It's a New Year

Out with 2012, and onto 2013!  I guarantee I won't forget 2012, especially as I continue to write it for a few more weeks.  We didn't celebrate in a very momentous way, AT ALL.  My family was attempting to rid ourselves of the norovirus, and anything left in our bodies, so we all stayed in - cozied on couches and beds.  I did wake up around 11:58 to ring in the New Year, so that's something!!

Today's my birthday, and we're all finally feeling better.  I can't miss out on my mom's homemade Ho-Ho Cake, so I was destined to be better today!  We'll probably go out for a light dinner too, if we're up to it.

I mentioned before that I want to be a better blogger in 2013, so I hope this is a start.  I will consider that one of my resolutions, along with a few others.  I typically don't like declaring that I'm going to do stuff only to fall short, but I am sure I can change my ways on a few things in my life!  So, let's just lay them out here, shall we?!

1. Be a better blogger
2. Exercise more, move more, sweat more
3. Get a teaching job!
4. Read more books
5. Get some real bedroom furniture
6. Learn something "crafty"
7. Share the kitchen
8. Be more supportive of Nick's Paleo & Crossfit
9. Send more "snail mail" to people
10. Just be a nicer person!

I could probably make a bigger list, but 10 to start sounds great to me!

Now, excuse me while I find my party hat, and get myself out of pj's.  Let's party!

May There Be Peace

12/12/12 - Lucky 12's today!

Happy Holidays!!  

My plan for 2013 is to get back in the blogging world.  I said I would before, but that didn't happen.  2013 will be a new year, and a fresh start for my blog, amongst other things!

I hope you are all off to a good start with your holiday baking, decorating, shopping, and activities.  I know December is a BUSY month for all of us, so I wish you the best of luck!  Our apartment is decorated, the tree is up, and I have done some baking, shopping, and present-wrapping, but there is still plenty more to do!

When it comes to shopping, especially if you're a big online shopper like me, I can not stress it enough that using Ebates to get cash-back is sooo worth it. If my mom can do it, you all can do it!! :) It's a nice surprise to get cash-back at the end of every quarter!!  I'm almost to $36 this quarter alone, which is pretty exciting for me.

Go here, and sign up TODAY!!

 I hope this finds you well, and not buried in too much snow!  Be well, and I will be back after the first of the year!

 

Getting Back In The Groove...

Hello all, I realize it has been a long time since I blogged, but I am back.  Almost 18 months!! Ooops!  

I have been pretty busy, and things have been changing around here.  I graduated last Spring, but have yet to find a teaching job because I am attempting to transition to Rochester, NY.  Nick graduated the December before I did, got a job in Rochester, NY, and has been living there since July.  Of course, he travels a lot, and is living with a buddy to save up money for a place for us, so I can't complain.  I just miss him like crazy!!  But, I am pretty busy with 3 jobs, and random family/friend visits so that helps.  I still nanny for 2 very sweet, little girls, substitute at the Montessori school, and work at a pediatrician's office doing filing and office stuff.  

My sister got married and is expecting at the end of August, so I am pretty pumped for that!!  I just wish they knew what they were having already because this Cioci (Aunt in Polish) is ready to buy baby things!!

That's all for now, it's time for Modern Family!!  I love some Cam and Phil Dunfee!

Anniversary Weekend Recap

On August 6th, Nick and I celebrated our 5-year anniversary with a weekend trip to Traverse City, Michigan. All I can say is that I can't believe I lived in West Michigan for over 3 years and NEVER made it up that way. It was truly beautiful, relaxing, and had plenty of fun things to do. I can't wait to go back, and I know that Nick didn't even want to leave, but those darn work commitments get the best of us sometimes. These are the flowers he brought home Thursday night, before we left. So pretty! I just love Star-Gazer lilies, and there is also a Gerber daisy in there, amongst the others. Nick claims he doesn't know Star-Gazers are my favorite, but this is the second time he has gotten them for me...so I think he secretly does.

Nick and I left bright and early Friday morning and headed up north. We stopped at one of his favorite chicken places for lunch...Ya-Ya's. It was my first time there, and it was okay for a chain place. The chicken was pretty tasty and was grilled right there behind the counter on huge grills.When we got to Traverse City we checked into our hotel room then went out and cruised the sites. It was the Summer Street Sale downtown, so all the local shops brought tables and goodies outside. I loved the shops, and Nick and I bought lots of cherry goodness from the cherry place. We also hit up the warehouse district and stopped at the Right Brain Brewery for Nick to try a beer. We also ate at an AWESOME restaurant for dinner: Firefly. It was so delish! It was kinda tapas, but also had sushi and cuisine from all over the world...and a yummy Pineapple Upside Down Mojito for me. Mmm. Luckily we had a mini-fridge in our room because we had PLENTY of leftovers.

On Saturday, we got up early and headed up the Old Mission Peninsula. It is about 18 miles from town, and was one of the prettiest drives! I can't even imagine it in the fall when the leaves are changing. I WILL FIND OUT THOUGH! There were vineyards, and hops growing, beautiful houses, the lake surrounding us, fresh air, hills and clear skies. We drove all the way to the point and the Old Mission Lighthouse. And, I even climbed the steep/crazy steps to get into the top of that baby! Nick was shocked, but I still did it...and hit my head too! :)
From there we stopped at a general store, another brewery for lunch and brews, and my fave winery: Black Star Farms! Then, we headed back to town to check out some of the other shops and the wooden boat show, and to walk along the water and check out the pier. After that we had dinner at a Greek/Polish place (fitting for us since Nick is Greek and I am Polish) and we headed back to the lakefront to enjoy the sunset and such.
It was such a great getaway, and I am sure I am forgetting some parts of the trip, but this is getting a bit lengthy.
Now, the excitement for this weekend is that Nick is MOVING HOME from Cleveland! Hooray!
The only sad part is that means only 2 more weeks of summer for me, then it is back to the grind. *sadness*

SOME BARGAINS!!
An awesome coupon I found, and used 3 of at Target, is the $1/1 Post-It found here. I got 3 post-it note pads for FREE!!

Go here to request a FREE Smart Food Storage sample from Tomorrow's Harvest.

Click here and subscribe to one of the Organic Valley newsletters so that you can request a FREE Farm Friends Welcome Kit! The kit includes a Rootstock Magazine, kid's activity booklet, a bumper sticker and COUPONS!

More later,

August already!?!?!

It is so hard to believe that we are in the month of August already! That means it's almost time to go back-to-school, that summer will be ending, and most importantly, that Nick will be coming home! Hooray! It's hard not having your best friend/boyfriend around all summer. Not that I don't mind "me" time, but I love "us" time too. We will be celebrating our 5-year anniversary this weekend in Traverse City, Michigan. I am pretty pumped, except for the long car ride, since I just did the travel thing this past weekend too.

This past weekend my friend Shelley from Grand Rapids, Nick's youngest sister, Kyra and I went to my parent's house in SE Ohio. It was Shelley's first time down there so we took her to see the sights. Those "sights" include the statue of Mothman, the Point Pleasant River Front, Tycoon Lake, and the Bob Evans Homestead Farms. Truly exciting, I know. It's a whole different world down there. We also visited some of the local stores, and the best Amish country shoppe around.

Overall, it was a fun, but fast, trip to see my parents and my lovely dog siblings. We got to enjoy some home-cooked food, bon-fires, laughs, and celebrate my dad's birthday.

If you may recall I was starting a "crafty" project of sorts for Nick. One of the gifts my sister and Delver got him for his birthday (7/4) was a Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. bottle opener for the bar. From there, Nick decided he needed a cap catcher too, so I bought him one and it was pretty plain-jane, stainless steel...so I began to mentally create:

Some modge podge, random beer labels and stickers, and drying time later gave us this finished project:



So, I am pretty pleased and hope Nick will like it too!!

Thanks for reading,

I didn't blow away...

Ok, so I didn't blow away on Friday night, I just have a hard time imagining things to blog about sometimes, or remembering to blog. It happens.

I am looking forward to this weekend because Kyra, Shelley and I are going to my parent's house for the weekend. Shelley is coming down from Grand Rapids, Thursday night, bunking here, and then we are heading out on Friday morning. It should be a super time. I know my parents are excited to see Shelley and she is excited to see them. We are supposed to have a deck dedication party, show Shelley the sights, and just have fun. I begged my sister and Delver to come in from Indiana too... They just got home from a cruise in Mexico on Monday, so we shall see.
On the crafty side of things I am presently working on decoupaging Nick's new beer cap catcher for the bar, since he got his new bottle opener from my sister and Delver for his birthday. It started out plain like this:

But, by the time I am done it will be cleverly covered in Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and other brew goodness. It's about 3/4 done now, and I am pretty pleased with it-don't worry I will have pics. (I hope Nick will be too!)
I forgot, I am also looking forward to the start of Jersey Shore: Season 2 on Thursday. It's hideous, I know...but there is SOMETHING about it that peaks my interest. (Probably Pauly D's hair)

Now for some coupons and bargains::Head on over HERE to print a $1/1 Yoplait Go-Gurt coupon.

Sunbelt recently emailed out a new coupon! Head on over here to print a coupon good for $1/1 ANY Sunbelt 8-count box with a suggested retail price of $2.19 or $2.59, valid thru 8/30/10.

Starting tomorrow, July 29th, through Saturday, July 31st, head over to your local Old Navy store and you can snag up to 5 Layering Camis for only $2 each (regularly priced at $8.50)! Just be sure to print the coupon found here or just say “Cami 4 Me” to the cashier. (I've been to Old Navy twice this week, so I might as well head on back!!!)

If you are a fan of Ocean Spray, you can find $1/1 off the new blueberry drinks, HERE!
Enough for now, I better hit the hay. I have a lunch date, bank run, and birthday gift buying for my Dad in the morning...along with tidying up for Shelley's arrival. Good night!