Super Busy

Sorry I haven't updated in a few days.. Work is keeping me really busy all week with month end, and then the upcoming holiday.   I'm just keeping in mind that once I make it through this week, I only have THREE work days left before my vacation! :)
Besides work, I've got a LOT to do in prep for my vacation:

• Try on my bathing suit - and hopefully not cringe... If it's cringe-worthy, go see if I can find something a little less cringe-y!
• Oil Change, Alignment (had an incident with a curb at Starbucks - before I got my coffee), and tire rotation since we're taking my car.
• Mani/Pedi
• The list goes on, but I can't think right now! :(

Am I the only person out there that is a big list writer?  I have to have lists or I can't focus on what I need to get done.   And, if I get overwhelmed, I'll write down a few things I've already done, just so I can scratch them off!   I'm a quirky lil freak, huh? LOL 

Well, I better get back to it!  I will certainly check in within the next day or two as well as try to catch up on blogs!     I'm pretty behind right now, unfortunately!
Lots of love to you all! :-)

Thursday 13: Guilty Pleasures TV Edition

Happy Thursday to you all!!!   Wow, these weeks sure are passing by fast.   I can't believe the year is halfway over already.  It's been rainy for the past few days here in Texas so at least it hasn't been as hot as it usually is.  I'm still counting the days down to my vacation.  I can not wait!!!!   I have only used 4 hours of vacation time so far this year, so I'm long overdue for a little time off.

Anyway - here is my Thursday 13 for the week. Last week I gave you 13 guilty pleasure movies that I love to watch.. and here I am with the TV shows!    I'm not a HUGE TV watcher, but there are several shows that I DVR on a regular basis, and some of these shows aren't even in the weekly rotation anymore, but I love them.

1. Glee - This show is highly addicting for me.  The entire cast is lovable, and I instantly feel my spirit lifted after watching it.   It's not for everyone, but it is certainly for me! 
2. The Vampire Diaries - Another show that I love.   It's based on the books, which I haven't read yet. I got them at the half price bookstore though, and they're in my long line of summer reading.   
3. Parenthood - This is a new show this season, and I really enjoy it.  I'm only a few episodes into it, but I have them all DVR'd and am catching up!
4. Chopped (Food Network) - This is a fun little show where 4 chefs compete making 3 dishes using secret ingredients.. after each round, a chef gets CHOPPED!   The ingredients are usually quite whacky, and I don't know how they come up with what they do!
5. The Next Food Network Star - Yeah, I have been watching Food Network a lot lately, since I'm trying to improve my cooking skills (and creativity) in the kitchen.   I started watching this show this season, and I'm already hooked!
6. Big Brother - OMG, I LOVE THIS SHOW!   This is the definition of a guilty pleasure for me.   It's trashy reality TV at it's finest! :)  I can't wait for it to start up next month!   
7. So You Think You Can Dance - This is my favorite of the singing/dancing type shows.   I love the numbers that they come up with, yet at the same time it depresses me because I have two left feet.  Two very awkward left feet.  :-(
8. My So Called Life - Very defunct, but I LOVED this show when it was on..  It was fantastic!
9. Gossip Girl - I'm quite behind on this show, but I really liked it when I was able to watch it on a regular basis.  I need to get the DVDs from Netflix so I can watch them.
10. Entourage - This show follows an up and coming movie star with his "entourage".. It's very funny!
11. Felicity - Now defunct, I followed Felicity since she followed Ben to NYC, all the way to the end..   I loved it!
12. Dawson's Creek - I was a late watcher of this, but I started over from the beginning, and fell in love with it!
13. The OC - Wow, so I love teeny boppers and reality TV! hahah    The OC is another teeny bopper show, but I really loved the cast.   I think everyone needs somebody like Seth in their life! :)

There you have it - my super high quality TV shows!   I do like shows like CSI and Criminal Minds, but those don't qualify as a guilty pleasure to me.   
What are some of your guilty pleasure shows?   

Happy Thursday to you all!!!

McDonald's Toys and Obesity - Your Opinion?

I heard about this on the radio this morning:
http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-mcdonalds-toys-lawsuit-june23,0,5489276.story

McDonalds may get hit with a lawsuit over its "Happy Meal" toys.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is threatening to file a lawsuit against the fast food chain claiming the toys are causing kids to become overweight.

It says McDonald's unfairly and deceptively markets the toys to children, who then nag their parents to take them out to eat.

The group is hoping McDonalds will agree to stop selling the toys before a suit is filed. CSPI says the suit would be filed in state court.

The center has not settled on a state yet, but the group believes the toys in Happy Meals violate state consumer protection laws in Massachusetts, Texas, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and California.

But, McDonalds disagrees, and says it offers more food varieties than ever before. It also requires happy meals to contain 600 calories or less.

Copyright © 2010, WGN-TV

What are your thoughts on this? 

Seriously... I'm having issues today.

I'm trying to get a love affair going with dear old H2O... Water, that is... hehe   It has had it's ups and down today.   I'm over halfway done with my 32 oz Weight Watchers mega mug... but a good 2-3 oz. of it is on my shirt... and on my jeans.. because apparently there is a gigantic hole in my mouth today.  
Yep, it's one of those days.    I'm FREEZING now because I love my water to be super duper cold, with lots of ice.       AHH!!!!!

So, beyond freezing and drinking, things are going well.  Work is busy, but not making me insane.  Insanity begins next week!
I only have 11 more work days (not counting today) until my vacation.   Then, I have ELEVEN full days off of work....  7 of which are work days...   I can't wait!  My mom is going to watch the pups and the cats. I hope she can handle Seth.. he's got so much energy that I wonder if I can handle him.   I brought her over on Sunday so she could meet him and he was as calm as could be.   He took a few long naps and was an angel...  SOOO not like him! HA!   So now my mom thinks she has a calming effect on little creatures... I hope she's right! :)

I've never been to Orlando before. Can anyone give me some ideas of things to do, just in case?
I know we're going to the new Harry Potter park at Universal Studios, Disney World.   I've also told his sister that I want to go to H&M and get my shopping fix since we don't have that store here.. boo!    Beyond that, I'm not completely sure what's going on.  John's sister lives there and we're staying with her.  His uncle and family are also coming out so it will be a lot of fun.  I've never met his sister's family but I met his uncle and his family on John's birthday last year.

Anyway, I'm rambling bigtime today!!!!   EEEEK!

Back to work for me...  I'll touch base with you all tomorrow of course!
xoxoxo
Laurie :)

Award Time!

Thanks to Tracy at Just Being Who I Am for giving me this award, I truly appreciate it!
It looks like I list 7 things about myself that you may not know, and then pass on the award to 5 deserving bloggers!
Seven Things You May Not Know About Me

1. I get anxiety over the stupidest things.. And the things that would cause anxiety in NORMAL people, don't bother me at all.
2. I have a bit of a lead foot.   While I was super-morbidly obese, I was always able to get out of getting a ticket.  Since losing all of the weight, I get a ticket every time.  LOL
3. I have 3 half brothers from my dad's first marriage.  I haven't talked to any of them in ages.
4. My mom is one of 10 children, so needless to say, I have a HUGE extended family.   
5. Ever since I got my gallbladder removed, I can't eat popcorn, nuts, or extremely spicy foods without paying the price.    I miss popcorn!
6. I rarely wear shorts or dresses because my legs are so pale.  I'm afraid they will cause aircraft interference and I'll be featured on the news! :( 
7. I have some Skechers 4 Wheeler skates, and I want to go practice so I don't fall on my ass in front of my boyfriend! hehe

Now the hard part - awarding this to only 5 of my fellow bloggers?   ACK!   I wish I could list you all... normally I'd cheat and say, EVERYONE wins, but I'd like to feature some blogs that you may enjoy following as well!
In no particular order:
Kim at Knitten Kittens
Heather at Heather's Roller Coaster Journey
Kristin at Bringing Pretty Back
Falon at She's Done Lost It - And it's her birthday today too! Happy Birthday, Falon!
Rachel at Randomness with Rachel

There are so many more I'd love to feature! 

Anyway, I hope you all have a Happy Monday! :)
xoxo
Laurie

Need Guest Posters for July!

Happy Monday to you all!  I hope you had a great weekend.    Mine was nice, albeit wayyyyy too short!  I'm ready for another one already!

As you may know, I'm going to Florida in July to meet John's sister and to go to Universal Studios, Disney World, and many other places.  While I'm gone, I'll need some guest bloggers since I know that blogging won't be my top priority!  You'd worry if it were, right? LOL  

I'd love to get 7-8 volunteers!   Please email me at Laurie9797(at)gmail.com if you're interested!  

I'll send another blog through later, I  just wanted to get this out there while I was thinking about it! :)

Thursday 13 - Guilty Pleasures: Movie Edition

Happy Thursday to you all!      Today is my friend's work baby shower, so I get to pick up a cute cake in a few hours that I will not partake in... I had so much fun buying her gifts yesterday too! I collected money for the group gifts, and I got to go spend over $400 of money that wasn't mine.. how fun is that?! LOL

Anyway - On to the Thursday 13... This week is a list of movies that I love... that aren't necessarily quality movies, but if they come on TV even though I own the DVD, I have to stop what I'm doing and watch! LOL

1. Never Been Kissed - This is such a cute movie to me - Drew Barrymore should only do romantic comedies because that's what she's best at IMHO.. Wait.. isn't that all she does anyway? HAHA!
2. He's Just Not That Into You - Wow, Drew is in this one too.. This has a great ensemble cast and I love all of the story lines.
3. Love, Actually - Ditto #2 - great cast, love all of the interweaving story lines.   The little boy's love story is one of my favorites... sigh.. I need to watch this one again soon! :)
4. The Holiday - I'm not a huge fan of Jude Law, but I loved his role in this movie.
5. Coyote Ugly - Girl moves to big city.. girl meets boy.. typical cute little movie! :) 
6. The Wedding Singer - OMG I love this movie...  I'm an 80's girl all the way, and I love Adam Sandler movies as well.. and look again, Drew Barrymore! hahaha
7. The Breakfast Club/Sixteen Candles/MOST John Hughes films - I hesitated to place these in here because I don't think they're cheesy enough to be a "guilty pleasure" but they are all movies that I'll stop and watch at any point.. they're classics to me! I grew up with them and loved each movie. Pretty in Pink is not one that I cared for as much, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it!
8. 27 Dresses - another great movie - and unfortunately I'm relating to being in everyone's wedding but not in my own! haha!!!
9. The Lost Boys - Not a great movie by ANY stretch of the imagination.. but I loved it!  I was a die hard Corey Haim (RIP) fan... He was plastered all over my wall when I was a pre-teen! :)
10. The Princess Bride - this is another one that I hesitated to put in here b/c while it is cheesy, I think it's on a lot of people's top movies of all time... a great movie!!! 
11. Rat Race - This movie is absolutely HILARIOUS to me....   My favorite duo was Seth Green and his brother - OMG..... hahaha  I need to watch this again soon too!
12. Grease 2 - I'll admit... I think I prefer this to the original Grease.. 
13. Road House - Loved this movie!  RIP Patrick Swayze

I obviously could only list 13...  What are some of the ones that you feel I should have included?  I'm famous for not having seen many movies, so hopefully you'll give me some ideas of movies that I need to watch! :)

Happy Thursday - we're one day closer to the lovely weekend.. WAHOO!!! :)


Join in the fun!
Thursday 13

Good Day!

Well, today I had my gastro-doc appointment... All went well.  Since I'm not experiencing any pain with my ulcer, he told me that there's no need for another camera test at this point... whew!   I'm still paying off the last two! LOL      All I need to do is monitor how I'm feeling, and if I start to experience pain, then I need to go in and he'll do another test on me.

Since I got out of work early for my appointment, I went to the gym on the way home.  I did one hour on the elliptical machine and burned a total of 650 calories! WAHOO!!!   I wanted to get off after 30 but I kept trekking along, and made it through the end... I felt great afterwards, and sat in the sauna for a few minutes and then left to take care of the pups!     In my gym bag I forgot to pack a t-shirt, so I unfortunately had to wear the pink silky shirt that I wore to work today! Ha!  I'm sure I got a few funny looks..  I guess it's better than forgetting your pants or shoes though, right? :) (I've done both of those before too, and just left the gym instead of completing a workout.. lol

Now I'm back to reading my book and just trying to relax for the rest of the evening..  I have a late night at work tomorrow to make up some of my hours for today, and to get my half day on Friday.

Have a great night everyone! :)

Exhausted!

Well, it's Monday, but I am glad to be at work to recover from my weekend! LOL    I love that new puppy of ours, but OMG he is such a handful.   He will bite and chew on absolutely anything he can get his mouth around - and if he can't, he'll keep trying.   Gotta give him props for trying to eat my elbow! LOL

Don't tell John I'm showing this to you guys! hahah!     Even John's toosh isn't off limits as far as this pup is concerned!!

Besides puppy exhaustion, my weekend was great..    Saturday morning, I met one of my girlfriends up at the gym and did my Muscle Blast class.. I'm still quite sore..  My rump and my hams hurt.. lol    They changed the format a bit since I last went, and we now use the Reebok balance board... holy crap, that is tough!  I can barely stand on my own let alone lifting weights while balancing my core.  The instructor said, "You may not feel it now, but you will!"... and damn, she was not lying!   Even my ankles are sore..   It's a good thing though.. I needed to get back into the groove!     

Over the weekend I also finished up my Eclipse novella... it was a short little book, but I enjoyed it.. and now I'm reading another book..   Nothing to help enhance my self discovery.. just plain old entertainment.. which I need right now anyways since Glee is over for the season, as are any other shows that I'm watching.  I'm trying to stay off the computer once I get home since I have a habit of parking my ass in front of it if I start... nope, don't need that!!      

Sunday, Jil, John and I had an early breakfast at a crepe cafe... OMG that place is delish!   Then, John took off for work, and Jil and I hit the Farmer's Market and then split some fajitas for 1 at a Mexican restaurant that we had never gone to.   It was delish... we had lots of leftovers, so when we got home, John had lunch too! HA!

TOMORROW - I am going back to my gastroenterologist.....   The appointment that I've been putting off for a little over two months now.   I will end up scheduling my next camera test tomorrow to see if that pesky ulcer is still hanging out in my intestine.  I haven't had any pain from it, but I wasn't last camera test either.   I have to take a day off of work, but it won't be enjoyable since I will be coming out of my anesthesia drunkenness..   blah!  

Anyways... back to work for me...  It's one of my half day weeks, and with a doctor's appointment, it's going to be a LONG 4 days! ick!

Happy Monday to all! :)

Losing It.. and other Stuff.. :)

Happy Friday, guys and dolls!
Since we have the puppy at home, I've been spending a lot less time in front of the computer since he's a chewer.. and now I'm finally starting to catch up on some of my TV shows while playing Tug'o'War with the pooch!
Last night I watched Losing It from the first week.. I thought I had forgotten to tape it, but there it was.. It was about an overweight family with two of the family members having gastric bypass surgery (the same one I had). The father was unsuccessful and the daughter had lost all of her weight but she still hadn't worked on her head. I related to the daughter for a few reasons - she still has the "fat girl mentality" where she doesn't see herself as thin.. Sometimes I look in the mirror and see BS (before-surgery, and bull sh*t (HA)) Laurie looking back at me. It's sad, frustrating, and hard to shake! Also, I have a really hard time with accepting compliments. I just don't see or understand what other people see, b/c I see BS Laurie. I enjoyed this family because I related so well.. I watched part of the 2nd show but I didn't finish it. I realized that I still have a lot of work to do on myself. I knew this all along, but finally realized how important it is!

I must touch on Glee too... I freaking love this show! :) It's just plain fun.. I watch enough TV that is deep and thought provoking, so this is nice and refreshing for me! It started again from the beginning last night, so my mom and sister and a few friends are going to start watching it too! Wahoo! :)

I'm SOOOOOOOO glad that it's Friday. This weekend, I'm planning on further puppy proofing the house, getting a few things taken care of that I've been putting off, looking for some shorts for summer so I don't die in the heat, and just trying to get some relaxation time in! One of John's uncles is having a 50th birthday surprise party sometime on Saturday, so we'll be going to that as well.

I have a month until our vacation. I cannot wait! We're going to Orlando so I'll be meeting his sister and her family for the first time. We're also going to the new Harry Potter thingy at Universal, Disney World, and all that stuff. I sure hope I saved enough money... H&M also has a store in Orlando, so hopefully I can get a new wardrobe on the cheap while I'm there too!

I hope you all have a great weekend!!! xoxo

Thursday 13: Eye Candy

Happy Thursday, everyone! :)
This Thursday 13 Edition is devoted to Eye Candy! We're all allowed to look at the menu, as long as we don't order off of it, right? HA!

1. My Boyfriend, John.. yeah, this is totally cheating, but I can't help it! I think he's a hottie! :) Yeah, he doesn't smile in pictures (even as a kid he didn't) but he smiles in the real world and has a great one!


2) Gerard Butler - He was great in 300, and I even loved him in that movie with Katherine Heigl even though I can't remember the name of it... good actor, and easy on the eyes!

3) Michael Symon - He's an Iron Chef and a hottie! What's not to like?

4) Hugh Jackman - Yeah, I seem to have a thing for action movie stars or bald guys.. what's up with that? LOL

5) Carter Oosterhouse - He was a carpenter on Trading Spaces and now I think he has his own show... A handy guy that's easy on the eyeballs!

6) Sam Worthington - I first saw him in the latest Terminator movie, then saw him in Avatar.. he's a good actor!

7) Channing Tatum - He's been in some good movies too!

8) Robert Pattinson - Yeah, I hesitated with this one, but I can't help it! I'm totally on Team Edward!! haha! I hope I don't lose any blog readers with this one.. :-)

9) Pierce Brosnan - I know he's a little out of my age range, but he has aged beautifully, and I think he's gorgeous! My favorite James Bond by far... granted, I hadn't seen many Sean Connery ones, but still!

10) Colin Firth - Ok, I guess Pierce got me thinking of Mamma Mia! So, I had to add Colin Firth.. he's adorably dorky.. I love it!

11) Justin Long - Another one that I think is adorable in a cute, dorky kinda way! :)

12) Bradley Cooper - He's almost too pretty for me, but I couldn't resist!

13) Saved the best for last (except the boyfriend, of course!) - John Krasinksi - I love his role on the Office, and I think he's absolutely adorable!


So, do I have strange taste? LOL! Anyone I miss that should be a must have on here? I'm sure I forgot quite a few, but I only have space for 13! :)
Happy Thursday to you all! :)

Thursday 13

Jealous?

Meet my trusty, go-to lunch... It's a gorgeous salad that my friend and I make and share.. We mix it in a huge bowl, and dish it up for a few days. I am addicted to it... YUM!
Ingredients:

• Kale
• Spinach
• Romaine
• Radishes
• Jicama
• Cucumber
• Avocado
• Grape Tomatoes
• Hearts of Palm
• Reduced Fat Feta Cheese
• Salad dressing - usually reduced fat Kraft Parmesan Asiago or a homemade balsamic dressing with some olive oil

My last doctor's appointment I was very low in Vitamin K, which you get from leafy green veggies... I bet those numbers are great now! LOL

Ok, just had to brag...
xoxo

Puppy Love

Wow, I forgot how tiring it is to have a puppy around.. especially a puppy who has endless energy!
Seth is such a good little boy... He has had NO accidents in his kennel during the day or night, and no accidents in the house either. Wahoo! But, WOW... the energy... I wish I could bottle it up and sell it. I'd be a bazzilionaire! I have a few bruises, scratches and banged up body parts and have fallen down one time so far. He likes to walk right in front of me and then stop, drop and roll to get a belly rub... yeah, cute... but OUCH!

Beyond puppy times, everything has been going alright... work is busy as always, and I'm VERY ready for my vacation next month! The weather here is crazy, and it's messing with my allergies/sinuses bad! I have NOT been good about going to the gym, and that has got to change.. I know it will help me get out all of my frustrations, and make me feel better about myself!

Hope you all are doing well... Back to work for me.. blah!

New Addition

For those of you who haven't been reading my blog for long, here's a little update. In October, we decided to adopt a puppy from the SPCA.. He was a great little dog, but his time with us was cut very short because he had canine distemper.. we only had him for about 3 weeks.. It was heartbreaking! Fast forward a few months later, and we got another puppy.. similar story, but we don't know if the puppy had distemper, pneumonia, parvo-virus, or a combination... She was with us for about 2-3 weeks. Needless to say, we've had our hearts broken too many times, and have proceeded with caution on getting another puppy.
Yesterday, we went to a rescue place to look at the dogs. A lot of times these places get the animals who are about to be put down at the county shelters, or take in dogs that people have found. There was a litter of puppies found underneath a trailer, and they were brought in at about 6 weeks old. We got to meet the last one left yesterday at the rescue facility. His name was Cash... John wanted to change it to Lord Vader (AHHH!!!), but we decided Seth was better.. :) He's about 16 weeks old, has had ALL of his shots, and is in great health. When we first met him, all he wanted to do was plop down in the dirt with one of his paws in the water dish.. VERY VERY Mellow.. Well, when we got him home, that all changed.. He's a crazy little guy! well, more crazy, not so little! He's a lab mix, but all I really see in him is lab.. Roxcee doesn't know what to think about him yet.. She's an 8 lb chihuahua who thinks she's a St. Bernard, and has snapped at him a few times... She went after him yesterday and jumped over John and sprained her leg in the process, poor pooch! LOL
Anyway, I'm sure we're in for some interesting times in the next few weeks while the dogs and cats get acquainted... and while we get used to a hyper dog... NOTHING is out of his reach, so this shall be fun! HA! :)

Thursday 13 - Places I Love

I'm back! I work in accounting, so at the beginning of every month, I have to get all of my stuff done within 2 days that we normally have all week for... And, with the holiday this week, we had even more of a crunch time! I have a HUGE amount of reading to do to catch up with everyone, so hopefully I can caught up with everyone's lives by Monday or so! Wahoo!!

This week's Thursday 13 is back to shopping... because I love it, and don't get to do it much, so I only dream of it! Here are 13 stores that I absolutely LOVE!

1. Target - What's not to like? They have a little bit of everything, I love their housewares and their clothing.. and they're not super expensive!
2. Amazon.com - yeah, it's a virtual store, but I'm in love with it.. you can find anything on there!
3. Best Buy - This store rocks! I actually worked there for several years starting when I was a senior in high school.. I would still work there if they could pay me more! HA!
4. TJ Maxx - Since I'm still in my transitional phase of weight loss and not knowing what my true weight will end up being, I HATE HATE HATE to pay full price for clothes that I may not be in very long. TJ Maxx helps me get some trendy clothes at reduced prices.. not to mention purses, sunglasses, belts, and housewares!
   
5. Ross - For the same reasons as TJ Maxx
6. HEB - This is my favorite grocery store in the world... I love it here.. I am not one who likes to grocery shop, but this makes it so much easier!
   
7. Phoenicia - Another grocery store, but this is a specialty store - Mediterranean style!
8. 99 Ranch - yeah, another grocery store, this is an Asian specialty store! Lots of great deals!
9. Canino's Farmer's Market - For me to not like grocery shopping - I sure have a lot of food places on here! HAHA! This is the best farmers market I have been to - lots of great produce, with great prices... I can break my back carrying my goodies that I've picked up, and it doesn't break my wallet... Last time I went, I spent about $15 - 2 avocados, 2 lbs of Bing cherries, kale, onions, cucumber, radishes, and some jicama! Delish!
10. Costco - I absolutely love Costco.. where else can you get jeans, a hot tub, a turkey and a television in one spot? No, I haven't done that, but still! :)
    
11. Kohl's - I find some great discounts here, and they always have an awesome coupon.. usually 30% off! I've never gone there to buy something without it already on sale.. plus, there is not a giant list of items that you can't use the coupon on.. EVERYTHING is included! More places should be like that.. are you listening, Macy's? :)
12. H&M - A GREAT store that I absolutely love... but there are none around me. When John and I go to Florida this summer, I am going there to get some clothes.. They have very inexpensive prices, but very cute clothes.. and good quality!
13. eBay - yeah, yeah... who doesn't love eBay? It's harder to find great deals than it used to be, but I still get lucky every now and again!

There ya have it... the reasons why I stay home and do nothing.. because these places like to take all of my money! HA!

1. First list item starts here…

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