Randomness

My hubby and I have an inside joke about going up to someone with a really nice small car, such as a BMW Z4 and saying, "I like your Miada". LOL

Now, I don't know if you think that's funny, but we think it's hilarious.

I sooooo wanted to say that to this person in front of me going 10 MILES below the speed limit THE WHOLE WAY into work this morning. Although, I think it really was a Miada...oh well, if I had a chance to speak with this individual, I could have come up with something else that would have made them as mad as they made me.....

Anyway, also wanted to show you the one and only plant I have in my office, which I bought like two years ago and have almost succeeded in killing.

I like to think of it as "mostly dead"....









(sorry for the Princess Bride reference...I'm in a really random mood, if you couldn't tell.)

Hmm...instead of blogging, maybe I should be looking up gardening tips online???

Anyway, it's really pretty outside today--total contrast with al the rain we had yesterday and to the cold weather we have coming in this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend, my sister, who is a hairdresser, is putting highlights and lowlights in my hair...so excited and I cannot wait!!!

Before and after pics to come....

Yeah, I warned you in the title that this post was going to be random :)

blah...

It's a very blustery and windy day today...don't feel like working. Don't feel like working out. Don't feel like going to the grocery store (which is something I really need to do). Don't feel like doing anything...

and it's raining....Feeling very blahhh

Best Cookies Ever!!!

Well, at least in my opinion....The little tweaks I have made to this recipe make the cookies light and fluffy and chewy and a little more "spicy" if you will. Okay, now I'm drooling....

Here's what you need:
1/2 cup butter (I use "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Sticks)
1 cup sugar (you can also sub granulated Splenda)
2 eggs (or egg substitute)
1 tablespoon milk (I use Silk Almond milk)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups flour (I use wheat flour)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pumpkin Pie Spice to taste

Here's what to do:
Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Add half of the flour and baking powder, stir in Pumpkin Pie spice, milk and vanilla, then the remaining flour mixture. Mix only until combined.
Drop cookie dough by the spoonful approx 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet .

Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon sugar, or grated nuts, if desired. (I use a little sugar and cinnamon on top of mine--makes it taste more like a snickerdoodle.)

Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden on edges of cookies (depends on size). Decrease oven temperature if cookies are browning too quickly.

They will look something like this when they come out...

(image from quickcookierecipes.net)

Voila! Perfectly wonderful cookies!

(My recipe above was adapted from this recipe on cooks.com.)

Happy New Year!

Happy 2012 Everyone! My hubby and I didn't do anything for New Year's Eve. In fact, I fell asleep at 10:30 on Saturday night. LOL So sad...I'm not even 30 years old yet!

But, because I didn't stay up so late on Saturday night, I was able to do lots and lots of stuff on Sunday! I had a cleaning/organization day of sorts...

First, I organized my coupons and picked out the ones I will need to make my grocery list for this week.

I did SEVERAL loads of laundry.

(Yeah, sorry about the stock photo, my laundry is really not interesting enough to be the object of a photo shoot!)

I got a cheap-y plastic shoebox and made myself a manicure kit (which is what I am the most excited about)! It's the little things, ya know...

And, I got my thank you notes written to my family for the Christmas gifts they gave me (and I made sure to include coupons in their letters that I know I would not use before they expired).

Yesterday, I was superrrrrr lazy and I love love loved it! I got up at 8:30 and had breakfast and coffee with the hubs, then after watching some Monday morning TV, I went back to bed for a long nap.

Then, all I did all day was shower and make my weekly grocery run...

Now, back to work...Yay me.

very blessed

We had a wonderful Christmas visiting with family, giving and receiving gifts, eating, and laughing. I didn't take not even one single pic because I was too busy having fun!

I am so blessed to have the wonderful friends and family God has placed in my life.

Now, onto thinking about my New Year's resolutions....more to come on those later!

Hope you and yours had a very Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

My Thoughts on Christmas: Let's Be Real for a Sec...

This post will probably totally burst your cheerful, cozy holiday bubble...it's not warm and fuzzy-just matter of fact and real...so don't say I didn't warn you...

The older I get, the less I like "Christmas". By "Christmas", I mean the American Traditional Version (of course, I love celebrating the birth of Jesus....aka: the real Christmas).

1) The house too crowded to put up a tree (we live in a 1 BR apt with four bookcases that are stuffed to the brim, if that gives you any idea...). Plus, my hubby has been having a super busy semester and I have not been wanting to make too much of a distraction for him by dragging all the decorations out. Also, I just didn't feel like it.
2) We never send Christmas cards because A) stamps cost too much and B) we don't have any kids yet, so what's the point? Everyone knows cards without kid pics get put in File 13.
3) We are too old to do "Santa presents" with my parents anymore and as I mentioned, we don't have kids, so we wait until the day after to open gifts with my immediate family. Which is totally fine with me--that's not the meaning of Christmas.
4) I don't start listening to "Christmas" music until I am basically forced to (and I refuse to listen to it until after Thanksgiving at all costs). I start listening about 2 weeks prior to try to get in the "Christmas mood"...
5) I hate the mall....(when I was a teenager, I never thought I would feel that way!) Seriously, though. It's too expensive, too crowded, and too overrated.
6) I hate all the light up, blow up santas and penguins and crap people put in their yards. Two words: TAC.KY. I'm ready to see those things come down.
7) One day I will actually get brave enough not to buy gifts for anyone and to tell them not to buy gifts for me. Giving gifts to people simply because it's what you're "supposed" to do this time of year is in no way celebratory of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I like what someone told me a couple of days ago, "...I'm ready for Christmas to be over. It's too expensive and stressful and you have to be nice to people you don't like..." LOL Except for the last part, I agree. I'm ready, too.

So, as you are indulging in your "Christmas" traditions this weekend (which I will be doing the same thing, so I'm truly NOT holier than thou, trust me), keep this in mind...."...the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” ~Matt. 20:27 He was born to die. For you. For me. To pay for our sins.

That's the real meaning of Christmas.

Merry CHRISTmas one and all.....

sparkles

I think I love sparkles as much as any eight year old girl.......who cares if I'm 28?

Ahh, so pretty!