Sunday, April 27, 2014

{Sunday Social}


Link up with 

This week's Sunday Social is about pet peeves! We all have them, whether we like to admit it or not!

{1} What is your biggest driving pet peeve?
My friends all make fun of me because a lot of things annoy me when I drive. I tend to have a bit of road rage. My biggest driving pet peeve is people who tend to leave their blinker on for eternity. It drives me nuts!! If you are going to change lanes, put your blinker on, change and shut it off! Not that hard!! It's a toss up between that and people who drive up your butt during traffic?


{2} What is your biggest blogging pet peeve?
Hmm, I am not quite sure. It could be the people who are always pushing for sponsorships. If you want that, that's great. It's not for everyone's blogs.

{3} What is your biggest shopping pet peeve?
Trying on clothes. I hate it. Honestly, it seems dumb to say but I would rather buy the clothes and try them on at home to exchange them if needed. I especially hate pants shopping. Why must it be so difficult?!

{4} What is your biggest general pet peeve?
Oh boy. This could be a tough one. I guess I have a few:
~same side sitters in a booth. What? Isn't that awkward? 
~when people chew their gum like cows.
~people who don't know how to park and take up two spaces!!

{5} What is your most irrational fear?
Hmm. I have to say dying alone. I know it sounds weird but I want to have lived a good life and be surrounded by people I love! 

Sunday, April 20, 2014

(Sunday Social- Happy Easter!}






Happy Sunday everyone. Happy Easter as well! I hope everyone had a blessed holidays with family & loved ones. I spent my day traveling back from my vacation to see my best friend April and we went to Disney for two days! Wait til you hear about my recap later this week.

But for now, before I drift off to never never land so I can babysit tomorrow on my last day of Spring break, here's my Sunday Social with Ashley & Neely:


{1} 5 songs you'll listen to for the rest of your life:
1. "Wind Beneath My Wings" - Bette Midler
2. "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" - Belinda Carlisle (this is my SONG for karaoke!)
3. "Uptown Girl" - Billy Joel
4. "Don't Stop Believin" - Journey
5. "Man I Feel Like a Woman" - Shania Twain

{2} 5 things on your bucket list
1. Meet Jennifer Aniston (I will die happy if this happens. She's my favorite actress)
2. Swim with the dolphins
3. Travel to every Spanish speaking country
4. Stay at EVERY SINGLE Disney Resort
5. Run a 5K

{3} 5 celebrities you'd love to hang out with for a day
Jennifer Aniston (obviously!)
Taylor Swift
Ellen DeGeneres
Reese Witherspoon
Channing Tatum

{4} 5 things you always carry in your purse
-phone
-keys
-wallet
-work card (otherwise i can't ring in orders)
-gum

{5} 5 books on your reading list
Catching Fire & Mockingjay (I need to finish the Hunger Games Series!)
Is Heaven for Real?
5 People You'll Meat In Heaven
Eat Pray Love (I have been halfway through it for years...NEED TO FINISH!)
 
{6} Share the last 5 photos on your phone
I look a lot of snaps this weekend when I was in Disney to post on FB & instagram to make my co-workers jealous
Went to Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival!
 

Send this picture to my boss Daimys...she was totally jealous!
 

 My venti coffee from Starbucks this morning in Orlando before I went home





With my bestie April after a fun filled day at Epcot!


Tuesday, April 15, 2014

At my wit's end

I feel as though I am at my wit's end. I am clueless as to what to do anymore with the situation. My dog Lily came into my life about 10 months ago when I brought her home at 2 months old. She will be 1 on April 25th. To say it has been an interesting journey of training a puppy is putting it lightly. I didn't know what I was getting myself into.

Growing up, all my dogs were a bit older when I got them. I knew I was going to have to take some sort of dog training classes with Lily to train her how to sit, stay, down, heel, walk properly on a leash. I did 6 weeks of puppy kindergarten with Lily and she seemed to do well. Shortly after she finished, I started having a private trainer come to my house every two weeks to work with her because she was getting a bit aggressive. I had asked my vet when I took her to get spayed and he recommended this trainer.

I followed the trainer's instructions and worked to get Lily to listen to me and know I was boss. From the first session to the second session, he said he saw a huge improvement in her (she bit him the first session but he provoked it because he wanted to piss her off....it was part of his training). Sure, there were some slip ups but a lot of it has to do with my mom because she became/still is (in my opinion) afraid of Lily. Lily did bite her once. The trainer told us she was to be kept in her crate when I was not home so she wouldn't get herself into chaos. That was working until other people in the house decided to let her out because they felt bad she was crated all day. And of course, I got frustrated because why did they have to go change something that WAS working?

After about four sessions with the trainer, Lily seemed to get better. Sure, she has her "bitchy" moments and growls at you (even me if I don't pay attention to her). My mom says she has to be possessed because she is sweet and docile/good as gold one day (like Saturday) and then a switch flips and she is nasty (like last night when I came home from work to find out Lily bolted at my mom). She seems to do it over FOOD. Last night (because its now Tuesday morning), I came home from work to find out that Lily bolted at my mom. My mom had brought in dog food someone was getting rid of because they got rid of their dog (this is kind of ironic because my mom is probably praying I get rid of mine) and had it at the top of the basement stairs to put in containers. She got up from the couch (while she was on the phone with my brother) and Lily bolted at her. Lily didn't bite her but seriously, it is all over food.

I feel like I am at my wit's end because I don't know what to do anymore. I am suppose to be going away on Thursday to visit my best friend in Florida and I have been looking forward to this for months. I desperately need a few days off to regain my sanity and just be able to relax. My mom doesn't want me to leave the dog here and wants me to board her. So I have to call a vet tomorrow/today that my friend's boyfriend works at to see if they can board her or a kennel my mom's friend's friend works at/owns. This is something I wasn't expecting to do but what else can I do? I absolutely can't stand the thought of getting rid of her. My heart is just broken right now and you might as well rip it right out of my chest if you want me to get rid of her. Yet, I can't afford to live on my own up here in NY on Long Island so I am really just in a CRAPTASTIC situation.

I really don't want to risk my mom getting rid of the dog if I don't board her so I am doing that. But also looking into another trainer. The one I was working with charges $1200 for a one week private intensive training session in his home and I can't really afford that. Plus, it kind of seems outrageous. My mom says I shouldn't have gotten a dog because I am not really home that much (I am really home at night a few nights a week according to her). But how else am I suppose to be able to afford my bills?

Have any of you ever dealt with/had a dog like this? It seems to be over food and I just don't know how to fix it. ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS ARE APPRECIATED!

And now that I spent about a good two hours crying over this tonight, I am off to bed to get some sleep before I entertain/play with  Lily tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

{Sunday Social!}



Holy cow, it's Sunday again! Except I am super happy about it being Sunday and not having to get up at 5am tomorrow for school because..... I AM ON SPRING BREAK!!! That was the longest seven weeks from our last break ever. I am super excited to go visit my BFF April in Florida and go to Disney! :)

This week's Sunday Social questions with Neely & Ashley are all about "bests."

{1} What was your best birthday?

I would have to say my last two birthdays have been the best! My 26th I went into the city with a group of my girlfriends and just celebrated. It was simple and awesome (the puking in Penn Station was not).
Olivia, Me, Shannon, Amanda, Emily and Jade
Thanks to New Paltz, I have such amazing friends! <3

My 27th birthday was celebrated back in our stomping grounds of New Paltz with a bar crawl. Again, so fun!




{2} What was your best vacation?
Yikes...this is a tough one! I have to say that probably my cruise with my ex-boyfriend was the best vacation. I love traveling and love the beach/water. It's my happy place. I went to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau, Bahamas. I had the best time and would totally go on one again!



{3} What is the best date you've ever been on?
 When I saw The Lion King on Broadway and had dinner with my now ex. I cried at the Lion King. Maybe because it is one of my favorite movies!!

{4} What is the best movie (quality) you've seen?
Hmm. Honestly, this is an EXTREMELY tough question. I would say it is a toss up between Forrest Gump and The Blind Side.


{5} What is the best TV show ending of all time?
I honestly hate when they're over because then I feel like I have nothing to watch! So, I really can't pick just one. I have three:

FRIENDS (this is FOREVER be my all-time favorite show.)

Gilmore Girls

ER
 

Sunday, April 6, 2014

{Sunday Social - All About Twitter!}


Happy Sunday everyone!! It is a gorgeous day outside and I plan on taking my puppy for a walk before I spend my night at work.

This week's Sunday Social questions with Ashley & Neely are all about Twitter.


{1} When did you join Twitter?
I literally just went back and scrolled through all of my twitter. I joined 5 years ago in 2009 when I was still in college!!


{2} Who is your favorite non-celeb to follow?
Any friends that don't live close by!

{3} Who is your favorite celebrity to follow?
I actually feel like I follow more celebrities then actual friends, ha ha! 
Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors so I love reading her tweets. So excited for her book on 5/20!!
Jenna Marbles - who doesn't love her videos?!
and of course, TayTay aka Taylor Swift

{4} Have you ever had a celebrity respond to a tweet?
Yes!! I also follow Dominique Moceanu, a gymnast from the 1996 Olympics team, who wrote a book. When I finished her book, I was tweeting that I cried because it was so beautiful and she retweeted it! 

{5} What is your favorite store/brand to follow?
I follow Victoria's Secret, Vera Bradley and The Loft.

{6} Give us three tweeps we should be following:
Common White Girl - these tweets crack me up.
BabEvansMTV - Okay, if you have ever watched a season of Teen Mom, you'd know it's Jenelle's mom. It's an unofficial twitter but the tweets are done in her mom's voice so it is too funny!
It's Bad Luck Brian

{Reese's Peanut Butter Cupcakes!}

I started writing this on Wednesday and then my computer battery charger decided it wanted to kick the bucket. Therefore, I had to drop $80 on a new one at Best Buy yesterday. Sad day. 

I am a Pinterest addict. I have the app on my phone and my Ipad. Usually when I am bored, I am on it browsing for teaching ideas or a funny e-card. One of my boards is entitled "Yummy Food" with all the recipes and drinks I want to try. Fat kid at heart, really.

I decided I wanted to bake cupcakes and bring them to work for one of my manager's birthdays. All I did was ask her if she liked peanut butter & chocolate (who doesn't?!). This recipe/pin is the one that inspired this Pinterest endeavor. I took pictures as I did it on my phone because I figured, well I gotta share this on the blog!

Ingredients:
 -1 package of chocolate cake mix
-1-1/4 cups water
-1/2 cup peanut butter
-3 eggs
-24 mini peanut butter cups

Ingredients to make frosting
-6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped
-2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream
-1/3 cup peanut butter
-additional mini peanut butter cups, chopped



Directions
1. I mixed the cake mix (I like to use Devil's Food!), water, peanut butter, oil and eggs together in a bowl. Beat on low for about 2 minutes.



 
2. Fill paper-lined muffin tins halfway. Then add a Reese's peanut butter cup in the middle of each cupcake. Cover with an inch of the batter.





3. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to put on wire racks to completely cool.

4. As the cupcakes cooled, I made the frosting! To make the frosting, you place the semi sweet chocolate in a small bowl. Boil the heavy whipping cream and pour it over the chocolate, whisking it. Stir in peanut butter. Cool to room temperature or there is an even consistency spread. 

5. Spread over the cupcakes. Immediately sprinkle with extra peanut butter cups.




Seriously, if you love chocolate and love peanut butter, you need to try this!! It was a bit time consuming (having to unfold all the reese's peanut butter cups) and I definitely wish the part using the semi-sweet chocolate to make the frosting took less time but it's all a learning experience. These cupcakes were certainly a hit at work! I think I am going to find another recipe to try soon!