New (old) stuff!

Today was a successful shopping day!

I would say I have champagne taste on a beer budget.  I prefer the more quality clothing, but I typically don't like to spend that much money on something.  So, I end up gettting clothes from the less expensive stores but then they unravel or fray or shrink.  I went to TJMaxx and some other similar stores.  Here is all the stuff I got today (minus the cat *lol*)

I was looking for more fall/winter work shirts but ended up with this:

1. Workout shirt

2.  Banana Republic top

3. Puma socks

4. Phillip's earbuds

5.  Ralph Lauren Polo

6. NY&Co Cardigan

7.  Workout shorts

8. WH/BM top

9. Black Pumps

10. & 11 Camis

All under $100!! Wooot!

Have a nice weekend!

Phone pics from the zoo!

Last Friday, Nick and I went to the zoo!  It was so hot (about 100 degrees) but I had a great time with my man! I was only able to take pics from my phone because I didn't have a camera yet. (I do now... wooo!)  Here are a few of my faves.



I could seriously watch jellyfish all day.  They are so neat!



Sloth bear! Too cute!

I love seahorses! Reminds me of the little mermaid!

The baby elephant!! A few minutes later he face planted into the ground.  He didn't quite have his balance! His mama helped him up :-)



Hippo butts!!
These are my favorite animal!! I hate that they are always sleeping!



RIP CAMERA...

I haven't posted in a longggg time. Life has not been too exciting for this girl.  I have been spending more time with my boyfriend which I love.  We were planning on going on a trip...but we decided to nix that for now and save our money (he needs to save his money for other things anyways!! Hehehe ;o)
Anywho, My boyfriend and I went out couple of weekends ago for my friend Nicole's birthday.  We were trying to get a new picture. I don't know that happened...but my camera is no longer working.  It turns on, but it doesn't go into focus.  I am sure I can get it fixed or have a warranty...but I think it's a good excuse to get a new one.  I don't really know what to look for though. My only requirement is that it has a rechargeble battery with charger.  I hate alkaline batteries!  If anyone has recommendation's for a good camera let me know! (on the less expensive side!)
I really need a camera though...I do not take a lot of pictures, but I like to have it with me in case I have any moments I want to capture.  My phone takes good pictures, but it needs to be in a well lit room.

SAD! I loved that camera. I need to also invest in a case for it too...strange things obviously happen in my purse!

Nightmare neighbors!!

I have lived at my apartment for a little over 2 year now.  I have not yet had a pleasant experience with my neighbors.  I think my first one was the worst.  She was that crotchety old lady who constantly would complain about everything.  Once I was putting together a dresser when I first moved in.  It was about 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon....I had to bang some nails to put the panel on the back.  She started to bang on the ceiling!!  Uhh... okay, I guess I will put my dresser together later....

Another time we got a complaint that we left our garbage out and she swore it was "leaking on her statue." Well sorry its raining so we didn't walk it to the dumpster today! She would also glare at us and look through her blinds when we would go out to our cars.  It was really bizarre.  Also, her daughter would sometimes park in our reserved parking spot. I guess my roommate had multiple issues with her too before I even moved in.  I was so happy when she moved out!

Until...

This new family moved in. They seemed nice and they had a cute little kid.  Boy, were they annoying!

One evening I was sitting on the couch (probably creeping on facebook or some blogs) and the guy started yelling some obscenities.  I heard the woman arguing too.  Umm...do I call the police? He screamed something like "DON'T! EVER! SAY! THAT! AGAIIIIINNN!!! *stomp stomp stomp* *door slams* *tires squeal*

They also has this cat that was usually outside meowing.  I almost dropped it off at the humane society once, no joke...but I couldn't catch it. 

And that cute little kid?  Running around and yelling at all hours of the night.  She left random pieces of candy and cat food outside which attracted ants.  I went through a huge bottle of ant killer because I have issues with ants. I may save that for another blog.

 They moved out after about a month which was sort of weird. Oh well.... SEE YA!!!

We recently got new neighbors again.  Its a couple.  No arguments yet, so far...

However...they have a dog. All it does is bark. Constantly. 

 I feel kind of sorry for it :o(

It's barking right now as I type.  It disrupted my Bachelorette finale watching and I was not pleased.

So that has been my neighbor experience.  I think I'm stuck with crappy neighbors until I get a house.  The problem is, Nick and I want to live in a condo when we get our first house.  Hopefully the annoying neighbors stay away!  Anyone else have nightmare neighbors?





Have a great weekend!

Confessions

Linking up with Carissa for confessions!

I confess...

That I have been skipping on some of my insanity workouts...*gasp!* I fully intend to catch up I am not that far behind.  I liked the schedule I have (so that might call for 2-a-days) but I've been getting home so late.  If it comes down to the regular gym or insanity, the gym usually wins!

I confess...

That I thought I actually make a decent salary until I found out what most other entry level jobs with the same ammount of education for other professions are. (ignorance really is bliss...)

I confess...

That I intend to wake up early every day...but hit the snooze about 6 times....I've tried putting my phone on the other side of the room, flipping on the light, turning on the TV...everything! I just cant get up when it first goes off!
The worst is when I wake up on my own about 10 minutes before the alarm goes off...I automatically set my clock for a later time. 

New Job!

Tomorrow is an exciting day.  I haven't done anything very exciting in a while (hence my lack of motivation to blog) BUT, tomorrow I officially put my master's degree to work!  I love, love, love where I work.   If it weren't for location, I'd probably stay at my agency forever.    I've been at the same place for about 3 years and have done 3 different jobs so far (similar duties...different titles).  I've enjoyed each of my jobs in different ways.  I am really sad to leave my current job.  I love my team and the work we do and will miss them very much (but we won't be too far away...and I''ll probably eat my lunch with them tomorrow lol) but I am glad I get to officially use my masters degree!! I feel very blessed to even have a job.  I know many people are struggling to find work so I feel very lucky that I am even able to use my degree.  All in all, I'm really excited/nervous for to start this new job, and gain more experience! 



Sunday...BOOOOOOOOOO

Sundays can be a bit of a downer...especially for me because my boyfriend just went back home (about 2 hours away) but this video always makes me laugh!!

LOL!! Have a great week!!

Getting over a cardio rut!

While I was in NC, some of the girls were talking about the Insanity workout. I figured, what the heck,  why not give it a try.  No one lives in the apartment below me right now, so this is the perfect time!

And I did it, I got through one week of Insanity!

I thought I was in pretty good shape...but Shaun T proved me WRONG!

I started last Wednesday with the fit test and actually felt a little sore the next day.  On Thursday I did the Plyometric Cardio Circuit (which is a major B**** by the way!) I could barely do the burpees and definitely couldn't do real push ups!  I kept moving even during the stuff I couldn't do.  The next morning I felt sore in new muscles (which I like! It makes me feel accomplished!). 

Every workout I sweat like crazy.  I absolutely HATE cardio so I started the Insanity program to help me get back into cardio in a less boring way.  I did the circuit again today (I am following the calendar but I

 started on a Wednesday instead of a Sunday.)  I felt it was a bit easier and I could actually keep up with it better. It makes me feel good that some of the trainers even have to take breaks.

I am not following the meal plan too strictly.  I am just eating like I normally do which it pretty clean already (minus my major sweet tooth Arrghh).

Tomorrow is a rest day and I will pick back up Wednesday with Cardio and Resistance.

I hope that the program helps me over my cardio rut.  I still go to the gym and lift like normal too.

 I plan to stick with this program as much as possible and will hopefully see results!  I feel that if I blog about it now, I'm more likely to finish it!

 :o)

"Dig Deeper!!" haha :o) *phew*

NC Trip!

For the weekend of the 4th... I got to go on a weekend trip and see some of my girlfriends that I haven't seen in a long time.  Some, I haven't seen in over a year!  I didn't get to go on any of the trips the past few years because I had either A. no money or B. too much work to do for school or C. Both! I had a great time with the girls.  It was an event packed weekend so I can't say it was a relaxing vacation.  But still definitely much needed and well deserved.

Thursday, we spent the whole day driving down.  My boyfriend was so proud when I told him I only needed to stop to pee twice.  We hung out and had some wine at the apartment I was staying at.  Friday we did a little laying out at the pool and then had a cookout at my friends new house.  After that we headed downtown to a piano bar.  This was by far my favorite night!  Saturday I made one of my friends take me to the gym.  We went to the mall after and met up with the other girls.  I didn't plan to get anything but I ended up getting a cute dress from H&M (my shopping kryptonyte).  That evening we had a yummy dinner at a restaurant call The Pit and then headed to a club.  I realized the club scene it not really my thing anymore.  I prefer a place where you can sit around and talk and dance like fools if you want (like at the piano bar!)  Sunday was the beach day.  We had a bit of a late start...but it was worth it in the end. After a 2 hour drive...we had issues finding a place to park along the street.  We seriously ended up paying some old man to park in his driveway (hey, desperate times call for desperate measures).  We finally got to the beach and I got some quality time with the sun!  I was a bad girl and didn't put on sun screen so I was a bit lobsterfied that night! (I'm tan now...hahaha!) We had an AMAZING dinner and then went out to a few places.  Most of us are not used to going out this many nights in a row and we were so sleepy from the sun.  This was probably every one's least favorite night. Monday was just a LAZY day! We hung out in our PJ's pretty much the entire day...took a trip to Target and went to Wild Wings, had the best veggie quesadilla of my LIFE and then ended the night watching Justin Beiber's Never Say Never (don't judge!).  As luck would have it...it was stormy and rainy so I didn't get to see any fireworks on the 4th.  Tuesday it was time to go home.  Of course the flight home couldn't be simple. I won't go into too much detail...but let's just say we got to the airport at 2:30pm and I didn't get to my house until 1:30am.  (I estimated to be home by 8:30pm).  I've never been so happy to see my luggage after all of the confusion with the airlines.

Overall, I had lots of fun and miss everyone already.  There were some hilarious moments not mentioned in this blog, but I'll have the memories forever.  I hope I can go back sometime soon! 



All of the girls at the piano bar!



Dinner at The Pit



In the VIP lounge

Downtown by the Beach before dinner!

I had a bit of an obsession with mustaches over the weekend...this was my souvenir! It's a wine opener!

Hope everyone had a nice Holiday weekend!!

Shedzilla vs. Chloe

I love my cat....I really do...but OMG WHYYYY does she shed so much??

I have tried several techniques to help control it [[i.e. 5 different brushes...a bath (Chloe wasn't having that), lint rollers (which I discovered today that my co-worker tried that as well)] but I think I finally found the perfect brush! SHEDZILLA!  (I love the name lol).

I only paid 10 bucks for it, I think it costs a lot more in some stores.

I'm pretty sure my cat dropped a pound or 2 when I was done.  Though she doesn't ever tolerate being brushed for long.

Hopefully I can get through the summer without drowning in fur :o)

+

look at all of that fur that will end up on me...

+

5 Minutes...

=

ewww!!

I'm sure this post makes me seem like a crazy cat lady...but I can't believe how much fur came out! *lol*

Happy Monday!

Want To Know Wednesday



{1} What is the best or worst pick up line you have ever been given?

Oh dear.  Well, this really isn’t a pick up line, but it is sort of a funny story.  There was this one guy who was the "cute-silent type."  Ya know…he gave off that “mysterious vibe. “  *lol* Well my roommates and I frequented his fraternities’ parties and I never had a conversation with him in my life.  One Sunday afternoon I got on facebook and had a message...and it was a message from that guy! It said something along the lines of:

“Hey, you seem like a really cool girl.  We should hang out sometime, maybe watch a movie? Hit me up (provided cell number). “ 

I didn’t respond to that message right away because I thought it was kind of weird. 

Anywho…my roommates and I all ventured out to the living room and recapped our night.  One of the girls came out of her room and was like “OH MY GOD, GUESS WHO MESSAGED ME??”  She read the message that I got...word for word!!  She sort of started freaking out and was saying “oh my God, should I call? How long should I wait?”  I had to burst her bubble.  Later, we discovered another one of our other sorority sisters got a message from that guy too.

Seriously? Did this guy miss the memo that we are all in the same sorority?  So we all decided to respond at the exact same time with the exact same message.  I think he realized he was caught!

{2} What is your most and least favorite day of the week?

Sundays are my least,  Especially the evenings.  They are just so depressing.  I think they will be better when my boyfriend and I live together (at least in the same city), but right now they are just boring and sad. 
I like Thursdays the most (especially the ones that I get paid!)

{3} How many hours of sleep do you require each night?

I like to get 8.  I can function on 5 or 6 but I really try to get in 8 hours.

{4} Is there a song that takes you back in time? What song is it & what's the memory attached?

Backstreet Boys (We’ve Got it Goin’ On)

I used to have the BIGGEST CRUSH on Brian Littrel.  I didn’t get into Nick Carter until the “I Want It That Way” video (Oh yeah--- TRL baby!!) I rushed home to watch that show every day.  I’m so glad I was a part of the boy band era.  TEAM BACKSTREET BOYS!  N’sync was overrated, in my opinion *lol*

How funny are Nick’s facial expressions in this video? He got it together eventually.  I used to not like Kevin (I thought he was soooo old *lol*) but now? H-O-T!! :o)
This song really brings my back to my care free summers when I was middle school age. I didn't have any worries...I would just listen to my CD's, hang out with friends, read teeny-bopper magazines, and was very care free. 

{5} What is your biggest guilty pleasure?

Reality TV…My faves:

• Bridezilla’s
• Real Housewives on Bravo (but not Miami or DC)
• Flipping Out (Bravo) His maid makes me laugh! Love her!
• The Bachelor
• America’s Next Top Model
• Maury (I know it’s not reality…but it make sick days from work AWESOME!!!)
• Jersey Shore
• I also miss Rock of Love, Daisy of Love, and Flavor of Love.

Another guilty pleasure... Selena Gomez songs.  Not ashamed.

Gorilla Bees!

The other day when I came home from work I snapped this pic... 

Well today...he was back! I came home from a lovely day of shopping...I had a very unpleasant encounter with the gorilla bee!

"What is a gorilla bee?" You might ask. 

Well basically, it's a bumblebee on steroids! This one has obviously made himself at home on the stairway to my apartment. 

I was talking to my friend Lauren on the phone during this 2nd encounter.  As I was approaching the stairway I hear this deep "bzzzzzzzz...." It sounded like a B-52 or a lawnmower. 

My first plan off attack was to try to spray him with windshield de-icer from my car.  The sprayer was broke!

 FAIL. 

So I waited. 

 Finally he flew away and I ran up the stairs to the safety of my apartment.  *phew.*

I checked wikipedia and decided that the correct term for this beast is a "carpenter bee."  There is a little spot forming on the stairs as if he's trying make a nest.  Cool. 

I'm sure this isn't the last I'll see of the gorilla bee.

Friday Confessional

I'm technologically challenged...so I'm not sure if the link up pic worked so click here

(shpanks.)

I Confess...

That I have restarted the dryer 3 times in the last hour because I don't want to put away my clothes.

I Confess...

That I will watch re-runs of all of the Real Housewives shows and equally enjoy it each time.

...This clip in particular makes me giggle...

That saved a wench(?) like me... *lol*

Oh, Melissa. You're so pretty...

I Confess...

That I ordered my roomie Brides magazine when she got engaged.  It came in the mail yesterday and I may or may not have peeked :o)

I Confess...

That I have puppy fever!! But I know I don't have time for one. *wah.*

Want.

I Confess...

That the dryer just turned off...and I'm considering restarting it again...lol

Have a nice weekend!! <3

New car (for a day)

My car has given me so many problems lately! Recently...my roters needed replaced (among other scheduled maintenance).  I expected to sit in the waiting room for 2 hours until it was done, but they actually loaned me a Prius. I absolutely LOVED this car and I had so much fun driving it! It was super quiet, you couldn't even tell if it was on.  I also loved that it gets approximately 50 mpg. I considered driving far, far away and not turning back.  I didn't want to go back for my car (or pay the bill!). 

Unfortunately, I really need to make my car last a while longer, but I might look into a hybrid down the road. 



Oh hi...here I am in my new Prius lol


Oh well...back to driving my boring old car. (womp womp womp...) but at least I have working brakes!



to A/C...or not to A/C

Not sure what to say today, all I know is it's a hot one in Ohio, and I saw so many people with their windows down! Unless your A/C is broken, why put yourself through that misery!? *lol* {I am very pro A/C.}

FUN FACT: Driving with the windows down can actually waste your gas! Having them down at faster speeds can increase the drag and make your car work harder and burn gas faster.  Read more about it here .

 The choice is yours...either way, stay cool out there!

workout wardrobe wishlist

I am definitely in the mood for a new workout wardrobe.  I know many people are fine with just working out in an old t-shirt and shorts, but in my opinion, if you love your work out clothes you are more motivated to hit the gym.  My favorite store to shop for work out clothes is Dick's Sporting Goods. 

(Beware of what you type in the search bar...seriously!!)

So here is my current wish list:

I'm not a fan of wearing shorts to the gym...but how cute are these!? (I love animal print!)

Soffe Women's Printed Team Shorty Shorts

I love this color and it seems sooo comfy and breathable! I prefer this kind of tank over racerback.


Reebok Women's Core Sleeveless Tee

 

 I don't do shorts at the gym....but I like capris! All of my workout pants are long...so I NEED these!

Nike Women's Dri-FIT Be Strong Cotton Capri

I already have one like this in grey and it's my favorite work out shirt!  It's also a decent price for this brand!

Under Armour Women's Sleeveless Tech Tee



Have a great week! 

green thumb

So toward the end of April I started a "garden" on my back patio.  I tried this last year, but I think I started it a little too late.  The radishes didn't grow. I had some success with the tomatoes and the spinach (in AUGUST!!).  This year I decided to start a little earlier so that I hopefully have tomatoes before the end of summer! 

I also want to plant some herbs like cilantro and basil.

Ideally, I want to be able to walk outside and just take what I need and then make it.  I'm not sure if that's possible with apartment living, but one can dream, right?

Here is my "garden" as of today"



<-----This side is my grape tomatoes.  I'm not sure what the thing next
to my label is...That should be a surprise I guess!
----->This side is spinach and green onion.  I'm not too optimistic about the onions (sad face).

So there you have it.  The spinach should be ready by next week.  The onions, within the next two weeks (doubt it) and the tomatoes should start to come out by the end of the month.

I think it's pretty good for having limited sunlight. Someday, I want a real garden!

Things I want to do this summer

I'm pretty sure I have bloggers block!  I see all of these cute/awesome blogs and I think I'm finally understanding it all.  I don't think my blog is quite cool enough to "link up" with people yet...but I might just go for it one of these days.

Yesterday's blog was pretty sad...I almost felt sorry for myself! *lol*  I did forget to mention that I took a vacation day from work (which was much needed after 2 years of grad school!) I went to see the movie Bridesmaids with my co-worker Amy, who also took a vacation day.  She is also in grad school and has one more year to go.  I felt so refreshed and motivated at work today.  That extra day off was just what the doctor ordered.  Anyways...I digress... The movie was HILARIOUS.  I love movies with stupid humor where you don't have to concentrate. 

Well, tonight I was thinking that I wanted to compile a summer wish list of a few things I want to do/try/etc...so here they are:

Drink a skinnygirl margarita

I adore Bethenny and I REALLLY want to try this stuff!

Visit friends who moved away

I already have plans to visit some of the girls who have moved to NC and I'm so excited! being in school has made me so anti-social...I am really excited that I can finally join the fun!

Go on a trip with the boyfriend

We toss the idea around all the time, but he and I are horrible at making definite plans.  I am way to detail oriented (which I am certain drives him crazy...but he loves it!)  We tossed around different ideas, so I am hoping we can do something! (We both need a real vacation!!!)  I even got a passport just in case.  I hate my picture on it...it looks like a mugshot!

Get a new summer work wardrobe

My job adopted a "no jeans or flip flop" policy last summer...so I need new summer work clothes! I'm really into dresses from Target...but I don't always feel comfortable doing the whole community based social work in a dress.  If anything...I could use a few new shirts and MAYBE some work appropriate sandals.

Get a new pair of "going out" shoes

It's been a while..and sometimes a girl just needs a new pair of cute shoes.  Even though I don't go out that often anymore...I still want a new pair. I want some shoes that make me 6'1!! *HAHA*

Save more/spend less

Is this an oxymoron because of my last 2 wishes? Nahhh...I should just lay off the 4.00 coffees. (They are so addicting though!!)

Have more "phone dates"

Thank goodness for facebook these past 2 years.  It's time to get back to having more actual, live conversations with my girl friends!!

"Extreme coupon"

I just want to try it....even if I just get 10 body washes for a dollar or something...nothing too crazy! I just want to see if I can do it!

Lift Heavier

I'm more of a weights girl in the gym.  I really do not like cardio at all.  I hope that I can move up in weight in all areas by the end of this summer.

There are lots of other things I'd like to do!  I am hoping that "life after grad school" gets a little more exciting!

A crazy day calls for an easy recipe!

What a crazy day.  My mind has been somewhere else all day long!  It all started when I was leaving a very important voice message and I left my WORK NUMBER!!!! How freaking embarassing!!!  Oh, and then the person called back and at the end of the call I accidentally called her by the wrong name.  (I'm pretending that she didn't hear that though!! *lol*)  After the gym, I went to Kroger I got a few things.  Well, what do you know...I get all the way to my apartment and realized I had forgotten my eggs!!!  I went back and the attendant was very nice and she knew exactly who I was.  I then get back to my apartment....lay on the floor with my cat like I usually do until I am finally motivated to getting ready for dinner and what do you know....I have no black beans!!! I REALLY wanted what I planned to have... so I went all the way back to Kroger for a can of black beans.  I refused to put $.71 cents on my debit card so I scrounged up some change from my piggy bank.  While I was out, I figured I'd fill up my gas tank since its cheap.  (It's sad that $3.69 is "cheap" these days.)  Wouldn't you know it...I started to drive away with the nozzle still in my car.  Well, I'll just pretend no one saw that either.  Needless to say...it's a glass of wine kind of night.  I had a nice, long, relaxing weekend but today my mind is obviously elsewhere.

If anyone is interested, here's what I made for dinner!  It's originally a Kraft recipe...but I modified it with cleaner/healthier ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 can no sugar added sweet corn- drained (or use fresh off the cob or cooked frozen, whatever fits your fancy)
• 1 can low sodium black beans -rinsed and drained or cook your own (I used canned today...more convenient)
• 1 packet low sodium taco seasoning (I've made my own before...but I lost that recipe!)
• 1 cup minute brown rice
• 4 whole grain tortillas
• cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray both sides of tortillas with cooking spray and bake 10 minutes. (Keep an eye on them...sometimes they burn!)

Meanwhile...make the brown rice according to the directions.  In a saucepan, mix black beans, corn, cooked rice and taco seasoning until heated throughout (about 5 minutes). 

Serve on tostadas and enjoy!  sometimes I add lettuce, tomato and part skim mozzarella cheese if I have it.  (Today was a cheese day!)

I'm not sure of the nutrition facts right off the bat, I'd have to sit down and figure it out...which I probably will if I add everything to my spark people nutrition tracker :o) (http://www.sparkpeople.com/. Check it out...it's free and there is a free smart phone app!)

This is seriously the quickest thing to make.  The filling is great in plain whole grain tortillas not toasted too!

Getting Frugal!

I was watching one of those shows where people make 5 years of my salary in one day....I think it was one of those real estate shows on Bravo.  I got to thinking....where have I gone wrong in life?? (kidding!!) In all actuality, I love the career path I have chosen for myself.  I love being a social worker and working with children and their families.  But, lets face it...social workers aren't exactly rolling in cash.  Perhaps it the Scorpio in me...but I have been feeling pretty frugal, so I decided to track my spending for one month.  Wow! Talk about eye opening!  There is still 7 days left of this month and I have spent way more money than I thought I had.  Now that I am completely finished with school...I am realizing that those student loans aren't going anywhere...and I suppose I shouldn't count on winning the mega millions as a back up plan.  I definitely think that I am going to keep tracking my spending, because it really does put things into perspective.  Now there are some expenses you really can't avoid such as rent, gas, food, and insurance.  Personally, I didn't feel like I was overspending until I took a look at the sum amount.  Little things add up!  I also realized that some of those "frugal tips" really don't work for me.  For example, I have read that its smart to give yourself a weekly "allowance" and pay with cash.  That doesn't work for me because when I have cash...I am more likely to buy that $4.00 coffee, a $3.00 protein bar or scratch off lotto tickets.  I am less likely to put those little purchases on my debit card.  So I guess you need to find what works for you and stick to it.  (But if I win the lottery...that would be fine, too) ;o)

My Top 10 Gym Pet Peeves

I am an avid gym-goer and most of the time everything goes smooth.  Other days, I swear every single one of my pet peeves happen right before my eyes!  So, tonight I decided to make a list of my gym pet peeves.

10. Bench hogs

I have seen these bench hogs messing with their phone, staring at themselves in the mirror, put a towel or water bottle on the bench and disappear for 10 minutes and also chit-chatting with their work out partner more than working out. RUDE!!

9. Perfume

A woman had some on last weekend and it was so strong I had to go somewhere else! Spray it on later, please!

8.  Barbies

Caked on make up, freshly curled hair, flowers in your hair....soooo not necessary!!!  Ladies who go to the gym after work might have their hair and make up on from the day...that's fine. Sometimes I see people look the way they should look when they go out!

7.  Naked prancers in the locker room

It's great and all that you are comfortable with your body to be walking around naked...but it's awkward! Yes, when you are changing SOMETHING might show...but do you really need to be talking to your BFF on the phone with it all hanging out? I don't think so.

6. Stinkers

Deodorant was invented for a reason.  Please, do us all a favor. 

5.  Those who do reps right next to the free weights.

Umm hi, see all those people standing behind you?  We would like to use those other weights that you are blocking.  K thanks.

4.  People who drop their weights.

It's loud, it's obnoxious, and you are not impressing anyone.  Not to mention that's why there is always a set of broken cables.

3.  Unnecessary grunting.

A little bit is fine.  Sometimes it helps you squeeze in that last rep.  BUT...When it goes a little past PG-13...you've crossed the line.  (Again, you are not impressing anyone.)

2.  Not re-racking

This is probably a tie with number one.  It really put a damper on my workout when I have to take 3 sets of 45 lb weights off of the machine. 

1.   People who leave sweat on the equipment. 

Ahh!!! This is DISGUSTING!!! You should at least put a towel down if you do not like to wipe off the benches or machines when you are done. 

Phew!! Glad I got that off my chest!  I'm sure I could come up with a few more but that is my top ten for now.

P.S. So pumped for Real Housewives of New Jersey!

NAMI, Bobbles, and the Attack of the Toilet Water

Today was a pretty productive day! I woke up bright and early and headed to the medical campus for the NAMI walk. *Ahem* puts on social work hat NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is an organization that promotes education about mental illness, spreads awareness and also advocates for those affected by mental illness.  Normally, I do not typically sign up for those walks, but I actually had to go today for my internship.  I am actually glad that I went, I had fun networking and hanging out with some of my co-workers.  One part of it that I disliked was that someone was handing out balloons.  Why did I dislike that? Well, when I was about 5 years old...I had a TRAUMATIC experience with one of those punching balloons.  I was walking out of Toys R Us with my dad, and I begged for one of those balloons.  I wanted the pink one.  We were in the parking lot and I started to punch the balloon punch..punch...BAM!! The stupid thing blew up in my face!  Still to this day, I am a little nervous around balloons.  Overall, the walk was quick and painless and it was for a good cause! 

For more information on NAMI visit http://www.nami.org/

I also purchased a new thing that I have been wanting for a while; a bobble!  It's a water bottle with the filter attached to the spout.  I love water...I don't really drink anything else but water and coffee so I always have a bottle of water with me.  I've been using my shaker cup for water which was kind of annoying and no matter what it always smells like protein powder...so today...I bought this!

This is what it looks like, only mine is pink instead of black.

So far, I love it! 

 The pros:

Filtered water always on hand, less bottles in landfills, looks cute!

The cons: 

 The water comes out a little slow, Having to buy replacement filters.

They have them at Target in 3 different sizes and lots of different colors.  I also saw a few at GNC.

Speaking of filtered water...my PUR filter was going CRAZY ...and I finally got rid of it.  I was pretty handy today and put on a new aerator AND replaced the sink sprayer because that was broken too.

OH! I also went to Hobby Lobby and had to use the restroom while wandering the aisles.  There was a sign in front of the women's and another girl had to go as well.  The worker blocked off the area for us and allowed us to use the men's room.  She was changing her baby's diaper so I went first...one stall looked backed up so I went with the other one.  The other girl must have really had to go because she then decided to try to flush the clogged toilet which lead to water spreading all over the floor into my stall.  I was surrounded by toilet water trying not to move because I was wearing flip flops.  Sooooooooo gross!  I managed to get out alive, left the store empty handed and went home.

Wow, this was probably the most random post ever! Haha

First Post!

Well...where do I begin?  I decided to start blogging mostly out of bordem.  Some of my friends have blogs and I decided to jump on the bandwagon.  This is sort of out of my box because I am a pretty private person, but I do think blogs are a great way to keep tabs on people, especially those who have moved away to different cities and states.   I have no idea what this blog is going to be about.  I have many interests and hobbies but I didn't want to make it a one subject kind of blog.  I'm sure I'll post my favorite recipes and fitness tips from time to time.
I recently achieved one of my biggest milestones in my life...I got my Master's Degree!  I can now write "MSW" after my name which is very weird to me.  I had to do the program for 2 years because I was not willing to leave my full time job.  I would have been homeless if that were the case! The first year was the hardest.  Twelve credit hours in the fall and ten in the spring...talk about busy!  I had to really get a grip on time managment.  Getting through the main classes was a huge relief.  The next year I had to focus on my finishing my field placement.  My school worked with me so that I could continue to work full time and do my internship.  Basically, I dissapeared for the next year because I was working and interning from 7am-8pm practically every day.  Somehow, I made it and graduated last weekend! I have 22 hours left in my internship and then I am a free woman.  It's going to feel so strange to not have to do assignments or go to class, but I think I'll get used to it. :o)

Me with my 2 favorite women; my grandma and mom. 

Not a fan of the way my hair looks with the mortar board on my head... but oh well!

Me with my boyfriend.  He has been so supportive while I've been in grad school and helped keep me sane!

Well that's all for my first post...Thanks for reading!