The Jerseymooners

Mommies, sisters, and an anniversary

2010-05-13T13:10:00.000-04:00

I hope you all had a happy Mother's Day! Did anyone do anything special? Mine was particularly emotional, as my mom had gotten news that her mammogram was wonky. She has since seen her surgeon, and the cancer is not back!!!!

Both of my little sisters had their birthdays recently. One turned 25, and the other 23. The younger got engaged, and I got to see her in her wedding gown yesterday. It was a truly amazing experience. I got teary, of course. She isn't sentimental at all, and even wore her pants under the dress while she was trying it on in the shop. It meant a lot to me, though!

This Saturday marks The Jerseymooners' first wedding anniversary. The year flew by! We are going to Washington, DC for the weekend. I will check in with pictures and sentiments when we return.

What did you learn your first year of marriage?

Five Question Friday (5/7)

2010-05-07T10:15:00.002-04:00

http://fivecrookedhalos.blogspot.com/

Five question Friday is hosted by Mama M at My Little Life. Join in!

1. What is your worst memory of your siblings?
I think anytime my siblings were hurt or upset are bad. I can't think of specifics, but as the eldest child, I always felt protective of them, whether they needed or wanted my help or not.

2. What was YOUR naughtiest childhood memory? (Must be something YOU did, no pawning it off on someone else.)
I know you won't believe me, but I really never did anything wrong. I was terrified of breaking rules. Part OCD, part healthy fear of my parents. I do remember covering up that my cat stole a chicken breast that was defrosting on the table. I was 18 at the time, but I hid the chicken in the trash because my dad already barely tolerated the cats. Sorry, mom. I feel bad that I lied by omission.
3. Where do you like to go to relax?
I love the beach, I love reading in the park in the sunshine, and I love drinking tea and reading on my chaise. It was a graduation gift form my mother-in-law, and I love it so much that I slept in it the first few days I had it. lol

4. What was the last thing you won?
During intermission at our dance recital in April, there was a contest to see which of the ladies' men danced the best. I didn't have any men there, as Jeff was working, but I noticed a very out-of-place-for-Philadelphia Cowboy won. The prize was a month of free classes. At the after-party, I chatted him up and found out that he was just passing through town with a friend of a friend, so he didn't "belong" to any of the girls in class. I told him he should give his prize to me. He did. I technically didn't win, I charmed them out of him.

5. If you could be on a game show, what would you choose?
Even just watching Deal or No Deal stresses me out, so I'd pick something a little less intense, like Wheel of Fortune or Cash Cab. Jeopardy is fun but seems boring.

I Still Have It : P

2010-05-07T10:08:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I got some bad news, so I was super stressed. My pal Laura convinced me to go to dance class anyway, and like the good friend she is, made sure we got some Ben & Jerry's on the way home. (PS- Try the new Boston Cream Pie flavor- OMG!)

So, I was standing in the aisle with two pints of B&J's in my arms, ratty ponytail, dinosaur t-shirt, and sparkly flip-flops, with circles under my eyes from crying, when a handsome man approached.

"Excuse me, are you single?" asked Handsome.

"Me?" (looked around) "Um, no, haha, I am married."

H: Are you sure? You aren't wearing rings.

S: (looks at fingers) Oh! Um. Crap. I left them at home. I was at dance practice!

Laura: She is married. I can vouch for that.

S: Look, see my wedding ring tan lines?! (I was stressed to the point of hysterical and not expecting human contact)

H: Ok. Well, where do you dance.

S: (blank stare.) Oh. ummmmmm... in Philly?

H: Yeah, but is it jazz? hip hop?

S: Ummmmm.... (looks desparately at Laura. Please save me.)

L: It's... contemporary

H: Ok... Well, are you sure you're not single? You have great legs.

So, that was weird, but hilarious. I guess I should wear my dinosaur tee and look crazy more often.

Five Question Friday

2010-04-23T13:16:00.002-04:00

I saw Five Question Friday on Stacie's blog and loved it! It's hosted by My Little Life. Check them both out, and feel free to join in!

1. What was the first car you owned?

I had a '94 Saturn SL2. I loved it! I got it (very) used with 121,00 miles on it. I beat it up, and it never let me down. I had it for 6 years, until Jeff decided it was time for me to get a more updated (read: with OnStar) version because of the long, hilly commute to work I had at that time. My current car is also a Saturn. I am so sad that they are going to stop making them. They're great little cars.

2. What songs are you embarrassed to know the lyrics of?

None! I'm not embarrassed at all. I have the weird ability to remember lyrics for eternity after hearing a song only two or three times. I remember everything. If you want to take it waaaaay back, I remember that the lyrics to the Cabbage Patch Theme Song form the Cabbach Patch Kids album were, "Cabbage Patch Kids, Growing in the garden, Cabbage Patch Kids, Growing in the sun, and the most amazing thing about a Cabbage Patch Kiiiiiid: Each one grown to be a special one." Rainbow Brite? Sure, I remember that, too, "Starlight, Rainbow Brite. A little wish in the moonlght. Sunbeams, sparkle and shine, you'll always be a friend of mine."

I could go on all day. I am like a musical Rain Man.

3. Have you ever had stitches?

I got a mole removed for a total of 2 stitches, plus the stitches from getting my wisdom teeth removed. So, sort of, but nothing that counts.

4. What was your first job?

Besides babysitting, I was a receptionist for a scrap metal recycling company. I was 17. Where my desk was was called "The Meat Locker" because all of the air conditioning would settle there, and it was freezing. Even though it was summer, I would bundle up to go to work. It was a great first job, though.

5. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?

Kermit the Frog. He is my favorite anything character. Yes, he was on Sesame Street. He was the newscaster (one of the only Muppets with a job!). I love him. In fact, I had a Kermit decal in my above-mentioned first car. Think about it. He's the perfect guy if you take away the amphibian thing. Sensitive, caring, smart, talented...

Happy Friday!

Dancing Queen

2010-04-21T12:38:00.002-04:00

Lately, and by lately I mean the last four or five years, I have wanted to be more fit. Not necessarily to lose weight, just to move and feel good again, like I did in my cheerleading days, minus the glitter. I've done yoga, but frankly, I can't afford that right now. My apartment complex has a gym (actually, it's closed for renovations, but theoretically it has a gym), but I hate, HATE, running on an elliptical or a treadmill. It is so boring for me. I feel like a hamster. It also reminds me of my short-lived (read: two-week) track career in high school. I hated running then. I only joined so they'd have enough girls to form a team, and I quit because the school play started.

But I digress.

Anyway, when contemplating fitness recently, I recalled how much I loved my dance team in high school (Go Maroon Jazz!) and my dance classes and swing dance club in college. I am by no means a dancer. I just enjoy dancing. Very different. I searched for dance classes in the area, but was dismayed by the cost. I found one place that seemed like fun and was really inexpensive, so I gathered up all of my moxie and joined in the beginning of March. we even had a recital. Here's me as one of the seven deadly sins (Envy) and as a muse from Xanadu:

(Yes, I realize I did not avoid the glitter. And the white body paint was for glowy effects. Watch Xanadu, you'll get it!)

My dance pals are some of the most fun, supportive, and generally kick-ass women I know. They are so athletic, and the things they are able to do are astounding.

At this point you may be wondering what form of dance I am doing. Don't judge:

Pole dancing!

It's not want you think. There's nothing slutty/dirty/etc about it, and nobody takes off their clothes. Pole Dancing for fitness is a terrific total-body workout. I totally recommend it for anyone looking for a fun way to work out, and if anyone in the area wants to join me for class, check out Poise Dance Studio in Philadelphia.

What do you think?

11 month check in

2010-04-20T10:54:00.002-04:00

I have no idea how the last 11 months have gone by so quickly. Jeff and I have been married almost a year, and it feels like time flew.

I recall that before we got married, several of my (disgruntled? dissatisfied?) friends/coworkers were advising me not to get married. Those who were "happily" married said marriage didn't change anything for them.

I disagree.

Somehow, being married to Jeff makes me feel closer to him, in this cosmic, no-way-to-explain-it kind of way. There's something about knowing that we are forever linked that is comforting, secure, and makes me feel rich all the way down to my soul. Sometimes I look at him and think in disbelief, "Wow, I really get to keep him?"

I still feel like a newlywed, and probably will for a long time.

Jeff Fell For Another Girl

2010-03-26T12:55:00.003-04:00

I knew it would happen sooner or later.

Jeff is in love with someone else.

Of course, I love her, too. We are honored to have been asked to be godparents to our friends Jackie and Mike's new daughter, Baby L! She was born on 3/3/10, and I have never seen Jeff so in love. It is adorable. He just stares at her with googly eyes. He is a major baby-hog. He talks to her when he feeds and burps her.

He is going to be such a great dad someday!

Thanks, Tree!

2010-03-22T12:23:00.002-04:00

Tree over at Mother of Pearl It Is, one of my new favorite blogs, was so sweet to give me these awards:

For the "Beautiful Blogger" award you need to:
* Thank & link to the person that gave you the award.
* Pass this award on to 15 fantastic bloggers you’ve recently discovered.
* Contact said Blogs and let them know they’ve won.
* State 7 things about yourself.

For the "One Lovely Blog Award" you need to:
* Thank & link to the person that gave you the award.
* Pass this award on to 15 fantastic bloggers you’ve recently discovered.
* Contact said Blogs and let them know they’ve won.

Now...I am passing the "One Lovely Blog Award" AND the "Beautiful Blogger Award" to 15 of my favorite ladies in Blog world:

Stacie from Simply Stacie: Besides the fantastic giveaways and reviews, Stacie is a pretty amazing woman

Lisa from Lisa Leonard Online: Lisa's jewelry and photography are eye candy, but her sweet stories, kids, and family love tug at the heart just as much.

Shauna from ShaunaGlenn.com: Is it 5 o'clock yet?: She just cracks me up!

Jamie from Being Jamie Lynn: Jamie is fun, sweet, and inspirational.

Kelly from M&K in Sickness and Health: Kelly is always in my heart and smiles through the toughest situations.

Maria from A Mind Lively and at Ease: I found Maria by reading her superb memoir, Ukrainian Vignettes. She's a talented writer with fascinating views on life.

Courtnee from Moments of Whimsy: If only I were as stylish as my pal Courtnee. She is also great for advice, and a fabulous mom.

Katie from Katie the Reader and Writer: I was lucky enough to get the most wonderful in-laws. Katie is my cousin by marriage, and also now one of my closest friends. You'll find book reviews and other musings at her blog.

Jenn at Life with Loaf: Here, Jenn chronicles her pregnancy. Check out her beauty blog, Jenn XOXO's Beauty Blog. This girl is so talented!

Solanah from Vixen Vintage: I want to be her, or at least spend one day with her wardrobe.

Eva from thefourthdoor: A college pal, E can DIY anything!

Bianca from Goodnight Little Spoon: Her mail art is extraordinary.

Alli from Alli's Original's Blog: Alli makes beautiful jewelry and tells her adoption story on her blog.

Monica from Monica Wants It: Monica is the queen of finding good deals at Goodwill and turning them into lovely decor. She's also quite funny and very supportive.

Lily from Adventures of a Military Family of 8: I just don't know how she does it!

Check these blogs out! Ladies, if I did pick your blog, feel free to pass the awards along, or ignore them. : ) If I didn't pick your blog, it doesn't mean I don't love you! Feel free to participate anyway.

And now for the 7 facts about me:

1. I have ridiculous irrational fears, including but not limited to Kevin Bacon and search lights.

2. I can "name that episode" of The Brady Bunch in 3 seconds.

3. I know an endless amount of fun facts/ useless trivia and will randomly spew them out, resulting in my sounding not unlike the Rainman in various social settings. ha!

4. I was the youngest person in NJ to get a boating license, but I can't swim, even though my husband is a swim coach. Fear of drowning (a result of being held under water by a cousin when I was 7) keeps me on the sand or deck, getting a tan.

5. I've never really traveled, but I'd like to. I went to Canada when I was 2 (so I don't really remember it) and to Puerto Rico for a weekend a couple of years ago, but I don't really count that as leaving the country.

6. It was my dream to sing on Broadway, but I don't see that happening. I really miss singing.

7. When I first started dating Jeff, I thought it would be a two-week fling.

Tell me a few fun facts about yourself!

A Crock, Indeed

2010-03-14T23:12:00.003-04:00

I do not like to cook. (Thank goodness Jeff does.) I just don't enjoy it. It stresses me out, too many things can go wrong, then you end up disappointing people. ugh! Plus, I get so tired of looking at whatever I am cooking, that by the time it is done, I just am not interested any more. I am also terrified of getting burned, so I try to stay out of the kitchen.

Bad wife? Oh well.

Anything I do make has to be really simple and generally idiot-proof. So far, Jeff likes mostly everything I have made him and he hasn't yet been poisoned(although I did set two oven mitts on fire last week). I thought that getting a Crock Pot would make things even more simple in the kitchen, but I have realized that I was wrong.

I guess I had this image in my head that I could throw in some mud, a few rocks, and maybe a dash of salt and pepper into the pot and it would make me a glorious feast...

Here's news if you haven't heard: making food in the Crock Pot is just as much work, it just takes a reallllllly long time!

Who knew?

So... you chop, mince, dice, slice, and all the prep work that I hate. The house smells amazing all day long, your mouth is watering, and you sit down to eat. And that's it. No confetti or anything. Just waiting. Lots of waiting.

I realize that part of the draw is theoretically being able to set the device and go to work to come back to a hot meal, but let's face it. I can't even leave the house if my toaster or hair dryer is plugged in. If I left a Crock Pot on and left the house for any length of time, I would lose my mind with worry. Plus, I am pretty sure Piper is bold enough to jump up on the counter and break into the pot.

Am I the only person who thought that maybe, just maybe, a Crock Pot would create just a teensy bit of magic?

Does anyone have super simple recipes they'd like to share?

My Poor Hair

2010-03-04T18:48:00.002-05:00

I have put my hair through hell in the last month. I actually feel bad for it.

My hair is difficult. It's long right now, which is good. The cons are that it is still, as always, weirdly wavy, frizzy, and super soft/fine. Bobby pins even slip right out. Also, my scalp is really oily, so I have to wash it every morning or, ewwww. Plus, I have to alternate products/brands every other day or my hair gets weighed down.

I've always heard that the less you wash hair, the better it is for you and the more it will behave, but could not fathom going any amount of time without shampooing. So, I did some research ('cause that's how I do), and got the idea to go "no-shampoo," and use a baking-powder paste to wash and diluted apple cider vinegar to condition. This was supposed to give my hair time to get into its natural rhythm of oil production and give me easy-to-manage, voluminous waves, as well as prtecting me from evil chemicals (sulfates and silicones). This worked really well the first week, but by the end of the second week, I was jonesing for suds. My waves were great, but I couldn't do anything else with my hair, not even a ponytail. I was caught by my best friend's mother in the shampoo aisle of ShopRite (they day after telling her about my baking soda experiment), with a crazed look in my eye. My husband also did not appreciate the fish-n-chips/salad dressing in the bathroom (the vinegar smell dissipates after you rinse, though). So, I caved and bought shampoo, although a sulfate-free one.

After about a week of the SLS-free shampoo, I was noticing my hair was being weighed down, and still missing the suds in good ol' chemicals (which don't make shampoo work any better, by the way). I checked the label of my new products, and sure enough, it contained evil silicones. Eeeeek! I ran to Target and bought Suave.

That was only Part 1.

This past Tuesday, my mom and I decided it would be fun to go to the local beauty school to get our hair done at a good price. Her hair turned out supercute, but I guess the girl who did mine was in remedial classes. I specifically said, "highlights with color only, no bleach." She bleached. I almost passed out. Then, I picked a deep red-brown (RB5) toner. I don't know WTF she did, but it turned out traffic-cone orange. When she took the towel off, she actually said, "I think it looks great!" I said, "I think it looks like the episode of the Brady Bunch when Greg Brady uses the hair tonic that Cousin Oliver is selling and ends up with flourescent orange hair for graduation. Please fix it!" I pick out another, even darker toner. It turns out okay. No, I do NOT have pictures. It looked damaged and Jersey-shore-esque.

Two washes later, it was back to the stripey orange, now with an ashy twinge. Lovely. I emailed my regular hairstylist, who is allergic to hair color, so she cuts my hair out of her home, but didn't hear back from her in time for my sanity (she has a lovely newborn!). I couldn't even look at myself, so I went to the salon she used to work at for help. I told Al, the owner, to put me down for a 911-SOS treatment.

Luckily, Al and stylist Amy were able to save me with a chocolate brown color with subtle auburn tones.

Thank you, Revelations Salon in Turnersville, NJ.

Sew Much Fun

2010-03-01T18:26:00.004-05:00

Since I have tons of free time right now, I have been spending a lot of it at my parents' house in my mom's sewing room. I have learned all sorts of fancy tricks from mom. She should go pro. When I was in 2nd grade, she made all of my teacher's bridesmaid's dresses, as well as my prom dress in high school, not to mention a billion costumes for high school dance/cheerleading events and outfits when I was a little girl. She also is pretty handy at whipping stuff up on the fly without patterns, whether it's an outfit for one of my sister's photo shoots, or the time in college when I called my mom and said,"I need a pirate costume. I'll be there in 45 minutes to pick it up!"

A few weeks ago, we made my favorite craft of all time. I have a friend who is going through a battle with breast cancer (my mom is a survivor!), and a bunch of our pals from all over the country each made squares for a quilt to send to her. It was amazing, if I do say so myself.

Mom and I made the one with the photo, the birds, the flower with ribbon, the angel with the heart, the holly hobby angel, and the K with the flower, which was made from silk flower petals form a friend's wedding (all the girls who participated planned our weddings together, with the exception of my mom, of course!) Mom and I also put the whole thing together. It was lots of fun and made with lots of love.

In addition to the quilt, I made some pajama pants (flannel with a Kermit pattern) and a baby blanket for a friend's shower. I need some new pattern ideas. I don't know what I'd like to sew next. Hmmm...

Babies on the brain

2010-02-23T13:02:00.004-05:00

I love babies. Love. them. Maybe it's because my mom is a baby magnet and ran a daycare when I was little. Maybe it's from being the oldest of four kids and eleven cousins. Maybe it's from working with them when I was running play therapy. Maybe it's because they are so freaking cute and I can't wait to be a mom. Probably it's my ovaries.

Which are screaming at me.

It doesn't help that on Friday I went with Jeff when he was getting a haircut so I could visit with our hairdresser Nicole's four-month-old daughter who is perfect and beautiful. Or that on Saturday I went to a baby shower, prior to which I crocheted a baby hat, sewed a baby blanket, went shopping for pacifiers and other random baby stuff, and browsed Barnes and Noble's baby section for book. (The last of which left me in a tearful, hormonal mess).

My dad (creepily) told my mom that since I am not working, it is the perfect time for me to have a baby. While I wish this were the case, and I certainly have the time, we just don't have the money or space for a tiny baby S right now.

Not to mention that we've only been married for 8 months, and I want to enjoy being a newlywed. It's a little more difficult than you'd think, since hubby works nights.

Here's a not-so-secret: I am terrified. Not terrified in the normal, never-been-a-mom-before way. Terrified because I am already 27.

I don't want to be an "old mom." I want to have enough energy to chase around several kids and play with them and to not have too much of a generation gap between my children and me. I am grateful that I had young parents. My mom and dad were 22 and 23, respectively, when they had me. They had all 4 of their children by ages 29 and 30.

Even more scary, I want to be able to have children. I know so many young, healthy women in their 20's who are having difficulty conceiving and that scared me so, so much. What if I try to have kids, and can't?

Yikes, it is so unhealthy to think of the what-ifs. I know I will be a great mom, given the chance. For now, I will have to be content with borrowing my friends' kids (I'm talking about you, little Lilita, whenever you are born!), and playing mommy to our kitten.

Does anyone need a baby sitter?

The Colander of Love

2010-02-11T12:46:00.003-05:00

Here is a love story from my life that trumps any Valentine's Day:

Once upon a time, Jeff was very commitment-phobic. My first year of grad school, I was 24 and we had been together for over 4 years. I was ready to make a big change, but he... wasn't. He couldn't imagine any benefit to moving out of his mom's house, where she cooked for him, did his laundry, and bought his underwear.

I was unhappy with this mentality, to say the least. I wanted more. I was ready for marriage, a house, kids.. all that good grown-up stuff. Alas. I was willing to wait a little longer for Jeff to come around, though not much.

At the time, I was living in a house about a block from campus that was filled with 5 18-year-old girls (that's a whole different story) and myself. They were gross, so I kept separate kitchen stuff that I would hide in my attic room until I needed to use it. I was seriously lacking in equipment, and it was a challenge to strain pasta with just a fork. Try it.

Jeff came by one evening with a little mesh colander, but oh so much more. You see, when he gave it to me, he said, "I got this for you, you know, I figured we'd need one anyway when we moved in together."

Angels singing, harps, the heavens parting, all of it! It was better than diamonds! I was so happy!

Of course when I shared this with the only two guys in my class, they thought it was hilarious that I would get so excited over a colander, which they dubbed the Colander of Love. They suggested I wait until I was given the Cheese Grater of Fidelity or the Spatula of Eternity, but I knew what the colander stood for.

The moral of the story is simple: "Love is expressed in many ways, even in colanders, and will come around when the time is right." Also, "don't look a gift colander in the...holes?" If you get a toaster as a gift, it might just mean that special someone wants to make you breakfast forever. : )

My 2010 Grammy Observations

2010-01-31T21:29:00.014-05:00

Until tonight, I hadn't watched an awards show since the nineties, but I could not miss the Michael Jackson tribute, so I tuned in to the Grammy awards. (For those of you that don't know, I am a HUGE Michael Jackson fan.) I made a few observations along the way:

~ I am so out of touch with pop culture. I had no idea who most of the presenters were. I didn't even know that Jamie Foxx sang that song! Remember him in this?

~ I want a Ringo Starr action figure. He is so adorable and travel-sized.

~ George Clinton is still so very stylish, in his own special way.

~ I would like to thank Beyonce and JLo for making my butt shape popular and sexy. Although every time I see Beyonce perform, I remember we are the same age, and I think, FML.

~Miley Cyrus really does sound like Mike Tevee from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (The idea originally planted in my head by Preston & Steve.)

~ I love T-Payne, but only due to his appearances on SNL.

~ I just don't get Lady Gaga. Someone please explain it to me.

~ Pink is so amazingly talented, and she sounded better spinning and upside down than any Britney Spears or Miley Cyrus talentless pop star does post-studio.

~ Jon Bon Jovi: One of the many wonderful things to come out of New Jersey!

~ Taylor Swift seems like a really nice kid. Even though my ears are really sensitive to these kinds of things, I felt really bad that she and Stevie Nicks were off-key their entire performance. Also, does anyone else think she resembles Renee Zellweger?

~ I can't see Lionel Ritchie without laughing. You see, my mom blasted out the speakers in her car a while back by blasting "Hello." lmao

~Wearing 3-D glasses is fun, even if it makes me feel like the boomerang-fish-tossing guy from the Muppets, Lew Zealand. (He wore them in a movie, duh.)

~ The little girl from Earth Song is so freaking precious.

~ I sobbed like a baby for Prince & Paris.

~ I might be the only person in the world who knows that the three cousins behind Prince & Paris were Tito's sons. They had a group in the 90's called 3T. I have their album.

~ Thank goodness they followed the MJ tribute with Bon Jovi. It cheered me up. Good looking out, Grammy people.

~ Andrea Bocelli + Mary J. Blige = odd, but effective.

~ I wish Dave Matthews would enunciate.

~There you are, Ricky Martin! I've been so worried about you. I haven't seen you since your Puerto Rico travel commercials!

~ My overall reaction was, "I missed the new Duggar special for this?" Thank goodness for DVR!

Waving the Geek Flag

2010-01-30T16:03:00.002-05:00

My friends and I are never ashamed to embrace our geekdom. Frequently, this consists of us quoting Harry Potter in public (we're all pushing 30), having board game nights instead of going out, and doing things like Dessert Menu Charades to make restaurants more fun.

My nerdy confession of the day is:

You know how before you can submit comments or internet forms, you get a "captcha," a nonsensical, made-up word used to weed out bots? You know, like, "calmette," or "flerm?"

I like to make up potential meanings to those words.

: P

High School Reunion, the Musical

2010-01-29T13:44:00.002-05:00

I recently realized (thanks to a Facebook group invite) that it is time for my 10-year high school reunion. Whhhaaaaattt?

I remember while in high school thinking that those four years were the Most. Important. Ever. While they were formative, for better or for worse, it's not something I necessarily want or need to revisit. Not that it was bad, just because of plain geography.

You see, I grew up in a one square mile town. One. Square. Mile. There was nothing to do, and our school was kindergarten through 12th grade all in one building. You would literally trip over first graders getting to your junior lunch. The school was so small that 80% of the kids were in every club or sport just to have enough people to keep them going. This resulted in getting to school at 7:28am and sometimes not leaving until 10 pm, with me running to my house a block away to grab a snack. (The tuna sandwiches before drama made my partner mad. Sorry, Dom.) The poor cross country team didn't even have a real route to run because the town was so little. The had to run "perimeters," running around the outline of the town just to get a workout. awww.

I loved my little tiny town, even though my entire life was focused on a three-square block area and I never learned how to safely cross streets because my street was always blocked off for school crossings.

It's just that, well, as tiny towns go, even when you grow up and move away, tiny town gossip still prevails. Everyone still knows what everyone else is doing. It's just how it is. Plus, with Facebook, my schoolmates and I have 24-hour access to each others' lives.

I wonder how this will affect the reunion. I imagine it might go something like this:

Mandy: So, what's new?
me: I got married in May!
Mandy: Yeah, I know, I saw the pictures on Facebook.

Me: How's the baby?!
Joanne: She's great! She just took her first step!
Me: I know, I watched the video on Facebook and my sister ran into Kyle uptown, and he showed her pictures.

Lori: My mom moved out of town.
me: I know, my mom saw her at the grocery store. Where's Monica?
Lori: She's coming late, she had to take her daughter to the sitter. Your sister texted me to tell me.

See? No surprises in Smalltown, NJ. I am sure it will be a great time, I just can't see it resembling in any way typical reunions.

To increase and maximize fun, I propose incorporating a Slip-n-Slide and kindly request the Class of 2000 to rehearse and perform perfectly choreographed musical numbers. High School Reunion, the Musical. Yessss.

Book review: This is Your Brain in Love

2010-01-28T19:08:00.003-05:00

I was recently given the opportunity through BookSneeze to review This is Your Brain in Love by Dr. Earl Henslin. The title was very appealing to me, given my psychology background and love of both science and romance. Before reading the book, I was concerned that breaking love down into a series of chemical reactions and firing synapses would suck all the joy and spontaneity out of love, but luckily, I was mistaken!

The first chapter of the book discusses the physical changes that occur in the brain of someone who is in love. I learned that it is almost impossible for a doctor to differentiate between a person who is high on cocaine and a person who is in that honeymoon, fuzzy-brain, obsessive stage of new love. That explains a lot!

I was intrigued by the next part of the book, which connects science, spirituality, and romance in a way I had never before considered, This helped me a lot personally. In my field, it is so easy to dismiss spirituality in favor of scientific evidence, but Dr. Henslin connected them in a way I had never before considered.

The meat of the book was dedicated to “bringing your best brain to a marriage.” The hypothesis is that every person reacts to love in a different way, and a lot of this has to do with their brain chemistry. Dr. Henslin breaks people down into five categories (The Scattered Lover, The Overfocused Lover, The Blue Mood Lover, The Agitated Lover, and The Anxious Lover) and describes what exactly is happening in their brains and what they need in a relationship for love to last. I fit into a few different categories, as many people will, and I felt that Dr. Henslin’s information was sound and his advice was helpful. I laughed out loud when reading the section that described my husband as well as if I had written about him, and found myself reading parts aloud to him.

Dr. Henslin finishes the book with advice on ways to make love last,. The book has other interesting features, including quizzes to see what your love brain type is, a “love diet,” and information on sexual addiction and women’s hormones.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The one criticism I have is the fact that Dr. Henslin’s mento, Dr. Amen, is mentioned so much in the book that it gives an infomercial feel. I understand that Dr. Amen’s work is important to the author’s career and research, but for someone to be cited as often as Dr. Amen was, I think it would have made sense for him to be named a contributing author.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from BookSneeze in exchange for my honest review. It’s a fun way to find new material to read. Check out the button on the right if you’re interested!

5-cheese pepperoni quiche

2010-01-21T21:25:00.001-05:00

This is what I had for dinner tonight, and what I will have for breakfast and lunch tomorrow. It's also a big hit at parties.

This is super easy. You will need:

1 pie crust- I get the refrigerated pillsbury kind
4 eggs
1 cup milk
a handful of sliced pepperoni
1 bag (2 cups) shredded 4-cheese blend (usually says pizza or Italian blend)
shaky cheese (locatelli, romano, or parmesean).
salt, pepper, oregano.

Preheat oven to 425. Unroll your pie crust into a pie pan. Put one layer of pepperoni on the crust. It won't seem like enough pepperoni, but any more makes it greasy. Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the pepperoni. Scramble eggs in a bowl. Add milk and a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and oregano. Mix them together and pour evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle some shaky cheese over it and add the rest of the shredded cheese. bake this for about 25 minutes. check it. It should be golden brown on top and shouldn't be too jiggly when you give it a wiggle. You'll know.

Scientific, I know. You can skip the shaky cheese and make it 4-cheese, but 5 sounds way better. It really makes no difference, and sometimes I lie about the 5th cheese.

Fabulous Smells & Cocktails event

2010-01-21T19:06:00.002-05:00

Are you looking for a mid-winter pick-me-up? Identity Magazine and Envie Magazine are hosting a fun event on January 28, 2010 at 141 South Restaurant and Bar in Union, NJ from 7-10 pm.

Every guest will be able to work with a professional to create a custom fragrance. there are also gift bags valued at over $200 for the first 50 people at the door, and Identity magazine is giving away their exclusive fragrance. there are also giveaway raffles. What a nice way to relax with friends and a cocktail.

You can get your tickets here (only $15 in advance, $25 at the door)!

I really wanted to attend this event, but Jeff has his big swim meet (he coaches) the same day. So while all of you are relaxed and smelling divine, I will be smelling like chlorine and have frizzy hair.

Have fun!

Sigh. Go team!

I'm with Stacie!

2010-01-17T14:25:00.003-05:00

I am very excited to announce that Stacie from Simply Stacie has chosen me as one of her new book reviewers.

Check her blog out- she has AMAZING giveaways and products reviews. There are over 30 active giveaways right now, ranging from jewelry to bath and body to kid items. Have fun, and I'll see you over there.

: )

Why I Want to Move Back in with my Parents

2010-01-14T00:10:00.005-05:00

Ahhh. The Shed. In our little twin house growing up, the little room behind the kitchen was referred to as, "The Shed." It was always unheated and un-air-conditioned, and at one time had a non-working window. It went from storage room, to play room filled with kitchen sets and Barbie houses, to storage room, to scary-in-between kitchen and backyard, to don't go-in;it except to clean the cat litter. At the end of its former life, the Shed had barely locking doors, asticking (but really cool)pocket window, useless space, and most importantly, a leaky, nasty, mold-inducing roof with bare sheet rock matching moldy walls. Ick.

I only wish I had "Before" pics, but be glad, as it will protect your eyes.

Fast forward to 2 years ago, when my mom got diagnosed with breast cancer. She had always wanted a place to sew in out little house, and when she got sick, my dad, my sister Tina's (ex) boyfriend Ronnie, and my sister Tina's (current/long term) boyfriend Jacob made a sanctuary for her. She took the following pictures on her cell phone.

I have spent the last few days in there working on a to-be-revealed project with my mom, and such a nice space makes me want to move back in with my parents. It was way fun and the room is so cozy and relaxing, with plenty of craft storage. It would make a nice bedroom for me, I think...

The #2 reason I want to move back in with my parents is that my dad would always clean the snow off of my car before he went to work so that I would wake up to a clean, snow-and-ice-free car. The #3 reason is that my dad would sneak into the girls' room in the morning to turn on a space heater so my sisters and I would be toasty-warm when we woke up for school. : )

Inspirational Story

2010-01-11T21:43:00.001-05:00

Tonight, my husband and his EMS partner Beth Anne were honored by the township in which they volunteer for winning the NJ State gold medal for EMS services. That was exciting, but I was even more touched by another person being honored this evening.

Mrs. Carmen was born in 1917. She loved school, but had to drop out right before her senior year of high school in 1934 in order to get a job and help her parents and family through The Depression. She raised 4 children and has 9 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren- all of that mothering also kept her away from school. Still, Mrs. Carmen was never deterred from achieving her dream of graduating from high school and she kept education at the top of her priority list. She took classes for seniors little by little, and 75 years after dropping out of high school, she received her high school diploma. She will walk at this year's Lenape High School graduation.

Isn't she amazing?

Never give up on your dreams!

Book Review: The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall (2007)

2010-01-10T21:13:00.003-05:00

Isn't it great when you find a book that you just don't want to put down? Here's a review of the last one that I read that was fabulous:

The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall (fine it here on amazon.com)

t's 1928, and Lydia Ivanova is coming of age in Junchow, a whites-only international settlement in China. Times are tough, and Lydia recalls little of her former life in Russia. Her family was wealthy there, among the Russian elite, until the Bolsheviks stole everything, including her father's life. Her mother, a former concert pianist, saved Lydia's life and escaped with her to Junchow. Now, they barely scrape by in a town torn by political unrest. Lydia now cares for her mother in a place full of thieves, a class system, and oppression. Still, nothing can stop Lydia from living life the way she wants to, especially after she meets and falls in love with Chang An Lo, a Chinese communist.

When reading The Russian Concubine, I was torn between wanting to read it slowly to savor every detail and wanting to finish it quickly to quell the suspense. Kate Furnivall paints vivid, lovely pictures with her story. She has a way of captivating human senses and emotions that make the reader truly experience the novel. The Russian Concubine is part coming-of-age story, part- Romeo and Juliet, and part Russian and Chinese history lesson. Through Lydia's determined eyes and untamed spirit, I could finally understand the motivations of the first Chinese communism movement and the struggles of foreigners in International Settlements. There are several sub-plots and secondary characters, but Furnivall weaves them together gracefully and leaves the reader wanting to learn more about all of the people in Junchow.

What becomes of the love between Lydia and Chang An Lo? Is Lydia able to live the life she dreams of and save her family from dreary, dangerous Junchow? Read the Russian Concubine to find out- you won't be disappointed!

PS- There's a sequel!

How did you ring in the new decade?

2010-01-07T21:40:00.001-05:00

To celebrate the first day of 2010, I did what was only right... by hanging out with this guy:

20 Questions for 2009

2009-12-31T12:48:00.002-05:00

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
Getting married!

2. What was the most challenging thing that happened?
Dealing with illnesses of family and friends.

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
Getting a new kitten! And having Laurie and John let us use their vacation home so we could have a honeymoon.

4. What was an unexpected obstacle?
Losing my job.

5. Pick three words to describe 2009.
Exciting, Challenging, Long.

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2009 (don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you).
I think he would say the same.

7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2009 (again, without asking).
I think he'll say, It was good." lol

8. What were the best books you read this year?
The Red Tent; The Russian Concubine; The Girl from Junchow; Abundance; Pope Joan; I, Elizabeth. I was really into historical fiction this year.

9. With whom were your most valuable relationships?
Jeffrey, of course, and my mom.

10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?
I got married!

11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?
I have become stronger.

12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?
I am still working on that!

13. In what way(s) did you grow physically?
lol, I gained a lot of weight!

14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?
I became closer with my in-laws.

15. What was the most enjoyable area of managing your home?
n/a

16. What was your most challenging area of home management?
budget

17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?
wedding planning... not that it wasn't worth it, it just took up lots of time!

18. What was the best way you used your time this past year?
Spending time with family & friends.

19. What was the biggest thing you learned this past year?
I can survive a lot of stress.

20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2009 for you.
Life will challenge you in many ways, but there are always blessings to follow those challenges.

Our first Married Christmas

2009-12-31T12:30:00.005-05:00

Christmas 2009 was so much fun!

It started with a Pollyanna at my parents' house. (I recently learned that "Pollyanna" is a regional term. It's a Secret Santa). Not only was this more budget-friendly than standard gift-giving, it was super fun. My parents, my brother, my sisters, my sisters' boyfriends, my dad's best friend "Uncle" Jimmy, Jeff, and I were all there. Seeing everyone's reactions to the gifts was great fun. I also made my siblings photo albums of childhood snapshots that I painstakingly went through and scanned into Shutterfly. I am the most sentimental of the four of us, so I was so pleased when they really seemed to like and appreciate them. Even RJ!

After Pollyanna, I went to church with Jeff's family.

When we were children, my parents dressed all of the kids in matching Christmas pajamas for Christmas Eve. It eventually evolved to my parents getting the pajamas, as well as the kids' significant others and Uncle Jimmy. (His birthday is Christmas Eve, so he always spends it with us.) I was so sad that this tradition ended last year, but Jeff and I have carried it on and get each other Christmas pajamas. (Non-matching).

Christmas morning, Jeff and I made the awesome hot chocolate that my best friend alyssa sent us from Vermont. Then, we exchanged gifts. My favorite gift was a poem that Jeff wrote me about spending our first married Christmas together. (Awwww!)

Then began Italian Christmas '09.

Round 1: Go to Jeff's parents. Exchange gifts with MIL, FIL, SIL, and BIL.

Round 2: Jeff's godmother and her daughter visit.

Round 3: Mom-mom time!

Round 4: Uncles, aunts, cousins, and their pals.

Round 5: Food. Lots of it. Tons of food.

Round 6: More food.

Etc, etc.

Overall, it was a wonderful Christmas!

A Christmas party at a college hangout when you're too close to 30

2009-12-21T13:40:00.005-05:00

The other night my sister-in-law Gloria and I went out for dinner and some holiday, sisterly fun. There was an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest at the bar/restaurant Jeff and I used to eat at all the time in college, and I was dying to go (and in need of the prize money).

First objective: Where to find Christmas sweaters without having to buy them
Our dear mother-in-law is a teacher and wears a different Christmas sweater to work every day from December 1 through January 6. She's always encouraged us to borrow anything we need from her, so I asked to see her vast collection of knitted holiday goodness. She began showing me her newer, cuter stuff, but I told her I needed her oldest, most interesting sweaters. Done. I left with a fuzzy pom-pommed number for myself and one with demonic-looking teddy bear soldiers for Gloria that belonged to our great-aunt's 97-year-old friend. Awesome.

Second objective: Food, of course.
We met up at my apartment and proceeded to Landmark. We got there at around 9pm. Of course, I had called ahead to see when the best time to arrive for the contest was, and was told 9pm. No problem. They charged cover, which makes me mad when all I want is a cheeseburger and fries. We were seated in the waaaaay back, where they stash the old people. Behind the wall. So the young college kids can't be frightened by the sight of us.

Dinner was yummy and fun. It was interrupted by a former patient who spotted me and came over to say hello, and some fans of our awesome sweaters.

Third objective: Survive the bar.

Around the time that my food arrived, I realized it would be an ordeal not to choke to death in the fuzzy sweater. I rolled up the sleeves and resigned myself to the fact that I might choke up a hairball later. It is also around this time that I was itching beyond all reason and sweating.

After dinner, we asked the waitress when judging would be for the sweaters. she said around 11 pm. No problem. We can do this. I of course have no job to go to in the morning, but Gloria did. Did I mention this was a Thursday night?

We leave the table to walk around and intimidate the competition. There were some seriously lame Christmas sweaters. Only two guys came close to our magnificent outfits.

Meanwhile, I am still itchy and overheating. I can't even get a drink because believe it or not, nobody wants to serve a girl in a fuzzy sweater. Water. I need Water! We're tired. It's late. We're dying. And Itchy!

At this point, it's 11:15. where is the contest? We keep asking. Then the DJ announced that "Voting will take place in the Spot at 1am."

What??? I leave it up to Gloria because she has a long commute in the morning. she's a trooper and wants to stick it out. "We've made it this far!"

We proceed to nurse our drinks that we finally got and laugh at all the little girls who dressed up to go out. Not dressed up for the contest, but dressed up like... I don't even know what. Lots of them were wearing little tank tops. I was overheating in my Polyester, but it was freezing outside that night. Some of them were wearing long-ish shirts with no tights or pants. Odd.

Third objective: Survive the Spot.

The Spot is a silly, tiny "club" attached to the Landmark restaurant. When it first opened it was an abysmal failure because nobody at college was interested at all. They closed it, made some changes (added a "VIP" section, LMAO), and reopened it. I guess the kids liked it, because it's more popular now, I think because it's the only place to dance since the college knocked down all the frat houses.

After people-watching for way too long, we reluctantly go to the Spot to see where voting is. It's a dense, gyrating, hormonal, loud, 90's rap blur. We squeeeeeeze our way through the crowd to the back. Whew. We ask Giant Bouncer Man where we need to be for the contest. He grunts back that he doesn't know and tells us to ask the DJ.

At this point, I think my core temperature is about a million degrees. Game face. We're here to win! We squeeeeeze our way through again, but not before I get stopped by someone who wants to dance. I give him the, "Sorry, no thanks," shake of the head and flash the wedding rings. Did someone seriously just hit on me in this sweater?!

We make it back by the DJ. He has no clue what's going on. I see the VIP section (LMAO), and some glorious space and seating, so we camp out there.

Objective four: Stay awake.

Hilarity ensues. There is one of those dance-floor/stage thingies where girls can dance. we're sitting right behind it, front row seats. Still more girls scantily clad. One girl has a homemade "bling" necklace which is, not exaggerating, a foot wide and six inches tall. It read, "Mill St." I guess it's a really neat place to be. Another girl was wearing a lace black shirt with black panties and a black bra. That's it. Another was seriously checking herself out in the mirrors on the dance floor and taking pictures of herself for a good 20 minutes.

I am so tired at this point. I feel bad for Gloria, but she seems to not hate me yet. Watching the kids is keeping us awake. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a kid drinking champagne, complete with bucket of ice. I mentioned to him that I have never seen anyone drink champagne at Landmark before. Next thing I know, he sends over a glass, complete with head nod. Awesome.

It's finally 1 am! We line up with other sweater (sweating) people. There are some lame ones, and I feel really confident. After all, I was born to be on stage. I really think it's going to be between me, Gloria, and these two guys in granny sweaters. (One had doilies!) Gloria gets eliminated immediately because her sweater was too "cute and festive." huh? I last a little longer, but ultimately we lose to some guy in a plaid suit, which is annoying because it was not a Christmas Sweater!

We got hosed, but the memories last forever. : P

Mixed Blessings

2009-12-17T00:11:00.003-05:00

I lost my job last week. It is a really crappy situation, and I am scared about the future and how we're going to make ends meet. Jeff has been wonderfully supportive. I know that in order to get through this, I have to remain positive. Here are a few good things that have happened in the last six, jobless days:

~ My job environment had become really stressful. I know being unemployed is stressful and that I haven't gotten to the hard part of it yet, but things at work were starting to become unsafe for staff and patients.

~ I have spent a lot of time with my husband. Jeff and I have been able to see each other, have dates, and even have three home-cooked dinners in a row together! Unheard of.

~ I have gotten to hang out with friends and family! Like seeing my husband, my weird work schedule had been keeping me away from my friends to the point were I had forgotten how much I loved them. I've had dinner and laughs with college friends, I've gone bridesmaid dress shopping with friends/family, and I have had long-overdue phone chats with my best friend Alyssa. Alyssa lives in Vermont and I had become so busy and stressed/depressed with work that I had really lost tough with her, which felt totally crappy. I even have plans for a Thursday night out with my sister-in-law! Unheard of in my previous world.

~I'm catching up on cleaning. I even started to go through stuff at my parents' house. I found old pictures (which again made me appreciate my friends and family), got together a huge bag of clothing to donate, and got the Christmas decorations up (with Jeff's help, of course!)

~ I've been able to reconnect with myself. I have gotten involved in many old hobbies, and I am having fun. As soon as I finish a project, I'll post about it.

~ I am truly enjoying the holidays. With little money but lots of heart, I am trying to make my first Christmas as Jeff's wife memorable, for him and for the whole family. I am so sentimental. I hope everyone enjoys what I have been working on.

I am sure that when I run out of money and am unable to keep busy (even I can only re-alphabetize our DVDs so many times), the stress of being unemployed and looking for a job will hit me. Hard. Until then, I can't help but count my blessings.

Thanks for all of your support, friends. Oh, and if anyone has job leads, please send them my way.

What am I wearing?

2009-12-03T18:55:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted in a while because the shorter days make me feel unmotivated. Blah. I needed something fun to write about, so I stole this idea from a friend...

These are my most-worn/used items.

Lip product: Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE lip gloss. My favorite brand is C.O. Bigelow, which you can get if there's a C.O. Bigelow Apothecary near you but are more readily available at Bath and Body Works. I love their creaminess and minty goodness. They have non-mint varieties, too. They have tinted, non-tinted, you name it. My go-to is Plum Tint, and at night I wear the balm.

Jewelry: I am pretty boring in this category. I usually wear plain white gold hoops. Earrings don’t interest me too much because I have sensitive ears. My mom got my ears pierced when I was two weeks (yes, WEEKS) old, so I didn’t have much choice in the matter, and my chubby earlobes look silly with no earrings. I am waiting and hoping for a pair of small bezel-set diamond earrings to match my wedding and promise rings (which I wear every day of course). Bezel-set earrings are proving difficult to find. I can't find a good close-up of my promise ring. It's a quarter-carat diamond bezel-set in white gold.

Nail Polish: Right now, my favorite is O.P.I.’s Midnight in Moscow. It’s a deep brown. So delicious.

Shoes: I love my Steve Madden Ribbon Bees flats so much that I wore a hole through the sole and need to get them repaired. I even bought knock-offs at Target and wore through those, too. The target version is on the left, the originals are on the right:

Hair Products: Aussie’s Cleanse and Mend Shampoo and Conditioner. I don’t love the fragrance, but it cleans the roots and conditions the ends in a nice balance.

Perfume: My favorite is DKNY Be Delicious. I love the apple and cucumber notes, and it somehow doesn't smell too fruity. Next on my list to try is Bvlgari's green tea.

What are your favorites?

Little monsters

2009-11-15T16:51:00.003-05:00

I was combing through Jinx's fur today, and I found a dreaded flea crawling around! I am freaking out. I immediately flashed back to when I was a child and we had to give away my beloved Burmese cat Sheba because she had fleas. We couldn't get rid of them, and I am highly allergic.

We have had Jinx for a few months now. I checked her right away for fleas when we adopted her, and didn't find any. I check through her fur often and never saw any evidence until today, plus she has been to the vet three times since we have gotten her for regular check ups and shots. I haven't been bitten at all. All of this makes me think that the fleas came recently. Both of our cats are indoor cats, but we have a lot of friends with pets, and Jeff is in and out of people's homes a lot with his job. This makes me think that one jumped onto our clothing and hitchiked back to our apartment.

Jinx had been a little itchy and I found scabs on her head in the past couple of weeks, but I thought it was from sparring with Piper. Like I said, I check through her fur often. I feel so bad! I checked Piper immediately after I saw one on Jinx, and of course, poor Piper cat has them too.

I went to Pet Smart and got some of the smear-it-on-the-back-of-the-neck medicine and a flea comb. I couldn't bring myself to get a shampoo because Piper has never had a bath in her life and at 9 years old I don't want to have to put her through it.

I hope our apartment isn't infested and we can take care of this quickly. Last time Piper picked up fleas after she went on an overnight adventure outside in Riverside, they all lived in her ears after I put the medicine on them. It was awful!

Any tips? Thanks!

So Proud of Hubby!

2009-11-15T16:48:00.002-05:00

On Friday (11/13/09), Jeff and his EMS partner Beth Anne (who did the beautiful centerpieces at our wedding) competed in and won the gold medal at NJ's first annual METI games. Each EMS team was introduced into a scenario and had to treat a patient for three minutes until a paramedic team that they had never worked with before came to assist. The two teams had to work together to save the patient within 20 minutes.

I am so proud of Jeff and Beth Anne!

Our 2nd Honeymoon

2009-10-28T22:06:00.003-04:00

I mentioned before that Jeff and I were going to Disney in October. We had a great time! It was super hot and humid, but we had a blast. The staff there is amazing and reallytook the time to always make sure we had everything we needed. I highly recommend the dining plan. We saved a lot of money and were never hungry. We were there during the food and wine festival at Epcot, which was really neat. We got to try a lot of different dishes from all over the world. Tip: If you have the dining plan, save up your "snacks" to use at the food and wine festival. So worth it! We went to Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, Hollywood Studiod (MGM), Magic Kingdom, and Epcot. It wasn't crowded at all, and we were lucky enough that a few of our friends and relatives were there at the same time. We met up with Jeff's cousin Jim and Jim's girlfriend Trish one day, and spent a lot of time with our friends Matt and Bridget and their 4-year-old daughter Erin. It was amazing to see Disney through a child's eyes, as I never got to go there when I was little. Here are some pictures (Jeff had the camera and was a little stingy with snapshots):

Cheating

2009-10-24T13:46:00.000-04:00

Have you ever just dusted around things to save time/out of laziness?

What other shortcuts do you take in cleaning or everyday life?

In the Red

2009-10-22T17:14:00.002-04:00

I'm feeling really good today. I think it's my sassy combination of the following:

I have found Heaven, and it costs $144.00 a pound

2009-10-19T19:32:00.002-04:00

I was having a rough week a while back and Jeff and I happened to be in the Cherry Hill Mall runnig errands. I was cranky/depressed/all over just not right, and then I saw it. It called to me. It said, "Stacy, come in, and we will melt your stress away." Ahhh.

Teavana. It is indeed a heaven of tea. When I walked into the store, it was sensory overload, but not in the Times Square, I-have-to-get-outta-here kind of way. There were lovely, friendly, tea-making people offering me samples of yummy warms elixers. Just go there if there is one near you. I can't even describe it. They even found a tea that my tea-hater of a husband liked.

I could have gone totally crazy in the store, but I tried to limit myself a little bit. I ended up with Moroccan Mint Green Tea and I splurged on Silver Needle White Tea, which is a special blend that is only harvested two days each year and was until recently reserved for the Chinese Imperial Family. The Silver Needle was very dear at $18.00 for two ounces ($144.00/lb!), but it is Bliss.

There are so many different blends at Teavana for every taste and need. The health benefits of tea are almost never-ending. I definitely recommend checking it out. And sending me some. ; )

We never know what tomorrow will bring

2009-10-18T21:41:00.003-04:00

My best friend sent this to me a few years ago, and I thought it was beautiful and worth posting... I'd like to extend the thought to all of my friends/fellow bloggers.

hi!

i'm sending this e-mail to a lot of people. some of you i haven't spoken to in a very long time, while others i've managed to keep close. but i have something that i really need to express. it's taken me a little bit to put all my thoughts together, but it's important. so here it is

last weekend, bobby & i had to attend a memorial service for a friend of his, matt boattini. bobby grew up as friends with matt & his older brother, chris (who is bobby's age). they met through lacrosse, and found a lot in common. for example, both of their mothers were rasing 2 boys alone, and the boys were very close in age to each other. mrs. boattini (theresa) & bobby's mom (diana) got to be very good friends, and the two families became almost like one for many years

of course, we all know what happens when childhood friends go to college - we lose touch, but not love. the coles & the boattinis grew physically apart, but kept in touch. than that started happening less and less as well, but the love was always there. bobby & all of his friends (he has a lot) stayed in touch through a sort of network - and still do. this one is closer to that one, and they talk more. then this one talks to that one, who talks to someone else more, and news of friends gets passed around that way

but anyway, matt's story is like this... he had a hard time with college at first, being more attracted by the pary scene, and was eventually kicked out. he struggled with goals & directions for a while, and made his way out to california, where he started "hippie school" (they teased him about it - it was actually an agricultural school). he graduated (!!!) and got a job on an organic farm in hawaii (not bad for a hippie)

the first weekend of february (almost 2 weeks ago), matt went with a bunch of his friends from the farm on a hike to a waterfall. along the way, matt was being his usual goofy self. apparently, he touched a rock in such a way that it caused it to dislodge. matt was pinned there, and all of his friends had to run for help (apparently hawaiian hippies don't carry cell phones). they got back 40 minutes later to find matt barely conscious. he was dead before they got to the hospital

matt died in paradise, doing what matt loved, being in nature. if anyone had asked him if he could live to be 80 in new jersey, or die at 25 on a hike in hawaii, he would have chosen hawaii

when bobby found out, he was, obviously, tore up. he said that around christmas time, he was looking through his e-mail address book and saw matt's e-mail. he wasn't sure if matt was still using that address, and thought about sending a msg. to test it out. needless to say, he didn't send the e-mail. it was really hard to go through that realization with him. i think it finalized it in his mind

we never know what tomorrow will bring, if it will come at all. i'm taking this oportunity to send out that msg. to friends who have been close over the years, from whom i have drifted, but who mean so much to me still, or are still very close to me. i'm sorry if i don't get to write as often as i think about you all. we made a connection somewhere along our travels, and i still feel it. why is it so difficult to stay in touch with people? is it because the ones that we care about most are the ones who will understand & forvgive? or is it just that life is too fast-paced? how long can there be no words from friends before you stop counting them as friends? i want to reach out now, to let you all know that i still care, i'm still here, thinking about you, wondering what life has given you since we last spoke/wrote. and if i don't have to wonder, i'm wirting to let you know how important you & your friendship is to me

so if you're going through your address book one day, and you come across my e-mail address, try it out, write to me. even if you just say "hi." i'll write back, and i'll do it a lot sooner than i used to. never pass up that oportunity. someone may be thrilled to hear from you again

namaste

love, a

Souper!

2009-10-13T19:20:00.002-04:00

Today I made chicken noodle soup for the first time. I didn't have a recipe, but I figured I didn't need one. This also marks the first time I ventured into the kitchen with a "eh, it'll work out," attitude. It went something like this:

I splashed some olive oil into our giant All-Clad stock pot. I heated it up, and got some minced garlic going. Once that was happy, I added about half a diced onion, about 5 ribs of celery, and about 5 carrots. I let them work out their feelings and added a generous splash of dry white wine because they looked like they needed a drink. I popped the lid on to let them simmer nicely, then took the lid off for the alcohol to evaporate. I threw confetti into the party in the form of dried basil, black pepper, oregano, and bay. In went two giant cans of chicken stock. That got to a nice simmer for quite a while, so I added two cut up baked chicken breasts (I don't like meat with parts). I was looking low on liquid so I added two more little cans of broth I had in the cupboard and improvised with some water and bouillon. It worked out nicely. I let the carrots and celery get even more tender while the chicken soaked up some goodness from the pot. I finished it off with a whole bag of egg noodles and a handful of chopped fresh parsley for color.

It ended up being so rich and delicious. I think Jeff was impressed, or shocked, or both.

Now we have tons of soup, but it will be really good as leftovers and I will freeze some. We shared some with our downstairs neighbor and we'll probably continue to do so.

Yum!

Today, I channeled my mother-in-law.

2009-10-12T18:49:00.004-04:00

My mother-in-law can make a meal out of everything and never lets anything go to waste. While I don't think I can aspire to do half of the things she does in a kitchen, I channeled her today.

I am home sick from work and feeling like crap, so I went a-searching through our cupboards for chicken noodle soup. I looked and looked, and then remembered that I married an Italian who scoffs at the mere mention of canned goods and would have a stroke if he saw any in the apartment. Sigh. I assessed my situation. I noticed in the refrigerator two blocks of cream cheese whose "sell-by" date was today (eeek! I live and die by these dates, my MIL lets them slide...and slide), a half an onion left over from the Penne a la Betsy mentioned below, and fresh parsley.

Single Stacy would have shrugged and made buttered noodles (I am still allowed to have boxed pasta, but only Barilla). Married Stacy snuck out to Shop-Rite (observing universal precautions so as not to get others sick). I built my list from my soon-to-expire ingredients and got the makings of cream cheese chili dip and mostly-home made chicken noodle soup.

If you have never had cream cheese chili dip, go to the store, get the ingredients and make it now. You need 1 block of cream cheese, 1 15-oz can of chili, an 8 oz (1 bag) of shredded cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips. Spread the cream cheese out evenly in a small casserole dish. Spread the chili out over top. likewise with the cheese. bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Dip. Send me gifts, because this is oh-so-good. Perfect for football season. Well, I don't watch football, but I am assuming it is perfect for football parties. i will rephrase: Perfect for hockey season.

I have never made chicken noodle soup before, but how hard can it be? I will let you know later...

Product Review: Scotch Fur Fighter Pet Hair Remover

2009-10-12T18:39:00.003-04:00

While Jinx, our kitten, isn't shedding yet, Piper is. You can imagine how 10 pounds of fluffy calico gets fur all over our furniture and eventually our clothes. The fabric on our couches is like a soft corduroy: perfect for collecting and trapping pet hair. Since most of our friends are allergic to cats, we've been long searching for something that works to pick up the fur.

Lint rolls? Ha! A wimpy piece of tape does not cut it. Even our hot rod vacuum with spinney attachment of goodness won't get it all up. What's a crazy cat lady to do?

Enter: Scotch Fur Fighter Hair Remover (cue angels singing). This device, which resembles a cross between a sanding block and a giant sheet of velcro, traps all of that embedded hair so your friends can sit down without hives, asthma attacks, and anaphylactic shock! Plus, it's fun to use. You can get it for free here to try out, just pay $2.00 shipping. I did not know about that swwet deal. I got mine at Target for $9.99, which included the handle and five refill sheets. Eight refill sheets are $4.99. It works really well, so I do not mind the cost.

You're welcome.

Pioneer Woman's Penne a la Betsy

2009-10-12T18:32:00.004-04:00

I needed a new recipe to cook for my husband, and I found this: Pioneer Woman's Penne a la Betsy. It's easy to do and delicious. She even has step-by-step pictures for beginners in the kitchen like me. It was my first time making shrimp, and it was perfect!

Check it out!

More from the old blog: Getting Old

2009-09-29T10:53:00.001-04:00

My boyfriend (now husband) dragged me to a frat party a few years ago because he wanted to stir up trouble undergrad style. A little boy tried to hit on me. The end of the conversation went like this:

Boy: So, uh, what year are you?

Stacy: (laughs) Class of 2004

Boy: Oh, that's cool. I graduated in 2003!

Some guy named Kyle: No, dude, she means college.

Boy: Oh.

Nice, huh? I asked him if he was allowed to be out that late.

A Comedy of Errors

2009-09-29T10:50:00.001-04:00

This is also from my old blog, but totally hilarious and worth passing on:

At the end of work today, I happily shut down my computer and trotted off to my car, looking forward to an exciting, action-packed evening of laundry. I reached into my purse for my keys to find that, alas! I had locked them in my car.

I called my mother to ask her is she would bring me my spare key. Sure, no problem... but she called me back five minutes later to tell me...

Her keys were locked in her car, too... After some time, we finally got hold of my father, who was working. Could he bring my mom her spare key so she could bring me my key? No problem...

Not so fast! When my dad walked out to his car, he saw...

He had a flat tire.

I Used to Believe in the Theory of Evolution

2009-09-29T10:48:00.002-04:00

This was written my first year of grad school when by some freak accident of the universe I, at age 24, was housed with five 18-year-olds. My roommates would try to use their hairdryers every day in the same, which EVERY day would cause the power to go out. For a whole year, they never thought to plug their hairdryers into a different outlet. Not once. Even when I suggested it. Arrrrghhh!

I have been a Darwin supporter my whole life. I used to think evolution worked. Survival of the fittest makes sense, right? Well, not always. Some people are destined to do the same stupid thing, several times a day, every single day, with the same stupid results, and not learn their lesson. And these people with procreate and have stupid children.

For example, let's say that every day when you stepped out your front door, you fell down and got hurt and everyone else in your house fell down and got hurt too. Eventually, don't you think you'd catch on and start using a different door? That's classical conditioning, people.

That's not the actual situation, but really... people should learn faster. B.F. Skinner, I'm sorry, all of your research on conditioning has been rendered useless because there is a subspecies of humans to whom basic behavioral theories just don't apply.

Stupid people annoy me. Don't be stupid. Yay, evolution!

Rant: Ed Hardy

2009-09-20T16:52:00.003-04:00

I despise Ed Hardy products. It looks like a tattoo shop on acid threw up and spray-painted graffiti on clothes. I just don't get it. He uses traditional tattoo designs, all with specific meanings and history... for what? Profit? To mae my eyes bleed? I particularly dislike it when people without any tattoos and who have no idea what the tattoos they are wearing on their shirts mean wear his products. They are so ugly!

Today, a short, hostile New Yorkian came into my work to argue about how his sweet, precious child could not havepossibly broken the rules, etc. He was enraged, the girl was crying, and all I could do was look at his ugly shirt. It was white, a size 300XXL, and also stained. I could not stop staring at his ugly shirt with some other guy's name on it. (Giant logos are a whole different rant!) At least it wasn't glittery.

If you love Ed Hardy, by all means, express your style, but I just can't get into it.

We've adopted!

2009-09-18T21:25:00.005-04:00

Our family has adopted a new baby! She is approximately 9 weeks old, very energetic, happy, vibrant, has green eyes, and is black. Our new kitten, jinx, was found in a CVS parking lot by a high school classmate of mine. She (Jennifer) couldn't keep her because she has 4 dogs and 7 cats of her own.

When we got her one week ago, both my husband and 9-year-old cat Piper were very cranky, and I was in the doghouse for sure. (pun! ha!) Since Jinx was so little, she has no social skills and doesn't speak English. (Ideally, kittens should be 12-14 weeks old when separated from their mother to ensure proper kitty social skills). She is a tiny thing, and I suspect Jenn dosed her with caffeine before giving her to us, because I have only seen Jinx sleep 3 times in the last week. She is a biter, but she is teething and we are teaching her not to bite. It seems to be working (A puff of air blown in the face is a good, "No, no!" to a kitten.) She was litter trained and able to bathe herself when she was found, so that is excellent. She chases and tries to play with Piper relentlessly. at first, Piper was growling and hissing (as is appropriate to set boundaries), but was more submissive than I would have liked her to be. A good swat creeps in occasionally Now, Piper even shares her favorite toys and her food with the kitten without protesting. I'm not sure if this is maternal instinct or learned helplessness, but I hope to see kitty canoodling soon.

We originally tried to do the proper introduction by isolating the kitten for two weeks and allowing Piper to get used to Jinx's scents and sounds before a direct introduction. This lasted about three minutes with our ADHD kitten. We did try to keep her isolated in the bathroom when we were at work or when she kept Jeff awake, with plenty of toys, food, and a litter box, until she grew out of it 4 days after we got her. How, do you ask? I arrived homw from work to hear more baby screaming than usual. Typically, I would play with Piper alone for 15 minutes or so before letting Jinx out. This night, I let her out right away because she seemed so agitated. I opened the bathroom door to find the toilet paper all unrolled. Hilarious and adorable, but for the fact that the end of it was in her water bowl and had soaked up all her fluid, and she had made herself sick from being so upset. She's free-range now, and doing fine.

Pics to follow when Jeff uploads them. Baby Jinx has her first dr.'s appointment next week.

My new favorite thing

2009-08-31T21:51:00.003-04:00

I love to read. LOVE it. My mom taught me how to read before I could walk, and I've never stopped. And I read FAST. I read books like they are oxygen.

Unfortunately, books are really expensive. I realized that in June, I spent over $150.00 at Barnes & Noble. Not good. I know that I could go to the library, but I like to own my books to re-read them. Inevitably, I have a lot of books that I purchased and ended up disliking, so they just sit, unloved, on the bookshelf.

I thought about organizing a book swap with friends, but I don't really know a lot of readers besides my husband, so that would be pointless.

Enter www.paperbackswap.com. ("PBS")

You join for free, post books you are willing to get rid of, and you automatically get two book credits. Each credit is good for one book on the site. You can request specific books that are available or make a wish list so that you are notified when they become available. When someone requests one of your books, you are notified by PBS email. You print out the label/wrapper, affix your postage, and pop it in the mail box. When the other person gets the book you sent, you get a book credit.

Holy papery goodness, Batman!

A new book costs around $14. Postage to send a paperback is $2.38. that's a whole lot of savings! I can't wait to get my first book!

Stacy vs. Wild

2009-08-19T11:17:00.005-04:00

On Saturday, Jeff and I went canoeing with some friends, Matt, Bridget and Melanie, ad some of their friends. (That is such a strange-looking word.) The expert outdoorspeople that we are, the first leg of the six-mile journey was a bit like bumper-boats. Before Jeff got good at steering and I got good at powering the canoe, we kind of bopped from bank to bank. Due to the number of storms this summer, there were many fallen trees along the path. Some had to be limbo-ed under, others avoided, and most we bumped into.

Enter Tree Of Doom. It was sitting upright in the cool cedar water. Its breanches had been broken off, leaving innocent-looking branch stumps. We were meandering through the snake-like waterway when we realized we were going to hit it. It proceeded to jab one of its branch stubbies into my thigh. Hard. It hurt to the point of making me nauseous, but I knew if I physically reacted, I'd tip the canoe. I took it like a man. We couldn't get ice on it right away, so I have an epic bruise. Picture to follow when Jeff loads in onto the computer. It's deep purple and about 6 inches in diameter. It looks like I was beaten, or like All The Way Mae from A League of Thier Own.

Injuries aside, it was a pretty great day. Beautiful scenery and great company. I can't wait to do it again next year!

May Brides in NYC

2009-08-11T17:26:00.003-04:00

Becca, Lisa Beth, Jackie and I met while wedding planning. We all got married this May. When Becca in Queens invited us to her housewarming party, The Tri-State girls, Lisa Beth from PA, Jackie from DE, and my Jersey self went to see her. After much reassurance that I wouldn't get mugged/raped/murdered and getting a fake wedding ring to wear (neurotic!), I rose at the crack of dawn to prepare for our day of fun. Jax and LB met me at my apartment, and after a quick Wawa run, we were off. Jackie expertly drove her just-12-hours-old new SUV, and we arrived safely in Queens. I never knew a city could be so beautiful! Becca's neighborhood is gorgeous, and her building looks like a castle. We said hello, and travelled to Manhattan via subway, ew, icky, gross. We wandered around Times Square, ate at Ellen's Starlight diner (with the singing wait staff, super fun!), and visited Central Park. It was the first time I had been there, and it was less terrifying than I had anticipated. I'd even like to go back someday to the fun part of it. Our day ended back at Becca's, where she fed us amazing food and we enjoyed great company. Good times!

Falling Again

2009-08-02T17:05:00.003-04:00

My husband and I have been to two weddings in the last two weeks, two months after we were married. These events triggered many nostalgic, gooey, mushy, lovey feelings. It's weird, I never fell out of love with Jeff, but I feel like I got a love energy boost, kind of like the way I felt around our wedding. I almost feel silly. Or stalker-esque. Getting all teary watching him sleep is a little crazy, right? Maybe there has been to much love in the air, or maybe it's hormones. Who knows?

: P

Jeff hasn't changed much since '91

2009-07-26T12:05:00.004-04:00

My mother-in-law gave us Jeff's baby book (aaawwww!), and in the back was a self-evaluation that hubby filled out for school in 1991. It's hilarious. Some of it still applies:

1. I think I do my best in school: Yes AND No
If you said no, how can we help you? Teach me how to draw.

2. I try to help the class by: getting ready

3. Do you think you get along with the other children in your class? If not what can you do to change this? Stop talking and growing up

4. Working in groups can be fun. What do you do to help the group? giving pepol jobs (sic)

5. In what subjects to you need help? math

6. My favorite thing about second grade is Miss Cambell

7. My best subject in school is PE

Ha! Stop talking and grow up. Too cute.

Other highlights include a detailed record of all of Jeff's various accidents and emergency room visits, the fact that he turned over at 24 days, climbed stairs at 7 months, and walked on his own without coaxing at 8 months. Yeah, I can't believe I am going to have his children! I'm really in trouble..

I have Lime Disease

2009-07-21T16:18:00.000-04:00

I woke up feeling so sore- my abs, my back, my shoulders, and I couldn't figure out why until I remembered squeezing all those limes last night to make limeade.

How sad. I am so out of shape!

: P

When life hands you limes...

2009-07-21T00:55:00.002-04:00

...make limeade!

A few weeks ago, Jeff asked me to pick up "one or two limes" for something he was making. They were on sale, so following in the footsteps of my deal-crazy father, I bought ten. Those little guys have been calling to me from the fridge, and right before their demise I got inspired.

I don't even think I have had limeade before, but I did a pretty good job. Here's what I used:

8 limes, juiced. I got about a cup and a half of juice.
1 cup simple syrup. Just dissolve 1 cup of sugar into 1 cup of water on the stove.
Enough water to fill the rest of our 84-ounce pitcer.

Results: Yummy, summery refreshment!

Bonuses to making limeade: The lime rinds clean and freshen the garbage disposal, and the citric acid from squeezing all of the fruit exfoliated my cuticles!

This is a domestic adventure I will be sure to repeat.

Tip: To get all the juice out of the limes, roll them between your palm and the counter. Then, microwave them for 20 seconds. After juicing (I picked up a cheap hand-juicer from Target), I took the pulp and squeezed that through a fine mesh colander to get every molecule of limey goodness.

Happy squeezing!

Giggle-Worthy

2009-07-20T16:34:00.002-04:00

This story is not related to Jerseymooning, but it's worth mentioning as it is giggle-inducing:

A man in NH was charged over 23 quadrillion dollars for a pack of cigarettes at a gas station.

Even better: it took him over two hours on the phone with the bank to contest the charge and get his $15 overdraft fee back.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (no spoilers)

2009-07-15T17:53:00.003-04:00

Sigh. The Jerseymooners saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last night. I don't know what I was expecting exactly, but overall I was disappointed.

One the plus side, I thought that the acting was very good, especially from the "bad guys." Helena Bonham Carter creeps me out. Seriously. The kids are evolving with the material. There was only one character (a new one) that over-acted, but that was accceptable since the character is for comic relief. The humor is key to this installment, and the kids especially do a great job with it (with Rupert Grint being the funniest, of course).

On the negative side, I thought the movie missed some very key points. It barely skimmed the importance of the Half-Blood Prince and what it/he meant to Harry. Harry spends a good part of the book wondering who the Prince is and even entertains the idea that he is related to the Prince. The end of the book, the giant climax, the turning point in the whole series, was skimmed over and rushed in the movie. It really frustrated me. The movie also adds a scene that wasn't in the book and doesn't need to be in the movie. If it wasn't added, more time could have been spent on stuff that was important from the book. The Deatheaters were also given a feature/skill that they don't have in the book series at this point.

It was still better than Prisoner of Azkaban.

Let me know what you think of it when you see it.

PS- The picture is from Halloween a few years ago.

Two Wedding-Related Events and a Baby

2009-07-13T20:51:00.004-04:00

This weekend was a lot of fun! On Friday, I visited my mom as usual to do laundry (since our apartment's dryer is lame). I ran a lot of errands, but afterward, we did some serious crafting.

On Saturday, Jeff & I visited the Haddonfield craft fair, which was fun. I didn't get anything because it was a lot of the same vendors as the Manayunk Arts Festival that I go to every year, but it was nice to look around. Then, we went with Jeff's brother Steve and his fiancee Gloria to North Jersey for our cousin Katie's engagement party. It was fun to have the family all together, and it was great seeing Katie so happy!

Sunday was Gloria's bridal shower in Pennsylvania. I have never seen Steve so nervous, but he did a great job with arranging the surprise! Again, it was fun to have family around, especially Katie and Aunt Pam, who we don't see often enough.

Today was a regular icky Monday but with one highlight: My coworker Nicole brought in her tiny, one month old baby! Holy Hormones, was he adorable! It rounded off the wedding-related weekend quite nicely. Two years or so and I get to have one of those little guys!

Happy to Serve You

2009-07-10T22:08:00.004-04:00

I love when I get great customer service, and today was a day overflowing with courtesy and good-natured, helpful people, so I'll tell you all about it!

My first stop was Collision Max in Pennsuaken to get an estimate on my car repairs. The Geico representative, Joe, was so pleasant. I felt really comfortable leaving my car there. I was picked up by the Enterprise driver and representative to get a rental. Matt, the rep, and Andy, the driver, were a lot of fun. They called me with the damage, and there was more internal damage than I thought, but they'll get it fixed soon, and it's all guaranteed. I'm currently driving some really fast, black car that I hate because it's so powerful it scares me, but I look hot in it. : ) I'm really comfortable having Geico on my side.

Next up was David's Bridal in Maple Shade, NJ. I know, David's Bridal gets a really bad rap, and even I have had my problems with them. (I was in a wedding last year, and my DB shoes broke in the middle of the ceremony. It took several calls to corporate to get a refund.) I went today to get a few things for upcoming events, and I had dropped the ball to get shoes. I needed dyed shoes asap, but the fastest they were expected to get to me was in one week. The woman who helped me, Irina, did them on the spot! On a Friday evening in the middle of wedding season! I was so grateful that I almost teared up. Thanks, Irina! Also worth mentioning is the latest line of bridal gowns that Dabid's had. They were better quality with much better attention to detail than I have seen in years. they definitaly didn't have dresses like that when I was gown shopping! Some designs were reminiscent of Grace Kelly and Jackie O. Swoon!

Next, I went to pick up a dress I had ordered to wear to my brother-in-law's wedding this fall. I got distracted on my way into the store by Toes 2 Toes in Maple Shade next to the bridal shop. I don't even like shoes usually, but they had a sidewalk sale of really cute stuff outside. cute enough for me, the flip-flop/ballet flat-wearer to take a look inside. I was in that little boutique for an hour, chatting with staff for almost an hour. It was like I had known them forever. I tried on some cool stuff, most of which I would never wear in real life, but all high quality with great prices. I ended up getting two pairs of shoes (tally 3 pairs of shoes for the day, more than I buy in a year usually!), one to wear to the fore-mentioned wedding and another for fun from Opposites Attract, which are super fun because they have interchangeable accessories.

My last stop was to finally go back to Kay Bridal to pick up that gown. I bought my wedding dress there and had a great experience, so my mom got her gown for the wedding there as well. I can't stop going back! They remembered me and asked about the wedding and about my mom's health. How sweet! The dress fit perfectly (except the hem, but that's to be expected).

All in all, a day of great service. Research by the Disney company states that for every bad customer service experience, the consumer tells three friends or associates, but for every good experience, they tell 7-10 people. When is the last time you had great service?

Transportation Frustration

2009-07-09T20:37:00.002-04:00

On April 15, I was driving home in the rain, taking the ramp to get on the Ben Franklin bridge. As any good Philly driver would know, there are three lanes there. I was in the righmost lane, and there was an 18-wheeler in the middle lane, to my left. We were going very slowly due to the weather and the deep curve of the road. I guess Mr. Truck driver decided he liked my lane better than his, because I felt and heard a bump. He rear-ended me! He could have killed me, but luckily he just tore off my bumper.

Here's the kicker: he told his insurance company that I hit him!

(mental forehead slap!)

My insurance company is dumbfounded and they're being really great, but long story short, Mr. Truck Driver's insurance won't pay for the damage, even though he clearly rear-ended me. Did they think I was driving backwards on the ramp? Grrrr!

I don't get it. All I want is a new bumper (or my old one reattached!) In the litigious society we live in, any other person would have sued them for whiplash, but I just want a bumper.

Anyway, tomorrow, I have to get up super early and fight traffic to get an estimate for repairs. Yuck. Send me happy bumper thoughts!

Honeymoon: the sequel

2009-07-08T22:28:00.004-04:00

Jerseymooning keeps getting better! Jeff, the excellent husband that he is, wanted a flat-screen TV, so he took on a part-time second job to save for it. He decided instead that he'd rather go to Disney World this fall! So, off to a second mini-moon! He's the best! We're hoping for good weather, since it rained every day but two on our honeymoon.

Other good news includes our cousin Katie's engagement party. It's a long time coming, and she deserves a great time! It will be exciting to see her, and her mom, who married us.

My Life is Average

2009-07-06T11:22:00.001-04:00

It's the end of a beautiful holiday weekend! I hope everyone had a nice time.

On Friday night, I reorganized my bathroom cabinet. It needed it. It made me very happy. My life is average.

Saturday was fun, though. I went to the pool with Jeff's family to celebrate Independence Day, my brother-in-law's30th birthday, and his pre-bachelor-party dinner. Yay Steve!

How did you spend the holiday? I bet it wasn't as cool as my Friday!

Good mommy news!

2009-07-02T09:50:00.003-04:00

My mom had her check-up yesterday, and everything was free and clear! This is always such a relief to hear, a huge weight lifted off of our collective shoulders.

I will concentrate my good-health vibes to my friend Kelly, who is currently in treatment.

Lots of love to both Mom and Kelly for being strong women.

Toxicity!

2009-07-01T19:02:00.003-04:00

You may have noticed that I deleted some content and comments from my first post. The reason is that they were about/from a person that I used to be friends with, but due to personality clashes, we no longer speak.

It is really cleansing to get rid your life of toxic people, but as anyone who works with people with personality disorders knows, they always manage to eek their negativity back in. It's frustrating, and I played right into her hands at first, but this is my blog, so I will set the boundaries necessary to keep it a positive and safe space for me and my friends. This is why I chose to delete the comments.

This person in particular was way fun to hang out with, but a friendship on anything more than a very superficial level didn't work. I expend enough energy at work with women who have a strong sense of entitlement or who maniupulate and twist things around to fit their perception of life, and it was just too taxing to maintain a relationship like that in my personal life.

In short, isn't it fun to be an adult and be able to make these healthy decisions for yourself, rather than to play games and get involved in sneaking around with he-said/she-said nonsense? I think so!

Back to my mental vacation....

: )

What a beautiful day!

2009-07-01T17:52:00.003-04:00

Happy July!

It finally feels like summer today, after all the rain we've gotten. I'm working this evening, but I am taking a daydream vacation. You're all invited! We can pretend to be at the beach.

Sigh... that's nice. It's also economical and cuts down on travel time.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Thanks to Monica

2009-06-30T11:48:00.003-04:00

... for helping me figure out how to make the blog prettier!

The honeymoon is over

2009-06-30T10:23:00.006-04:00

Ahh, wedded bliss! The wedding is over (thank goodness) and we're a month and a half into married life. I've started this blog to document the hikinks of a broke South Jersey newlywed couple, as well as to pretend there are people who like to listen to me. I will throw in some social commentary because I have no filter, as well as the occasional book and product review from time to time because I was That Kid in school, the kind that liked assignments.

I have already learned so much about marriage! For example:

~ Getting married does not magically teach your husband where to put his dirty socks.

~ Nor does it teach a new wife how to cook. I have cooked a total of one meal for my husband since being married. It's something I will work on, but I am truly hopeless in a kitchen.

~ Husbands are really neat to have. Mine has kept a crystal vase that we got as a wedding gift filled with fresh roses since we returned from our honeymoon. I think his dad taught him this trick. It's not something Jeff knew how to do as a Fiance, but Husband Jeff is pretty good at it.

~ Having a new name is strange. It's like wearing a new pair of jeans or shoes that need to be broken in, except you can never take them off. I still feel strange around my family when I have to say or spell my married name.

~ Perfect strangers will congratulate you! I learned this in the name-changing process. It's fun, like winning a prize every time you fill out a form.

~ Wedding rings are Man Repellant. It's a very cool trick. Proudly wearing your shiny new wedding band, venture in to any public place where previously you practically had to go incognito for sheer volume of time wasted from guys hitting on you. It's magic! Nobody bothers you. Fabulous! It cuts errand time in half. An even more fun game is when the poor souls belatedly notice the rings. They wince, then sheepishly exit. Excellent. Disclaimer: This trick does not work with the kiosk people in the mall trying to sell hand lotion. Please email me if you have a solution to this pesky problem.