Spring Is Here And I Am Changing

In the last year, I have really been struggling with my nutrition and my fitness.  This time last year, I was getting fed up with a job that I felt over used, unappreciated and under paid.  I interviewed for a new job and turned in my two weeks notice.

After months of being in my new job of constantly moving and doing a lot of sweating and getting a lot of walking in for my daily exercise, I was not seeing a change in my body.  I thought I was eating better at home and by moving all day long I thought that the weight I had put on from suffering a back injury would start to melt off but it didn't.

MAKE A CHANGE!

In September I dug out my Insanity DVD set and started reviewing the meal guide.  I blew the dust off and decided that I needed help.  I knew that there was no way I could possibly do this on my own.  One night while surfing on Facebook, I found an friend from the past.  I saw that she is a Beachbody Coach so I reached out to her in a message telling her that I had never heard from my coach and that I wanted to see results.

After a few messages back and forth, I took her advice and started with a new program called 21 Day Fix.  I lost a few pounds and several inches over the course of three weeks and was simply blown away!  Before I had even finished the program, I signed up to be a coach myself!  I wanted to continue to share my journey.

At the end of January I woke up with terrible hip pain and have been unable to workout since.  I have a slipped disk in my back that is still causing me pain two and a half months later.  In that time, all the hard work I had put in for over four months has gone.

I HAVE MADE A COMMAND DECISION!!!

I may not be able to work out but I really need to focus on my nutrition.  I need to hold myself accountable.  I am taking pictures of each and everything that I eat and I will be posting it for everyone to see.  Who will be joining me?

Until next time!

The Hits Just Keep Coming

When I woke up on the morning of Friday, January 23rd, I had some soreness and stiffness in my back.  I figured as the day went on, it would loosen up and I would be fine.  Within an hour, I was telling my supervisor that my back hurt.  Within two hours I was telling a co-worker that it hurt so bad I thought I was going to throw up.  After lunch, it hurt so bad I was in tears and hyperventilating.

I spent about two and a half hours in the emergency room, was given pain killers, muscle relaxers, anti inflammatory meds, and steroids before getting two large syringes full of a nerve blocker injected into my hip joint.

I've been seeing a chiropractor for almost two weeks now and started physical therapy this week.  My doctor finally got back to my boss about what light duty would consist of for me and how long I need to be on light duty.

***BAD NEWS ALERT***

My doctor has recommended six weeks of light duty.  No bending, climbing, twisting, or kneeling.  Unfortunately that means that I cannot do my job.  I have been told to file for Short Term Disability and that my job is not protected and that if needed, it will be posted and could be filled before I am fit for full duty again.

Now how does this all tie into a #ThankfulThursday post?

• I am healthy (minus my back/hip pain)
• I have a wonderful boyfriend who loves me
• I have the unconditional love of my dog
• I have a roof over my head
• Food in the fridge and pantry
• Friends and family to support me

That is why I am thankful today.  It may have been raining and gloomy today but knowing all that I have when everything seems to be going wrong makes me feel blessed!

Tell me three things that you're thankful for!

Until next time!

Breakfast Energy Balls

I got this recipe from my mother.  I think she said that she created it by combining a few different recipes.  After some trial and error, she settled on this recipe.

Breakfast Energy Balls

Yields: 7 - 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Freeze Time:  2 hours (overnight is the best)

1 8oz container of dried dates
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds*

*Optional to add raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds or raw nuts.

STEP 1.  Remove pits from the dates (you will not like the finished product if you do not take these out first!) and add to a food processor.

STEP 2.  Measure out the coconut and chia seeds (and optional raw seeds) and add to the dates.

STEP 3.  Pulse until combined.  Mixture will be sticky.  If it is too sticky, you can add more coconut and pulse.

STEP 4.  Form into balls (this is why they need to be sticky).  Depending on how many dates come in your container, you should get anywhere from 21 to 24 balls.

STEP 5:  Place balls onto a cookie sheet (I use a mini cupcake pan for mine so they do not roll around in my freezer) and put into the freezer for at least 2 hours but overnight is best.  Putting these in the freezer only ensures that they will maintain their ball shape.  They will be soft and chewy straight out of the freezer.

STEP 6.  Enjoy!

3 balls = 1 serving
1 serving = 210 calories (calories will vary depending on if you add raw seeds or nuts)

When you try these, please take a picture and post it on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #TastyTuesday and tag me.  I am on Twitter @Myranda84 and Instagram @Myrr84.

Until next time!

Find Your Inner Peace

Today is Motivational Monday and I want to focus on inner peace.  I love this quote from the wonderfully funny and talented Ellen DeGeneres.

"I get those fleeting, beautiful moments of inner peace and stillness - and then the other 23 hours and 45 minutes of the day, I'm a human trying to make it through in this world."

This really made me think.  How often during the day to you really find yourself at peace?  I feel like mine is the first 15 minutes when I wake up.  I stumble out of bed, get ready for my workout and the real world does not creep in until I am brushing my teeth.  That is when I start worrying about everything.

OMG...I just made a $150 payment on my credit card and the balance still looks the same.

I have less than $200 to last me two weeks and I have not gone grocery shopping.

I swear I just had my hair colored like a week ago and I already see several dozen gray hairs peaking back through...

One of my goals for this year is to eliminate my debt.  That will also eliminate a lot of my stress.  Since I know it is going to take time to get rid of that balance, I plan to extend those "fleeting, beautiful moments" from about 10 minutes to a couple of hours spread throughout the day.

I have never meditated before and have a really hard time shutting my brain down when I am in corpse pose at the end of a yoga class but I downloaded a meditating app for my iPhone.  I am going to set aside a few times throughout the day to play some calming music, focus on my breathing and try to rid myself of negative energy.

I know that if I am able to focus more on myself and not on my problems, I will be mentally prepared to for my goals and have better success at achieving my goals.

Now I have a little bit of homework for you.  Over the next couple of days try and figure out when you have reached your inner peace and how long it lasts.  Is there a specific task that you do or do not do that allows you to channel your inner peace?  Is it something that you can duplicate throughout the day?  Share it with me when you figure it out.

Until next time!

Choco-Orange Shakeology Recipe

Happy New Year Everyone!  How about we kick off the year right with a healthy drink recipe?  What do you think!  Today's recipe is a Chocolate Orange Shakeology Shake.

I cannot take credit for the creation of this recipe.  I got this recipe off of the Shakeology calendar than came with my first order.  I keep it taped to my counter behind all of my products and my blender.

Here is what you need:

1/2 cup 100% Orange Juice, 1/2 cup Water, Ice, 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology

I didn't have any orange juice in the fridge BUT I had two oranges and my juicer attachment for my Kitchen Aid Mixer!  Those oranges gave me exactly 1/2 cup of juice.  You can use as much or as little ice as you would like.  The more you use, the thicker the shake will be.  I used 1/2 cup of ice and it turned out thinner than I liked so just add a couple more cubes.

Step 1.  With the desired amount of ice in the blender, add Shakeology.

Step 2.  Add juice and water.

Step 3.  Secure lid for blender and blend until your shake has reached the desired consistency.

Step 4.  Put into your favorite cup and enjoy!

Try it and tell me what you think!  For more Shakeology recipes, see Beachbody.com!

The Smells That Bring Back Memories

I was just sitting here at my boyfriend's computer doing my homework.  He is trying to sleep and my computer is in the bedroom...the clicking of the keyboard would keep him up and he has to get up early.  About 45 minutes ago, I decided to make some tea.  I have my fancy Keurig and purchased Sleepy Time Tea yesterday.  10pm on a school night most definitely calls for some of this yummy tea!

I make my cup and add just a tiny bit of sugar and set back to work.  After letting it cool for a few minutes, I pick up my cup, breathe in the wonderful aroma and I am instantly taken back 22 years to being an 8 year old little girl sitting in the kitchen of my oma.

Why is that so special?

I am so glad that you asked that!  So my oma was my great grandmother on my mom's side.  My grandma was born and raised in Germany and that is where she met my grandpa.  Anyway, so my oma was actually my grandma's step mom.  Her birth mother died when she was a very small girl and my oma pretty much raised my grandma.  When I was 8 and my sisters were 6 and 2, my mom and grandma took us to Germany to meet and stay with my oma for vacation.

We got to meet family that we never knew existed and have not spoken with or to since seeing them.  A lot of my memories of that vacation come from pictures and the stories that we tell but the ones that I remember most took place in the kitchen.  Watching Oma make soup for dinner and my grandma telling us about when she had my uncle, he was so tiny, they could not keep him warm so they kept him in the oven (door open, of course) in the  kitchen.  We only knew our uncle as the big guy he was at the time and could not imagine him being so small that he would fit in there.

Every night that we were there, my oma would make us Sleepy Time tea.  We had never had it and with the small sprinkle of sugar that Oma added, we fell in love with it.  I have been drinking it ever since then!

So I am ready for bed, now that I am all toasty warm from my tea.  Plus my wonderful boyfriend is waiting for me!

Tell me...what smell brings back a fond memory for you?  Leave it in the comments!!!

Until next time!

Why Do I Love My Bank?

I am a housekeeper.  My job can be pretty easy and tough at the same time.  Some people are just really gross and when they move out they leave a disgusting mess!  Generally, the maintenance guy goes in (patches holes, paints, replaces light bulbs, etc), then the carpet gets cleaned or replaced, and finally I go in to clean and make the place sparkle and shine for the new tenants.

The other day, I went in to start cleaning while the maintenance guy was finishing up.  My phone started ringing.  No one ever calls me and definitely not during the day unless it's a solicitor or some recording saying that if I live in one of the following cities then I might qualify for a discount on car insurance.

This phone call was different.  The number was 1-800-355-5265.  I have seen a number of reports that say the number does belong to the Chase Fraud Department but it is not one that I have ever seen.  Let me give you a little back story (I know this because I have gone through this three times now) if you do not have Chase.  When Chase notices a suspicious charge, like I live in Washington and then at 6am one morning, my "card" is used at a store in Michigan, it gets flagged.  Chase will then send you a text message pretty much saying

Hey!  We see that you do not live in Michigan but there was a charge at a grocery store...

Was it really you?  Text back yes or no!

When you respond back with

No way dude...I was sleeping at 6am.

Then they text back saying that someone from the Fraud Department will contact you shortly.

THEN THEY CALL YOU!!!

So as you can see when I answered the phone and the lady with the thick Indian accent on the other end could barely spit out that she was with the Chase Fraud Department, I knew it was a scam.  This woman, who never gave me her name...just that she was with the fraud department, claimed that there were two fraudulent charges that were attempted but declined on my debit card ending in a specific 4 digits.  A $65 charge to Toys R Us and an over $200 charge to Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Funny thing about the last four digits is that was one of my previous cards.  One that might have been compromised shopping at Target on Black Friday that was replaced a really long time ago.

I hung up but something was not sitting right with me so I left the apartment, went to the office and call the number on the back of my card.  The very nice gentleman, who gave me his name and I honestly cannot remember because I am terrible with names, said that since the card is no longer attached to my account, there was no way that the funds could even go pending.  He gave me the last transactions from my debit card and my credit card.  All charges were mine.

Three times my debit card has been replaced because of stupid hackers BUT I have been informed of the charges before the funds have been taken from my account.  My bank is really the best!  I have been trying my best to balance my checkbook and keep an eye on my account activity and have been doing a really good job.  I have not been keeping a real watchful eye on my credit card statement but I am going to try.  I do not use it very often except for recurring charges so I do not think about it much.

Now I want to hear from you!  Tell me...have you ever been scammed?  People calling you, pretending to be with your bank only trying to get personal information from you.  Do you have an amazing bank story?  Come on and share!!!  Leave me a comment!

Attempt #2 at AdvoCare's 24 Day Challenge

Today I started a 24 Day Challenge to help me lose some of the weight that I have put on over the last few months.  I am not happy with the way I look or feel so I decided to make a change.

I attempted a 24 Day Challenge almost a year ago with my mom...and I failed at it.  I ended up not completing it and eating like garbage and really just gave up.  Nothing like wasting almost $200 right?

Today I woke up motivated.  Why did I start today, a Tuesday?  Well I thought that my BF and I were going to a AA baseball game last night...turns out that it is next Monday...and I do not have the patience to let my AdvoCare stuff just chill in my apartment for another week.

I managed to hit the snooze button on my alarm for about 45 minutes this morning which left me no time to actually eat breakfast or anything like I am supposed to.  I have my fingers crossed that I can manage to get out of bed around 6:30 in the morning.  It would be nice to get a work out in and shower and eat breakfast and then go to work.  Now I just need to do it!

I walked over 13,000 steps today (I love my FitBit Flex), utilized my "7 Minute Workout Challenge" app (2 cycles) and did some yoga before I went to bed.

I definitely went over my calorie allotment especially with the huge portion of dinner BF made me.  I am ready to do better tomorrow!  I got a free box from Blue Apron that contains three meals for two people.  We are trying the first recipe tomorrow.  Shrimp rolls!  Yummy!

Until next time!

Award For Worst Granddaughter of the Year goes to...

I love my grandma (my mom's mom).  She is an amazing woman.  I usually call her once a week or once every other week.  My sisters and I are the only ones that call her when we get our birthday cards (even if it is just a card) and at Christmas to say thank you.  When I was 8 years old, my mom took my sisters and me to Germany with my grandma.  She took my cousin and me to Germany when I was 16.  She has openly admitted that I am her favorite!

I am the only one, however, that calls Grandma on her birthday...except this year!

WORST GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE YEAR GOES TO....

drum roll please

ME!!!

Last Saturday was her birthday.  I have been all messed up on my days and completely spaced on what day it was.  What did we do?  We went hiking!  It was not until I called her on Wednesday and she called me a shit and said that I was the only one that called her every year and I missed it.  I feel like a total shit bag...but maybe that is what she gets for booking my mom and her flights to Germany this year on my 30th birthday.

It was not until after I was off the phone with her and had sat in traffic for almost an hour and got home when I came up with the perfect response.  I should have said "I can't be perfect all the time." or "Being perfect is hard to do...sorry."

11.5 Mile Hike...Disappointed

Last week or the week before my boyfriend and I were talking about things that we wanted to do this summer.  One of the things he mentioned was going exploring and by exploring he means hiking!  He said that every weekend that it was nice and not super bad weather he wants to go hiking.  So last weekend (Memorial Weekend) we actually did a couple of hikes that gave us a two-day total of about 10 - 12 miles.  Come Tuesday when I went back to work, my legs and my butt were killing me!

This week we have been dog sitting.  He talked about going hiking on Tiger Mountain and I said that I was game.  I started making mental notes about going to the store and getting food that will tide us over while we were hiking because we would definitely need it...the trail he was looking at is a 13 mile round trip hike.

Well we ended up hiking on Cougar Mountain today instead.  It was a total let down!  For starters, we grabbed one of the free paper maps that has all the trails on it.  It did not have all of the trails on it or if it did, some of them were mislabeled because we took a right onto a trail that should have taken us to a waterfall and it ended up being some different trail that we did not anticipate taking.

Most of the hiking was uphill.  Now I understand that we were hiking on a mountain but when I say "most" I mean that it was not half uphill and half downhill.  I would say that about 70 - 75% of the hiking was uphill.  It would have been totally worth it if there were some lookout points or peaks that had incredible views.  The lookout trail that we were following ended and there was not a view point anywhere to be seen.  There were several "peaks" that we apparently reached with no beautiful view.

While the park itself was quite and clean, there were times where the trails were literally only wide enough for half a person (which I did not mind) but all you could see was trees and dirt and the random snails, slugs and caterpillars.  We heard some pretty bird songs and the random child yelling but overall it was quite and peaceful.

I have to admit that I had some difficulty with the uphill climbs at times.  I have to seek the advice of my doctor because I looked at my hands at one point because I could not close them into fists and my hands were so swollen that you could not tell where my knuckles were or see my wrist bone and I could not extend my fingers all the way straight.  I was breathing fine but it was like I was having an allergic reaction that was only affecting my hands.

After the accidental .52 mile downhill trek that we made that set us back about a mile, we completed our hike of 11.5 miles in 3 hours and 31 minutes.  Now that was active walking.  From the time we left the parking lot it was about 4 hours round trip.  Not bad at all.  That was with three people (one of my boyfriend's co-workers) and two dogs (the one that we are watching and BF's co-worker's dog) with only a couple of stops to drink water, feed the dogs, decipher the horrible map and horrible trail markers.

We are all going to sleep really good tonight and we might possibly partake in a 7.2 mile hike tomorrow to Lake Serene which I think I posted about a couple of summers ago.

Until next time!

It Has Been So Long!

I am too terrified to check to see when my last post was dated.  I know that I have attempted to write the last couple of months but where the hell did the time go?  I mean seriously!  It feels like we just left December and one of my lineman was canned (he was conveniently sick the two weekends that the Seahawks were in the playoffs and then was miraculously better the weekend between playoffs and Super Bowl but could not come to work) in January and I was a damn ice cube when training my friend in 20 degree weather.

I started online classes again with a new school (a whole separate experience for another blog that I am totally going to try and get everyone to go there because they freakin rock!!!) six months ago and now I am staring down the barrel at my 30th birthday on Sunday!  It snuck up on me so fast that I did not get to plan anything.  Not that it really matters because I have almost no friends in the area.  They are spread out around the country.

I did get a new job that I start on Monday and I finished my last day at Snohomish Flying Service yesterday (another post yet to come once I am caught up on my school work) and today was my first day of vacation.  I have not taken any vacation since I took leave to go get married with I was still active duty military in 2007.  I could not have asked for a better day to start my vacation either!  It is beautiful and hardly a cloud in the sky!  It is shorts and tank top weather and is really starting to feel like Spring!  I even went for a run around the lake.  It ended up more of half a run and half a walk.  I just could not make it.  I tried to push myself too hard.

Well I have to get going to get my car fixed (stupid Service Engine Soon light).  Until next time!

How To Spot A Fake

Do you carry cash on you regularly?  If you are anything like me then the answer is no.  It is very rare that I actually have cash.  Unless I know that I will need to have cash for specific purpose then I will have it but otherwise I am a tried and true (and occasionally frivolous) debit card user.  Since I started dating my boyfriend, I tend to do laundry when I am staying with him (which has been just about every night for the last couple months).

If I use the washer and dryer at his apartment, it will take me a few hours to do a couple loads because it takes like 45 minutes to an hour to wash and about that long to dry...and then you have to run it through another dry cycle because the clothes are still pretty damp.

Instead I go to one of the many local laundry mats.  For about $6 (give or take a quarter in the dryer) I can do all of my laundry in one load, wash, dry and folded in about an hour.

What does doing laundry have to do with carrying cash?  Well laundry mats require coins or cards with money preloaded.  Last week I got halfway to the laundry mat when I realized I left my roll of quarters at the apartment in my backpack.  I stopped at a gas station, pulled a $20 out of the ATM and bought an energy drink.  The cashier gave me my money and I stuffed it into my wallet.

After a couple of days I stopped at a fast food joint for dinner.  Not the greatest idea but it was late, and I was hungry and had not eaten in about seven hours.  I had the girl at the window my cash.  It included a $10 that I received as change from the gas station.  She walks away and after a couple of minutes a manager comes to the drive thru window and tells me that the $10 bill that I gave them was counterfeit, a fake.

I was completely dumbfounded and shocked.  What the hell did she just say?

"I'm sorry...it's what?"

"It's a fake.  It's not real."

At this point I became thoroughly embarrassed because I know that it is illegal to produce and/or use fake currency.  These people in the fast food place are taking their sweet time and I am thinking holy shit they called the cops.  The girl that I originally gave the money to, opens the window and I try to hand her my debit card.  She looks at me like what am I supposed to do with that?  I told her to give me my $5 bill back and to charge my debit card.

"What?  I don't understand."

I told her that I gave her $15 to cover my total cost.  Apparently the $10 bill was a fake so unless the $5 is too, give it back and use my debit card.  She took my card and gave me my $5 back.  I got my food and then she finally ran my card and then tried to stiff me on my drink.

I don't know if I am more embarrassed by the fact that I tried to use a fake bill, the fact that I didn't know it was fake or pissed off that the lady at the gas station who handles cash all the time gave me a fake and now I'm out $10!?!  When you're broke, $10 is a lot of money.

I guess we live and we learn.  What I learned from this is that I will now be taking a careful look at all of my bills.  Even my ones!  I found this website that gives a few steps on how to recognize a fake.  You best believe that the next time I carry cash, I will be checking them thoroughly.  I think I might even start getting my cash from the bank and if it is not a large amount that I need, it will be all ones...people don't tend to counterfeit coins much anymore...or do they?

Until next time!

ReVerb13 - Challenges

What challenges lie ahead in 2014? How might you meet them boldly?

One of my biggest challenges for 2014 is to remain active and STAY injury free!  I have only been really healthy for about four months this year.  Between my knee healing and then having the slipped disk and pinched nerve in my back has made it just about impossible to be active at all this year.  I taught Zumba maybe once and just "ran" my first 5K since August 2012.  I have all the tools and know how to stay injury free and I definitely plan to use them.

This year I want to eliminate my credit card debt and use my credit card the way I originally used it.  Gas for my car, maybe some groceries, some music on iTunes, etc.  Then pay it off when it posts to my bill.  With my GI Bill covering my classes AND putting a little extra in my pocket, I am able to continue to put $200 - $300 towards my balance from my paychecks AND an additional $400 - $500 with my GI Bill.  That is coming close to $1000 a month.  I already payed $500 this month and once my bills for the second half of this month process then it will possibly be another $400!  That means I will finally owe less than $3000!  I have not seen my balance that low in a couple years.

I have already made it over six months without smoking so I guess it is safe to say that I have officially quit so there is something off my New Year's Resolution list that I can finally scrub out forever.  I might have to take a look at that list from last year to see what I still need to address!  I have crossed out what I have accomplished!

• Make my lunch to take to work
• Quit smoking for good
• Run in five 5K runs with my mom (I will save the Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon for a year that I do not have horrible knee pain)
• Complete the Zumbatomic training
• Eliminate half of my credit card debt (it would be nice to eliminate all but I will settle with half)
• Move out on my own
• Re-enroll in school and take at least three classes
• Continue to find myself and better myself to make me happy (this one is an ongoing)
• Share my feelings more and not shut people out so much

From that list, this is what I still want to accomplish:

• Make my lunch to take to work
• Run in THREE 5K runs (it would be nice to do them with my mom but if I can do them with a friend of BF then I am happy!)
• Participate in a ZJ session, Pro Skills or a "Boost"
• Complete Zumba Kids & Kids Jr (formerly known as Zumbatomic) or Zumba Step
• Eliminate my credit card debt
• Get a raise and two days off per week

Until next time!

Reverb 13 - Shifting Gears

Living life on auto-pilot can feel disorienting and dull. How did you cultivate a life worth loving during 2013?

How can you turn off your auto-pilot button in 2014?

I found that I was stuck in a rut.  I was living each day waking up, going to work, going home, sleeping and repeating.  It was no way to live.  When I started dating BF, I got my social life back.  It was something that I had seriously been lacking and that I desperately needed!

I have taken on a lot of new tasks and responsibility at work that I believe will earn me a significant pay increase and if it doesn't then it might be time to start looking for something else.  I can't live with my mother forever and it is driving me nuts that I have no idea what I own anymore because it is all boxed up and in storage.

I have become pro-active.  I have gone back to school.  I have completed two courses (one not so successfully) but I have kind of gotten out of my mundane routine.  I start teaching Zumba again in a couple of weeks and I cannot wait!  I have signed up for one 5K and will be signing up for another one shortly.  I want to make my life better and I think I am on the right track!

Until next time!

Reverb13 - Time For Inspiration

Who inspired you in 2013? And why?

What gifts did they give you? And how will you carry these forward in to 2014?

It is hard for me to think of who inspired me.  The only one I can honestly think of (and I know it is gonna sound cheesy) is my BF.  He came into my life at a time when I needed someone.  He has done nothing but support me and encourage me.  Because of him I looked into getting back into school and have started pursuing my degree.  I am slated to graduate November 2015!  I can't believe that I am 20 classes away from graduating with my BA in Behavioral Science.

I am kind of at a lose for what to write here so I am gonna leave it at that and I will probably come back to it at some point and add to it.

Reverb13 - No One Likes A Quitter

What went right in 2013?  Maybe you didn't quit smoking or lose those pounds or go to Paris, but something did work, did happen, and/or was realized. What was it?

Besides my awesome BF (whom I have mentioned in several of my last posts), I actually DID quit smoking.  It has been almost seven months since I smoked my last cigarette and I have not given in once.  I am super proud of myself.  The only other thing that could be as equally as awesome is if I can get a raise before the end of the year.

Reverb13 - The Dreaded Selfie

I admit it.  I am guilty of taking a selfie here and there but I rarely post them.  I send them to BF from time to time because most of them actually involve a pouty face because I'm not with him (vomit worthy right?!).  So after careful consideration, I think this is one of my favorites from this year (and I only went back to April when I got my iPhone).

I took this picture of BF and me shortly after he moved here.  We were just starting to hang out and get to know each other.  Now it has been five amazing months!  I love him so much!

Until next time!

#Reverb 13 - Precious Memories

Today is day 6 of Reverb13.  Here is today's prompt:

“True wisdom lies in gathering the precious things out of each day as it goes by.”— E.S. Bouton

There are so many “precious things” that are presented to us each day; discoveries and treasures found in simple moments, memories we wish to store in our hearts and keep with us forever.  What precious things have you gathered in 2013?  Which memories from this year do you wish to keep with you always?

I received a picture message today from BF's roommate (I really need a good nickname for him...Catman...yeah...we'll go with that for now...he loves cats and has two).  It is a picture from BF's birthday weekend when we saw Daniel Tosh at the Paramount in downtown Seattle.  Besides feeling like the luckiest woman in the world for having such an amazing man in my life, this is one of my precious memories from this year and I hope to keep it with me for as long as he will keep me around (which he said he wants to be forever)!

Onward to Tosh!

We started dating in July and Sunday will be our five month anniversary...and I do not have to work!  I am so excited.  These last five months have been amazing.  Just being with him is special.  Like right now.  We both were doing school work.  We both have either headphones or ear buds in listening to our own music (btw if you have not heard Britney Spears' latest album "Britney Jean" then go listen now...for free on Spotify if you don't want to purchase it but shame on you if you don't!).  Now he's playing a computer game and I'm cleaning out my inbox for my email.  We aren't actively talking to each other but just being near him makes me happy!  I love him so much!

Well I think I am going to continue to clean out my inbox...gotta go to sleep soon so I can get up for work in the morning.  It is going to be a long day tomorrow.  Really long and cold!  Until next time!

#Reverb13 - Risk Taker

I am a little late on the start up of this whole #Reverb13 thing but it is better late than never to start.

Today is day 5 for #Reverb13.  The prompt:

What was the greatest risk you took in 2013?  What was the outcome?

I am not much of a risk taker and anyone who knows me knows that (but skydiving might be my answer if this question comes up next year!).  I guess that the biggest risk that I took was in my personal life.  I found an incredibly wonderful man and I have opened my heart to him.  We have been together for five months now.  This is the first real and serious relationship since my divorce.  Sure I dated that guy after my ex husband kicked me out of the house but it was mainly out of the need of a roof over my head.

I would say that the outcome has been wonderful.  I cannot imagine my life without him.  I love every minute I get to spend with him and I hate every second that we are apart.  He is absolutely perfect for me.  I know that I have written about BF before.  How he allows me to embrace my nerdy side.  He loves me.  He makes me feel wonderful.  I sleep better when I am next to him and I love waking up next to him!

I might play catch up and hit the other four days later today.  One of my friend's is the one who told me about this thing and has done it the last couple of years.  I might check out her blog and copy the prompts.  Depends on what I do tonight!

Until next time!

Black Friday Shopping 2013

I cannot believe that I didn't write about my very first ever Black Friday shopping experience last year.  Not a true Black Friday as the sales start on Thursday night instead of the lower ass crack of dawn on Friday morning.   Last year I went with my mom and we hit up Toys R Us and Target.  I was able to get in and out of Toys R Us last year in about an hour.  I got my nephews Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots and Toss Across.  They loved them!  Then we hit Target where I proceeded to get more things for myself than for anyone else.  I mean I got a sweet single cup coffee maker for $8...and it came with a mug!  I got gifts for my family as well but it was mainly a means of getting myself things that I wanted for cheap!

This year the ads were not so fantastic.  Toys R Us didn't have anything that I thought the boys might enjoy.  I mean one is just in love with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (thank goodness!) but he has just about everything TMNT.  The other will be easy.  He has found a love for Legos!  A trip to the Lego Store may be needed!

I perused the Target ad and didn't see anything jumping out at me that either I needed or wanted or that I might want to get for anyone in my family.  I did however notice that they had a table top electric griddle for $20.  I have one but BF doesn't.  He managed to snag this one (at least I think it was this one)!

We left my mom's house a little after 6pm on Thursday night.  The doors didn't open until 8pm.  This year it was my mom, both of my sisters, my sister's boyfriend, BF and myself.  We stopped and got coffee...well I think they got coffee...I had to work Friday morning...and I got a caramel apple cider.  It was so damn cold but with all of us laughing and joking around it made it go by pretty fast.

It took minutes to get into the store once the doors opened.  We immediately made our way to the electronics.  They had all of the video game cases open so you could find any video game that you want without having to track down one of the extremely busy employees to unlock it and get it for you.  BF found a couple of games and I found some Looney Tunes DVDs and was in heaven!  We were back in the car before 10pm and home shortly after.

I have decided that I am going to possibly shorten my list of people that I am giving gifts to.  I am only giving them to my immediate family (and BF).  That right there is still a lot of people.  I have my mom, my dad, two sisters and two nephews.  Both of my parents, one of my sisters and my boyfriend are done.  If I continue to buy for everything that means I have to buy for my dad's girlfriend, my step dad, my step brother and my step sister.

That is four extra people that I have no idea what to get them and really cannot honestly afford to do it.  I have been trying to pay down my debt and I believe that within the week I think I will finally have my credit card debt below $3000 for the first time in the over a year.  I have a plan to hopefully have my debt eliminated by the spring or summer!

Did you go Black Friday shopping?  Where did you go?  Did you finish up all of your shopping or will you be utilizing Cyber Monday to finish up?  Let me know!

Until next time!