and turning it into our home. I only hope that I can get to that flying part sooner rather than later!



How are you going to fly this year?

The lesser of two evils

I was starting to feel really sorry for everyone back on the East Coast (mainly my teacher friends...then again you still get the summer off). The amounts of snow there are horrendous. And everyone thought that I was moving to the snow capital of the world, ha.

But now I think that the jokes on me haha. As I jumped in my car this morning, I knew it was cold but I didn't realize how cold it really was. And the closer to work I got, the colder it got.

So what was that magical temperature you wonder?

A terribly blurry picture...I think its time for a new phone.

Yep. That says -20 degrees. So which is the lesser of the two evils now?

Do you have a golden voice?

Since viewing the video yesterday, I haven't been able to stop thinking about Ted Williams and his golden voice which truly is a God given gift. It's smooth and has a calming nature to it. Williams has been given a second chance at life after battling drug and alcohol addiction and homelessness. With offers from companies like the Cleveland Cavaliers and KRAFT foods, the man with the golden voice has been given the golden opportunity to get off the streets and start his life fresh.

But as I thought about it in my own life, I couldn't think of something that I needed a second chance in. Of course my life doesn't look anything like Williams' did just a few short weeks ago but do we necessarily need to have it be something that large to get a second chance?

I think that everyday we are looking for that second chance; looking to re-do a day in our lives, looking to stop doing something that is causing us pain, looking to fight that Goliath that is scaring us away. And Ted's story seems to give anyone looking for it some hope.

And I pray that he holds tight to this second chance. He's made a few promises to people that will hopefully allow him to be successful in this second life. The first was to his mother who reconnected with her son in New York City following his Today Show appearance and the second was to God, whom he prayed to everyday asking for his mother to be able to live to see the day when he was off the streets.

I hope and pray that when you are looking for that second chance, you will be as successful in finding it as Williams was. I hope and pray that you are able to make promises to people to stay successful just like Williams did. And I hope and pray that whatever it is that you are looking for, you will all find your golden voice.

True Life: I Canceled My Gym Membership

Ah, New Year's resolutions. The time of year when the gyms make bank on the amount of new memberships while their loyal customers often drop off the radar for a month. It's not hard to see why. Waiting 15 mintues for a treadmill isn't fun, especially when you are watching someone walk at a zero incline and a pace of 1 mph.

I'm going to admit that at the time when my fitness regiment should have been at its all time high (the 6 months leading up to my wedding) the gym was just a faint thought in the back of my mind. But Griff and I wanted to start the New Year right and get back into our regular gym routine. After all, there was only so much of a hiatus we could take before the pounds started piling back on.

So what was the first thing that I did after the New Year? Why I canceled my gym membership of course. Ha, take that you over-priced health club. Ok, ok. I'm not like super woman. I still need to go to the gym but that gym wasn't helping my waistline and it certainly wasn't helping my wallet either. Instead, we now use the gym on base....FREE of charge. Number one, it's closer to our house and number two, I can almost promise you that it isn't as packed as the health club that we used to belong to was going to be.

So what was the second thing that I did after the New Year? I changed my workout time in my schedule. Hello 5:30 am. No, I'm not kidding. When I first moved here my sister started her workouts at that time. It was easier for her...I honestly thought that she was crazy. But now I see the reasoning in it. It was so easy to come up with an excuse for not going to the gym at the end of the day.

When I was in Connecticut, that was the best time for me to go. I didn't have a house to take care of, my mom was still making dinner for me every night and Griff wasn't there to keep me occupied. Now it's a different story. After work is the worst time of the day for me to go. And not only that, the gym is only filled with serious people at that time in the morning. No people staring at the equipment like it's a foreign object, no one sitting on a bike (not pedaling) just watching TV. And I have to say, I think it could become addicting.

So with just a few days under my belt, I have no complaints. Let's just hope I don't give it that two weeks and decide that sleeping in is more appetizing.

Christmas tree denial

This morning as I sat on at my kitchen table and drank my morning coffee, I surveyed the living room that sits to the right of me. And over in the corner sits my beautiful Christmas tree that is still green as can be and keeping most of it's needles. Maybe I'll take it down this week...or maybe I can just hold out till the weekend. I admit, I'm in Christmas tree denial.

Today is January 3rd, 9 days after Christmas Day and I have no desire to take down my Christmas tree or the decorations that are outside on our porch. I just can't seem to part with the holiday season. So many people I know took their trees down the day after Christmas. They couldn't wait to pull out those boxes and pack it all up. Not me.

As of right now, the lights from the tree are adding to the lighting in my living room. I know, lame excuse for wanting to keep an evergreen with ornaments sitting in my living room for a few more weeks. And I'm sure that I will kick myself when the needles start falling everywhere and the tree begins turning brown.

This year's tree disassembly just might be a job for my husband. I know that he's itching to take it down.

As I write this now, I think about all of the reasons that I don't want to take my tree down...the holidays came and went so quickly for us, it's that dead time of winter when there isn't another holiday in site, and we are settling in for a very long winter here in Montana....all things which feed into my Christmas tree denial.

I guess for now it will just be like the white elephant in the room. Maybe it will come down this week, maybe it will stay till the weekend. But for today, I'm going to be happy with my Christmas tree denial.