♥ Live, Laugh, Love ♥

My reading list

2012-03-01T19:50:00.003-05:00

I am a big nerd at times. When I was younger, my library used to do a summer reading contest every summer. You'd read books, report to someone in the library who'd write it down in your folder. Whoever had the most at the end of the summer won. You bet your bottom dollar I did win! :)

But once they started requiring us to read a book every summer after 5th grade that we'd get tested on at the beginning of the next school year, my passion for reading dwindled. And it continued through college really. Within the last few years, I have gotten back into reading. Having a Kindle has helped that but there's just one problem...TOO MANY BOOKS I WANT TO READ!

So, here's what is on my "to read" list between actual books and my Kindle:

It's Okay Thursday!

2012-03-01T09:39:00.003-05:00

Happy March everyone! You know what they said in elementary school....March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. Ha!

Time to link up with Neely @ A Complete Waste of Makeup and Amber @ Brunch with Amber for It's Okay Thursday!

It's Okay...

that I am counting down until April 28th because I can renew my cellphone contract and FINALLY get my iPhone!

that I could rather not work all day Saturday but to have had Wed night off and not work Friday night is a blessing!

to have so many books you want to read and so little time to do it! #nerdalert #firstworldproblems (This is another entire post in itself)

to be excited to go shopping for adorable, hot outfits for Atlantic City with your girlfriends even though it is three months away!

to have an addiction to shopping at Victoria's Secret. I blame it on all the coupons they send to my house! And it is worse that I get them in my brother's name too!

to get really sidetracked from cleaning your room. I need to devote just ONE day to it and then keep it up from there.

that I still have not done my taxes. Numbers and this kind of thing bore me.

my brother thinks I am trying to earn brownie points for my next Christmas gift (the last two years he has gifted me a 64gb iPod touch and a MK bag) because I folded his laundry last night. I mainly did it because I was bored/needed to put my clothes in the dryer/didn't want to listen to him whine.

that I look for a teaching job every day in NY and become more okay with the fact I will probably have to move away. Especially since they are closing an elementary school in my brother's district in May! (Thankfully not his!)

that I just made my first student loan payment...on a degree that I have not gotten a job for...and will be done paying in 30 years. CRAP.

to play Carrie Underwood's new single "Good Girl" on repeat.

to read blogs about running for inspiration...but can't get up the courage to actually do it!

to have actually gone to the gym and felt really good after it.

to plan on buying "Footloose" next week so I can have Julianne Hough's body as soon as possible. HA!

to have filled out applications for substitute teaching as scary as that may be. Yikes! I'm ready to get my foot in the door!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2012-02-29T21:04:00.007-05:00

Happy Leap Day everyone! The one day of the year that only comes around every four years. Can I just say I hope I don't ever give birth to a child on Leap day? Ha!

It's time to link up with Jamie for What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I'm loving that my friends and I booked a weekend getaway to Atlantic City this summer!! I have never been to Atlantic City so it's going to be exciting! We are staying at Bally's and we have already mapquested directions to go to the Shore Store that the Jersey Shore cast works at.

I'm loving that Jodi Picoult's new book came out yesterday! There are SO many books I want to read/am in the middle of reading I just want to be able to start this one now.

I'm loving that my cousin Lisa is engaged! I just love weddings and I am excited to be in her wedding party. She said she is thinking of Tiffany Blue as the color for our dresses (her date is July 6, 2013) and I googled it...Such a pretty color, don't ya think?

I'm loving that my friend Ashley and I will finally get to have lunch together next week! We met in grad school, were in the same school for part of student teaching, and a great friendship blossomed from it. Love it.

I'm loving the two bathing suits I bought today at the mall with the boyfriend from Victoria's Secret. My mom says my butt sticks out in them (what can I say, I got junk in the trunk) but the boyfriend liked them. Plus, I got a cute bag for free (worth $85!) because I spent over $75.

I got a top & bottom in both these patterns & can mix/match!

(free bag)

I'm loving that we have BARELY had any snow this winter! Where I went to school, New Paltz, keeps getting snow. And it's only like 2.5, 3 hours away from me! I find that hysterical. And I hope I don't jinx myself.

I'm loving this pin from Pinterest:

I'm loving the new single by Carrie Underwood! It's called "Good Girl" off her album being released in May, which I can't wait for!! I really would love to go see her on tour.

I'm loving that my best friend April's birthday is on Friday and I get to see her this weekend!

I'm loving this adorable dress I got from New York & Company. I bought 95% of my student teaching clothes from there and love this! It will be perfect for the cruise and to incorporate into a more "adult" wardrobe.

what are you all loving this week?! :)

26 years ago...

2012-02-27T14:35:00.003-05:00

Today is the day that my mother lost her companion, her partner in life. 26 years ago, she became a widow with four children and one on the way (that she had no idea about at the time...that would be me!). She suddenly was met with the challenge of raising 5 kids all on her own (one of whom has a disability). Simply because my dad died in a car accident.

My dad died 26 years ago and I am 25. Therefore, I never met him. My mom had no idea that she was expecting another kid when he passed away. She did not find out until sometime after the funeral, so it was quite a shock to her. Many people told her she did not need another child since her hands were going to be full. What did they know? Obviously she did not listen to them because I am here. :)

I have always felt robbed in life that I grew up without a father. It's not like there was abandonment but I just wished I had grown up with one. I guess you could say I was the daughter he always wanted. Infact, Kristin was the name he wanted for a girl the 2nd time my mom got pregnant. I love my name. And even though I never met my father, everyone in my family tells me that I have some of his features and characteristics. I have had people tell me that I look like my mom but she says I look like my dad. My mom tells me all the time I inherited my father's intelligence and his organizational skills.

Sometimes, I wonder what life would have been like with him here. I just know he is up in heaven, smiling down on everyone and would be so proud of the accomplishments my brothers and I have made. Rest easy, Daddy. Forever in my heart, even if we never met.

Quite possibly my favorite picture I have ever seen of my father.

Optimism

2012-02-23T22:41:00.002-05:00

Good news - I got Cora back! Cora is the name I have for my car, my little Corolla. The collision shop that was repairing her called at like 2:30 saying it was ready and I could pick it up at 5. When I asked if I could pick it up at that time (like 2:30) since I'd be at school til 5, she said no. I thought it was odd, and when she said I couldn't leave the rental at the shop even though the rental place said I could, she put me on hold I guess to ask. Well, I got it at 5 after school and I was so happy to see the car. I am grateful I was able to rent a car (why you have to be 25 in NY to rent a car is dumb, IMO) while it was being repaired. She looks bright & shiny. Plus, it got washed which saved me some more money. I had to pay the deductible, which was $500! YIKES! I wonder if I will get anything back for it from the insurance company. My guess is probably not.

I can't believe how much one accident cost me...ugh! Like I told my mother, it is all a part of growing up and becoming an adult. And it could have been worse.

I cleaned off my desk a lil. My room is entirely in need of a major cleaning, but I always seem to tackle this at night. What is my problem?! Ha. As I was cleaning, I put my undergrad official transcript, which came in today's mail, and my grad transcript together to mail off to the state education department. This is to determine if I am "lacking" any classes for my special education certification. In prayers/hopes I passed my CST from last week, I made a list of all the school districts on Long Island and I am going through whether they take paper applications or use OLAS. OLAS is what NY uses for applying for education jobs. Right now, teaching jobs in New York are EXTREMELY hard to come by. My friend Shannon has been applying for the last three years. It makes it harder to want to apply for a job here when they are closing schools. :( I am so ready to just take a pay cut and move down South. It is what I want to do. I feel part of my soul was born there. I am feeling optimistic and feel that by following my dreams, I will eventually land a job that suits my talents. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

My laundry is calling my name. My mission is to go to bed before midnight tonight. Challenge accepted.

It's Okay Thursday!

2012-02-23T10:06:00.006-05:00

Link up with Neely @ A Complete Waste of Makeup and Amber @ Brunch with Amber for "It's Okay Thursday!"

It's Okay...

...that I made my point valid to my boyfriend why I was upset with him yesterday.

...that I cannot wait to go get a manicure tomorrow and make them make my nails shorter. I hate when the natural nail starts to be playable and then it makes me wanna play with it under the tip. Annoying! Plus, I cannot wait to chose a fun color! :)

...that my mom still buys me things when she goes out shopping even though I am 25. I'm the only kid she does that for! Spoiled much? :) I really hope the two Lauren Conrad dresses she got me from Kohl's actually fit!

...that I really want to go see The Lion King on Broadway so I can sing "The Circle of Life" aloud. #notashamed.

...to still not have done my taxes...umm, I have no CLUE how to do that! Isn't that why we have accountants?

...to be excited Jennifer Aniston finally got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (I so need to go there and take a picture in front of it!). I can't help it...she's my favorite actress of all-time!

...to want to live vicariously through my cousin as she plans her wedding for next July. Sorry, can't help it but LOVE weddings!

...to want to crack open a BLL at 5pm sometimes because you can't deal with people's stupidity. Sometimes it makes me wonder how these people function in life.

...to be a tad obsessed with ecards on Pinterest.

...to take your best friend to a possible Yankee game trip through your job as opposed to the boyfriend who is a Mets fan. He did sit through one game for me!

...to be ridiculously excited about the cruise I will be on in 81 days. I can't WAIT til it is in the SINGLE digits.

...to want to have this body so I can look smoking in my bikini in the Bahamas:

...that I am more excited about Jodi Picoult's book coming out next week then trying to get into the Hunger Games. I know...SHAME ON ME. I just keep reading it on my Kindle but maybe it's because I am getting distracted where I am reading it.

...to be secretly obsessed with Lifetime's "Dance Moms." As someone who danced for 13 years, I am hooked on the show. And all the drama is CRAZY!

Things Boys Don't Understand

2012-02-22T23:44:00.002-05:00

Jenna Marbles is one of my favorite YouTube "celebrities." I was introduced to her thanks to my friend Olivia. She is HYSTERICAL! I subscribe to her YouTube page and liked her on Facebook. Each week, on Wednesday, she makes a new video. This week was called "Things Boys Don't Understand." As seeing as boys are difficult to deal with sometimes and just don't "get" us girls, I feel like it was TOTALLY true. You just have to watch:

WILW

2012-02-22T10:48:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying their short work week. This used to be my favorite week growing up in school - mid-winter recess!

Link up with Jamie to show what you're loving today!

I'm loving that we have a working dishwasher again! There's nothing like a week of washing a sink full of dishes every day to be grateful for a dishwasher!

I'm loving last night's Glee episode. I haven't finished watching it (watching it now) but it was truly moving. Any Glee addicts know what I am talking about. And my friend Olivia is truly happy she has converted me to a Glee fan! Plus - WHY WHY WHY do we have to wait until April 10th for a new one?!

I'm loving that I will be cruising to the Bahamas in 82 days! I am in desperate need of a vacation!

I'm loving that I got back to the gym finally yesterday and was able to do 2 miles in 20 mins on the elliptical. It really helped having an awesome playlist. And for not working out in 2 weeks, I felt great!

I'm loving that I get to be a bridesmaid in my cousin Lisa's wedding next July! She's already thinking color schemes and thinks she might do tiffany blue with red & white flowers since it will be right after the 4th of July. It sounds pretty. I can't wait! :)

I'm loving some of these outfit inspirations from Pinterest. If only my closet was that easy to get dressed in!

I'm loving that there is a new season of 16 & Pregnant starting in March. Yes, I realize this is not "quality tv" but we all have our guilty pleasures, don't we?! I just can't help but watch.

I'm loving that Kourtney Kardashian is having a little girl! I think her son Mason is so incredibly adorable I can't WAIT to see how she dresses the little girl. :)

Top 5 Tuesday: Pump Up Songs!

2012-02-21T11:00:00.002-05:00

I am ALWAYS looking for new music. Sometimes I get bored of listening to songs. I like blog reading to find out what other people use as motivation to run/work out to. One of my favorite blogs, These Happy Miles, does a Weekend Playlist and she has given me some great new additions to my iPod!

It's really hard to chose just five songs that pump me up and get me motivated while working out. However, these are just five of many of my favorites that I enjoy listening to at the gym:

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger ~ Kelly Clarkson

Need I say more?

Man, I Feel Like a Woman! ~ Shania Twain

I had always wished I had a jazz dance routine to this in the years I did dance.

Good Feelin ~ Flo Rida

Makes me just wanna throw my hands up while on the tread mill!

Start a Fire ~ Ryan Star

This was actually used I think during the previews for the last season of "Army Wives" and I became obsessed with it. Just such a good beat.

Walking on Broken Glass ~ Annie Lennox

This keeps me going when I want to throw the towel in.

I spend way too much time on Pinterest

2012-02-20T22:18:00.004-05:00

The title of this blog post says it all. I spend way too much time on Pinterest. I swear, once you are on it, it SUCKS YOU IN! That is what Facebook first felt like when I first got it, back in the beginning of college.

I love finding cute style options/techniques, recipes, or just funny pins. Here are some of my favorites as of lately:

Oh my word this is so true!

Totally true about me!

There are so many things I have pinned...hoping I'll be able to cook! Ha!

Hysterical!

This show also frightens me too!

HAHA I sent this to my friend Amanda and it made her laugh.

Totally true!
My kind of thinking!

I still do not have my car back from the car accident last week. I haven't even heard from the guy at the collison shop. So I am hoping to have it back this week. I am glad to have a rental car although I am sure I will cringe when I open that credit card bill since I stupidly have $11 insurance a day on it too! Oh well. I also have not heard from the other insurance company of the other car. My insurance company said that if needbe, they'd contact me but I guess they don't need to! I do miss Cora, my corolla. She's gotta last me until I get an actual job and can buy my first real car myself. I do consider myself lucky...out of all my siblings that drive, I am the one that got the newest car as their first car (I got a 2004 Corolla in 2006 when I got my license). And that's only because my brother Brian totaled the one I was suppose to get!

I am still looking into the Cancun trip that my BFF April & I plan on taking in the later half of 2012. She will be at her job in July for one year and after that, she can take vacation. I am trying to figure out when the best time to go is. We're looking to do an all inclusive package for like 5 days, 4 nights or something. Some of the resorts I have been looking at on cheapcaribbean.com have swim up bars. What is not to love about that?! Has anyone been to Cancun? Can you give me some tips?!

It'd be really nice if I still did not have the "sniffles." It is quite annoying but at least the choking cough I had is gone. Considering I haven't been to the gym in two weeks, I *NEED* to go tomorrow. As much as the thought of getting out of my warm, cozy bed early disturbs me, I need to do it. Hence, I sit here and update my iPod with some fab tunes to jam to on the treadmill.

I must becoming really picky in my taste/choice of clothes lately because today, I was browsing the mall before work. I had to return a jacket I got my mom for Christmas from NY&Co that didn't fit and was so early, I decided to browse the stores. I'm not sure if I was overwhelmed that it was packed since everyone had off today thanks to Mr.Washington, Mr.Jefferson, Mr.Lincoln, etc and schools up here are on mid-winter break. But I really was just iffy. Or maybe just browsing. However, I did get myself some new undies from VS because they are just soooooo comfortable and a new hunter green zip up sweatshirt from there. I know, how many can you have? But seriously, they are so comfy! Plus, it is time to go through my closet again. Maybe when my mom goes away so she doesn't try to keep stuff I want to get rid of!

Relief!

2012-02-19T10:31:00.004-05:00

So yesterday, I took my CST test. It was kind of nice having it at 1pm rather than driving the 45 minutes at 6:45am to go take it at 7am. My friend Bethany took it again in the morning and she called to tell me what the writing & speaking situations were. Even though I knew them, when I went to do my speaking I think I got more nervous because there were two people staring at me as I did it as opposed to one! Talk about nerve wracking! One of them was learning how to be a proctor and it would be my luck that I got stuck in that room. Oh well. I stumbled on the conjugations of some of my verbs but I am just hoping for the best. I find out my scores on March 19th and I am just SO READY to be done. *IF* for some reason I do not pass, I will have a nervous breakdown and scream and retake it in April or June or whenever it is. I am just not that great of as test taker! So say a prayer I passed! I missed it by four points last time. I dont care if I get a 221...I just need at least a 220 to pass!

In exciting news, my cousin Lisa got engaged this past week! She is my only girl cousin on my father's side of the family and I am one of her two girl cousins (the other is like 13). I have not met her fiance Bryce yet but they will be coming up to New York in March so I am excited to meet him! And see her, because I can't remember the last time I saw her! Apparently, she was going to officially ask me then but I jumped the gun, ha ha! I love weddings and can't wait! She doesn't read my blog (that I know of) but this I stole from her facebook. This is them around Thanksgiving:

Now that the test is "over" maybe I can finally start cleaning up my room, ha! I always seem to start it and then get distracted. Or have to go to work. Oops.

When I was in Target yesterday shopping for a baby shower gift for my cousin's baby shower today, I was just in love with all the little baby clothes. I love babies! Part of what I loved when I was babysitting my nieces & nephew when they were little was playing dress up with them. I can't wait to do that to my own children. They'll be my own little dolls. I apologize now to my future kids, ha!

I never really read fashion magazines but I had to buy this yesterday when in Target because it had Jennifer Aniston on the cover. She's my #1 favorite celebrity and with her new movie out in a few days, I couldn't wait to read it! It's a mega issue but maybe it'll give me some hints to what I want to buy for the cruise:

And not for nothing, I wouldn't mind looking like this when I am her age:

And because I like to end things with a laugh, this made me roar:

Fried brain

2012-02-18T00:31:00.004-05:00

Excuse the dorky picture. I took it with my web cam because this is just proof to say "I have a fried brain right now." As in, my brain is just about no longer processing the information I am trying to study for my test tomorrow. The one that is holding me back from having my teaching license by four freaking points. I am SO READY to be done and over with it! Not as much as my friend Bethany though, she freaked out last time and is now repeating it for the 5th time. Apparently no one passes the CST on the first try, unless you're the offspring of Penelope Cruz. Say a prayer we pass!

This is also what I look like after working a double at work and wanting to pull my hair out because people are STUPID. Do not tell me you will split up and then claim the kids are too far away and then be an a-hole to the manager. I swear, some people...just should not go out in public. EVER.

I have also been a major slacker this week..or so...in regards to the gym. I made myself the promise I would not want to waste the membership. I think I have a good excuse...my nose was running like the Nile River (I went through a box of Kleenex in 2-3 days) and I couldn't stop coughing. Good news? I am over it 98%! With all the stuff to do tomorrow and Sunday, I can't go to Monday but I can't wait to get my jam on on the treadmill. Because if I don't, this is how I will continue to feel:

I have already decided I will be taking my test in sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and sneakers. I am going to be sitting for 4+ hours and I wanna be comfy! And I have no shame going to Target afterwards for my cousin's baby shower gifts in said clothes. Target rules, yo!

I have decided I need to use my massage gift certificate soon. Apparently the card the boyfriend gave me was worth $200! I need to find the price listing because I just might have them cut my hair and also see if they can do something about my eyebrows. My eye brows fade out at the end so it looks like I have half a brow! Awkward central.

And as I sit here, yawning and knowing I need to go to bed so I can get up at 8:30/9ish to shower/re-read my notes again before the test, I often wonder how I survived college on 4-5 hours of sleep a night?! I vividly remember deciding one night my freshmen year "I think I'll write my research paper tonight..."...at 9pm....two weeks before it was due. Yeah, never went back and edited it but it was fun going on no sleep the next day. I was nuts in college. Complete opposite of high school, which I guess is a good thing!

Here's to hoping tomorrow's test is not too torturous!

It's Otay Thursday!

2012-02-16T13:50:00.004-05:00

Otay! It's Thursday! Let's dance!

Link up with Neely to show what is okay with you on this Thursday!

It's OK...

...that it took me almost 3 months to call & have an appointment for a repeat breast sonogram to make sure no tumors came back. I just hate calling people.

...that I am giving my cousin & his wife a giftcard to my job for her baby shower. They're having twins and they want gift cards to places near them that offer take out(which we do!)

...that I am excited for said cousin & his wife to have her baby girls. TWIN GIRLS...oh and they are identical. I can't wait for babies!

...to stay up until 2am watching Wife Swap episodes on Lifetime. I am not sorry I am addicted.

...to stay in your pajamas as long as possible until you have to go somewhere.

...to want to go see "The Vow" again so you can see Channing Tatum's butt again!

..continue to look up all-inclusive vacations to Cancun for the fall. I will be going!

...that I am just folding my laundry from yesterday now.

...to name the external hard drive your boyfriend gave you for Valentine's Day "Dat Ass" so I can say "I need to back dat ass up."

...to want to buy Lady & The Tramp on DVD simply because I have never seen it...and have a slight desire to re-enact the spaghetti scene. :)

...I dont know how to do my taxes. Isn't that what an accountant is for?!

...that I have been looking at the website "Children with Swag" and giggling my butt off. This is just too funny:

...to be ready for SUMMER! bring on the flipflops, margaritas and bikinis!

...to not have gone to the gym for the past week because I have felt like crap. Will be going lots next week!

...to want to go to Victoria's Secret and buy new underwear, simply because I am bored of the ones I have, ha!

...to not want to take this stupid test on Saturday. What a way to ruin my weekend.

...that my room is still a mess....I've been putting it off until after the test.

...to secretly want it to be April so I can just get my new phone and it's closer to the cruise!

...to eventually want to be able to run a 5K but afraid of actually making myself run.

WILW! :)

2012-02-15T12:10:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday y'all! I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day yesterday. :) Time for one of my favorite link ups of the week.

Head on over to Jamie's blog to share what you're loving this week!

I'm loving that my boyfriend gave me an external hard drive for Valentine's Day. Ha, how romantic! But he said he didn't know what to get me and it was something I was planning on getting anyways. :O)

I'm loving that my brother Brian left me the sweetest Valentine's Day card. He did it last year and I didn't expect it! It's nice to know my brother has faith in me achieving my dreams. :)

I'm loving that I discovered they make these yesterday and now want to go back and get a package. They look so yummy!!

I'm loving that this time in 3 months I will be on my way to cruising to the Bahamas! Can't wait to get aboard this:

I'm loving that Army Wives is back on March 4th! Anyone else a fan of this show?

I'm loving that I get to see April on Saturday night!

I'm loving that my dog has started this cute thing where she opens my door as far as she can, whines until I wake up, to let her in and sleep the rest of the morning in my room. She's a cutie!

I'm loving that February is half-way over and we are getting CLOSER to summer! There has BARELY been any snow this winter which makes for one happy camper in me! :)

Unlucky Monday the 13th

2012-02-14T11:29:00.005-05:00

They usually say Friday the 13th can be an unlucky day. Well, yesterday was quite possibly not one of the best days I have had. I spent two hours of my morning crying. Why was it so bad? Well, I had my first car accident. :(

My oldest brother Scott does not drive so I had to take him to his doctor's appointment. The appointment was fine and we were on our way back from it so I could take him to his job. I've done this drive numerous times before so it was nothing really out of the ordinary. However, on Long Island in New York (for those who are like "Where on Earth is that?!"), everyone likes to drive like a mad man. I'm talking people will drive up your butt to a stop sign, no joke.

I was trying to merge onto the main highway from the service road and went up the ramp. I was probably going like 30, 35 MPH and slowed down to see if I could merge into the right lane. People come flying down the highway because everyone drives like a maniac. When I had slowed down to see if I could merge, no one was coming and so I began to merge. Only, a Ford explorer came FLYING up and smashed right up against the side of my car. My mirror came off, part of my door handle, paint was scraped off. I basically screamed "OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" I was so freaking freaked out.

I pulled over to the side and the lady gets out and begins HOLLERING at me. She began to tell me how to drive and that it was my fault. I think I was just in shock from it so I just let her yell at me. I couldn't even bear to get out of my car to see the actual damage or what happened to hers because people kept zooming past. She called the cops and they sent a Sheriff to take the accident report. He asked her what happened, asked me what happened and then I guess wrote up his report as we filled out our views of what happened. Granted, he couldnt have said who was at fault (or more at fault) since there were no witnesses to it. And I dont think the damage was that bad to her car considering it's much bigger and I drive a tiny Toyota Corolla. The sheriff told me to wait until she drove away and then to drive away. Well, she of course sped off.

I was just a mess the rest of the morning. Granted, I know it could have been worse. No one was hurt or anything but still, it is unsettling. I called my mom and then called my insurance guy. He said he could totally see how it happened because him & his wife discuss this all the time how everyone just drives up your butt. I apparently was also his 4th claim that morning and it was about 10:15/10:30 when I called him...wow. The insurance company called me around noon to get my statement and I guess they contact the other insurance company. There's a $500 deductible but I don't know how much I'll have to pay (or maybe I'll see if my mom will pay it, haha).

The bright side of things? Since I turned 25 in November, I can now rent a car! Why they make it 25 in NY I don't know (probably because everyone drives like a maniac) but I got my car towed to the collison place my insurance guy has had his fixed at, Enterprise picked me up and got all the paperwork done. Funny thing...I gave the girl my license and a credit card for it...apparently she couldn't read either of them as my name being Kristin and listed it as "Katherine" on my rental papers. HAHA! So until my car is fixed, I will be driving around in a Chevy Impala with NJ plates.

Not how I wanted my Monday or week to start off but I am proud of myself for getting everything done yesterday. This is all just a part of life. Hopefully my car will come back not looking too bad (like I hope the color on the mirror matches the rest of the car!).

Meet the author, aka moi!

2012-02-13T13:29:00.003-05:00

Neely over at A Complete Waste of Makeup is having a link up where you can discover new blogs. I love link ups because I have found a lot of blogs I enjoyed reading through the link ups. And meet some new blog friends as a result! What's not to love? I figured this would be a fun thing to do!

HI! I'm Kristin!
(excuse my dorkish wave. my mother took this in disney world)

I'm 25 years old.
I graduated in May 2011 with my Masters in Adolescence Education w/a Middle Childhood Extension for Spanish. Wow, that's a mouth full!
I am also certified to teach Special Education.

I'm the baby of my family and the only girl. Don't worry, I can hold my own!

I started my blog when I was on "vacation" from my job for a week because I had surgery. I wasn't suppose to do any lifting of anything so I laid in bed and read so many blogs. Adoption blogs, random blogs, and just fell in love with the world of blogging.
I decided to create a blog because hey, life is worth documenting, regardless if anyone reads it or not! :)

Aside from family, my friends are my life.

I like to talk about our plans/adventures here a lot. I also enjoy hanging out with my boyfriend, shopping, laying out at the beach, reading a good book and spending time with my nieces and nephew.
My youngest niece Emma Grace <3

My goddaughter & I in Epcot

My nephew Steven

I try to look at the bright side of life. Life's too short to have anything but fun and laugh at yourself. If you can't make a fool of yourself, then what's the fun?
(Yes, I am a dork)

I studied abroad for a semester in Seville, Spain. I love to travel and cannot wait to go back to Europe. Aside from Spain, I went to London, Amsterdam, and Ireland.
(Me in Plaza de Espana)

I work for California Pizza Kitchen. I'm a hostess aka I like to play musical chairs. I like my coworkers and the managers are pretty sweet too!

I only like three vegetables - corn, carrots, and green beans. I guess you can consider me to be a picky eater.

I am a HUGE Jennifer Aniston fan and cannot WAIT to meet her one day (hopefully!!).

I would rather buy purses over shoes any day of the week. My current obsession is the MK bag I got for Christmas!

I have an obsession for office supplies. I just love buying them!

Some of my favorite TV shows include Grey's Anatomy, FRIENDS, Gilmore Girls, Law & Order SVU.

I love quotes. I think they are perfect explanations for things in life. This is one of my favorites:

And I love meeting new people! Feel free to say hello!

My life for the next week

2012-02-11T12:53:00.003-05:00

I am re-taking my Spanish CST again next Saturday. Thank GOD it is the 1pm session and not 7:45am like the last two times. I can't believe it's the third time I have to take it. The minimum passing score is a 220 and when I took it for the first time, I went in not knowing what to expect. I didn't do that great. When I retook it in November, I got a 216....you can imagine how upset I was by missing passing by at least 4 points. I am hoping this will be the LAST time I take it and I can finally start applying for jobs. This book will be my best friend:

Say a prayer for me that I pass.

Also, I am waiting until after that happens to clean out my closet. I know I keep saying I am going to do it but cleaning the closet out is just a task in itself. Not something I want to tackle before I go to work. I really just need to go to bed early one night, get up early-ish the next morning and do it. I'm sure if I did it within 4-5 hours, it could be done. At least I donated 5 bags of clothes/shoes to the clothing bin today! :)

Time to go to do more studying and shower before work. This should be a fun shift tonight with a hoarse voice and I can't stop sniffling. I went and bought Mucinex medicine which hopefully will work. I had it last time but don't know where it went. This better go away soon. I am using so much Kleenex because I can't stop sniffling/blowing my nose I should probably invest in stock in it!

"I vow to live in the warmth of your heart..."

2012-02-11T01:20:00.002-05:00

I just got back from having a girl date with my BFF Shannon! We went to dinner at Applebees (can't beat an appetizer & 2 entrees for $20!) and then we were going to see "The Vow." Only, it was sold out! So we went to the other theater and I went in to get tickets because the next show was at like 9:35. That one was sold out too so I got tickets to the 10:05 showing. And then we went back to her house and played with her dog, Fiona! Shannon has so many animals at her house and her older sister Meghan brought this cutie pie home last week! OMG I just love puppies! Look at this face:

And I have to say...The Vow = AMAZING!!! Clearly, no love story will ever get me like "The Notebook." But considering this was based on a true story, I was hoping it'd be good. There were parts of the movie were I was legit tearing up and then crying. Plus, you saw Channing Tatum's butt. What's not to love about that? I totally will buy this when it comes out on DVD (which I know is so far off but OMG). And I'm not going to lie....I wouldn't mind waking up to find out Channing Tatum was my husband. I'd marry him any day of the week!

And it is NOT a happy day in the land of cable. The cable company we use requires all tvs to have digital cable boxes as of this past Tuesday. I already had one with a DVR from when we got our high def tv. So I got new boxes for my brothers and my mom's tvs on Wed. None of them would hook up. Four boxes on all the tvs? WTF? So the cable people came today when I was still at work. Apparently, they can't fix the problem and either need to go in the attic (which is PACKED PACKED with stuff because my mom will NEVER throw anything out and it drives me nuts) or drill a hole in the house. I'm thinking my mom is going to have an anxiety attack over the first option so I'm hoping she will go for the second. Not that it concerns me since I have a tv still. But I can't understand how they go from having a signal on Monday to none by Thursday. I feel like there's something fishy. Whatever, Brian will have to explain it to her when she gets home from her trip.

I really hope I am able to breathe more. I felt FINE on Tuesday. I woke up on Wednesday and felt like I was swallowing razor blades. Lovely, right? I had a phlegm-like cough on Thursday, which I had in the for 2-3 weeks in November/December. I wonder where this came from. Factor in that I have had stomach issues this week and didn't eat anything really on Mon & Tues, I have been feeling like poo. I thought I had Mucinex D leftover from last time but I can't find it so I guess I will be making a trip BACK to CVS tomorrow to get it. And might get more of these Hall Vitamin-C Defense Blueberry cough drops! I don't even like blueberries the fruit but these are so good. I am hoping to go to sleep shortly and maybe be able to breathe out of my nose. Because hacking up my lungs is NOT how I want to spend my day tomorrow/night at work.

Cooking Fail

2012-02-09T23:27:00.002-05:00

Let me start off by saying I am not Betty Crocker. I actually hate to cook. If I can marry a man that will cook, I will gladly do all the dishes/cleaning/laundry. I LOVE grocery shopping. Cooking? Too much work.

The semester I lived abroad was a true test since I lived in an apartment and we cooked for ourselves. We did have a weekly "apartment dinner" which was nice. But when I was there, I took my roommate Allie's cookbook which was her sister's from when she was in Italy and copied some recipes. Keep in mind it was a beginner's cookbook. One of the recipes I got was for ranch chicken covered in bread crumbs. Sounds yummy, right?! Well, here's where I failed...

Since my mom had already taken the chicken breasts out to cook but then had two long days at work, she said someone had to cook it because she couldn't refreeze them or throw them away. Well, I said I would do it since she was going to her friend's funeral in Rhode Island. I decided to make the ranch chicken and it called for frying the chicken in oil in a skillet for 12-15 minutes...

In the process of doing it, I had the burner on high because they were thick chicken breasts and it almost started to burn so I lowered it. The bread crumbs were falling off (so almost a waste!) and they were taking so long to cook. So I decided to put them in the oven in bake. After I came up with said brilliant idea, I didn't know at what temperate to put it on or for how long. I did 15 minutes but they were still pink on the inside so I put it in for another 25. If they are not done after that, I am going to be super angry. All the yummy breadcrumbs won't be on there. :( I should've just put it in the stupid oven to begin with and baked it. Then, the bread crumbs would be on there and it'd probably be a lot yummier than it will be now.

I can't even document it with pictures because I am too embarrassed. I thought it was going to be easy but *apparently* I have to learn that not to put it on 375 degrees when its in the oven in a dish because then the bottoms will start to get toasty...maybe 20 mins would've been better than 25. I hope it at least TASTES somewhat good. I cooked it for Scott to eat tomorrow night (and Brian if he so chooses) and Saturday. I plan on eating Sat when I get off of work. I will let y'all know how it tastes. I definitely learned a lesson here. Maybe I should start asking my mom for tips and helping in the kitchen if I plan to live on my own soon!

WILW! :)

2012-02-08T15:07:00.002-05:00

Happy Wednesday all ya lovely readers!

Time to link up with Jamie and show what you're loving on this fine Wednesday!

I'm loving that Ricky Martin episode of Glee last night. How great was it? It could have been better if he had done some of his own songs. I could have gone for some "She Bangs".

I'm loving I finally found a cute bathing suit! I went into Old Navy to get a new pair of pants for work (I think I shrunk my others) and this suit just spoke to me! It's floral with red, blue, and yellow in it. I tried to find it on their website but no luck. :(

I'm loving my dog. Sure there are days when she annoys me because she won't let you eat anything in peace but she's just so DARN cute:

I'm loving the girls night Shannon, Olivia and I have planned for Friday. Dinner/drinks and The Vow. UGH I cannot wait to drool over Channing Tatum! :)

I'm loving that my BFF Stephanie in Georgia is planning on coming up to NY this summer! Probably in August. And this time possibly with her boyfriend Brett! I miss her a lot! I hope I can go away in July to see her! :)

I'm loving that Jennifer Aniston has a new movie coming out this month! She's my favorite actress and I cannot wait to see "Wanderlust"! :) (And I wouldn't mind having her body when I get to be that age!)

I'm loving this new product, Garnier Silky Secret Leave-In! I picked it up at Walgreens today and it left my hair light, bouncy, and silky. I think I'm going to like it!

Ready for summer

2012-02-07T20:03:00.004-05:00

Granted, this winter has been a breeze compared to last year. I mean, one day of snow that wasn't even that much. Last year, I swear for 5-6 weeks, on EVERY Tuesday it was snowing! Ugh. But I am so over the winter. I am ready for it to be summer. :)

Apparently the cable service we use now requires all tvs in every house to have a cable box. Otherwise, a lovely message will flash on your screen until you have one. Sucks for all my brothers because they dont have a cable box in their room but I do! :) I took the old one from downstairs when we got the high def tv and needed a high def cable box. But apparently my mother is sending me tomorrow to get them for everyone. Joy.

Yesterday and today, I felt like death was hanging over me. I felt so bad last night at work that I could not wait to go home. Of course, we had to stay and cover everything for maintenance so I was soooo excited to get out of there. I didn't even eat my food I ordered! My brother hurt his back so bad somehow he left. I spent the good portion of my morning today in bed watching Law & Order SVU. LOVE when there are marathons of it on! :) And thank goodness there are new episodes tomorrow. I have missed it...but not as much as I miss Stabler on that show!

Apparently at my undergrad school, there was this situation today...a hostage situation. It was caused by a freshmen student and thankfully, no one was really hurt. He's in jail now and one of the cops was hit in the head but he's okay. I am SO thankful that in the four years I went there, I never encountered anything like this on campus. I just pray the kid gets the help he needs.

Last night, I received the sweetest message from my student's mother on facebook. I have worked with this student for three semester and we were SUPPOSE to work together again but the program coordinator basically forced her to switch to someone else that can't come until 4:30 (she can't get there until 4:30/445 herself from student teaching) and my student was SUPER upset. We are still trying to work together because she's really not that fond of the person. The words from her mother just made my day and it was exactly what I needed to hear. I hope one day I can get a job where I will hear more things like that from parents. It makes all the hours of tutoring/teaching worth it.

I am SO excited for having Friday night off from work because I get to have a dinner date with these lovely ladies and see this lovely movie!

Because let's face it, Channing Tatum is drool worthy:

And I wouldn't mind if this was true:

It's a great day to be a NYer!

2012-02-06T12:20:00.004-05:00

Last night/today/tomorrow is a great day to be a NYer! Oh why? Well, the New York Giants won the Super Bowl! I am pretty sure my brother Mark was in all his GLORY that his team won last night. One of his BIL's, John, is a big Giants fan (living in MA, land of the Patriots!) so I am sure he was too.

I was DVRing it mainly so I could watch the commercials and the half time show later but when the boyfriend and I went to dinner at Chilis, the game was on there so we ended up watching the rest of it! It was quite a nail biter! We left Chilis when it was 15 (NYG)-17 (NE Patriots) to go to the movies and I kept refreshing Yahoo on my phone so I could see who won. I was kind of shocked the Giants won since I thought the Patriots would have. Oh well. Poor Tom Brady. But yea NY Giants!

And can we discuss the half time show? Madonna, in all the press conferences leading up to last night's game, made it seem like the whole night was about HER and NOT the teams. She looked like a big tool, in my opinion, in her opening number! I mean, what in the world was she thinking with this freaking outfit. While I did enjoy hearing her old numbers, I thought she did a lot of "let me stick my butt out and shake it" poses. And Nicki Minaj, MIA and Celo? They were alright but apparently MIA flashed the middle finger? I thought it was kind of disappointing....please get someone better and HOTTER next year!

The ads were pretty good this year. I think one of my favorite commercials was the Greek Yogurt one with John Stamos. He is still so hot looking. I mean, just take a look. I think I still have a thing for him from when he was Uncle Jesse on Full House. I was convinced when I was 7, I'd be marrying him, ha!

What was your favorite Super Bowl commercial?!

Say what?

2012-02-05T00:22:00.003-05:00

I am beginning to think that 2am is my new bed time. My body does not seem to want to succumb to slumber until that time. I am pretty sure that almost every day last week I went to bed at 2am. Thankfully, I dont have to be anywhere in the morning early although I was waking up at 9:30.

Tonight was kind of insanity at work. I dont know why. Mainly because it was taking forever. They went to three servers from the morning and had to have two more people jump on the floor because the three servers were getting slammed. We were also on a wait at 5:30 because I had sat a party of 14 that was taking up four of our tables. It was just non-stop. Maybe I made decent money. My mom brought my grandma in for dinner because my grandma wanted to see where my brother and I work. Of course, it's a production with my grandma and they didn't get there til 7 but we snuck her into my brother's section anyways. Let's hope I made money tonight. I picked up a shift for tomorrow (or Sunday AM rather) since they had no host scheduled and said they'd be busy before the game.

My upper body is so sore. I am trying to be good about going to the gym and went on Friday before I had to go to work (well, a few hours before). I did some machines to look out my arms and stuff. Waking up this morning, I was super sore! Hopefully it'll pass tomorrow.

I honestly cannot believe my boyfriend does not want to watch the Superbowl. The only guy I really know that could careless about sports is my brother Brian. He's more into politics! I only watch because I like the half time show. And let's face it, THE PUPPY BOWL IS WAY BETTER! Instead, the boyfriend and I will be going to dinner and the movies to see this tomorrow after I get out of work:

I need to get my hair cut. I wanted to grow it out more but I haven't had it cut since June!! I only usually get my hair cut once or twice a year, which may sound crazy to some people. My hair takes forever to grow out. My hairdresser cuts my hair at her house and doesn't let you tip her. $25 for a wash/cut/blow is pretty good! Sometimes it is hard to get an appointment so I am willing to spend a little more and go to this place my friend Amanda recommended. She says the people there are more younger and will put more style into it. I am thinking possible layers, yet still long enough to pull it back for work.

Now that I am almost done with the second season, I think I am officially addicted to Glee. WHAT took me so long? I never do anything on Tuesday night's (there's nothing ever good on TV anyways) and borrowing Olivia's DVDs made me pretty addicted.

I am so off to curl up in my bed and get some sleep since I have to be up in a few hours to get ready for work. The joys!

SUYL - Singles

2012-02-04T12:18:00.004-05:00

I love that this one blog I read, Kelly's Korner, does link ups every Friday called "Show Us Your Life." This week, it is SINGLES! Now, while I am not single, she has done this numerous times before. There are four couples that have gotten engaged or are married from it and there are five other couples who are seriously dating. So, who says meeting someone on line can't work?!

Therefore, I'm linking up (a lil tardy). Meet my awesome best friend, April! She is a ball of zest and I know the right guy is out there for her. As her best friend, I want nothing but the best for her!

Here's APRIL!

We have been best friends since 7th grade.
She's 24, turning 25 in a little over a month!
She went to Columbia University for graduate school.

(Covering NYE 2010 in Times Square)

She's a journalist for a Japanese newspaper in NYC.
She went to China for two weeks while an undergraduate student for a journalism program.
She's an only child.
While she is short (I always tease her for it), she does not let it get to her!

Her favorite sports team is the New York Yankees and has had a thing for Derek Jeter since she was a teenager.

She's a big Beatles fanatic...she can name every song of their's that was ever written! She shares this passion with her dad.

She loves animals. She has golden retriever named Sandie who we affectionately called "Cujo."

No matter what, April is the type of person who is always there for her friends. Despite her busy job, she tries to remain in contact whether it is via text, Facebook message, or calling for a quick chat.

She's a big Disney fanatic! I always think there's a child at heart in her.

What type of man do I think is a good match for her? I think someone who shares a love for traveling, a passion for news (even better if they're a journalist!), loves animals, enjoys spending time with friends, who can stay in and watch movies but likes to go out on the town.She has a gentle spirit and a zest for life. It would thrill me to no end to see her with someone who knows how to put a smile on her face and makes her feel like a queen.

Please leave a comment if you know someone who would be a good match for my best friend!

Reflections...

2012-02-04T00:52:00.003-05:00

When I came home from work last night, I said hello and chatted with my mom for a bit before going out to Applebees with the boyfriend. I asked her how her day was and she had talked to one of her childhood friends, Fran, and their other best friend Nancy had been moved to hospice. Nancy has been battling cancer for the past several years and was alert until Wednesday. Fran was mad my mom hadn't come up to visit Nancy before she went to hospice and it's not that easy to visit someone fighting cancer, no how long you have known them, and her job doesn't give her the easiest time with days off. My heart aches for my mom because she felt that no matter what she does people yell at her for it. She saw Nancy when we were in Rhode Island a year ago and has called her, plus sent flowers at Christmas. She knows the end is near and I think it's just a hard reality for her to accept.

Over a year ago, my Uncle Ken (my mom's sister's husband) lost his battle to lung cancer. He had not been given that good of a prognosis originally but to survive 8 years was pretty good. I can't remember the last time I saw him. Probably like 4 years before he passed away. He was a good man and was a minister. He even gave the blessing at my brother's wedding reception.

Let's face it, cancer is an ugly battle no matter what type, what stage, and what person it affects, whether young, middle aged, or old. It's a reality no one wants to go through. It makes you reflect on everything.

Recently, I was approached by a reader/commenter asking if I could share her story. Her name is Heather and she is the mother of a quirky 6-year-old girl named Lily. When her baby girl was only 3 1/2 months old, Heather was diagnosed with mesothelioma. I think the following words that she wrote to me in an email speak volumes:
"After all that, I’m still here 6 years later and cancer free! I'd like to turn my pain into purpose and become someone that other parents can look to for guidance, inspiration, and hope in situations like my own. I contacted you because I feel that your website would be an excellent place for me to share my story. Your visitors are the exact type of people I'm trying to reach out to; these are all the types of people who could gain something from my story."

Please take a moment to check out her story and share it with others.

{Student Loans-My Enemy}

2012-02-03T11:08:00.003-05:00

Let's face it, college is NOT cheap. I think I was paying $900something A CREDIT on my grad school classes. I have no idea what it cost me in loans for undergrad. All I know is it's a lot. I don't come from a well-off family by any means. And by living in New York, nothing is cheap. I believe I paid $3.73 a gallon for gas yesterday. *Cries*

My mother helped each of her four kids that went to college out as best as she could. Being that she was a single parent, she knew she'd have loans out too. We all have loans out from undergrad. I would have probably had more out if I did not go to a state school for under grad (a state school in NY is called a SUNY or a CUNY). When it came time for grad school, we were on our own. I respect her in that instance because most grad schools think you, the student, are supporting yourself and will essentially give you more money in loans to help pay for it. That's evil because then you end up taking out more than you should and live off of it.

Well, when I started grad school, I deferred my undergrad loans. I think I received a paper awhile ago that stated they were deferred until 2018?! While that can be good, the amount of interest I would accrue is enough to send me into thinking I'll have a heart attack. I got a loan paper in the mail today that had loans disbursed on 12-24-2009..I'm thinking these are my grad school loans considering I started in January 2010. With interest, a $20K loan went to almost $45,000! HOLY CRAP. Apparently they have me set up on the 30-year repayment plan and by paying only the minimum, it would be paid off in...2042! And I'd be 55! As in my first kids would probably be in college or something by that point! HOLY CRAP!

I basically went into panic mode and then asked my brother to explain the letter to me to make sure I knew what on Earth it was explaining. He reassured me that it was because of interest and if I made more than the minimum monthly payment, I would pay it off quicker. It just sucks because I pay rent while living at home and my phone bill, and of course gas. I know it was something inevitably going to happen and I would have to pay it back eventually. The reality of it all is just setting in and makes me cringe.

I hope that I nail this certification test (which I should really go study for!) and get certified because then I will start applying for jobs. I feel like once I get an actual teaching job and feel somewhat more financially stable/secure, I can pay it off in bigger chunks.

Anyone else feel this way about student loans? Any advice on how to deal with it and/or stay organized while paying off loans? I am OPEN and a tad desperate for suggestions!

Y'all need a laugh?

2012-02-02T23:42:00.004-05:00

I procrastinate like no other. I say "I'll do it later..." which turns into tomorrow, the next day, etc. Hence, I really need to buckle down these next two weeks. Why? My Spanish content test is on February 18th. And yes, while it is the THIRD time I am taking it (no one passes the first time), I am hoping it will be THE LAST. Then, I can actually start applying for jobs!

However, tonight when I got home from my tutoring session with my student early and as I attempted to clean under my bed, (oh my heavens, it looks neater...and yes I store a lot of stuff under there...can't part with my teaching books!), I browsed Pinterest.

So here are some of my favorites as of lately. Y'all need a laugh because let's face it, we're praising the big man that it's FRIDAY tomorrow and the weekend is here! I know I need a laugh because my student who I was *suppose* to tutor is upset she is essentially being forced to not have me and she is so stressed out she's clueless as to what to do. (Sad face). So here we go, laugh away home slices!

Total story of my life!

OMG my friends would totally say that is true about me.

My boyfriend checks in every day at work.....his friends make fun of him for it. I LAUGHED so hard when I saw this.

Because who doesn't love blogging?!

Because it's true! I HATE SNOW!

Can I go back, please?!

LAUGHING SO HARD!

She does not know how to dance!

*Sigh* TRUTH! :)

HAPPY WEEKEND! :)

jueves! (It's Okay!)

2012-02-02T12:15:00.004-05:00

Sorry, I've got Spanish on the brain hence "jueves" in the title.

It's time to link up for "It's Okay!" Thursdays with Neely @ A Complete Waste of Makeup and Amber @ Brunch with Amber! :)

It's Ok...

...to still be in your pajamas and it's almost 12:30pm. I don't really have anywhere to go today until later! I mean, aside from Wal-Mart...

...to have stayed up until 2:30 in the morning talking to one of your best friends because she needed someone to vent to! :)

...to be excited to have Friday night off from work next week. Holla!

...to laugh at the amount of things you "pin" on Pinterest. Some of my favorite finds as of lately:
(umm, WTF?!)

...to be envious of Kourtney Kardashian's style. I want to have her wardrobe, please!

...to love watching the Jersey Shore even though it's such a train wreck. From the wise mouth of Snooki: "UTI does not stand for Ultimate Tanning Institute."

...to laugh that my mother emails me from work to find things for her. She insists I quit looking for a teaching job and go become a detective. Ha!

...to want it to be May (or maybe March) for when my cousin is due to have her IDENTICAL twin baby girls! I just love babies! :)

...to yell out loud that you forgot to record Glee's Michael Jackson episode and you're mad since you are a new Glee addict.

...to think the whole concept of Google+ is dumb. Maybe I shouldn't bad mouth it since my cousin works for them in CA. Oops....

...to have an insane amount of underwear from Victoria's Secret...I can't help it if I get a lot of coupons, Angel Rewards, and they are so comfy!

...to want a new car. My car is going to last me (hopefully!) until I get my first real job and then I am going to buy a brand new one. I can't really complain since I got the "newest" car out of all my siblings for my first car. Love my little Cora, the Corolla!

...to not want to go to the gym today because I needed to catch up on sleep. Oops!

...to be super excited that Carrie Underwood's new album will be out this spring & hope she does a tour. I AM SO GOING!!! (if there is one!)

...to have NO IDEA how to do my taxes and insist my brother does it for me. Umm, yeah I'd probably make a big mistake. Numbers + me = not a good combination!

What's okay with you on this Thursday?!

WILW - Happy February!

2012-02-01T12:21:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday everyone! And happy February! Who would have thought it would be almost 60 degrees in February?! If this is how the rest of winter will go, I wonder what summer will be like. :)

Link up with Jamie to show what you're loving this Wednesday!

I'm loving this weather! Seriously, to only have a little bit of snow this year makes me one happy camper since I HATE winter. I'll take the sunny weather any day. Makes me more excited for summer!

I'm loving that now that it is February, only a little while longer to get my iphone! I am trying not to break the contract and have to spend more $$ to get it earlier. I know I will be addicted to the phone. And I plan on getting the 4, not the 4S because I do not need Siri.

I'm loving how excited the boyfriend was last night at the NJ Devils vs NY Rangers game. It was his birthday/Christmas gift and what a game it was! It went into overtime and then a shootout because the game ended in a 3-3 tie. Guess who won? The NJ Devils so he was super elated. And he learned a lesson...don't make your girlfriend stand outside for 2 hours in the cold because we got there so early. HA!

I'm loving that Carrie Underwood will be releasing her new single "Good Girl" on February 23 and her album is coming out later this spring. I heart her...she, alongside Kelly Clarkson, are my two favorite idols from American Idol.

I'm loving that Army Wives will be back next month! I love that show. Am I the only one?

I'm loving The Hunger Games. I know most people are addicted and cannot put it down, but I like to take my time reading. I do plan to finish it soon so when the movie comes out next month, I am all set to see it! :)

I'm loving the new face stuff I bought from my co-worker Anjelica! She's selling Pink Papaya skin care stuff and while I have only been using it for a few days now, I feel like my skin is a lot smoother thanks to these products:

Lately..

2012-01-30T23:01:00.005-05:00

Lately, I have not been able to fall asleep until almost 2am. I have always been a night owl. Why I chose a career that would cause me to get up early I'll never understand, ha ha! But in college, I actually wrote some of my best papers in the middle of the night. One I particularly remember was my research paper for my Freshmen Comp 2 course on eating disorders. Two weeks before it was due I decided at like 8pm one night, "I'll just write it all tonight." And I got a 100 on it. :)

Needless to say, I was cranky when I woke up this morning. Let's face it, I am not a morning person! I actually fell back asleep for an hour with the TV on and then finally got my butt up to get ready to go to the gym. I would have rather been in bed but it felt good to work out! I did the treadmill, the bike, and some of the machines before I was ready to go home. I think later this week I'll do a post with a list of all the songs I enjoy working out to, slow and up-beat. If you ever have any suggestions, I am always open! :)

Tonight when I logged into my Yahoo email to check it, I saw one of the "trending" topics was the 14lb baby. Yes, you read that right. 14 lbs! Holy cow, I couldn't imagine that! Just take a look. Apparently his mother gave birth 15 months earlier to his brother that weighed 12 lbs. Oy vey. This kid is huge:

Tomorrow night, the boyfriend and I are going to the NJ Devils/NY Rangers game in New Jersey. Thank god he is driving because I get so easily aggravated by people driving (not using their signals, cutting you off) on long periods of time. Plus, he knows where it is! It was a combo birthday/Christmas gift and they are 10th row seats. He looked at the map of the arena and said I picked good seats. I am kind of excited for my first professional NHL game.

There have been lots of "Sh*t People Say" and they made a Long Island version of it. There are actually two, which are very true. One was done by a stand up comedian and the other was done by someone from the local radio station. It's totally true about Long Island!

And I swear, if my 30 yr old brother takes my phone charger from my room one more time or takes the spare I am generously lending him right now (even though he pissed me off earlier) out of the house, I am going to slap him across the face. The kid would loose his butt if it wasn't attached or his head! I gave him a car charger for Christmas, a spare my boyfriend gave me AND the computer charger for my Blackberry...all of which he has either lost or something. His friend has one. I don't get how freaking hard it is to keep your charger in one place. He feels like he has any right to go into my room and just take it. I know it's something childish to whine about but um hello?! I have to freaking charge my phone too, ya pain in the arse. He needs to take $20 and go buy himself a freaking charger. Okay, end rant.

And because if you're like me, you need as many laughs as possible on a Monday. So I'll leave y'all with these:

Totally will dress my kids like this:

HAHAHA, Oh come on we'd all have one of these...

So typical for society these days

And totally true:

What a weekend

2012-01-29T23:57:00.003-05:00

What a weekend. That's the easiest way to sum it up! Ha. I worked every night, which was kind of good because it was busy. Friday night, there was a party of 20 at 5pm. Seriously. Then at other points in the night, there was a part of 9, a party of 8, a party of 10, and a party of 11. One server ended up with three of those parties so he made $$$! Saturday night was not too bad although it was still pretty busy. Sunday night was dragging at first and then BAM! Everyone decided to come in at once. One lady and her daughter were giving me such an issue over where they wanted to sit. It's not that hard!! I understand if you don't want to be by the door because you think there'll be a draft, so I offered a table. The daughter snapped she didn't want a table. Okay...so I told them they'd have to wait for a booth to be bussed off. Meanwhile, I was getting either yelled at or something by the bartender (I think he got mad I offered 10 people the bar at once) and so my friend Sarah took the menus from me to sit the cranky lady & her daughter...who proceeded to call be a "bitch" to Sarah's face. She basically told my brother (who ended up being their server) they could get their own menus since they called me a bitch. Not for nothing, I did nothing wrong. I had a TON of other people waiting up front. I just don't understand why she had to be all nasty.

Friday night, Olivia and I went to Dave & Buster's after I got out of work. We're pretty good friends with the bartenders Rich & Richie and never get carded anymore. And we get free stuff sometimes too! :) We had our typical raspberry lemon drop but then wanted something more adventurous. So, we had a sexy alligator drink. It had midori, something else, and jagermister in it...it kind of looks so gross but tastes sweet! It is hard to tell in this picture since it was on my phone but I loved it!

Tomorrow, I need to go to the gym (or rather today since it is after midnight) since I haven't been all week. My biggest thing is I cannot spend the $20 a month if I don't go because then it would be a waste! Plus, Tuesday will pretty much be a bust because I am spending all day/night with the boyfriend. We're going to New Jersey for the NJ Devils vs. Rangers game. It was his birthday/Christmas present. I just might want to find those tickets, ha ha. They're in an envelope on my desk...somewhere.

Little less than three weeks now until the CST aka I need to kick it into high gear of studying for it. It is so easy to procrastinate and watch a Lifetime movie, as I am doing now but my goal is to work my butt off so I can pass it already. I just want to teach already.

And considering I am exhausted and want to go to the gym tomorrow and make my legs feel like jello before work, I am going to leave you with this:

I never get a break...

2012-01-28T12:27:00.003-05:00

Sometimes...I think the world is out to get me. Or more specifically, my schools. As in that they like to mess around with me. I am truly starting to think this. Let me explain...

This May, it'll be three years since I graduated college. I feel super old typing that! I didn't even get to graduate with my friends as in walk. My degree was conferred in August 2009 because of this situation....Choosing a college was not the easiest task. I am sure most of you can agree with it. I was torn between two state schools in New York, SUNY Cortland, where my brother Mark went and met his wife, and SUNY New Paltz. Both had great education programs. Both offered me the opportunity to study abroad (a major concern). Both schools were far enough where I felt like I could be "on my own," yet were close enough where I could go home for a weekend. So I ended up choosing New Paltz, because I could just see myself there. I mean, look at how pretty the campus was (they're doing a ton of renovations to it now).

My intended major was Secondary Education with a concentration in Spanish and a French minor. NERD ALERT. Yes, I love languages...it's my passion! I was one of the few people in my circle of friends that never really changed my major at all in college. I did all the leg work to get to student teaching. Two semesters of observations. I studied abroad my spring semester in 2008 at the Universidad de Sevilla in Seville, Spain (the name reminds me of my own hometown!). Don't regret that one bit. Here's where it gets sticky...

They inform us in our methods class senior year, fall semester, that we have to take a departmental assessment test that tests your grammar, literary analysis, and cultural analysis in the language. You have to get an 84 or better in all three sections. If you pass one section but fail the others, you only have to retake the sections you didn't pass. Seems fair, right? Well, in addition to that you have to take a $150 over the phone interview called the OPI (no, not the nail polish hehe) as in Oral Proficiency Interview. They can ask you anything and they determine your level of proficiency. You have to get "Advanced Low" on this and pass all three sections of the departmental exam in order to student teach. So, tell me how it is fair that they tell us all of this the semester before we were suppose to start student teaching? I did it all, but had to retake it again in the spring semester. So I had my student teaching delayed a semester and had to take an entire semester of useless classes to stay and take the test. And oh yeah, I could've graduated in the fall but my school requires 120 credits to graduate...and I had 119.

So after I retook it again for the second time, I got the same level on the OPI and missed 16 points between two sections of passing the departmental test. I was told by my advisor, in one way or another, "You can take it a third time but if you don't pass that is it." Talk about being enraged! That essentially told me if I didn't pass, all the work I did during my undergraduate years was a waste. I think I spent a good weekend crying, venting to my mother and friends, and made the HARDEST decision I ever have. I dropped education as my major all together and just graduated with a Spanish degree. Since this was done almost a month before graduation, I was told I couldn't walk with my friends and would be considered a August graduate. I can't tell you how heartbreaking it was to not be able to sit with my friends or be in the cap & gown with them. However, I have the most amazing group of friends a girl could ever have, who were all devastated for me yet said I had to celebrate because I was done. And so we did.

Fast forward...I started graduate school in January 2010 and I was going for education. I was not going to let the experience from undergrad stop me. I went to a private school by my house that was well known for their education program. My brother who is a teacher got his Masters there! They made the whole process of student teaching way less complicated then my undergrad school and in a year and a half, I graduated in May 2011 with my masters in Education. So proud of myself.

We were informed during our program if we took four Special Education classes, an Autism workshop, and the New York State Content Test for students with disability, we could get a certification in Special Education. Considering the job market for teaching SUCKS up in New York, you want to do anything to make yourself more marketable and so I did it. I just finished all the classes in December 2011 and now need to apply for my certification. Only to find out through my friend Beth, who was as pissed off/blindsided by this as I was, that the school told us a lot of wrong information about the extension. We were told to take the wrong certification test and we apparently have to take a bunch of undergraduate courses in other areas like math and science. Both Beth and I are Spanish teachers. I was thrilled when I never had to take another math or science course again because I hate those subjects. Essentially when I thought I was done with school and got to look for a job, I now get to take more classes? WTF? I am so annoyed that the school can't give us the RIGHT information. I feel so let down and almost want to give up any hope of EVER finding a job.

However, I won't. In the past few years, I have learned to rise against all the challenges that are thrown in my face and to beast them away. This will be just another scenario of that. If y'all don't mind thinking of me and hoping this all works out, that would just be spectacular. :) I really hope this all works out and does not give me any gray hairs because let's face it, no one wants that in their 20's!

It's Ok Thursday =)

2012-01-26T14:53:00.004-05:00

One day closer to the weekend! Throw yo hands up in the air if you are excited!!

Link up with Amber @ Brunch with Amber and Neely @ A Complete Waste of Makeup to show what is OK with you this Thursday. :)

It's OK....

....to use the $30 gift card your job gave you at the Coach outlet to buy a new wallet. :)

...to wake up and think "At what time can I take a nap today?" at age 25.

...to have an addiction to office supplies. I think I have enough pens for the rest of my life.

...to wish I didn't have to pay my credit card bills. HA!

...to wish you had a body like this instead of feeling bloated. My butt needs to get to the gym more!

...to be searching for a great bathing suit and be annoyed nothing out there "speaks" to you

...to be happy that the cleaning/adjustment of the brakes was free but then freak out the noise came back three hours later while you were driving in the rain. I hope that it is nothing big otherwise I think my car is just cursed.

...to procrastinate on your laundry.

...to browse the online Coach factory sale because you have an addiction to buying purses.

...to consider going to your tutoring meeting in sweat pants and a comfy shirt because you're feeling lazy.

...to want to be able to run a 5K eventually but feel like you look like a weirdo running in public.

...to have bought the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD and weights, yet be afraid of how much pain you'll be in after doing it!

...to think Lea Michele has a huge nose. Sorry, I am not trying to be judgemental but the first time I saw her on an episode of Glee, I was kind of surprised! Then again, I think I have a huge nose.

...to be excited you picked this up for yourself at Bath and Body Works today:

...to be excited that your work schedule got shortened a bit. To stand around at the host stand for an hour when it is slow as molasses is nice for $$ but a waste of time. Hopefully once it gets warmer/spring/summer, we'll be slamming busy again! :)

...to want to adopt EVERY dog in the ASPCA commercial every time it is on TV. I swear I am a sucker for animals.

...to be more excited about the Puppy Bowl then the Super Bowl. SCORE! I mean, what is not cuter than this?

2012-01-25T09:44:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday everyone! Are you excited that it is almost the weekend? I am...because maybe I will finally be able to sleep in soon! Ha!

Link up with Jamie to show what you are loving this week!

I'm loving this proposal video from YouTube. I stumbled upon it last night on a blog I discovered and I think it is SO adorable! I got tears in my eyes watching it and hope I one day get engaged/marry a man this creative!

I'm loving this new print from Vera Bradley. They released their spring colors last Thursday and this one is called "Island Blooms." I am totally getting a hipster (cross-body bag) in this print for my cruise! It is so fun and bright.

I'm loving that I have been going to the gym! Three times in the last week. While I should go every day, my muscles are somewhat sore and I don't want to make it worse than it is. I went with Amanda on Monday and we did weight machines. I was going to go today but I need to desperately go get a manicure and if my nail place is closed again today (they were yesterday I think for chinese new year), I dont know if I can wait a week.

I'm loving this weather! Even though it snowed on Saturday, it got up to 57 degrees yesterday! For January, that is pretty wonderful! This makes me delighted and hopefully we will not have any more snow this winter. :)

I'm loving all the movies that will be coming out soon that look good! Here are the ones I want to see:

I'm loving this quote because I find it to be totally true:

I'm loving "The Hunger Games." I'm reading it slowly on my kindle (I'm at like 4 or 5% haha) but it gives me chills every time I read it!

I'm loving that I am ordering an 8GB memory card for my camera from amazon for like $20! I asked the boyfriend how many pictures it should hold because I wanted to get an extra one for the cruise instead of bringing the laptop...he said 1500! SCORE! Thanks Amazon for having it like $40 cheaper than Best Buy!

I'm loving that for my CST teaching test on Feb 18th, I got the afternoon time slot. So I don't have to be there at 7am because let's face it, I am not a morning person!

What are all of you loving this week?!

Next season will be better!

2012-01-24T11:59:00.003-05:00

Okay y'all, let's face it. I am addicted to reality tv. One of my guilty pleasure shows has always been "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette." It's just funny to me because after one night people are like "I know I will spend the rest of my life with him or her." And it makes me wonder, how can that even be possible?!

This season of "The Bachelor" I feel is a snoozefest. While the girls are really providing the entertainment, the main man himself, Ben, makes me want to go to bed. Ha! I do enjoy watching the cat fights between the women and just think what is happening between Emily & Courtney (the annoying model) is funny. I really wish Courtney would just get the boot already. Or they had kept the crazy blogger Jenna on a bit longer.

But what am I more excited about?! They announced who will be the next "Bachelorette" and it is Emily Maynard from Brad Womack's second season. Don't even get me started on how dumb it was that ABC brought him back for a second season. Her story about how she didn't find out she was pregnant with her daughter Ricki until after her boyfriend/fiance had died in a plane crash touched my heart because that was somewhat true for my mom when she found out she was having me. I love that they will be filming in North Carolina and can't wait to see the men that are "casted" for this season!

But here were some of my favorite people from previous seasons of "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette":

Jake Pavelka (I was not happy he ended up with Vienna because I thought she was a snot but thank goodness they split up!)

Ali Fedotowsky (I was sad when she left Jake's season and was SUPER excited she ended up with Roberto on her season. But now that they've called it quits, it's sad again.)

Chris L (was on Ali's season and my mom wishes I end up with a guy like him! haha She's funny)

Tenley Molzahan (I wish Jake had chosen her over Vienna because they'd probably still be together)

Travis Stork (he was handsome! and a doctor! I couldn't find a picture of him from his season but he now is on the show "The Doctors" which my mother is obsessed with and I think she's secretly in love with him haha)

Trista Rehn (She was the runner up on the first season of "The Bachelor" and was the first official "Bachelorette." She's the only one who actually married the person she or he proposed to/started a relationship with. I think her hubby, who is a firefighter, is so handsome!)

JP Rosenbaum (A New Yorker! He "won" Ashley Herbet's season where Snoozefest Ben was rejected. I like him more than Ashley).

Liebster Blog Award!

2012-01-24T10:52:00.002-05:00

Special thanks to Marriage from Scratch for giving me this award!

Liebster in German means dear, beloved or favorite, and is for bloggers with under 200 followers.

The rules are as follows:
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who awarded you.
3. Copy & paste the blog award on your blog.
4. Reveal your 5 blog picks.
5. Let them know you chose them by leaving a comment on their blog.

My choices for the Liesbter Blog Award are:

1. Puppies Pearls & Problems
2. Britt @ The Magnolia Pair
3. The Life of Delta Daises
4. Sarah @ Simply Sarah
5. Ally @ La Mia Bella Vita

Misc Monday!

2012-01-23T18:58:00.003-05:00

This is the first time I am linking up with Carissa for Misc Monday!

1. Rain. I am glad it is raining instead of snowing. My car was looking pretty nasty from all the snow residue. Essentially, rain = free car wash! I'm the type of person who won't get their car washed in the winter because of all the snow/residue and waits til spring. Fun stuff.

2. I went to work for 15 minutes today, ha! I am not joking. The restaurant was EMPTY and we were all taking bets on when the first table was going to walk in, which happened like three minutes after the manager asked me if I wanted to go home. Oh well, sucks losing 4 hours of work but I am super tired and get to watch the Bachelor with my mom tonight. Yay!

3. Glee. What took me so long to watch this? Thanks to my lovely buddy Olivia for lending me her DVDs!

4. It is probably unnatural the obsession I have with office supplies. I am excited to try out these pens I got for UNDER $2 at Wal-mart the other night! One of my favorite times of the year is when they put out the school supplies! Can't wait to use these in my Erin Condren planner!

5. One of my coworker, Anjelica, is going to beauty school for skin care. She is selling Pink Papaya, which is a face cleaner and has lots of other products. I have used everything pretty much under the sun but always manage to break out. The dermatologist once told me I was the type of person who would have acne for the rest of my life. FML. I ordered some products from her so I should be getting them this week! :) I'll let you know how they work.

6. I can't stop laughing at this video. Or this photo. Why do I watch Toddlers & Tiaras? It's so bad but I can't help but watch & laugh. Ha! Please tell me I am not alone.

7. I cannot wait to go get a manicure tomorrow. I am not sure if I want a dark color or something bright/cheerful so I can think of my cruise! Maybe something like these:

Girl look at that body, I work out!

2012-01-22T00:45:00.002-05:00

LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It" is stuck in my head. As I am sitting here updating my iPod with some workout jams for when I go to the gym with the boyfriend after work, it made me wonder what motivates people through their workouts. Do you like "cheesy" workout songs? Do you not even listen to an iPod? Is it a mix of fast/upbeat tempo songs with slow songs for a cool down?

These are some of my favorite songs that I have added to my workout playlist, along with some MOTIVATION things I found on pinterest to, ya know, kick my bootay into gear:

- "Hella Good"~No Doubt
- "Tonight (Give Me Everything)"~Neyo
- "Unwritten"~Natasha Bedingfield
- "Bye Bye Bye"~NSync
- "Party in the USA"~Miley Cyrus (this just makes me want to throw my hands up in the air when I am on the treadmill)
-"Black or White"~ Michael Jackson
- "Shake It"~Metro Station
-"I Run For Life"~Melissa Etheridge
-"How Far We've Come"~Matchbox 20
-"Like a Prayer"~Madonna
- "Shots"~ LMFAO
- "Halfway Gone" ~ Lifehouse
- "Born This Way"~ Lady Gaga
- "Goodbye"~Kristina Debarge
- "What Doesn't Kill You"~Kelly Clarkson

It's Friday! Friday!

2012-01-20T21:37:00.004-05:00

Gotta get down on Friday! A little Rebecca Black anyone?! Ha! As annoying as that song is, it sure is catchy. Thank goodness it is the weekend! :)

I feel like this has been the longest day ever and I am quite content to be staying in tonight, laying in my bed, and watching Law & Order SVU marathon with this sexy man on it (*drool* I miss him)

My precious goddaughter got sick at school on Wednesday so I picked her up and stayed with her til her mom (my SIL) got home. She stayed home with her yesterday but they couldnt keep taking days. So my brother asked if I could watch her today. I had no problem, except that I had to be at work at 12. My brother Brian was home today so he came over afterwards to take over so I could go to work. And by watch her, I mean my niece stayed in her parents' bed and watched TV all morning while I got to watch old episodes of 16& Pregnant. Classiness all around.

Work was super slow today so I am glad I am working tomorrow night. I actually prefer to work at night. After work, I got to have coffee with this lovely lady and catch up on our lives! I probably haven't seen her in at least a year because she was living/working in Florida and moved back home over the summer. She's fantastic and I can't wait to see her more!

So, I finally made it to the gym yesterday after joining online on Monday. Go me! Lol. I kept putting it off and what good was it going to do me. I actually like this gym (I joined Planet Fitness) because no one from my high school goes there (that I know)...only a few co-workers. But it looks tiny from the outside but it is HUGE on the inside! Bonus is I can take a route that I'll pass it on my way to/from work. I only did the treadmill and bike yesterday to "ease" myself back into working out. My legs felt like jello! Ha! I want to go back to the gym tomorrow at like 11 or 12ish before work (have to be there at 4) because my co-worker Skye told me to go with her and Sarah (another co-worker). I think I will. My boyfriend and I are gonna go on Sunday after I get out of work....that should be interesting! I am in need of some new tunes for "workout playlist." What are some of your favorite songs to work out to?! Slow and fast are good! :O)

Tonight, I officially put in my request online at work on the website that sends us our schedules for my cruise! YES! I am beyond excited! It orders the requests like 1 of 1 and such and since it is in May, I highly doubt anyone has requested off that far in advance yet. The more I think about it, the more excited I am. I feel like I would wanna sleep in (it's vacation) but I do NOT want to miss out on the sights! The boyfriend has already been warned that I will have a separate bag for any extra souvenirs I buy! :)

It is probably weird that I look at other blogs and like what they have to say, follow them, comment and then find more blogs to read. Stalkerish? Weird? I guess both. I love seeing new followers. I love comments. I'm not a blogger for the followers. I like blogging as my creative outlet! :)

Also, why is shopping for bathing suits so frustrating? When Shannon and I ventured into Target yesterday (I swear I can *always* find something to buy in that store!) to look for work pants for me, we tried on bathing suits. There was this leopard print one I liked, but the butt was rouched. Umm, weird? I am tempted to venture to Kohl's (cause it's always a sales day at Kohl's!) and look at their selection before I order from VS.

Who watches Teen Mom 2? Don't lie. Raise yo hand! I swear, it is like a trainwreck that you can't take your eyes off of. I loveeeeee how Jennelle complains her mom never lets her see her son (best decision she ever made was signing over custody to her mom) but when her mom asks her to get out of bed to watch him, she claims she can't. Lazy much? Also, she is always in fights or getting arrested. TMZ had fantastic pictures of her in shackles the other day. It's sad that this is what has happened to her. I am going to say that Chelsea and Kailyn are the only ones on this one that seem to have their act together.

I am always looking for new authors/books to add to my list. I keep adding all these freebie Kindle books I find incase I want to read them. I also liked two of my favorite authors, Emily Giffin and Jodi Picoult, on Facebook. Low and behold, I saw Emily Giffin has a new book coming out in July called Where We Belong. I can't WAIT to read it!

I am off to go shop online for "cruise-wear." Aka cute outfits for the Bahamas! I am even more excited to take my boyfriend shopping because his style/taste in clothes is ehhhh (I'm talking t-shirt, jeans, hoodie EVERY time) and he needs to look good!

That's alright, that's okay....

2012-01-19T17:29:00.002-05:00

You're gonna pump our gas some day! No? Remember it from the movie "Bring It On"? Oh how I love that movie!

Well, it's time for "It's Okay! Thursdays" with Neely @ A Complete Waste of Makeup and Amber @ Brunch with Amber.

It's Okay...

...to have joined the gym on Monday and not gone until today! Oops! Feels good to have gone!

...to be obsessed with your Erin Condren planner. Sorry, I can't stop talking about it. Good investment and when I get a teaching job, you bet your bootay I am getting a teacher planner/lesson book!

...to not want to pay rent when living at home. I thought that was suppose to help you save money?

...to want to go to the Coach outlet and buy a new bag. RESISTING the urge is hard!

...to tell your boyfriend you feel like an inflated balloon because it's shark week.

...to have cleaned the bathroom because it was gross and needed to be done and my brother would just whine about it. (Seriously - guys are gross!)

...to want to be planning a trip to Mexico with your best friend! :) We're going -- no matter what!

...that I had to go buy two gallons of ice cream for my job while I was clocked in and it took me a half hour because people don't know how to drive. :) Broke up the boredom!

...to wish my Carnival Cruise was next month instead of MAY!

...to finally be starting "The Hunger Games" series. Late to the party on this one but oh well!

...to watch recorded Lifetime movies you've seen multiple times that are on your DVR. :)

...to say you're going to clean your room and then procrastinate doing it! I swear I am getting off my butt now and doing it (the fact I keep tripping on my hairdryer is annoying me so it's time to clean!)

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2012-01-18T10:25:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday y'all! It's the middle of the week, almost the weekend, and oh, the sun is shining! Perfect! Link up with Jamie to show what you're loving this fine Wednesday!

1. I'm loving that I finally joined the gym! Wahoo! Now, the only mission is to get there, ha! I know it's one step to getting that bikini body I want for the cruise in May. :)

2. I'm loving my Erin Condren life planner. Oh it is so wonderful and SO WORTH the $50 I spent on it. My mother would have a heart attack if she knew but I like writing everything down. Helps me remember appointments, when I have work (which I also sync to my phone) etc. So worth it. I love that they also sent a $10 coupon that never expires which I plan on saving for the one I order for 2013! :)

3. I'm loving this video. If I marry some guy and he did this at our wedding, it would only confirm that he is the one for me! It's so adorable you have to watch! :)

4. I'm loving that there's only little less than a month now until this movie, "The Vow" comes out! I love Rachel McAdams and I cannot wait to see her and Channing Tatum together in it. Shannon, Olivia and I have already planned a Girl's Night Out to see this! LOOKS SO GOOD!

5. I'm loving that my niece/goddaughter Sara is taking after her Aunt and doing dance! Love this girl so much! This is her ballet number from the recital last year (I stumbled upon it on the studio's website). She's the one in the middle! :)

6. I'm loving that it has NOT snowed yet in New York this winter! :) Because who wants to go through this again this winter?

Bachelor Recap

2012-01-17T18:08:00.004-05:00

Last night was the third episode of this season of "The Bachelor" with Ben. I watched it with my mom since I was home from work and let's face it, this season is sort of a SNOOZEFEST. I just watch it because I can't help it!

I really can't stand Ben's long locks. I mean, it just makes me want to run up and cut it or shave it back. I would feel like I am dating a girl if I was in the girl's shoes. I don't even like when my boyfriend's hair gets really long...I'll tell him to go get it cut (oops!). Look at this:

And okay, let's see about week 2 because I never did that. They all went to Ben's hometown in Sonoma, CA. I had no idea he was a California boy. Kasey B got the first one-on-one date of the episode and while I love her and her Southern accent, I think she is very naive. Like yes, you may feel like "the luckiest girl in the world" but there are a bunch of others ready to claw you out! She is still my favorite.

Then, the group date was next. Umm, what in the word was Blakely thinking with that outfit? I roared when one of the little kids thought it was bad! They acted out a play written by a bunch of little kids, which was kind of cute. I don't think they have ever done that before.

When Courtney got the one-on-one date as in the second one, I wanted to vomit. I think she is one of the fakest girls on the show and didn't deserve it. Gag. Her eyebrows bother me! I want to go pluck them so so so bad! She makes fun of others when they get one-on-one dates or express their feelings. I REALLY hope she isnt the one Ben picks in the end. And if she is, I hope they break up!

I was really sad to see the crazy blogger Jenna leave. Oh no more crying in a corner from her! But don't worry...Blakely can continue that for you!

Let's move on to this week:
Emily, the epidemiologist, got the first one-on-one date. I think aside from rooting for Kasey B and Lyndzi C, she is one of my other favorites. And they had a perfectly "normal" date with climbing the San Francisco Bridge. HOLY CRAP - I would NOT have done that! I was watching it with my mom and she asked me would I have done that. A) I would not risk my life and B) I have a deathly fear of heights. I am wondering how they got down (what did they walk back down?) but I am glad she got a rose!

The group date in San Fran with skiing was cute! The people on the side of the street must have thought these chicks and Ben were freakshows. It is kind of sad that Brittany, aka the chick that brought her Grandma on night 1, left. I think they made it way more dramatic then necessary but still. I wish Lyndzi C got the one-on-one date originally and not secondary once Brittany left. She is so cute together with Ben!

Okay, and what in the world was with Shawntel coming back? I thought she was a "freak" when she was on Brad's season but still.....did she really think coming back she'd be able to steal a rose from one of the other girls? I would have brought my cat claws out if I was there. Thankfully Ben was actually smart and did not give her a rose. Infact, it came down to her, Erica and Jaclyn and he just did not give out the final rose. Oh, and that was after Eric almost passed out. Then Jaclyn ran off and cried in the bathroom. What is with all the cry babies? Can't wait to see what happens next week!

Well, I did it!

2012-01-16T22:28:00.003-05:00

Okay, I did it. Finally bit the bullet. I joined the gym. Planet Fitness to be exact. I am not sure what my excuse was so long for procrastinating. I actually requested a gym membership for Christmas but didn't get it. I was a member of a gym until I hurt my back at work and had to go to physical therapy for it. You could actually join over the internet. While I realize it is probably packed now with all the people working on their New Year's resolution,hopefully it'll stop soon! I don't want to join and then not use it because that's a waste of $. Plus, with going on the cruise in May, I need to look hot in that bikini! So, here's to hoping this goes well! I am going to go use it tomorrow...let's hope I don't die!

One of the things I would like to work on this year is not letting stupid things get to me. A customer gave me a $10 tip today at work and the other host wanted to split it. I was told I didn't have to split it but she didn't agree and told another manager (who wasn't there when it happened). Basically, the whole situation blew up out of proportion, I cried because I was either PMSing or just super emotional and I essentially gave in to give her the $5 so she would stop talking about it....but threw it at her, which yes I know was not right. I just think if she really felt that way she should have said something earlier and not after the manager left (which is my fault I guess since I said it after the manager left). I realize (and so does she) that the whole situation is stupid (I mean really, over $5 u are going to make a stink when you'll get more tips that night serving) but we both agreed to forget it, stop talking about it and move on. I was more than willing to go home because it wasn't busy (I was going to go home at 7 anyway, 6 if it wasnt busy and I left at 5) and I felt like crap. My neck has been bothering me today...so much I cried the entire 20 minute drive home. I used a heating pad and Advil when I came home but it still hurts. I took a muscle relaxer a little while ago so hopefully that will stop it. I dont know why I am having these pains all of a sudden.

I admit....watching this show is one of my guilty pleasures.

So when this video of a little beauty pageant queen came up on my Facebook newsfeed, I spent the two minutes watching it. Oh my word it is HYSTERICAL! I can safely say when I have children (and hopefully daughters) I will not force them to do beauty pageants.

And seriously, I want to go to Staples. I love office/school supplies. I get a little "high"/energy from them. Like I am a pen hoarder! I don't know what it is but I just love roaming the school supplies aisle in Target/Wal-Mart/K-Mart/anywhere that has them. Lord help me when I have a classroom!

Um hello winter?

2012-01-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

Let's face it. I am not a winter weather loving person. Sure, the clothes are cute. And as a future teacher, if I live in a state where kids (and teachers) will wish for snow days, that is an added bonus. What is not an added bonus? The frigid cold weather! I really should not be complaining since it was warm out on Christmas, but come on! I was not happy with myself that I left my gloves *in* my car last night so when it was sitting outside for 9 hours in the cold, they were like iceboxes! If we do not have any snow (or very minimal) this winter, I will be a happy camper.

Going back to work after a week off was not so bad but I was glad to have a week off from the rude people. Seriously, did you not learn manners when you were little? I love how people can't simply read the sign on the front door that tell the hours. It's 11:40 and we open at noon on Sundays so, no we will not sit you until noon. Stop being mean to us. And because you're sitting at the counter/bar with your son and have drinks, how am I suppose to know you want to be sat in the dining room? Luckily, one of the servers dealt with this nasty lady for me because I had like 6 other people to sit. Seriously, people are just dumb. I even got yelled at because it's ridiculous we won't put a high chair at the end of a booth. Oh, I'm sorry..what if a hot drink or soup was spilled on your child? Yeah, it's a fire hazard and so no, if you don't like it, talk to the manager. Oy vey. At least I am not closing tonight...only 7 hours today because I switched shifts with someone.

And to top it off, I got home and at 10:30 realized my wallet was missing...as in I left it at the host stand because I thought I had to pay for my employee meal for my break but I didn't. I never put it back in my purse. *Insert freakout here* I tried calling to see if the manager was still there but she wasn't. So I texted one of my friends to see if she was working tomorrow morning (I know theres like 3 kids parties going on today) and asked her if she'd put it in the safe for me. Thankfully she's working and I'm going in at noon. It would suck if I had to replace EVERYTHING in there...although my license picture is horrendous so that would not have been such a tragedy.

Will tomorrow actually be the day when I will get the rest of my room clean? Sure hope so! I miss the days of college when I was actually productive because if I didn't clean up my room, I'd trip over something.

Last night were the Golden Globes. I didn't watch. Oops? Primarily because I was at work/on the way home. But here are some of my FAVORITE looks:

Time to go get ready for another fun-filled day of work. I hope y'all had a fun weekend and enjoy your day off thanks to MLK! :)

Tale as old as time

2012-01-14T14:49:00.002-05:00

Last night, my friends Zach and Amanda came down to come see "Beauty and the Beast" with Olivia, Shannon and I. And of course, it was in 3D! We got to wear those spectacular fun glasses...except they weren't working at first. Shannon and Zach went to go complain because it was $14 a ticket (which is outrageous!) but they fixed the focus. Thank goodness. I was so happy to see it on the big screen. Beauty & The Beast is my FAVORITE Disney movie and I think was the first one I owned. The fact it came out in 1991 makes me feel SUPER old. I cannot wait for The Little Mermaid (which came out in 1989) to come to the big screen in 3D!

After, we went back to Olivia's house to hang out and spent the night playing Taboo. I am SO bad at that game. Whenever it was my turn, I always seemed to get the difficult ones. My friends were cracking up at some of my answers so I am glad I can always provide the entertainment.

I got my Erin Condren planner in the mail yesterday! OMG I was so excited! It was totally worth the full $50 I spent and the long wait. I got a $10 off coupon in the box that never expires so I am going to try and save it for the end of the year when I go to order one for next year. I'll post the pictures of it...once I find my camera cord.

I am not looking forward to going to work all day tomorrow, especially after I went to bed at 6:15am this morning, ha! No one's fault but my own. I woke up to an email this morning that my schedule was modified for next week and instead of working 4-9:30 Mon, 5-9:30 Wed and 11:30-4 Fri, they switched it to 4-9 Mon, 5-9 Wed and 12-3 Fri. My Sat & Sun shifts stayed the same. I "lost" a total of 2.5 hours in my schedule but it's okay. If it's really busy, I'll have to stay anyways so whatever. I wonder if it has to do with labor costs or if its just because it'll be slow. Whatever.

I also like how banks are charging you for your $$ now, essentially. I have a secondary checking account at Chase that was a college checking account. They started taking $6 a month out which doesn't seem like a lot but little by little, it adds up! So when my mom had me deposit money in her account yesterday, I asked and in order to get them to stop withdrawing it, I had to have my checks from work direct deposited into my account. That's just an annoyance. Oh well. It's also annoying that I couldn't pay my Old Navy Visa bill online without a fee. It's due tomorrow and my bank would not have gotten it there until the 17th or 18th. So I had to pay a $15 fee on the phone to have them do it today...that sucks too! Lesson learned---pay them as soon as they come in!

I am off to go finish cleaning my room. It always seems like I am cleaning because I am...I get distracted easily. Oh well!

It's Okay! Thursdays!

2012-01-12T12:41:00.005-05:00

Link up with Neely @ A Complete Waste of Makeup and Amber @ Brunch with Amber for "It's Okay Thursdays!"

It's ok...to still be in pajamas at 12:45pm! I did so much yesterday I really just need to focus on cleaning my room.

It's ok...to enjoy grocery shopping at age 25 (my mom hates it!) and want to have a coupon binder. Hey, free stuff is great and all that money I save is wonderful!

It's ok...that I am EXCITED beyond measure to see Beauty & The Beast in 3D tomorrow with my four friends that I went to Disney with last year. Seriously, we're all in our 20's and are going to be singing at the top of our lungs. Sorry to anyone that ends up in our theater!

It's ok...to just be starting on watching Glee. I know, what is my problem?! Olivia is going to Puerto Rico with her boyfriend next week and is lending me her DVDs!

It's ok...to just want to go spend the $100 to get that darn iphone as opposed to waiting til April. Thanks to the waitress at TGIFriday's for really messing up my phone. Ugh. I just need to get my butt out to Verizon and ask them what they can do.

It's ok...to wish I could live in the South. I feel like I am a Southern girl at heart!

It's ok...to be obsessed with Jenna Marbles. She is HYSTERICAL. I love all her videos. Check out her latest one: Why Girls Hate Each Other.

It's ok...to vent about how much your boyfriend was whining the other night to your girlfriends because they can totally sympathize! I had a much needed GNO last night with Shannon and Olivia!

It's ok...to eat Combos dipped in french onion sauce, cream cheese, etc. No, they were not combined but it was SO yummy. And these are my new favorite:

It's ok...to want to go back to Target (or maybe Wal-Mart) and buy a new alarm clock because the one you had since college (almost 7 years) randomly dies on you. I have to play around with it but I think it's dunzo. And I need a new one stat because I need three alarm clocks to wake myself up!

It's ok...to be addicted to Diet Dr.Pepper Cherry. And when you mix it with Swedish Fish Flavored vodka, SCORE!

It's ok...to have so many books you want to read. I need to start "The Hunger Games" ASAP!

Sometimes speaking up works

2012-01-11T11:46:00.002-05:00

I have never been a person to complain about a class or a professor to anyone at a college. As in lodging a formal complaint. I was at New Paltz for four years and I only fought with a professor once from my French Lit after 1800 class because she didn't show up the day of my presentation (no email or anything). I then got sick and missed class (of course emailing her) and my friend Christina in the class told me the professor was making me do a new presentation which was SO NOT NECESSARY. Fought tooth and nail and got to do the original one. That's it.

Studied abroad for a semester at the Universidad de Sevilla and had no problems.

When I started grad school, I chose Dowling based on their reputation for a good education program. I chose it because I could finish the program faster than I could at Stonybrook. It was going to cost me a buttload in loans because Dowling is a private school and Stonybrook is a state school. However, I was willing to take the risk. I was so determined I took a winter class in January 2010, three classes that spring semester, a summer course, 4 courses and part time student teaching in Fall 2010 and finished in May 2011. A total of a year and a half.

Towards the end, my classmates and I were informed we could take four Special Education classes and the autism workshop along with the Students with Disabilities CST for certification and get a Special Education certification. With this job market, you want to be as marketable as possible so of course I did it! I took two classes over the summer and two in the fall, one of which was the WORST EXPERIENCE EVER. The professor was completely unprofessional. I know as students its easy to get bored, get distracted by your iPhone, Blackberry, etc in class and text. But to text/play on your phone while a student is presenting and NOT EVEN MAKE EYE CONTACT? Rude rude rude rude. When students asked for help on the final project (which was writing an IEP), she was like "Well I guess I can give you a set of scores." Umm, if we are not in a school and these are confidential, how in the world do you expect us to get them?! Ugh.

So when I received an email last night from the Dean of the School of Education about why I hadn't registered for spring classes, I explained why and then wrote a really long message about the class. I didn't mention the teacher's name in the email but I guess it showed him how pissed off I was because he forwarded it to the Dean/Director of Special Education and if necessary, she'll contact me. I'm glad I didn't chicken out because they need to know how horrible this professor was. It was a COMPLETE waste of $3000 for the glass (grad classes are like $900+ a credit!) and my time. I hope to hear from the Special Education chair and something is done about this!

Well, now that I spent three hours of my way watching movies as I boxed the Christmas decorations up, I am off to go shove them in the attic!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2012-01-11T09:46:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday y'all! Why does this week feel like it is dragging by?

Time to link up with Jamie and show what you're loving this week! :)

I'm loving the movie "The Help." Yes,I have mentioned it before but my mom and I saw it when it was in theaters. I asked for it for Christmas and got it and popped it in my computer as I wrapped all the Christmas ornaments to put away. Now if I could only finish the book!! (Half-way done!)

I'm loving that tonight Shannon, Olivia and I will be having some much needed girly conversations, dinner, drinks, and just hanging out. Who would have known that all three of us going to college would become best friends and live within a 15 minute drive from each other? :)

I'm loving that Dance Moms came back last night! The teacher on the show is absolutely crazy but it makes for some good reality TV. Thank goodness I went to a dance studio where the director was NOT like that. Tune in to Lifetime at 9pmEST on Tuesdays if you wanna check this out!

I'm loving that this will be mine...soon. I am trying so hard to wait to renew my contract and upgrade to this in April because it's only $100 with a 2 year contract. But texting on my Blackberry is becoming a nightmare!

I'm loving Jodi Picoult has a new book coming out soon. She's my favorite author.

I'm loving this quote by Walt Disney. It's my philosophy in life.

I'm loving that I am DETERMINED to have all that Christmas decor packed up and away by tonight (tomorrow AM if necessary). It's a big pain to do when no one helps and quite depressing but it'll be nice not to have the boxes taking over the living room.

Top 5 Tuesday: School Supplies

2012-01-11T00:25:00.003-05:00

Link up with Rachel @ Just Peachy!

It's no longer Tuesday....can I still link up? Well of course!

I am a TOTAL NERD when it comes to school supplies. Dude, walking through Staples gives me a high. I just love pens, paper, binders, etc. My mom always used to buy a lot when we were younger and then we'd "shop" once we got our supply lists from our teachers.

Sadly, I am no longer in school (until I find another extension/certification I want to get!) and won't be buying school supplies. Insert sad face here! But being that I am a teacher, I will always have an excuse to love them. So here are my top 5 school supply items:

1. Planner

I am ALL about writing down assignments, due dates, birthdays, etc in my planner. Whenever I got a syllabus, I would write down all the assignments and color code with a highlighter for each class. Course this stunk when the professor changed dates but having everything in front of me helped a lot. I did not use an Erin Condren planner in college (HS they gave us one and college I bought them myself from Target) but I am excited for the one I ordered to get here. Should be here by Friday!

2. Post Its

Another life saver! I still use these by putting reminders on my mirror using them, flagging bills, etc. Plus they come in so many colors that make looking at assignments bright & cheery! One good use I found for them when writing papers that needed quotes was the tabbed ones because then I could flip right back to it, plus sometimes I wrote notes on them.

3. Notebooks

I was NEVER able to have one big notebook for school. Each class had to have their own notebook and own folder. It made my life easier that all the papers for each class were together. I also do not like wide ruled notebooks or paper. I need the college ruled lined paper/notebooks.

4. Highlighters

They are a life saver! Each class was color coded so I knew when I had a quiz/test in a class. Birthdays were in another color. They were also helpful with color coding my classes when I student taught. I bought a ten pack (I think) last year of the retractable ones by Sharpie and LOVE them!

5. Big bag!

I stopped using a backpack after I think my first semester of college and used a tote bag. I used a Vera messenger bag for awhile in college. When I started student teaching, the Vera Bradley "Vera" bag was my bag of choice. So many pockets on in the inside AND outside. I love the fun colors and was able to switch them a few times while student teaching...because I just have that many.

Thank goodness I am a teacher because I get to buy school supplies forever. :-D

Motivation

2012-01-10T17:04:00.002-05:00

Today, I ventured out to Target and man, that store is just bad for my wallet. I seriously love it. Probably more than Wal-mart because it's nice and clean. I actually had a purpose of going there--to see if they had another clear ornament box storage container. They did! It's not as big as the one we bought two years ago (or maybe only a year) but hey, it'll be better than the one where they all fall when I pick it up!

While I was browsing the aisles, I came across this:

Let's face it. Jillian Michaels is a beastly trainer (in a good way) and I have heard people have positive things to say about this. I still am joining the gym (I just need to DO IT instead of keep saying I will) but I figured this can't hurt to have! It was less than $10 so score! Plus, I just need to pick up a pair of weights and I shall be on my way doing the 30 day shred. The purpose of buying it was to help with the overall weight loss. But additionally, I wanna look good in a bikini on my cruise. And um, Target had some cute ones but with my big booty, I need an XL and they didn't have it in the one I liked. But I am seriously contemplating ordering one of these from VS (and the body along with it!):

Staycation

2012-01-09T22:11:00.004-05:00

Originally, I was suppose to be in Georgia and South Carolina this week with Shannon and Olivia. Shannon and I were going to look at areas to possibly move to because let's face it, the teaching market up here in New York is ridiculous. I will get a job by the time I am 35. Ha! However, when her dad got sicker and since passed away, she decided now was not the right time to go and I am perfectly okay with that. And I just never deleted my request off on Hot Schedules....so I have a week off from work. I'm okay with that! I am not okay with being asked to cover someone's shift the first day of my staycation. No thank you.

I am finally taking down the Christmas decorations. Yes, I am a little late to the party but I wanted to enjoy all my hard work. It's a process and it's easier to put all the ornaments away and deal with the boxes, plus cleaning up the tree needles once the tree is out at the curb. (I also find it depressing when Christmas trees are out at the curb! Lol it's pathetic). I had 85% of the ornaments taken off and was leaving to go hang out with my boyfriend. I told my older brother Scott, who is handicapped, to LEAVE THE TREE ALONE and to NOT TOUCH the ornaments. What does he do? Take the rest of them off! Ugh, I know he was trying to be helpful because I'll whine no one does anything and I know he has a disability but why can't anyone ever listen to me?! I have my OWN system of doing things and when people mess it up, it pisses me off! I know it's something stupid to whine about and I shouldn't let it annoy me but I just had to whine. Okay, done over. I am hoping to get all the boxes down, ornaments put away, and everything back up in the attic tomorrow...even if it takes me ALL day. Moving on...

Finally got the email that my Erin Condren planner shipped! I am going to be tracking that package like it's nobody's business. I can't wait to get it. Y'all can expect that I'll post pictures. I AM that nerdy!

Plus, the Shutterfly calendars I made for my mom and sister-in-law finally came today. Partly it was my fault for doing them late and ordering them last week...and apparently I think one of the words is missed on my SIL's but I love how it came out! My mom already put her's in her work bag to take to work but here's some of the pages from my SIL's:

I am really excited to go to Cancun later this year. I haven't even gone on my cruise yet with the boyfriend but I am so excited April and I will be going on a trip. I think I'm just going to ask for $ to contribute towards it. Or not go shopping for like the rest of my life, ha! I am finding all inclusive packages for pretty cheap and I just can't wait to go! I am also super excited about my cruise. I already warned the boyfriend I will be very touristy and buy lots of souvenirs...for him to carry back for me. :)

The other day, I got a phone call from one of my old professors from grad school asking if I would come back to the tutoring program. I tutored one student in Fall 2010 as part of a requirement of one of my classes and we "clicked." I tutored her the past year and my professor wants me to come back and do it again in the spring...yay! More money in my pocket! I don't get paid what a normal tutor would get paid but hey, any extra money is cash in my pocket!

Speaking of money, my undergraduate school keeps calling for donations. Thanks to the lovely invention of caller id and the fact that it comes up on the TV to show who is calling, I know when to avoid the phone. But I mean, stop calling twice a day! Get the hint! Finally, my mom picked up the phone tonight when I was out with my boyfriend and told them that I wouldn't be donating to a school that screwed me over because I moved to Spain since the job market is so bad here! I nearly snorted when I read it on my facebook. The guy hung up and hopefully won't be calling back. Thanks mom! :)

When I was in Stop & Shop today, I got myself the newest issue of Cosmo. Dakota Fanning is on the cover. She freaking grew up! WOW! It almost doesn't look like her....hello photo shop. I also got the issue of Self because Jillian Michaels is on the cover and with it being a new year and wanting to look good in a bikini on my cruise, I need some inspiration. Has anyone tried her 30 day shred? Tempted to look into it!

I have one last request for the night before I go eat a plate of pasta because I never ate dinner and I am starving. For those who have been on a cruise, can y'all give me some tips? Things to pack, things not to pack, stuff to do, etc. I'll be on an Eastern Caribbean Cruise to Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, Nassau Bahamas and want all the details possible! Thank you! :)

{The Bachelor}

2012-01-08T01:08:00.004-05:00

Okay, I have to admit...The Bachelor is one of my guilty pleasures! Sometimes the seasons have some really beautiful ladies and some HOT HUNKS! Out of curiosity, I went on wikipedia and looked up the show...it debuted in March 2002, almost 10 years ago. Wow, that is kind of insane. Many couples have broken up. Hands down, this couple has always been my favorite, Trista & Ryan. They were on the first season of the spin-off "The Bachelorette" and the fact that they are still married with two children says a lot. I mean, how adorable are they?!

Now, let's move on to this season....starring Ben. Ladies, is he a looker? I mean he is cute but kind of a snooze-fest!

I just finished watching the episode with my mom off the DVR and I have to say, they have got an INTERESTING set of bachelorettes this season. I mean, here are some of my thoughts on them:

Kacie B - Hands down my favorite. I love her little Southern accent and she just seems so genuine. I can't wait to see where she goes on this season. I was super excited when she got a rose.

Lindzi C - This chick rode in on a horse! What a way to make a first impression - which it did since Ben gave her the first impression rose. She seems to one of the few normal ones around (Kacie B included) and will probably last awhile.

Jamie - I thought she was pretty sweet. Her background of growing up fast and taking custody of her younger siblings was really touching. I think she has a genuine personality and hope she continues after this first week (and HOLY cow the gown she wore was like "Hello Plunging neckline!)

Emily - Aside from being really pretty, she's really smart! She is studying to be an epidemiologist - aka studying the path of diseases/how they spread. Way to make Ben feel dumb, ha!

Courtney - Aka America's Top Model. I think she is so self-centered. It's like she has a mirror and is constantly saying "Mirror mirror on the wall,who is the prettiest of all? Well me of course!" Also, I just WANT TO PLUCK HER EYEBROWS!! I do not know why they bother me so much. I have a feeling deep down she has a weird personality and her b*tchy side comes out relatively soon. I caved and read spoilers so hopefully she is not one of the final few but if she is, maybe if Ben chooses her they won't last.

Jenna - The blogger. The emotional trainwreck. The "why don't you like me?!" whine. This girl is CRAZY. She was accusing others "Why don't you like me?" and was crying over absolutely NOTHING. I mean, she was worried that other people weren't there for Ben for the right reasons....on the first night? Give me a break! How she got the last rose of the night is beyond me. That girl is going to have a mental/nervous breakdown in every episode. Go check out her blog.

Brittney - The chick that brought her grandma as a way to show Ben that family is important. So, is she going to bring her grandma on her honeymoon when she gets married too? I hope she doesn't last!

Monica - She seemed more into the chicks than Ben! At one point, I thought she was going to make out with Blakely or someone. And then the drama between her and crazy Jenna was quite comical. I am glad she got a rose because I want to see this drama evolve more. Nothing like some trashy drama for a good dose of reality TV!

I really can't wait to see how this season unfolds! Who else is going to be watching with me?! I wonder if any of these ladies will make it as the next "Bachelorette." I say we're due for one of those!

Summery Winter!

2012-01-07T11:02:00.003-05:00

Greetings fellow bloggers on this sunny Saturday morning. It's kind of funny that it is about 50 degrees and sunny when last January, everything was snowed covered and about 15 degrees. It's kind of ironic, don't ya think? I am PERFECTLY content if there is really no snow this winter! I do like living in New York (not the cheapest place to live) but I HATE HATE HATE cold weather/winter. Give me flipflops and sunshine any day of the week!

Tonight is my last night of work for a week and then it's time for my "stay-cation!" Originally, I was suppose to be driving to Georgia and South Carolina to look at prospectable areas I might move to if I had a job. But since Shannon's dad got sick and then passed away, we decided it just wasn't the right time to go away. So, I just never deleted my request off from work and kept it! I'm okay with not having a week of shifts because it gives the girls home from college an extra chance to earn some money. I have so much other stuff I need to do so I'm okay. One of those things is to finish cleaning up my room (I am totally going to take pictures of it and post once it is clean), finish organizing, and use my DAY OF BEAUTY from my lovely boyfriend! That includes a FULL massage and this girl is in need of one. :)

I really really really and trying to hold out until April when our phone is due for a contract renewal to get my iPhone. I do love my Blackberry but after the waitress spilling my drink on my phone last week at TGIFriday's and the keys sticking, I'm over it. I can get an 8GB iPhone 4 for $99 or the 4S is like $299. I would almost rather the 8GB one because I don't really plan on putting music on it because I love my iPod touch too much. So all you fellow users, aside from Siri being on the iPhone 4S and it being faster, sell me on why I should get 4S as opposed to just the 4. Part of me still wants to go to Verizon and be like "My keys are sticking...HELP ME!" then part of me thinks that April will be here before I know it.

I need to go get a manicure/fill-in today and I was just browsing the web and saw OPI's 2012 Spring/Summer Collection! Look how pretty!!
Top: (In Order) Wooden Shoe Like To Know?, Thanks a WindMillion, Pedal Faster Suzi!, Kiss Me On my Tulips, Gouda Gouda Two Shoes, I Don't Give a Rotterdam,
Bottom: (In order) Vampsterdam, Red Lights Ahead...Where? (This would be perfect for my cruise!), I Have a Herring Problem, A Roll in the Hague, Dutch 'Ya Just Love OPI?, Did You Hear About Van Gogh?

I'm just so lazy I might wait until tomorrow on my day off to go so I don't have to wait and risk being late to work today and I honestly just don't feel like going right now, lol. I need to pick a fun color though. #firstworld_problems.

And in the news of celebrities, I am UPSET that Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel are engaged. I have always loved Justin Timberlake (even when he has his short curly bleached blonde hair in NSYNC). Jessica Biel is okay. But come on?! Seriously, I would make a better wife for him. ;) Maybe they won't last! And he also needs to come out with more music. I miss his musical talent.

I just checked the status of my erin condren planner and it was printed on Thursday. Hurry up and ship to me!! It better be worth the $58 i spent on it. My mother will not know what I spent on it because she'd hit me with a stick if she knew I spent that much on it. Oh well!

I'll leave you all with this because let's face it, I am going to be the mother that will do this to their child as a Halloween costume. Because it is HYSTERICAL!

It's Okay! Thursdays

2012-01-05T12:39:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the first Thursday of 2012! Hope it is treating y'all well.

Today I am linking up with Neely over @ A Complete Waste of Makeup for It's Ok! Thursdays. Head on over to link up!

It's Ok....I am still loving the MK bag my brother Brian gave me for Christmas. Obsessed would be the perfect word to describe it. The funniest thing is I saw it in Macy's the Thursday before Christmas and was like "This is the next bag I want to buy." Kudos to an awesome brother for buying me an AWESOME bag (he's single ladies and can pick out great things...his future wife is going to be one lucky lady!)

It's Ok...that I am sitting in my PJ's still watching episodes of "Wife Swap" that I recorded last night while I was at work. If I was married and had kids, I would TOTALLY have wanted to be on that show. I miss it. Wish they would bring it back.

It's Ok....that I am a wee bit excited about my Erin Condren planner coming. Wish I had of ordered it earlier and it hasn't shipped yet. I keep checking my emails for the shipping confirmation. I am a nerd when it comes to school supplies!

It's Ok....to already be thinking about all the cute outfits I get to shop for to wear on my cruise in May!! Oh my word so much luggage will be coming with me!

It's Ok...to be ready to BEAST the Content Speciality Test for my teaching license on 2/18. Why does New York make it so difficult to be a teacher?! I missed passing last time by four points. Good thing is it takes most people 2-3 times before they pass. Let's hope the third time is the charm!

It's Ok...to have Jersey Shore set up to be recording on the DVR tonight. Not ashamed AT ALL. :)

It's Ok...to want to move to the South. I ADORE Georgia. Seriously. Almost as much as NY but it doesn't snow as often there as it does here!

It's OK...to be like a 5 year old and be REALLY excited for Beauty & The Beast in 3D next week! Aside from 101 Dalmatians, it truly is my favorite Disney Movie (along with The Lion King).

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2012-01-04T09:25:00.005-05:00

Welcome to What I'm Loving Wednesday - the first of 2012!

Link up with Jamie to show what you're loving this week!

I'm loving that my boyfriend John has officially booked our cruise! May 14-22 on Carnival Cruise lines. Part of me wishes it was earlier so I would not have to wait so long but I am so excited! Time to hit the gym so I don't look ridiculous in my bikini. We are leaving from New York and are going on an Eastern Caribbean cruise. Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, the Bahamas. SO EXCITED!!

I'm loving how amazing my friends are last week. It's true when they say a tragic event or something sad takes place for you to step back and look at your life. In the passing of Shannon's father last week, it has made me realize how blessed my circle of friends are to have each other. We dropped everything to be there for someone who needed us and I know she is externally grateful. I am truly blessed to have each one of these people in my life.

I'm loving how adorable these cuties are. This was the Christmas card picture from my brother & his family. These are my nieces & nephew. They just brighten up my world!

I'm loving that some of my favorite TV shows are back! Can't wait for the rest to return from their holiday vacations. (PS - I just have to say, I think Ben might be the worst person they have chosen to be "The Bachelor." I did NOT like him at all when he was on The Bachelorette and he just isn't that cute. I know looks aren't everything but come on...give me some good eye candy for my trashy TV!)

I'm loving that one of my favorite managers is back at work. Is that weird to say? She broke her ankle in the middle/end of September and her first day back was Monday. A lot of my co-workers are excited she is back. She's super nice!

I'm loving that I finally finished the calendars for my mom & sister-in-law. My goal is to be more pro-active and start them now for Christmas 2012 but I think they came out cute.

I'm loving this perfume! It came in a box set from the boyfriend for Christmas and smells oh so good!

I'm loving this book. I love their show "Georgetown Cupcake" and loved the wedding special they aired. It has recipes for their cupcakes and I can't wait to try and bake them. At 25, I think it is time for me to be more adventurous in cooking!

Organization is key!

2012-01-03T21:54:00.003-05:00

What a RIVETING day I have had. First off, I spent 45 minutes sitting in the exam room at the wound care place with my oldest brother Scott (because he does not drive) and he wasn't seen until almost an hour later. If you're going to give me an appointment for 7:45, you BETTER not make me wait 45 minutes. Well, that happened. Finally, I was like "is anyone coming in here because we've been waiting for 45 minutes?" By 8:45, the nurse practitioner finally came in and they did what they had to do and we were on our way. I was not a happy camper.

Considering it is getting CHILLY outside, I thought now would be the appropriate time to finish switching my wardrobes. Yep, way behind on that ball. Considering I wear my work "uniform" 4-5 days of the week and then spend the good majority of it in PJs and/or sweats, I need the clothes to be organized. It's a task in itself! That and the fact that I get easily distracted by Facebook and that I was watching season 9 of FRIENDS. I finally got it all hung up, took a TON of hangers out of my closet and have two giant bags of clothes, plus a few small ones to give away. And, somehow, I still have too many! I just need to purge and not feel guilty.

Also, note to self - do not give away a code again for 101 free prints on Shutterfly. I should read my emails more carefully and see its only one code per member. :( There was a free $15 of photos I wasted! :( Oh well. They always have deals so at least I'll have them all uploaded and ready for the next time I get it!

I need to re-register for the CST. The deadline is January 13th and I take it February 18th. Fantastic. Seeing as I missed the minimum passing score by FOUR points last time (talk about wanting to cry!), I need to study my booty off for it. Enter this lovely guide. While it has gotten mixed reviews, and costs $80 in B&N, I only paid $26 using my Amex points on Amazon. SCORE! Side note: I think it is a bit ridiculous to test us on all of these things when we are NEVER going to be teaching them (culturally).

I am trying to grow my hair out. I usually only get it cut once-twice a year, insane! I prefer it to be shorter in the summer because it's easier to deal with in the heat so I'll probably get that done before the cruise. But one thing I will not be growing out are bangs like Kim K. Barf. I really can't stand her. I wish it was just her two sisters (Kourtney & Khloe) on the show and not her.

Itching to travel

2012-01-03T14:39:00.002-05:00

Ever since I studied abroad the spring semester of my junior year in college, I think the "travel bug" bit me and hasn't left since! I loved living in Seville, Spain for that semester and traveling to various cities and other countries (was able to go to England, Ireland and Amstedam!). My best friend April shares the same desire to travel. We went on our first vacation together as friends in June 2010 and spent a week in Florida celebrating our graduations!

And for the longest time, I have been wanting to go to the Caribbean. That crystal blue water looks so peaceful and I just want to DIVE in! I kept mentioning this to my boyfriend. So, as a combined birthday and Christmas present, he got me an EIGHT DAY CRUISE! He was not sure where it was going to go (knowing him, it was because he wanted to get the best deal possible). I really couldn't complain since all I really have to pay for is my liquor and shopping! He finally booked it! May 14-May 22, 2012 we will be off on an adventure! We're leaving from New York and going on an Eastern Caribbean cruise! It's the Carnival Cruise lines on their Miracle boat. The stops along the cruise are Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay (the Bahamas), and Nassua (the Bahamas). So being the weirdo that I am, I looked up the excursions and all I can say is I CAN'T WAIT!!!

With that being said, April and I are considering either going to Canada or Mexico for a trip in late 2012. I would much rather go to Mexico than Canada in the fall because hey, nice escape from the coldish weather up here in New York! Does anyone have any tips on how to find a relatively decent priced all inclusive resort/vacation package for Mexico? Doesn't have to be Cancun or anything like that although it could be fun to go there. I am looking for websites and stuff. I tried googling all inclusive Mexico vacations but maybe I am doing it wrong. Help if you have done this before!

I just wanna sit on the beach and stare at this:

New year, new me!

2012-01-02T13:07:00.004-05:00

Well, now that it is 2012 and the world is suppose to end ya know, maybe it is time to work a little on myself. I firmly believe that no one is perfect. We all have room for improvement! With that being said, I know there are things I want to work on in this new year.

For one, I want to join a gym. Some people might find it a weird request to ask for a gym membership for Christmas, but I did. Did I get it? No. I could go to my Uncle Tom's gym for free but it is kind of out of the way. I mean, not by that much but when I did have it, it took me a half hour to go and kind of a waste of gas. I was going to join LA Fitness but it's $12.95 a WEEK. How my brother Brian affords that I will NEVER know. So, I am going to try Planet Fitness. I'm going to do $10 a month because I dont plan on bringing anyone with me and I dont need tanning. So I am looking forward to working out and getting a flatter stomach! :)

Secondly, I want to work on getting my "real adult job" aka you know, a teaching job. They are hard to come by in New York so I really might have to start looking elsewhere. I thought having Spanish would be helpful in finding a job...not so much, which is why I went and got my Special Education extension. New York is just so expensive to live here. I am 25 years old and living at home. It's great but I can't wait for my own place! My friend in Georgia is 24 and just bought her first house. What she probably paid is a DOWN PAYMENT on a house here. Insane. I look forward to finding the dream job I have wanted ever since I fell in love with learning languages.

Organization! I always love how right after Christmas that Target has every type of organization bin/tool on sale. New year, fresh start! Something I noticed this year was my credit card bills would come in and I'd be scrambling last minute to find them. Too often my bills ended up getting paid late and then I'd get a late fee. $29 or $35 late fee is just ridiculous. So, in an attempt to curb this problem, I decided to take manilla file folders and have one for each bill I get. Color code the tabs with high lighters (finally my office suppplies obsession will pay off!). And, I also ordered myself a planner from ErinCondren.com which I can't wait to get. This thing I will be carrying with me to help me keep myself organized, write down due dates for bills, etc. Hopefully this helps me!

I have almost finished the calendars for my mom & sister-in-law. I decided to hold off on my grandma's for next Christmas. I just need to decide on 101 pictures to print when I order them as well because I have a code for 101 free prints! Have to figure that out by the 4th. In keeping with the "new me" theme, I need to not wait until the last minute/after Christmas to do them. Be more proactive in 2012!

I also want to read more. I am still trying to finish "The Help." I keep bringing it to work to read while I am waiting for my brother, try to read it before bed, etc. I recently purchased these two from Barnes & Noble and can't wait to read them:

Please feel free to give me any suggestions! I also love finding books to put on my Kindle. :)

The other night after the wake for Shannon's dad, a group of 10 of us went out to get some food and have a drink. We went to TGIFriday's by Olivia's house and I had my phone on the table because I was checking something. The waitress was pouring my Pink Punk Cosmo and spilled it on my phone! ARGH! So now all the keys on my Blackberry are sticking. While it still works, it is annoying. I am trying to hold out for April because that is when my phone is due for a renewal of the contract. I'm going to try and hold out til then so I only have to pay $100 for the iPhone 4. I dont need the 4S for the snazzy features. It also could not hurt to take it to the store and see if they can help me.

I also love this shirt. It's part of the "Warriors in Pink" to find a cure for breast cancer. Jennifer Aniston, who I adore and want to meet, designed it. Each shirt costs $20 (white or gray) and 100% of it ($12.55 a shirt) goes to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. To date, $3,098, 589.00 of donations have been made. ASTOUNDING! I really think I will order one.

Hasta luego, 2011!

2012-01-01T22:09:00.011-05:00

2011 is done and over with. It's kind of hard to believe! The year had lots of fun, some sadness and lots of trips. I can only hope 201

.january.

~Started the new year off with Heatherfest 2011! It was so wonderful seeing her!
~Went on a week vacation to Disney World with 4 friends from college, Zach, Amanda, Olivia and Shannon. It was one of the BEST trips I had!

-And who could forget snow-athon 2011 in January? It seemed EVERY Tuesday it was snowing. Thank god it really has not snowed yet!

.february.
~Started student teaching...finally! Well, technically it was at the end of january but it was quite interesting. had one of my observations three days after i took over instruction and definitely learned from it!

~visited April @ her apartment while she was attending Columbia. She took me for my first visit ever to the MOMA!

.march.

~left one student teaching placement and went to another. Loved the message some of my students in my first placement left me on the board:

~found out I was inducted into the Education Honor Society at school. Yay me!

.april.

~had the actual induction into the Education Honor Society

~visited Stephanie in Georgia!!

~had Easter at home

~celebrated Emma Grace's 2nd birthday!

.may.

~finished student teaching! BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT OF MY LIFE!

~graduated with my Master's Degree in Education

~had a "WTF is this liquor" party with my friends

.june.

~got so so sunburned after one day at the beach that so MANY customers commented on it at work.

~tried a zumba class and loved it. I wish I was still doing it!

~took two summer classes for my Special education extension...got A's in both!

~celebrated my nephew's preschool graduation! (he's the one in the plaid shirt)

~chopped off my hair!

.july.

~my doggie had to have surgery and have a toe amputated. she had cancer in her toe but they got all of it!

~went to my niece's dance recital

~celebrated olivia's 24th birthday!

~went to the mets game with the boyfriend

...july was kinda boring! lol.

.august.

~spent a week in Disney with my brother, his wife, nieces, nephew and my mom. It was SUPER hot but SUPER fun. I can say, "Are you having a magical experience?!"

~threw a surprise party for my friend Shannon with the help of her boyfriend for her 24th birthday. So worth the look on her face!

~lived through hurricane irene. yeah, it wasn't that bad where i lived but totally insane.

~saw Britney Spears in concert with Shannon! SO much better than her "Circus" tour.

~went wine tasting on the east end of Long Island with Amanda!

.september.
~started my LAST two classes of school.... (until i decide to go get another extension)

~my niece sara started first grade & steven started kindergarten!

~my nephew steven turned 5 and uncle eric (my brother) turned 30!

~went to the Yankees/Red Sox game at Yankee Stadium with Dan, Shannon, John, Olivia, Mike and Jen. The Yankees slaughtered the Red Sox!

.october.
~stephanie visited! allison came to the airport with me to pick her up!

~re-visited our old stomping grounds in new paltz!

~visited april at her apartment in queens. we went and saw "follies" on broadway. still totally wanna see the lion king.

~colored my hair brown.

~met Teresa Guidice from Real Housewives of New Jersey (she's my fav!)

.november.

~turned 25! celebrated my quarter of a century birthday by celebrating my friend sarah's 21st in the city!

~saw taylor swift @ MSG with shannon! such an amazing performer.

~found out my cousin was expecting identical twin girls!

~saw "Breaking Dawn" Part 1 at midnight....and almost got kicked out of the movies. whoops!

~celebrated brian's 27th birthday! my brother does not like taking pictures so there are none. Or maybe I could include this one of him getting pied in the face at work (reason why I chose NOT to work on my birthday!)

~attended my friend Ashley's wedding. What a beautiful celebration of love!

.december.
~FINISHED GRADUATE SCHOOL!

~celebrated the boyfriend's birthday and got him really good tickets to a hockey game that he can't wait to go see

~celebrated my niece Sara's 7th birthday!

~got to see my wonderful friend Heather as she visited us on her way to MA for Christmas.

~celebrated Christmas

~ended the year on a sad note with the passing of my best friend Shannon's father. The funeral was Saturday and I just could not stop crying. Having never met my father, I feel like I missed out on a part of life but seeing the smile on Shannon's face through her tears as she saw me, our friend Amanda, Olivia, Olivia's boyfriend Marc and my boyfriend in the pew at the mass this morning was worth anything. There is that saying that "Many people come in and out of our lives but those who mean something always stay close at heart" (or something along those lines). If it was any of my friends, there is no question or doubt in my mind that I would be there.

While there is grief and sorrow, you can only grow from this experience. May angels lead him in. I have to say that while 2011 was a year of changes, celebrations and achievements, I look forward to 2012. 2012 will be a year of getting myself organized (can't wait for my Erin Condren planner to come in the mail!), getting a job, and finding my place in life. Whether it be in New York or some other state, the future is in the palm of my hands and I cannot wait to see where this goes!

.randoms on a thursday.

2011-12-29T12:25:00.003-05:00

I really wish people would learn how to drive. Working at the mall (well a restaurant at the mall) has been horrible this month. It took me 15 minutes to get from the gas station up to the mall entrance on Monday when I went to work. Then came the task of finding a parking spot. I had to park WAY far away from where my job was. Partly because I did not want to deal with people beeping at you when you're waiting for a space. And because I was desperate because it was 5 minutes before I had to clock in. Joyful. And here's a helpful hint don't block intersections! Oh I can't wait for the normal parking lot to return!

Plus, I love how my manager told a customer the other night who was yelling at me that people were getting sat before her "We don't have a crystal ball to predict when people will get up." OMG almost peed myself when she said that. Not really. just kidding. Cause that'd be gross. Yes, I did underquote you by 15 minutes but EVERYONE came in at the same time and you were 5 people plus a highchair. Oy to the vey. Last night ran smoothly and thank god it was busy because it kept my mind off of things.

I had one of the hardest days ever yesterday. Family issues which I would rather not discuss and a text message from my best friend Shannon from school. (A girl can have multiple best friends, can't she?) Her dad has been sick in the hospital for two months and he passed away yesterday. My heart just aches for her family. He leaves behind three children from one marriage and five from his second. Tonight and tomorrow are the wake which my friends and I are going to both times tomorrow. And the funeral is Saturday at 9am. I switched my shift to be able to go because that's what friends do. Knowing he is out of any pain or misery he was in is a relief for the family but at the same time, it is never easing losing a spouse or parent. Rest in peace, Mr.Farrell. Be the guardian angel I know your family needs right now.

I wish Wife Swap was on more often. I love watching that show. Speaking of shows, you know what comes back January 5th? That's right....it's time to fist pump!!! I am not ashamed to admit I watch Jersey Shore. It's my guilty pleasure. Side note: Vinny graduated from my college the same year I did! I tried so hard to remember if we had any classes together. Don't think we did!

And you know what other show I love that comes back January 10th? That's right, Dance moms! I am so thankful I went to a dance studio where our director did NOT act like Abby Lee Miller at all!

I am so bad at picking up my room. Maybe it will magically clean itself. Ha, a girl can dream!

Also, super excited to find a code for 101 FREE PRINTS from Shutterfly in my email this morning! SCORE! I have so many Disney pictures I want to print so this will definitely help out. And there's free shipping on orders of $30 or more. I just wonder if I have to do two separate orders or I can combine it.

Chrismas Recap {Show Me Christmas}

2011-12-27T11:53:00.007-05:00

Link up with Becky @ From Mrs to Mama and Aly @ Analyze This to show a recap of your Christmas festivities!

After going to bed at 3am Christmas morning after I finally finished wrapping all the gifts (don't get me wrong, I love wrapping but until 3am next year is NOT happening!), I was not going to get up early! No way Jose!

The lovely tree with my handywork of decorations and all the wrapping. I'm pretty sure the tree decided it wanted to be crooked this year. That's okay, it gives it more character!

After opening presents and having the traditional eggs, bacon, bagels and fruit breakfast, it was over to the bro's casa for more gifts. To say the kids are spoiled is an understatement. My entire backseat had 2 black garbage bags and two shopper totes FILLED with gifts. But when you think about it, there are three uncles and an aunt that have gifts for the kids plus Grammy spoils them. They didn't even finish opening their gifts because it was too much overload for the 5 yr old and 2 yr old. My goddaughter Sara was overjoyed that I found her the mini ladybug pillow pet to match her bigger pillow pet. She got me three charms for my Pandora bracelet to represent her & her siblings. One of my favorite gifts was the scrapbook my SIL made me from our Disney vacation! It was hysterical to relive some of the memories:

Went home and exchanged gifts with the boyfriend before I went to my aunt & uncle's house. He was excited for his new wallet, NJ Devils sweatshirt, sweater, cologne and Darth Vader gumball machine. So what did he get me? Since my Pandora bracelet is filled, he got me a necklace with my birthstone charm and two other charms. It was the last gift I opened and I was having a heart attack while opening it because this was COMPLETELY different from our first Christmas. He also gave me the two Victoria Secret perfumes in the set below. Heavenly Shine smells so good and I am obsessed. The Burt's Bee was from my friend Amanda!

Then we went over to my aunt & uncle's house...aka their brand new house which is massive. The boyfriend came and I thought he'd want to hit his head in a wall after spending the time with the family because of all the screaming but he had fun. He's a brave soul!

Mom & Emmy

My godchild & I

And the loot?! What did I get? The coveted Christmas present of 2011 goes to my brother Brian for giving me FABULOUS beauty. OMG I also died of excitement when I took it out. New favorite bag!

And got some other things like The Help on DVD, gold studded earrings for my second hole (which seems to always get infected), money, gift card to Vera Bradley store, charms for my Pandora bracelet, etc. I am just so in love with that MK bag my next mission is to find the matching wallet!

How was your Christmas?!

Holiday Overload!

2011-12-26T13:01:00.002-05:00

Everytime I watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, I crack up at the scene in the picture above. It is one of my favorite Christmas movies along with the traditional "A Christmas Story". Sadly, I didn't watch it as much as I usually do this year but I did record it on my DVR so I can watch it. :)

I literally went to bed at 3am Christmas morning because I was finishing wrapping presents. Note to self - start shopping after Thanksgiving because it makes life SO much easier. Or start January 1st! HAHA. My oldest brother was sitting downstairs waiting for everyone (he probably was up at 5am) while the rest of us were comatose. Opened gifts together as a family and I got SPOILED by my brother Brian. Oh how I can't wait to share it tomorrow in the Show Me Christmas linkup!

After opening presents, Mom cooked breakfast and we went over to my brother & SIL's house to exchange gifts with them. This is the first year I did NOT buy for them but I am making her a calendar as a belated gift. They would prefer us to not buy for them because we either don't make that much money (they still consider me as a student) and they would just rather us spend it on the kids. There were so many gifts we only got through two of the four bags of gifts for the kids. My niece Sara picked out a special gift for me (and her grammy as well) which was three matching crown charms to represent her, her brother and her sister since we both have charm bracelets. I think her favorite gift was the mini Ladybug pillow pet I got her. :) She was so excited.She really isn't big on "toys" because she likes arts & crafts.

Since my mom, my SIL and my niece and I went to church on Christmas eve, we went back to the house and my mom got the cooking done for the Christmas dinner at my aunt & uncle's new house. They literally just moved in on the day before Christmas eve so they still had little pieces of blue tape on their cabinets because there were no handles but it is MASSIVE. So much bigger than their last house. I brought my boyfriend to dinner because his parents were suppose to go to the city since an aunt & uncle blew them off and he was going to be alone. He seemed to enjoy the chaos that is my family. Before I went to the aunt & uncle's, I exchanged gifts with him and he was pretty happy. I got a Pandora necklace from him and this Heavenly Shine perfume from Victoria's Secret, a VS gift set of various perfumes and twilight woods from BBW. I actually asked him "Are you trying to tell me I smell?" and he goes "NO! I just like the way these smell." It's funny because I'll wear a new perfume and ask him what he thinks and goes "I don't know. It smells like girl." Men, ha!

Overall, it was a good Christmas! I enjoyed spending time with family and friends and that's all that really matters. Not the amount of gifts or anything. I am super excited to have some time to myself now that I am done with school and just get myself ready to apply for jobs. Hello being a real adult. Kind of scary!

One of my childhood friends, Alex, sent me a text message the other day that her and her boyfriend were going to be in town this week and if I wanted to meet up to get lunch. I have known her since kindergarten when she had her Sally Jesse red bifocal glasses and I wouldn't give them back to her one recess period. Yes, I was evil in kindergarten. I honestly cannot remember the last time I saw her so at first, I thought she maybe texted the wrong person and asked her that. She was like "No you silly goose!" Hopefully it works out because it'll be fun to meet up and catch up on life!

And on a parting note, I wish facebook would stop changing. The whole "Timeline" thing is creepy and I have not switched to it yet. Nor do I hope they "force you" to change to it. I finally got used to that stupid ticker thing on the side of the page. The "Timeline" thing takes forever to load!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T19:29:00.002-05:00

Who can hardly believe that tonight is Christmas eve? I mean, really?! Where did 2011 go?! Last Christmas was nice yet weird because I knew I was having surgery three days after. This year, Christmas feels different. Pizza for Christmas eve dinner! Quite honestly I am glad we graduated from Christmas eve dinner, Christmas day dinner and day after Christmas lunch with the cousin from Maryland. Family overload in three days! Don't get me wrong, love the family. But we're just doing dinner at my aunt & uncle's new house tomorrow. And it doesn't matter about the amount of presents I get or anything..I truly enjoy seeing the joy of Christmas on the faces of my nieces and nephew.

I was trying to burn a bunch of CDs for my mom as her Christmas present (well one of them) because she asked for them. I was doing it last night and it's hard since I have an iTunes library with over 2000 songs, half of which she won't listen to. After the 4th cd, it kept having a "medium write error" as it was finalizing the burning. I was ready to take it to the Apple store next week but my boyfriend told me how to fix it! YAY! Love having a boyfriend who is so tech savvy!

I am so excited to give my room a thorough cleaning...that is super pathetic of me to admit! HA!

Hopefully the boyfriend will be booking our cruise the second week of January. I really can't wait to go and get my tan on! Who does not want to shop for cute summery clothes in January? I mean, they are already putting out the Valentine's candy/decorations in Stop & Shop. So is it too early to shop for summer? NEVER!

I am still missing my grade from my Applied Behavior Analysis class and it is driving me nuts! We took our final at the end of November and handed in our final projects on December 6th. Grades were due 12/22 so why have I not gotten it yet? I still need to "complain" about my other class because it was a WASTE of $3000. I did not learn one thing at all (maybe I said this too loudly one day and thats why she gave me a B+) and got more from my other class which started a month later. I know I am not the only person in the class that feels this way but I do think the dean of the school of ed and the head of the special education department should know. Thank goodness I am done taking classes but I still want to know how I managed to get a B+ when I had all A's in that class. Blasphemy.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! See y'all after the holiday!

Thursday random post

2011-12-22T09:50:00.002-05:00

*All the random thoughts floating in my head*

This is the first time in years that I have been three days from Christmas and still not finished with my shopping! What is my problem?! I have no idea but for some reason, I did not know what to buy anyone this year/no one feels like they are in the Christmas spirit. Christmas morning should be interesting.

I really wish they would just post my stupid grades already. I only took two classes and the autism workshop. I already have my paper from the workshop to send to NYS for my certification but come on teachers! The grades are suppose to be in by today so maybe later I will see it. I really just want one from my assessment class because then I can make my complaint about the teacher since she was the worst professor I have EVER had. My dog could have taught the course better! Side note: just checked after leaving this open to go to the mall to finish my shopping and she gave me a B+ when I had all 100's on everything. WTF. So complaining!

I really hope my friend's dad does better. He's been in the hospital for two months. :(

I am so over rude people in a restaurant. Sure, you have been to the restaurant 23582032 times. That does mean walk in and seat yourself at any freaking table you want even though there is a hostess. What's worse is some servers can't stand waiting on these people because they'll come in, the wife will knit at the table and then they won't leave until close to an hour AFTER we close. OMG the freaking nerve. I was so annoyed last night I was like "Next time wait to be seated because that is the policy." One of my co-workers Mike put this youtube video up on facebook and it is TOTALLY true. Anyone who has EVER been a server understands this!

If someone does NOT let me sleep in on Christmas eve, I will be one CRANKY person. My brother wakes me up to move my car which is fine. And I guess it is my own fault for not going to bed so late but OMG. I just want to sleep in til noon to catch up on my life! Ha.

I really wish my undergraduate school would stop emailing me that as an alumni my opinion is important for the future of the school and in turn, asks for a donation. How about I will donate when I am done paying off my loans that I owe thanks to attending your fine institution...which will be never!

I really despise the new timeline layout on facebook. It's annoying and makes it just that more complicated looking/annoying looking.

Congratulations to my friend Mike on his graduation today from the NYPD police academy! His first assignment is crowd control in Times Square on New Year's Eve and then he gets assigned his borough. I am proud to say I know one of New York's finest! :)

I find it really odd that my field supervisor from my part-time student teaching placement keeps emailing me about "connecting" on linked-in or whatever that website is called. Maybe it is for professional contact but IDK why it weirds me out!

My room needs to clean itself up. I need to go work on some things downstairs for my mom but right now, it looks like CHRISTMAS threw up in here. And I still need to wrap!

I hope I don't fall asleep tonight in the movies.

*off to go clean up downstairs* What a thrilling life I lead ha!

Wednesday Loving!

2011-12-21T14:11:00.004-05:00

Hola blog amigas! Hoy es miercoles! Hay solamente cuatro dias hasta la navidad. And incase you are not a Spanish fanatic like me, I basically said "Hello blog friends. Today is Wednesday! There are only four days left until Christmas." HEHE.

Time to link up with Jamie for What I'm Loving Wednesday.

I'm loving that Christmas is four days away! I can't wait for everyone to open the gifts that I am giving them. I only need to go finish my shopping for my mom and Brian!
(PS this is a hysterical picture posted by the Ellen DeGeneres show on FB!)

I'm loving that I am done with graduate school. SOOOOOOO EXCITED! i plan on applying for jobs soon.

I'm loving that I got to see this lovely girl last night and will be having drinks with her later. with her living in Indiana and only getting to see her once a year, I like to get as much time as possible with her!

I'm loving this new Coach wristlet I bought myself last week. Isn't it adorable?!

I'm loving that I am spoiling my mom this year for Christmas. She definitely has way too many people to buy for and cut back this year but I am eternally grateful for everything she has ever done for me and love to spoil her!

I'm loving this Erin Condren planner. Totally contemplating order it for myself as a Christmas gift because I feel like this would fit PERFECTLY in any purse I carry and help keep me super organized. Thoughts from anyone who has one of these planners?

I'm loving I will soon be spending an entire day by myself having a day of beauty thanks to my boyfriend. O.M.G I cannot WAIT for my massage...first time I am ever having one!

I'm loving that I did not get called for jury duty yet this week! As much as I want to get called (only for an interesting case), I do not want to be called the week of Christmas!

I'm loving that I can sleep in next week after all the Christmas hoop-la is over!

Just Another Manic MONDAY

2011-12-20T00:19:00.002-05:00

...even though I am posting this after midnight so it is technically Tuesday. Ha!

I am still in disbelief that this weekend is Christmas. Hello, where did 2011 go?! I am sincerely hoping we do NOT get a blizzard the day after Christmas like we did last year. I swear, it seemed every Tuesday for 5-6 weeks it was snowing. Oy to the vey. This is why I need to move down South!

Every year I always tell myself "I am going to put the Christmas decorations up earlier" and never do. Every year to no fail! HA! The outside lights were up the weekend of Thanksgiving because it was unseasonably warm but otherwise, it is all up to me. The tree is all decorated (the tree always seems to go slanted on me. Maybe it is drunk) and I just really need to give the furniture a good dusting. We recently had crown molding installed so everything is super dusty even though we dusted it. Stupid dust. And this guy at my brother's school cleaned our rugs in the dining room (which we just painted), kitchen and family room. Once that stuff is down and moved back, we can get on with cleaning up downstairs. (I love my mother dearly but she is a pack-rat....nothing to the extreme of "Hoarding Buried Alive) but there's no reason to hold on to some certain stuff). So I just put the boxes back in the attic today and on one of my many trips down, I missed the last two steps and FLEW off the ladder into the bathroom behind me. I swear, klutz is my middle name lately!

I am on call for jury duty this week and so far, 0/2 for Monday and Tuesday. As in I was not called. As much as I want to, I don't want it the week of Christmas. I am super excited that I am off tomorrow because Shannon, Olivia, and I are shopping at Roosevelt Field Mall! A little shopping for ourselves and a little for the rest of the people we have to buy for. I am sure I'l be shopping all this week with my mom.

I really need something else to occupy me during the day. Because I am starting season 5 of FRIENDS since last week. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE that show but my brother asked me this morning "Have you done anything but watch FRIENDS and go to work lately?" LOL. Oh come on you have to love a show like this:

And the Christmas card from my brother's family is ADORABLE. I have to scan it because the kids are so freaking cute. When I do, I will post it.

Also, who saw when Jimmy Kimmel gave parents the challenge of giving their kids a Christmas gift early, but to give them a bad one and tape their reaction? He did something similar for Halloween when he told them to tape the kids' reaction after they heard all their candy was eaten. This was hysterical!! You have to watch it here.

And since I officially procrastinated, my grandmother and mother won't get their custom shutterfly calendars for 2012 until AFTER Christmas/closer to the New Year. Oh well! :) Maybe I'll start on the ones for 2013 on New Year's day so I am waaaaay ahead of my game!

First Blog Award! :)

2011-12-19T10:41:00.005-05:00

I was surprised to check my blog after work last and discover that I received a blogger award! Special thanks to Breanna from My Beautiful, Crazy Life for the award!

The Rules for this award:

1-Nominate 15 fellow bloggers.
2-Inform the bloggers of their nomination.
3-Share 7 random things about yourself.
4-Thank the blogger who nominated you.
5-Add the Versatile Blog Award picture on your blog post.

Without further ado and in no particular order, it can be hard to chose but I enjoy reading many of these blogs and hearing what goes on in their lives. And I hope these lovely ladies enjoy receiving this award.
1. Becky @ From Mrs to Mama
2. Kerry @ A Sweet Georgia Peach
3. Emily @ Lived a Charm Life
4. Leslie @ Life in its Ordinary Form
5. Kristen @ All In My Twenties
6. Kelly @ The Maxwells
7. Jamie @ This Kind of Love
8. Rebecca @ Southern Charm
9. Jamie @ Southern Simplicity
10. Nikki @ Me 2 We Est. Since 2011
11. Kristen Danielle @ KristenDanielleXO
12. Christine @ These Happy Miles
13. Tara @ A Brew of Blessings
14. Hannah @ A Lovely Mess
15. Ginny @ Musings From a Breast Cancer Optimist

Seven Random Facts About Me:
1. I know three languages aside from English: Spanish, French, American Sign Language.
2. I lived in Seville, Spain for a semester in college.
3. I have to sleep with socks on all the time.
4. I am the only one in my family who enjoys decorating for Christmas.
5. My family always comes to me when they are looking for something lost because I usually find it.
6. I probably own over 100 pairs of underwear from Victoria's Secret (they are just so comfy!)
7. I cannot wait to have babies one day because I am going to have so much fun dressing them up!

Oy to the vey

2011-12-17T00:26:00.002-05:00

This was one of my favorite books when I was growing up:

"Alexander and the Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day"

because it pretty much describes Friday. Let's see...where did it go wrong.

I haven't slept well at all this week. One day I could sleep in til at least 945, 10 and still be able to get ready for work (at 11:30) on time. I was woken up at 745/8 by my dog barking at my brother pounding on the front door to get in. I am considering getting him a new copy of the house key as his Christmas gift because I am SICK of being woken up to let him in.

Then there was no hot water. All I wanted was a nice hot shower. So I figured I'd try washing my hair in the sink at least....no hot water. CRANKY was I! Then when I went to work, I decided to go to Dunkin Donuts. The guy behind me was UP MY BUTT (which pisses me off when I am driving!) and when I pulled into the parking lot, there was this women SCREAMING at me because I pulled in there and "almost hit her car" when I was no where near her car. Cue the PMS tears. I cried before I went in Dunkin Donuts. Then, when I went to work, when I was driving slowly through the parking lot as you should, someone hauled their a$$ towards me and almost ran into me. Then when I was *trying* to turn into my parking space, someone tried to cut me off. REALLY??! WHAT IN THE WORLD?! I walked into work and cried for liek 5 minutes. Then the shift was not so bad so that was good. After getting a pick me up in Coach (:)) I was walking to my car and almost got hit. WHAT THE FUCK?! (excuse my french) PEOPLE NEED TO SLOW DOWN!!!!!!

And to top it off, my results from the Spanish CST for my certification came in today. Merry freaking early Christmas to me. I missed passing by FOUR POINTs. FOUR! Do you know how HEART BREAKING that is? I feel so discouraged but will BEAT that test's BUTT in February when I retake it!

I am going to go to bed because I had a little too much fun at a friend's karaoke party tonight :) Hopefully Saturday will be a better day!

Currently..

2011-12-15T21:28:00.008-05:00

I saw this link up on a blog I started to follow recently and thought it was cute/fun to do.

Linking up with Jenn over at Perfectly Imperfect for Currently...

Current Book(s):
I just did a post on this last night but this is the one I am currently reading:

Current playlist:
- "All I Want for Christmas is You" - Mariah Carey - anything by Taylor Swift really - anything from Glee lately - Justin Bieber's Christmas album -Michael Buble's Christmas album -and I jammed to this on the way to/from school today :) Current color:
OPI's Quarter of a Cent-Cherry

Current food:
Tositos & Queso. This is dangerous because of PMS and I could eat the entire bag in one sitting!

Current favorite tv show(s):
Never gets old...

Current needs:
- an actual teaching job -to get the Christmas tree up and decorated and all the boxes away after I decorate -to clean downstairs (actually I'd like a maid to do that for me) -to finish switching my summer and winter wardrobes (half of it is on the floor in front of my closet and I dont care anymore lol!) -a little more sleep

current triumph(s):
I just handed in my LAST paper of graduate school! i am done...until i decide in like 5 years i wanna get a TESOL degree current celebrity crush:
drool

current #1 blessing:
- being done with graduate school!

current indulgence:
-all the yummy things I am finding on pinterest!

current outfit:
- VS sweatpants and a taylor swift concert t-shirt

current excitement:
- being done with grad school
-christmas is soon
-i am going on a road trip with these lovely ladies in January

current mood:
-i want to eat everything in sight. and just wanna sleep. oy vey.

current favorite holiday decoration:
-the christmas tree! it smells so good!

current #1 item on your wishlist:
something like this!

current new year's resolution:
- join a gym if i don't get a membership as an xmas gift and work out 3-4 times a week so i can look like this: