2016 Wishings

Last year I had six goals for the year. I was able to pay off my student loans, I cooked and baked more, John and I went to New Orleans, and I got more blog followers. So I think I did pretty good.

I always like to keep my goals simple and general. Makes it easier to say I accomplished something at the end of year. This year, I have many of the same general wishings and goals.

Budget

Once again, things happened that meant we weren't able to save as much as we like. I would like to have a little nest egg.

Cook at Home More

This kind of ties in to the budgeting thing. But if we cook at home more, we'll be able to save money by not going out. Plus, cooking at home is always more healthy. I cooked quite a bit last year and I would like to continue that trend.

Work on the House

We've fixed up our house a little bit since we've been here but I would really like to do bigger projects to make the house look a little better.

Read More

I didn't read half as many books as I wanted to last year. I know that a lot of that had to do with my school readings but I hope I can read at least A LITTLE more than I did this year. I feel like there were a lot of good books I missed out on.

Exercise & Eat Better

Sitting at a desk all day isn't the best way to achieve a slim figure. Hell, not even a healthy one. This year I really want to start working on getting into a regular exercise regime. Along with that I would like to eat better. Overall, I just want to be healthier.




What are some of your resolutions and goals for the new year?

Thanks Giving

Since I'm currently jobless at the moment, I have the fact that I can spend the entire holiday with various family as a reason for thanks.

Some other things I've thankful for this year include:

• Still being able to pay rent and bills! 
• The fact that we adopted Lana Lane into our home. 
• I started school again and my first semester is almost over. 
• I've made some new friends. 
• John's still stuck by my side for another year. 
• Scientist said that carbs are the key to a long life (just kidding!)

I hope you're having a good Thanksgiving or just a good Thursday. Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving there's always time to give thanks. So, what are you thankful for? Also, what's your favorite recipe for this holiday season? I need more in my repertoire. 

You Did What???

I've had one job or another since I was 18. Sure some of them were part-time work-study jobs but I usually had two. Sometimes, even three. I've tried to be very independent my adult life. I knew that my parents would always help me out should I need it, but I never wanted to ask for it. I figured that whatever I got myself into, I could get myself out of. Hence all the jobs.

Well, a few weeks ago I did something that I thought I would never do.

I quit my full-time job without a back-up plan in place.
Yup. I did that.


The job I had wasn't the job I wanted. And true, there are a lot of jobs I've had that weren't the most perfect. But this job, it was stressful. And not even in a good way. TV stressful - I can do that. Getting text messages that things needed to be ready yesterday - not something I'm good at. I would get text messages at 7 in the morning. Sometimes on weekends. I Pavlovian-ingly started to hate hearing my texting sound. I would leave my phone at home when I could. Going into work became dreadful. I tried to deal with it and I tried asking for a different position but it just wasn't in the cards for me.

So, after discussing it with John I felt comfortable enough with my decision to quit.

Yeah right. Even after it had been done I didn't feel comfortable. But I figured that in the moment, it would be better for me to quit than for me to continue at a place I felt was so toxic.

I don't know why I'm sharing this. I guess I can chalk it up to my goals of sharing my private life more. I don't have any funny anecdotes about it. I don't feel confident even now about how we'll pay all our bills. I'm not encouraging anyone to follow in my footsteps.

But I am glad I did it. If that even makes sense.

I've been freelancing a bit to scrounge up some money. And John and I are looking into starting a small business. So at least my time isn't a complete waste.

Oh and my grades at school are pretty excellent.
And the house is almost always pretty clean.
The laundry has been done.
And I've updated, reformatted, re-edited, and re-everything-elsed my resume.
Hopefully something sticks soon.


Until then, I'm trying not to stress too much about it. I'm focusing on my blog, our business, and school. And I'm looking forward to the tradition of watching the BBC Mini-series of Pride & Prejudice with Mum during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

If you seen more blog posts - you'll know why!

Rinse Made Rad

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinion are mine alone. #RinseMadeRad #CollectiveBias

When I was in high school I used to wear a plaid flannel shirt as a sweater. (No, I wasn't a Nirvana fan.) It was the perfect easy-to-throw on clothing accessory. The fabric wasn't so thick that I would burn up outside but it was good enough to keep me warm in the over zealous air-conditioned classroom. John has since brought it to my attention that I didn't look very cool.

I beg to differ.

However, since the late 90s plaid has come back in style.

 

Oh wait, what? It never went out of style you say?
I just wore it incorrectly? Whatever.

Since my apparently tragic high school days, I've gotten better at picking my plaids. Now I pick LISTERINE® in their limited-edition plaid bottles. With four different refreshing flavors to choose from, you can pick the one that best highlights your bathroom décor:

• LISTERINE® Zero: Red Plaid
• LISTERINE® Cool Mint: Blue Plaid
• LISTERINE® Original: Yellow Plaid
• LISTERINE® Fresh Burst: Green Plaid

I saw Target's awesome LISTERINE® end cap while we were shopping for puppy Halloween costumes, foodstuffs, and dollar treats.

They were so cute that I just had to have some. We chose Cool Mint (blue) and Zero (red) because John and I use mouthwash daily. I've been going to the same dentist since I was a baby and he told me that one of the easiest things you can do to keep your mouth healthy is to rinse with a therapeutic mouthwash. Using LISTERINE® twice a day can make your gums five times healthier in just two weeks!

And who doesn't want a healthy mouth?

Okay, so you've bought your LISTERINE® your mouth is feeling so fresh and so clean, clean. Your bathroom is looking plaidtastic. Now what? Well, if you want some inspiration just head over to Target. They are in a plaid frenzy right now and letmejustsay, I'm loving it.

I decided to spread the plaid-love around by writing some letters to friends. Which is always something I try to do and always find something else to do instead. But isn't it great to get something handwritten and personal in the mail?

Are you ready to rinse rad? Go pick up one of these outfitted plaid bottles at Target. But hurry! They'll only be on the shelves until October 31.

Also, be sure to use the Cartwheel Offer for 10% off each bottle. The offer is valid from 9/13 - 10/31.


Tell me about all the ways you're going to incorporate plaid into your life. Also, which LISTERINE® made it to your bathroom? Let me know in the comments!

ABUELITA Chocolate Cake with a Kick

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CelebrateLosMuertos #CollectiveBias

I admit that my family didn't really celebrate Dia de los Muertos when I was growing up. Halloween I knew about, but Day of the Dead was just some weird Mexican holiday where skulls were more cute than creepy.

Well, now that I'm older and I actually researched the celebration I am in love with it. Dia de los Muertos is how I think death should be celebrated: with parties, loud music, colorful flowers, and food. The entire premise of Day of the Dead is to celebrate the lives of those who you've lost, not to wallow in sadness. It's a whole day to remember those who you loved in the way they were before they were gone. So for instance if your grandma died of cancer - you'd probably only remember her as sick; Dia de los Muertos is a time to think back to the things she liked to do in life. To remember all the activities she enjoyed because that's what life is about - enjoying it!

I have to say - that's a pretty badass way to think about death.

For the last couple of years John and I have gone a little sugar skull crazy and bought a lot of decorations for the celebration. We put them up towards the end of September and leave them up until the middle of November (though that may just be my laziness showing).

 There are some traditional Day of the Day foods that I think of when I think of the holiday. Chicken caldo (soup), and some mole are delicious and using some Maggi Chicken bouillon makes the process so much easier. Then there's my favorite coffee/condensed milk drink! When making it, I prefer La Lechera condensed milk because it has the best flavor.

But today, I'm going to show you how to make an ABUELITA Mexican chocolate cake.

They infuse the chocolate with cinnamon and other spices. You'll find the cute little abuelita (which means granny in English) in the hot chocolate section of your grocery store.

They have different varieties of ABUELITA chocolate: powder, syrup, and bars but my personal favorite are the ones in little disks. My dad and my grandma used to buy that version so I've always bought the same type.

So you've gone out and bought your ABUELITA chocolate. You ready to make a cake?

ABUELITA Chocolate Cake with Cayenne

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 2 circles ABUELITA chocolate

• 3/4 cup butter

• 2 eggs

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp milk

• 1/4 tsp cayenne

• 1/4 tsp salt

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grate or finely chop the ABUELITA chocolate.
3. Melt the butter & ABUELITA chocolate in a pan until they mix together. Set aside.
4. In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt.
5. Whisk the sugar and the butter/chocolate mix.
6. Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla to the butter/chocolate mixture.
7. Mix in the dry ingredients until everything is incorporated.
8. Pour the batter into your pan and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Allow to cool before frosting.

I really like the way the cake turned out in my skull cake pan. It looked awesome! The taste of ABUELITA makes this cake delicious. Also, don't worry about the cayenne, it doesn't add flavor so much as a little heat at the back of your throat. 

John and I ate our skull cake on our Day of the Dead plate by Dia de los Muertos candlelight. I think it was a pretty good way to get into the festive spirit. 

Want more recipes for your Dia de los Muertos fiesta? Visit El Mejor Nido to get some great recipe ideas that incorporate some Mexican flavors with some American twists for really delicious treats. Let me know which one you plan to make! 

My Four-Wheel Friend

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CambioConfiable #CollectiveBias

I think George Strait spoke straight to my heart when he sang the lyrics:

 And I said, well I got a car, she said, there's something 

At least it's a start, I said, it's better than nothing 

The happiest memory I have of my car wasn’t when my parents told me it was mine. It wasn’t the first time I got behind the wheel by myself and drove in no particular direction simply because I could. It wasn’t even the time it got me to my first real job on time, though all of these are pretty fond memories for an inanimate object.

Nope, the happiest memory I have of my car was when John first drove her. For hours through flat land, past signs saying Leaving Texas and Welcome to New Mexico. It was knowing that my car was reliable enough, safe enough, to make that impromptu drive. It was the fact that my car gave me the ability to have fun. It was the fact that my car became a sanctuary of sorts, a place to discover the world with someone else. A place to get to know each other without stopping, listening to the radio, yelling and singing over the sound of the wind rushing past the open windows.

Though John and I had hung out together before that drive, I think of it as the start of everything between us. It pushed us past the awkward first-dating stages. It showed that we were both adaptable, spontaneous, and as it turns out resourceful enough to find our way back home even when our money didn’t last as long as we expected.

And it was completely, totally possible because of Tina.

Tina, my 1997 Toyota Camry. With her cracked windshield, her bumper that is a slightly different color than the rest of her, and her dirty, dirty interior. She might not be the shiniest car on the lot but she’s always been dependable.

It’s not a coincidence either. Because my car means so much to me, I know that I have to take good care of her. I make getting her oil changed regularly a top priority because I know it’s one of the easiest things I can do to keep her - keeping on.

   

I find that Walmart’s Auto Care Center is the perfect place to do that. Not only can I take my car to get its regular maintenance but while the ACC workers are doing their thing, I can do mine. I can go grocery shopping, book-browse, or buy things to make Tina shine a little brighter and smell a little better.

Choosing which scent I want Tina to smell like (new car or cherry) can be an hour long process. Choosing which oil I want in her is a no-brainer because it’s always Quaker State. My personal choice is the Advanced Durability bottle (green). It’s tough enough for all the driving I do and really puts up with the different temperatures we can go through in a matter of days here. Of course if you need something a little different you can always try out Ultimate Durability or Defy for those of you who drive to the moon and back. Whichever you choose, I’m sure that you and your car will love it.

 
People who don’t know me and see Tina as a little beat-up-granny-car may ask if I’m sure she’ll get us where we need to go and I just tell them in the words of George Strait:

If there's one thing I know girl, it's gotten us this far  

So what is your favorite car story? What tips or tricks do you have for keeping your car in tip-top shape?Visit Quaker State to see other blogger’s tips, tricks, and memories involving their favorite four-wheeled friend.

Robert Earl Keen

Last week, John and I went to see one of my favorite country/folk singers: Robert Earl Keen.

I've been a fan of his ever since my friend J introduced me to him. I've seen REK one other time at the Majestic when he did his Christmas show. When I saw on Facebook that REK was going to be coming down to do a concert to celebrate his 20th Anniversary of No. 2 Live Dinner, I wanted to go.

Luckily John wanted to go with me so we bought our tickets & headed to Floore's Country Store in Helotes, TX. (Which is actually just right outside of San Antonio.) Floore's is a country music venue and restaurant. When John & I both lived on that side of town neither one of us was into that kind of music so neither one of us had been there.

We were actually surprised by how big the outdoor space was. The stage was big and they had 3 different beer booths going along with a port-a-potty section away from the main area. The show was general audience which meant we had to stand but Floore's has a VIP section with tables & chairs and waitresses to order food from.

We didn't eat anything but we did have a beer or two.

I had his beer which was a honey pils. It was pretty good actually and it is made here in Texas.

The first band was Cody Canada and the Departed which was a band I had never heard before. They were pretty good. The second band was Reckless Kelly. I liked them a lot. I'd heard their music on Pandora before.

Finally, it was time for REK to come out. By that time, a lot more people had showed up. We were pretty far towards the back but the music was good, the crowd was happy, and it was a really fun show.

Because the show was a 20th Anniversary tribute, REK brought some special guests to help him sing along: including Lyle Lovett, Cory Morrow, Bruce Robison, and Joe Ely.

It was such a fun show. I'm glad that I got to see it. Even if for the most part all I could see was the back of people's heads.

What shows/concerts have you been to this summer? Any that just really blew you away?

Going Through The Motions

Do you ever feel that you're pulling a Buffy? Because for the last few months of my life. I was totally feelin' it.

No I'm not talking about Amazing-Quip Buffy.

No, I'm not talking about Making-the-Worst-(or best)-Mistake-of-Her-Life Buffy.

I'm not even talking about Questionable-Fashion-Choice Buffy.

I'm talking Season 6, Episdoe 7 Buffy. Where she's just going through the motions.


For the past few months I have been feeling this way. I have a good and steady job. I get some weekends off. My blog has been growing.

But there was something off. I was feeling bored. I was feeling that my personal growth had stunted. I felt like I was just going through the motions. Wake up, Netflix, work, sleep, wake up, repeat.

So I decided to look for another job.

In a completely different field. 

I like TV, don't get me wrong. I would get to watch episodes weeks before the general public. But, unfortunately the work I was doing just wasn't cutting it for me. I need to be doing more. I need to learn new things to keep my brain from atrophying. The kind of work I was doing in TV, was fun but it was also easy because so many things are automated now. It's actually kind of scary. What used to take a crew of 10 now takes about half. And I'm sure in a few more years that number will go down even further.

So  I updated my resume to include my various work experience and started applying to jobs that were more media related or administrative related. I wasn't even sure what I wanted to do completely. I just knew that I wanted to start looking into some other options.

It was scary at first. My TV job is full time with paid vacation and health insurance. Any new job, even if they offered me those same things, would require me to learn a new set of rules, procedures, and have a trial period. I'd be starting from the bottom basically. Which you never really want to do.

And I'm sure that everyone knows that it's not just all about the job but the people too. What if the people were horrible? What if they didn't try to help me? What if they were smelly? What if they made fun of me?

Because of that I would waiver between my decision to search for a new job and stay where I was comfortable. Especially after I'd sent out a million resumes and heard nothing back. Which is totally rude, might I add. At least a rejection email is better than nothing.

But after a few months of searching...I finally got a call back! I was super nervous that I wasn't qualified for this job but I had been searching for so long and gotten so dejected that I figured I would throw my resume out to ANYONE and hope that someone would take pity on me. I mean, I have a pretty damn good resume but I've been turned down for a Barnes & Noble job even though I've worked at 3 libraries and have retail experience. The point is, you never know.


So anyway I applied and I interviewed and I got the job!

I am now the Executive Assistant to the President & CEO at a local nonprofit organization. I've already been there a week and though the beginning was a bit rough (what new job isn't?) I'm really starting to get my bearings and enjoy it.

I'm looking forward to helping out on events, getting grants, writing minutes, and uhhh...all the other things that being an executive assistant entails.

So, basically this is just a long-winded story of why I've been a little MIA on the blog lately. I'm hoping that soon I'll get on a regular schedule and you'll start seeing my posts in your feeds again.

Guest Posting on Here I Scribble!

Hey guys! I've actually written a post about change on DT's lovely blog, Here I Scribble. The post is actually one in a series called Transient Tuesdays. The other guest posters have really good thoughts on change from how to deal with it, to what it actually means. So, head on over there and take a look!

Introducing Firsts Friday

Do you remember your first kiss? Your first best friend? Your first boyfriend? Your first grade teacher? Well, if you join up with my Firsts Friday link up we'll write about all these Firsts and more.

I've been meaning to write some of my firsts for a while but then I figured, I would love to hear some of yours as well. Firsts are so much fun because they can tell so much about a person and sometimes they are just so hilarious. Yes, we will be doing first date stories and I can only imagine the answers.

If you want to join in just link up! Every First Friday of the month I'll be here with another prompt and my personal anecdote.


So, grab a button, link up this Friday, June 5 and tell me your First Memory.

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You Lied to Me - A Memory for Mother's Day

"Valerie, have you been watching TV even though you're grounded?"

"No."

"Are you sure? What have you been doing?"

"Nothing."

I like to believe that I was a good child up until I hit those globawful teenage years. But no child is perfect and I'm no exception. I feel like I was always grounded or punished for something or other when I was younger. Throughout the years the punishments would change but one of the first things I remember being taken away was my TV time.

But I was a scheming, lying child and I hated being punished for what I thought weren't really wrongdoings. When I was about 6 or 7 I came up with an ingenious workaround to get out of my unfair punishment.

See my mom was the disciplinarian but she also worked later than my dad which meant I had a few good hours of mom-free time to watch TV. My dad was usually out in the yard, or the garage, or underneath the car working on something. He wasn't too concerned with what I was getting up to and even less concerned about what new punishment my mother had dished out.

So my great plan was simple but foolproof. I would watch TV while my mom was still at work and when I saw her car pull up I'd simply turn it off and tell her I hadn't watched it!

Who says kids aren't geniuses?

I finally decide to put my plan into action. I turn on our old TV. The TV is an old console TV. The ones built into the wood surrounding them? It weighs about 100 pounds and still works. I know because it's the TV my parents have in their bedroom.

This is what I was determined to watch ladies and gentlemen. 

Anyway, I turn the TV on and I probably watch Barney or Arthur or Sesame Street because we don't have cable and PBS is the only channel that's not showing some Jerry Springer type show. I settle into our recliner which is perfectly positioned in front of the TV and a window that faces our driveway.

I've probably been watching for a few hours when I hear my mom's car pull up. I quickly run to turn off the TV and settle back into the recliner, cool as fuck.

Mum opens the door in her work clothes. As soon as she sees me, she gets suspicious. She walks towards me. She looks at the TV and then at me and then the TV again.

"Valerie, have you been watching TV even though you're grounded?"

"No."

"Are you sure? What have you been doing?"

"Nothing."

"I think you were watching TV."

"No I wasn't."

Then she does this bit of motherly magic I didn't know existed.

She goes to touch the turned-off TV screen with the back of her hand - the same way she would test my forehead for fever. 

"It's hot. You lied to me. You have been watching TV."

I sigh loudly, eyeball roll (I was an early adopter), and I earn an extra week of groundedness. She yells at me for lying. Tells me how bad it is to lie to your parents, blahblahblah. 

I never watch TV again when she's not there. Lesson learned. 

The end. 

JUST KIDDING!

It's totally not the end of the story. 

So it's a few years later, I'm probably 11 or 12 now. I don't watch much TV. My new form of punishment is no phone time. Anyway, I'm watching TV and it's been on a while when I get up to get a snack and kind of trip/brush my arm on the TV screen.

The TV screen that has been on for hours.

The TV screen that has been on for hours and doesn't burn my arm. The TV screen that has been on for hours and isn't even hot. Isn't even warm. 

And right then, like a lightning bolt I get it.

MY MOTHER LIED TO ME. 

She couldn't tell that the TV was on because it was hot! She knew I was lying because what kid sits in front of an off TV like that? No one! She saw me looking all smug and cucumber (as in: as cool as) and knew that I wasn't just sitting there looking out the window for fun. Oohhh no. I had been watching TV and she busted me.

But the real motherly magic was the trickery she used to get me to never watch TV while grounded when she wasn't there, for fear that she would call me out on it.

Touche mumsies. Touche. 

Happy Mother's Day! 

What are some of your favorite mother memories? Did your mom ever trick you into behaving? 

What I've Learned Working Two Full Time Jobs

When one of my ex-coworkers/friends told me that my old job was looking for a temp to fill while someone was on maternity leave I was a bit hesitant to go back. "But," this person said, "You could really use the money. Pay off your loans! Save for a new car. Do whatever. It's only for three months."

I reluctantly agreed. I knew I needed another job and my friend was right. I could really use the money to get ahead. So I decided to accept the job. Woo! When I went to sign all the paperwork and meet with my old boss (now boss again) I was told the position was going to be full time.


*Cue record scratching*

WHAAAT?

I seriously thought about running out of there right then. Imagine my car peeling out in a cartoony fashion.  But then I thought well, I already know all the procedures. Not much has changed since I've been away. And it's not manual labor, I should be okay, right?


Right?!

I ended up accepting the job since it was only going to be for 90 days. Let me tell you, it's been a bit of a tough one. I tend to get really grumpy towards the end of the week. John's gotten a bit fed-up with me at one time or another but I was too tired to care quite frankly. Still, I feel I've been learning some valuable life lessons with all this extra jobbing.


Sleep is Overrated
You really don't need that much sleep to function at an appropriate level. Yeah, you may look like shit more often than not but you'll still be able to do your job(s), eat, shower, and maybe read a page or two from a book.

When You're So Tired, Even Sleeping for 20 Minutes Will Do Wonders
I take a nap on my first lunch break and for the hour between the two jobs. It is amazing how refreshed and ready to go I feel after taking those naps.

You Can Teach Yourself to Fall Asleep Almost Instantly
When you're really tired and there's only so many minutes or hours until you wake up again getting to sleep quickly can be really important. I've always been an easy sleeper. I can sleep just about anywhere but I do tend to be a light-to-medium sleeper. Now, when I know I only have a few minutes or hours I can go to sleep in less than 2 minutes and I can tune out annoying distractions, waking up only to my alarm.

Coffee is More of a Mind Thing than an Actual Caffeine Thing
I find that coffee doesn't do much to help me stay awake. Never really has. But there is nothing like that first hot cup of coffee as I'm getting into work to perk me up and get me ready for the day ahead.

You Can Get Used to Anything
The first two weeks were hell. Like, seriously. But now that I've gotten used to it and what to expect it's gotten a lot easier. Especially with my routine. Wake up, go to Job 1, sleep on lunch break, sleep after Job 1, go to Job 2, go home, sleep, wake up, rinse, repeat.

When You Have No Free Time You Tend to Save More Money
The first two weeks I worked I didn't even go to the grocery store. John and I were in awe when we realized how much money we still had in the bank from not spending it needlessly.

It Sucks So Much Until You Get that Double Paycheck
I'm always dreading going back into work(s) the next day but payday is like winning the lottery. It's easy to forget how much working so much sucks. Especially since I'm throwing that whole extra paycheck to my loans. Sure I don't really get a bunch of fun money but knowing that I'll have one less monthly bill to pay is the best feeling.


I'm sure I've learned a slew of other things but my brain is a bit too fried to think that hard. For now, I think I'm going to go to Zzzzzzzz.

Poteet Strawberry Festival

On Saturday, John and I went to the Poteet Strawberry Festival. This festival has been around since 1948 and though I've been plenty of times when I was younger it's been a while since I've been as an adult. And John's never been at all. So we decided that we'd go and check it out, eat some strawberries, and hope it didn't rain on us.

I was pretty hungry when we got there so we bought a smorgasbord of festival food including: frito pie, steak on a stick, and a gordita.

After we stuffed our faces we walked around the grounds and ended up at The Ford Experience. It was basically a section so that you can check out of their Ford cars, trucks, and SUVs. Like most festival events they had a place for you to sign up to win a car but what was different about this whole Ford Experience was they also had different little stations for you to go to also. They give you a card and you go to each station and they have you perform some sort of activity. Then they punch your card. When you've finished you back to the beginning and you can get some free stuff. We did all of the stations and each station had their own little gift too. We ended up with a mini hand santizer, a T-shirt, a key chain, and a phone charger for the car...each! At the end we both ended up getting little insulated lunch boxes. It was actually a lot of fun!

We did the rides after and since we had so much stuff only John was able to get on the Cliff Hanger.

Also, I don't trust carnival rides.

We walked through all the vendor booths, saw some bulls and sheep, and contemplated buying an actual strawberry plant. After doing a loop we decided to head home. Since we still had tickets though we ended up buying a bottle of strawberry wine, a turkey leg, and a funnel cake to take home with us. The funnel cake had strawberries on it and was the only strawberry thing we ate at the festival. The wine wasn't even for us, my dad had asked for it.

So even though we didn't eat strawberry everything we had a fun time out there. Next up? Fiesta perhaps?

Past Present Future - Vol. 1

I've been saying for months that I need to delve into my personal life more. Well, I figured that this Past, Present, Future series would be a great way to start to get more comfortable with the idea of everyone knowing my life. So here we go.


First let's get the bad outta the way: My paternal grandmother had a stroke and was hospitalized this past week. She's stable and doing better now. When John and I went to see her we were able to understand most of what she said and she was aware of all the people visiting her. Besides family she's had tons of visitors. One of my aunt says that she gets self-conscious about her hair when there are "guests" in the room. She hasn't dyed it in a bit, ha. She's very strong and mostly she wants out of the hospital. For now, we're all just monitoring her and waiting to see what comes next.

Now onto some lighter fare. 

My mum celebrated a birthday this past week. I treated her to Olive Garden. We usually go there for my birthday but we hadn't been in quite a while. I cannot get enough of their deliciously buttery breadsticks. And their salad dressing. Mmm. She hasn't told me what she wants her gift to be so I haven't bought her anything. I know it may sound weird but we're really not a "surprise" gift family.

I joined the First to Read Penguin program. I was able to enter the drawing to read two different books before the drawing actually took place. I was surprised when I was selected to read one! It's called The Wrath and the Dawn. It won't come out until May but I'm pretty sure it has changed my life and my YA standards. Be on the lookout for the book and for my review - both of which come out May 8th. I cannot recommend it enough!

I also received my next Blogging for Books book. This time I chose a cookbook and I got it in the mail yesterday. I cannot wait to try some recipes from it because they look a-maze-ing. Beautiful photos, delicious recipes - what more could you ask for?

In trying to revamp my closet, I signed up for the Unique Vintage Dress of the Month club. I should be receiving the first one on Tuesday. I CANNOT WAIT. I'm going to be impatiently waiting by my door until FedEx comes. And if they get there after I leave for work I'm going to have John bring it to me so I can see it, try it on, and touch it. Kidding. Sort of.

Yesterday, John and I went to the Poteet Strawberry Festival. Poteet is a little town about 45 minutes south of San Antonio. The festival first started in 1948 so it's really well known here. I had been many years ago but John had never been. You'll get an entire post about it but the gist is that they serve strawberries a whole bunch of different ways. Chocolate covered strawberries, strawberry shortcake, strawberry wine, strawberry ice cream, strawberry jams, etc. They also have bands, crafts, games, and other festival stuff.

It's officially been a year since we've gotten Boyboy. He's such a diva. It feels as if he's always been part of the family. I love that John taught him how to cuddle. He's totally cool plopping himself onto the couch and bugging you until you rub him.


Reading: The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen (for the millionth time)
Watching: Parenthood & Bob's Burgers
Listening to: I just newly discovered Valerie June
Needing: A Nap
Wanting: Coffee & Ice Cream
Something I'm Looking Forward to: We have a New Orleans vacation planned! Woo! I need a vacation sobad and I cannot wait to relax and eat delicious food.
Five Good Things That Happened This Week: 

1. Got Paiiiiid.
2. A nice lady at my job gave me the rest of her salad. Hah. She forgot to take it home & wanted me to eat it before it got soggy. It was a kind gesture and the salad was delicious!
3. It rained some so my orchid (which is still alive!) & the Japanese Boxwoods received some good rain water. 
4. John took Boyboy to the vet and everything is good and healthy. 
5. I took over the @thebloglife101 on Instagram on Saturday. It was a lot of fun!