Sweet Tea Diaries

Disney World!

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

For the last part of my vacation, we went to Orlando for 4 days to watch my brother run in the Disney Marathon and to celebrate my dad's 65th birthday! The best part was that my entire family was able to be there (except for Amy and the nephews). My dad knew that Bill, Anita, Chris and I were coming, but my other brothers John and Todd (plus Melanie, Todd's wife) flew in and surprised him! He was so happy to see everyone. The last time all of us were together in one place was when Bill and Anita got married!

Before meeting up with my family, we had one last get together with Chris' side of the family. Al & Jeanie were kind enough to offer to drive us to Orlando the following day so we thought it would be a perfect opportunity for everyone to meet up and have dinner. We had a delicious Cuban meal, complete with flan homemade by Al! It was awesome!!

On Friday, we headed up to Orlando to meet with my family. I was so excited that Al & Jeanie were able to meet two of my three brothers! They'd already met my parents in Las Vegas. We met at Downtown Disney, had dinner at Earl of Sandwich (super yummy & cheap!) and then spent a couple hours just chatting.

Bill ran his marathon on Saturday and afterwards, we all went to lunch at the Wilderness Lodge, which is where my two brothers surprised my dad!

Then we went to Disney World! We were able to ride Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Pirates of the Caribbean. We even stayed for the electrical parade and the fireworks!

We were at Epcot all day Sunday where we had lunch in Germany.

On Monday morning, we all went to the Crystal Palace for breakfast! Afterwards, we rode Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Peter Pan, and saw Mickey's Phiharmagic show.

My brother John and his family gifted me with a Flip Ultra (thank you so much!!!!) during the vacation so I was really obsessed with making videos the entire weekend. Here is a short video I put together of lunch at Epcot and breakfast at the Crystal Palace. The Flip comes with software, but I used iMovie to do this.

This was when things got interesting. My brother Bill (that participated in the marathon) started experiencing heart attack symptoms and had to be rushed to the hospital! (Side Note: Disney staff is super nice!) He ended up staying overnight and getting tested for everything under the sun. Luckily, he doesn't have any blocked arteries or anything else, and was able to be released on Tuesday morning. It was definitely a scary time for everyone, but I'm really glad that we were all together.

That pretty much sums up my vacation!

Catching Up!

2012-01-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

I know I still owe you guys a recap on my trip to Disney World. I have the post written and all of the pictures added, but I am determined to include a homemade video as well. I've put it together, but I still need to add background music. As soon as I do that it will be ready to share.

The Pats are going back to the Super Bowl! Sunday's game was the biggest test of the season, and while not perfect, they made enough plays to make it to the end. I have a theory - Tom Brady is in his 12th season, Bill Belichick is also in his 12th season as head coach of the Patriots, Tom wears #12, and the year is 2012.That's too many 12's to be a coincidence! It feels like it's meant to be Tom's year...

While we were in Key West, we ate dinner at Santiago's Bodega. One of our favorite tapas we had were the stuffed dates. I found a copycat recipe and made them over the weekend. These are a great appetizer that you can make ahead and serve room temperature.

Did you hear that Picnik is closing? This site has been one of my favorites to edit photos and create collages for my blog. I'm really sad that it's shutting down, but everyone will have access to regular & premium features until April 19.

C & I recently went to the movies and saw Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol and Haywire. I really liked both. MI was full of loud action and suspense and Haywire was more subtle but still thrilling. I think it took a few minutes to get used to the style of Haywire because it really didn't feel like an action film; it was a lot of silent moments and there wasn't added audio to the fight scenes so it felt really real.

I recently signed up for MyGlam. This is a pretty new company, started by a YouTube beauty vlogger, that sends a bag of 4 to 5 deluxe size (and some full size) beauty samples to you for $10 a month. I think that they are still working out some shipping issues as I was one of many that received a bag pretty late (they are supposed to be shipped by the 10th of the month). Overall I'd say that their email notifications about such delays were sufficient and I will continue to try the service for the next couple of months. I don't really consider myself that into "beauty & makeup" but I do like trying new things. Most of the products I use are sold at the drugstore so it's nice to have samples of higher-end products to try out.

I received the following products in my January bag: a full size Freeman cucumber facial peel-off masque ($8), a 2 oz. sample of Wen cleansing conditioner ($36 for full size), a full size Sheer Cover duo concealer ($29), and a full size theBalm Shady Lady eyeshadow ($16). I was pleased with the products considering I only paid $10.

Speaking of makeup and such, I recently discovered an awesome YouTube vlogger that I just love! Jen has great tutorials on how to apply eye makeup to monolidders like me! I tried out a couple of her looks over the weekend, and was actually surprised to see that I liked the effect that eyeshadow and liner have on opening up my eyes and making them appear larger. I'll never be a beauty expert, but it has been fun experimenting with new looks. She also does reviews of all sorts of products, many coming from the drugstore.

I'm sorry that I've been absent from my blog for so long. Getting back into the swing of things after a long vacation is hard to do. I still haven't completely unpacked from my trip...which is really embarrassing to admit, and I need to do it already! And work has been very busy for me since I've returned. It seems my assignments are never-ending. But I'm not complaining, just apologizing for being MIA this month!

Next up, I promise to post my Disney World recap, with video!!!

Trip Home & Key West

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

I need a vacation from my vacation! From Christmas Eve until my return flight home from Orlando, it was go, go, go!

Christmas

I arrived home the evening of Christmas Eve. My parents were stuck in traffic from a horrible accident on GA400 so I had an extra hour or so of sitting around before they were able to pick me up. Luckily, I was right in the middle of finally finishing up reading The Help so I didn't mind too much. We ate dinner at Buca di Beppo (a family favorite for many years!) and headed home.

On Christmas day, I slept in until around noon. I'm sure my parents were happy that I didn't wake them up at 4 am to see if Santa had visited. Once I was up, we exchanged presents and spent the rest of the day preparing for Christmas dinner, which we had the next day (my brother worked on Christmas so we postponed getting together until the day after).

I received some amazing presents, like this micro-polishing system for my face, a bareMinerals makeup kit, and the newest book by one of my favorite authors.

I have two of the best girlfriends in the world, and it makes me sad that I can't see them more often than I do. Megan & Jenny both came down to the house one day for lunch and to make cake pops!

My parents took me to their favorite restaurants while I was home so I had a lot of good food! For my friends living in Forsyth County, here are the websites for Kitani Sushi and Gasthaus. Both serve excellent food! So Me's is located in Helen, GA and is owned by friends of my brother. The food is really good as well.

(I didn't take that many pictures on the first part of my trip...oops. But don't worry, I have a ton from Disney World that I'll be sharing next.)

New Year's
I flew from Atlanta to Key West on Friday morning to reunite with Chris and his parents, Jeff & Danny. We had a jam-packed schedule from the moment I landed. We rode our bikes downtown to Duval St., watched the sunset celebration at Mallory Square, shopped, ate at a ton of good restaurants (like Seven Fish, Santiago's Bodega, and Louie's Backyard), and even did a key lime pie taste test challenge.

1, 2, 3

Our favorite pie ended up being the one on the far right, from Kaya Island Eats. This is a fairly new restaurant located at Mile Marker 14 on Saddlebunch Keys.

The nail polish in the second photo above is really cool! It is by a company called Del Sol, and indoors the color is a shimmery blue, but once exposed to UV light, it changes to a light purple! I think it's so neat!

My favorite "cousins" (Chris' first cousin & her family) sent me Lilly Pulitzer pencils and a notepad set along with fun sprinkles for decorating cupcakes! PS - Hiiiiiiiiiii Jeanie & Mishi!

Here are a few more pictures from the trip!

Chris & I had such a great time in Key West! Even though the island is small, I still feel like I didn't really get to see everything in my short time there!

Next up, I'll share pictures from Disney World for my Dad's 65th birthday!!

Top Ten of 2011

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

My vacation is over! I am finally back in California, and to say the last 3 weeks have been eventful would be an understatement. There was Christmas, New Year's, a trip to the hospital, a road trip to Orlando, 3 days of magic at Disney World, another trip to the hospital (for another reason entirely), and I've finally made my way home. I will do a vacation recap as soon as I can find the energy to get it together. xoxo, Angela

And just like that, another year is in the books! I thought it would be fun to compile a list of all of the great things that happened in 2011. I don't know what 2012 holds, but I'm excited to find out!

My Top Ten List of 2011

C&A Family Get Together!

Most couples worry about the moment that they meet each other's parents and even more so, the moment the parents meet the parents. Luckily, we had a great experience in Las Vegas and made so many unforgettable memories!

My Best Friend's Wedding!

One of my very best friend's (Jenny) celebrated her engagement and wedding in 2011. It means so much to me that I was able to be a part of her wedding and stand beside her on her special day. It's something we had talked about since we were teenagers!

beautiful photo by e.Jane Photography

Chick-Fil-A Opens!

Yes, this is actually on my Top 10 List! I'm not joking about how excited I am to have a Chick-fil-A within walking/riding/driving distance of my house & work. I went no less than 3 times just in the week it opened. And it never fails, the CFA craving always hits on Sunday!

Boston!

I have always wanted to visit Boston. Luckily, C & I were able to take a day trip there while visiting his parents in Rhode Island. The city is so awesome, with so much to see and experience. I especially liked seeing all of the historical monuments, C's college, and Newbury St.

Jenny's Bachelorette Party!

Jenny's wedding is already in my top ten, but Jenny's bachelorette party was a lot of fun too! I had a blast taking the redeye home, staying up all day to prep & shop for supplies, and then spend the weekend with some of my best friends! Dessert/sweet buffets are awesome, and I hope I can do another one soon!

Road Trip to San Francisco!

Our annual trip to San Francisco for the Double IPA Festival {2 years in a row makes it annual in my book} was awesome, except when it rained all of Valentine's Day and we were stuck walking around the city. My feet have never been so cold...We begin making our to-do & see list at least 6 months in advance, and this year we were able to mark quite a bit off. I've already begun a list for 2012's visit!

Amazing Television (old & new)!

We all know by now that I love me some TV! I was kind of obsessed with The Bachelor this year (Brad & Ashley's seasons) and I'll probably be watching Ben's season in January. But my favorite new shows of the year are Homeland and American Horror Story. My favorite returning shows are Hawaii Five-0 (love this show!), NCIS: LA, Castle, and Nikita (everyone should be watching this one, it's so good!).

Being in a Live Audience & Shown on TV!

I had been on the Dancing with the Stars waiting list for at least 2 seasons, and I finally got a ticket for the season premiere in September! You can read about my experience here. I somehow ended up being seated right behind Bruno and the rest of the judges so every time they would give a score, you'd see me on screen! That was my celebrity moment...video cameras freak me out!

Moco Coco's at Starbucks!

I am not a fan of coconut, but I couldn't get enough of this Mocha Coconut frappucino from Starbucks. The toasted coconut topping & mocha syrup put it over the top! I can't wait for warm weather so I can have these again.

Football!

When I was younger, I'd be the only one to keep my dad company while he watched the Miami Dolphins play on Sunday's. Granted, I was either reading or sleeping while they were playing so it wasn't so much about the game. Now, I love to watch football on Sunday, and I still cheer for the 'Fins and now also the New England Patriots because that is C's team. Football Sunday is so much fun! I'm sad the season is almost over...

As an aside, if you are one of the 1,000,000,000 Tom Brady haters, I implore you to watch this series of videos about him, The Year of the Quarterback. See the first of six videos here (and scroll through these videos to find the remaining five videos).

I hope everyone had a great Christmas & New Year! I have 1000+ posts to go through in my Google Reader, and I'm resisting the temptation to mark all as read. I will try to comment on as many as I can in the next few days! If I missed anything important (you know, engagements, babies, new jobs, etc...) leave me a comment with a link so I won't miss it.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

...to all of my wonderful readers!

I hope that all of you are having a terrific holiday break, spending it with the ones who mean the most to you! I am so grateful for this break. I plan on spending a lot of time with my family and friends; rejuvenating my mind & spirit before the New Year.

I'm sure I'll be back soon{ish} to update with pictures & stories of my adventures.

Until then, I wish each and every one of you joy and happiness this holiday season!

Thursday's Thoughts

2011-12-22T06:00:00.001-08:00

Only 3 days until Christmas!

I have a ton of laundry to do so I can pack for my vacation. I'm going to be in two different climates - warm & cold - during my trip and that's caused me to get out some summer clothes from storage. Keep in mind that I'll have ONE carry on for a 17 day vacation!! ONE! I have a feeling I'll be packing and repacking right until I leave for the airport.

I hope that everyone enjoyed the edible gift ideas I posted over the last couple of weeks. I really do love giving these types of gifts, especially to co-workers because it's an affordable way to include everyone. Plus, it's fun to be in the kitchen (with the exception of doing the dishes)!

I added a few decorations to my mantle. Since we aren't going to be here for Christmas we didn't bother with a tree. I added some of my favorite ornaments to the mantle along with some of the cards I've received (thank you, Janna!). I bought the banner at Michael's last year (Paula Deen's brand) and finally got around to putting it together.

My brother & his family recently moved to Dallas. I received the coolest Christmas present from them - an assortment of unique Texas items, like salsa and chewy pralines.

This is the Christmas tree that C's parents have at their house. Isn't it pretty?

Now tell me...are you ready for Christmas?!

Christmas Treats: Idea #5

2011-12-21T06:00:00.002-08:00

Thanks to Laur over at Sweets & Treats, I was inspired to try my hand at truffles. I am not fond of cake balls or truffles because they are too much work! Every time I've tried to make something like this, they turn out so ugly. But I think I've figured out the perfect dipping technique this time and I was really happy with the finished product!

This "recipe" has been all over the internet and it couldn't be easier.

Oreo Truffles
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 package Oreo's, crushed finely (reserve a handful of crushed Oreo's for topping)
Milk chocolate, for melting & dipping
Crushed Oreo's for topping
Red candy melts, melted for topping, optional

Mix cream cheese and crushed Oreo's until well blended.

Shape into 1 inch balls. At this point, I recommend freezing for at least 1 hour before dipping in chocolate.

Melt chocolate and a little bit of vegetable oil using the defrost setting on your microwave.

Dip in melted chocolate and top with reserved Oreo's. I also used red candy melts and drizzled it on top of half of the truffles.

Chill truffles again until chocolate is completely hardened. Place completed truffles in mini foil liners and store in the refrigerator.

My dipping technique: roll truffle around in the melted chocolate until completely covered. Pick up by the flat side of the truffle (the bottom that was resting on the baking sheet) with a fork, and tap the excess chocolate from the truffle. Using another fork, transfer the covered chocolate truffle onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Since the truffles are really cold, the chocolate will harden quickly so if you are using the cookie crumbs, make sure to get them on right away so they'll stick.

By the way, of all of the treats I took into work, these were the most popular! Everyone loved them and couldn't believe that they were homemade. After I figured out my dipping technique, these were also quite easy to do. Give it a try!

This is the last day of edible gift ideas. To see my other ideas, follow these links:

I hope you enjoyed these recipes!

Christmas Treats: Idea #4

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

I wish I had invented this Santa Hat Party Mix! It is too stinkin' cute! Shelly over at Cookies & Cups is the creative mastermind behind this clever holiday treat (see the original recipe here). I knew that I wanted to create an edible gift using cute Chinese take-out style boxes for the packaging, and this mix was perfect for that kind of packaging.

Santa Hat Party Mix (recipe created by Cookies & Cups)

Bugles (Caramel flavor, if you can find them)

Red candy melts

Mini marshmallows

White sprinkles

3 cups mini pretzels

1/2 cup craisins

1 cup salted dry roasted peanuts

2 cups Chex cereal

2 cups holiday colored M&M's

8 oz. white chocolate, for melting

To make Santa Hats: Melt the candy melts, along with a tablespoon of shortening, in 30 second intervals on half power in your microwave. Immediately dip the Bugles in the melted candy melts, and let them set up for 10 minutes on parchment paper or wax paper. When they are set, remelt the candy melts and dip just the bottoms into the white sprinkles. Flip the Bugle over, dip the top in melted candy and press a mini marshmallow on top.

For the mix: Spread all ingredients, except for the M&M's, on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Melt your white chocolate according to package directions and drizzle over the pretzel mix. Transfer into a large bowl and coat the entire mix with chocolate. Return to baking sheet and allow to dry. Once the chocolate is set, sprinkle M&M's and Santa Hat's over the mix.

Note: Bugles are almost impossible to find here in California! I finally got them at Wal-Mart.

To gift these, I put a good amount of mix into a plastic treat bag, tied it with ribbon, and then used a festive take-out style box to present the whole thing! You can forego to the take-out style box for easier packaging, but I think it really makes for a cute gift!

Christmas Treats: Idea #3

2011-12-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

Everyone loves a good "chewy on the inside, crisp on the outside" cookie. These gingersnap cookies were very easy to make and my whole apartment smelled like Christmas! This is a good recipe to have in your arsenal for the holiday season. Enjoy!

Grandma's Gingersnap Cookies (not my Grandma, but someone else's...)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup shortening (I substituted with unsalted butter)

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup dark molasses

1/3 cup cinnamon sugar (white sugar + cinnamon)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Sift the four, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir the mixture to blend evenly, and sift a second time into another bowl.

Place the shortening (or butter) into a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually beat in the white sugar. Beat in the egg and dark molasses. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the shortening mixture; stir to thoroughly blend. Sift in the remaining flour mixture, and mix together until a soft dough forms. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls between your hands. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake in the oven until tops are rounds and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Note: This recipe is absolutely delicious and very easy to put together! I had to go to a few different stores to find the dark molasses, but finally found it at Von's near the corn syrup. All of the other ingredients are things you probably already have in your pantry.

To gift these, I found cute round holiday tins at Michael's ($1.00 each) that fit 3 cookies each. I also packaged them by putting 2 cookies in a clear plastic treat bag with a little bit of shredded red & green filler paper.

TGIF

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness it's Friday! I don't know about you guys but this week was rough. Next week is the last full week of work before my vacation starts so I'm hoping it goes by fast. I can't wait to get home and get my holidays started. Today was also payday and I'm going to treat myself to a massage at some point this weekend. One of the greatest things I have found in LA is the $20 1-hour massage from the Chinese foot reflexology place - they are amazing!!

Anyway, my mom sent me this funny e-mail earlier this week and I thought I'd share it here on the blog! I hope it makes you laugh today! Happy weekend, folks!

Holiday Eating Tips

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare...You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate and wine in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Currently

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm linking up today with Jenn from Perfectly Imperfect, to share what is on my "Currently...." list. (PS - Two more edible gift ideas to come early next week, I promise! I have not been motivated enough to get in the kitchen this week and finish up so I'll have to do it this weekend.)

Current Book

I am actually not reading anything new at the moment. Come to think of it, I haven't even finished The Help yet. I was really into it, but got sidetracked when I traveled home for Jenny's wedding. I will have to try to finish it on the plane when I go home for Christmas!

Current Playlist

Michael Buble's Christmas

Lady Antebellum's Own the Night

Gym Class Heroes Stereo Hearts

Current Color

We'll go with the color boots I'm wearing today, which would be brown. I haven't had a manicure in who knows how long, but it's definitely on my list of things to do before I go home for Christmas. I'm thinking I'll go with a bright red color for the holidays!

Current Drink

Water. I haven't been visiting Starbucks very often lately, and my wallet thanks me.

Current Food

Trader Joe's Yogurt & Granola.

Current Favorite Show

Homeland is amazeballs. So good.

Current Needs

A vacation. Which I have coming up in 8 days!

Current Triumphs

Deciding on Christmas presents for both Mom & Dad. Woo hoo!

(Don't forget to check out Free Shipping Friday!)

Current Bane (s) of my Existence

My car's front tire has a slow leak. I am dreading the day that it dies altogether. A logical person would buy a replacement tire, but until the money fairy visits, I am unable to do so.

Current Celebrity Crush

Steve McGarrett...oh, I mean Alex O'Loughlin, from Hawaii Five-0.

Current #1 Blessing

Life!

Current Indulgence

All of the sweets & treats that are being brought into work for the holidays!

Cookies, chocolate, candy...

Current Outfit

My go-to during winter here in California - leggings, long sweater, & boots.

Current Excitement

Watching the Patriots/Broncos game this Sunday.

{Pats better not get "tebowed" or else...just sayin'}

Current Mood

Festive!

Current Favorite Holiday Decoration

The little pink tree in my office.

Current #1 Item on my Wishlist

iPad...pretty, pretty, pretty please!

Current New Year's Resolution

I haven't gotten that far...it will probably be the same things as last year - lose weight, take more pictures, and pay off my bills.

Feel free to play along & link up with Jenn!

Free Shipping Friday

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

I still have a couple of edible gift ideas to share with you, but I wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of this week's Free Shipping Friday. If you click the link, you will be taken to a website listing over 2,000 online merchants that will be offering free shipping on Friday, December 16th only, with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve (keep in mind that some stores may require a minimum purchase)! If you have any remaining Christmas shopping to do (let's face it, I haven't even started!) this is a great incentive to do your shopping online this year.

Here are just a few of the many merchants participating:

I recently sent Shari's Berries strawberries as a birthday gift,

and they were very well-received!

Basically every store you can think of is participating, along with quite a few etsy & ebay sellers! Be sure to check out the current list of participating merchants here (full list will be revealed at 12:00 am EST 12/16). Happy shopping!

(Thank you Mrs. Jansson, for posting about this amazing deal!)

Christmas Treats: Idea #2

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Peppermint Bark

12 ounces milk chocolate chips
12 ounces white chocolate chips

1 tablespoon melted shortening (or vegetable oil)

1 cup chopped peppermint candies

Melt milk chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in melted shortening (or vegetable oil) until smooth. Spread melted chocolate on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer to harden, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt white chocolate in the microwave, using the same procedure as the milk chocolate. Spread melted white chocolate on top of the hardened milk chocolate and sprinkle with the chopped peppermint candies. Let harden again; break into pieces.

To gift, I used a mason jar ($1.99 for the smooth jars at Michael's) and stacked up broken pieces of the bark inside then just tie festive ribbon on the outside of the jar! You could also use plastic treat bags if you don't want to buy a lot of jars.

These polka dotted treat bags are from the dollar section at Target.

Christmas Treats: Idea #1

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is only 13 days away!

For the next few days, I will be sharing some ideas for edible gifts for your friends and family. Everyone loves to eat, especially during the holiday season, so these ideas are going to be perfect for anyone on your list. This is a great way to stay on budget but still make everyone around you feel special! Also, all of the recipes I'm going to share are perfect for packing up and sending off to a loved one that may be far away.

When it comes to edible gifts, taste & presentation are key! (Note: If you are shipping treats to someone, be sure to package your items securely using bubble wrap, old newspaper, tupperware containers, etc. so that your baked goods won't move around too much in transit.)

Saltine Toffee

16 saltine crackers

1 stick butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Chopped pecans

Lay crackers in a foil-lined 8-inch square pan. Boil butter and sugars, stirring, 3 minutes; pour over the crackers. Bake at 375° for 5 minutes. Top with chocolate chips; bake 1 more minute, then spread the chocolate evenly. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Chill, then cut into squares.

(Note: I very easily doubled the recipe and all of the measurements worked out fine.)

To gift these, put squares in a clear plastic treat bag. Tie with festive ribbon and attach a gift tag.

I found this plastic jar in the dollar section at Target.

I used plastic treat bags and ribbon to package the remaining treats.

All ready to give out to my friends!

Christmas Wish List

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

My sweet friend Mags of The Fancy Pants recently featured my Santa List - the top 5 things I want for Christmas if money were not an issue! I had fun putting my list together and I'd love for you guys to check it out here.

Of course this got me thinking about what I would like to get for Christmas. I'm not expecting anything as my parents have gifted me numerous times throughout the year(s), helping pay my bills, flying me home for my best friend's wedding, and the list goes on & on. Truth be told, I am hard-pressed to think of any material things I'd like to have because the most important thing to me is trying to keep up with my current financial responsibilities and become debt-free in 2012.

However, it's tradition to create a list of wants (definitely not needs) so even though I expect none of these, it's still fun to share! I'd love to hear what is on your Christmas list as well!

iPad 2

Yes, the iPad 2 was also on my other wish list, but that just means I really, really, really want it! I wonder if I really even need an iPad 2, but then the commercials always convince me that I do. I already have an iPhone, and Chris has a lovely MacBook Pro that is fully-functional. Why in the world would we need to add a tablet to the mix??! BECAUSE! I have no real reason to back this up other than the simple fact that iPad's are cool. And portable. And it has a bigger screen than an iPhone so I will be able to see those Angry Birds a lot more easily. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

Farmer's Egg Crate

I always pick this up when I walk into Anthropologie, but for some reason I haven't bought it yet. I think it's an adorable & functional way to store eggs in the refrigerator. It definitely has more eye appeal than a cardboard carton!

Nikon 1

I love taking pictures and I love having a real camera, other than the one on my phone. This one looks awesome! I need it.

The Cupcake Diaries

I saw this book recently at Target and it looks so cute! I love their show on TLC so I know that I'd like their book as well. It has all sorts of personal stories alongside numerous recipes. It looks like a good read!

What's on your Christmas wish list?

PS - Don't forget to enter my December giveaway!

December Giveaway

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Up for grabs this month is an adorable holiday cupcake kit from Williams-Sonoma! I'm also including a set of TAG napkins, the perfect addition to your own holiday party.

If you would like to be entered for a chance to win, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know one thing you are doing to make someone else's Christmas a little brighter. I'll draw a winner on December 14 so there should be plenty of time to make use of these items before Christmas rolls around. Good luck & as always, thanks for reading Sweet Tea Diaries!

Thanksgiving Recap!

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Chris & I had a fun time in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving! I only lost about $40 once it was all said and done so that turned out better than I thought it would. I have never been that lucky, except for the one time I hit jackpot on a $1 machine. Since our 5K was on Fremont Street, we stayed at the Golden Nugget for the night. It worked out perfectly because we were just a short walk from the starting line.

Here are some pictures from our first 5K. It went pretty much like I expected. I knew that I hadn't had enough time to train and that it was going to be hard. The first mile went by quickly, getting to the second mile was hard, and the last 1/2 mile was really hard. But I'm glad that I did it and even though my time sucked, I proved to myself that I could get through it. I would like to continue to train and have another opportunity to improve my time.

For the rest of our trip we stayed at our timeshare located behind the Flamingo on the strip (great location!). After checking in, we watched football and I took a little nap. I was shocked at Ndamakong Suh's blatant penalty during the Green Bay/Lions game. I have seen & heard of his "dirty" style of playing, and he certainly showcased that side of him during one of the biggest and most watched games of the season. I don't know how anyone could defend him (even Lions fans) especially after his insane press conference after the fact. Yikes. Chris had bet on the Miami game and since they lost by less than 7 points, he won $60 :)

We decided to have Thankgiving dinner at Wicked Spoon, a buffet located at The Cosmopolitan. Not surprisingly, everyone else had the same idea. We ended up getting in at around the 3 hour mark so we were both really hungry and I might have been getting a teensy bit cranky. Luckily, the buffet was definitely worth the wait and I would highly recommend it to anyone going to Las Vegas. I liked it because all of the food was served in individual dishes plus it was all really tasty. They also have a macaroni & cheese bar where you can add all sorts of ingredients to basic mac & cheese. Delicious!

The best thing about our hotel was that we were right on the strip. We explored all of the casinos, watched the Bellagio fountain show (one of my faves!), and were able to get everywhere we wanted to go on foot. The Flamingo has a wildlife habitat on the grounds. It's a nice break from the smoke-filled casinos.

Here are some other random pictures from our trip.

Burger from Le Burger Brasserie;

Scorpion bowl from our favorite place, the Peppermill;

Holiday decorations at our hotel;

Deep-dish pizza from Chicago Brewing Company

Yummy tacos from Tacos El Gordo;

Bellagio fountain show;

Craft beer from Tenaya Creek Brewery;

I found Donny (love him)!

On Sunday, I decided to bet on the Patriots to beat the Eagles by 4 points or more. Boy, was I nervous during the first quarter of that game. I couldn't believe we were down by 10 in less than 5 minutes. But thankfully, Tom Brady must have heard that I put a lot of money on him so he went to work and won the game for me! I ended up winning $160! I think that was a good way to end the trip!

That was my Thankgiving in a nutshell. Now it's time to get in the holiday spirit! Today is our annual holiday party at work so it's basically a free day. We are in the office until about 11:30 then we are heading over to Fleming's for free lunch and all the wine we can drink in a 3 hour time span. Sounds like fun!

I'm working my way through an overfilled Google Reader so hopefully you'll be seeing some comments from me soon.

Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T06:00:00.001-08:00

Source: hostessblog.com via Cheng on Pinterest

Happy day before Thanksgiving! In keeping with tradition, I figured that today I would share a few of the many things I am thankful for. I give thanks everyday for the things in my life, but probably not often enough. It's so easy to get caught up in wanting things we do not have or not being satisfied with the things we do have.

a family that loves me

my friends that support me

Chris & his family

having a full-time job

a roof over my head

a car to drive

a bike to ride

Trader Joe's

my KitchenAid stand mixer

my blog friends

my freedom (& the heroes that protect it)

airplanes

the world wide web :)

potato chips

margaritas

gossip magazines

health insurance

toothpaste!

(some are silly, some are serious,

but i'm thankful for it all)

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. If you are able to spend it with your own family, give them an extra hug. Chris & I wish that we could be home with our own families, but since we are going home for Christmas there just isn't enough vacation time. Las Vegas will be fun though (with the exception of the 5K, which I am pretty sure will not be fun AT ALL!).

Possible Christmas Gift Ideas

2011-11-18T09:46:00.000-08:00

This is a random post, but I've come across some deals today, and I wanted to share! I have holiday shopping on the brain so I hope this helps some of you with your own gift-giving.

Mud Pie is at Zulily! This is another daily deal website geared more towards moms so the majority of deals are for kids items. But there are a good number of women's deals as well. There are some cute items from Mud Pie at discounted prices that would make great gifts (the sale ends 11/21 at 6am).

Click here for an invitation to this daily deal website.

Set of 3 Aluminum Water Bottles - $17.99

Set of 3 Photo Albums - $13.99

Lounge Pants & Boxer Set - $21.99

I'm really excited about this one. This weekend, Old Navy is having two 5 Hour Doorbuster Sales!

Saturday, 11/19, from 12pm-5pm, all adult outerwear will be 75% off!

Sunday, 11/20, from 12pm-5pm, all adult sweaters will be 75% off!

This is a great deal and perfect time to stock up on some winter clothes or gifts for your family and friends! I love to give my girlfriends a nice sweater and add a cute scarf. This is a great way to keep it budget-friendly. Keep in mind that this sale excludes clearance items and is IN STORE only.

Click here to see more information on this deal. Also, visit Old Navy's Facebook page to print a $5 off $25 purchase.

Updated to Add

Mamapedia is a daily deal website for moms, but even if you are not a mom, there are usually some good deals that you will enjoy. I have purchased a Pro Flowers deal for Mother's Day and a voucher for a monogramming website as well. Currently, there is a $40 voucher to Bloom.com for only $20 (offer expires 11/23). This website sells a bunch of top brands like OPI, Burt's Bees, CoverGirl, and Sally Beauty products that would make good stocking stuffers or additions to gifts for your girlfriends.

Click here for an invitation to purchase this deal from Bloom.com via Mamapedia!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! We are taking it easy and getting in our last minute training sessions before the 5K on Thanksgiving! I'm so ready for a break from work so Las Vegas can't come soon enough.

November Giveaway Winner

2011-11-15T06:00:00.001-08:00

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway! I wish that all of you could win, but there is always next time. I have another Williams-Sonoma themed item to give away in December so stay tuned!

The winner of the pie crust cutters is:

Bronco Mom!

Congratulations to one of my long-time readers & friend! I hope you enjoy using these cutters to make something delicious for your Thanksgiving table!

Lately...

2011-11-14T06:00:00.001-08:00

I'm tired after a busy birthday weekend for Chris! I will do a weekend recap and post pictures soon!

Lately, I've been loving:

Starbucks Cappuccino

with Hazelnut Syrup

Magnum White

Ice Cream Bars

C9 by Champion Running Pants

(currently $24 in store)

Chick-fil-A's Grand Opening

less than 2 miles from my apartment!!

This hilarious Thanksgiving video I created using
me, Chris, my Mom, Dad, and little "brother" Hiro!

Makes me laugh every time!
(not sure why it won't center???!)

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

What's making you happy lately?

Thursday's Thoughts & Late Weekend Recap

2011-11-10T06:00:00.001-08:00

Weekend Recap

Here's a quick {and very late} weekend recap for you! I found this really cute sweater at Forever 21 and I am in love with it! It's only $12.50! I chose the black/tan stripe combo, but there were at least 2 or 3 other color options available. I can't find the sweater on the website so maybe it's only in stores. I think I'll have to head back and get a couple more in different colors.

(that thing on my jeans is actually a sticker or something on the mirror of the fitting room)

Since Saturday was our only sunny day, we drove to Pasadena to do a bike ride around the Rose Bowl and some window shopping. Unfortunately, there was a UCLA game at the Bowl so we weren't able to do the ride we wanted to do. We still got in about 15 miles so it wasn't all bad.

After our ride we were freezing(!!) so we had to get some warm drinks from Starbucks! My first red cup of the season. Although I have to admit, I want to enjoy Thanksgiving before even thinking about Christmas and the holidays. We also bought some yummy cupcakes from a place called Dots. They were so delicious!

On Sunday we watched football ALL DAY. I'm not even kidding. None of my teams won except for Miami! I am extremely nervous about New England's remaining games this season, the way they are playing has me really worried for the Jets game this weekend.

On to Thursday's Thoughts

My Erin Condren planner arrived last week. I am very happy with it so far. It's obvious that a lot of time and effort went into making a functional & beautiful planner. I love that it is so aesthetically pleasing while still having the functionality you need and expect out of a planner. I was surprised with how large and heavy it is, but I've all but gotten used to the added bulk. I was disappointed that the monthly tabs are so easily damaged, but have found a solution for that problem. I'm still uncertain if I would order this again at full price ($50 + shipping), but ask me again in a few months. We will see how relevant it remains in my life. However, if you find a deal like I did on Zulilly ($25 for $50 worth of EC product), then I definitely recommend purchasing this planner!

My Thanksgiving 5K is now only 2 weeks away! I am scared! I have been having constant knee pain since my second week of training, and it has gotten a little bit worse after each session. I'm not sure what to do! After each session I've been icing my knees and stretching like crazy. It seems like my first and last running intervals are the hardest to get through. Do any of you have knee ailments from running and what was your solution?

I reached 1,000 miles on my bike last weekend! Only 400 more to go until I pay for my bike in gas savings!

That's all for today. We have a busy weekend planned to celebrate C's birthday! Oh, and in other really exciting news, Chick-fil-A finally opened today! I'm going to try to go tonight if it isn't too packed...

Have a great weekend and don't forget to enter my November Giveaway here!

November Giveaway!

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

I've noticed a few new followers here and I just wanted to say hi to my new readers and thank you for taking the time to follow Sweet Tea Diaries! I hope that you'll leave me a comment and let me know that you are reading! If you have a blog, leave me a link and I'll be sure to stop by!

Only 15 days until Thanksgiving so it's only appropriate that I do a holiday-themed giveaway!

This month, I thought I'd share one of my favorite Williams-Sonoma products - pie crust cutters! These are a great way to spruce up a holiday pie at your Thanksgiving table this year. I always use store-bought pie dough and these cutters are perfect for using up the extra scraps of dough and making a cute design out of it.

I'd love for everyone to enter this giveaway so simply leave a comment and let me know something that you are thankful for this season. I'll announce a winner on November 15, which leaves plenty of time to make use of these for your Thanksgiving celebration! Good luck & thank you for reading!

PS - Happy Birthday to my brother, Todd! I love you very much & hope you are having a wonderful day! See you soon!

Online Deal @ Paper Coterie!

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite coupon bloggers, Hip2Save, posted about a deal on Paper Coterie for $30 off any purchase through November 13 (not including shipping)! I've only read positive reviews for this company so I decided to check it out. Awhile ago, I thought of this great idea to make a recipe book for Chris' mom for Christmas. We exchange recipes fairly often so I thought a compilation of my favorite baking recipes would be a perfect gift for her. I was delighted to see that Paper Coterie offers custom-made recipe books for only $17.

It was really easy to personalize the book with my own pictures and text. I was able to add 15 recipes to the book, a personalized message, a table of contents page, and 4 full pages of color pictures. Once I added it to my cart, used the promo code, and selected the shipping method, I only paid $6.95 out of pocket!

Here is an example of one page out of the recipe book:

Paper Coterie has so many other options to purchase, most under $30, so you could be getting a free product(s) if you take advantage of this deal by November 13. With the holidays coming up, I am trying to save money/get deals on everything so I wanted to share this awesome deal with my readers. Hopefully this will help some of you out, too!

Click here for all of the details & the promo code.

Disclaimer: I was not asked by Paper Coterie to write this post, nor was I compensated in any way.

I wanted to share a positive experience I had with my blog readers.

Scarf Swap Link Up!

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

I hope by now that everyone has sent & received a scarf for the Fall Scarf Swap I hosted.

(If you haven't received a scarf from your partner, please let me know! I want to be sure that everyone fully participated. If there were any bloggers that signed up and did not participate, I want to be sure that they are not included in any future swaps.)

I hope that you will link up with me today and share the scarf you received from your partner.

If you have already posted about the swap on your blog, feel free to link that post here today!

I was partnered with Keri over at From Jersey Roots to Cowboy Boots, and let me tell you, she completely spoiled me! She sent me three (YES, THREE!) beautiful scarves and I can't wait to wear each one! I love all of the designs so much! Keri also included a Starbucks gift card that I will be using to get my favorite fall lattes.

Thank you so much, Keri!

Now it's your turn to share!

Link up below!

Today feels like a Monday

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Since yesterday was the Halloween party at work, it really didn't feel like a Monday. We goofed off for a majority of the morning, had lunch catered, and were hyped up on sugar all day. The best part of the day was winning the costume contest! I now have consecutive wins under my belt!

I submitted my costume photo to the official NE Patriots Facebook page and I'm hoping that by some miracle, Tom Brady sees it and decides he wants to meet me since I'm such a dedicated fan! I mean really, I wore this the day after the Pats lost to the Steelers so that's saying something about my loyalty :)

Chris & I had a nice weekend! I had a coupon for a free steak dinner from Outback so we went on a date Friday after work. I forgot how yummy the Bloomin' Onion is.

Since I've started running recently, I quickly discovered that my worn out running shoes weren't going to cut it for long. I had been looking into shoes on Zappos, but wasn't really committed to shopping online. We happened to go into REI just to look around after dinner, and I found a great brand and style of running shoes (this link is for Zappo's and the price is much higher) that were on clearance (only $63 for my pair). I was so excited and took it as a sign from above! Chris gifted them to me! I've done a couple of runs in them and I can tell a big difference in comfort already.

This is for all SCARF SWAP participants: I will have a link up on my blog this Friday. Please consider participating and sharing your new scarf with all of us! If you have already written a post about your scarf, feel free to link us to that post. I'd love to be able to visit all of you and I'm sure that others would too!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Up until Thursday afternoon, I had planned to take the easy route this Halloween. But of course I changed my mind at the last minute! I had an idea, but had no way to put it on paper. Thanks to Tim, he was able to take my idea and show me how to make it actually happen. A quick trip to Michael's and I was ready to start. Lucky Chris (I say this with total sarcasm) got to help me put it all together.

In case you couldn't tell, I am a football stadium (Gillette Stadium since I'm a Pats lover) & goal post!

This definitely wasn't the most practical costume seeing as I couldn't fit through any doors and I really couldn't let go of the sides of the stadium. But it was still a really fun idea and a lot of people were so surprised because it's not something you see every day!

I hope you guys are having a fun & spooky Halloween!

Thursday's Thoughts

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

The 5K I signed up for is in 28 days! I have been training for 2 weeks, but I will only be able to complete 6 weeks of the 10 week Couch to 5K program. I'm pretty sure I haven't given myself ample time to prepare and will probably have to walk some of the course. I guess we'll see how it goes on race day, but whatever happens, I know that I should/will be proud of getting out there in the first place. Thanks to everyone who has given me advice/encouragement! It's been really helpful & much appreciated!

Halloween is almost here! I think I know what I will be dressing up as (cheap & easy...the costume, not me!) so I'll have to get everything together this weekend. I also want to bring in a couple of baked treats for my co-workers, but I'm not going to go all out like last year. These cupcakes are really cute!

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Angela on Pinterest

As you all know, I'm a huge fan of Dancing with the Stars! It's one of my favorite shows. This week Chaz was finally voted off and he definitely deserved to go! His dances were hard to watch because there was never any improvement. I think the judges were mostly being nice to him and letting him skate by until this week. He took offense to the comments, but honestly, they were all deserved. I really, really, really LOVE David Arquette. Yes, he's crazy...but I think he's really genuine & quite lovable.

I'm still anxiously waiting for my Erin Condren planner to arrive! The status went from "Pending" to "Invoice to Print" to "Printed." I hope that means they are almost done!! Their store/work area is only 26 miles from my apartment so I think shipping should be really fast once they send it out.

Chris has a birthday in 17 days. Guess who he shares it with? Only the hottest man on planet Earth. It's okay to say this because I'm pretty sure Chris has a little man-crush on him too :)

Don't forget to enter my NOVICA giveaway by tonight. I will pick a winner tomorrow morning!

Everyone that participated in the scarf swap should have sent out their partner's packages by now. If you haven't, please do so as soon as possible. I asked from the very beginning that if you signed up, you follow the timeline. Packages should have been sent out by last Friday, but I completely understand that sometimes time just gets away from us. Please just keep your partner informed of the status.

Guest Post over at Belle on Heels!

2011-10-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi ladies! Today is a big day because I'm guest posting over at Belle on Heels! Sarah and I are old bloggy friends from way back in the day so it's a huge honor that she asked me to guest post while she's off getting married!

Here's a sneak peek of my post:

I'd love for you to stop by and find out what inspires me while {unofficially} planning my wedding. Because you know, you have to be engaged in order to plan or else you just look cray-cray...

And of course I'd love for you to leave some love for Sarah and send her your best wishes as she embarks on the most wonderful journey of her life!

PS - Enter my giveaway for a $50 gift certificate to NOVICA by this Friday!

NOVICA Review & Giveaway!

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Giveaway is Closed!

The winner has been contacted:

Emily said...

Wow, what a great company. I love knowing that products I buy are helping others. I'm so glad you informed us of this site! I looked at the website and they have a ton of wonderful items. I love the Talishmen(sp?) ring as well as a ton o the shawls!

This post is much delayed, but one that I am excited to share!

I was approached by a representative from NOVICA to see if I would be interested in doing a review and/or hosting a giveaway for them. NOVICA is one of the leading fair trade artisan websites, working with National Geographic to give talented artisans around the world a place to express their artistic talents and provide access to the world market. Their website has thousands of top fair trade gifts, accessories, jewelry, and home decor items, all uniquely crafted by talented artisans around the world.

Taken from their website:

We want to give artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity. And, we want to provide you with access to unique, hard-to-find items at great values that only the Internet infrastructure can allow. At the deepest essence of our philosophy, we want to create a bridge between you and the many talented artisans across the globe. We want you to know about who you're buying from. We want you to feel that attachment to the product and to the hands that created it.

In the spirit of the Internet, let us bring you together.

NOVICA. The World is Your Market.

I thought this was a really interesting company doing something wonderful for many talented artists that are in areas where there is little opportunity for them to have a chance to be successful. I think it's a great company that I'm happy to support.

I was given the opportunity to purchase something from their website. There are so many unique items that I had a tough time narrowing it down. I was able to decide on a beautiful scarf, made by the women from the Waqxaqi Kan Women's Group (read the whole story about this group here):

"Our husbands had died and we had to find a way to feed our children and give them an education. So we decided to form a group to look for opportunities based on our skills as weavers."

Isn't that amazing that by purchasing a scarf, I am helping these courageous women provide a better life for themselves and their children?

I received my scarf and it is absolutely beautiful! I know that every time I wear it I will think of how it was handmade with love and care and not in some factory by a machine. And I will also think of how this purchase helped a woman be able to provide for her family.

While I chose a scarf, there are certainly many more options of items on the website, ranging from men's cufflinks and scarves to women's belts, wraps, and handbags and unique home decor.

Some of my favorites:

My Heart & Yours

Mystic Fest

Elephant Stack

NOVICA has been incredibly generous, and would like to offer a $50 gift certificate to one of my readers! I would highly encourage each of you to check out the website, learn a little bit more about what they are doing to help those less fortunate, and I'm sure you'll find something to love!

If you'd like an opportunity to win the $50 gift certificate, please leave a comment on this post letting me know what you'd choose if you are to win. NOVICA has many ideas under $50 (check that out here). I'll select a winner this Friday, October 28. Good luck!

Camcorder Question

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

I apologize in advance for the boring nature of this post...

We already know that I am the least technically savvy person out there. But lately I have had the urge to video tape my outings and activities - whether it be to share here on my blog or just to have so I can share with my family & friends. My life is not that exciting, but there are definitely times where I want to shoot a little video or capture a memory in another form besides a photograph.

This leads me to a question - do any of you have the Flip UltraHD device? I saw these going around last year (my parents and brothers all got one for Christmas) and I've wanted one ever since. I've read mixed reviews on the device so I thought I'd ask you guys for a recommendation. Please keep in mind that I have no desire to be "fancy" with what I'm doing and I don't need a $1,000+ camera/recorder to be happy.

I like that the Flip is reasonably priced (the 4GB is currently only $47.99 at Best Buy), has a one hour recording time (which is definitely plenty for what I want to do with it or I could get the 8GB which records 2 hours), and that it's easy to upload and edit videos using the FlipShare software.

But then I get confused by reviews that say negative things like 1) the battery doesn't last; 2) Flip's being labeled as 3rd Generation when they're really 2nd G (which has a battery bug); 3) horrible video quality; 4) no ability to pause in a video; 5) the company has stopped making this product (why would they do that if it were a good and successful product???); etc., etc., etc....

Please let me know if you have any experiences with the Flip products and if you would recommend them! Why or why not??! Or would you recommend another brand besides Flip, like the Sony Bloggie Touch or something else that I may not even be aware of? Any & all advice/comments will be appreciated :)

Updates {Thursday's Thoughts}

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

It feels like forever since I've updated my blog (yesterday's pictures don't really count)! I'll try to fill you in quickly...

I'm hoping that since I haven't heard otherwise, that everyone received the email about the fall scarf swap and have successfully contacted your partner. Please try to send out your partner's scarf by this Friday (which I just realized is tomorrow)!

I have a review and giveaway coming up soon...details to come next week!

I've signed up for my first 5K! I'm using a Couch to 5K app on my iPhone to train. This is perfect because I needed to find a way to stay motivated while losing some extra weight. The 5K gives me an end goal and makes me want to stay on my diet & exercise routine. I've been alternating training for the 5K with my bike riding and I feel great so far! I can really see a difference in my energy level.

Yes, we will be in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving!

Speaking of riding my bike, I reached 900 miles earlier this month, and am less than 30 miles away from 1,000! I am so happy that it has finally cooled down here and I have been able to ride my bike more! The only downside is that it has started getting dark on my evening commute and I really need to get the proper gear so that I can be sure that I'm visible to car drivers.

My work is having another Halloween party this year, and I'm stumped as to what I will dress up as. Last year's costume was so perfect, and I'm struggling to come up with an equally impressive idea for this year. Does anyone have any ideas for me?

I finally caved to the blog pressure and ordered my Erin Condren planner (thanks to a deal on Zulily!) and I'm so excited for it to get here.

And now you are caught up on what's been happening in my life since I returned last week.

Wedding & Vacation Pictures

2011-10-19T06:00:00.001-07:00

Finally! Here are the pictures from Jenny's wedding and my trip home to Georgia. This is definitely photo overload, but I don't care. It's my blog and I can post as many pictures as I like, right?! :)

Enjoy!

The first few days of our trip was filled with wedding activities - bridesmaid luncheon, rehearsal dinner, shopping for shoes to wear with my bridesmaid dress, getting a manicure, etc. etc. etc. The first set of pictures are from the wedding activities.

my sweet "nephew" is growing so fast!

my best friend (Hunter's mom) and I at the rehearsal dinner!

the bride's niece and I became best friends

because of our love for sparkles!

my mom and I before the wedding (she did my hair!)

Chris and I before the wedding

the wedding ceremony

husband & wife!!

first dance with the little girls watching...so cute!

The wedding consumed the first 3 days of our trip, but then it was all about family! Unfortunately my dad had a business trip that had him out of town so that is why he isn't pictured below...

Of course we had to take Chris to Jim 'n Nick's and as usual, it was DELICIOUS!

We took a scenic drive through the mountains,

and I was happy to see my old college town doing well!

We made a stop at the pumpkin farm.

And went apple pickin' in an orchard in Elijay!

Eating dinner with my brother (#2 of 3) and his family.

Chris had to have a drink at the #2 rated beer bar in the world!

Their food was delicious. I will dream about this

turkey cobb sandwich forever.

Rainy day in Decatur!

Our pumpkin display outside of the house.

Last family dinner at Mellow Mushroom! Yummy!

Chris had to see some home footage of me when I was little.

You would not believe my southern accent, y'all :)

I was pretty funny as a child...

I really am sorry that there are so many pictures here! But I didn't feel like splitting this up into two posts. If you made it through, thank you and I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my vacation.

New [Cheap] Shoes!

2011-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

While I was home, I had to do some last minute shopping for a pair of heels to wear with my bridesmaid dress. I looked at over 5 different shoe stores, but couldn't find anything! The dress was called "truffle" but it was more of a greeny-gold color. Regular gold seemed too light and bronze was too dark. I felt like Goldilocks! Anyway, I eventually found a pair that worked (thank Heavens!) at Payless! The best part was that it was Buy One Get One 1/2 Off so I was able to snag two pairs of shoes for about $30. Since I will likely not wear the bridesmaid shoes again, I really don't feel bad about paying $4.50 for them :)

But, the whole point of this story was to share the second pair of shoes with you...the ones I will wear!

Kylie Wedge Pump

Aren't these so cute? As you all know, I'm a bargain shopper and while I like the animal print trend, I don't want to spend a lot of money on those kinds of pieces. So these are perfect! The wedge is a great height and they are super easy to walk in. The print will add a nice pop to an otherwise simple outfit, and I love the rounded-toe look with a pair of skinny denim. And at less than $30, you really can't go wrong!

PS - If there are still any of you that didn't receive an email about the fall scarf swap, please go ahead and let me know. I believe that all of the email addresses were accurate so it may just be a matter of checking your spam folder.

Fall Scarf Swap Update

2011-10-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

* Updated to Add: I copied all email addresses directly from the comments left on the original post. For some reason, several of you have let me know that you didn't receive an email, even though the email addresses you are giving me are the exact same as the one I sent to in the first place. Maybe there is a glitch in the system and it is taking some of you longer to receive the email than others because I have not received any "can not deliver to email" messages. PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER! If you still haven't received an email by tomorrow morning with your swap partner's information, then go ahead and let me know at that time. Thanks.

If you signed up for the swap, and did not receive an email from me today, please let me know immediately.

Also, if there is a mistake with your email address or your blog link in the partner's list that I sent out, please just inform your partner directly. You can also look back at the original post and scroll through the comments to find your partner's information.

The important details to remember:

The spending limit is a minimum of $15 (you are free to spend more than this on your partner), not including shipping.

Please try to have your packages sent out by Friday, October 21.

Thanks again, ladies! Have fun!

PS - My vacation was awesome! I'll be back soon to post a recap with pictures, but here is one of the beautiful bride (aka my best friend) to tide you over!

Sign Up for the Fall Scarf Swap!

2011-10-05T06:00:00.001-07:00

Fall Scarf Swap

Thanks to a handful of interested readers, I have decided to go ahead and host a Fall Scarf Swap!

Here are the details:

If you left a comment on my previous post about wanting to participate in this swap, please leave a new comment on THIS post so I know that you are for sure participating.

By signing up for this swap, you are committing to send your partner a scarf in the time period specified! The last thing I want is someone to not receive a package. That's just bad karma, folks. So please only sign up if you are serious about following through - to sign up, leave a comment on this post with your e-mail address. If you don't have a blog, you can still participate!

The spending limit is a minimum of $15 (you are free to spend more than this on your partner), not including shipping. Since scarves are pretty lightweight and can be bundled up in a lined envelope/small package, shipping should not be that expensive. USPS has great prices on priority shipping so I recommend checking them out.

Once you've been assigned a partner (I will pair you up randomly) it is your responsibility to communicate with them and find out anything you will need to know - address, favorite colors, etc. - in order to send your package.

The deadline to sign up will be next Monday, October 10. (I will send out an email with everyone's partner information on or before Wednesday, October 12.)

Please try to have your packages sent out by Friday, October 21.

At some point I will post a link-up on my blog so that you can share your new scarf with everyone (probably sometime after October 26 so everyone has time to receive their packages).

I'm really computer illiterate so this button is very basic, but please feel free to share on your own blog about this swap. I'm pretty sure you can just click the image below and it will take you to my photobucket page. You can then copy the HTML code for the image and paste it into your own post/blog to share with your readers.

(PS - if this isn't working please let me know since I'm not sure

if this is the correct process or not....)

Thanks to all of you that expressed an interest in this swap, I think it will be a lot of fun!

Tuesdays at the Table (8)

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of weeks since I participated in the recipe link up over at Cole's blog, All the Small Stuff. I haven't really been cooking very much so that's why I haven't had anything to share! But I did bake a wonderful pumpkin bread last week that everyone was raving about so I figured it's definitely worth sharing!

Fall is my favorite season and there is just something so cozy about the smell of pumpkin bread baking in the oven. I found this recipe for Pumpkin Cranberry Bread and it had such great reviews that I knew I had to make it.

Prep time was so fast - it was ready to go in the oven in about 10 minutes, maybe less. I used mini loaf pans (5"x3") and baked them for about 50 minutes at 350°. The bread comes out super moist and the spiciness from the pumpkin pie spice is really delicious. Then there is the tartness & sweetness from the cranberries which puts this bread over the top!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 2teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 cups granulated sugar

1 can (15 ounces) LIBBY'S®100% Pure Pumpkin

4 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup orange juice or water

1 cup sweetened dried, fresh orfrozen cranberries

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Greaseand flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.

COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice,baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juicein large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flourmixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter intoprepared loaf pans.

BAKE for 60 to 65 minutes oruntil wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wireracks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe makes two loaves.

FOR THREE 8 x 4-INCH LOAF PANS:
PREPARE as above. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes.

FOR FIVE OR SIX 5 x 3-INCH MINI-LOAFPANS:
PREPARE as above. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.

I took this to work and it was gone so fast that I wasn't able to snap a picture, but I promise it's worth making!

Busy Bee!

2011-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Happy almost Friday...aka Thursday!!

I apologize if my posts and commenting have been few & far between recently. Work is swamped (the same as last year) and I'm trying to juggle that with my regular life. Plus I have to fit in all of my TV shows, duh :)

If nothing else, I always want to try to get my Thursday's Thoughts up! It's a chance for me to somewhat organize all of the thoughts swirling through my head at any given moment.

I leave in 6 days for my best friend's wedding! Besides being really excited, I haven't even had a chance to think about the details - like what I'm wearing for the bridesmaid luncheon or the rehearsal! Good thing I already have a dress for the actual wedding or else I'd be really worried!

I've been obsessing over this dress (finally marked down!) for a few weeks and thought it would be good for one of the wedding events. Yay? Nay? Keep in mind that I would most definitely be wearing at least 3" wedges/heels so I won't look so short.

One thing I'm really looking forward to while I'm home is meeting Bronco Mom! She no longer blogs, but has been such a sweet friend and reader throughout the years so I'm excited to put a face to our friendship!

I'm really sad to say this, but Charlie's Angels was pretty terrible. Like really bad. Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I will continue to watch (i.e., play bejeweled on my iPhone) until it's canceled, which I'm guessing will be in just a few episodes.

On the other hand, I am really enjoying Revenge and Ringer. Both of these shows are full of drama and very soap-y so they are definitely good guilty pleasure shows. The plot of Ringer is so absolutely ridiculous though!

Last night Chris & I made these sinful nachos for dinner. They were delicious! I had been craving that buffalo chicken flavor for at least a week now, and these definitely hit the spot.

On that note, I actually have ridden my bike to work 3 days this week already so I feel a teensy bit less guilty about chowing down on those nachos last night.

Please read this last bullet:

On my last post, I mentioned that I love scarves! Would any of you be interested in participating in a fall scarf swap by any chance? I participated in one a long time ago and it was so much fun! I've only hosted one swap before so I'd like to get an idea of if I would have any participants this time around. Please let me know in the comments! And just to mention, the spending limit would probably be around $15 or less so this could be a budget-friendly way to make a new blog friend and receive a stylish scarf at the same time!

That's it from me today. I hope that all of you are having a nice week - remember, Friday is almost here!

Fall Essentials

2011-09-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Looks like the 90° weather is going to continue this week! I jumped the gun and wore boots last week, but it was not the best idea I've ever had. Luckily I sit inside of a cold office all day so I wasn't too miserable...

I wanted to share a few fall essentials that get me through the season!

Boot Shapers

The days of misshapen boots bundled up at the bottom of your closet are over. Simply squeeze these boot shapers together to insert them in your favorite pair of tall boots. The sturdy construction will retain the shape of your boots and keep them looking like new. Convenient hanger allows you to hang the boots from a closet rod.

Lip Balm

It gets really windy here with the Santa Ana winds in late fall and early winter. Lip balm is essential in making sure my lips stay moisturized and smooth! My favorite is still the classic Burt's Bees (which I now have a new one thanks to Alyssa!)

Scarves
It would not be an exaggeration to say that I wear a scarf almost every day. I love them so much! Forever21 has some great scarf options for really good prices. I like to keep my wardrobe pretty neutral and add a pop of color or print with a scarf (all options below under $10 at F21).

Reflective Riding Gear
One of the great things about fall is the cooler temperatures (= more bike rides), but it also means less daylight. When I'm riding I want to make sure that every car driver can see me! There is a company called Relax Reflect that makes all sorts of clothing with reflective designs built right in! It's so cool, and I think I am definitely going to need a pair of star leggings for riding in the dusk/dark. Check them out if you are a runner, biker, etc. and do a lot of training outside.

Slow Cooker
It's like having an in-house chef when you use your slow cooker! Put something in it before you leave for work, and when you come home, there is a delicious meal waiting for you. It's like magic! I find recipes all over the internet, but some of my favorite sources are: The Girl Who Ate Everything, Pinterest, and Crock Pot Girls (no pictures, but lots of recipes).

What are some of your fall essentials?

Favorite Things Swap

2011-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I recently participated in a Favorite Things Swap, hosted by my friend Leeann over at Join the Gossip!

I was partnered with Alyssa from Ten Feet Off Beale and I am glad to have been introduced to her blog through this swap. Please check it out if you haven't already!

Alyssa is a Jersey girl currently living in Memphis. She sent me an awesome package with some of her favorite things: a Burt's Bees sampler pack, an Elvis Presley cd, and a bottle of Corky's BBQ sauce (yum)! I love how she represented Memphis with Elvis and Corky's. I went to Graceland many years ago, and was fascinated by Elvis' life. He was quite the talented man so I'm excited to have one of his cd's with some of his greatest hits! And BBQ sauce is my absolute favorite, I use it on EVERYTHING! I can't wait to try the world famous Corky's!

Thank you Alyssa for my new goodies and to Leeann for hosting such a wonderful (and well organized) swap!

DWTS: My Studio Experience!

2011-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I was expecting it, but it was still sad to see Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) be the first celebrity eliminated from Dancing with the Stars this week!

Did you watch the season premiere on Monday? Isn't the new studio amazing? It's even more amazing in person! That's right, I was there! By some crazy luck & being in the right place at the right time, Chris and I were able to get into the studio for the live taping!

I had to go to Beverly Hills for a doctor's appointment Monday afternoon so we thought we'd swing by the studio afterwards and see if we could get in. There were at least 500 people waiting, but luckily we got in as seat-fillers!

At first, we were seated in the very back facing the stage, but only sat there for one routine (Ron & Peta). Then two "celebrities" with reserved seating showed up and we had to move. For the next two routines (Rob & Cheryl; Kristin & Mark) we were standing with the crew watching on a TV screen. At the next commercial break, a stagehand moved us to the back of the right side of the stage, but I only sat there for about 30 seconds. We were split up, and I moved RIGHT BEHIND THE JUDGES' TABLE! It was insane! And Chris got a much better seat a few rows behind the entire Kardashian clan and Billy Baldwin! Haha!

It was really so much fun! I couldn't see the dances because the judges' table was in the way, but I had a good view of the critiques and the judges kept turning around and talking to us, especially Bruno. Tom Bergeron was also walking by a lot and was so nice.

I saw Courtney Cox and her daughter CoCo (so cute!), Pee Wee Herman, former Bachelorette Melissa and her husband, Ralph Macchio, Niecy Nash, Margaret Cho, and probably a few others I can't remember. Courtney was so nice to her fans! She talked to everyone and shook hands. Her and David Arquette seem so genuine and real. Unlike the Kardashian's. Kim was on her phone the entire time, Kourtney looked bored out of her mind, and Kris and Bruce just sat there like statues. Lamar and Khloe were the only ones that seemed like they were enjoying themselves.

LMFAO also performed so the segment you saw on Tuesday's episode was actually filmed on Monday night. They didn't really show it, but Bruno was going CRAZY on the table, taking his clothes off and all over Carrie Ann. It was so funny!

We couldn't take cameras or phones inside so we had to watch the episode to see if either of us would be shown. As luck would have it (being totally sarcastic here!), I appear almost every time that Bruno gave feedback or gave his score. I like to think that I was like the 4th judge. See for yourself, but blink and you'll miss us!

And that was our Dancing with the Stars experience! I highly recommend going to the show if you can get tickets. It's really well organized and so much fun!

Oh and just for fun, my favorites are JR Martinez and David Arquette! I hope that Rob Kardashian and Elisabetta Canalis go home soon.

Otter Box

2011-09-21T06:00:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I finally bought a case for my iPhone! I had a plastic-y case that wasn't doing much in the way of protection so I was always worried about dropping it and cracking the screen (this would definitely be equivalent to my worst nightmare, I love my phone!). My friend had told me about the Otter Box cases, but I didn't think they were very attractive and they seemed really bulky.

I went to Best Buy to check out the selection of cases, and what do you know? I ended up loving a case made by Otter Box! It's definitely pricey (for me at least!) at $45. But I guess when you think about it, that's a small price to pay in order to protect a very expensive phone.

I chose this case in the hot pink/black combination.

By the way, it's listed as $49.99 on the website, but Best Buy was selling it for $39.99 last weekend.

I wasn't asked to write this review, I just thought it might be helpful for my fellow iPhone users in case they may be searching for a good case. I highly recommend this brand!

Fall

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Like all of you, I am so happy that fall is on its way! The temperatures finally dropped into the low 90's this week so I'm hopeful that fall will arrive in Southern California sooner rather than later. I am ready for sweaters, boots, the return of my favorite television shows, caramel apple spices from Starbucks (although I'll miss my moco coco's a lot), Halloween shenanigans, dark nights, and comfort food!

Source: threeyearsofdeath.blogspot.com via Jaime on Pinterest

Source: meggielynne.tumblr.com via Megan on Pinterest

Source: atfirstblush.onsugar.com via Chynna on Pinterest

*Update: Katie at Loves of Life made this bucket list, and a free printable version can be found here.

I think this bucket list that is making its way around Pinterest is too cute! I think I'm inspired to make a fall bucket list of my own...stay tuned!

What are you most looking forward to this fall?

Pictures from Carlsbad

2011-09-16T06:00:00.001-07:00

Very late weekend recap - this is from last weekend!

One of our favorite places to visit while in Carlsbad is Pannikin Coffee & Tea. They have the cutest little shop and yummy breakfast options. This time we rode our bikes there and it was a perfect morning to do that. Riding along the beach just feeds the soul and makes everything that much more enjoyable. If I had my way, C & I would be saying Sayonara to LA living and moving south to the land of happy people and relaxed living. We shall see.

The outside of Pannikin

Carlsbad and the surrounding area is so bike friendly!

We saw at least 500 bikers in a span of a couple of hours.

The inside where you place your orders at the counter

The breakfast options are all so delicious!

This time we split an everything bagel with a sundried tomato/pesto cream cheese spread.

On the way back, I got a flat tire (again)!

Leucadia Cyclery was nearby and they provided great and fast service.

Quick stop at the beach to look for frolicking dolphins.

No sightings this time.

We also hit up a few breweries (C's favorite thing to do).

I got my Chick-Fil-A so I was happy (mouth full in the picture).

We love Pizza Port!

They actually had a beer this time that I enjoyed - Warm Waters Wheat

Our half and half pizza

We ventured to the Gaslamp district on Sunday and had breakfast.

Cafe 222 is where Bobby Flay gets the peanut butter & banana stuffed french toast.

(C made me wave like a dork!)

That was our trip in a nutshell. I'm almost embarrassed to tell you guys that we went to Pizza Port every night for dinner. I love pizza (and like my bloggy buddy b.e.g., i can put down quite a bit in one sitting. thanks b.e.g. for inspiring me to "keep it real")!

We also went to Green Flash Brewing Company and checked out their awesome facility. It was so nice.

Thursday's Thoughts

2011-09-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am NOT excited about Ben Flajnik being chosen as the next Bachelor. He was a strong contender for me early on in Ashley's season, but his charm quickly faded when I realized how boring he was. Not even being a winemaker can save him.

But JP and Ashley are still going strong! That makes me so happy! I really do think they are going to last. Here's a cute story (and pic!) about Ashley's dog being besties with JP.

I am so excited for Dancing with the Stars this season! Will you be watching? I could care less about the "controversy" surrounding Chaz Bono. I don't think his life or choices should be an issue or make people stop watching the show. Maybe some of you disagree, and I'd love to hear your thoughts (in a nice way, please).

Did any of you watch the season premiere of Ringer? I love SMG from back in the day so I'm excited that she is returning to TV. I am not expecting much from this show, but I think it will become a guilty pleasure. I'm hoping that the pace slows down a bit and that the characters really start developing.

This weekend, C & I are using a Groupon that I bought a few months ago for a Korean BBQ restaurant in Los Feliz. I hope it's good!

Have you tried the new Salted Caramel Mocha Frappucino from Starbucks? It is delicious! They even sprinkle sea salt on the top of the whipped cream...that's the best part!

Tom Brady is hot. And fun to watch, especially when throwing touchdowns. Which is pretty much ALL THE TIME. Mark Sanchez* can only wish he was as good as Tom. As if. He also probably wishes he could do cool commercials like Tom. Case in point:

*Sorry folks, but I am not a fan of the Jets!

I hope everyone is having a great week! It's already almost Friday again so that should put a smile on your face!

Fall TV Dates

2011-09-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

My bloggy BFF did a post similar to this recently, we think alike!

I'm a self-proclaimed TV junkie! Looks like I'll be busy next week with the premiere of all of my favorite shows! Here are the shows I'll start out watching, but I may weed some of them out as the season goes on:

Sunday
Boardwalk Empire (this is for C) - Sunday, Sept 25, 9/8 c
Pan Am (NEW) - Sunday, Sept 25, 10/9 c

Monday
Dancing with the Stars - Monday, Sept 19, 8/7 c
Castle - Monday, Sept 19, 10/9 c
Hawaii Five-0 - Monday, Sept 19, 10/9 c

Tuesday
Ringer (NEW) - Tuesday, Sept 13, 9/8 c

NCIS - Tuesday, Sept 20, 8/7 c

NCIS: LA - Tuesday, Sept 20, 9/8 c

Wednesday
Survivor - Wednesday, Sept 14, 8/7 c
Glee (?) - Wednesday, Sept 21, 8/7 c
Revenge (NEW) - Wednesday, Sept 21, 10/9 c

Thursday
Charlie's Angels (NEW) - Thursday, Sept 22, 8/7 c
The Mentalist (?) - Thursday, Sept 22, 10/9 c
Private Practice - Thursday, Sept 29, 10/9 c
Bones - Thursday, Nov 3, 9/8 c

Friday
Nikita - Friday, Sept 23, 8/7 c

I'm excited to give a couple of new shows a try. I'm most excited about the Charlie's Angels reboot and I hope it turns out to be good. I don't have the highest hopes for it, but I also didn't think Hawaii Five-0 would be good and it's my all-time favorite show on tv now! I was intrigued by the Revenge promos so I will give it a shot. I will most likely be cutting Glee and The Mentalist this year. Neither show kept my interest last season.

I'm disappointed that Nikita got moved to Friday nights. I hope this isn't a bad sign for the success of the show because it is one of my favorites! If you haven't watched, I highly recommend getting caught up and adding it to your list this season. It's so good!

Did you hear about the Five-0 & NCIS: LA crossover??! I for one, can't wait for that episode!

What's on your must-watch list this season?

Tuesdays at the Table (7)

2011-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

I missed last week's link up with Cole for Tuesdays at the Table!

I haven't really done much in the kitchen lately so I was stumped as to what to share today. Then I remembered that a couple of you have asked me to share about the desserts I made for the dessert table at my best friend's bachelorette party.

I did most of the work the day before the party and finished up a couple of things the day of. I'm going to break each dessert down by ingredients, tasks, and timeline. I feel kind of silly doing this because everything was literally so easy, but I do hope this helps at least one person searching for dessert tables on the internet....

List of Desserts:

Chocolate Brownie Parfaits - makes 20 servings, using these mini parfait cups

Banana Pudding Parfaits - makes 20 servings

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

White Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Cheesecake Pops

Chocolate Brownie Parfaits

1 JELLO instant chocolate pudding (the large size)

1 Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix

1 lb. Freshly chopped strawberries

1/2 tub Cool Whip

Day Before - Make your instant chocolate pudding and the brownies. You can keep the pudding in the refrigerator until needed. Once the brownies have cooled, break into small pieces and keep in a tupperware container.

Day Of - Chop the strawberries into small pieces. Line up your parfait cups and set up an assembly line - brownie bits, pudding, and strawberries. Put a small amount of brownie in the bottom of each cup and top with a couple tablespoons of pudding. Add a handful of the chopped strawberries. Repeat until you have 2 layers of each ingredient.

Right Before - Add cool whip to each parfait and top with a sliced strawberry.

Notes - I actually had a really hard time finding mini parfait recipes so I kind of made these up!

Banana Pudding Parfaits

1 JELLO instant vanilla pudding (the large size)

1 box Mini Nilla Wafers

2 Freshly sliced bananas

1/2 tub Cool Whip

Day Before - Make your instant vanilla pudding. You can keep the pudding in the refrigerator until needed.

Day Of - Slice the bananas. Line up your parfait cups and set up an assembly line - broken vanilla wafers, pudding, and bananas. Put a couple of broken vanilla wafers in the bottom of each cup and top with a couple tablespoons of pudding. Add 2 banana slices. Repeat until you have 2 layers of each ingredient.

Right Before - Add cool whip to each parfait and top with a vanilla wafer.

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

1 bag Snyder's pretzel rods

1 bag milk chocolate candy melts

1 bag white chocolate candy melts

Sprinkles or other topping

Day Before - Set up a cookie tray covered with wax paper. Sort out your pretzels, eliminating the ones that have been broken. Melt your chocolate according to the package directions (usually 1 minute in the microwave, followed by increments of 30 seconds). Quickly dip your pretzel in the melted chocolate, using a rubber spatula to distribute the chocolate on about 3/4 of the pretzel. Be sure to apply sprinkles before the chocolate cools. Set on the wax paper and allow to cool completely, about 24 hours.

Notes - These are so easy to make, and everyone loves them! I've seen etsy sellers that sell these, but why pay for it when you can do it yourself in about 5 minutes? These also look really cute packaged up in plastic treat bags and tied with ribbon. You can change the color of the chocolates/sprinkles to fit just about any theme!

White Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1 box Duncan Hines white cake mix + Ingredients to make

1 cup butter, softened

3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted

1 t. vanilla extract

1 to 2 T. whipping cream (I used whole milk)

Sprinkles or other decorative topping

Day Before - Make your cupcakes according to package directions. Allow to cool, then store in a tupperware container until ready to frost.

Day Of - Make the vanilla buttercream frosting. Top each cupcake with a swirl of frosting and add sprinkles.

Notes - I was able to make 18 cupcakes and generously frost all of them using the above recipe.

Cheesecake Pops

1 store bought cheesecake

1 bag milk chocolate candy melts

1 bag white chocolate candy melts

Sprinkles or other topping

Paper straws or other stick, optional

Day Before - Make the cheesecake balls by using a melon baller. Place on a cookie tray lined with wax paper. You can use paper straws or short lollipop sticks (from Michael's) to make the ball into a pop. Place in the refrigerator until ready to dip in chocolate.

Day Of - Melt the candy melts and dip each pop individually. You will want the pops to be completely hard, otherwise they will fall apart. I found that 30 minutes to an hour in the FREEZER will help a lot. Sprinkle each pop before the chocolate cools down. Set on a tray and put back in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes - The cheesecake will get hard to work with once it warms up. Try to work as quickly as possible. I was able to make 30 pops from a store bought cheesecake.

Like I said, these are more like how-to's than actual recipes. I do hope that someone finds this useful though! And I promise I'm done talking about the dessert table now :)

Happy Birthday

2011-09-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

to my Mom!

I hope you have a great day celebrating (even if you are one year older)!

Love,
Angela

Weekend Getaway

2011-09-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness the weekend is finally here!

We haven't been able to fit in a trip to Carlsbad this entire summer! No fair! Luckily, we've got some timeshare points that need to be used up so we'll be heading down today after work for a much-needed weekend getaway!

MarBrisa Resort

I'm hoping to lay out a little (the high is only 70° so good thing there is a jacuzzi), ride my bike along the beaches, and eat more than my fair share of Pizza Port. What a great way to say Adios to summer!

Have a great weekend folks!

PS - Thanks for all of your sweet comments on my dessert table! It was a lot of hard work, but definitely worth the effort. I couldn't have done it without my mom & dad, who were both running around helping every way they could (my mom pretty much did every aspect of the table besides the baking)! I have the best parents :)

Thursday's Thoughts

2011-09-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about going home involves getting to eat all of the food I miss while living in California! I drink my weight in sweet tea, eat biscuits & gravy like they're going out of style, and basically just gorge myself on one bad (but oh so good!) meal after another!

This was a short trip so I only had time for a few meals. In fact, on Sunday night I chose to have both Moe's and Zaxby's because I had run out of meal times! But to be fair, my dad did eat most of my nachos so it wasn't a complete disaster....

Breakfast at Cracker Barrel, one of my favorites!

Dinner at Jim 'N Nick's! I love the cheese biscuits and collard greens.

Dinner at Moe's and Zaxby's. I'm only slightly ashamed by this.

Another favorite thing is finally getting to meet my "nephew" Hunter! He is 6 months old now, and absolutely precious. I was so happy that he liked me :)

I'm really loving my new nails. I used a light pink OPI (not sure the name) color as the base, and added glitter to one of my nails on each hand. It's so feminine and pretty!

I hope everyone is having a great day! I love a short work week and am excited for this weekend.

Party Pictures

2011-09-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi ladies! Well, I survived the weekend, but just barely! I was flying by the seat of my pants (is that the right expression?!) and everything is a blur. If I didn't take pictures, I wouldn't have remembered the party even happening! I'll share the pictures now (I always forget that my tumblr links to my twitter feed so many of you may have already seen these).

Dessert Table

Candy Treats

Decorated Cupcakes

Paper Lantern Decorations

Cheesecake Pops

Petit Fours

Straws with Flags

Left Side of the Dessert Table

Right Side of the Dessert Table

Some of the girls at the Pottery Painting Class

Jenny, Megan, and Jill (the bride's sister)

Me, Jenny (the bride), and Megan before dinner

We had a lot of fun and I think Jenny really appreciated all that we had put together for her! After the pottery painting and dinner, we went back to my parent's house for dessert, presents, and games. Everyone loved the dessert buffet, but we definitely made too much so we sent everyone home with boxes of treats and candy. You can see the favor candy boxes at the back of the table.

Remember how I talked about ordering corset cookies for the party? Unfortunately, they all arrived completely broken. The etsy seller I purchased them from was very professional and issued a refund immediately. I was pretty upset that this happened, but my mom has a friend who offered to do some decorated cookies on short notice. You can see them in one of the pictures above.

The mini parfaits were the most popular dessert and they were so easy to make. I did one chocolate version where I layered brownie, instant chocolate pudding, and diced strawberries. The other was banana pudding, where I layered mini vanilla wafers, instant banana pudding, and sliced bananas. Both were topped with Cool Whip.

We also had a lot of fun painting pottery for the bride. We all picked different pieces and painted them in Jenny's kitchen color scheme so she'll have these homemade pieces to remember forever. Hopefully she'll get some use out of them! I thought that was a clever idea for an activity. I did a spoon rest and she also got a cake stand, a pie plate, a casserole dish, and some other smaller pieces like a trivet and candy dishes.

I highly recommend etsy seller "the bakers confections" for any of your baking needs. I ordered sprinkles, baker's twine, and the straws and they were all so perfect for the occasion!

I guess that's about it. It was a quick trip but worth every second. Now I am ready for October to arrive so I can go home for the wedding! C is going with me too so we should have a lot of fun!

Thursday's Thoughts

2011-09-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

This week has been the week of zero sleep! I am so tired, but can't seem to get my mind to stop racing come bedtime. I finally resorted to downing half a bottle of cold medicine last night because I was so desperate to sleep! Since I'm running on iced coffee, I apologize in advance if this post is all over the place.

Lately, I've been really into painting my nails. My most recent look is a base color of blank slate by sonia kashuk topped with Sephora by OPI Flurry Up Top Coat. I love the purplish-gray hue of the polish and the glitter just makes it fun!

I finally purchased The Help and I'm so excited to read it. I was going to start last night, but of course my Nook was out of battery. Hopefully I finish the book before the movie leaves theaters.

My blog & IRL friend Leeann over at Join the Gossip is hosting a Favorite Things swap. It's been awhile since I've done a swap so I'm excited about participating in this one. The spending limit is a reasonable $20 before shipping so sign up if you'd like to participate too! The deadline to sign up is tomorrow.

Chris & I are open to a couple of different possibilities that could lead to big change for us. No details and really no clear sense of what is coming, but I'm excited for the possibility of any sort of change. If one thing is for certain, it would be that change is inevitable. I am prepared to welcome it with open arms!

One good thing about C & I is that we are weathering quite the storm in every department of our lives, except for our relationship with each other. We have grown stronger & more committed to creating the life we both dream of, and doing it together. I find that to be a tiny nugget of positivity and hope in this tough personal & internal battle I'm struggling through. Okay, that sounds quite dramatic, and it really isn't that bad. :)

Source: tabletonic.blogspot.com via Nemcy on Pinterest

A big thank you to my sweet friend Janna over at Happiness is a Journey for sending me an uplifting card this week. It made me smile!

PS - I tried, but I can no longer watch Bachelor Pad 2. It is too terrible and as long as Kasey & Vienna continue to be there, I can't take it. They are truly disgusting human beings. And I'm trying to be nice.

PPS - I'll be MIA from the blog this weekend because it's finally time for my BFF's bachelorette party! I'll be back next week with all of the details and plenty of pictures!

Winner!

2011-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi ladies!

I'm so sorry that I forgot to post a winner to the 500 Posts Giveaway. I have been sidetracked with a few other things going on right now so it completely slipped my mind! Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway and for everyone who gave me new ideas for future blog posts!

I really do hope that all of you realize how much you mean to me! I wish that every single one of you could win. I am planning on doing a small giveaway once a month so there will be more things to win soon!

The winner of the Vera Bradley wristlet is Jessica from Southern in the City! In addition to the wristlet, I am also throwing in a $10 gift card to Target and since I'm obsessing with all things nails lately, a beautiful nail polish perfect for fall.

Vera Bradley wristlet

$10 Target gift card

Sonia Kashuk nail polish

(Color: blank slate)

Congrats, Jessica! Please email me with your shipping address so I can send your goodies to you.

Again, thank you to everyone who entered! Your comments mean the world to me!

Tuesdays at the Table (6)

2011-08-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

For this week's Tuesdays at the Table, I thought I'd share a {labor-intensive} recipe I made quite a few weeks ago. Both Chris & I loved the flavors of these chile rellenos. Since it was my first time attempting something like this, I made quite a few beginner's mistakes that I would not make again the second (and third, and fourth...) time. We will definitely be making these again as they are really flavorful and delicious.

Real Chiles Rellenos

(the ingredients below reflect my own changes;
if you want to see original recipe, click link above)

Prep: 45 minutes / Cook: 45 minutes / Servings: 4

Ingredients

Peppers

4 large poblano peppers (I used pasilla)

1/2 block monterey jack cheese

1/2 block sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup all purpose flour, for dredging

Sauce

1 can Mexican style stewed tomatoes

1 T vegetable oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 T distilled white vinegar

1 t. Mexican oregano (I used regular Italian oregano)

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. black pepper

1/2 t. hot sauce (I used Tabasco)

1/8 t. ground cinnamon (secret ingredient that makes this sauce delicious!)

Batter

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

5 egg whites at room temperature

1 egg yolk, beaten

For Frying

1/4 cup all purpose flour, for dredging

1 cup oil

Directions

(It's a lot of steps, but worth it at the end)

1. Preheat the oven's broiler and set the rack about 6 inches from the heat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place the peppers on the baking sheet.

2. Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, about 8 to 10 minutes per side.

3. When the peppers are about 80% blackened, place them in a plastic bag, seal, and allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. (Note: This tip is helpful because it makes the skin easier to peel off; grab an extra produce bag from the grocery store and use that to put the peppers in.) Once cool, remove the skins and discard. Cut a slit lengthwise into the side of each pepper and remove the seeds and veins. Pat dry with paper towels.

4. Cut each cheese block into 4 smaller blocks. Use one of each to put inside of each pepper. Keep the openings closed with toothpicks. Lightly dredge the peppers in flour and dust off the excess. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. (Note: The cheese will become too hard in the freezer and will not have enough time to melt while being fried. Place in the refrigerator instead. Even doing this, you may have to heat in the microwave to melt cheese completely. See Step 7.)

5. To make sauce, blend the stewed tomatoes in a blender until pureed and set aside. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion until translucent. Add the garlic, cook for about 30 seconds, and then add the tomatoes, chicken broth, vinegar, and spices. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer the sauce until reduced by half and thickened, about 20 minutes.

6. To make the batter and finish the rellenos, mix 1/3 cup flour with salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until the whites form stiff peaks. Lightly mix the egg yolk and flour/salt mixture into the egg whites to make a fluffy batter. Remove peppers from the freezer and coat them in flour again then dip each pepper into the egg batter.

7. Heat frying oil over medium high heat until the oil shimmers. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot oil and fry on both sides until the batter is golden brown and the cheese filling is hot, about 5 minutes per side. Place peppers in the warm oven until ready to serve. (Note: Since the peppers had been in the freezer, the cheese was quite hard and didn't get melted through while frying. To melt the cheese, I just microwaved the peppers for about 2 minutes. This didn't compromise the flavor or crispiness of the pepper in any way.)

The finished meal:

My favorite part was the sauce! It was so yummy and I want to try it on other dishes like enchiladas & tacos! I hope my tips & notes will help some of you have an easier time making this delicious dinner. Don't be put off by the number of steps and components because it really is much easier than it looks.

Too Funny

2011-08-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

My mom sent me this e-mail and I knew I had to share:

The Safe Guide to Women

Dangerous: What's for dinner?

Safer: Can I help you with dinner?

Safest: Where would you like to go for dinner?