Friend Making Monday!!

Friend Making Monday!! I'm so excited to announce that FMM is back! I had been searching and searching the blog I used to do FMM with, but after some personal problems she's stepped back from blogging as much as sue used too.

But I did find FMM in another blog! So excited!!

1) copy this weeks questions and answer them in your own blog
2) come here and comment with a link to your blog, or go to Kenz's blog and link through here.
3) come back every monday to see what this weeks prompts are!!

This week is:

Giving the Boys A Chance

1. Who is your pick for the Final Four?
To be honest, as much as I love the NBA, I really don't follow college ball. I watched the championship football game (I don't even know if its a bowl, or whatever) only because Oregon was in it. And I hope that Washington State Huskies make it all the way, but again thats only because their a NW team. Other than that, I have no opinions.

2. What is your favorite workout/fitness activity?

Does sex count?... no. alright then.
Then I'd have to say its kind of a tie. I really enjoy cardio, but The Jillian Michaels 30DS is also really really good!
Squats/Lunges I love to hate.

3. Do you have a favorite healthy snack? Something that REALLY hits the

spot?
Grapes, I don't know why but I love grapes!!

4. What is your dream car?
I want a Mazda 3. Omg! I want!

5. Have you set any goals for yourself this month? What are they?
I have a PT test I HAVE to pass next month!!!
I dislike running. but I have to get out and do it... as soon as I quit throwing up!

What say you?

Lets talk about Couponing

first is that really a word? because I'm pretty sure its a made up word. but I digress, Lets all have a conversation about coupons.

When we were back home in Oregon I was an avid coupon cutter and a less than half time coupon user.

I had an epic fail of coupon usage. I would either not pay attention to the adds, forget the cupons at home, or just get lazy.

but now that we're getting settled and getting our house together. I really want to buckle down and get our bills under control. The price difference in groceries alone between Oregon and California is AMAZING! my quick 20.00 - 30.00 grocery trip back home is now a 50.00 - 60.00 trip here. Of course it also has a lot to do with the fact that we lost a lot of our 'essentials' in the move, so we're slowly building that back up. But with me not working at the moment I really feel like its mostly my responsibility for the cooking, cleaning, and shopping of the house.

B did not put this on me (hello Suzy Homemaker), I need something to do, so i'm making this my thing.

So I asked a couple of people about it and A good friend of mine Carly @ Not Your Ordinary Page turned me onto a site called Hip2Save.

She linked me to a page on H2S Titled Couponing 101. I watched the video's and really got into it. I'm really excited.

Today I went out and got the dividers, a binder, and those baseball card holders.

I got to thinking about everyone else. What do they do for coupons? Does anyone else kind of obsess over them like i do?

If you do coupon, Do you use your Sunday paper only? or do you use websites as well?

What is the method to your madness?

What are your tricks and tips to help out a n00b like me?

I have a feeling this topic will become a running trend in my blog in the near future.

after I get this sorted out my next hill to climb is Meal Planning!

Long Time No Post

So the big moved got pushed up.

I'm currently sitting in California!!!!!!

We not only got out moved pushed up over a week. but they did a pack AND move in 1 day (14 hours mind you!)

It was a chaotic hecktic week to say the least.

30th - monday- got back from family vacation. I spent time with my little brother and mom at my aunts lake house. My dad was in southern california officiating a wedding for my cousin.

31st - Tuesday - Architectural Graphics final presentation

1st - Wednesday - Packers come. find out today that they're packing and moving TODAY. In one day (instead of three days). Made a bunch of phone calls, changed reservations, called relatives and informed everyone about the change in dates and moved my drive from saturday to friday.

2nd - Thursday - finished all the last minute stuff. emailed my final project to my teacher for Computer Drafting class. hung out with BFF A and awesome godson Dom. Treated B's awesome dad to lunch and he helped me pick out a GPS system.

3rd - Friday - Left for cali - I meant to leave at 7 am. I went to my parents house to say goodbye one last time and then when I went to drive off, my mom saw a fresh spill of oil and told me to come back. Come to find out, when i had my car serviced (on tuesday btw) they cracked the o-ring on my oil filter. I went to the shop and sat there. they opened at 8am. one of the guys showed up at 7:20 to open. He asked how I was doing, and I told him what was going on. He said he'd open it up right quick, clear out a bay, and get me in. I was in the shop and out in less than 10 min. In the mean time my mom brought me starbucks and breakfast (lord love her). I was on the road by 8am and on the freeway by 830.

At the half way mark I stopped at a rest stop to let sammy out of the car to stretch, pee, etc. and..... I locked my keys in my car. I called our insurance people and wouldn't you know it, we had emergency roadside assistance. I didn't know that. The insurance guy had to call a sister agency down where I was, and get a recommendation on a shop to come help me. The guy showed up in 20 min and I was on the road in less than 45 min. I made it down here by 5:45. I got checked into our room and was crashed out at 9:30. it was a long day. driving for 10 hours takes a lot out of you.

4th - Saturday - I picked up my AWESOME husband at the airport!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! after 5 months apart he was a sight for sore eyes. It was an amazing feeling. It was the first time I had been the one waiting at the Airport. Normally, I'm the one on the plane. I didn't realize I would be that nervous. I was texting a fellow military wife, she told me it was normal. Weird feeling though.

but I'm here, we're here. We're safe and sound.

I'll post more later. but i'll let you all digest the week i just had. I know i need to digest it too.

Website RAVE!

Today I bring you: Plastic Land

I'm focusing mostly on the Home Decor section of this website!

I could seriously go on and on and on and on and... well you get the point... about what i want off this site.

lets hit the high points.

How do I convince the hubbeast these would be a wonderful anniversary gift:

Ninjas Salt & Pepper Shaker Set

(i have a thing for ninja's)

Queen of Hearts Baking Set

"LOVE" Cake Pan

Heart Shaped Kitchen Spatula

Teacupcakes Silicone Tea Cup Shaped Baking Molds

(I also have a HUGE thing for cupcakes)

I could go on... and i'm not even done looking through the whole website yet. I haven't even gotten to the clothes. THE CLOTHES PEOPLE

Go, Shop, Be happy!

Work.... oh what to say

Besides.... "I QUIT!"

Yep, today was my last day of work! There was a lot of things that added up to my deciding to quit.

The main reason i could quit was the fact that B left and he's going to be getting money, so i can finally go back to school! I'm super excited, but that's for another day.

Okay back to my list of grievances

Grievance #1 - The way I was treated when i came home from Iraq. I was 'eliminated' from my job because my 'temp' that was hired became my new supervisor. And they effectively eliminated my position with out taking into consideration laws, what they were doing, and what they were supposed to do. They way they handled that was really really shaddy.

Grievance #2 - When I fell. On Feb 9th i fell down the stairs at work. The way they handled my injury, the way they dealt with my doctors appointments, physical therapy appointments, and having absolutely NO compassion for me. Again, NOT OK with me.

Grievance #3 - A couple months ago our bathroom broke. I've been working out pretty hard and need to get a lot of water in me. so I use the bathroom a lot. probably every 2 hours or so. I was told (and i quote) "I can not allow you to go to the bathroom in the other building, so you'll have to go only on your breaks or wear depends" by my boss. yeah. she honestly said that.

Grievance #4 - this was the straw that broke the camels back. My uncle recently passed. When he went into the hospital, i told my boss that i couldn't stay late because we were going to the hospital to say our final goodbyes she said "::eye roll:: we got that phone call at least 3 times with my grandma, you can stay" and then proceeded to tell the person on the phone I'd stay, so i was stuck doing it. then left me there to close knowing full well my mom was waiting on me. She's seriously so many levels of wrong its not even funny.

I'm so glad to be finally done with that place. 2 years, tons of tears, and a lot of stress later... i am done. and I'm glad to be done.

but in the last 2 days I've been busier than ever. and I LOVE IT!

A Question For You.

What do you dream about?
What is your dream?
Think Big!! Don't think "oh i want to finish tiling the bathroom" I'm talking about what do you want to accomplish in your life time? What do you dream about?

I dream about owning my own interior design firm. but make it affordable. I want to help the hectic mother of 2 who works all day and needs help organizing her life and adding a touch of class to her house.

I dream about retiring and buying and maintaining our favorite inn on the coast.

I dream of having a career that can allow me to be home when my kids get home from school

I dream of going to germany to the little town where my husband's family originates.

I dream of owning a bar. The kind of bar where you go to hang out, maybe play pool and poker. The kind of bar where everybody knows your name.

I dream of opening a resturant with my husband. He makes the best food from ideas out of his head. I think he'd be an AMAZING chef and business man.

I dream of opening a bakery. I would love love love to make my living making cupcakes and doughnuts. I think that would be A.Maz.Ing!!

I dream of getting pregnant and having a happy and healthy baby.

I dream of building our DREAM house on a HUGE hunk of land.

I dream of having enough land to grow all our own veggies and fruits.


What do you dream about? What is on you're life to-do list??

New Fall Frames

I bought these last season in the after season sales, and I've been saving them for a while. I kind of love them. and i found 2 pretty fitting pictures to stick in them.

The photos are from our engagement picture shoot. the one on the left was just a moment that they caught. its B being a punk and me sticking my tongue out at him. it makes me laugh every time i see it. LOVE it!!

I also got out the fall candles. I Love the smell. they're pumpkin spice from Micheal's craft store. They last a really long time. Too boot, they're only 1.99 for a box of 6.


I wish i could say that the placemats were fall too, but nope. They're the only color me and B could agree on when we got married. so those are our forever placemats. lol. but it does fit. I love fall, in case you couln't tell. LOVE!

My First Fall Project

So my grandma lives in Arizona. When her husband dies, my mom and dad went down there to visit her. My mom asked me what i wanted as a suvonier when she was down there. my reply; "i dunno a cactus?" well... she brought me home 6! lol 6 little cacti!! They've been living in the box she gave me them in since then. Yesterday i got a bug up my but and decided now was the time to get these planted.
So i went on to the porch and found 2 'fall color' planters. and planted them. i think they turned out okay. I added some old fish rocks i had under neath the kitchen sink on top to add to the colors.
Then I added a little black gros grain ribbon around the edges. I'm going to go look for a orange or red color to add as well. i thought i had some in my ribbon box, but fall is the one season/holiday (halloween) i don't have ribbon for. GO figure.

I like how they turned out! i think i'll keep them. FYI, planting cactus... NOT EASY!! i put on my AF work gloves, those sucker needles still got thru. stupid needly things!

Do you smell that smell?

Whats that smell i'm smelling?

FALL!

Fall is coming people! and i'm SOOOOOOOOO excited.

After reading NYC H.I.T and McMommy, I've decided to carry on the tradition.

So This is what i'm excited for this fall:

~Candles

~Snuggling Under Blankets

~The Holidays

~Using my heater in my new car

~Long sleeves & Long plants

~Snuggly Sweaters

~Boots & Slippers

~FLEECE Pj's

~Ciders and Coffee (its always better in the fall)

~Decorating

~Dark Colors! i love rich rich dark colors of fall. plums, burgdys, chocolates. love love love.

& FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!

So food deserves its own category!

-soups

-Stews

-Roasts

-Baking!

-cookies

-cupcakes

-baking

-baking

-baking

I'm so so excited!

Look what i got this weekend:

I Can not tell you how excited i am for fall!
Don't get me wrong, i love summer. but i'm ready for fall!

So what are you excited for?? i wanna know!