Randomness

Complete randomness to discuss tonight.  I did everyone a huge favor today.  I bought a pair of snow boots.  You're welcome.  It's sure not to snow until next winter now that I have the cutest little snow shoes to wear.  They are North Face boots and I got them for $22!!  They were calling my name. I'm pretty determined to not be wearing the same snow outfit in our "Sledding 2016" pictures.  I took this picture in my car b/c we like to share our lunch time purchases at work and I didn't feel like lugging them upstairs to my office.  Anyone else share ALL their purchases with the co-workers??

I'm actually fine if it doesn't snow again until next winter. My driveway has looked like this for well over a week.  Over it.

We had breakfast for dinner tonight.  Big time crowd pleaser around here.  Omelets with cheese and bell peppers & onions on the side.

Miles approves too...

I think Miles laughed harder tonight than I've ever heard him laugh.  I was whispering in his ear and he thought it was hilarious.  He's as ticklish as me and I really think that's what was getting him. Fun with my baby!

So...that's all I have for you.  It's been a busy week for our family that culminated with some major decisions and events last night & today.  More details coming soon.  We have been exhausted every night after high emotions and stresses.  Tonight is no exception, so I'm off to crawl in bed at 8:27pm.  Good night!

Stuff I Like

I thought I would do a follow up to my first "Stuff I Like" post.  The first thing I like is Miles sleeping in his new, big bed.  More on that in another post.

Sally Hansen InstaDry

This was actually the inspiration for this post.  I cannot brag on this stuff enough.  I don't know what made me buy it, but I'm so glad that I did.  I love to paint my nails, but I do not like how long it takes for them to dry.  I like to use a base coat, 1-2 coats of color, and a top coat.  That takes forever to dry.  With this stuff, I can put on all those coats generously, add this on top, and it is dry within 5 minutes.  It may not be dry enough to wash dishes or anything, but I can at least go to sleep without dreaded sheet marks the next morning.

Photo Circle
When my friends and I went to the Price Is Right last weekend, we used an app called Photo Circle.  You create an event and invite those attending.  Everyone uploads their cell pictures to the app during the event.  Then, everyone has access to all the photos without having to text them to each other.  When all the photos have been uploaded you can export to your phone with one click.  Genius.  I may be way behind on this...because I do tend to be behind on most trends...but this was really cool and extremely efficient. 

Venmo

Venmo is an app that allows you to transfer money to someone for free.  Everything I've read indicates that it's very secure.  I trade money with my sister-in-law often and also a friend from work.  I find Venmo easier than Paypal or a bank app.  The only problem is that a lot of people don't use it.  If you have someone specific that you tend to swap money with, I highly recommend trying it.

The Bachelor

Since we are getting close to the Bachelor finale, I had to include this.  After a gazillion seasons, I still like it.  It's all the same and they rarely stay together, but I still find it entertaining.  I love my little Monday night tradition of sitting in front of the fire and watching it with all the lights out.  It's a total escape from reality and the perfect end to my Monday.  Reality Steve is speculating that Britt will be the next Bachelorette.  Hear me people, I will NOT watch.  I just can't do it.  There are a lot of reasons why, but her Converse with EVERY outfit tops the list. Just no.

New Workout Playlists

My only workouts now consists of attending cardio interval classes, so I never listen to the music on my ipod anymore.  The music that we were listening to during class was doing nothing for me, so I decided to make a few CDs for our class.  The first one seemed to be a hit. The pics are a little blurry, but if you click on them, they are readable.

 

I created another one to take to class tomorrow.  Hope everyone likes it.  Some of the songs are the same b/c I like them and it's hard to find clean work out music.

 

Banded Headbands

My hair is very thin & fine.  It's hard to find headbands that will stay on my head and not give me a major headache.  The headbands from Banded are great.  They don't slip. I love the patterns too.  I wish I had every color.  The do give me a headache if I wear them for too long, but I get headaches easily anyway.  A friend recently tried Banded2gether after trying Sweaty Bands, which are very similar, and she liked the Sweaty Bands better.  They are a little more expensive, but I think I will try them next. 

Microfiber Sheets

This is so strange, but I recently bought some sheets from a G-Force cheerleader (for you locals) as a fundraiser. I am big time sheet snob, but they were only $35, so I decided to take a chance.  I didn't get to see them in advance, but I was assured they were very soft.  Oh my, they are great!  I've never had microfiber sheets...didn't even know such a thing existed.  Unlike most sheets that have to be washed a thousand times, these were soft before I even washed them.  I'm not sure the stitching is the best quality, but even if they last a year, it will be worth it.

Let me know if you try any of these things.  I'd love to know what you think. 

The Price Is Right Live

So....five friends and I had tickets to the Price Is Right Live at the Carson Center on Friday night. A few housekeeping notes before I get started on this crazy, crazy night.  First, I forgot my camera.  So, all the pictures (after the first two) are from someones cell phone.  Second, Paducah is an hour north of where we live in case you aren't a local.  And third, we have had snow, rain, ice, and very cold weather for five days straight.  Ok, let's get to it.

On Thursday, my friends and I started discussing the pending weather via group texts and FB messages.  We began watching the Carson Center FB page to see if they were going to cancel.  The weather seems a little questionable.  It was supposed to warm up and rain for much of the day on Friday. Friday, the texting picked up a little while we further analyzed the weather and if we should go or not.  Our husbands weighed in with their opinions too.  Some were fine with it, others weren't so sure, and one wasn't too cool with it.  I emailed Darrin from work on Friday morning and asked what he thought about the weather.  His reply was "I think it is risky."...to which I replied, "If I decide to go, are you okay with that?"  He said yes, and at the end of the day, five of us decided to go and one stayed behind because daycare closings made childcare an issue.

We were told to be at the Carson Center at 4:30pm to register to play on the show.  We met at my house at 3:15pm to give us a little over an hour to get there.  And actually, the day of the show, the venue posted on their FB page that you didn't have to be there right at 4:30pm.  Our plan was to register and then walk to a nearby restaurant, where we had 5:30 dinner reservations. 

Carrie was in charge of shirts.  They say, "Jennifer is my name & the Price Is Right is my game".  Well done, Carrie.  Don't we look happy, fresh, and secure in our decision to make the hour trek to Paducah?? 

We posted this jointly on FB before we left my house.  Oh, the irony...

Here we go...silly, silly girls...

About halfway there, the weather was no joke at all.  It.Was.Awful.  Without question, these were the worst road conditions I have ever driven on.  I really wasn't nervous, but we had to drive so slowly. Since we don't have a lot of winter weather, our roads are not cleared and we are not used to driving in this.  Even if you are driving safely, the person next to you is a complete wild card. 

We had stop a little over half way there to scrap the ice off the windshield wipers.

After a two hour drive, we finally made it there at 5:30pm.  It was sleeting/raining hard as we walked in to register.  Erica & Rachel...

You can't tell much from the picture, but the parking lot and sidewalks were solid snow & ice.  I still can't believe that no one fell.  Christa & Carrie...

We weren't really sure how they picked people to be on the show.  Turns out, you fill out a card with your name & birthday and drop it in a laundry basket.  Very sophisticated.  It took less than five minutes.  We wondered at that point if we should lower our expectations.

We missed our dinner reservations, but thought we would go to the restaurant anyway and see if we could get a table.  It was a Mexican restaurant, called Tribeca, that Darrin's sister recommended.  We decided not to mention our 5:30 reservation since we were well past that.  The host said he could probably squeeze us at a table for four with a chair on the end.  Fine with us. Then, he returned in a little rant about how he had a bigger table b/c a party didn't show up.  As he walked us to our table he said, "I'm sure they didn't call either...no show, no call, screw them all".  We were all dying b/c we figured it was our table.  Sure enough, there was a post-it note on the table that said "McClure". 

Dinner was very good.  We celebrated Christa's birthday, which was Wednesday.  Notice the ice on the cover just from the walk from the car. Happy Birthday, Christa...

Around 7pm, we headed back to the Price is Right.  We chose seats in the middle price range and ended up in the last row, on the first balcony.  Since we knew that several people would not be there b/c the weather, we decided to ask for an seat upgrade.  And by 'we', I mean we talked Erica into asking.  After a few exchanges, the guy said he would come get us if he could find some seats. When he came to get us, he was trying to discreetly talk to us about moving and this really bizarre guy in front of us was starring him down.  He was onto what was going on and he was not having it.  The Carson Center guy addressed him a couple times, but never could have a private conversation with us with the guy all up in our business.  He finally said, "I found you all some seats on the top balcony that I think are going to be much better for your friend (pointing to Erica)...since she has claustrophobia (nodding at us)...."  We caught on quickly, gathered our things while trying not to bust out laughing, and hurried away before the stalker guy hurt us.

We moved down to the first floor, around the 10th row.  Nice job, Erica...

We all wanted to get called to play, but then we were nervous at the same time.  I felt certain I would trip on my way down.  I just wanted someone from our group to get called.  I love the photo bombers in this pic...

The show states that you could win money, appliances, trips, or even a car.  We joked all week about washers, dryers, toasters, and garden gnomes.

I wondered if it would still be fun if none of us got called to 'Come On Down'.  We didn't, and it was still a lot of fun.  I would even go back.  It was interactive and entertaining. 

As soon as the show ended, we checked a few texts from our husbands about the weather. Mine said, "You need to stay in Paducah. Nine cars off the road in Martin. It would take you four hours to get home."  It was an easy decision for me, but Rachel has a two month old baby and Carrie has never spent the night away from her little one. My heart really went out to them.  They called home to assess the situation and then we all decided we needed to get a hotel for the night.  My car pretty much sums things up...

We made a quick trip to Walmart for some sleep attire, contact cases & solution, toothpaste & toothbrushes, drinks & snacks. 

Oh how different our second FB post looked...

Everyone, including our moms to little ones, handled the adventure like champs.  We made the most of it with smiles on.  I was secretly (not really b/c I think they knew) happy to have more time with these girls...

We got a suite that had a King bed for Carrie & Christa...

A pull out bed for Rachel & Erica...

And a pint sized chair & ottoman, pushed together with the couch cushions, for me.  I could have slept with Carrie & Christa, but this was totally fine with me.  I tend to toss and turn, so this was better for everyone...

The next morning, we decided to forgo the complimentary hotel breakfast and go to Cracker Barrel instead.  I mean, what is a little more money at this point???  I think my friends are beautiful, but this was not our finest hour.  To top our weekend off, as we sat down, Christa got a text from her husband saying that her garage roof was flooding....and then our waitress brought our drinks and dumped an entire water on me and in my purse.  Not so much for Christa's house, but the water on me was really comical after our weekend. If only she would have dumped it on my head so I would have had an excuse as to why my hair looks so bad.

It was finally time to call our weekend to a close and head home.  The temperature had gone up and a steady rain had cleared most of the roads.  Staying the night, was absolutely the right decision.  On the way home, I hydroplaned for a solid five seconds while water completely covered my windshield, and in a separate incident, a truck nearly ran me off the road.  I can't make this stuff up.  We made it home in tact, and I think everyone had a good time despite the craziness of our night.  We all agreed not to plan things like this in the dead of winter ever again.

We're So Thrifty & How to Draw Books

This makes me laugh.  As I was glancing through the sledding pictures from yesterday, I noticed a little trend.  We went sledding last year & this year with our friends, Christa & Jordan.  It's hard to tell that the pictures were taken a year apart, b/c we all have on the exact same outfits.  Jackets, pants, boots, hats...almost all of it is exactly the same.

Christa & Jordan last year...

Christa & Jordan this year...

Last year...

This year...

It doesn't end there.  This picture was taken on a ski trip in 2007.  Yes, 8 years ago. Coming from the person who likes to have a new, appropriate outfit for every occasion, this is hysterical to me. Clearly, I'm much thriftier than I give myself credit for!

On to a great snow day activity when it's too cold to go outside. I rarely feel that it's too cold for kids to play outside, but we currently have a Wind Chill Advisory in effect.  The wind chill is projected to dip down to -12.  No thank you.

I checked out some 'How to Draw' books from the library last year & Miles loved them.  I really enjoy them too.  Finding something we enjoy playing together is always a bonus.  We bought Miles two How to Draw books for Christmas...Pets & Monsters...

...and my mom bought him this one...

I like all three of them.  Pros & cons. The ones I bought were a little cheaper.  The one that my mom bought shows the finished picture in color, which makes it fun to color them at the end.  I prefer the one that my mom bought, but I recommend all of them.

Miles enjoys them.  They entertain him longer than a lot of activities. He occasionally sits at the kitchen table for quite a while drawing while I'm cooking.

Some of our creations...

 

If you decide to try them out, I would also recommend buying colored pencils.  They seem to be the easiest for Miles to control, rather than markers or crayons.  Have fun!

Our Parental Obligation

Today, Darrin & I fulfilled our parental obligation to provide a snow  day experience for our child.  You can't scroll through Facebook without feeling like a total slacker parent for not putting on a thousand layers and freezing for a couple hours for your kid. Darrin could totally live with the guilt, but I cannot.  So, I text a few friends to see if they were up for some sledding with the promise of Mexican afterwards.  Some were down with sledding and others down with just Mexican.  Sounds good to me...do what you can friends.  

We found a hill next to Darrin's office.  We tried to buy a sled today to no avail.  After a quick Google search for alternative sled options...plastic cookie trays it is!

They were a little tricky, but not bad after you got the hang of it.  

Some orange football blocking pads (???) was where it was at.  Cushiony & fast is a perfect sledding combination. So fun!  Jordan liked giving everyone a slight push just a little too much...

 ...which occasionally ended in a wipeout...

I was onto his little game...

I look like a pretzel...

The walk back up the hill, or mountain as the kids called it, was a serious work out.  
 

 

Too bad Miles didn't have fun...

Towards the end of our sledding fun, we decided to try the hills in the back of this picture. We started on the very top and went all the way to the bottom. It doesn't look like much in the picture, but the second hill was very steep.  I was so much fun.

I feel certain that the adults had more fun than the kids.  I know I did...

Darrin wasn't complaining either...

After 2 hours of sledding, it was time for some Mexican food.  When we go out with this group of friends, the girls usually sit at one table and the guys sit at another.  If we are driving anywhere, we also have separate cars. 

It totally works and assures that a random girl or guy isn't stuck at the end of the table with no one to talk to.  Baby Bane came to hang out with us at dinner...

The guys had a peaceful dinner with easy conversation...

Meanwhile, the women got stuck with the kids. We will even that trade out next time, I assure you.

Our necessary obligation turned out to be a whole lot of fun.  I didn't really doubt that it would, but it exceeded my expectations. Fun afternoon with Miles & our friends.  Now that we have Sledding 2015 in the memory books, I don't care if it snows again.  Unfortunately, warm summer nights on deck  will have to wait a little longer.  We are projected to get 1-2 more inches tonight and the low is -2. Stay warm, friends!