rainy A&A thursday!

Not that I mind the rain. :) It's really the only indicator around here that Spring is approaching! Already, we are having more and more "summer-like" temperatures, and the Texas humidity isn't disappointing, either. Sure would be nice to transition from the snow to a nice, mild Spring and actually enjoy the weather for a bit, but I am not holding my breath! ;)

Anyway, on to this awesome and awkward business! :)

Awkward:

-our view on Sunday afternoon. The dryer wouldn't heat, but ya still need clean clothes, so off to the laundromat we go. The hubby brought his work laptop, and I studied for my upcoming certification test. All in all, it was nice getting it all done at once... the awkward part was the smell of fried chicken. It wasn't very crowded in there, and I didn't see anyone eating fried chicken... we weren't near a place that serves fried chicken... but despite the smell of detergent and fabric softener, I overwhelmingly smelled fried chicken the whole time we were there. It was actually pretty gross.

-apparently our home is the place "where all electronics and appliances come to die". Seriously. Shortly after moving in, our washer went, our surround sound began acting up, and our Wii died. Friends would bring over their xbox for Rock Band evenings, and both of their game systems started acting up, so now neither of them do that anymore. ;) This past weekend the dryer dies, and no sooner than we drop the cash to fix it, I can't get the oven to heat anymore. Grr. You set the oven temp and press start, and 20-30 seconds later, it's beeping at you. So you go over, set it again, and 30 seconds later, same result. Sometimes we are able to manually light the pilot, but that doesn't always work. Sometimes after going through the setting and beeping process for several minutes, it will finally start to preheat. Yesterday while trying to make dinner, no such luck. I ended up having to improvise, and dinner still turned out great, but why is our home and appliance graveyard?

-going to a yummy yummy thai place with hubby and friends... and really not being able to eat anything b/c of those darn chopsticks. I know, it's easy, and plenty of people have tried showing me, but I just can't get a good grip on the food. All the others at the table weren't having trouble at all, so I just gave up. YES, I am 'THE' person at the table eating with a fork, sue me. The food was just too good to waste precious time with those sneaky chopsticks.

Awesome: I have lots more awesomes than awkwards this week. I consider that an "awesome" all in itself. :)

-staying home on Wednesday to get my dryer fixed... receiving packages I have been waiting for on the same day. :) I love being home when a package is delivered... I love getting the mail. :) Extra kudos if it isn't a bill.... and extra, EXTRA kudos if it arrives on the UPS or FEDEX truck. :)

-Speaking of my love for packages... I treated myself this month. :) I did a taste test that paid in cash, so I decided to join the Pretty Little Lovelies Club over at The Funky Vintage Kitchen Blog. So once a month for the next 6 awesome months, I will get a b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. piece of handmade sweet little something. I am oh-so-very excited for this and cannot wait for my first piece to arrive! Check out her shop! She has the most darling little things!

-this absolutely amazing dessert at Coconut Thai. Fried banana (like flaky, delicate layers around the banana... not breaded and deep-fried), coconut cream ice cream (to die for), drizzled with honey and sprinkled with maybe sesame?? seeds. Anyway, it was amazing. They also make the strawberry iced green tea you see there in-house. It is sooo good. I can't even believe how much of it I drank that night... it's just so... fresh. :)

-we go bowling once a week, every single week. We've been doing it for at least a couple of years now, maybe longer. So, in theory, I should be getting better every week and should be amazing by now, right? Notsomuch. Out of our usual 3-game set, I will pull out one good game, maybe two, and then have an embarrassing low score for that third. I am oh-so proud to say that the past 2 weeks in a row, I bowled a turkey. :) Yes, 3 strikes in a row... and managed to get my average higher than it's been, really ever. It's great fun spent with my honey and his family, but that are all SO good, and so it really does make me feel good about myself to be among them in score, haha. ;) It's all about the little things. :)

-shoe shopping. :) I really can't remember the last time I did it... and maybe I went a little overboard. But aren't they all so cute? I had a 20% off coupon, I got an extra $5 off for "checking in" there via foursquare, and I bought 2 of the pairs on clearance! So, really, can it be totally acceptable that I bought 3 pairs of shoes?? I DID narrow it down significantly... one pair of flats, one heel, one wedge. Practical.... right? ;) It was fun. :):):) (Small funny thing: the denim wedges are "Dexter" brand and the dryers at the laundromat were "Dexter" brand also. Apparently our dog's name is more popular than we thought!)

What are your A&A's for the week?

Fifteen:: Rombello

Fifteen:: a vacation I'd like to take :)

Simple. Point me to the nearest beach. :) I do a.d.o.r.e Vegas and hope to return either this year or next, but true relaxation and vacation brings a mental image of me, my honey, sand, and the sound of waves crashing on the shore. Truly, it could be any beach, but if I am reaching for something specific... Rombello 2011. :)

I have never been on a cruise, but I am dying to go on one! Specifically, this fall, there is a musical cruise with some of our fav bands ever heading through the Caribbean and ending up in Cozumel, Mexico.

Swoon. 

Good music, my hubby, AND the beach. Yes, thankyouverymuch. 

Plus, I have been wanting to get back to Mexico ever since our fam went mine and twin's Junior year of high school. For Thanksgiving. Yeah, it was cool.We went to Cozumel then, also! I had a blast going with family, but I would LOVE to take the trip again with Dave!

So, how was your weekend? We ate too much, spent good time with friends, and I got a turkey in bowling for the 2nd week in a row. :) Score. We also made an awesome meal Sunday night with his parents.

Cedar plank tilapia, marinated grilled shrimp, cilantro and lime grilled sweet potatoes, and a killer salad! Mango and Sweet Sticky Rice for dessert... divine! It was a group effort meal - we all did our part (my hit was the sweet potatoes and skinny spinach dip as an app and the hubs manned the grill with his dad!) and it was a gorgeous day to be cooking outside! {{Isn't it crazy how we were snowed in just a few weeks ago and now it's summertime in February? Only in Texas. ;) }}

Hope your week started off on the right foot... mine did! :) And, cheers: Monday is over and we are that much closer to Friday! :) Loves!

Guilty Pleasures

Okay friends, I am going to try my hardest to make this short and sweet, because Day 13 is all about guilty pleasures. I am sure there's just about none of you who want to hear me ramble on about all these crazy (and slightly) embarrassing things that I hate to love! But in the spirit of blog challenge, you are going to hear all about them anyway! :D Try and get a little excited, it may not be THAT bad. ;)

Guilty Pleasure - Movies: anything Disney. :) Why is this a guilty pleasure for me? I have no kids. Yet I own the 2-disc special edition of Mary Poppins, Monsters Inc,  and many, many others. I get way too excited when I see a new "Disney vault" commercial, knowing that one of my classic VHS Disney favorites is about to be released on DVD. Don't hate - Disney rocks! And one day when I do have my own kiddos, I have a rad DVD collection to wow them with. ;)

Guilty Pleasures - Music: Anything 80's! I know, that's probably really annoying. It's not my fault I can't resist a good belting out of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" among other 80's "classics". I can't even use the excuse that I am an 80's baby... I was born halfway through the decade and spent the other half drooling and peeing my pants. Still, there are a few 80's gems that are just too awesome not to rock out on karaoke night, no matter how many dirty looks I get. ;)


Guilty Pleasures - TV: Now, here's where I expect to get most of the eye-rolls. Trust me, I wish I didn't find myself drawn to this... but when you work for the school district and you 
have all summer off, occasionally it's easy to find yourself being sucked in to the trash reality TV. So there it is, I like the "Real Housewives", sue me. New York was my fav, and I have also watched New Jersey and some of Beverly Hills. Atlanta is too ghetto for me (how can that even be possible, right? They are all pretty ghetto, haha) and I am just not interested in mixing politics with all the drama in the D.C. installment. Yes, I also watched Bethenny Getting Married and you know what? I bet I watch Bethenny Ever After in a few weeks when it starts, too. Sigh, how embarrassing. ;) But it is what it is, and I will hold my head high! ;)

Guilty Pleasure - Food: Ugh, don't you wish that we could all have an automatic aversion to things that aren't good for us? Sadly, though, it's generally the opposite. I don't eat fast food very often (who can anymore? it sure does reek havoc on your digestive system), but if I am really in the mood for fast food or it's a last minute ditch effort to eat before having to be somewhere... long live Bueno. :( I feel gross and greasy even saying it, haha, but I do have a fondness for a party burrito now and again. Someone remind me why I am sharing my deep, dark food secrets with blogger world, again? 


So there you have it, some of my guilty pleasures. It's a gorgeous day outside... I am thinking of running some errands even though I really don't have any reason for said errands. I just wanna get out of this house and into the beautiful weather! The hubs is working again today (ooh, I so hate it when work weasels it's way into our weekends), so I am determined to keep myself busy and have a little bit of fun solo time on this lovely day! :) See you all soon!

What are some of YOUR guilty pleasures?

Come on, spill it. Share with me so I feel a little less foolish. ;)

It's Thursday again! :)

Time for another Awkward and Awesome Thursday!

Awkward:

-getting absolutely no sleep during the night, and it's not even the understandable and standard, "my kid was up all night crying" or whatever. Nope. "My dog wouldn't let me sleep." I swear Dexter is so high maintenance sometimes that it's kinda embarrassing. ;)

-a high school student yesterday glancing in my direction and saying, "You look really pretty today!" As soon as I swoon and say, "THANK YOU!", I look over and realize she is talking to the girl next to me. Whatever, I look pretty, too. ;)

-"I agree with sponge hair, square chin." Laugh out loud moment (me and hubs BOTH) from Glee on Tuesday. Awkward Spongebob reference made by Sue Sylvester about Will, the Glee Club instructor. We thought it was hilarious.

Awesome:

-potato soup this week. I know, STOP TALKING ABOUT IT ALREADY!!! Okay, I will. ;) It ends with A&A today, I promise. Seriously, though, try this soup! I froze the bit we had left into portion-size containers for another time and I am already looking forward to it. :)

-I know I went on for a bit yesterday about D and his hard work... well, I am grateful to say that God provides exactly when you need it! They are really doing the right thing and taking care of him... and us... to make all this time spent away from home worth it. It's definitely an unexpected blessing and super awesome! :D

-My newly-discovered menu-planning tools! For those of you who struggle with menu planning and the dreaded "what are we having tonight?" syndrome, head on over the The Saucy Kitchen Blog and check out her new and oh-so-helpful Menu Planning Resources! I am going to start using her monthly meal planner, but she also has weekly ones as well. She really gives you an organized way to look at your menu planning, while using what you have in the pantry/freezer. You can also change the categories she uses to make it work for your kitchen, but I LOVE the idea of a "pasta night", or a "freezer night", "Meatless Mondays", or "Grillin' Thursdays". I really think that sort of consistency will work for me! "Okay, it's Tuesday, so I know I am pulling a meal out of the freezer" kinda thing. I think it will also help me to come up with menu ideas if I am trying to think of meals for specific categories. It should also help me focus my grocery shopping even more! This is just the first week I am attempting it, but I love the idea and I think it will really help me mix things up! Especially since I have been trying all of these new recipes that I love and want to add to my regular cooking schedule. 

Today I am linking up with Tiffani from Thoughts from Tiffani! :)

Day 12 - A song that says "I Do"

Today I am supposed to share a song that we played at our wedding. Remember my Snow Day post where I told ya about the mariachis at Los Lupes? Here's where they come in. :) After the ceremony, the mariachis played while we all ate dinner. The last song they played for us was mine and David's first dance. That's exactly what they're doing in the photo above. :) It's the same song they had played for us every Friday night for the first 5 years of our relationship, and every time we see them now. I won't even try to spell it, because I am sure I will butcher it, but it is a song about 2 doves in love. Our little man with the big guitar sings it, and it's just gorgeous!

Since I can't really share the above song (unless, of course, you'd  like to join us one Friday at LL!), I will also share the song used for our final dance. I let hubby pick this one out, and this song has been a part of our relationship since the very beginning. He is a HUGE 311 fan, turning me into one somewhere along the way, so he won and we used their version of "Love Song" instead of The Cure's (love them though!).

Whenever I'm alone with you, 

you make me feel like I am whole again...

...However far away, I will always love you

My man called and he isn't feeling very well, but of course he still has to work late. :( I really have to stop for a second and give the hubs mad props for his extra, extra hard work lately. Busy season is beating him up in a real bad way this year. There have been lots of changes at work and he's had to pick up the slack, which you can always count on him to do! He is doing an amazing job, but he has been putting in 12-14+ hour days every day plus going in on the weekends. He is exhausted, and I hate seeing him so stressed and tired. Plus, we miss each other! If I am still awake when he gets home, he ends up falling asleep within minutes of finishing his dinner, poor guy. Of course, it all catches up to you eventually, and now he is getting sick. :( Which means it's leftover potato soup for dinner tonight instead of the red beans, rice, and sausage I was going to make. 

Speaking of potato soup, YOU MUST TRY THIS RECIPE! Seriously, to me, it tasted JUST like my mom's potato soup she would make for us when we were sick. Go ahead, surf on over to Gina's Skinny Recipe Blog and check out her Baked Potato Soup. She is my go-to girl for all "comfort foods made lighter". This recipe hit her blog just the other day, and the second I saw it on my dashboard, I knew I was making it for dinner that night. I already had almost all the ingredients and the hubs and I love Baked Potato Soup!!

**A small, but to me, very important note: At first, I made the soup exactly as she instructed, and all it had left to do was simmer a bit. But as I tasted it, it was still lacking that hearty potato soup flavor for me. I still overwhelmingly tasted the cauliflower. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but for those of you trying to trick your husbands and kiddos into eating their vegetables without missing the "comfort food" taste, it wasn't going to cut it. 

I did 2 things... and I think it is really what set this soup over the edge!!

1. I added some granulated garlic. I just eyeballed it and kept tasting as I went.

2. I also added some of the shredded sharp cheddar directly into the soup and stirred it until it melted... not only just to garnish the top. I figured this was an even (or so) swap, calorie-wise, since I did not use any of the bacon the recipe called for. I didn't have any on hand and I knew I wouldn't miss it. Instead, I topped the soup with the shredded cheddar and chives it calls for, and then just a small dollop of the light sour cream (it makes it even more so like you're eating a baked potato!).

Seriously, you are not ready for how good this soup is! Plus, can you believe there is no butter? It's a really hearty soup and you'd never be able to tell that it's soooooo much better for you than the normal potato, onion, and butter heavy soup we are all used to! You have to let me know it you try it! I am definitely adding this one to my regular meal planning!

Who's ready for a brand-spanking new Modern Family tonight? ME, me! Ooh, ooh, and Top Chef, too! :) 

Happy belated xoxo Day! ...and #11

I have been an extremely bad blogger as of late. I know I am SUPER behind in blog challenge...and also a day behind on Valentine's Day...but it's all gonna get done, so I guess I am asking for a little slack, here! :) Please, also forgive me if it means this post is a little long-winded... there's lots to say!

Why Day 11? Wondering where Day 10 went? Day 10 is a picture taken of you 10 years ago. I don't have lots of pictures here at my house, so I purposely put this one off until I went to mom and dad's this past weekend. We DID look through photos, but did I scan any of them to use here at home? Nope. It's so hard to focus on anything else when I get to visit my parents. It doesn't happen often enough, so when it does, time just flies by! SO, I have decided to just move on to Day 11 and return to Day 10 once I can either a) visit mom's again or b) she is gracious enough to find one and scan it in for me! 

Day 11 is a photo taken of you recently... this one is MUCH more accessible right now. ;) Here's a picture of me on Sunday Funday a few days ago.

Okay, now back to our visit to Mesquite! It was such a good visit... AND I got to spend time with my amazing nephews! My nephew, Andrew, will be seven in June. He really cracks me up... I am constantly amazed at the things this kid says! We had both of our pups there with us, as usual. Dexter just adores Andrew. Andrew can come at him screaming and with a running start, and plop down in front of Dex without my dog wetting himself. ;) Dex will roll over on his back, wag his tail, and just let Andrew pet him.

So cute, right? My mom (Granny) was explaining to Andrew that Dexter came from a home with lots of little kids that pulled and tugged and stepped on him... and that's why Dexter can be afraid of people sometimes. Andrew comes straight up to me and says, "Aunt Sissy, does that mean Dexter gave me a chance?" ohmygosh, my heart melted right there! Cut to him a few hours later, wearing his underwear and a cape (Captain Underwear!!) while playing video games on the coffee table. He proceeds to rub his bum on said table, telling me, "Aunt Sissy, look! I am scratching my butt! But it's not gross because I am using the table, not my hands!" ...Aaah, little boys! ;) Still gross, dude. :D I also think my sister and my mom have been working him over to try and get the hubs and I to move closer to home. He asked me, "Aunt Sissy, are you going to live in that house FOREVER?" No, Andrew, eventually we will buy a house of our own. "Well, can you do me a favor, Sissy, and move CLOSER to me? I NEVER get to see you, and that's not okay." How am I supposed to argue with that? ;)

Me and Aunt Moo (my little sister, Mary) gave baby Meatball (Jackson) a bath on Friday night... and he loves bath time (yes, we are a family that uses lots of nicknames, haha). 

I mean, just LOOK at that face! What a cute little man he is... he is growing so fast! He was so funny every time I held him... he would stare at me like "Why do you look so much like my mom?" He knew I smelled different than mommy and that I wasn't actually mommy, but his furrowed eyebrows were so cute as he would just stare me down, trying to figure it all out. I lovingly began to refer to myself as "not-the-mama". ;) 

My mom came across a photo of me at Jackson's age... I swear we look exactly alike. Even when Andrew was a baby and Wendy and I went places, everyone thought he was my kid. I guess it's just one of those things that comes with being a twin! Wendy doesn't necessarily like the fact that her boys look a little more like me than her, but I keep telling her it will all be even once I have kiddos! I mean, take a look at husband... all of my kids are going to have dark hair, brown eyes, and look exactly like Wendy!

It was such a lovely weekend, and I am so glad that we got to spend it with family! Dave and I had our own Sunday Funday and sort of dubbed that our Valentine's Day celebration! We did go to dinner and to our favorite local frozen yogurt shop on actual V Day, too, so I consider all that time spent with my favorite guy a successful holiday of looove! ;) 

I will go for now... I am trying a new "skinny" Loaded Baked Potato soup tonight, and I am psyched about it! I promise I will be back sooner this time with more 30-day challenge fun and more random ramblings about the Martinez home!

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

Awkward:

-this huge, under-the-skin pimple on my chin that I am trying SO HARD to keep my hands away from. So far, so good... but it HURTS!

-still having bruises ALL over my legs from our sledding adventures last week. Thank goodness it's not bathing suit season, otherwise the hubs might be getting some stares. ;)

-driving past a cop with my expired tags... me PRAYING he doesn't pull me over so I would have to explain that, "I SWEAR, my income tax check comes in on Friday, I will do it then!"

-having a 2-day sub job on Thursday and Friday.... then spending all night Wednesday night puking my guts up and having to cancel the job at 5:00 on Thursday morning. :( :(

Awesome:

-losing 2 pounds overnight due to above said sickness

-the hubs letting me sleep in on Saturday, waking me with breakfast, and finding out he's already done the weekly grocery shopping. what a catch he is! :)

-checking the status of our income tax return online, and finding out it will be deposited into our account a full week sooner than originally expected. score.

-Jimmy Fallon on Top Chef. 2 of my favorite things together, sigh :)

-trying out new recipes, them turning out so unbelievably yummy, and me adding another recipe to my collection!

I like it GREEN!

Okay, friends, welcome to my latest obsession. After the "5 Things I Can't Live Without" post, it got me really thinking about my breakfast choices. I DO like the idea of a liquid breakfast on-the-go. My Slim-Rite shakes are tasty and they definitely do the job... and they are full of vitamins and minerals. My problem is that beyond the skim milk and cocoa powder, I can't pronounce any of the other ingredients. THIS, my friends, is a real problem. I am not saying that I will abandon my beloved Slim-Rite all together, but I definitely need to find another alternative that is healthier and more natural. This was one of my 2011 goals, right? Not only being healthier, but trying to stay away from more processed foods and sticking to fresh and natural ingredients. Thanks to all the lovelies out in blogger world, I have found such an alternative, and it is UH-mazing. :) Friends, meet the "Green Monster".

Don't be intimidated by it's green hue... it's actually very delicious! It's easy to make, chock FULL of yummy goodness, antioxidants, and nutrients... and it gives you LOTS and LOTS of energy! Plus, most of the ingredients you probably have on hand, already in your kitchen!

So. let's chat about some details. First, spinach. I can hear you now, "Really, spinach? Can't you taste it?" No, you can't! Plus, what else would make it green? ;) I really think that I am dealing with a spinach addiction these days. Hubby's parents got us this small steamer contraption that goes in one of your everyday saucepans, and since then I have steamed WAY too much fresh spinach. I add it into recipes that don't even call for it (like I did last night with my "Lighter" Eggplant Parm), and if a recipe calls for the frozen stuff (psssh!), I still chop and steam my own! YUMMY! Me and Popeye should talk.

Anyway... ;) don't steam your spinach for the Green Monster and don't use frozen (it seems I am making this harder than it needs to be with all my tangents! Ah!) unless you want a chewy breakfast (ew). Here is the basic recipe, but the great thing about it is that it's foolproof and SO versatile!

       *2-3 cups fresh spinach

       *1 cup milk

       *1 banana

       *1 Tablespoon flaxseed

       *a little bit of ice

In the blender, put the 1) flax, 2) spinach, 3) milk, 4) banana (in that order) and mix away. The flax and spinach go first so the other ingredients weigh them down and it mixes better. From here you can add other frozen fruit if you like. Today, I used blueberries, but I also have some strawberries and cantaloupe in the freezer I will also use. Last, add the ice and blend on the ice setting. The flaxseed is optional, but just do it! You can get a big container of it from Wal-mart (or really just about anywhere) for relatively cheap. It doesn't affect the taste and it will give you TONS of energy! I bought ground flaxseed, just because I am so big on texture and I wanted to make sure there was no chance it was too gritty! It also helps if you pop the banana in the freezer for just a bit before mixing (Yeah, um, don't make the same mistake I did and put the banana in the freezer the night before. Duh, Yvonne, you can't get the peel off!).

One of the busy mom blogs that I follow mentioned that she makes this in larger batches and freezes them in portioned containers. This way she can grab one and place the container in warm water to de-thaw a bit while she showers. Healthy and time-efficient, I love it! :) 


As I type this, I am finishing my breakfast Monster... and it is so so yummy. Hope you try it and love it as much as I do!

...I am also going to take this opportunity to complete Day 9 of the blog challenge! So, here is a picture that I took: 

I chose this one because it reminds me of my mom, and she was the subject of yesterday's challenge, so this pic was on my mind. Plus I miss her WAY too much... excited to be going to visit with her this weekend! :) I took this picture at her house on New Year's Day while she was making breakfast. She was flipping out, telling me to get the camera... "hurry, post it on Facebook!!" She said that it's not everyday that you crack an egg and God gives you a smiley face. Plus, what a good omen for the coming year! She thought it was hilarious that the yolk "nose" even had a booger in it (ew, but really funny!). This picture was also my first for my "365" photo project I am doing in 2011... a photo for everyday.


Well, I guess that is all for now. North Texas is shut down again due to the weather... we are living in the Twilight Zone. So I am going to go grab a book and try to enjoy yet ANOTHER day off... loves to you all!

Day Eight - Thanks, Mom

Mom, 

    Today's challenge was to write a thank-you letter to someone who has changed your life. Truly, that is a big huge ginormous understatement when it comes to you. You carried me, birthed me, and molded me into who I am today. But, in my adult life, having you also as a friend has changed my life... in so many amazing ways. I am constantly in awe of your strength as a woman, a wife, a friend, and a mother. Thank you for being a constant example of the kind of woman I want to be. I know we don't get to spend as much time together as either of us would like, but I cherish every moment that we spend laughing, chatting, and just being together. I cannot wait until you get to be "Granny" to my little ones as well... I just love seeing how happy Jackson and Andrew make you! I love you so much, Mom, and I am so thankful that God blessed me with a mother like you. I love that I am becoming more and more like you everyday... quirks and all. ;) Thank you for always supporting me and encouraging me to be myself and reach for the stars. Your faith in me is priceless, and I truly cherish it. LOVE YOU, MOM!

                              Love, 

                                 Your very grateful daughter

**For all other readers besides mom, here is a picture of the two of us! It's a little over a year old, but it's all I could readily find on my new laptop!**

P.S. I tried a new "Lighter" Eggplant Parmesan recipe tonight... it just came out of the oven and it looks and smells DElish! I will let ya know how it yummy it was later!!

Day 7 - I do realize it's late!

You'd think with all the extra time I've had lately due to the weather that I wouldn't be sooo far behind on this 30-day challenge! Even though hubby has been working he has been at home, so let's use that as my excuse! ;) Plus I've been so exhausted these past few days and just haven't had the motivation to blog. Even typing this now, I wish I was napping, but that's a bad idea with work tomorrow so let's get on with this fun instead. :)

Day Seven is about 5 things you just can't live without. I could list the obvious (and mushy ;D) most important things in my life, but I know that I gush about David and my pups often enough as it is. So let's get these staples out of the way and then I will list a few fun things... 1. God... 2. my main man Mr. David Martinez... 3. my amazing family... 4. my cute lil pups... 5. the best friends a girl could ask for! These five things are my entire world... I am so grateful that all of them are a huge part of my life. God has blessed me with so many wonderful things and people that surround me... I truly could not ask for more!

Okay, so let's talk a bit more literally now! Things I love, love, love and wouldn't want to go a day without...

1. Biosilk - It's been so many years, I can't even remember when I started using this little gem on my hair! I have thin hair as it is, so many products make my hair too oily. Just a bit of this, and my frizzies are tamed and my hair is soft and shiny! It's not the cheapest "de-frizz" product on the market, but even a small bottle lasts me quite awhile. It's a product I use every, single day... otherwise my naturally curly look would poof out something ridiculous!! I am definitely grateful for Biosilk Silk Therapy!

2. Earrings - Whether it's a pair of studs, hoops, or something fancy and cute to match my outfit, I never, ever leave home without a pair of earrings in my ears. They bring personality to a quick ponytail, accent my outfit, and overall they just make me feel more complete... more "ready to go". On the few occasions that I have run out of the house without some, I spend the day fidgeting with my earlobes... it just feels so unnatural not to have earrings on!

3. Lip Balm/Gloss - Specifically, Softlips is one of my absolute favorites. I have several tubes in various pockets of my purse, at least one by my bedside, and who knows how many others strewn about our home and my car. Reapplying has almost become a nervous habit! I will keep a tube in my pocket at work and find myself mindlessly putting on more... even though I did the same only 5 minutes ago! Personal preference: I don't like the tinted Softlips. Even their darkest shade turns out extremely pale on my lips, and it just looks silly.

4. My phone - I have never owned a Smartphone before, and having one now makes me wonder how I ever made it through life without one! ;) Seriously, though, Hubby and I each got a Droid 2 in September 2010 as wedding anniversary gifts for each other, and I just a.d.o.r.e. mine. I am notorious for getting lost (even with directions), so I love being able to simply speak the address into my phone and it maps out navigation directions from my current location. It's a little computer in my pocket, and that makes me happy. :) It takes great pictures, has apps to organize my life and track my grocery shopping, etc. And let us not forget the awesomeness of Angry Birds and Wordfeud. :) :)

5. Slim-Rite Shakes - Specifically, Strawberries and Cream and Chocolate Royale. I am not really a breakfast person, but the importance of that first meal of the day is not lost on me. My answer? A breakfast shake. I have to stress, I like the Kroger brand pictured here much better than actual Slimfast. I am not sure why, but it is what it is. At any rate, I have one of these every morning. For 3 WW points, and I get some dairy in my morning to go alongside my banana or whatever else I manage to choke down too early in the morning (did I mention I am not a breakfast person?). It's quick, tasty, full of vitamins, and it does the job of making sure I start my day with a well-balanced breakfast. 

Just because I can't resist, here is a quick 6. books! Life would just not be the same if I weren't able to immerse myself in a good book now and again... or more often than I really have time for. ;)

Aaaah, it's all about appreciating the simple things in life. 

3 Chicks and a Mexican

I do realize that every blogger and Facebook fiend in North Texas has been commenting about the snow days and the weather. I hate to follow suit, but yesterday in the snow was some amazing kinda fun, and I want to make sure and document it so I can remember this time many warm winters from now.

After the snowfall on Thursday night, D told me that he was allll mine on Friday. Even though he had been home several of the iced-in days, he still had to work and was glued to his laptop. I was officially sick and tired of being bored. Don't get me wrong, I adore our cozy little home and pups, but I had run out of things to occupy me and I was ready to get out of the house! So, on Friday afternoon, we decided to drive the 1/2 mile up the street to our local Chili's for lunch, and then a little further down the street to pick up a few things from Wal-mart. Overall, it was a short and uneventful trip, but it got us out of the house! The roads were still pretty slick and there were people sliding all over the place, but we made it home safely.

Afterwards I was determined to play outside in the snow. D and I got bundled up, we put the collars on the pups, and headed out into the front yard. Poor, little weenies didn't enjoy it very much! Daphne stayed near David while Dexter did a little running around and then went straight to hide underneath the cars parked in our cul-de-sac. At least there, it was only sheets of ice instead of cold snow sticking to their fur. They were so cute! They only played outside for about 20 minutes, and the little pupsicles were ready to go back in. 

D and I decided to enjoy it awhile longer. The snow provided a nice little cooler for our beverages, and we brought out some small speakers for listening pleasure. We had our own little "King of the Hill" setup as we stood along our brick wall, watching neighbors drive by and kids play in the snow. Here is a picture of our mini-partay in the front yard.

At the bottom of the hill, we noticed a truck rocking back and forth, trying to get out of his ice and snow rut. So, we headed down to help just as two neighbor ladies from across the street also went to the gentlemen's rescue. So there we are, 3 women and husband (the mexican :D) pushing a truck up the hill in the snow. I was wearing my new Ugg boots that the in-laws got me for Christmas (thanks guys, I love them!!) and they get great traction. Husband is sliding all over the place, but here I am, pushing a truck! We eventually got it up the hill... woo hoo! It was too exciting for me, and I realize that makes me a dork! 

After the truck-pushing, my adrenaline was pumping and I was ready for some REAL fun! My man with all the great ideas quickly runs inside and grabs a couple of plastic lids from our tubs in the computer room. Wow, this was fun! Who says you need kids to act like one? For 2 hours, we slid down the hill and trucked it back up, over and over again.

It was sooo much fun! We came in freezing, wet, hungry, and exhausted! I can't remember the last time I played outside like that... what a fun Friday! 

Of course, between pushing the truck and all the bumping and banging around I did on the ice, I could barely move this morning! Check out the bruises on my shin from the few times I went down the hill on my knees. You can't even really tell how dark and big the bruises are in this pic and the ones on the backs of my thighs are MUCH worse (but no one needs to be seeing pictures of my thighs, haha), When we first came in from playing, my legs were so red they looked sunburned. It took a solid half hour for normal color to return and to regain feeling in my legs!

Fun Friday didn't end there! A couple of good friends of ours came over, and we went about a mile up the street to mine and hubby's mexican watering hole, Los Lupes. We don't go very often anymore (in the early years of our relationship, we were there every Friday night), so it's always a special treat when we do make it out there! It was Friday, so of course the mariachis were there. What makes this super special is that these same mariachis were the ones who played at our wedding. We know them well, and they are always happy to see us! We enjoyed a lovely dinner surrounded by friends, and ended our evening there with the mariachis playing our wedding song while surrounding our table. It was awesome. :D Mister and his buddy serenaded us with their guitars once we returned home, rounding off our fun day with my favorite thing... listening to my man play music. 


Now it's Saturday... time for laundry and grocery shopping... back to the daily grind! We are, however, looking forward to the Lacy's Superbowl party tomorrow! I am trying out a  couple of new, healthy party-food recipes. I sure love any excuse to cook something new!
Now, duck! Hubs is throwing a snowball at your head!