What I'm Loving Wednesday

Happy Leap Day everyone! Here in our Nation's Capital we are celebrating this extra day with an awesome mix of grey skies, rain, and dreariness. Days like this make me happy I don't take the bus anymore, that's for sure!

I've been slacking a bit on my 40 posts in 40 days, so I may have to be doing 2-a-days sometimes to catch up. So that alone is a good reason to get to posting and link up for What I'm Loving Wednesday.

I'm loving.....Boogie Wipes.

So odd, I know. I stumbled across these last week when I was battling through all my sickness. I had that AWFUL rotovirus that is circulating in DC and needed to get myself some Pedialite. To make my feeling sick that much more amazinhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifg, I still was dealing with a sinus/congestion issue. FUN TIMES, let me tell you. I saw Boogie Wipes on the shelf and thought they looked interesting, and tossed them in the cart. And can I tell you....I will NEVER be without these when I have a cold EVER AGAIN. I am prone to getting the worst most painful nose whenever I am sick. Even the tissues with aloe do nothing for me. But these things....lifesaver. It's a tissue/wipe made with natural saline to dissolve mucus, but it also manages to soothe anhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifd moisturize noses that have to be blown every 5 seconds. Why have my mommy friends never told me about these things?!?! Love them.

I'm loving...that I had a free Saturday night alone while MVP was out of town and got to catch up on Parenthood and Grey's Anatomy on the DVR. It was honestly *just* what I needed.

I'm loving...this recipe I made over the weekend for Quinoa Mac & Cheese.

I was a little hesitant about it, even while I was making it, but it turned out better than I had hoped. It is seriously delicious and nutritious. I chose to include broccoli florets in this batch and have actually brought some for breakfast each day this week. It was even a hit with MVP. Definitely will be made again at my house.

I'm loving...that I also got some time to give myself a fresh shellac mani on Monday night. It may sound so odd or superficial, but I honestly just enjoy the heck out of a simple pleasure like having freshly painted nails. After a really stressful Monday day AND night, it was very calming to just put my phone down for an hour, ignore my email and other distractions, and just do something a little self indulgent.

I'm loving...some new friends that have come into my life over the last few months that I find myself so incredibly grateful for. We are all involved in the same organization and at times have found ourselves frustrated, tired, or stressed out from the work we do for it. It's been such a relief to have them to email/text with about things and, most importantly, find ways to keep ourselves laughing and plugging away with things. They are all nothing short of lifesavers.

Wait....what?!? Tales from the Trenches Throwback

So a few weeks ago I received a strange email that I almost had to re-read because I didn't understand WHY in the world it was in my inbox. The sender of the email is someone I dated, oh maybe almost four years ago. Who I also know is now ENGAGED. (My comments in italics)

Subject line : Yo! (No really...I'm serious THAT was the subject line)
Hey, haven't talked to you in forever. (Cause the last time we did, it was pretty interesting -- I'll have a link below so you know JUST what I am talking about) Just wanted to let you know I'm moving in a few months (congrats I guess?? Not really sure why you feel the need to email me and tell me, you aren't exactly on my holiday card list) and wanted to try and catch up before I head on my way (for why exactly?). Hope you are doing well, and aren't too cocky about your terps beating my Hokies in bball... I had VT player tickets for that.
(email really could have stopped here and I would STILL think it was totally odd but....)
Would you want to catch up some time soon? My schedule is pretty open for the next week or two. (wait....what?!?! Okay THAT is where the email crossed the line from odd over to bat-sh$t-crazy-inappropriate)

So we briefly dated, and you ended things in one of the most classless and also infamous ways I have ever had the pleasure of retelling for people's amusement/horror. (Don't worry...I'll have a link for y'all below) Then you contacted me out of the blue to apologize for that behavior years later, and for some reason (boredom?) I accepted your offer of meeting for a drink....and you ended that meeting in a way that made me think you were not all that different.

So now you are moving...likely WITH your FIANCEE. Methinks you have no need to email me with a request to "catch up." Seriously your email made me laugh at the sheer WTF-ness of this request...and then worry a little for whoever is soon going to be hitching her wagon to you until death do you part.

So who is this Prince Charming? Well he's actually a Tales From The Trenches alum. SHOCKING I know ;) I told you all the story of how things came to an end but also told you about how we met up again 2 years later.

I just never let you know that was the same person....I'm sneaky like that.

For the record, I did not bother to reply to his email. I simply forwarded it to L who I thought would TRULY appreciate the WTF-ness of it.

I think it also made me appreciate MVP a little bit more. And made me know again, without any doubt, that my waiting and waiting and waiting to finally meet the right guy was not just an exercise in patience, but well worth the wait.

It's Friday....I'm in Love

I know I sound like a broken record with this, but OH how I LOVE ME SOME PINTEREST! And as more and more people hop on the pinning bandwagon, my love for it only grows. Not just because there are more fabulous finds to be pinned...but I feel like I get to learn more about friends (both real and bloggy!) Their sense of style, their tastes, their favorite foods, what makes them laugh, everything. I like seeing a friend pin something I baked a while back and being able to tell her to RUN, not walk, to the kitchen and bake it for herself ASAP. Or to see someone else pin a challenging DIY project that I have been admiring from afar and hoping they can try it first and then walk me through how to do it. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

So since my weekend plans with Mom are cancelled, I have pinned myself some eats, treats, and projects to keep me busy this weekend. Are you all on Pinterest? Are you loving it more the more you use it? AND... are you following me so I can follow you back?? ;)

Thoughts on Thursday

I'm having a bit of stress, and feeling overwhelmed at the moment, so I thought I would link up Amber at Brunch With Amber for It's OK Thursdays

It's OK...
That I am more than just "still a little sick" at this point. Whatever I have is getting the better of me.

To let MVP just exactly how UNwell I am feeling and let him try to help me as best he can, including running to Safeway for soup and pedialyte. We live together now...so he can't possibly see me "put-together" all the time.

That I asked my Mom if she could cancel the trip down here this weekend. Between the apartment still being a wreck and my growing sickness, I just don't think it would be a good idea.

That the apartment is, in fact, still a wreck because I have not had much energy in the evenings to do much work on it.

That I am leaving the office soon to go to the doctor who can hopefully give me some clue as to what is wrong. Or at least tell me whatever it is will be gone soon.

To have sent my boss an email telling him I needed to leave early to go to the doctor and would work from home the rest of the afternoon. It's my second sick day in two weeks. Although, technically I did come in at 8 today, so it's not a TOTAL sick day. He's away at a conference otherwise I really would have gone to talk to him about it.

That I had to cancel another after-work appointment because I don't want to get anyone else sick.

That is just a LOT of complaining/whining, I know. Forgive me, I am just not feeling my best at the moment. Hopefully I can come back to the blog tomorrow with a sunnier disposition and no fever/aches/lightheadedness.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm having a grumbly kind of morning. Can't pinpoint what it is specifically...still feeling under the weather...still stressed about all the putting away left to do at the apartment...general stress of too much to do and not enough time...annoyed by the barrage of telemarketing calls I seem to be getting on my phone lately. Seriously, those suckers are PERSISTENT.

But it is ALWAYS a good idea to take a sanity break and link up with with What I'm Loving Wednesday and stop to reflect on the good things going on right now.

I'm loving....that the apartment is shaping up, slowly but surely. I just need to realize that it will take some time and will not go from a mess to perfect overnight. I tend to get really hung up on seeing things a certain way and getting really frustrated when I can't get to that ideal quick enough for my own tastes.

I'm loving....simple pleasures. Having groceries stocked in the fridge and in the cabinets. Being able to get a load of laundry done and put away. Hauling bags out to the trash of things that have been purged from the apartment. All those things just feel wonderful.

I'm loving....that my "busy time" of collegiate advising is OVER for this school year. Hallelujah and PTL. Don't get me wrong, I truly love the work that I do there and everything, but it can be an exhausting couple of weeks.

I'm loving....a fabulous email from a friend announcing lots of good news in his life. It literally made me smile from ear to ear when I read it.

I'm loving....that my mom is coming for a visit this weekend. I think that has added some stress to the trying to get too much done at the apartment kick, but it will be good to have some time with her.

I'm loving....that it is OSCAR WEEKEND!!! And this year, I will actually have a pseudo Oscar Party since my mom and MVP will be there to watch with me. My mom even said she was excited to get a new pair of pajamas for the occasion.

I'm loving....that I am going to commit myself to another round of 40 posts in 40 days. I actually managed to successfully complete it last year (not so much in 2010...) and am ready to tackle this feat again. I'm also thinking about giving up soda AND online shopping to boot...but I think that may make me the saddest crankiest girl on the planet. What do you all think? Are you giving up anything for Lent?

Oh thank goodness it is already Tuesday

I was SO grateful to have the long weekend. Mostly because I am still battling this mystery illness that will not go away. It's gone from my stomach, up to my sinuses, and then yesterday it decided to have at my stomach AND my sinuses. Awesomeness. I'm pretty sure everyone who sits near my office at work must be thrilled beyond belief to listen to me blow my nose all day long.

So while the apartment is slowly and surely coming together...it is definitely not "put together" just yet. I was able to accomplish a bunch this weekend, but there is still a boatload to be done. I just didn't have enough pep in my step this weekend to get done as much as I would have liked.

I think my new favorite thing (aside from our fabulous couch) is the sideboard I got at Ikea to serve as a pseudo-dressing table.


I left on Sunday morning to run a few errands and by the time I got home, MVP had put it together for me. Which was MUCH appreciated, since I had worn him out on Saturday with trips to WalMart, Homegoods, Ikea and Costco.

Here's hoping I can put in a couple solid hours each night this week trying to get the apartment back in order.

TGIATDW!!

More commonly known as, THANK GOD IT'S A THREE DAY WEEKEND!

I am so looking forward to having three days off. Like OFF, off. No big plans, no meetings or outside obligations. Just three days to so what I see fit.

While I wish that meant lounging about and catching up on movies before the Oscars next week, the three days will be filled with a lot of cleaning, unpacking and organizing at the apartment. I've managed to get MVP on board for a trip tomorrow to Ikea, Target and Coscto (and hoping I may be able to squeeze Homegoods in there too...) I'm hoping come Monday night, we will be very close to being all settled into the apartment.

I am also looking forward to not setting an alarm clock for three whole days. The last few weekends I have been running around non-stop, usually on very little sleep. Will be nice to just sleep in a bit.

Sadly, all that running around has led to me feeling very under the weather. What started out as a stomach bug last weekend has now morphed into some sort of sinus-y thing. It sucks. Hoping some rest and taking things easy this weekend can kick this thing to the curb!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, whatever your plans may be :)

Moving Day!

I know I have been pretty absent on the blog lately -- with some good reasons, and hopefully I will get around to some posts on that.

But for now I thought I should at least hop on here today of all days....MOVING DAY!

MVP got a lot of work done yesterday, moving my bedroom furniture into the spare bedroom. Formerly L's Bedroom...I texted her last night to let her know I was sleeping in her room. And to wish her a Happy Birthday -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY L!!!!!

Last night we set up the new bed frame in our room. And it felt incredibly odd to tell him last night that something would be going "in our bedroom"...like very, very surreal.

Anyway, this morning the movers showed up at his place and moved the furniture and other big things that are coming to our place. We'll spend some back and forth time this weekend getting the rest of his stuff (and the stuff of mine that I kept there) out of the old apartment.

In looking for some "moving day" pics to use on this post, I was struck by something....




Why do all these couples look so damn HAPPY? Like moving is THE most fun thing they have ever done?

Am I looking forward to cohabitating with MVP? Absolutely. Do I enjoy turning the whole apartment inside out and upside down? NO. Have we each lost our patience with the other over something moving related? Hell yes. And I imagine it will happen several more times until we are finally moved in and settled.

I mean get a load of these two....they should really be a little more careful when unpacking the dishes and stop making goo-goo eyes at each other. Two hands with that plate please!!


The closest I could find to an accurate photo of what moving day REALLY looks like....well, I don't think this couple was all that thrilled about their move to begin with, if you catch my drift.



I did like the moxy of THIS gal, who is just sitting with her wine while the guy does all the work. I can only imagine how well that idea might go over with MVP.

I also enjoy how she really dressed for the occasion -- old, ripped jeans, and work-type boots -- even though she clearly had no intention of doing any work. Nicely played, girl. Nicely played.

Wait....what?

What day is today? Where am I going? What do I need to do?

Lately I feel like my life is just trying to follow a string of questions. I feel like I have been running all around and cannot get to feeling settled. I haven't been able to get a workable plan in place and it is frustrating the hell out of me.

So, in an effort to just try and alleviate some of this, I think I just need to dump it all here. Can't say this may be a post all that exciting or entertaining. But I do think, for my own health and sanity, that it is entirely necessary.

• Shuttling back and forth between mine and MVP's apartments has been getting the better of me. I know I only have one more week until we officially have the same address, but it has not helped alleviate the stress I have had doing this back-and-forth recently. I am constantly having to think what I have where and it is getting to just suck up too much energy. I also left my work badge back at my apartment earlier this week and haven't been back since. Getting a temporary badge every morning is getting old. I may need to simply tell him, you can stay wherever you like, but I just need to be in the same spot. And if we spend nights apart, I'm ok with that.

• Figuring out all the logistics and "to-do's" associated with the move is causing me some stress and anxiety. And I am not even the one moving! But just figuring out how to accommodate two bedrooms worth of furniture, pieces of furniture that we need to buy, old furniture and things that I need to get rid of, space that needs to be made down in storage....there is just a LOT. I wish I could take even one personal day off to tackle some of it but....

• Work is bananas. And it is not just the volume and crazy deadlines that cause stress. It's the constant undercurrent that you feel like any day you could walk in and find out that your job has been cut. So you run around even more trying to please MORE people and get MORE done, and just end up feeling overly frazzled. I mean, I'm taking a big risk just by leaving early tomorrow to go to a doctor's appointment.

• That dang doctor's appointment. Not really wanting to go through that tomorrow. Just have some recent health issues and feeling really anxious about what the doctor is going to say. I think I would actually rather be at work tomorrow afternoon than at the doctor's.

• Too much on my plate at the moment. I just have a lot that is taking up my outside-the-office time and the weight of it has been affecting me a lot more recently. One is an obligation that I truly enjoy and love doing very much, it has just caused me some frustration and stress as of late. And a lot of hours. Like A LOT of my time spent on that activity. The other is something that I am just trying to find time for amongst the 16 other things competing for my time and attention lately. Unfortunately it has strict deadlines and requirements and...blech. that's how I feel about it right now, just BLECH.

• Navigating my relationship with MVP. I am very excited to take this next step and know without any doubt it is what I want to do. But I also know it is not easy, and I need to understand the change that is about to happen and how it will impact my life and our relationship. I am really used to spending considerable time alone. By myself, doing my own thing. That isn't as easy to do when there is someone else there all the time. And this alone time is just for my own personal sanity. That's not even including the times where we might be annoyed or bothered by one another and need not just ALONE time but TIME AWAY FROM YOU SPECIFICALLY time. I don't know how all that works.

• I'm just feeling generally crappy lately. Not sleeping well or enough. Not eating well or eating weird things at odd times. The combination of the two just has me generally feeling lousy physically. And I also think it makes me LOOK lousy, which then leaves me feeling psychologically lousy if that makes any sense.

I'm just going through a bit of a time where I feel like a tapestry -- even if the front looks nice and pulled together if you look underneath it's all knots and frayed edges and loose threads.

Yeah...so far February has been all about knots and frayed edges and loose threads. Too many.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

This has been a doozy of a week. I let you all know that L was moving away and MVP was moving in. Big changes. Scary changes. I have gone through so many emotions in the last two days, I feel like today should be Friday -- THAT is how spent I feel. After L left the apartment (for good, sniff sniff) last night, I went to meet MVP for dinner. I looked like a hot mess from all the crying. I even started to tear up again at the table. "Oh god, I bet you people think you are breaking up with me here in the middle of dinner!", I remarked. "Um....yeah", he replied, with a pleading look that almost begged me to pull it together. We both had a good laugh over that, and I managed to dry my tears.

But no matter the roller coaster of emotions I feel like I have been on, it is ALWAYS a good idea to take a sanity break and link up with with What I'm Loving Wednesday.

I'm loving....that MVP knows that buffalo-anything is a good step in trying to cheer me up. So whenever either of us have had a particularly hard or stressful day, we usually head to the same place and have wings for dinner.

I'm loving....the Five Dollar Savings Plan. Have you all heard about this? I'm thinking I will give it a try and see how much I manage to save up.



I'm loving....Scramble With Friends. LOVE it. Are you all playing? Start a game with me!!! Terpgirl99 :)

I'm loving....my newly organized space. I got a bunch of clear acrylic drawers and pencil holders and organized the HECK out of my makeup. And I absolutely love the way it looks. I can find everything quickly and it has cut down on the clutter and mess on top of my dresser BIG TIME.



I'm loving....some new things to spruce up my office. A few new office supplies and a trinket or two from home have done wonders for making my workspace a little more enjoyable. If I have to be here 40 hours a week I might as well have a nicer view, right?




I'm loving....THIS video. I know the whole Sh*t_____ people say trend is a little out of control at this point, but this one is just TOOOOOOO good.