Category Archives: Blog

Sheets vs. Pages

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It’s subtle.

Back story.

My friend, Brooke, (I seem to start a lot of my posts with that) was telling me about her journal-ing project.  She made a note card for every day of the year, but no actual year.  Does that make sense?  So the first note card says “January 1″ at the top. The first line of the note card reads 2013 and then a short 3 word phrase.  You do this everyday and then continue every year.  Not incredibly exciting the first year, but as you progress, I can see how it would be fun to look back on previous years.  So next year on January 1, 2014, she’ll go to the next line and add another 3 word phrase.

Sounded like fun!  But I wanted a travel version of this setup. A box of notecards didn’t sound portable and sounded like a cataloging nightmare anytime the box fell over.  My solution?  A journal!

There are a few out there for this explicit purpose.  But most are for short periods of time 3-5 years.  Obviously I’ve committed myself for 5+ years (hello? I’ve had a blog for over 5 years now).  Off I went in search of a notebook suitable for my journal-ing needs.

I found an adorable, purple, leather bound notebook.  It was even made from recycled materials.  It wasn’t a major selling point, but who knows, in 5+ years I could be way more hippie and I wouldn’t want to regret my choice of leather.  The notebook had 256 pages, and since I was already prepared to use the front and the back.  I was set.

And that’s where things went horribly wrong (horribly is a slight exaggeration, but it makes for a much more dramatic story).

The notebook arrived 2 days later (Thank You, Amazon Prime!) and I began flipping through the pages.  Hmmm, this doesn’t seem like it’s going to have enough pages.  Sure enough.  There were only 128 pieces of paper in the notebook.  Sheets, if you will.  This meant there were only 256 writing surfaces for me to use.  Not enough for my journal-ing project.

I get it.  If you have a 300 page book, the front of a page counts as page 1, the back of page 1 is page 2.  There are only 150 sheets of paper in a 300 page book.

I felt better when an English teacher friend of mine sympathized with my predicament.  And then noted that notepads tell you how many SHEETS are in it, while books go by PAGES.  If you’re lucky, the notebook will tell you sheets and pages, just to be clear.  But most don’t.

So I now have a perfectly lovely, purple, leather notebook that will be used for something.  In the meantime, I’m off to find a 365+ page (183+ sheet) notebook.

If you have any good leads on a notebook that fits the bill, leave me a note!  I’d be super grateful!

Everyone needs a Tara

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You know how I sometimes write about people and I joke that they never read the blog?  Well I’m 99% sure that Tara doesn’t know I have a blog :-)   But that’s ok!

Tara is the younger of my 2 cousins.  And everyone needs a Tara.

Here’s why.

In addition to being basically gorgeous, and totally sarcastic, Tara is that super cute stylish girl you love to hate (but really love) – and not stylish like “skinny jeans and a cute top” she’s stylish like “blanket scarf, leather vest, headband, printed leggings” stylish (I actually think that’s what she wore on Christmas…with some funky bootie slippers).  Yeah….and she’ll wear it all together and look amazingly cute.  If I put half those things on I’d be fielding questions from coworkers all.day.long.  Don’t get me started about the day I first wore my sparkly TOMS to work.  Ha!  I was asked on more than one occasion about Dorothy and her shoes.  I’m not kidding.

Tara is the young one in the family and I’ve recently taken to texting her with my fashion questions.  And she gives the best advice!  I needed a dress suggestion, so she sent me a ton of options – yes, one was Valentino or some other UBER expensive designer – but she also sent me a ton of reasonably priced ones as well.  She recently gave me the ok for a new scarf I thought was borderline “too young” – but hey, I’m still in my 20′s, right?

And in case you had any doubt, here’s a pic of Tara at our wedding.  Yep.  She rocked heeled booties on the beach.

Thanks, Tara…for helping ensure a 20 something (almost 30 but whatever) engineer doesn’t dress like an engineer :)

Apple Cider Vinegar is basically MAGIC

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Last week Nick was starting to feel a little under the weather.  He thought it might be something sinus related.  And since he’s somewhat averse to going to the doctor, he did what anyone else would do.  Googled it.

A few searches later, he landed on a home remedy.  Apple Cider Vinegar + Lemon + Honey.  He decided there was a 50/50 chance it was something that would actually help or some cruel game played by people on the internet.

Fast forward to the weekend and we learn from a friend (more trusted than google) that apple cider vinegar is a common remedy for colds – specifically sinus-y/plugged-up-nose type colds.

If you believe all the claims about ACV (because I’m getting sick of typing Apple Cider Vinegar) it could actually be considered kind of magical.  Here’s a list of things proponents claim it helps (Thanks, WebMD):

High Cholesterol
High Blood Pressure
Acne
Colds
Weight Loss
Heart Health

As a result, we decided to try some and see if it made us feel better.  The best stuff (the uber hippy stuff, as we refer to it) is the Bragg Organic ACV.  Make sure to get the kind with “the Mother.”  “The Mother” is the term used to describe the bits floating around in the bottle.  Yum!

We got out the glasses and poured 1Tbs of ACV + 1Tbs of water (unsuccessful attempt to dilute the vinegar but still get it down in one swig).

And with a hearty cheers, we drank.  And holy heck it burned.  And tasted pretty foul.  And was not diluted NEARLY enough.  But it sure cleared out the sinuses!

We took another shot the next morning – diluted a tiny bit more – and it was actually a smidge more palatable.  Although Nick and I both agreed we’d rather take a swig of cough medicine any day.

You are technically suppose to have it twice a day – everyday.  But a few first hand accounts claim the effects are almost immediate if you’re feeling a little under the weather.  Do you swear by ACV?  Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Pay it forward Friday

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Over the holiday, a friend paid for the Starbucks order of the customer behind him. It lasted for 71 transactions! Kind of amazing.

Then yesterday, I noticed a few people on Facebook posting that they would send something homemade to the first 5 commenters. The winning commenters had to pay it forward!

So with that same spirit in mind, I’ll send something homemade to the first 5 commenters!

I’m not even going to make you leave a comment about something specific. Anything you want! But if you “win” pay it forward – however you like!

Happy Friday!

Thankful Thursdays

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And other things that make me happy.

I think it’s a good idea to reflect on what we’re thankful for and what brings joy to our lives.  And not just during THANKSgiving.  It helps keep things in perspective and reminds us just how lucky we really are.

I know there are studies that show being mindful of what you are thankful for can boost your general well being, improve your grades, make you a better friend, help you sleep better, improve your relationship….the list goes on (thank you, Huffington Post).

I’ll be making Thursday my official day to document what I’m thankful for.  Since this will be a weekly post, I imagine the list will be quite varied and should be fun to look back on in a year.

So here goes.  The first Thankful Thursday of 2013.

1. The empty Starbucks cup sitting in the cup holder on our drive from Livermore to Seattle.  And the amazing luck we had that allowed us to catch Mochi’s barf in said cup while driving with chains in Northern CA.  (Lots to be thankful for – ability to buy starbucks, chains in the car, a husband that could put chains on the car in less than 10 minutes, I-5 opening up just as we arrived, hand eye coordination used to catch the barf)

2.  An uneventful (read that as no barfing dog, no snow, and no chains required) drive from Seattle to Livermore.

3.  A Christmas break where I got see my family and friends!

4.  Going through a ton of stuff from high school, thankful I could look back with such fond memories.  I really did enjoy high school and have some wonderful friends (and a husband) to show for it!
If you’re out in the blogosphere and want to join in, just let me know!  Write a similar post and add your link below!  I’ll be doing this every week, so feel free to join in at any time!



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One more trip before the holidays!

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I’m out this week, a cross country trip for work, where I’ll be hitting up a lot of different states if you count the layovers.  Ready?

Monday morning I flew from Oakland, CA to Albuquerque, NM to Houston, TX to Panama City, FL – what’s in Panama City, FL you might ask? (As I typed that I wondered if it may have been smarter to NOT take Southwest and instead take a flight that gets me there with fewer layovers….too late now!)

Nothing. (well, it’s actually known as a hopping spring break location for kids in the south, but it’s not springy and I’m not of spring break age)

I’ll be driving an hour to Eglin Air Force Base.

Then on Wednesday I’ll be headed to Pensacola where I’ll hop a flight to DC, give a quick presentation and hopefully (fingers crossed) have dinner with some friends currently expecting a baby any day now.

Friday morning I’ll hop on another plane (this time in Virginia) and fly to Denver, CO and then back home to Oakland.  I had my choice between Denver and Chicago as my layovers…..lesser of 2 evils in the winter?  Denver at least gets me a little closer to home.

I should have A-List and Hilton Gold in the bag by the end of the week and I’ll be pounding the Emergen-c and gummy vitamins in an effort to stay cold-free.

Hope your week is a little less busy than mine. 7 states, 5 days. Boom!

I sure can’t spell…

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…but at least I’m good with numbers.

I blogged about Instagram gift ideas yesterday and included a giveaway sponsored by printstagr.am

PRINTSTAGR.AM

That is literally the most difficult word, in the entire universe, to spell.  I spelled it no less than 5 different ways.  I have no idea why it’s so tough!  But seriously, try typing it and see what actually come out.  You’ll be impressed….or, if you’re like me, you’ll not realize it’s misspelled until you hit publish and the entire world can keep track of how many different ways you’ve spelled that particular word.  Then, when you get to work and take a look at your post, you realize how dumb you look and frantically try and fix it.  Yep.

Speaking of printstagr.am, if you’d like to enter for a chance to win something cool from their website, go entire the contest.  The odds are currently 1 in 13.  1 in 13 people.  When are the odds ever 1 in 13?

You can go back to yesterday’s post, or enter HERE.

Happy Friday!

Gift Guide and Giveaway: Instagram

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Have you jumped on the Instagram bandwagon yet?  It’s still my favorite social media platform (at least it is today!).  Did you notice my new, fun, follow button over on the right?  You kids reading this in reader should really venture over to the actual blog today :-)   I even made it easy by linking directly to it!  I made it all by myself (with a little help from Nick)!

It seemed like a fun idea to post a few ways you can turn your instagram photos into gifts!  Keep in mind that the intended recipients of these instagram gifts will highly depend upon the type of photos you take.  i.e. pictures of the puppy are probably only something grandma, grandpa and aunties will be interested in.  Just use your good judgement.  Or hey, instead of buying these as gifts for others, use them as a way to turn your instagrams into something a little more fun!  Here’s a list of my favorite instagram gifts for 2012! (scroll to the bottom to enter the giveaway!)

1. Custom iPhone Case

casetagram, $35
I made the one on the lower right in less than 5 minutes.  There are a ton of different photo layouts you can choose from and you can also add a common filter so all your pictures have the same general feel.

2. iPad case

casetagram, $55
Just as easy to design as the iPhone case.  Only 2 layouts, but you can choose from a white, black or clear case.

3.  Magnets

stickygram, 9 for $15
The magnets are 50mm x 50mm (25.4mm in an inch) so they are close to actual size (as they appear on your iPhone).

4. Mini stickers

printstagr.am, 252 for $10
These stickers are a little less than 1″ square.  You get 2 sticker books with 252 total.

5. Calendar

prinstagr.am, 365 cards for $40
Photo a day calendar with the date printed on the lower left or across the image.

6. Photo book

blurb, starting at 20 pages for $11
Some people left a few blank pages and treated it like a journal, which was a cute idea.  You can also get a softcover, which just seems more instagram-y to me.  For a limited time, click HERE for 15% off a photobook!

7. Prisms

instacanvas, 1 prism for $40
1″ thick and stands on it’s own, they also sell canvases, frames photos, cards and iPhone cases

8.  Wood or Acrylic Prints

instathis.com, 6×6, 8×8, 10×10 or 12×12 in either wood or acrylic, a 6″x6″ in wood will start out at $30 and a 6″x6″ in acrylic will start at $60.  The real cost savings is buying multiple prints.

GIVEAWAY!!

But I bet you really just read to the bottom to find out about the giveaway!  Printstagr.am has graciously offered up 1 free item from their site to the winner!

Look at all they have to choose from!

There are 5 ways to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ll announce the winner on Friday, December 7th!  Good Luck!!

Note:  all images taken from websites noted below each image

First Position, a movie even your husband will enjoy

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I grew up taking ballet, and continue to dabble in it as an adult.  I really do enjoy it but understand it’s not for everyone.  That being said, I’ve been NAGGING Nick to watch First Position with me since it arrived on Netflix!  Nick has been avoiding it for about a week now and finally gave in on Sunday evening – I blame his weak state following our grueling 7.5 mile hike! (he actually just made a deal that he’d watch First Position if I’d watch some other documentary with him on a later date.  Worked for me!)

First Position is a documentary about kids training for the Youth America Grand Prix – it’s basically American Idol but for ballet dancers.  The movie had been getting some pretty great reviews, so I was pretty sure Nick would enjoy it (I mean, we both LOVED that sushi documentary….).

He did, in fact, enjoy the ballet movie and learned a lot in the process.  But I think my favorite part of the movie was the running commentary:

When one particular mom started getting a little stage-mom-like, Nick exclaimed:

“Dance Moms!”

On multiple occasions he asked:

“Can you do that?” – no

Throughout the movie, many of the kids were coached by private instructors – most male with foreign (and often Russian) accents.  To which he commented:

“What’s with all these creepy Russian coaches?”  “There’s going to be a boom of creepy Russian coaches after this movie, everyone’s going to want one!” – they’re instructors, not coaches :)

During one girls’ performance he commented:

“Walking around in a circle, that was your grand finale?”

And my favorite:

“Unless they fall over while they’re dancing, how do you tell who’s good or not?”

And this, my friends, is why I will never make him join me at the ballet :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

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In honor of Thanksgiving, here’s a list of things I’m thankful for.

  • A puppy that always seems to find hardwood or tile before he barfs.  Cleaning barf out of carpet is no bueno.
  • Sunny California days!
  • The lovely barista at starbucks that remembers me and my drink – and gave me a “broken” peppermint cake pop!
  • French fries
  • Sticky toffee pudding
  • Mastering swiss meringue buttercream (and by master, I mean, I made it once)
  • A husband
  • A husband that cooks butternut squash
  • A husband tall enough to reach the top shelf in the kitchen.
  • A puppy that burps instead of farts
  • Costco gelato
  • Clean sheets
  • New socks
  • My iPhone.  Literally one of the best purchases I’ve ever made.
  • My new camera.
  • Less stuff…..we’re trying to purge.
  • Friends – especially the ones that share similar interests – even if those interests are just painting nails or crafting or working out
  • Cute kids!
  • Videos of babies eating lemons!  (is that considered child abuse?…..if it is, I guess I’ll stop watching)
  • Every other Friday off
  • Fun people at work
  • Sushi
  • Friday funday potlucks with friends
  • Friends that were willing to travel to NorCal to keep the Thanksgiving tradition alive!
  • The amazing amount of food we are lucky enough to eat!
  • Family that doesn’t mind us spending Thanksgiving in CA!

Happy Thanksgiving!