xo, me

For the New Year's Resolutions...

2012-01-09T07:58:00.000-08:00

Zumba- http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTA1NDI2MzEy.html

This is a free site that has uploaded workouts! The link I've sent you to will be my workout of the morning (gas went up again, I can't justify driving 20 minutes to the gym when I'm not already on the way there...)

Hope you enjoy!

Another great site I'm using is myfitnesspal. If you join, be sure to add me as a friend! I'm mselle07 :) You can also download it on your smartphone!

I made some dinners for the week last night since I had a rare Sunday off- I made butternut squash soup, brown rice, mashed potatoes for Chad, and baked some chicken breasts for a few easy meals before we go to New Hampshire on Thursday for our Christmas gift to each other- a mini vacation back to where he proposed back in October. I can't wait!

Most weeks I'll try to make real meals for each night- yesterday I had some spare time and had all of the ingredients for those little things, so that's why there's NO variety. I'll also be using some canned beans I have for sides. It was a good start, at least. :)

Now, my new year's resolution was not to lose 10 pounds. That's been my resolution every year. (And yes, I've lost 5-10 pounds every year for the past..few.) But this year I want to create a healthier relationship with food and dieting. I have a tendency to get obsessed, and this year I'm looking for a different way to stay healthy. Do I have a goal to lose? Yes, but I also have a goal to gain muscle- so I'm not quite sure where my target weight is. Did I eat a little poorly this week? Yes! But you know what? I had fun, too. I tried "naan" sweet bread for the first time. I drank hot chocolate. But not once did I say, "ugh, how many calories is this, ugh." (Maybe I did. Once. But I got over it and enjoyed the time I was spending with my friends instead. I also went to the gym and drank lots of water, two big goals of mine this year!)

So that's my little rant- hope it made sense- and maybe it inspired you to remember the other things in life, too...

What are you doing so far to incorporate a healthier lifestyle? Things you've already been doing? New things to try? I'd love to know!

A New Year..

2012-01-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

2012 is here...amazing!
2011 was filled with milestones for me. A few things happened...

I bought my first brand new car, all by myself! No co-signer! 2011 Nissan Sentra. I was so proud when I signed the papers, knowing I had done all the work myself. I take such pride in my vehicle knowing I earned it.

I sang at my first "gig" in years! I remember being so nervous, and seeing Chad in the audience and getting even more nervous! It was a liberating experience though, and I am hoping 2012 brings more gigs to play and sing at and hang out with my favorite men of the "Blue Streak Band." :)

I started taking riding lessons again and was able to begin fine-tuning some training that I had wanted to do for years. Callie is such a quick learner, and my trainer is so fantastic, that it was a really great experience despite me getting down on myself a bit.

I got my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, and minored in French studies! I worked two, sometimes three jobs all through college. I had a long journey, lots of support, and met amazing friends in college who I hope I never lose contact with.

My best friend in the whole world asked me to be his wife. I was floored and shocked but said "yes" after a few moments of catching my breath...the world stops when I'm with him. In just a year and a few months, I'll be the other half and Mrs to the most amazing, selfless, loving person I've ever met.

2011 was also filled with some heartbreak. We lost my Oma and my Grammy, who now look at us from Heaven. I said goodbye to my little rats, Gertrude and Delilah, too. We miss and remember those we lost, and their memories will live forever.

We welcomed a guinea pig into our home, I began cooking and playing with recipes, I got a new (second) job and Callie proved to me that she is the perfect all around horse by giving a riding lesson here and there.

I bought an iPhone! I also bought jeans in smaller sizes. I began running. I learned the true meaning in "you are what you eat." I became aware.

Are there regrets from 2011? No. Are there things I learned? Yes.
Something I have to preach, is that I learned a lot about myself as a person. I learned that I am much stronger than I allow myself to think. I am capable of much more than I give myself credit for.

A few people told me I wasn't the same person. I agree! But not in a bad way. I think we're always changing. If you deny yourself that, you're denying your experiences, too. No way. I welcome them with open arms.

I discovered I have amazing intuition, and I'm rarely wrong about my "gut." In 2012, I will trust it more.

I also resolve to make myself more of a priority in 2012. 2011 was spent trying to please others. This year, I am going to worry less about the things (and people) I cannot change.
I will ride more, I will eat chocolate when I feel like it, I will look in the mirror and see the beauty inside and out. I will test waters, I will fight for what I believe in. I will succeed, I will probably fail at something, but at the end of the year I will marvel at how much I learned.

I hope everyone one of you has a happy, healthy, and a love-filled 2012.

Photos :)

2012-01-01T16:34:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, Chad gave our families a framed photo of us. I know, it seems a little silly, but we gave them a really pretty frame and an (almost) professional photo, taken by my amazing friend, Meaghan!

Just wanted to share some of them- they came out great!

This one was the winner :)

Horses and Children

2011-12-19T09:29:00.000-08:00

Today I was given the opportunity to give a lovely little girl a lesson on horses. We stayed in the barn and groomed Callie and learned the importance of safety and how to groom. She was so smart and told me all about 4-H club and the things she'd learned- and this little girl was a natural with Callie. It was so lovely to see.

Callie's demeanor changes with children, I swear.

She snuggled up to this little girl who squealed with joy. She lifted her foot so daintily and patiently waited while she picked her feet. She did everything this little girl asked of her and even stood perfectly still and closed her eyes while this little girl brushed her face gently- something she doesn't always like me doing.

Callie and this girl bonded within minutes of being together. It was so beautiful to see and it was even more heartwarming when her mother said, "I think we've found her love."

Just had to share this- I was so taken back by Callie today, and can't wait for little "L" to come back. :)

Merry Christmas From Our Family to Yours

2011-12-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

The "online" version of our Christmas cards.
During this holiday season, I hope for you all and your loved ones a happy, healthy, and beautiful time. I hope that you tell eachother how much you love one another. I hope that you give a gift based on thought. I hope that you receive gifts gracefully. I hope that you donate some change, a buck, or even five to the people ringing the bells outside of the grocery store. I hope that you decorate your tree and even smile when you have to vacuum the pine needles. I hope you set up mistletoe all around your house (like I did...) and I hope that you take silly family photos and get upset when you realize you can't find the cat's Santa hat.

Thank you for reading my blog throughout the year, for appreciating all kinds of posts, and for being who you are.

Happy Holidays, everyone. I'm not sure that I'll be posting much until the holidays are over- we've both got family coming in for the season!

Love,
Chad, Janelle, Carson, Piggy, (was eating parsley) Callie, (was munching hay at the barn) and the fishies (couldn't make it, weather too dry!)

Meet Me On Monday

2011-12-05T19:51:00.001-08:00

Questions:

1. Monday's are _________?
Like any other day..usually my big "chore" day before working 3-11, though, so I kind of dread knowing I'll be scrubbing the floors, litter box, cage, sink, etc!

2. What is your favorite kind of milkshake?
I'm not a huge fan, but if someone offered me one in peppermint, I'd probably gulp it down!

3. What monthly bill do you most dislike paying?
My car insurance...it just seems so silly to pay into something I've never claimed on! I know, I know, it will be worth it someday, but sheesh!

4. How many email addresses do you use on a regular basis?
Two. One is my primary but I check the old one each day just in case a good groupon comes my way!

5. What color lights are on your Christmas Tree?
I love white, it reminds me of a snow covered tree (without the cold!) so our lights are white and LED!

When "things" get to us.

2011-12-03T21:23:00.001-08:00

I have to apologize.

Recently, I began a new job. At this job, there are lots of very nice things, many things that I cannot afford (or need, for that matter.)

But despite the fact that I knew I didn't need these things, I got frustrated that I couldn't have them. I saw women with expensive handbags. Massive rocks on their fingers that you could see from across the store. Perfect hair done like clockwork every few weeks. Tiny bodies with lots of time for the gym, surgery even. And Botox. Lots of cash for Botox.

I got jealous. (Not so much about the Botox..)

You see, I also recently started wedding planning. I started planning what will arguably be the biggest party of my (our) life. I started planning where it will be. What my dress might look like. What we will serve for dinner. And I think that because I let "things" get to me, literally materialistic THINGS) I got pretty bratty over wedding planning for a little bit.

But only for a little bit.

So, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I went against everything that I preach. I'm sorry that I allowed people I don't even know make me feel less than amazing about my hardworking and pretty humble self, because I don't know their stories, either. I'm sorry it took me a few weeks to figure this out.

I am not this person. I am not materialistic. I like nice things, (and don't get me wrong- I'd love a Pandora bracelet for Christmas, Santa, but only because it's sentimental on a chain!) but they do not define who I am.

I think that I'm ready to start planning our wedding again, this time correctly.

Thanks for reading.

meet me on monday.

2011-11-28T09:46:00.000-08:00

1. I really need to clean my _________?
CLOSET! I'd like to call it an organized mess..but I need better organization. I'd like a few shelves and a shoe rack, and a couple hooks for purses! When we buy our first home Chad promised me a nice one, so I'll wait ~~patiently~~ until then :)

2. What food makes you think of Christmas?
Egg Nog! My absolute favorite Christmastime "food." But, a food we always eat on Christmas is bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon. Delicious!

3. If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?
Oh gracious. I'd have to say 25. I think it's young enough to be silly and fun, but old enough that I can be taken a bit more seriously (you'd be surprised how many people I meet that scoff at the fact that I'm 22).

4. What was your first paying job?
I walked dogs with my best friend from elementary school. We were called the "K9 Pals!"

5. Have you read the Twilight series?
I tried to read them- Chad enjoys the movies and I liked them as well, but I couldn't wrap my head around the books for some reason.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2011-11-24T07:49:00.000-08:00

I am thankful that I have started to attempt art again. Attempt. I've been pretty stressed lately and let's be real- when you don't feel like going to the gym, you're not going to get much done once you get there- so I've taken the next best coping skill (as we call them at work) and have started drawing. I sketched a picture from a photo of Callie, and the next day I did one by memory with cray pas at art therapy with the kids at work.

I'm sure with practice I'll get better, but for now it's fun.

I'm sitting here watching the Santa Parade with my coffee, a loaf of bread in the oven, and thinking about the day that is going to unfold. I am so excited to see family, to eat, to show off the apple pie that I made at work, & to bring my fiancé dinner at work while he keeps the towns safe on this holiday! Perhaps Callie will get a visit later tonight when all is said and done. <3
Happy Thanksgiving everyone, let's not forget what today is about!

Fall ponies...

2011-11-13T06:13:00.000-08:00

I rode Callie on Friday morning and she was fabulous- as long as I was on her back! Before I rode I brushed and pampered her for about 45 minutes- she got a trim of her whiskers, braided her mane (which has been getting thicker and is starting to lay down flat in places- I have an appaloosa- this is amazing to me!) and trimmed her scraggly tail pieces. She loves the attention and frequently stopped me to stick her face in my cozy sweatshirt for some snugs :) This horse LOVES fleecey things. I consider putting a blanket on her wall because she just loves rubbing her nose on it so much!

When I got to the ring, though, immediately she stepped on my foot and tried bolting from me twice. I jumped on anyway and I could feel her quivering, like she just needed to get the kinks out, but she wouldn't do it if I was on (this is a VERY good thing!) so I took her bridle off and allowed her to run around. This is what happened!

Afterwards we had a fabulous ride, lots of transitions and even some simple lead changes. She listened, was relaxed but alert and she was just lovely overall. Afterwards, she ate carrots in her stall while I cleaned this mess of a grooming kit:

From this:

To this:

And in case you want to know what it looks like from the back of Callie:

Happy Sunday everyone!

2011-11-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

The past couple of weeks Chad and I were house sitting for an awesome lady who owns two dogs. It was such a fun time, we spent our mornings in a field for long walks and dreamt about our own house, our own dogs, our own life and what it would be like someday. Those kinds of chats are so much fun...

This week, though, I found out what has been causing my stomach problems! Chad took me to the ER on Monday (THANK YOU Chad, because I know working a midnight shift and coming home to just go right back out is not easy!)...and it's gastritis. A bland diet and lots of water, protonix & Prilosec later, I'm starting to feel better which is such a relief...and knowing what the problem is instead of guessing is VERY good for my stress level.

The other night I was home alone for a few hours, (and after ten days away, home is my favorite place to be!) so I did what I enjoy most...baking! I baked three dozen cookies and a loaf of bread. I don't think I'll ever buy my own bread again (though Chad enjoys the pre-sliced stuff..)

Anywho, that's the buzz on us lately, I hope everyone is doing fabulously!

Sometimes I lie.

2011-10-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

I'm amazing at housework.
I always keep a very clean, tidy home.
Meaning I vacuum, do the dishes, dust, sweep, etc, every day.
I'm perfect, except for one thing.

Sometimes, I lie.

Confession: I'm not the greatest house keeper.
I leave my dishes in the sink more often than I clean them right away. (But I stack them nicely..)
I am not very good at vacuuming often (or any of the other things...) unless I force myself to stay home on a beautiful day until they get done.

Like today. It's pretty outside.

Here's another confession: I'd do laundry ALL DAY LONG if I had washer and dryer in my apartment. Walking down three flights of stairs...and needing to fish out quarters from my pocket is enough to make me say, "maybe tomorrow."

BUT.

Today, I've vacuumed my office. I cleaned the litterbox and changed the litter. I've scrubbed the animal cages. (We adopted a guinea pig..don't ask.) I'm soaking my crock pot so that I can clean it in a few minutes. I've got two loads of laundry done even though it required quarters and walking down stairs. I'm dusting. There's a good will pile by my door. I'm about to sort through clean socks.

Not sure what possessed me into doing all of this, but I guess it goes to show you that (sometimes) I get things done!

We are engaged!

2011-10-23T03:31:00.001-07:00

Chad and I went to beautiful Lincoln, NH for a weekend getaway for some fall foliage and relaxation. It was a trip we were both looking forward to- working opposite schedules can get really daunting and frustrating and we agreed to try to go somewhere once a month or so to just enjoy each other.

Ladies...it was perfect. We went to dinner the night before, spent a lovely evening together in our room at the quaint and friendly Mt. Coolidge Motel, and the next morning headed out for some photo taking.

A beautiful little rest area on the Kancamangus highway led down a small trail to the river, gorgeous trees with vibrant colors, and a large boulder that overshot the water. We took photos for a few minutes and Chad invited me to take pictures on the rock like he was. I made my way over and Chad looked at my photos on my camera- there were quite a few of him taking pictures on the rock so he told me to turn around and pose for a picture for him. As he took my hand and I turned to face him, he got down on his knee and asked me to marry him (ok..he said a lot more than that!). The tears flew down my face and I almost couldn't answer...(but if you know me, this was completely the way I thought I'd react. I'm emotional, almost to a fault!)

...But I eventually was able to pull it together and say "yes!"

The rest of the day and weekend was gorgeous and there will be photos very soon- we shopped the adorable country stores and walked the river while Chad fished, ate terribly (but deliciously!) and we were recognized by the bartender from our July trek up to Lincoln at our favorite pub in NH, the Woodstock pub and Brewery, where we spent hours drinking delicious beer and playing trivia :)

Photos of our trip, as well as wedding planning posts and DIY projects to come!

We are indecisive. We HAD a date (that was posted here!) but we are re-thinking things...so the official date probably won't be posted until we've booked everything :P

I'm still speechless and cannot stop looking at my ring! Talk about being shocked- I had absolutely no idea that he was going to propose and the romance of it all is still overwhelming!

Okay...now where do I start with this planning business?!

Our silly animals...

2011-10-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

That's called a "flehmen reaction." Callie did that face for a few minutes after she thought she'd found a horse treat but ate a leaf instead- definitely wasn't what she expected!

Carson thinks he's a dog and ruthlessly begs while I'm eating my lunch. I don't eat sandwich meats often, but today's lunch was roast beef sandwich- & he would NOT leave me alone.

Obviously I'm not helping the situation.

You can't tell in this picture, but Callie was enjoying the scents of fall today. She would keep her head up high, breathe in, and slowly breathe out and sigh. She did it about 4 times, like she was just taking in the moment! Talk about a horse that knows what's up!

Totally not camera shy.

This is how he's eventually going to own the world...his good looks!

Hope you enjoyed a few silly shots I've enjoyed getting the past few days :)

Well-intended on Wednesday...

2011-09-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Yes. My intentions today are splendid.

Are. Were. Still might be?

Last night I found out I did not get a job that I was really hoping for. I chose my attitude ~~(a crappy one...where I sulked all night and went to bed with a tear...or five hundred..~~

But woke up this morning ready to tackle the day.

I had a relaxed trail ride with Sue... until my horse refused to walk through mud. We fought. I growled. She refused. And refused. And then...Sue asked her horse to walk through and the battle was over. Callie walked through the mud and perked her ears up relaxed entirely, and walked home with no further issues. Normally, I'd get upset and wonder what I did wrong. Today, I'm chalking it up to the fact that she is a mare. Horse term for "Woman." And she just didn't feel like doing it, so she didn't. Until she felt like it. I'm still calling it a win...yes, yes I am.

Then, I went to the gym and ran two miles. ~~Well, I walked in between my slow, awkward jaunt.~~ But my scale says I'm five pounds down and I used that as motivation...to jaunt a little faster. That's a win, too.

My apartment is still in boxes (yet our apartment across the hall is not yet ready...so I've had boxes for a month..not great feng shui) but I had great intentions to at least tidy. Put the 4 loads of laundry I did away. Do the dishes that I was too lazy to do last night. Vacuum. Sweep.

You know what?
I had great intentions for the house work and the things that should be getting done, but today I think I'm going to keep focusing on me- because it feels good to do sometimes.

I'm going to snuggle with my cat (who seems to love it lately). I'm going to take silly pictures of him playing with hair ties. (Because he doesn't like the 9,000 toys we bought.) I'm going to make well-intentioned lists of things for me to do, for Chad to do, and for us to do. I'm going to dry my hair. Put on some mascara. Blast some soul music. (Today's soul feels like twangy country.)

You know what? My intentions are STILL good. They're great, actually. Because being self-centered once in a while is pretty healthy. At least it feels like it!

A-Z.

2011-09-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

A. Age: twenty-two.

B. Bed size: California Queen

C. Chore that you hate: I HATE doing dishes..and vacuuming. But I'll vacuum if you move everything out of my way so I don't have to.

D. Dogs: I cannot wait to have a dog. Our apartment says no. If I need a fix I usually go to my parents' house where there are two goldies waiting to play!

E. Essential start to your day: Stretching, cracking my back, (SO gross, I know) and a cup of tea or coffee. Moreso tea lately.

F. Favorite color: Burgundy

G. Gold or Silver: Silver...or white gold.

H. Height: 5’9"

I. Instruments you play: I used to play clarinet...& I used to sing...but nothing anymore. I'd like to learn guitar.

J. Job title: Residential Counselor.

K. Kids: None right now, despite all of my recent dreams of being pregnant and having babies. I'd love a boy and a girl someday.

L. Live: Eastern Massachusetts.

M. Mother’s name: Melody

N. Nicknames: Janelley, Janellafer

O. Overnight hospital stays: None yet, unless you count the overnight shifts I just love to work...

P. Pet peeves: Nail biting. Tail gating. When I sneeze and no one says "bless you." Toilet seat up. Ignorance.

Q. Quote from a movie: "I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough." -Noah, the Notebook

R. Right or left handed: Lefty!

S. Siblings: Two younger sisters, Joanna and Megan.

U. Underwear: Mine is grey today...and comfy, if you get my drift.

V. Vegetable you hate: Oh goodness...I cannot stand onions unless they are diced itty bitty.

W. What makes you run late: Traffic. I HATE being late and mostly always leave early.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth, MRI after a horse fall, my lower back, my left wrist, my left and right feet.

Y. Yummy food that you make: Bread! Wheat & Banana...Cookies...Soups...

Z. Zoo animal: Tigers. :)

2011-09-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

I'm not one to be terribly open on the internet with my personal life, and I don't plan on changing that now.

But the past couple of weeks haven't been the easiest for me.

God Gave Me You

This is all.

I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

Back to Reality.

2011-09-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

We got back from vacationing (twice!) at the end of August, and September is now here. As promised, my hunt for a full time job is now in double full swing (double the resumes being sent out now!) and I am back to picking up as many hours as I can.

It's hard to go from seeing him all the time for almost two weeks to getting shoved back to our normal lives, him saying goodbye in the morning at 630 and me coming home to him fast asleep at almost midnight. Some people laugh when I complain and say, "It's a blessing in disguise," but it's not. Sometimes, two people are just better together.

Yesterday, after feeling particularly sorry for myself, I was surprised with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers that Chad picked for me.

Tonight they're what I have to remind me of how lucky I am, as he's at work until 7 tomorrow morning.

Love you, darling.

The Before Vacation Post

2011-08-25T15:31:00.001-07:00

We got back late last week from our week long vacation in a lovely house on Lake Ossipee with most of our friends! It was a perfect week.

Wednesday we celebrated our anniversary of two years with a trip to the Outback (originally were going to stay in and do NOTHING but we had a free meal there, so we figured we'd use it!)

TOMORROW, we're heading North to Gorham New Hampshire for a golf tournament (Chad's playing, I'll be sunbathing and waiting for him to be mine in the afternoons!) until Sunday night and possibly early morning, depending how Hurricane Irene hits.

Always the day before vacation there's lots to do- laundry, dishes, pet sitting arrangements, going to the gym one last time before a weekend away, and doing the silly errands that would have been on your mind all weekend had you not gotten them out of the way.

So that's what I'm doing with my night off.

That and eating this lovely spaghetti squash- and perhaps opening a bottle of wine for dessert :)

Enjoy your weekend!

Two years tomorrow...

2011-08-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks two years of Chad and Janelle.

Janelle fell in love with Chad years ago- but life ran its course and they weren't meant to be together.

Until two years ago.

It took a long time, but it was worth the wait.

No relationship is perfect- that's impossible, since no person is perfect, either. But to look at someone, past the flaws, past the baggage, past the...everything, and see nothing but pure love & a person that is perfect for YOU, is what matters most.

We celebrated last Friday night at a lovely italian restaurant. Our friends were playing music that night, and we dressed up for a night of romantic dining and wining. Two years down. No one in the room existed but us. It was perfect.

gluten free, for me?

2011-08-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

The past few months I've dealt with (and blogged about, and complained of) some pretty icky symptoms that have really made every day life difficult. Exhaustion, headaches, gastro-issues... are all just a couple of the many symptoms I've been dealing with.

In an effort to regain normal life again, I've made the choice to eliminate gluten from my diet after some pretty extensive research.

While getting actually tested would be an easier way of figuring this out, my insurance only covers a tiny amount of the procedures so I am taking the "trial and error" approach.

So far, today's meals have included eggs with salsa, a salad with grilled chicken & snacks have been hummus and carrots and a pickle (BECAUSE I LOVE THEM!) I've also had a few cups of tea & plenty of water- so far, there's been no real denying myself of anything yet- except for a beer, but that just means I can have wine instead ;)

Anyway, we are just getting home from a week long vacation in New Hampshire. Back to work and reality tomorrow :(

Sleepless nights, cookie mornings, & a product review.

2011-08-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

If I can't sleep the night before, I try to be as productive as possible the next day so that I can be extra tired when it comes time for bed- let me tell ya, I've been quite productive the past few days!

This morning I skipped out on the barn...I was just too tired and needed to get a couple extra hours of sleep in. When I woke up I immediately began rummaging through my ~~organized~~ cabinets looking for something to bake.

Sugar, baking soda, baking powder, flour, vanilla..fresh eggs and butter?!

Since it wouldn't be a kitchen story without a blooper from me, I'd like to confess that I added the sugar in with the dry ingredients instead of whisking it in with the butter. (They taste fine. My mouth's a bit burnt, but they taste fine!)

We're moving soon, so my living room is currently separated into two wings- the "keep and move" wing and the "can we please go through this and get rid of as much as possible" wing. I stay out of that room a lot lately. I don't like clutter. Or piles.

I headed into the office to clean the litterbox.
Carson is half bengal, and LOVES the water. He currently eats Max Cat all natural food- half a can of wet in the morning and a bowl of dry at night. DO NOT try to give him dry in the morning. Oh my.

A while back I was getting worried because no matter how often I cleaned his box, it smelled, had a TON of kitty pee, and the litter turned to cement and was all over the box so I had to clean it thoroughly every day. I wondered about switching his food, this that and the other thing, and finally decided on (after my mom assured me it was just him, and he had been seen by a vet a few years prior) the fact that my wonderful ~~son~~ cat just had an overactive bladder. He always went IN the box, so that's a plus, right?

I heard about a cat litter that was supposed to be brilliant. It is made out of corn fibers and baking soda and was all natural. I picked up a bag, figuring it was the same price as the other bag we used and it was worth a shot-

Arm & Hammer Essentials Natural Clumping Cat Litter

I'm human. Sometimes I forget- this is more common if I'm working a 16 hour shift, or if I have a lot to do in the morning (like pack up an apartment) before work.

His litterbox sometimes suffers.

I went three days this week. I've already slapped my own wrist, trust me- but this morning I went to clean the box.

No odor.
No cement.
Perfect clumps.

There was NO proof that I'd waited more than my usual once a day to clean his bathroom.

I was afraid he wouldn't like the corn fiber- but he seems to be fine with it. Not only that, but it's softer and more inviting than regular litter, and the bag is so light, I don't have to worry about people staring at me while I walk in with nine bags of groceries and a bag of litter- (yes, I try to make only one trip!)

If you have kitties, and you enjoy the all natural stuff, please give this a try!

We are moving.

2011-07-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Not to the secret that I had planned. Said secret did not work out. Said secret didn't fall through...Chad put an offer on a gorgeous townhouse but someone else offered more.

So we are moving across the hallway, into a brand new and updated apartment. We will have new rugs, appliances, a dishwasher, a new tub, new doors, etc. It's still pretty exciting. Move in date is scheduled for September first.

(However, we'll be away August 12-19th, 20th, 22nd, and the 26th-28th. I'm starting a wee bit early.)

With that said, I am looking forward to getting rid of all of the clutter that has accumulated. Chad came into the apartment with things from a house, so we have a lot of "stuff" that just has no place in a 900 square foot apartment. We only planned on staying here a year, so there are a lot of "housey" and "homey" things we didn't do, just based on spending money on a place we weren't interested in staying in.

However, with the idea that we'll be here yet another year, I am taking charge. I am putting things in boxes (even though its a three foot commute...) and I am going through each individual item. There will be many a trash bag filled. I am PURGING myself of the clutter.

A clean home is a happy home, and the truth is, with our apartment, it's been hard to consider it "homey" at all. I'm hoping through getting rid of (most) of our stuff we will have a better handle on the place and it will be easier to look at the apartment with a smile on my face.

What did you do to purge yourself of the "stuff?"
Did you have a hard time getting rid of anything?

So here I go, packing away, and I'm drinking diet coke tonight. I've been great this week.

2011-07-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

1. I ridded myself of the awful burden of a constantly breaking blackberry...and bought the iphone yesterday.

2. It's HOT! I rode Callie yesterday at 8am before it got sweltering. She was VERY forward although as she got tired I felt her sucking back and getting behind the bit, so we cut it short after a couple "beeyootiful" circles and she got a good hose down. As much as I've been putting them off, the spurs are working pretty well- she requires much less begging to go forward and is very responsive off of my leg.

Speaking of leg, I had another lesson last night! I rode my instructor's beautifully trained thoroughbred, Milly. Chandra was my instructor when I was 15. This woman pushed and pushed until you felt like you had nothing left to try, and then pushed you more- she definitely made me a great rider and was probably one of the biggest reasons I felt so confident training Callie by myself.
Chandra and I went back to basics. It's been a LONG time since I had lessons, and even longer since my lessons were something different than working with a young horse and just being excited when she walked in a straight line...so it's been a bit of a culture shock, but I'm looking forward to fine tuning what I believe is a pretty strong foundation ;)

Last night, Chandra did something I hadn't experienced in YEARS. I was TOLD to take my feet out of my stirrups- this isn't a big deal, really, but I found myself doing the same grimace and yelling out, "I love you Chandra," as I slowly crossed my stirrups, hoping she'd say she was joking.

Chandra had me work far more off of my thighs than my calves, which I had no idea I did so much. We worked on transitions, and when I finally did take my stirrups back (and she lengthened them to normal length...) I could feel the difference in my seat and the way I was riding. I love lessons with Chandra, because she pushes and pushes and I can almost see the lightbulb above my head every lesson. We finished with a few circles of trot work and I hosed Milly off, excited to begin my journey with this snobby mare.

Today I woke up pretty sore..and since it's so hot, I'm staying in the AC, doing laundry, baking bread, cleaning up, and packing for our weekend in Pennsylvania for my cousin's wedding.

working...out.

2011-07-17T08:57:00.001-07:00

I've never been an athelete. The closest I got was in high school when I was in a chorus line- a highly dance-driven musical.

Riding horses IS athletic. You use your legs, your core, your upper body, all at different times and balance is incredibly important. I'm good at riding, I think.

I'm good at walking. With the right shoes, Ill walk forever.

I'm ok at biking. My mountain bike is pretty sweet and I like riding- I can keep up a pretty good pace and my heartrate booms.

I am NOT good at running. My feet point inwards and that's how I run. Pigeon toed? Something toed. I need to learn to run correctly so I don't get tired super quickly like I do. Excuse? Maybe.

One thing I'm quite good at, as you may have seen, are the excuses that keep me from working out.

Some of my favorites:
I'm too busy.
I need to do laundry.
I haven't eaten yet (I actually thought this the other day. Hilarious!)
I need me time.
I should send in some resumes. I should clean.

Now, at the time of thinking them, all of these seemed legit enough to me. That's terrible!

Since today is Sunday, and I'm also a big fan of lists, I'm going to create this week's workout regimine.

Sunday:
Off. (I'm also not feeling well today, so this works out fine.)

Monday:
One hour stalls, plus 30 minutes horseback riding.
20 minutes strength/weights.

Tuesday:
1 hour walk with Chad, unless he'd rather kayak for a couple hours. I do know we'll be outside. Ill update this once I know.

Wednesday:
45 minutes horseback riding.
30 minutes bike riding after the barn.
15 minutes strength.

Thursday:
45 minutes riding.
Possibly a 30 minute lesson, for a total of an hour and fifteen minutes riding.
30 minute walk. (2miles.)

Friday:
45 minutes riding
20 minute walk
15 minutes strength

Saturday:
Dance the night away at a wedding!

In an effort to lower my BMI just a bit more, and to lose the last ten pounds or so, I'm hoping that eliminating the excuses, adding more variety to my workouts and scratching 100-200 calories from my daily intake...2 pounds a week would be a healthy goal.

Do you have a goal to meet, be it weight loss, muscle gain, a time to beat, etc? What keeps you motivated?

working hard!

2011-07-15T17:52:00.001-07:00

Today I went to the barn ready to get my head in the game. Our last ride I was feeling pretty distracted with a few things that have been going on so it felt good to go with a clear mind.
Normally when I ride, its just to ride enjoy myself- trails, small bit of collection, jumping, etc. I hadn't had a lesson in a long time so it didn't seem to make sense to do something I wasn't confident in, right? Well, right or wrong, I've had a lesson and hope to continue- and even after just one, I'm feeling confident in asking for a bit more from Callie.

The bugs were eating her before we even went out, so most of our ride was at the trot or canter to keep the flies at bay. Most of the ride was on a 40 meter circle. I pushed her into a medium trot, and worked on holding my contact steady while driving her into the bit and using her hind end. Callie was a bit argumentative when she realized I had spurs on...but she eventually realized that she didn't feel them too often if she kept the impulsion.
One problem I did have, was feeling her leaning on my hands. I pushed her forward and tried to lift her with my body (shoulders, chest, core) but she leaned and was quite heavy in my hands. Overall, though, for a pretty intense ride for us, she was great and did everything I asked.

...She even picked up a lovely canter from the walk in both directions! It felt great and will only get better. She did it perfectly once and threw in 5-6 trot steps max- but its something we've just started so I was very happy with her intentions!

After the ride I saw that lovely indicator that the horse is using her tushie- that white sweaty foam we like to call butt butter! (If you're not a horse person, I probably sound disgusting. Sorry.)

I gave her a good hosing, (she even drank from the hose !) and took her outside to eat grass as a reward. Its so calming watching her.

Wish I could see her every day. Lately I've been wishing I had rough board options closer to home. Half an hour is a long drive especially with gas prices...its at least good to know that she is so well taken care of by such great people!

Movin' on up.

2011-07-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

After years of not taking a lesson, I had my first dressage lesson on Monday with a 12 year old Thoroughbred named Cure. He's 17 hands...which, from my 15 hand mare is... massive... and he was a blast ! The lesson went well- for all the time off I've had I think it could have gone much worse. The best part was taking the knowledge away and using it with my ride on Callie the next day. I'm hoping to try to get a weekly-or-so lesson in and tidy up my dressage- so here's to REALLY riding again!

Unfortunately, I'm still completely distracted over a few things, one being this huge secret that I can't say much about yet- hint, though- I'm not pregnant, as I was recently asked. I wish I could have enjoyed my ride a bit more today as Callie was very forward and I could tell she was being driven into the bit more, though she tends to get long and heavy at times.

I wanted to make something today and had nothing in my fridge but cucumbers and an empty-except-for-the-juice pickle jar..so I "made" pickles. Pathetic today.

On one last itty bitty note, please say a prayer for a dear friend of mine who is going through a heckuvah time at the moment...life works in mysterious ways sometimes.

2011-07-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

You know when you ~~REALLY~~ REALLY wanna say something?

But..you can't?

Because...it's a secret?

I'm feeling that way RIGHT now.

Our first Vacation

2011-07-11T05:53:00.000-07:00

Chad and I have been together almost two years and just this past weekend took our first vacation together. This is NOT an "Igotpaidtoreviewthisplace" post, but we stayed at a lovely place called the Mt. Coolidge Motel. We checked in after a day of outlet shopping in Maine and the owner, Kevin, was extremely friendly and suggested a place to eat dinner once we were settled. Our room was quaint and comfortable, and talk about clean! The view from the room overlooked a gorgeous little river- what a perfect way to fall asleep every night, listening to the moving water.

Woodwards was fabulous, and we had a two for $twenty-two deal on our meals. Our waitress was wonderful and checked in with us just the right number of times, and our Robert Mondavi Cabernet arrived quickly. (We were happy about that!)

After dinner we went out back where there was a trout pond and fed the trout and the ducks- I was SO excited- it was really, really cool!

We went back to our room and relaxed Friday night with movies, Red Sox, and eachother's conversation.

Saturday morning we woke up and went next door to the Mt. Coolidge. Our breakfast server was lovely and so friendly- she suggested a hike to see the Georgian Waterfalls, which we immediately did after getting our sneakers!

Afterwards we decided to catch the Brewery Tour at Woodstock Pub- long story short, we tasted every beer, finally asked for a full glass of their Oatmeal Stout, bought two Growlers of Pig's Ear Ale & their Rasberry Wheat, and met a great couple and sat talking and drinking with for five hours! They were so sweet, we ended up going to their place for dinner a little later on and hope to keep in touch :)

Chad went swimming in the mid afternoon and we tossed a beach ball around- we're such little kids :) Chad also went fishing behind our motel room and caught at 10" Brook Trout!

Sunday morning we left early after packing our things. It's good to be home, but we had such a blast on our vacation that we both decided that if we have some extra cash we'll be heading up there again sooner than later just to get away for a little while.

I took Chad for his birthday steak and then we went to the Pet store to buy Delilah some food- I found the most gorgeous beta I'd ever seen...and Chad insisted that I had to have him. He has no name yet, but I think he is gorgeous!

Today's ride...

2011-07-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Today we took the ponies for a trail ride. Callie wasn't too interested in too much collection so it was just an easy hack- it was hot and buggy, and she was LAZY, but we had a pretty easy ride and her and Dart were very well behaved, besides for the buck she threw after being left behind while Dart cantered away and jumping/twisting in midair over the puddle...

Anyway, Sue got a couple of pictures of us.

just a girl and her horse.

2011-07-06T07:58:00.001-07:00

Got to the barn today and it was already HOT! Since we had a fabulous ride yesterday and she was very good despite preferring jumping to dressage, I decided to play around with something we haven't done in a while: groundwork!

Callie can be lazy on the lead, which I'm sure transfers to her being lazy under saddle, so we worked on her staying right with me and moving off of pressure. She was great and we even did some showmanship, which she seeemed to remember VERY well from when she was a little yearling. Once something clicks with her, it's practically engrained after a quick reminder. It makes me look like I know what I'm doing.

After a little while I decided to just attempt to see if she'd do it freely. Walk, trot, halt, back, no lead line.

She did ! And she was stellar. Then there was a jump set up, and we went over that together too, and she stayed right with me.

Well, I made the mistake of walking by the gate (which I left open since I'm sooo trusting...it leads to her paddock, no worries) and she was walking with me until I saw her look at the gate. No lie- she looked AT the open gate, BACK at me, and then started walking away towards the open area. I said, "No no Callie," and she immediately took off and refused to let me catch her for ten minutes, just prancing and being silly.

When I did get her back, we did the jump once and then I hopped on for a minute to cool her down. I asked her for a couple trot circles in each direction and she immediately rounded herself, had a lovely bend and my reins pretty much stayed loose as she worked almost entirely off of my leg.

(This is probably not a major accomplishment for horses that have gone through consistent training. However...we've only been in "consistent" training a few months at a time out of a 4 yaer riding span...and our current stretch is 3-4 days a week for a month and a half, and this is the first time she's really, truly "gotten" it and gets round and bends without breaking the contact every three or four strides.)

Good mare. :)

Now I'm off to get a haircut...which I'm petrified to do because I've had so many icky ones in the past year...say a prayer or something. Thanks.

ALSO:
If you'd like to know a little bit more about me (and the love of my life) please head over to She Got Married! We're being featured this week!

hardcore.

2011-07-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

In an effort to be in shape (whatever that means) Chad and I have been spending more time outdoors. (Also, there is an effort to be more tan. Hooray for summer!)

Saturday, on a whim he decided my birthday present was going to be this bad boy:

We took them out (he has one too!) for a good two hours. It was a blast!

Sunday we relaxed, drank beer and ate delicious food. We were supposed to see a movie at 9:30 at night...however, we are not stupid. We know ourselves and eachother. We do not leave the house after 7 unless you're REALLY, REALLY awesome. We went home and watched a movie, and fell asleep on the couch. Typical.

Monday I had to work, but we decided since it was beautiful out, we'd take the mountain bikes out. (That had been my graduation gift. Can you tell my boyfriend is an outdoorsman?)

We got lost on the trails for a bit (luckily it wasn't as bad as we thought!) and got to explore the beautiful town we live in. We even caught up to a gorgeous deer who just stared at us from twenty feet away! She was beautiful. Times you wish you had the camera...

Today I rode Callie with Sue and Dart. Callie was on the bit, consistent, and even did a simple lead change at the canter with only three trot steps. This is the second time we've attempted simple changes. This mare blows my mind with how willing she is. The only buck she threw was in the same corner she always does to catch her balance a bit more as she tends to lean in. More canterwork will fix this, I'm sure. In the heat though I tend not to run her entirely ragged. We did a few smaller circles today and she seems to be holding herself up a bit more. Now that college is over for me, I've been able to ride more and hold her accountable for things we haven't had the time to work on. I feel like in a month she's come along so far. Spending her four first riding years in college certainly set us back a bit but this mare is just so quick to learn and eager to please that every ride feels beautiful. There's very rarely a time where she's done something out of spite or crankiness.

To give you another picture, here's us jumping a bag of shavings next to a wheelbarrow with a pole set over it...(this is HARDCORE, not ghetto.)

And now, I'm sitting at home in my breeches still, two loads of laundry in the wash and a cat box to clean. Life.

At least I'm hardcore everywhere else...

The things we have.

2011-07-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

I was walking down the stairs in my apartment about..5 seconds ago..and found myself thinking, "I want my own house. I want a dog. I want a yard. I want this. I want that." And you know what? I think wanting is grand and it's a good work ethic builder and all of that stuff...but sometimes I catch myself thinking about "I want" more than "I have."

Do you know what I have?

A VERY healthy body (it's tired sometimes, but that's fixable.)
A roof over my head.
An adoring person to share my life, dreams, and goals with.
Two parents that are young, healthy, and vibrant. (And still married. I'm sad that this is an accomplishment nowawadays, but either way, you both have been through SO much already in your lives and to go through it together and act like you do it so gracefully is a beautiful thing and I am proud to be your daughter.)
A precious kitty cat who reminds me about the joys of waking up early (and also reminds me that I don't need any human children for..quite a few years.)
A brand new car. How many twenty-somethings can say that?
A job. Although I'll complain about the hours on a daily basis...I have a job. And I get by. And that's good enough for me.
A somewhat..dysfunctional family, but who's isn't & we love eachother.
A college degree.
A horse who is not only a pet, but one of the most important parts of my life.

In the spirit of July 4th, I have freedom to wake up in the morning and step outside of my apartment and know that I am safe and free to do or be whatever and whoever I want to be.

THESE are the important things. My car may not be a Lexus, my horse may not be a grand prix show jumper, my clothes may not be all designer, my apartment may not be "luxury," and my job may only be part time..but that's okay. There will always be things that we don't have that we'd like for our own, and there will always be someone who has more than us that we may see green for a while...but as long as we also have these moments when we're walking in the hallways of the safe and sound apartments we rent, carrying laundry and quarters, I think wanting something isn't so bad.

'Cuz afterall...someday I'll have a house..and a yard..and a dog..

Everyone, have a fun and SAFE weekend celebrating our country's independence!

Wine and Love Thursday

2011-06-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

Why I'm drinking wine this week...
-I don't have many hours at work. I'm bored. Boo!
-I'm exhausted constantly! I don't know why I'm so tired since I'm sleeping 8 hours a night. I guess waking up 9,000 times doesn't count as restful sleep, though...
-I cannot wait for my terrible neighbors to move. I hate conflict. They fight all the time and are loud and...just not good people, but that's all I can really share. They must hate that all Chad and I do is laugh all day.

Why I love this week...
-Chad and I spend Tuesday night actually enjoying wine and eachother. Those nights are amazing and don't happen very often since we have opposite work schedules.
-Callie has been absolutely amazing lately! Every ride is just stellar and I'm so proud of having such an awesome horse where I can just hop on and have a brilliant ride no matter the day.
-Beach...tan...that's all I need to say!
-I bought Chad's birthday present today :)
-I'm in for an awesome and busy weekend!

Lists, birthdays, and summer

2011-06-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

. I just tried on a pair of size 6 jeans from high school. And. They. Fit.
(Victory dance.) Sparkpeople is fantastic, folks. So is working out..apparently.

. I just booked our weekend getaway in New Hampshire! Chad's birthday and my birthday are two days apart, and this year it falls on a weekend. So, Friday the 8th, my birthday, we leave, and come back late on the 10th, his birthday. I am beyond excited!

. I am catching up with laundry and housework. Apartmentwork. Whatever work.

. I am fully aware that I posted much more when I had lots of homework, papers, and finals going on. How does that work?

. Pictures keep popping up from the wedding- very rarely do I feel absolutely gorgeous, as I'm very plain and usually wear jeans and a t-shirt or shorts and a tank, and minimal make-up...but the photos that were taken from this weekend honestly were stunning. (Like I said, I RARELY feel beautiful so don't tease me about this!) Here's my new favorite:

Chad likes this one too =)

. Callie has been absolutely phenomenal the past few rides. Yesterday and today she was just fabulous and I think she likes hearing me tell her "goooood giiiiirl" throughout the ride!

. I've put resumes out to a couple of places...hoping for some call backs. My goal is to have a full time job by the beginning of October at the latest. Ideally, September.

. I'm considering looking for a part time job for the summer since my part time job is no longer...and I could use the extra cash until I get a full time spot.

. I'm still enjoying reading way more. There's no place to read outside at my apartment unless I go to the swingset...which I'm considering doing since I don't get to go to the beach on days I work. Even an hour would be lovely.

Have a lovely Wednesday!

Amazing Wedding!

2011-06-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

The wedding I went to yesterday with Chad was just beautiful.
We got our hair and makeup done, and I must say all the bridesmaids looked amazing.
The ceremony was perfect. Short and sweet, definitely, but it was beautiful and to the point- life isn't complete without love and friendship is basically what she said, in a nutshell.

Needless to say, Chad and I danced the night away. He was a fabulous dancer and I wish people would get married more often so that we could dance like that more! The reception was awesome, we had an absolute blast. It was a great night out with our best friends!

Here are some pictures from the evening!

Us :)

"You make me feel like dancing!"

Groomsmen...the Groom is in the black vest!

Me and the Bride!

What. A. Ham.

2011-06-22T05:33:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up late.
Later than usual. I ate breakfast, (did you know that TVP takes on the texture of oatmeal...without the carbs? Just add some cinnamon. I also added a teensy bit of splenda. Stop judging, I see you already.)

It's been a busy week and it's about to get busier. I didn't post about my Dad, didn't wish him a Happy Father's Day via blog, but I assure you it's because I did it in person.

I went to the beach and got a...tan. Yes, I'm a little red in a few places, but four hours at the beach with an equally beach bummy mother and a fabulous lunch packed with tons of diet coke (I see you've found my weakness for artificial sweeteners...) made for a perfect day. And my hair is getting lighter and blonder. Sometimes I'm really vain...but I like my blond hair.

I also like reading on my kindle. And FINALLY finished Water for Elephants. I need new book suggestions. Go!

Last night we celebrated my friend Sue's 30th Birthday with Karaoke and drinks. I had two beers and surprisingly was okay, (darling boyfriend made me wild rice and chicken for dinner- I think he knew we I needed it based on the fact that the night before, one beer after work sent me over the edge. ...Well, I was dangling.

Happy Birthday Sue!

My summer job mucking stalls, as it turns out, is not going to happen after July, because the woman who left for the summer is coming back. This means I have to really start applying for jobs and kicking my tukas with perfecting my resume. The job had great people, decent pay, and it got me going early in the morning with basically an hour workout of lifting, and shoveling, and wheelbarrowing. Oh well, I guess that means I need to start running in the morning to replace that.

Also- speaking of working out and such- anyone use sparkpeople.com? It's an online calorie counter/food diary website, but it's not just about watching what you eat. You get points for tracking your food, workouts, reading articles (that are actually super informing and easy to read!) and it definitely is motivating. There are groups and message boards, as well! And no, no one asked me/paid me/gave me cookies for writing this- I've been using it for about a week now religiously and I can definitely say I was shocked to see exactly what I was eating! The first three days I went over my carbs AND fat grams by 5-10. Then I started being more aware of what I was consuming and how much working out I needed to do in ADDITION to eating the right way.

Tonight I'm working 3-11, and then here's how the rest of the week will pan out:

Thursday:
-Stalls, 7am
-Ride, 9am
-Make veggie platter for Bachelorette after party
-Drop off veggie platter. 2pm?
-Gym
-Home, get ready for bachelorette party
-Bachelorette Party, 6pm
-Commence Pass out.
Friday:
-Stalls, 7am
-Nail Appointment for wedding, 10am
-Gym?
-Rehearsal for wedding. 4pm.
-Rehearsal dinner, 6pm.
-Spending the night at a hotel with 9 other bridesmaids and a fabulous bride-to-be!
Saturday:
-Make-up/Hair, 7-8am
-Sit around, dote over bride, be silly, perhaps enjoy a mimosa or four, get ready for wedding, 8-3pm
-WEDDING, 4pm
-Dance the night away!

I'm tired thinking about it. At least Chad is in the wedding too and we're both old people so we'll be the only ones crashing at 11pm ;)

Anyway, I'm going to catch up on some laundry and go take care of my last couple days of my summer job...awesome!

Meet me on Monday!

2011-06-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

1. What is your favorite yogurt flavor?

I love Chobani Greek Yogurt- and when I bought them last week, I bought 8 different flavours. The one I adored the most? Blackberry! But most of the time, I prefer plain so I can make it fabulous with honey, walnuts, and dried cranberries.

2. Ankle or knee socks? and on the same theme, white socks or coloured??

Ankle socks in the summer/gym..and I actually prefer black ankle socks to white....but in the winter I love wearing knee socks with my fun heeled boots.

3. How is the weather right now?

At the moment, there's no sun and it's about 60 degrees. Burr. (After a few 90+ days..this is simply stupid.

4. Are you a fast typer?

I used to be much faster- (ps; I just wrote fatter by accident and kind of giggled.) but now I don't spend as much typing as I used to (gone are the days of AIM) so I've lost a bit of speed. I can still type without looking at the keyboard too, and I don't type traditionally so I think I'm pretty awesome for that...

5. Red or White Wine?

Cupcake Cabernet Sauvignon! (Red.)

2011-06-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

"Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?"

-Bob Marley

Horse people! Horse people!

2011-06-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

it's a mare's world

I love blogging. I've decided it. But sometimes I feel like my mare Callie just..deserves..more.

So I made her a blog, too.

If you're a horse person, and you like horse people who are infatuated with equine activities, come on over!

Simply..simple.

2011-06-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was post #50...That's just an itty bitty milestone in my little blog life...but anyway.

Last night I felt oh so very homemaker-ish. It was about 10pm. I was sitting on the computer, bored, with a mostly-clean apartment and not a ton of ambition. What I normally do when I'm bored is reach for the handle on the fridge. (I never said I was perfect.) Well, tonight when I did, I noticed a lovely little cauliflower, sitting all alone.

Remember this post? Well, I decided to roast some cauliflower and then mash it up with my awesome hand mixer (still don't know the actual name...) and whip up some diet mashed potatoes.

Then, the oven was still hot, and I looked in my pantry. Chick peas. I could totally roast those. So I drained and rinsed the huge can, sprayed 'em with some pam, and salt and peppered them before roasting for about 15 minutes. They're so good, and an awesome snack!

I realize I didn't cook up a turkey dinner with homemade cranberry sauce and gram's secret gravy recipe, but this was a milestone for me. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I had a small cup of veggie juice and had a couple bites of my creations. Not bad for reaching for the fridge door, huh?

Let's backtrack for a second- back to the mashed "potatoes." Whenever I use that mystery hand mixer that my mom gave me, which belonged to my great-grandmother, I think of her being in her apartment in Brooklyn teaching my mom how to use it. How simple (and maybe more difficult!) it was to "make-ah-da-sauce" (Italians talk funny sometimes.) They didn't have processors. I know what you're thinking- duh...

I looked around my own apartment. We live so simply. Yes, Chad has his big TV, but we have a small kitchen table that was my grandfather's. Our couch is a love seat from my parents' set. We don't have much. It's mostly second hand.

But I wouldn't trade this life for much else.

I'm a simple person. I don't need "things" to be happy or survive. I thrive off of love, happiness, laughter, (weird, isn't all that in my blog address?) and family. I mean, let's face it, I went into a pretty selfless career path.

Sometimes Chad says "must be nice to have a big house and a boat and three SUVS and a private jet and a town named after your first dog" but I don't think it would be. Money is nice, but it's not what makes a person. I know that even given the chance, I would not be interested in the slightest in having a huge house. (A huge yard is another thing. My only dream is to have Callie in my backyard and a nice garden.)

It almost makes me sad to hear him say things like that. I want him to see the beauty in the small, simple place we have. Sure, we don't own it, but that's not entirely important. There's a little saying "Home is wherever I am with you."

That's how I'm feeling today.

Life as a Graduate.

2011-06-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, I completed my studies as an undergraduate and earned my bachelor's degree of arts in Psychology.

Look at me ! I did it !

I've definitely been neglecting blogging, but I'll give you the run down of what's going on right now.

1. I've slowly and steadily been thoroughly cleaning the apartment and getting into a routine of dusting, sweeping, mopping, etc. I've gone through all of my clothes and purged a ton. I've also gone shopping a couple of times, which was nice to do since I never have extra money for clothes. There is an adorable second hand shop in Newburyport where I was able to get a beautiful silk dress that I will hopefully wear to dinner tomorrow.

2. I've been working! House sitting pays well, plus I worked my "normal" job on top of it...AND was hired do muck stalls for the summer at a barn very close by 6 days a week, so I'm basically getting paid to work out in the morning, and it pays for Callie's rent. I've seen a lot of people I hadn't seen in years at this barn- it was lovely to see them all! I even gave my old farrier a big hug. He told me I was one of the best people he knew and he'd always trim my horse. Needless to say, I asked him to come back. I love his work. If you're looking for a farrier in Eastern Mass, please get in touch with me.

3. Speaking of Callie, she found her calling. I took her out with my friend Sue today to ride in the woods instead of the ring, and we did some schooling in the big field. I don't give her enough credit. I'm always babying her and thinking she can't canter normally anywhere but the riding ring. Well, she proved me silly when I asked her to canter and she was relaxed but forward, and very sure of her footing. Good mare! She loved jumping in the woods too, and got a little silly and excited after going over a little log but it was so nice to see her enthusiastic about something for a change! I'm hoping to do lots more of that with her. She's been just great.

4. I've been couponing. Kind of. I read "How to Shop for Free" and now I'm a little excited about getting my Fage greek yogurt for free. If that's all I learn how to do, I'm okay with it. :)

5. If you're ever a bridesmaid, don't do what I did and listen to the lady at David's Bridal who tells you your dress is too small and the size up runs small so you could just buy the next size. She's trying to get you to get alterations. This is my first time being a bridesmaid, so I'll just say "ooops" and move on, but I got my dress and it is literally two sizes too big. Luckily, Chad's grandmother is fantastic and is altering it for me tomorrow!

6. This blog will be getting a makeover. I'm not sure how to do pretty backgrounds and headers, but I'm learning, and this blog will feature a little more than just my will to be a great house keeper and recipe-learner. It'll be a little more about me, about my horse, & life in general. As I'm realizing a lot of my family from far away reads this blog I think it's a great way to keep in touch and keep others informed!

College is over...now what?

2011-05-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, just finishing college with no immediate plans to further your education, then you're probably feeling a bit...~~bored~~nervousexcitedanxious.

You're also feeling relieved.

Back to me.

College flew by- I'll give it that- and I wouldn't trade my experiences for the world. However, no one told me exactly what to do when classes were over...so I decided to tell myself what to do. Here's a list of a few things I've been doing since finishing college:

1. I've been reading. For fun. Water for Elephants is incredible, by the way. I have an Amazon Kindleand it is the best thing that has ever happened to me (and I can REALLY say that now since I have barely had time to use it until now!)

2. I've been working out. And slowly getting into a routine. Let's face it- when you've got 3 papers to write, 2 books to read, and 1 exam to take, that week is probably going to be out for a trip to the gym. I'm excited to start a fitness routine that I can do without thinking about the papers I need to write and the research I need to conduct.

3. I've been spending time with my horse. Not just riding. I used to pride myself on the bond I had with my horse, Callie, and even though today I still have a brilliant connection, I haven't been doing what I'd like to. Taking her for walks (yes, like a dog.) Brushing her for hours because I have nowhere to do. Playing tricks. Sitting in her stall and reading a book. These may be childish things to do, but I missed them.

4. I've been shopping. To go out. I haven't been out in...forever.
4a. I'm learning how to walk in heels. That youtube video would get millions of hits. It's BAD.

5. I'm learning to be okay with not being incredibly busy. Thriving off of stress worked (kind of) in school- I'm ready to shake that off.

6. I'm sleeping. I go to bed earlier...and wake up later...and until the sun is out constantly and it's 75 degrees when I wake up, I'm going to keep doing that and be okay with it!

7. I'm re-connecting. I'm calling my friends that I haven't seen and inviting them over for wine and cheese. (Chad, relax, I'll do it on a Thursday when you're out!)

8. I'm starting a savings account and adding to it frequently.

9. I'm cleaning. I just deep-cleaned my entire apartment. I went through my closet. I'm bringing some things to the local second hand shop. I'm getting rid of saddles and bridles and blankets for Callie that I don't need. I'm purging the old. Soaking up the new.

10. Yes, I'm revamping my resume and sending it out, networking, and marketing myself for my future career!

Ps; I'm also drinking lots of tea. And I cut back on coffee. One a day is fine; four or five to get through classes is not!

What are YOU doing now that you're out of college? What do you plan to do?!

Today,

2011-05-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

I had a delicious breakfast date with my darling boyfriend.

My to-do list is finished.

The sun is shining.

I am wearing a yellow cardigan.

The world has not yet ended.

I am officially in summer-body mode. (Trying on summer shorts/new bikini=you don't want to know.)

That's all.

Have a superb Saturday.

Maybe I'm procrastinating...

2011-05-19T05:51:00.000-07:00

I have a BIG to do list today.

Days off for me are more like 12 hour periods of being awake where I'm doing all that silly stuff that NEEDS to get done that I don't get paid for in cash, but appreciation by Chad. He notices when I do things. I love that about him.
And YES...even though I'm on the path to become the ULTIMATE homemaker...I still want people to tell me I do a good job. So...I digress.

I enjoy lists. I LOVE making long lists where I can check off the things I do. I have cute notepads with roosters all over them- very country and very...me. I don't know why I'm like a rooster, but you get the idea I hope.

Today, I have to:

-mop the kitchen floor
-clean the entire bathroom
-dust the apartment
-go food shopping (that needs its own list...)
-find time for the gym
-continue my now full one-day streak of eating healthy... (After a few days of..you don't WANT to know how good everything was..now I'm paying for it.)
-do the dishes
-lysol/clorox everything! (germ freak...)
-clean 5 stalls at the barn
-drive to someone else's barn and talk about my new summer job
-babysit my niece and nephew from 530-10
-fall asleep, because I'm working 7am-11pm tomorrow

Ps; I realize I enjoy parentheses and italics.
Pps; you do all of that for me, I'll bake you hundreds of your favorite cookie.
Oh, and; it's still raining.

Today is rainy.

2011-05-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

So I shall clean,

(this is not me.)

drink tea,

& knit.

(that is me.)

Hope you enjoy your day, whether the weather.

Want to hear me sing?

2011-05-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

I'd love for you to find "Blue Streak Band" on Facebook and friend us!

I hadn't performed since my sophomore year of college- it felt good to be back on stage! We'll hopefully be booking a few shows this summer.

(Oh, and if you couldn't tell, I'm the singer!)

My next (obvious) question....

What did you think?

Meet me on Monday.

2011-05-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

1. Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?
Oooh...I used to be a huge peanut butter fan. Now I only eat it on occasion, but when I do, it's
Teddy's. Smoooooth. Yum!

2. What is your favorite color Rose?
I enjoy deep red roses...but yellow ones make me think of my grandfather so if I had to choose...I'd pick yellow :)

3. Do you remove your shoes when you walk into your home?
Absolutely! I'm kind of a neat freak. I take off my riding boots before I get inside!

4. What is your favorite season?
Summer! I'm always outside in the summertime- walking, riding, bike riding, beach...I love the outdoors!

5. Approximately how many hours a day do you spend blogging?
Not many. I usually read everyone's new posts in the morning for about 15 minutes. I don't blog unless I have an idea completely laid out...but it's been a while so I decided to copy and paste this!

A "Thank You" Post!

2011-05-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I was reading my dashboard on Blogger and came across a "you could win!" post.
Then, about a week later, I came across THIS post.

I never win...anything. Ever. So to be the winner of an adorable little necklace was super exciting!

It came in the mail yesterday. I'd like to send a big thank you to Angie of Lariats and Lavender for this lovely little trinket...

Used Angie's photo since I don't have my camera today

Thanks again, Angie :)

Peace and Quiet.

2011-05-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I just want to be ALONE this week. But that's not possible. I have projects to finish, papers to write, work, (and when you work with people...well, being alone is not possible. This is the only week that I've ever wished I could have a cubicle to myself.) and I live with my very observant boyfriend who reads me like a book and makes me do that silly thing called talk about my feelings.

Okay...I actually love that about him. I swear it.

But, starting today, this week is a little different than most weeks. I'm house sitting for a wonderful lady with two dogs and two kitties that I proudly call my adopted children. And...for the most part, I'll be alone with just their lappy dog kisses, kitty snuggles, the dogs' happy howls, & my thoughts.

I'm going to run this week. I ran two days ago. As awkward as I feel while..~~flopping~~ running around, I enjoy the post-run, exhausted, sweaty, free feeling.
I'm going to eat healthy this week.
I'm going to write this week.
I'm going to enjoy this week.

Sometimes I think a little peace and quiet is good for the soul. It's been a long semester and I couldn't even tell you my favorite colour if you asked me right now, so I'm going to reintroduce myself to...myself.

Here's to peace and quiet.

The diet-er's mashed potatoes, running, & photography

2011-05-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

~~I need WAY better titles. Anyway.~~

A few weeks ago, my mom posted a comment to my blog. I was glad she figured out how to comment, but I didn't truly acknowledge the brilliancy that she left on xo, me.

Fast forward- this morning I had nothing to do. No work until 3. I woke up at 8 (major sleep in day, loved every second of this...) and had a cup of coffee, debated getting a haircut (but haircuts get me all nervous now since I can't find a place to get a trim for under $60...hence why I look like a ragamuffin...) & then decided against the haircut. I tidied up, went for a run, (okay, whatever, it was more walking then running, I can't help that I'm TERRIBLE at all things athletic) & got home. I sneezed nineteen-hundred times, then looked into my fridge and found the lovely cauliflower that was whispering, "prepare me."

Maybe it didn't say prepare. I was too mesmerized to actually listen to it ;)

Anyway- I remembered my mom's brilliant comment and decided to make the following diet-er's mashed potato recipe.

Cut up a head of cauliflower.
Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray it with cooking spray.
Spread the cauliflower out evenly and season with salt and pepper.
Cover with another sheet of foil and make a package.
Roast in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes until soft.
Carefully take off the top piece of foil and roast 15 more minutes.
Puree in a food processor with a half cup non fat plain Greek yogurt until smooth.
Yum! There's your new mashed potato recipe!
Love, Mom

Yum is right, mom! I don't have a food processor, so my mom gave me a family heirloom- my great grandmother's tomato sauce maker. (Nope, I don't know the real name, but I'm sure someone knows exactly what it is called besides a "handheld food processor" :) It took me a little longer, but all I could think about was my great-grandmother showing my mom how to make tomato sauce as a little girl- I love family stories like that.

In other news, Chad and I got out of the house the other day, despite the gross rain...and we went to a beautiful set of trails a couple of towns over so that he could go fishing. I had the camera and decided to practice some photography. It's just a little Canon Powershot SD780 IS, and Chad has a pretty good Nikon at home, but here's what I came up with with his point-and-shoot.

Hoping you all have a marvelous Monday!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

If you're a momma, (to a child/dog/cat/bird/fish/horse...) Happy Mother's Day! I hope you enjoyed the weather where you are (it's around 60..but it's sunny in my neck of the woods.)

My mother is my inspiration to be a homemaker, a baker, a cook-er. I look to her for guidance, for support, for love, for acceptance...she is the most beautiful person in the world to be.

Some pictures today...

2011-05-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

If you're a horseback rider don't look at me- because I don't take lessons anymore. There's my little disclaimer ;)

& thanks, Sue, for taking these pictures for us! This day was a blast, and Callie was great while we went for a trail ride and then just had a five minute 'photo shoot' in the riding ring. Yay for t-shirt weather and fantastic ponies!

Goals, goals, goals

2011-05-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

This lovely lady had an equally lovely idea, and I'm always one for taking ideas (and giving credit, duh!) She posted a few goals on her blog for May. Things to look forward to doing, things to keep her motivated.

I like it.

There are some things in May that I'd like to do. And you know I love lists. So here's a list of some things I'm planning on accomplishing in May!

1. GRADUATE COLLEGE!
2. Put my resume to at least 10 places.
3. Lose five pounds. Yes, just five. No rush.
4. Get into a workout routine. I've got some lovely trails that need some footprints.
5. Cook a healthy meal at least twice a week- and try three new recipes this month. (Yes...I know...but we only have two or three nights off together a week so this is actually QUITE ambitious!)
6. Go to the barn at least twice a week.
7. Dedicate more time to just me and pay more attention to my self care.

Obviously, since I'm nosy, I'd love to know what you'd like to do this May!

Just my daily workout...

2011-05-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

Okay. I'm joking. I wish I wasn't though. My friend sent me this and for a split second I got super motivated to do 100 jumping jacks. I see things like this and I think, oh gosh, that's so easy. I could totally do that. And then it comes down to it and I giggle to myself as I see it on my computer desktop.

But I'll tell you I'm going to try it, that I just haven't had TIME, or I haven't had ENERGY.

This post could be taken as a fitness tip, or a Silly Sunday picture. You choose!

Off to try this, (Or am I?)

Work trainings, self-care, &...bread & ice cream.

2011-04-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

This past week, I participated in a training for my job- it was basically a psychological first-aide training, where we learned how to handle events at work that may be traumatic and how to take care of ourselves in a field where you are responsible for other people.
One of the training questions we were asked, among questions about our job and why we were in the field, was, "What are you going to do this weekend to take care of yourself?"

What are you going to do, to take care, of, yourself.

I didn't have to think about it much- I know that the place I feel most comfortable at is the barn, with my horse Callie. I know that I just bought running shoes and that I feel REALLY good when I'm gross and sweaty and my heart's pumping. I know that I like enjoying my spare time with my best friends and sipping a glass of cabernet (Cupcake is my brand of choice- deelish!)

I also know that I love bread. And ice-cream. So today, after I rode my horse, visited my mom, & did my laundry, I broke out my bread maker and I made a loaf of bread. And I pulled out the ingredients to make this ice cream.

The bread came out great after 3 hours and 40 minutes in the bread machine my mom gave me- and yes, I tried it almost right away! Yum!

My bread- yum! :)

Tomorrow, I will watch the Royal Wedding. I will ride my horse. I'll have a night off with my love, and we'll have date night. Dinner, a movie, and "skinny girl" margaritas. We're watching our figures.

So...I'd love to know. What are you going to do this weekend to take care of YOUR-self?

In Case You're Wondering...

2011-04-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

I'm BUSY this week!
And I love lists. I list out everything. I even try to list what's most important first (though I usually do the things I WANT to do first, instead...) And, in case you're also wondering, I'm a huuge procrastinator. I like to say I thrive under pressure. (I know that's not the case.)

But, without further procrastination, here's my to-do list, sorted by day of the week.

Monday:
Finish History Paper (yes, it's started. I've got 2/8 pages at the moment.)
Put in one load of laundry.
Vacuum Apartment.
Clean litter box/Delilah's cage.
Make bed.
Make bread!
Get gas before work.
Work 3-11.

Monday update at 1pm: Almost 5 pages done. Bread was going to take too long. Should have started it at 8am like I wanted to. Laundry decision has been made; Thursday is laundromat day. I'll vacuum in a minute.

Tuesday:
Up at 530/6/However long it takes me to finish the paper. (Omit if I actually did something on my list...not counting on this.)
Class 8-2. (Present powerpoint on Hippotherapy in my seminar class! Excited about this!)
Practice for my Acting 2 class until 3:30
Overtime Shift 4-12 ($$$! This is a $400 shift, yes please...)

Wednesday:
Up around 730.
Clean Litterbox/Delilah's cage.
Go riding. (Yay!)
Run. (???)
Work 3-11.

Thursday:
Up around 7:30.
Clean Litterbox/Delilah's cage.
Go riding (AGAIN! No school today!)
Run. (Yes, definitely this time!)
Tidy up, enjoy myself, bring some clothes to Good Will, but no pressure to do ANY of that except the ENJOY part, because it's a day off!

Friday:
Wow! Another day off! Riding again, perhaps a walk at our lovely trails in my area...maybe even date night...

Saturday:
You don't say. I'm off again? Ok, this list is over.

So, I'm a little crazy until Wednesday night- then it's three days to do WHATEVER I want!
And, I'll add in (since you guys were all so kind to inquire about my exhaustion...that I started taking a multi vitamin & a vitamin D supplement- and I'm actually feeling a little better (like, I have some energy again- we won't count at work after 930 or so, I am NOT meant to work 3-11 shifts...)

This post a little all over the place, just like me at the moment, so just read and enjoy, and come back soon for a yummy breakfast recipe that I've found- if you're short on time in the morning but want something nutritious and delicious, head on over on Wednesday!

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Portobellos

2011-04-22T05:22:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from eatingwell.com!

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Portobellos
4 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS
4 large portobello mushroom caps
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped kalamata olives
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3/4 cup prepared marinara sauce

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place mushroom caps, gill-side up, on the prepared pan. Sprinkle with salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, mash ricotta, spinach, 1/4 cup Parmesan, olives, Italian seasoning and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Place marinara sauce in a small bowl, cover and microwave on High until hot, 30 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes.
When the mushrooms are tender, carefully pour out any liquid accumulated in the caps. Return the caps to the pan gill-side up. Spread 1 tablespoon marinara into each cap; cover the remaining sauce to keep warm. Mound a generous 1/3 cup ricotta filling into each cap and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until hot, about 10 minutes. Serve with the remaining marinara sauce.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 201 calories; 10 g fat ( 5 g sat , 4 g mono ); 28 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 2 g fiber; 680 mg sodium; 677 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (31% daily value), Vitamin A (25% dv), Potassium (19% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1
Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fat

I LOVE olives so I did a couple more than what it called for- & I just bought a jar of marinara sauce (cheating, I know!) This was such a delicious dish. I served it with a spinach salad and used italian dressing (for some reason I felt like it was an italian dish- must have been the ricotta!)

And wouldn't you know- no blunders to report today!
Please let me know if you make these and what you think !

Being thankful for today.

2011-04-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

Today, I played hookie. Hooky? Hookee? I don't even know how to spell it- that's how often I cut class.

Anyway.
I picked up my new car, decided on homemade chili with cornbread for dinner, and got home...to Chad already at home and an air freshener for my new car, with a card on the table. A "random" act of love.

Thank you, Chad, for being my best friend and for being so amazingly wonderful to me lately even while I've been sick and too exhausted to do much more than make the bed.

That's all I really have to say today, but I will leave you with some silly pictures that I've been meaning to show.

Carson likes to hug Chad's leg while he snuggles.

I will probably never read a recipe all the way through before attempting it. This is what I had to google when I got all of my ingredients boiled, mixed, stirred, and...what? You need an ice cream machine?!...

While I do my homework, Carson lets me pretend I have a dog....he sleeps like one.

Thank you Chad, for letting me take pictures of the food that turns out half-okay before I allow you to dig in. Stuffed portobellos, salad, and tofu. Successful evening.

I know, Carson overload. But...Chad made this. Carson is in LOVE.

And here's my new car. :)

Budgets!

2011-04-18T06:08:00.001-07:00

We love this subject. Money.
As a soon-to-be college grad with no actual guarantee of a full-time job (yet...ahem.) I've already been thinking of ways to cut back when those student loan bills come rolling in.
Money isn't a subject I'm fantastic in- I recently looked at a pay stub and said...I made THAT? Where'd it go?! And that was my realization that I needed to make cuts...somewhere. Or at least be able to say exactly where my hard earned paychecks are going.

I won't break down my own personal budget, but I do have some great tips and tricks that I've come across that hopefully someone will find helpful!

Out with the old, in with the cash.

-This can be a tricky one if you don't have much time- but bear with me. If there are things of even slight value that you don't use any more, or don't need/want/etc., sell them! Clothes? Consignment shops. Craigslist, I've found, is a pretty good place as well. (Fair warning to Craigslisters: Don't meet anyone by yourself to exchange money or goods. Go with someone else, and better yet, work through the mail. It may be a little more expensive but always remember first priority is not money, but safety!) I've also found that a yard sale can REALLY add up!

Don't grocery shop when you're hungry. Oh, and make a LIST.

-This is a big one. I find that when I go grocery shopping before a meal or if I don't have a list, I spend WAY more than I would normally. However, (and one of these days I'll prove it...) on a normal week I'm able to keep our bill down to about $50 a week or so. KNOW what you're buying, and stick to it.

Prepare your meals in advance.

This is a biggie. You know why? If you don't have a plan, you're most likely going to do what Chad and I like to do- "Well, let's just order out." We think ordering out is a better option because you don't end up paying the 20% tip...but...in reality, it's not THAT much better like we tend to act like it is :)

Stay local.

With gas prices being set to reach almost $5 soon, it's important to have a car that is good on miles and to have a job close by. I'm working on this one. My car is good on gas- which is important because my current commute is 45 miles round trip- to both school AND work. And to see my horse is about 30 miles round trip. So I don't do much driving other than those places. Granted, school will be over soon and I'm looking for jobs closer to home, and if we decide to buy a house, Callie will come closer..but...ahh. You can understand why I'm on this certain soapbox.

Keep it simple.

Know what money you make. Budget it, and if you only have $50 of "play" money...don't spend $80.

Start a savings account!

Putting $10 a week away is better than nothing, and if an emergency comes up where you're faced with a big bill, having it in the bank and being able to pay it right away because of your "emergency fund" is WAY better than having an emergency credit card and paying 15% or more of interest. (Hey, even putting HALF on a credit card is better than all of it...but you get my point.)

Thrift Stores.

There is a lovely thrift store up the street from my parent's house, and Wednesdays and Saturdays I go in with a coffee and visit my grandmother. Once in a while, I'll see her and she'll have a bag for me. Maybe with never-worn expensive shoes. Or a Coach bag in great shape. Or she'll show me the designer sweaters that just need to be run through the wash. Her most recent find?
(This was exciting.)
I had told her a few weeks back that I saw an electric kettle for sale. I was ecstatic over it, because I don't have a kettle (yes, I know electricity is not a money saver, but hear me out for a second.) but I didn't have the money. Well, my grandmother must have remembered because she showed up with the kettle. She said she hadn't looked inside of it. Well, when I opened it, it was new in the package. Nothing was even cut open. So I got a $50 tea kettle for free (and, she spent $5 on it.)
Just does to show you can get a great deal and find something new-to-you, or just plain new, for almost no money!

DIY.

Yes, folks, do it yourself. I'm lucky to have a fantastic carpenter for a boyfriend for the big stuff, (like Carson's new bed!) but I'm also talking about the little things. If you're feeling really earthy, try making your own shampoo like this fellow blogger.I enjoy making my own body scrubs and I'm interested to see if my face will tolerate thesenatural facewash ideas...

Obviously, these are just a few ideas on how to save money! What do you do to pinch pennies?

Big News!

2011-04-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let all of you know something BIG.
Like, REALLY. REALLY. BIG.

I just made lunch.
Chad sat down.
Chad bit into lunch.
Chad loved lunch!

and...for one of the first times, I LOVED what I made!

Thank you Emma @ She Got Married once again for posting such a deelish recipe for your squash & tofu veggie burgers!

Tofu Squash Burgers
Makes 6 patties

1/2 pound tofu -- crumbled
1 pound yellow squash -- grated
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1 small onion -- minced
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon oil

(Serves 3)

Mix all the ingredients (except oil) in a bowl. Form 6 patties and fry in
oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until brown on one side. Turn and
fry 5 minutes longer. Serve hot on whole wheat buns.

Per Serving (2 patties) : calories 247, Protein: 14g, carbohydrates: 30g, fat 10 g

Alright- there will never be a day I follow a recipe the exact way it calls for it- so here were my subsitutions.

I used spaghetti squash. It was what I had.
Instead of wheat germ, I used 100% natural oatmeal.

Ok, that's it. Oh, and I didn't have whole wheat flour so we used the white. (I'm using my white flour up and switching to wheat- okay?)

Chad and I had some light wheat bread so we used that as "buns" but I ate my second burger with no bread. Deelish, full of veggies, and my boyfriend had a yummy start to his day. This means I'm one step closer to being an ultimate home maker.

Spring Cleaning!

2011-04-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Chad and I had the morning off together. We've been talking about where we want to go, where we want to be, etcetera, etcetera.
We've made the decision to stay in our apartment another year. With any luck, I'll have a full time job and we'll be able to put money away for our (dun dun dun!) house that we'll buy at some point in the near future. So...as embarrassing as it might be to say, we decided to finally do all the finishing touches of unpacking and making our apartment home. I cleaned my closet and unpacked my last two boxes. He cleaned his office. And. Let. Me. Tell. You. It looks GREAT! Next step is to grab a sofa table to put in the living room for my laptop so I can have a little "desk." Then I need a bookshelf. And a spice rack. And...curtains for two rooms.

Yes. Two of our rooms are lacking curtains.

We've had this philosophy that "we're not staying here, so why spend money on the place?" But...our new thought is (and I can safely say "our" because he suggested it!) is that no matter where we go, as long as we're both there...it's home.

And that makes me feel warm and fuzzy. And loved. And...at home.

So we spent our morning drinking coffee, talking about tomorrow's, then getting down to business. Opening windows. Laundry. Dishes. Sweeping. Vacuuming. Sorting.
We've got a lovely pile for goodwill. I'm happy about that. One person's trash is another's treasure.

Happy Monday! What's on your list for Spring Cleaning?

Sunny Sunday...time to indulge.

2011-04-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed today (surprise!) & I had one thought on my mind. "What's for breakfast?" I could have done oatmeal...meh. I could be healthy and have a fruit salad and a slice of toast...meh.

Today, my friends, is a banana bread day.
I looked at my recipe, at the stick of butter, at the flour, and thought about finding substitutes for this morning's breakfast.

No.

Not today.

I was amazing all week. I went out for dinner with my friends and got a salad and a water. No wine. No beer. No (ok, maybe I grabbed a couple off of Danyelle's son's plate..) french fries. But I DIDN'T use ketchup. It's fine, right?

This morning, I made my banana bread just as the recipe called for. And, I added in the chocolate chips.

This is my recipe, in case you're feeling indulgent.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan.
1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for the pan.
1/2 cup sugar.
3/4 teaspoon baking soda.
1/2 teaspoon salt.
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
3 ripe bananas
1 large egg
1/3 cup plain yogurt (I used non-fat, it's all I had.)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
1 cup chocolate pieces.
3/4 cup walnut pieces.

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Cool slightly.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
Mash the bananas (strangely my favorite part!) in a medium bowl. Beat the egg in small bowl then mix into the bananas. Mix in yogurt, vanilla, and butter.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts as the batter comes together. Don't over mix!
Scoop the batter into a buttered/floured pan.

Bake 30-40 minutes. (It says 60-70, but my oven is small and usually 30 does the trick. Basically until a toothpick comes out clean.)
Cool for 20 minutes before un-molding and slicing.

And, I'd love to have shown you a picture, but I yet again had a bit of a blunder. It's not BAD, but it's....not fluffy on top. And no fluff = unhappy banana bread. When it's done cooling, I'll be sure to have Chad test this Sunday's indulgence experiment ;)

Happy Cooking, even if you flub ;)

Fatigue.

2011-04-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

This is not going to be some, feel bad for me, I'm tired, waahh post. At least, I don't think so.

I'm tired. And for the past few weeks...I've been tired. I'm so tired I can't sleep sometimes. I have a prescription but I don't like taking it because I feel funny in the morning- like I had an angry sleep or something. So Instead, I try to meditate and clear my mind as much as possible of the usual things I think about before bed:

1. Work.
2. School.
3. Homework I haven't done yet.
4. Homework I did do, but probably not well enough so I should look it over before class.
5. I'm going to have to get up sooo early, what if I sleep through my alarm?
6. Shoot, I have to pay this bill.
7. Crap, I have to clean the litter box in the morning.
8. Did I brush my teeth?
9. Do I have to go to the bathroom?
10. Why can't I stop thinking?!

Meditating does work- for the most part. But sometimes I'm just so...flustered..that I can't fall asleep and it takes me hours.
I wake up the next day feeling like...it took me hours to fall asleep.

This is my normal weekly schedule:

Monday: up @ 730.
Cleaning day!
Mop, dust, vacuum, clean up and straighten for the upcoming week.
Any leftover time: Homework.
3-11: Work.
1145: Return from work. Yes, I drive 45 minutes.

Tuesday: up @ 530.
School day!
Classes 8-5, no breaks in between.
Home. Homework. Perhaps a Bruins game or a movie. Tuesday is usually take-out night. I'm too tired for anything else.

Wednesday: up @ 730.
Barn by 9, Home by 11, workout, homework.
3-11: work.
1145: Return from work.

Thursday: up @ 530.
School day!
8-2 today. No breaks.
Home, workout, homework, Girl's Night. Usually consisting of wine & yummies with my favorite ladies.

Friday: up @ 730.
Barn by 9, home by 1130-12, (no work today!)
Laundry day, tidy up, think of dinner plans, perhaps bake a banana bread. Work out.

There are days that I may pick up a shift- usually Friday or Saturday morning is my weekly extra day. 32 hours a week-ish with work, classes + the insane amount of work this college soon-to-be-grad has to do for classes..= exhausted Janelle.

My professor told me yesterday that I looked "run down." Thanks, professor. I feel run down. My boyfriend told me, "well, yes, you've been looking tired for months now. Not a bad thing. You just need rest."

I was in a seminar/workshop yesterday and couldn't stop nodding my head during the presentation. I'm embarrassed. The poor woman was probably so offended by my rudeness.

I decided to look up the symptoms of fatigue:
I know you're not supposed to believe everything you read on the 'net, but...here's what I found:

E-Medicine Health said:
weakness,
lack of energy
constantly tired or exhausted,
lack of motivation,
difficulty concentrating, and/or difficulty starting and completing tasks,
rapid heartbeat (palpatations),
dizziness,
vertigo

and WebMD said:
Chronic Fatigue symptoms include:
sleep problems,
difficulty concentrating and thinking clearly,
memory problems,
fever,
headaches,
muscle & joint pain,
sore throat,
tender glands in the neck or armpits.

I'm going to get on a big soapbox right now. So forgive me. But, KNOW THE SIGNS, people! Just reading these two websites, I've got almost all of those symptoms and honestly, I'm considering a Doctor's visit.
Life is hard. Life with school, work, & extra responsibilities is harder. I'm not saying that if you don't have a job you can't be fatigued. Or if you don't go to school you can't be fatigued. But...what I AM saying, is that you need to spend as much time as you can listening to your body. Slowing down when it tells you to. Fixing your priorities list so that you are the number one "thing" you need to worry about.
Read a book. Meditate. Do yoga. Work out. Start doing things for you, because you're going to wake up one day and not be able to get out of bed. And then you're going to spend two days in bed, and then you're going to get out of bed and still feel exhausted after that for another week. And you'll be writing a blog post about it and you'll be thinking...wait, I'm STILL exhausted.
Physical health & Mental health, people. Both are important for your well-being.
I don't know when my own personal schedule will change for good. It will probably be in May when I graduate from college with a bachelor's degree. But I do know that I need to make some immediate changes soon or I am not going to be healthy for one of my best friend's wedding, my summer, horse show season, applying for full-time jobs, interviews, or life in general.

Going to enjoy the beautiful New England weather with the dogs I'm taking care of, now. Putting on my running sneakers and moving around. You know why? Because I want to. It makes me feel better. And this is my new goal. Feel better.

Only doing what's important for a little while...and hoping you do the same.
xo- me

Update- the vegful life of me.

2011-04-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

(Not my photo- found with google.com- doesn't it look great though?!)

I admit. I haven't had a CLUE of what I wanted to blog about the past couple of days. Yesterday I considered telling you all that a 15 minute Biggest Loser workout absolutely did me in and I was sore instantly. Nope, why would I EVER admit that?
So here's a little taste of what I've been eating as a vegetarian: (list is not huge as I've only been "back" a few days!)

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal with nuts & dried cranberries + squash
Egg white omelets with spinach
Protein Shakes on those busy days!

Lunches:
Tofu-pup (soy hot dog) in light wheat bread
Salad with lots of veggies & tomato

Dinners:
Spaghetti Squash
Veggie Burgers (home made!)
Veggie pizza ;)

This was originally going to be my only posting today.

But this morning I got to thinking about my lovely coffee date yesterday with a friend. Okay. This friend. As we were leaving, she said, "I think you should go home and cook." I laughed at her. But...I went home and decided to cook a fantastic vegetarian dinner for my lovely boyfriend and I to enjoy before going out for a couple drinks at this place.

I started by cutting a spaghetti squash in half, generously putting sea-salt and pepper over it and put it in the oven for about 15 minutes. Then, I saw that I had tofu in the fridge. Right then and there, I yelled to Chad, "we're also having vegetarian meatballs."

I'm slightly embarrassed to say that my tofu-mixed-with-onion-&-rice meatballs did NOT hold one bit, and it ended up being some flavourless, rice-y and tofu-ey mixture. I'm new at this. I wasn't thinking. Woops!

The spaghetti squash, tomato-basil sauce, and my weird vegetarian mixture were on the table. I promised Chad I wouldn't be upset if he didn't eat the weird mush I made.

I LOVE this boy for trying my concoctions regardless of how they may look, and for always finishing his plate and telling me how wonderful my food came out. This is true love. And I'm honestly not completely sure if he MEANS that it is so wonderful, but it's definitely a motivation to keep trying!

When mixed with the spaghetti squash, we had a delightful and flavourful meal that was packed with protein from the tofu and got plenty of veggies from the "pasta."

Afterwards, we went out on a wonderful date and enjoyed Guiness at the Irish Pub down the road, along with Irish music & Trivial Pursuit. I love our nights off together.

Enjoy your Sunday!
xo- me

The power of Prayer...Thankful Thursday

2011-03-31T06:20:00.000-07:00

Last night on the way home from work I thought about everything I’d been considering over the past few weeks, my faith being one of them. I realized that I had not prayed in a very long time and I hadn’t asked for the lord or anything from him in many years. A few weeks ago I’d bought a bible. Two days ago, I opened my bible and started reading it.

The past few weeks have been trying. Work, money, school, pressure to find a full time job after graduation in May, weighing options on whether or not I can financially continue my passion of horses, family, and sometimes I don’t see my relationship for what it is and I don’t live in the moment. Instead I worry and wonder about what is coming next. (I love you, Chad, for loving me anyway.)

So tonight I prayed. I asked for many things and in the end I thanked God for everything that He had given me that I had either overlooked or not thought about in the ways I should have- as blessings. And I prayed for 10 minutes, out loud, in my car. And after, I thought about that I had just done.

Whether it’s true to you or not, whether it’s scientific or not, the idea that someone, somewhere is listening to me and blessing me, just really brought something powerful out in me. Tears welled up in my eyes and I got an overwhelming feeling that everything was going to be okay. Like my heart was full. It was immediate and I got an immense feeling of peace.
If you don’t pray, I’d recommend trying it. If you haven’t picked up a bible, I’d recommend trying it.

Off my soapbox.
Amen.

xo- me

Clothing...it's.... EVERYWHERE!

2011-03-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

(Not my closet. )

If you're anything like me, you've bought clothes and said...oh, sheesh,I'll totally wear that. You might wear it once. Or twice. And then it goes back into your already-too-small closet and you think, darn...why did I EVER buy that?

I recently started going to thrift stores. I can't tell you enough. I. Love. Thriftstores. I once helped my grandmother sort through donations and found a bag of BRAND NEW, WITH TAGS, DESIGNER CLOTHES, ALL IN MY SIZE ! (I kid you not.) Needless to say, most of it came home with me. Guess what? I barely wore anything out of it. Except for maybe three things that I am absolutely obsessed with.

Yes, I'm frugal. And in recent months, I've trimmed my waistline a bit, developed some new tastes, and I've gone through my closet. The result is a huge pile in the corner of my bedroom that says "I'm gonna eat-cha" every time I look at it.

What to do? I need/want/should replace (that's a lie) clothes. I don't have much money since I'm saving for my upcoming & dreaded student loan repayments in December...so I got to brainstorming. I remember reading one time about having a clothes swap party, so I decided to look it up online and see how it works.

1. Friends are invited.

2. Each person brings their unwanted clothes that have been washed and folded or hung on hangers. Purses, shoes, accessories are welcome too!

3. The area is set up "like a store" (thank you EHow.com) with clothes on clothes racks, folded on tables, etc.

4. Each person takes turns picking a piece of clothing.

5. Dressing rooms are designated if someone wants to try something on.

6. Everyone goes home with a new wardrobe instead of those old "back of the closet" shtuffs.

7. Oh, and because I love to eat, appetizers and wine will have been provided so everyone goes home with full & happy tummies, too!

I mean, seriously, what a fabulous way to get rid of your old things and go home with something completely new-to-you? I've gotten more compliments on my second-hand wear than most of my things I've actually bought and paid full price for. I'm actually getting pretty excited about this. I think I'm going to be hosting my first event at our little apartment soon! What are your thoughts on clothing swaps? Would you host one? Would you go to one?

The trek back to Veg

2011-03-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

As those who know me personally are aware, I was a vegetarian for about 10 years. On-again-off-again (but mostly on again), I consumed fish, dairy, and eggs.

About a year ago, I decided to try a burger. My boyfriend was an avid meat eater and had tried being a vegetarian for about 3 months for me. I never asked him to, he just did, out of respect I suppose.
Back to me. The burger was fantastic. I mean...really, really good. I kept eating steak and chicken and fish and steak and steak and chicken..(I tried pork, STILL hated it, and I won't touch lamb.)

Lately, though, I've been having the same "feelings" as I did when I was a vegetarian. (Think Food Inc. . Nothing about the meat here is ethical. The way chickens are raised isn't ethical. The FDA "standards" are not ethical.

So, where I love my burgers and I love my steaks, I think it is time for me to go back to where I had been comfortable for so long.
Vegetarianism.
Will I miss my burgers? Yup. Will I miss steaks? Sure. Do I love chicken? Yes. But there are ways to create the same dishes out of different types of foods. This will also force me to stand in the kitchen for longer than five minutes and cook. To get out of my comfort zone of the microwaveable food section.

Part of me has that "I'm too busy to make my meals! WhatamIgonnado?!" feeling, but as I write this, keep in mind I'm sitting on my butt waiting for my laundry to be finished. (Okay- I'm also sitting on my butt while being super duper sicky. Not the point.) I think this is actually quite doable for me again.

Just to officially "start" my trek, here's what I've eaten so far today:

Breakfast-
Squash & oatmeal with dried cranberries, walnuts, and a small squirt of maple syrup (Thanks Emma @ She Got Married ! )

Lunch-
Planning on a "tofu pup" hot dog. Not sure what else yet. Possibly just a serving of veggies to be thoroughly fantastic and veg-ful.

Feeling light and airy already...
xo-me

Groupons, LivingSocial, Coup-Me Finds on Tuesday

2011-03-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

Teeth Whitening Kit for $29!
You go in for one appointment, and then you have an LED light for future touch ups.

Harbor Sightseeing in Provincetown, MA
This looks great! Nothing like a romantic day trip, or a fun girl's day- either way, this is a pretty great deal. Basically two tickets for the price of one.

$30 massage, 50% off!
This isn't bad. A little far from my neck of the woods, but for an hour massage for $30 less than it should be..that's not bad!

Hope someone can use these. I'd love to go to the Harbor Sightseeing. That looks like a really nice day away. Perhaps Mother Nature will allow Spring to show up so it sounds that much better :)

Enjoy!

xo- me

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes...

2011-03-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, cheesiest line ever. I get that. But, Chad and I often have these cute little conversations about when we buy a house and what we'll do with it. So, on a Murky Monday where I'm sick on the couch with Delilah (Carson is still in bed...) I give you our (my?) dream house.

ps;

Carson

Delilah

The house:

I LOVE this. It's just so country and quaint. And the porch is a necessity. I need a full porch (thinking more so a wraparound of half the house, so that I can also see...)

My barn!

It's small, 5-6 stalls, with lots of storage space and a hayloft and a locked grain room. The ponies have lots of grazing space...

Our field!

That is where my horse & Chad's horse will roam.

(My horse + Chad's horse= he's getting a friesian, obviously.)

What family isn't complete without a dog?

(Chad's dog + My dog)

They will also roam free (except for near the horses...) with our very own...

Now, when I'm not tending to the horses or playing fetch with our dogs, you'll probably find me in my gardens.

Vegetables + Flowers

So for now, this is all I really have planned. It's all I really need, too. I'm not great at interior design, so if we need to use the dogs as pillows, and tables, and...footrests, I think I'd be okay with that.
Okay, kidding. But that's a post for another day.

Suddenly, Monday ain't do murky.

xo- me

Why the revamped blog?

2011-03-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

I started this blog with no idea what I wanted to talk about. Did I want to portray my life as a wanna-be homemaker? A horseback rider with no goals or knowledge of where I wanted to go with my hobby-turned-lifestyle? Or, my forever-woes of the diet world?

So for a while I blogged about everything. But I still, every time I saw my blog, wanted structure. Life. Love. All those things I long for in my day to day adventures.

So, I bring you my new blog. xo-me.

Why XO-ME you ask?
When Chad and I first met, it was almost a daily ritual for me to leave him a post-it in the morning- in his bathroom, on his computer screen, on the wall...and I'd always sign them very simply. xo-me. It means more to me than it does to you. And that's okay.

Will I change the blog again?
Yes, probably. I will most likely try to create a pretty header and fool around with colors. But I think I've got the "idea" down this time.

So, with a new blog, I will (hopefully) bring you a more organized look into my world, my thoughts, my faith, and my life as a 21 year old soon-to-be college graduate who lives the dream every day.

Just pictures today...I should be leaving for work 5 minutes ago.

2011-03-26T10:57:00.001-07:00

I want summer! This is me. And my amazing boyfriend, Chad. I call him Chadwick. Deep down I think he likes it.

This is my pony. She is beeyootiful.

Today I feel kind of pretty in my $6 American Eagle Cardigan. Thank you, Salvation Army.

Courtesy of PhotoBooth, a (rare) loving moment.
Ps; He was purring during this!

Off to work to be mental (health counselor...)
Janelle

"When you are truly happy, you are being your Self."

2011-01-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

This a quote from a great book I'm reading, called "Happiness Now" by Robert Holden. Soak it up, laugh, but it's literally a book on how to be happy. And it's amazing.

While reading this book, though, I came across this quote and it made me think- mostly about the "self" part. I'm a college student, working between part and full time, and I don't really have time to think about who I am. So when I saw this quote, I thought, alright, I know I'm happy, but what's my Self?

So today, here are a few things I know about my Self.

I believe that I do NOT belong in a classroom setting- I was never a great student in school and even today I have to work REALLY hard to get decent grades.
I DO love learning hands on. I aced my chorus & acting classes, and I learned to ride horses and even trained my own horse.
My horse, Callie, is my therapy. She was neglected as a baby and from the time I bought her to when she was four, I was told to sell her and buy another horse because she'd never be what I "needed." Today, she is that and more, and she is what I am most proud of as far as my accomplishments so far.
I love having long nails, but I prefer them to be bare. I don't like color on them at all!
(I've only gotten like 4 pedicures in my entire life, but I always put dark red on my toes.)
I'm a bargain shopper. I very rarely buy anything full price, and I am not above salvation army or savers.
I love grocery shopping!
I also love doing laundry. But I HATE putting socks together.
I drive WAY too much; at least 3 hours of most days are spent in my car if I go to work & see my horse.
I live with my boyfriend, Chad, who is the love of my life and teaches me how to be a better person every day, in every way. I am absolutely head over heels in love with him and every day I feel it more.
I am NOT creative!-so decorating an apartment has been hard for me. But my mom is great and helps me a ton.
She's amazing, wonderful, & I could not ask for a more loving & perfect mother.
I'm also close with HER mother, and family means everything to me.
I love the color burgundy- but when it comes to clothes, I always seem to buy black.
I love picture frames, and I buy them almost every time I go into a dollar store, marshalls, tjmaxx, or my FAVORITE store, bed bath & beyond.
Sometimes I wonder if I have a "style" of clothing. I really don't think I do. I wear everything.
Well, everything that I feel comfortable in. I have really low self esteem and sometimes it takes me 4-5 tries to find an outfit I'm happy in.
I love my hair color.

Laundry

2010-12-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

I am forever trying to reach my goal of becoming the ultimate homemaker (just like momma) but today I really outdid myself.
With school, and work, and finals, I have done zero laundry. None. Zilch. Nada.

So the piles have continued to, well, pile in our bedroom and today I just couldn't take it. I whipped out my laptop, googled the best and closest laundromat to me...packed up ALL the laundry...and headed to Laundry Days.

I won't spend too much time on the place, but we'll just say that they have washers for 1 load, 2 loads, all the way up to five. I did one "three" load and TWO "five" loads. Thirteen loads of laundry. And no, I'm not complaining- it was my own fault for getting caught up in life, but I LOVE doing Chad's laundry and I love that he lets me!

Ps, I got the circular knifty knitter so you know what I was doing while I waited- and yes, I've finished a hat.

The dryers. Oh, my, LORD the dryers were just fabulous. It felt so nice to take my clean, perfectly hot clothes out of the dryer. I was practically drooling. Although I spent my Saturday night in sweats with no makeup at a downtown laundromat..it was totally fabulous.

I think I was pretty productive today!

Warm, clean linens,
Janelle

Meet Callie!

2010-12-09T06:26:00.000-08:00

So if you know me, you know at least one thing. I love horses. Not just any horses, though. I love MY horse.

Yes, I am one of the lucky girls whose dream came true early in life. I am the proud partner in crime of a 6 year old appaloosa mare who I fittingly named, “She’s My-T Majickal.” In the barn, though, we call her Callie.

Callie was born on April 12, 2004, sometime between 3 and 7 in the morning. On April 1, 2005, my parents signed papers with her owner signing her over into our ownership. On April 2, 2005, Callie left her old home as a scraggly yearling and into my life forever. Where you all know how much I love her, little of you know exactly why.

When Callie was born, she was promised to me by her breeder as a gift. In 2004, at 15 years old, I had my own horse. I loved it.
For whatever reason, her breeder simply changed her mind. That story is pretty bad- so I’ll cut to the important part. When I realized that Callie wasn’t actually going to be my horse, I wanted out. So I gave her my last board check, told her I didn’t want the horse anymore, and picked my things up at the barn three weeks later. I said goodbye to horses forever, and had no interest in ever owning another horse- since mine had literally ended in heartbreak just six months later. I decided nothing was permanent, people were shady, and I didn’t trust the horse world. Saying goodbye to Callie was the hardest thing I had to do. I cried the entire way home with my dad. He cried too. I’d worked my whole riding career towards owning my own horse. It had been the worst experience of my life.

Fast forward six months, March 2005. Callie is for sale. I’m not a materialistic person, (nor have I ever been) but I BEGGED my parents for this horse. I just begged. I pleaded. I wrote them letters. I wrote them budgets.

For whatever reason, my parents saw the dedication that I had for this little horse. I knew she needed me, and more importantly, I needed her. On April 1, 2005, we drove to New Hampshire to sign the papers making Callie my own. Callie’s breeder asked if I wanted to brush her. I wanted nothing to do with the woman, so I told her I could wait one more day.
April 2, 2005. My new barn owner drove her horse trailer to New Hampshire to pick up the little filly. She was nervous about her getting on a trailer, but Callie hopped right on, as if to say, “I’m ready to go home.”

This story could literally take months to finish. There are so many things that happened. One of the most significant parts of our life together, though, was when I asked the vet about Callie’s size- at a year old, she was still only the size of a 6 month old. Horses are supposed to do 90 % of their growing in their first year. She was absolutely tiny. The vet told me that Callie had been neglected to the point that she would someday fill out, but she’d never grow taller. I was absolutely furious that someone could do this to a horse, but I refused to give up on her. At two years old, Callie was beginning to prove the doctor right- she had only grown about 4 inches in a year.

I could have easily sold Callie as a child’s pony (she was absolutely flawless) and got a bigger horse that I could have ridden and jumped and shown right away. But there was something about taking my horse for walks like a dog, sitting in her stall and reading books, and playing silly little games with her that made riding secondary to me. School and I never got along. Callie was my escape, she was my friend, one who I knew would never let me down.

Callie was diagnosed with "night blindness" at the age of 3. This means that she shows sensitivity to light and her pupils do not adjust as well as they should. She often has trouble if she goes outside when it is still dark and instead of adjusting quickly, it takes her quite a long time to begin to see light. Progressively, it has seemed to get worse, but there is no treatment for this genetic disease. Callie's eyes are constantly changing, and it is obvious with her sudden fear of shadows and quick movements. The vet has told me that she will most likely go blind at some point in her life. You'd think this would deter us from living "normal" lives together- we just go with the flow, and we take each day as it comes. If she shows fear in something, we take as long as we need to help her realize that the shadow is not a scary monster, that it is simply a shadow.

Fast forward again. December 8, 2010. Callie is six years old. We’ve been riding together as a team since she was four. She is now 15.1 hands high (she’s grown about 12 inches- oh yes- it’s true!) and although I’m tall, we make a pretty fantastic pair. With the help of a trainer, Callie had a solid start of her training and I took over the rest. Callie trail rides, responds beautifully to commands, listens, and most importantly, she tries. Whether it’s in her nature to be perfect, or whether she tries for me, she has given me the greatest gift an animal could give a human and that is partnership.

So, when you hear me brag about “my pony/my mare/my horse/Callie/the Queen,” now you know why. That horse and I have a long story together- one that will continue to unfold as time goes on.

My two favorites ;)

Laughter is the best medicine.

2010-11-28T21:04:00.000-08:00

I know I'm going to regret this. It's 1am, I have two papers to write, plus a chapter to read, and a lab that will probably be handed in late, and I won't be home from work until 11:30 tomorrow night after being in class starting at 9am...anyway. Here I go!

I was driving home from work tonight, with my country music blaring, and I was wondering what I should blog about today. It was 11:30...and of course, as usual, the only thing on my mind was Chad. But I JUST made a Chadwick post. I JUST confessed my love for him to all to see, and I JUST thanked him for only a few of the things he does to and for me...

I am a self proclaimed worry wart. I worry, I stress, I make everything a big deal, yup, that's me. I will take one great day and find the suck from it. I will take a rarely found day off and make it stressful.
But, I swear, I am learning to change. I am vowing to learn to relax, and I am re-learning how to be young and fun.

We had the BEST day yesterday. We don't get many days where we wake up knowing the entire day is dedicated to us. But yesterday was different, and amazing. We drove to the mall, while listening to his massive binder of CD's and he picked his favorites for me and played one from every disc. He has an amazing singing voice. It melts me when he sings, which is why I made him pick his favorite from Rascal Flatts. Anyway. His next favorite was from a rap CD. He rapped for me.

OH. MY. GOD.

It was the most amazing thing ever. Driving on the highway, in his handsome-looking peacoat...rapping.
Needless to say I could not stop laughing. It felt AMAZING! I felt free. High. (Not that way.) Fun. Lively. Young.

When we got to the mall, we giggled at the idea of stealing circular knifty knitters from unsuspecting carriages. (Ok, I'd NEVER do that, but it was hilarious to see Chad pretend to speak into a microphone and tell 'all shoppers to return their knifty knitters to the front for inspections'...) We laughed at the ridiculous finds in Five Below. We went into the Toy Store and played with styrofoam swords. "Don't pick up a sword if you're not prepared to use it!"

Then we came home, and I realized I had not stopped laughing all day long. I was running up the basement stairs with a pizza in my hand, laughing at his every word, and he asked me why I was laughing.

Pause. I look at him. He's smiling this amazing, wide, tooth bearing grin.

"Because I'm happy." It's all that came out. It's all that I needed.

We went on to watch Grown Ups- which, if you haven't seen, I highly recommend. It was fantastic and just hilarious. My stomach hurt from laughing so much. We played with the dogs. We flirted. We giggled.

I don't do this often. Or, at least, I didn't. I held in laughter because I just didn't feel like I should be allowed to have fun when there's stuff to do. Now, I'm learning, again with the help of an amazing individual, and I have to tell you- after last night, I woke up feeling so refreshed, so rejuvinated...and for those that know me, you also know that I am NOT a morning person. Well this morning, I woke up and smiled.

Take time to laugh. You'll heal, too!

Giggling away,
Janelle

Knifty Knitter!

2010-11-27T06:11:00.000-08:00

While searching a bunch of blogs online, I read about the Knifty Knitter and decided I had to try it. I am a self-proclaimed knitting failure (see other pots...RARELY do I finish anything!

Well, with this super dandy new loom, I finished an entire scarf in about 5 hours.
The directions in the box are absolutely ridiculous. I even went online later and read all these GREAT reviews for the loom, but that the instructions packet needs to go! This is much easier than the packet lets on to be. All you do is figure eight across the looms, and when you get to the end of where you want your scarf to be, you do it again so that there are two loops instead of one. THEN, you take the handy loom tool and pull the bottom (first) loop over the top (second) loop- VIOLA! You can see your progress really quickly, too, which is what kept me going for so long! :)

The next step for this scarf is to add some fringe, but I'm actually quite proud of myself. This, whether knitted conventionally or not, is my FIRST finished scarf!

The only thing, though, is that I wish I had bought the kit of about 6 different looms. Hats only take about an hour on the circular loom, and with this thick purple one I either need thick yarn or to double up because it's pretty loosely loomed otherwise.

Spending $8 on the loom (and perhaps another $10-15 if I decide to buy the other looms!) and at about $3 per large skein of yarn, it's NOT a bad deal for Christmas gifts!

Crafty today,
Janelle

Thank you

2010-11-22T06:04:00.000-08:00

In Kennebunk, Maine, for a day away for our birthdays (2 days apart!)
It's funny how we forget to say "thank you" sometimes. I try REALLY hard, as a general rule of thumb, to be appreciative of everything I have instead of wishing and cooing about the things I don't. It's taken me a little while. (Maybe more like a lot a while...)
Today, I am thanking my incredible boyfriend, Chad.

For making every morning and every night perfect. "I love you" begins and ends every day for me, and, well, I love you for that.

For laughing at my jokes even when they're not funny.

For listening so closely to me that you actually remind me what I've just said.

For putting up with the millions of pictures that I take and just smiling for the camera because you know you won't escape it anyway.

(For letting me frame those pictures and put them all over our house!)

For knowing exactly how I take my coffee.

For knowing my favorite scratch tickets and surprising me with them.

For going grocery shopping with me. I love bickering over what we'll make for dinner.

For showing me the beauty in every situation. (Even the yucky ones.)

For telling me I'm beautiful, even on the days where my hair sticks out 3 feet in every direction and I look like Mufasa.

For drinking diet coke when we go to the movies because you know I won't touch the regular stuff.

For smiling and saying "yes, dear" when I wonder out loud if you can hang up pretty decorations that I buy. It's just because I'll hang them crooked.

For being my best friend.

For supporting me in whatever I attempt to do (and say that I'll attempt to do. Cheering me on as I start YET another scarf is just so sweet, though a little pointless, but you do it anyway.) Cheering me on while I finish my degree and forever spend our nights together job hunting...that means more than you know.

For agreeing to the philisophy, "Love me, love my horse." She's my world, and when you tell me to get my butt to the barn (and offer to help fix fences & take pictures...) it lights up my world.

For not asking me to change.

For being so forgiving. And selfless.

For loving me.

I find myself very, very lucky to have one of the best men out there, and I would not change a thing- thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thankfully (yes, thankfully),
Janelle

The joys of not knowing

2010-11-21T08:47:00.001-08:00

I've been trying to start this blog for a long time. I write a few posts, but I'm not organized, and so I get flustered and delete all the posts and start over.
Then, I say to myself, "Self, today is the day we start a blog. For good. A real life blog." But the truth is, I've had nothing to blog about. I could write all day about my horse, but it's the same post every time I go to the barn. "Today was pure bliss..." I could blog about my inability to cook, but that's just silly because that's DEFINITELY the same blog. "Set the smoke alarm off today..." I'd be great at the diet blog. "Messed that up again today..."
Today, though, as I sit with statistics notebooks, highlighters, & flash cards all around me, I've decided I'm just going to blog about all of it. Everything. Life. Love. Happiness. (I'll try to remain optimistic.) Maybe I'll share a story about the horse. Maybe I'll find a great recipe. Maybe I'll actually finish a knitting project. (Okay, even I just laughed at that.)
The joy and the beauty about my newfound blog, is that I just don't know what I'll post. And you don't either. Maybe that will be intriguing rather than off-putting. (I don't know!)

Unknowingly yours,
Janelle