Bowm Chicka Wow Wow!

So, remember this one time I talked about Raquel, my favorite photographer ever? I finally got the chance to get family pictures done by her. She is SO good. Perfect personality for a photographer - she makes you feel at ease and natural and happy instead of making you feel awkward. Plus, she got pictures of Husband all GQ-like, and they are HAWT. Just saying. Check this one out (this is definitely going up on the wall)...



Go here. NOW. Go take a peek at the rest of her gorgeous pictures. That one of the girls on the horse KILLS me; that is one of the funniest pictures I have ever seen.

Random Thought Tuesday, For Reals.

It's even Tuesday today. I think.

I have an incredible amount of work I need to do, and absolutely no motivation to do it. How sad is that? I'd rather blog.

I'm feeling much better today. The vet sent us a sympathy card in the mail yesterday, and I didn't even cry. Good, right?

I have been in super nesting phase lately. I already told you I cooked at home last week, 4 times! And then I organized the pantry, and my can drawer, and the fridge, and the freezer. And I made a ton of magnet sets. That are freaking cute.

If you have any brilliant ideas on how I could package a magnet set, that isn't too expensive, but isn't just handing magnets to people, let me know. I cannot find anything I love, to package them in.

This is blog post #530. Goodnight, how are you all still here? I would've left by now, for sure.

I got a package yesterday from Tillamook Cheese. I'm more excited for that than I've been for anything in awhile. I swear to you, I'm a fat kid stuffed inside a skinny kid's body. Who gets excited about cheese, for hell's sake?

I'm scared that winter is coming, but for now Mother Nature seems more than happy to satisfy my need for heat. I love that it's still 90+ degrees outside this week.

I made the best batch of chocolate chip cookies I have ever made on Friday. I don't know what I did different but they were incredible. I also made cake bites and cake pumpkins on a stick. My edible ink marker doesn't write on chocolate. Sad face. Only without faces, because I can't draw on the chocolate shells. Even sadder face.

Wordless... Friday?

WordlessWordful WednesdayFriday.

When I get depressed, I like to eat. And eating usually means baking. I've made dinner at home the last three nights (seriously a record when I'm working full-time) and tonight I just wanted sweets.

This is definitely a sign of good things to come.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Hi.

I'm not dead. At least, I don't think I am.

I'm not a dog owner anymore and I never will be again. I'm heartbroken. I will never, ever get another dog. Ever.

Wednesday was the first day I didn't cry in almost two weeks. It was a miracle. And I made it through yesterday, too.

I didn't take my antidepressants this morning and typing this is bringing tears to my eyes so maybe I'm not ready to handle life without a fake happy quite yet.

All of those dumb little things you thought drove you crazy are the things you miss most when they are gone. Like barking at the garbage trucks. Or bonking her face against your face.

Sorry for the depressing post. I just feel like I need to get it out.

And I just started a chain reaction of tears in the office. Oh, dear. It must be a full moon.


R.I.P. Shady

Farm Rich Appetizers - Cheese Sticks Review

Have you ever heard of Farm Rich? I didn't really recognize the name when I was contacted to do a review with them, but after visiting their website I very clearly remembering seeing their products, because they constantly send my head into craving-mode. I obviously told them I would love to do a review with them, and ended up getting the cheese sticks.

Oh my. They are A.MAZ.ING. Seriously incredible. The flavor is awesome, the texture is great; overall they are really good cheese sticks. The biggest problem? My oven takes too long to heat up.

I really like them on their own, but Husband likes marinara sauce with his, so my only recommendation would be to possibly include packets of the sauce or something. They do offer cheese sticks with marinara in them so maybe we will try those next time. Now that I know how amazing these are, I want to try everything they offer! And again, I had a great picture just to make you hungry for cheese sticks, but the computer and camera are still fighting.

I was given a coupon for a free package of their appetizers. But I didn't have to write this review and I wasn't swayed by free product.

Now I have to go get me some cheese sticks. The craving is insatiable.

Waterpik Easy Select Showerhead Review

Thanks to the amazing ladies over at MomSelect, I got the chance to review a Waterpik showerhead. The Easy Select 5-Mode, to be exact.

I love it!! Just had to get that out of the way.

Okay, first things first. I knew in order to get this thing installed anytime soon, I was going to have to do it myself. And having never installed a showerhead, I was worried. It said it was easy to install on the box, but we all know, sometimes they say that just to get us to buy it. But seriously, it took me all of 5 minutes, and that included getting the old showerhead off. To install, everything I needed was in the box, including the special little wrench-thingy. I did have to use vice grips to get the old showerhead off, but I had a set handy. 'Cuz I'm cool like that.

The first thing I noticed was that it sits up higher than the last showerhead, and I thought, Hallelujah! I am a bit tall, and the showerhead we had before hit me right about forehead level. Which meant that to wash my hair, I either had to bend down or kink my neck back. Not fun. So I was pretty excited at how much higher it sits! I can actually stand underneath it and have the water hit me on the top of the head. WOW! Next thing I noticed was that it's super easy to change the setting while you're showering; there is a black ring that you turn and it goes from rainfall (water saver, my favorite) to massaging to misting to pulsating to a hard stream (too mean on my skin but Husband loves that setting).

I had a bunch of pictures to show you how easy it was to install and how pretty it is, but apparently my computer and camera are fighting because the computer refuses to recognize the camera's existence. We are looking for a new computer right now and it can't come fast enough, seriously.

Anyway, I super love this showerhead. I love love it. And I did get a free one through MomSelect but that didn't influence my opinions at all; it's just a really great showerhead. If you are in the market for a showerhead, I would totally recomment the Easy Select 5-Mode from Waterpik.

Wordless Wednesday - 09/15/10

My puppy.

Sorry for the mouth shot but even as sick as she is, she won't sit still long enough for me to get a good picture of her.

Better Late Than Never?

Sorry if I seem a little pre-occupied. I'm actually trying to stay busy to keep my mind off things because I am still super upset and still unsure of what to do.

Anyway, here's my weekly 'Getting To Know You'. Enjoy it, or else. :)

1. Are you superstitious?
I got married on Friday the 13th, on purpose. So no, not really.

2. If you were an animal, what kind would you be?
A cat. They are spoiled little creatures. Though flying would be super cool, so maybe a bird.

3. You would never catch me wearing _____.
Hrm. Ohh, I know - Crocs. I HATE them.

4. If someone posts a VLOG, do you watch it?
It all depends on who and what the subject is. And if I'm at work. I don't have sound at work, so I don't watch videos.

5. Have you ever waxed your girlie/manly parts... or any other part of your body?
Never the girly parts. But I have waxed my eyebrows.

6. Are you a spender or a saver?
Both. Depending on the week.

7. If you were starring in a movie, who would you want to play your leading man/woman?
Reese Witherspoon! She's so cute and girl-next-door and a really great actress. Or Maggie Gyllenhall, because I love her. Or Zooey Deschanel, because she's freaking adorable.

8. Smoker, never smoked, social smoker, or smoked back in the day?
I think I've smoked a few cigarettes in my lifetime, but it makes me sick. I don't even like to be around it.

Warmables Review

When I was a kid, I remember school lunch. I remember how gross it was, generally. The only good days were the days we got peanut butter bars. I was so jealous of the kids that got to bring lunch to school with fruit snacks and granola bars and sandwiches

I can only imagine how jealous I would have been if Warmables had been a company back then, and another kid had showed up with lasagna, or Meal-In-One (my favorite) or even just some steamed carrots! Now, thanks to Warmables, that's all possible.

See here? You have a plastic (BPA-free) container, a bag full of cherry pits, and a pouch. With that, you've got a warm lunch just waiting for the lucky kiddos to eat. How? You put the food in the container. Then you heat the food. Then you heat the bag of cherry pits in the microwave (45-90 seconds, depending on the microwave). Then you put the container and the bag in the pouch. Voila! The food inside the container will stay warm for 4-6 hours. And this way, you can make sure what they are eating is healthy and not so full of preservatives, AND getting them a hot meal. Two birds with one stone, eh?

Warmables are pretty awesome, if you ask me. You could also use this for the office, on days you are so busy you forget to use the bathroom and have to eat lunch at your desk (please tell me it's not just me). No microwave or drive-through needed, just eat and enjoy.

I was provided with a free Warmables pouch for my honest review, which is what this is. MY OWN opinions. Thanks for reading!

Too Much At Stake Review

About a year ago, I reviewed a book called Bad To The Last Drop. And I loved it. Well, the co-authors of that book - Pat Ondarko and Deb Lewis - have done it again! I had the opportunity to review their latest book, Too Much At Stake. And I loved it, too! These ladies really know what they are doing.

This time around, there is a murder at the beloved Big Top Chautauqua (kind of like a fair, with music and entertainment, all under a really big tent). They put in just enough of the main characters' events to make it not 100% about the murder and keep it entertaining. Plus, there are recipes at the back of the book, and they sound divine. I can't wait to try one!

Plus, if you have any questions about the books or the process of writing the books or anything else, you can get in touch with the authors! Just go to their Facebook page, "Best Friends Mysteries".

If I were you, I would check out Too Much At Stake. And I did get a free review copy, but I didn't have to blog about it and I really did enjoy the book, so no bribery here.

My dog has diabetes.

This isn't some weak attempt at a funny subject. This isn't a euphemism for anything.

My dog has diabetes. My puppy (not really a puppy - she's almost 9 - I just call her that). My sweet I-think-I'm-a-lap-dog Rottweiler.

And it's killing me. I don't want to play God and decide who gets to live and who doesn't. I don't want to put her to sleep if there is a shot at her living a great life, even if it means twice-a-day injections and monthly blood tests and who knows how long that would even keep her around. But I don't want to keep her alive just because I can't emotionally handle making the decision, for her to be miserable with twice-a-day injections and monthly blood tests. I want to make the right decision for her; I don't want to take into account how hard it would be on me and how much time it would take. I don't want her to grow to hate me because every time I'm around, it means pain on her part.

I don't know what to do. I just don't. I want someone to step in and make the decision for me. Tell me what the best option is; what's going to be best for my puppy.

It's killing me. Why does life have to suck so bad sometimes?

He says: You complete me. She says: You had me at hello!

Ugh. I had never seen Jerry Maguire until yesterday. What a cheeseball movie. Now I know why I hadn't seen it yet! Just not my style at all. No offense if you love it. :)

We went and saw Takers on Sunday night - that is much more my style. Pretty good, lots of intense drama and even more violence. My type of movie.

Want to get to know me? Well too bad, you're going to have to do it anyway. Ready, set, go!

1. Do you like seafood?
Eww, ick, yuck, NO. The only seafood I'll eat is tuna out of a can, and then it has to have mayonnaise and sweet relish and sometimes horseradish in it. Never plain.

2. Are mermaids hot?
Just creepy! Flippers for legs are NOT hot.

3. Have you swam in the ocean?
Yes, and I wish I could every day of my life. I'm so much more of an ocean person than a mountain person.

4. If you got stung by a jellyfish, would you let a stranger pee on you?
My intial reaction is to say no, but then I guess it would all depend on how bad it hurt. If it were unbearable and the peeing would really help, then probably. Not a definite yes though.

5. Have you ever pee'd in the ocean?
I can't remember for sure but chances are, yes.

6. Can you make a cute fish face? (Show a pic... if you want)
I used to be able to make the fish face and then I guess I just forgot how because I couldn't do it, but I tried and tried and now I can again! Big accomplishment in my life, can you tell? I don't know if it's cute though, I've never seen it.

7. When you see the lobster tank at the grocery store do you just have this overwhelming urge to set them free or cook them up?
Blech. I would set them free if I was close to water but I don't think I could touch them for long.

8. Are you afraid of sharks?
NO! I freaking love sharks. I want to swim with sharks. They are so incredibly intriguing to me. So powerful and dominating and elegant and mean all at the same time. I could spend days at the shark reef, just watching them swim over me. (Speaking of, I've got pictures - TONS of pictures - to share of the trip! Where is my head?)

It's been quite the whirlwind over the last month but hopefully things will get back to our 'normal' so I can get all of the things I need to post, posted. Hopefully.

Wordless Wednesday: Wanna See Something Cute?

Check.

These.

OUT!

Oh dear! Oh my!

Add these posters to the list of reasons I could have a child. That brings the pros on the list to a total of... 3. There are 378 cons, approximately. That's why I don't have a baby.

This is me. Or not.

Anyway, these lovelies are from A Vintage Poster. Also known as my newest cupcake-lovin' friend, Sara. (Who, by the way, also designs for Save The Date Co. which was recently featured on MarthaStewart.com. Martha Stewart, y'all! Sara's good at what she does.) I am desperately in love with them. And they are even cuter in person. If I ever have a screaming, smelly, snot-face, I will have some of these posters in their room.

Plus, her colors are named after food. And if you've been reading my blog for long, you know I ♥ food. I'm like a fat kid that got stuffed into a skinny kid's body.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know about her and the amazing posters she does that I am incredibly in love with. I have been trying to figure out how to work them into my decor since I first laid eyes on them. They are SO CUTE! So go check A Vintage Poster out. And love her with me. :)