#scintilla13: 7/1/13 - The day Reader died

This is not something incredible interesting that happened to me, as The Scintilla Project specifies for today's post, but it has me so overwhelmed that I had to share it. Plus, I'm sure it affects many of you as well.

So, here we go, an instruction manual on the day I found out that Google Reader will die.

1. Log into Google Reader to browse today's blog updates.
2. A window pops up informing you that Google Reader will be retired on July 1, 2013.
3. You can navigate to Google Takeout (has anyone else ever heard of this before? I hadn't), where you can download an archive of every RSS feed you subscribe to and your entire Google Reader life.
4. As of July, you are SOL and in search of a new RSS reader.

Ahhhh! Does anyone else have a good RSS reader suggestion??? I'm desperate!

A little thought for the day

Sometimes, someone makes you smile... and suddenly your whole world gets brighter.

I've been thinking this all week, and it's stayed with me -- which is a great thing. So, I wanted to share it.

British consistency vs. counting sheep

Image credit: Scientific American

I stumbled across a useful, interesting and amusing article the other day, and I wanted to share it with you. I want to preface this with letting you know that I work for a British company, and half of my coworkers are British. My ancestors were British, and I love tea, along with the pomp and circumstance that inspires many distinctly British traditions.

Therefore, I chuckled as I read this because it is so... British! At the same time, however, I wondered if this is truly the trick to getting a good night's sleep every night.

According to The Telegraph, getting a consistently good night's sleep is all about... Consistency.

The article references a study done by surveying several Brits on their nighttime routines, and there were several common variables among those who reported sleeping well on a consistent basis. Apparently, by adhering to the following steps nightly, one will sleep perfectly every night without fail.

HOW TO ACHIEVE A PERFECT NIGHT'S SLEEP
1. Watch 1 hour and 46 minutes of television, preferably a soap opera or comedy quiz show
2. Spend 41 minutes talking to someone (partner, on the phone to mother, etc.)
3. Browse the Internet for 51 minutes
4. Have at least 2 hours and 7 minutes rest after cooking, washing up and doing the chores
5. Last food before bedtime --usually an evening meal -- should be eaten at 8:29 p.m.
6. Last drink before bedtime -- usually a cup of tea -- should be consumed at 9:10 p.m.
7. Go to bed at exactly 10 p.m.
8. Spend 20 minutes in bed reading
9. Finally fall asleep at 10:26 p.m.
10. Lie on the right side of the body
11. Sleep on the right side of the bed when facing the ceiling
12. Sleep with partner cuddled into back
13. Wake at 6:47 a.m. to the sound of the alarm clock

What do you think? Will it work? Will you try it? What is your nighttime routine, or do you not have one?

I have a nighttime routine, but the timing of it fluctuates. I usually spend my evenings cooking dinner, cleaning up, watching TV while enjoying a cup of herbal tea, then I try to read for a bit in bed before going to sleep. I do think consistency is important when it comes to sleep, and I am trying to get myself into a consistently timed routine to improve my sleep quality, productivity and energy level. I think the above is worth a try.

Lazy Friday and some travel info

Ah, a Friday off from work. I always have such grand plans for my days off, but so far I have managed to get out of bed, make coffee, drink coffee, eat Pop-Tarts, watch recorded crime drama shows, write a few Yelp reviews, read a couple of blogs, and... yeah... house cleaning is definitely still on the list.


And I wrote a blog post! The second in two days; this girl is on a roll! Unbelievable.

Any big plans for the weekend before I delve into Lauren's lovely blanks? I have delightfully little planned -- just a dinner with friends tomorrow night to exchange belated Christmas presents and celebrate a birthday.


Image credit: the little things we do

1. My favorite place I've ever traveled to is a tie between San Diego, CA, and Bermuda, but I'm leaning towards Bermuda since it wins in the beach category.

2. Italy is somewhere I'd love to go someday.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus or car ride or train) by usually sleeping and listening to music since if I try to read or watch something, I usually feel motion sick.

4. My three must-haves when I travel are good luggage, good music, a good book.

5. My favorite travel companion is my boyfriend. We travel incredibly well together.

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is being taken on a completely roge jet skiing trip in Roatan, Honduras. Oh, or there was the time it snowed in Arizona and our tour bus at the Grand Canyon was struck by lightning. And people wonder why I don't want to go back...

7. The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is tartare and ceviche.

8. If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in San Diego. Warm and sunny all year, great city, by the ocean, casual scene, friendly people. I fell in love. I think I would miss New England though.

9. I have been to 11, plus Washington D.C. States in the U.S.

That Time When...

This idea just came to me: To record those memorable (or not-so-memorable) life moments on this blog using a bit of that Friends theme. For your edification (or warning), I'll use the above title for all of these posts.

Let's get right into it.

That time when... we lost power for four days courtesy of Hurricane Irene and National Grid. As you may or may not know, Hurricane Irene made her way up the East coast this past weekend, hitting New England early Sunday.

I wasn't overly concerned; I thought it was going to be a bust. I even partied for her arrival Saturday night at Gillette Stadium for Kenny Chesney's Goin' Coastal tour (amazing, by the way). I glaced above to watch the show lights illuminate rapidly moving dark clouds, but I just thought it was a cool effect to an already crazy, to-heck-with-the-weather atmosphere. The bands seemed to play on forever, throwing their collective middle finger up at the rain, and by the end of the night, the set list had been swept away.

Sunday morning was a different story -- although, as Kenny promised, I did wake up with the words to Out Last Night running through my brain. I also woke up to no power, rain and some pretty impressive (but no where near scary) gusts of wind. No biggie. We'll unplug for the day, hang out in our PJ's, play Monopoly and order delivery for dinner. We went over to Jed's parents after dinner to make s'mores over their grill and chill in the candlelight.

I got kinda freaked when I woke up Monday morning still without power; I was not used to this (the longest I had been without power was, maybe, six hours). I admit that I used a vacation day at work to emotionally deal with the entire situation. I emptied the freezer and brought everything to my parents' house since they got power back. I used the time without TV to fold two loads of laundry that had been waiting around for over a week. I tidied up the house. I went for a run to assess the neighborhood damage and pick up the fallen branches in the yard. I finished the book I was reading. When Jed got out of work, we ran down the street to eat dinner at a local restaurant. (Yes, it was very weird to have power a block away from our house for three days while we were in the dark.) I read by a LED camping lantern and went to bed early. The darkness was unreal, but the silver lining was being able to see the stars like never before.

Tuesday morning? Still no power. I took Morris to my parents' house, where I worked for the day and took a hot shower (oh, the cold shower on Monday was a shock). Jed drove up after work, and my parents were nice enough to feed us a good meal.

Still no power Wednesday morning. The day before, I had started following National Grid on Twitter, along with hastags #RI and #RIirene. Whoa, there was some serious bitterness going on! I was upset, but I also realized that there wasn't too much I could do besides alert them of our blackout and follow the updates. My main concern was all my food going bad in the fridge and freezer. I was grateful that all of our Omaha stuff made it safely frozen to my parents' house, and I could deal with what was left. I was also grateful that we still had water (albeit cold only) at our house.

National Grid had given us and estimated time of restoration of 6:00 p.m. Wednesday. I tried calling our house phone several times Wednesday, and it rang busy -- which indicated we still didn't have power. I had dinner at my parents' house Wednesday night, and we called, and the phone rang! By the time I got home last night, our lights were on, our fridge was running, and our clocks were flashing that glorious random time. I was so happy!

Man, I will never take electricity for granted again! It really is amazing how much we have come to rely on it. My heart goes out to those in my area who still don't have power and are facing ETR's of Sunday. I really feel for them, but I am giddy with my hot water, lights and TV right now!

What do you do when you lose power?

What's Up, Friday?

Hello friends! I have been a little bit here, there and everywhere lately! I'm really branching out on the intrawebs: Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Google Reader, Goodreads, #30BBM, Yelp, and a little mysterious side project. As a result, I haven't been posting nearly as much as I would like. It's been a challenge balancing it all, but I am having a blast!

Today, I thought I would participate with Lauren on Fill in the Blank Friday.

Photo credit: Caroline of Coeur de la Photography

1. My go to outfit for a dress-up occasion like a wedding is       a short, black, cocktail dress. I found it at White House/Black Market, and it has been a worthy LBD for many years now  .

2. This week has been    challenging. I haven't been feeling well. I've really tried to commit to #30BBM. Work has been busy. I haven't felt like running. Really trying to get back on track this weekend .

3. When it's dinnertime and I'm feeling lazy I'll usually eat     pasta. It is my go-to meal. Pasta, sauce or EVOO, maybe some meatballs or veggies thrown in. Easy peasy  .

4.  My favorite pair of shoes are   my running sneakers! They are so comfortable and supportive (man, do I sound like an old lady or what?), and they're pretty! I'm also still a big fan of my flip-flops in summer and my equestrian-inspired boots in winter .

5. A random item that I own that is completely unnecessary, but that I could never part with is   my stuffed animals. Completely useless, but I just can't bring myself to throw them away  .

6. My favorite person is      my BFF. I admire and love her so much. I owe her everything  .

7. If I were going to write my own blank it would say       You can carry only one thing with you for the next five years. What would it be?  

Have a wonderful, fun, refreshing weekend!

Do the Shuffle

{Photo credit: weheartit}

I promised Micaela I would do this post because I absolutely loved hers, in which she landed upon one of my all-time favorite songs (feel free to guess what it is in the comments).

When poking around my iTunes library, I was a bit conflicted how to come up with this 25 songs list. Do I just do the shuffle, or do I pull my top 25 most played songs? Since my most played don't really reflect my current music tastes (although there are some really great songs in there), I decided to just do the shuffle.

That determined, here are my 25 "shuffle" songs:

1. Wild Women Do -- Natalie Cole
2. No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems -- Kenny Chesney
3. Brown Eyed Girl -- Van Morrison
4. Old Blue Chair -- Kenny Chesney
5. Laughing Out Loud -- The Wallflowers
6. Heartburn -- Alicia Keys
7. Higher -- Creed
8. I Want to Come Over -- Melissa Ethridge
9. Neon -- John Mayer
10. What I Need To Do -- Kenny Chesney
11. Feelings -- The Offspring
12. I Touch Myself -- The Divinyls
13. Before I Met You -- Usher
14. So Right -- DMB
15. Get This Party Started -- Pink
16. Forever December -- Tabitha's Secret
17. Two Step -- DMB
18. Ticket To Heaven -- 3 Doors Down
19. The General -- Dispatch
20. The Life Of A... (Gangsta) -- N.O.R.E.
21. Someday -- Rob Thomas
22. Better As A Memory -- Kenny Chesney
23. Pig -- DMB
24. Light in Your Eyes -- Sheryl Crow
25. Truth -- Janet Jackson

Wow, I'm really pleased with what came up in that little experiment! As you can see, I have some pretty diverse music tastes, but the constants seem to be Kenny Chesney (love) and DMB (love) -- two acts I'll always see live when given the opportunity. I just might know almost every song by heart. Also falling into that category are Tabitha's Secret, morphed into Matchbox 20, whittled down to Rob Thomas (love).

There's also some songs in this list that really speak to my life and my personality: I Touch Myself is a BFF anthem, as is Get This Party Started. Old Blue Chair and No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems are inspirations for my dream lifestyle. Higher, Neon, Forever December and Two Step bring me back to some low points, while The Life Of A... (Gangsta) might be a highlight.

I really believe that our music choices can say a lot about us. What would we see if we peeked into your iTunes library?

Easy as ABC

I need some easy posts. I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself to create more quality content on here, but sometimes my brain is just too fried for that. 


Side note: I'm putting a project on my to-do list to clean up my labels and try to really structure content around here, so if you're looking for something specific here or really love something you read here, let me know so I can be sure to include it. Whoa run-on sentence!


This post is courtesy of Amber at Girl With The Red Hair -- a blog I discovered recently and absolutely love. Amber's focus is mostly on a healthy lifestyle, using her own as an example -- fitness, recipes, running, Yoga, all that good stuff.


Now... my ABC's...

Age: 29

Bed size: Queen. Definitely need to upgrade to a king in the next house though (our current bedroom is too small for a king).

Chore you dislike: Cleaning the shower/bathtub. I'm not really sure why, but I'll clean the toilet before I clean the shower!

Dogs: Yes, one. An almost three-year-old Lhasa Apso named Morris Arthur. I love my pup.

Morris walking through the fresh snow in our driveway, Jan. 2011

Essential start to your day: Coffee. It is not a compromise.

Favorite color: Blue. Doesn't matter what shade or tone. I'll take them all!

Gold or silver: Silver... or white gold, but gold is just so expensive these days.

Height: Somewhere between 5″4 and 5″5  (keeping Amber's answer here as it applies)

Instruments you play(ed): None. I learned the basics on the recorder in high school. Tried a bit of piano. Notes confound me. I'm better with my feet -- I was a dancer.

Job title: Marketing Professional, Content & Events, during the day and correspondent by night (aka freelance reporter)

Kids: None, but I'm a great "aunt" and cousin. Kids are definitely in my five-year plan though.

Live: Rhode Island, but my heart will forever reside in Boston.

Mom’s name: Debbie... really Deborah, but she's not such a fan.

Nicknames: Jen, Nifer, Howie, J.Ho, Superstar, J Babe

Overnight hospital stays: My birth obviously, plus two, both for sinus surgeries when I was in high school.

Pet peeve: Bad drivers. That's a good umbrella for all those who don't use blinkers, can't merge, drive the speed limit in the left lane, can't grasp the concept of a travel lane, stop unnecessarily, think yellow means stop, etc.

Quote from a movie: I've gotten awful at remembering good quotes from movies, so I got nothing here. So sorry.

Righty or Lefty: Righty

Siblings: One younger sister, La. She just turned 24.

Time you wake up: Anywhere between 6 and 11 a.m.

Underwear: Yes? LOL... All Victoria's Secret. ALL.OF.IT. That's what happens when you work there for a year...

Vegetables you don’t like: There's a few: cabbage, spinach (except in rare situations where I can't really taste it), turnips... that's all I can think of right now.

What makes you run late: Blogging! LOL I'm late right now... :(

X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth, sinuses, right forearm, left foot/ankle.

Yummy food you make: I made an excellent marsala pasta dish last Thursday (I've been awful about posting my new recipes!) that even Jed gave four stars to. It's going into the rotation.

Zoo animal favorite: Large felines, especially tigers. I could stand there and watch them for HOURS.

(Sorry for the weird font and spacing... ugh Blogger)

Holy cow! Where have I been?

• It has been over a week since I have posted, and before that, I can't remember how long. Clearly one of my resolutions for 2011 was not to blog more. LOL
  
  
  I have been thinking a lot about blogging and specifically my blog... while reading all of your blogs -- which you are so good at keeping fun and updated. What do I want my blog to be this year? What is Nifer Musings and how do I want to use it? 
  
  
  I realized I really do have a lot going through my head and a lot happening in my life, and this space is where I can hash it out, share it and, most importantly, store it for myself. I want this place to be somewhere I can visit as well as create -- a place where I can look back and remember what I did six months or two years ago.
  
  
  So, I'm going to try. I'm going to try to take more pictures and write about what's going on with me. Plus, I'll still post recipes and TV commentary and articles I find interesting. Oh yeah, and I still want to finish #reverb10. :)
  
  
  What has been up with you, peeps? It's been forever. Here's a little bit of what I've been up to...
  • The holidays were great. This was the first holiday Jed and I spent together, so we were busy shuttling between both of our families (we haven't quite gotten this down to routine/tradition yet). New Year's Eve was pretty quiet. We had Jed's college friends and their spouses over to our house for Chinese, movies, games and watching the ball drop. Everyone wore their PJ's and just chilled... with bubbly and beer of course!
  • Work is actually going pretty well. Q4 (we have an April 1 fiscal year) should be eventful, stressful and fun! I'm looking forward to the next couple of months.
  • I decided that I won't be running this winter with all the snow and cold weather we've been getting, so I got a monthly unlimited pass to the studio my best friend goes to for Zumba classes. Zumba seven days a week people! It's been great. I hope to continue in February and March then go back to Couch to 5K.
  • I also want to try out a new Yoga studio near my house for some Gentle Flow Yoga.
  • I'm on week four of reading David Copperfield. I started out strong, but now I'm slowing down. I need to pick it up again and read daily!
  • Last weekend, I went ice skating for the first time in probably eight years, and it was so much fun! I'm not a pro by any means, but my friend and I held hands and stuck together and had a great conversation too!
  • Also last weekend, I went up to Mount Sunapee in NH with my aunt and sister to ski! It was our first time up there, and it was great! The conditions were perfect. It was a bright, sunny day, and it wasn't even too cold! I will definitely be going back there.
  • I am very sad about my beloved Patriots. That's really all I have to say. I don't want to talk about it anymore.
  • Yesterday was my baby sister's birthday. She's 24! Jed and I headed to my parents' house for dinner and cake. We even got to bring Morris, which sis loved, and he was such a silly pup.
  • I can't believe it's Friday. I've been losing track of the date lately. On tap for this weekend is lots of Zumba (hopefully), maybe seeing Black Swan (can't wait, have heard such mystifying things about it!), going to a party tomorrow night for a friend's 30th birthday, and some skiing on Sunday.
  • It's snowing today. Again. But I'm not going to complain. I'm extremely fortunate that I can stay home and work when there's bad weather; I know not everyone is so lucky, so I hope those of you who have to commute in the snow are staying safe.
  • I'm going to have quite a few days off coming up. I have something like three weeks of vacation I have to use up before March 31, or I lose it. I just planned out 13 days off yesterday -- some of them for my upcoming long ski weekend at Mount Washington, NH. So excited! I have loved going up there for the past three years, and it has become such a nice tradition.
  I think that's about all with me. Let me know what has been going on with all of you! What's on tap  for the weekend?
  
  
  P.S. Sorry this post is wacky with format... had some Blogger issues!
  
  

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave...

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Ever since my grandfather died on September 11, 2002 -- the first anniversary of that dreaded day -- the last line of our National Anthem chokes me up every time I hear it. I think the reason behind it is stated perfectly in the reflection I chose for today from Elmer Davis: "This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." My grandfather was brave, and he served in the name of freedom for this country he loved. His ship was one of the first to arrive in Hiroshima after the atomic bombing; he was one of the first to witness the devastation and the pain. That ship also issued his death sentence. He died from a form of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos... from the ship he served on. I think of him today, and I think of all those who serve and have served our country in the armed forces. They define bravery for the rest of us, who often forget what it really means.

So many people are posting amazing things on Facebook today in observance of Veteran's Day. I wanted to share some of them.

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to The United States of America for an amount of "up to and including my life." Freedom isn't free.

The soldier, not the reporter, gives you freedom of the press. The soldier, not the poet, gives you freedom of speech. The soldier, not the campus groups, allows you to protest. The soldier that salutes the flag, serves the flag, whose coffin is draped in the flag, allows protesters to burn the flag.

Today is not just a day off from work or school. Today is one day, that should be like every day, where you thank the people who have served this country with their courage and heart. Don't let today pass without thanking at least one of these brave souls.

God bless America and all those who protect her. 

How are you acknowledging Veteran's Day?

{Image via Guardian of the Redeemer}

Introducing... Friday Fives!

I'm going to try something new today that I discovered at Just Me and My Life, the blogging home of the lovely Beth. I'm a relatively new reader of Beth's blog, but so far, I can't help but heart her.

So, she does this thing called Friday Fives, and this week's Fives are...

 5 Random Question Friday

1. What's your "comfort food"? Usually something warm... like soup, or brownies right out of the oven, or mac & cheese... or ice cream! LOL

2. One thing that's on your mind right now? Yay for the weekend!

3. What's the best advice you've ever received? Focus on the moment.

4. If you found $10 today, what would you do with it? Put it in my savings account.

5. What is your least favorite thing to clean in your house? The shower! And I had to clean it last night. Not fun.

Kinda fun, right? I thought so. Go say hi to Beth if you have a moment; I'm sure she'll appreciate it! 

And, of course, enjoy your weekend! It's Friday people! Yipee!

Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention...

I'd like to do a few updates in this post because there's been some happenings this week.

First, since I missed the Monday update on what I'm reading, we're starting with that.

Last week, I finished...

I have to say I enjoyed this book. I like the way Levinson presented the different Guerrilla marketing tactics and all the examples he used to illustrate his point. I think the main point is not to get too high on yourself, stay in the trenches as a guerrilla would. Fight the good fight and keep in touch with your customer and yourself. Oh, and above all, work hard and always carry a big gun. LOL

This week (and probably next week), I'm reading...

I'm two chapters into this book, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it yet. So far, the theme has been overtly religious, or anti-religious. I know nothing about this book other than it was translated from Russian, but it really feels like something I would have dissected in a high school or early college literature class. I'll keep you updated.

I wish all of my runs could be by the ocean, but they are not. I've recommitted (sort of) to Couch-to-5K (C25K). I've been doing it a bit sporadically and have had to repeat weeks when I've waited too long in between. I'm currently on week three -- doesn't sound like I've made much progress for a nine-week program. I tried it last Thursday, and I thought Jed would have to come peel me off the sidewalk. Tuesday, I walked my route (since it happens to go to the library, and I needed to exchange books). I was going to get up this morning to actually run it, but I couldn't get out of bed. So, tomorrow morning is it! And I'll finish W3D3 on Sunday.

Question to any of you runners out there: How do you push your running limits when your legs are sore? I stretch before and after my runs, but I still wake up with sore legs, which really doesn't motivate me to get up and run. Any help would be appreciated!

Lastly, my grateful thoughts for today! I totally forgot to do them yesterday where I was so busy at work, but we're back today!

• I'm beyond happy that my parents booked their first trip together in six years -- for their 30th wedding anniversary. They're going to Disney World! That is so my parents, and I hope they have a great time because they certainly deserve it.

• I'm super excited to be off from work today and tomorrow. Today is a gorgeous, warm, sunny day, and even though I am getting a late start, I'm hitting the beach!

• I'm grateful I got to go out to dinner (sushi!) with a wonderful friend last night. It was so great seeing her and hearing how she's doing (she's getting married in June!). She does read this blog, so say hi to my Superstar! -xo

{Book images via GoodReads, other images via we heart it}

What does forever young smell like?

I know, I come back to blogging, and I write two posts in one day! I had to share this though, and I wanted to catalog it for myself.

I just received a tiny sample of Philosophy's Eternal Grace fragrance in the mail today. I wish I had known I was going to love it, and I would have saved it for AFTER I showered today so I could wear it out!

Philosophy describes this scent as a timeless fragrance that is youthful and uplifting. I'm with them on the timeless, but I think it's more sophisticated and classic than youthful. I'm not one for citrus fragrances, but this one mixes well with the floral undertones, and it works on me!

I've never purchased a Philosophy product, but I just might have to snag this scent when it comes out! You can check out the collection on Philosophy's site.

{Image via Philosphy}

Did you know I'm a fabulous Sugar Doll?

Well, according to Lyndsay at He popped the question... She said yes! I am! She bestowed The Fabulous Sugar Doll Blogger Award upon me, and I'm so honored! Please go check out Lyndsay's blog. She's a new-to-the-scene blogger who writes about her upcoming nuptials.

There are rules that go along with every award -- the blogger version of the acceptance speech. The rules for this award are:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award. Thank you Lyndsay! You are super sweet, doll!
2. Share 10 things about yourself. See below.
3. Pass this award on to 10 bloggers whom you recently discovered and think are fabulous.
4. Contact these bloggers to let them know they won the award.

I'm going to pass this award on to the following fabulous sugar dolls who are relatively new to my blog roll:

Amy at just a titch

Dorkys at Dry As Toast

Rachel at Confessions of a Jersey Girl

Lauren at the little things we do...

Shelley at Hand in Hand

Julia at The World is My Oyster

Classy in Philadelphia

Claire at bicoastally

Jen at Jen but never Jenn

Gwen at Gwen in Love

Please also go visit each and every one of these ladies because their blogs and lives are so different, but they are all FABULOUS!!! Congrats Sugar Dolls. :-) 

Now, 10 things about me... sigh...

1. I pretend I can read way more blogs than I actually can. My reader is maxed out. I have 1000+ new items. No lie.
2. I both hate and need change. I love being comfortable, but then I get bored and I feel I'm not living up to my potential.
3. I am a writer who sometimes hates to write.
4. I will scream if a bug/insect sneaks up on me.
5. I love my dog like I imagine I would love my first-born child.
6. A lot of people say this, but then they never mean it. I mean it: If I could travel 300 days a year, I totally would. I never get tired of vacation, and I never want to come home.
7. I prefer cruising because it makes me less stressed; I don't have to plan hotels or restaurants. I actually have time to relax.
8. I MUST have eight hours of sleep a night, otherwise you'll end up with a very cranky Jen.
9. I'm a week into Couch to 5K, and I have completely surprised myself with my progress. I was never a runner, so this is huge for me.
10. There are more times than I feel there should be when I wish I could be a kid again and let my mom take care of me.

Whew! Off to let the ladies above know about this post.

Oh, and have a lovely weekend, all of you! What are your plans? Not sure if you knew, but it is my birthday tomorrow! I'm celebrating with my parents tonight; my dad is cooking me a lobster dish. Tomorrow I'm hopefully heading to the beach, then out to the ultimate Rhode Island beach town with some friends for dinner and drinks. Happy birthday to me!

Let the experimentation begin!

Jed found a pizza stone and giant pizza spatula set at Target, and we brought it home so we could stop ordering Domino's (yuck!). Friday night, we experimented with homemade pizza for the first time.

I decided on BBQ chicken pizza, and after reading the instructions for the pizza stone, I got to work. I used Pillsbury pizza dough for the first time, which required baking in the oven for five minutes before adding the toppings. I stretched the dough out on the stone and baked it, then I spread BBQ sauce on it.

Next I added bacon bits, grilled chicken tenderloin and mozzarella cheese. I carried the stone out to the grill, and we grilled the pizza until the cheese was bubbling and the crust was golden brown.

Yummmmm! It was so good! And I was really surprised how easy it was too. Next time, I might try making the dough myself. Jed thought it was so good that we might turn Fridays this summer into grilled pizza nights!

This was just the kick off to our "first" summer weekend (a.k.a. the first weekend we actually got to do summer things). After dinner, we went to see Iron Man 2, which I thought was a little slow and not nearly as good as the first movie. Once the movie was over, we headed down the street to catch the last hour of my BFF's husband's band.

Saturday morning, I got up to complete week one of Couch to 5K. Yes, I jumped on that bandwagon, and I'm loving it so far! I thought it would be a lot harder to motivate myself, but when I feel tired, I remind myself that it's only 20 minutes, and they fly by! I feel awesome once I'm done.

The rest of Saturday was spent in Nashua, NH, for my cousin's daughter's high school graduation party. Basically, I sat outside and ate BBQ food all day. It actually felt like summer! That was also my time with my dad for Father's Day.

Sunday, we went to Jed's uncle's for a Father's Day BBQ; his uncle makes the BEST beer can chicken -- he grills a whole chicken with a beer can in it! Even though we got two passing thunder showers, we managed to eat outside, then ducked in the garage while it rained, then hit the pool in between before heading back to the garage. We played with their two adorable dogs: a one-year-old Weimaraner and a 10-week-old Bull Mastiff (she was ADORABLE!).

Yesterday was blissful; their property is just so peaceful. They have the cutest house, a garage with an apartment above, a cabana by the pool, a workshop where Jed's aunt makes her own stained glass and a shed. The entire thing is landscaped beautifully with both a vegetable garden behind the house and a flower garden next to the house complete with archway and a stone fireplace. I told Jed that if we lived there, I would never have to go on vacation! I felt so relaxed just being there for a few hours.

Keep your fingers crossed for good things for me this week; I'm waiting on some big news. How was your weekend? Make sure you have a great week!

Oh yes, and HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER! YEEHAW!

You're going places, baby... 39?!?

I've always felt that I was going somewhere, that I would make it "big" someday. I was the girl with big dreams and what it took to make them come true. I always imagined myself living glamorously in some big city a la Carrie Bradshaw. The present begs to differ with this picture, but I'm going to keep on believing it.

That's why I'm so honored that Debbie gave me the "You're going places, baby" award. It touches my heart on a deep level. It reinforces my personal belief in myself. So, thank you Debbie! 

As part of my acceptance speech, I need to describe where I see myself in 10 years, then bestow this award upon 10 other bloggers.

In 10 years, I'll be {gulp} 39 (well, technically 38, but since I'll be 29 in less than two weeks, I'm going with it). The number one thing I see for myself is marriage, since I really thought I'd be planning a wedding by now. I also see motherhood -- a little girl named Madison who will steal my heart, my patience, my sanity and my love.

While I'd like to say I'll be living in a city somewhere, the reality is I see myself in the suburbs (around where I am now), but in an upgraded house: four bedrooms, two bathrooms, still a gorgeous kitchen, an office for me and for Jed, a two-car garage and a walk-in closet (absolute must in our next house).

Since I'll be a mother, I don't see myself working full-time, but I'll be a more successful and established freelance writer or consultant. Perhaps I'll dabble in travel planning. Oh, and I'll hopefully still be blogging.

Morris will still be around (I pray, he should be!); he will be 12, and I'll love him more than ever, and so will our kids.

My friends and I will get together for children's play dates, and then there will be times we leave the kids with husbands or babysitters so we can hit the town for a night of dancing and martinis or wine and cheese.

By 39, I'll be more travelled. I'd like to have London; Hawaii; the Panama Canal; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; Las Vegas; and Italy crossed off my list.

Finally, I will be healthy and happy, surrounded by people I love.

I'm going to pass this award on to 10 bloggers in which I see amazing potential, who inspire me every day:

Anna, Little Reminders of Love

Ashley, The Middle Finger Project

Chelsea, Chelsea Talks Smack

Doniree, doniree.com

Liz, It's Unbeweavable

Mayra, Life is Bananas

Michelle, Oh Mishka

Nicole, La Mia Vita

Summer, B is from Brownie, Breathe and Believe

Vivian, Lost in Translation

Congrats ladies. I can't wait to see what's in store for all of you; I've so enjoyed following your journeys this far.

Would you rather...?

I know I usually do fill in the blank or Roses and Thorns on Fridays, but I just found this on Morgan's blog, and I thought it was fun. Plus, she asked that I play along if I wish, and I wish! So, if you wish, play along!

would you rather...

be extremely beautiful or extremely intelligent?

Intelligent, no question.

go without brushing your teeth for a year or go without washing your hair for a year?

Go without washing my hair. I feel disgusting if I don't brush my teeth at least once a day.

be rich or famous?

Rich. Fame means absolutely nothing to me.

have an amazing shoe collection or an amazing makeup collection?

Shoes! Give me shoes! I could give or take makeup. It's nice, but it's hard to live without shoes. They protect your feet!

be able to sing or be able to dance?

I'm going to stick with what I am actually able to do here and say dance.

be stranded on a deserted island or in the desert?

Island. I love the beach and couldn't imagine living without it.

have a computer or a tv?

Computer. Endless entertainment is at your fingertips!

wear polka dots or stripes for the rest of your life?

Stripes. They're classic.

drink out of a teacup or a mug?

While teacups are pretty, they're too delicate and small for me, so I'll take my mug.

receive a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates?

Flowers, they don't add the pounds, and they make my life prettier.

get a hug or a kiss from someone you love?

A hug. They always make me feel better. A kiss is hit or miss.

wear converse tennis shoes or stilettos?

Converse. If we're going for life, I choose comfort over fashion.

meet johnny depp or robert pattinson?

Johnny Depp. More impressive resume. Period.

drink a cup of coffee or a cup of tea?

Although I heart tea and try to drink it daily, I am not human without my morning cup of coffee. So, I choose coffee.

live somewhere sunny or cold?

Sunny. I get depressed without sun.

have an amazing house or an amazing car?

House. Who cares about the car? It's where you live that counts.

be kind or funny?

Kind... funny entertains but doesn't really get you anywhere without kindness.

wear a necklace or a ring?

Well, if you look at me today, the clear answer is ring. I wear my ring always, but sometimes (like today) I forget to put a necklace on.

laugh or smile?

Laugh. Does a body good.

love or be loved?

It is impossible to be loved without loving, so I choose love.

 

 

Have a great weekend peeps! Let me know what you're up to, if you wish. :) I have no plans, other than prepping our outside steps for their stone makeover!

 

 

 

{Image via we heart it}