Jimmy Choo!!

I'm a bag lady. I have a CLOSET of purses, bags, clutches... I have special purses just for shopping, day outings, work, dates. I love me a good bag.

I found a new blog. and just in time - she is GIVING AWAY this Jimmy Choo Ramona Bag.


I want it. Bad.

head on over and enter if you must.... But just remember I saw it first.

Another Snow Day....

It has been an awful winter. We keep getting dumped on. As I am typing this, the wind is roaring and the snow is blowing. I can't even see across the street. Another day at home with Brody. I would be enjoying this, if we haven't already had so many snow days. The whole month of December brought us 28 inches of snow. 28. That's just fallen, not before the wind picks up and blows it all over, creating 6-10 foot drifts.

Gah.

These pictures are actually from our Christmas storm, ( 2 storms ago.) Above is the intersection in front of my house. Tractors trying to help open the roads.

This is my driveway. Nice, huh? It was 4 feet deep, almost the whole length of it. And I had to manually shovel it by myself. It took me FOREVER. Actually, I did it over three days, it's not like we could go anywhere, and since no one could get here with a blower to help, I figured what's the hurry?

This is our backyard. I had to shovel a path from the back door so that poor Ernie could get outside to do his business! How insane is all that snow!!

Finally, late on Day 2 we saw some plows on the street. You can see how deep the roads were. I wish I had gotten a picture of the "pile" - where the city dumps all the snow before hauling it out of town.

I have never seen this much snow! (I guess I have - I was informed that the winter of '82 was maybe worse, but I was only 2 so I don't remember that!)

So what does a person do with all this time at home?? Besides playing the Wii, watching movies and reading, you clean clean clean until you can't clean anymore, and you bake.

I've baked a lot in the past few weeks. Here's a few links to Brody's and my favorites -

Snickerdoodle Blondies - these are AWESOME! Brody would like for me to make them everyday.

Homemade Applesauce - this is soooooo gooooood. I've made it three times since Christmas. In fact - I've got a double batch in the crock pot right now for later!!

Puppy Chow - all time favorite.

Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bread - you MUST make this. SOOOO good. and use dark chocolate chips.

Chunky Chicken Noodle and Vegetable Soup - yum.

These are some of my own recipes, so no links - but still delicious!!

Chili

Loose Meats

Pudding Cookies

Chicken Enchiladas

and almost everything from the Pioneer Woman's cookbook.

Today - I am making these - Peanut Butter Chewies.

Not so good for the weight watchers points. Good thing I've got all this extra time to work out with Jillian (ouch) and my Wii Fit!!

Well, hello!!

Yes, I took a little blogging break. I just needed it. It's not that I didn't have things to say, but that I was just too exhausted (both physically and mentally) to actually write them down! So instead of saying, I will blog tomorrow, I said, I will blog when I am good and ready.

This will be a mishmash of everything that has been happening with me as of late.

* We had a great Christmas. Santa was good to both me and Brody this year. (Mostly him, of course!) I got a nice bonus check and almost three weeks off of work, paid. (thanks to the weather!!)

* Speaking of, this weather BLOWS. The whole month of December, we got dumped on majorly. After the third major storm, we had 28 inches of snow on the ground. That is not counting drifts. My backyard is drifted 6 feet. (still). My driveway was 4 feet deep. Let me tell you how much fun that was to shovel. My shoulders hurt just thinking about it. Now, January has not been any better. We have seen the sun twice so far this month. Just had a major ice storm this week that has people still out of power, three days later. Not fun. February better be sunny and nice. I don't know how much more of this I can take. Is anyone else living somewhere that has a big red bullseye on it this winter?

* I got a bill from Preschool yesterday for the month of January. He's only been able to go 4 times so far this month, but I still have to pay for the whole month. Um, what? I do not think that is fair at all. Especially since they will be going the whole month of May now, which I'm sure I'll have to pay for also.

I need a vacation. I would love to take Brody to Disney World. I know you can do it fairly inexpensive these days, but I am not sure how I want to do it. Should I just take him by myself, a little me and him time? Or should I go with another couple/boyfriend? I don't know. I am sort of scared to go alone, but not really wanting to share that time either. Actually, I am not even sure we can afford to go right now. Since we are both in a wedding in June, and I have another one in August. $$$

* Speaking of Boyfriend. It's been a crazy few months! First off, last fall I decided to be done. I didn't talk to him for 2 1/2 months. Then something broke in me and I just needed him. All it took was a text that said I miss you and he was here. Things are good sometimes, and I feel like it's perfect and I know I'm going to end up marrying him. Then I won't talk to him for a few days, and I'm okay with that too. But I still can't imagine growing old with anyone else.

It's just weird because it's like we are in the book, just different chapters. So either he needs to read faster to catch up, or I need to stop and wait for him to catch up. He's not a bad person, and I know he genuinely cares for me. I'm not a bad person either. We both ultimately want the same thing, but just want to get there at different times. We'll just have to see what that means I guess.

* I have a facebook stalker. Not really, but sort of. I was friended by a girl that I went to high school with. We were never good friends, but whatever, it was a small school, so everyone knows everyone. She comments or likes absolutely EVERYTHING that I post. Even if I post on another person's wall, she makes a comment too. WTF? It is really starting to annoy me. I never respond to her anymore, thinking she would get the hint and lay off a bit, but that didn't work. So I started deleting the things she posts, but she just reposts them. Any advice here? I don't mind being her friend, but seriously, back off!!

* I bought my brother's Wii from him for Christmas. They never play it, and I ended up getting the Wii, 2 controllers, 2 numchucks, the sports accessories, 3 games besides Wii sports, a steering wheel, and Guitar Hero World Tour with 2 guitars all for $275.

Best $275 I've ever spent! Brody loves it, and is actually really good. We ended up buying Super Mario Bros. with his Christmas money, and I got the Wii Fit and Jillian's Ultimate Workout with mine. With all those snow days we've been having - we've already beat Mario and the Wii Fit is my new best friend! So fun! Jillian, on the other hand is kicking my ass. Which is good, because I want her to. But holy cow! My legs are still hurting from 2 days ago. I expect good things.

I have more to say, but I think I'll stop for now. Whew! I'll be back soon - Promise!!

It all started with a cocktail

A few months back I was at a wedding. I told the bartender to make me something yummy. He handed me a Pomegranate Martini. And I fell in love.

Not so much with the alchoholic drink, but the flavor of it. I was intrigued. I had never tasted a pomegranate before. It was SOOOO. GOOOOOD.

In the next few days I found myself in the grocery store, looking at the pomegranates. I'm not going to lie, they scared me a little bit. I knew nothing about them. How did you eat them? What was inside this fruit, and would I like it as much as I did in the alchoholic version?

I put the fruit down and walked to the safer, much less scary juice section.



Pomegranate juice. EXPENSIVE. But soooo very worth every drop. I have now created a monster. Not just in myself, but also in Brody. We are both OBSESSED with anything pomegranate.

I can't believe I've never had one before! (Maybe because they are a $1.50 a piece??) The fruit and juice are pretty much staples in our diet now.

There are so many wonderful things about this fruit - health benefits include fighting types of cancer to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. It is a fantastic source of antioxidants, and may reduce the risk for several illnesses. (Of course, many foods claim this. I do realize that, but also do believe in many of the claims being made.)

While in Sam's Club last week - I came across these:

HEAVEN IN A BAG! They aren't quite as good as the real thing, since other juices have been added and such, (not just a pomegranate seed covered in chocolate) but let me tell you - they are fabulous!

If you see them, pick them up. Well worth the money (and 4 WW points). And if you haven't already tried the fruit or juice, do it! Don't be a chicken like me.

It's kind of a big deal!!

Merry SITSmas!!!

SITSMAS already!! I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday season and here's to a wonderfully fabulous new year!!!

I have been slacking on my posts lately, but am hoping to jump back on the blogging bandwagon very soon!!

Plotting My Attack

I am soooooo excited to go Black Friday shopping!!!! I love it!!

I am kind of bummed though, that I will be going solo this year. My mom has to work, and my sister can't make it either. I was going to go with my brother's fiance and her fam, but they already have like 12 people in their group.

I just don't want to be slowed down, or slow them down, so I think I'll have better luck on my own! I'll just meet up with them for breakfast at some point in the morning.

Here's my MUSTS:
~Target
~Kmart
~Walmart
~Kohls
~Hobby Lobby
~Bath & Body Works
~Barnes and Noble
~American Eagle
~ Victoria's Secret
~ Scheels
~Gap
~Thinker Toys

and the MAYBES
~Walgreens
~Old Navy
~Children's Place
~JC Penneys

I am pretty sure that I will be 99% done with Christmas shopping by the time I get home! I have been pouring over the ads and memorizing what I need from where. Hopefully, I land some great deals.

Anyone else out there crazy like me??

I'm a bad blogger!

Sorry everyone.

I just don't have much time right now to do anything, let alone blog! between work, Brody, my home, the upcoming holidays, and figuring out my relationship status (yes, Adam) I am exhausted.!.!

I might be pretty sporadic for awhile, but I'll be back when I have a chance to breathe!