my summer must-haves, part 2...

Mary Kay liquid lip color. I don't wear lipstick because I don't like the way it feels on my lips. "lipstains" or permanent lipstick dry my lips out. This MK liquid lip color is light and has a slight taste, like lip gloss, but the color stays on and looks nice. Feels great.

 

My mom had this Neutrogena lip shimmer, so I had to try it. It feels soooo good, and tastes yummy too. It's "cooling" so it has a bit of mint or something tingly, with just a hint of peach. It looks really pretty and shiny, and this color Glisten is the color she has, that I plan on buying, and it's clear with just a hint of goldish peachy pink.

 

I have always LOVED these Starbucks Mocha Frappuccinos. I have never had a drink from an actual Starbucks store I like, because they are all too coffee-ish for me. I like a hint of coffee, but not a strong overpowering taste of coffee. These bottled drinks are the perfect taste to me, and now they come in 100 calroies! It's the BEST! Doesn't haveto feel like such a splurge, when it's only 100 calories, and with this summer heat, a super cold frappuccino is so refreshing!

Nothing beats a snow cone in the summer. I have several "go-to" flavors that I love (strawberry&kiwi, grape&peach, chocolate), but lately I've been loving rainbow snowies. Strawberry, pineapple, and blue raspberry...so refreshing, and these three colors make a beautiful rainbow, which is so cheerful. Who can't be happy with a bright, cheerful, tasty rainbow snow cone? What's your favorite flavor?

I am the Luckiest...

Sunday was our anniversary. It was a good day. Full enough to have no regrets, but relaxing too. The perfect balance. We did something out of our comfort zone, and then ended the day with something delightfully familiar. Again, the perfect balance. Here's a recap of our seventh anniversary:
I woke up to breakfast and a huge beautifully exotic plant. Zac always gets me flowers, but he said this time he wanted to get me something that would last longer than a week. I hope I can keep it alive! Isn't it pretty?

And although we agreed on no gifts, he also got me a fleur-de-lis charm for my charm bracelet, and this dainty and delicate "remembrance ring." I absolutely LOVE it!

I love the way it looks on my finger alone, and I also love that I can get more in the future, with different colored stones, and they'll stack really nicely. Well done, Zac! :)
I told Zac that I'd plan the day for us, since he usually does it. I decided to take us to Taste of Dallas for another "out of our comfort zone" experience. We both had fun, and enjoyed ourselves,  were glad we went, but we also had a few realizations throughout the event:
-who in the world plans an OUTDOOR fair, in JULY, in Texas? Seriously? It was so hot, we couldn't even think about eating hot food. Zac said it should be held late October, and I totally agree.
-parking should not cost more than the actual ticket to enter
-this one is probably the funniest, and truest discovery...We have very boring palettes, and aren't big fans of 'fancy' food. "Sushi? No thanks! Lobster? Pass! Thai food? No, that's okay. Afghan food? Nope. Indian cuisine? Thanks anyways." We joked that it is almost a waste for us to attend events revolving around trying new food. I will say we did try a few samples, and we had fun people watching and walking around (the indoor part at least, the outside booths were crazy miserable, due to the 105 degree weather). Like I said, glad we went, but we can cross that one off the list.

It was no 'Hey Cupcake' (and Austin Airstream trailer cupcake company), but Trailercakes offered a "wedding cake" cupcake, which seemed perfect for the occasion. It also came with an ice cold washcloth, which Zac and I were passing back and forth, long after it wasn't cold anymore.
When we left Fair Park, we decided to go visit our friend Bez, at his brand new store. He just opened his second GNC, and this one is in Addison. Since we were already in Dallas,  we wanted to drive up and see him and check out the place he owns. Isn't that crazy? And he's opening his third store in July! We are so happy for him, and proud that he's living out his goals...when he talked about owning several stores a year or two ago, I thought it seemed so impossible, but here he is. Anyways, it was great to visit, and luckily for him (although bad for conversation), he was very busy and had customers steadily coming in the whole time we were there. If you need any vitamins, or health stuff, I know your man...

When we got home, we showered and needed a nap. (Welcome back to the comfort zone!) Something about intense sweating, being in the sun, and driving a lot takes it out of you. Not that we need an excuse to nap these days, but it was nice. We woke up and fixed up, then drove to Arlington for our dinner reservations at PF Chang's. YUM! I asked the hostess to take a picture of us for our anniversary (which didn't turn out, since it's sooo dark in that restaurant), and I guess she told the waitress, who comped us a free Great Wall of Chocolate! Oh my...my mouth is watering all over again, just thinking about the rich deliciousness of it! Might be one of my fave desserts! It's definitely top three! :) Chocolate cake, fresh berries, a sweet, but tart raspberry sauce, decadent chocolate frosting, chocolate chips on the end....it's heaven on a plate!

When we walked outside, I asked a random woman to take our picture, and explained it was our anniversary. Zac bought me this dress for my birthday...picked it out completely on his own at my favorite store, it fits perfectly and everything! He's a keeper, I tell you!

 When we got home from dinner, we changed into our jammies and the three of us cuddled on the couch for our anniversary tradition. We watched our wedding DVD. We laughed at different moments, shared "remember whens" and reminisced about what an amazing night it was. I want to do it again. Never in your life (besides your wedding and funeral) do you get to ask ALL of your friends and family to come celebrate you, and they actually do it! Well, I mean maybe at your 50th wedding anniversary party, but gah, that's a long time to wait. Birthday parties are fun and special, but no event that I can think of has the MAGIC in the air that a wedding carries. It's love, excitement, future hopes and dreams, celebration, and...well...magic. There's no other word I can think of to describe it better. We had such an amazing wedding and reception, and it wouldn't have been the same without our families and friends there with us. So if you attended that special day, thank you. And thanks to those of you who have supported us, and loved us, as individuals, and as a couple, the last seven years. Zac and I can both admit that it hasn't always been easy. In fact, I think we've already been through a lot, with moves, health problems, job stress, and more, BUT, I think it's only brought us closer, and made us stronger as a team. And the best is yet to come...

I'll end this (sappy, but heartfelt) post with a quote I saw online today..."The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart."  - Elisabeth Foley 

*The title of this post, is taken from the second song on the playlist, "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds. I think it's a such a sweet and beautiful song, and you can read the lyrics here. :)

Friday

Last night was a blast. We did end up doing the fun idea I had mentioned previously, and it felt so good to get out of our comfort zone. Zac knew about this band called The O's, and saw they were playing in Dallas. It's just two brothers who play several instruments (banjo, guitar, lowebro, kick drums, harmonicas, and a tambourine) and have fun making some great music. They played at The Common Table, which was a really cute restaurant in Uptown. It was only slightly pretentious and swanky, but we were dressed cute, so we fit right in. :) Haha, I also think that this band is pretty laid back and cool, so that made the crowd fun too. The show didn't start until ten, so Zac and I felt very young and hip and cool for heading to Dallas to go to a late show. (gah, even just admitting that makes me feel ten years older than I am!) We were joking about how we aren't really an old married couple, we just feel like it, then decided on Cotton Patch for dinner. HAHA! Not so hip or romantic, but I love me some wabbit platter (that's the veggie plate), so I really didn't care. We just felt like we were pushing the boundaries for eating at 8 instead of 5:30 or 6! Ha, we really are pathetic. But it was such a fun night. We had drinks and a scrumptious dessert at the show, and had a cute little cozy corner booth. We giggled, talked, cheers'ed, and listened to live music. It was a good night. A fill your cup, kind of night. It's so nice to break your routine every now and then, and makes it even more exciting and special when you do. 

1. Do something productive.
Zac cooked lunch for us again today. When I went to put away leftovers, I could not find a matching container and lid. How annoying is that!? It's happened to me a hundred times, but usually it occurs in the evening, when I'm in a rush. Today, I took my frustration and put it to work. Here is the entire cabinet, cleaned out and stacked on the kitchen table. (yes, it was that disorganized and messy inside the cabinet too!)

  

I matched all the things that had matches, and then recycled what didn't. Somehow, there was about fifteen more tops than there were bottoms. I also recycled some of the older or crummier containers.

 

Ta-da!!! This is what it looks like back in the cabinet. All nice and neat, and easy to find the perfect sized container for the occasion. :)

 

Soon after finishing the tupperware project, our doorbell rang. Another A/C company to look at our unit and house and give us a quote on a new one. Two hours later, I made the conclusion that a/c salesmen LOVE to chat. The man today (as well as the last man, who came in June) stayed hours, told stories, and explained the science of air conditioning in detail. We really liked the man today, the way he was so thorough, and the way he bragged about what great care he was going to take of us. He comes out a week after install, and then again four weeks after install, just to check on everything and make sure we are satisfied, and it's running properly. Then he comes out again at the beginning of winter to make sure the heat pump side of the HVAC is functioning efficiently too. As much as we DREADED spending so much money on AIR...we pulled the trigger. We have 12 months with no interest, so at least we can pay it off over time. Man, we hope to move in a year or so, and it really does stink though, having to spend money on something you can't take with you. At least a new dining room table or dresser could go with us. A fancy trip would give us beautiful pictures and everlasting priceless memories. But an A/C? You need it, but it sure isn't a fun way to blow 6 thousand bucks. Which, for the record, is more than we spent on our trips to Spain, New Orleans, and San Francisco combined! Ugh...I hate to think of it that way. But whatever. We needed it, and we'd need it to sell the house eventually anyways.

2. Do something healthy, or for others.

Hmm...oh wow. That's bad. I guess I didn't really do anything healthy or helpful today. Yikes. Oops! I'll have to double up tomorrow! I'm ashamed.

3. Do something selfish.

Maybe I was lacking in category #2 because I was so busy with this category. I took a nap today. We saw a movie, and I ate some popcorn and skittles. We saw Horrible Bosses, and I thought it was very funny. I can't help but mention one of my hugest pet peeves though...I absolutely can't stand, get so upset, hate, when people bring little kids to R rated movies. Especially if they are old enough to understand and remember scenes from the film. This has always bugged me, and it affects me to the point that I don't enjoy the movie as much, because I'm so worried about the six year old down the aisle seeing violence, sex, and hearing language that even shocks me! Sigh...let it go Jules. But seriously people!? Okay, I'm done. I've been getting on a lot of soap boxes lately, huh? I should have a warning for my blog, like SBOTD (soap box of the day), so you'll know I'm about to go off. Oh well. Moving on...Zac and I also watched the documentary Waiting for Superman today. It's fascinating, but super depressing too. Our American education system is a big mess, and it's crazy to me that we are taking even more money away from a system that's already failing as is. Ugh...I can feel another SBOTD coming on. Anyways, after the movie we went to Buffalo Wild Wings (Zac's choice, obviously!) to celebrate/mourn the new "purchase." Welp, time for bed! More exciting plans tomorrow night!

***I'm so pumped to learn that a book I really enjoyed has been made into a movie! I can't wait to see Freakonomics: The Movie! Click on the title to watch the trailer. If you read the book, you can imagine how interesting the movie will be!

Summer Blogging, doubled up

Wednesday, July 6th
1. Do something productive.
Cleaned out the fridge, threw away some old candles, rearranged an overly-decorated window sill above our master bathtub, took out trash and recycle, laundry, worked on a special project (soon to be revealed on this very blog!),
2. Do something healthy, or for others.
I had a great workout at the gym. Not having to leave in time to get ready for school or summer school, I was able to take my time and really push myself. My back and arms are sore today, but it feels good, because it means I worked them hard.
3. Do something selfish.
 I had lunch with a friend from work. She was also a first year teacher this year, and we didn't get to see each other much, but when we did, we always had lots to talk about and laughed tons! It was a great lunch, and when Zac texted me two and a half hours after we met, asking if I was okay, I was shocked that much time had already passed. I hope to continue to get to know her and build our friendship. :) I took a long sweaty nap. We also rented a movie last night, called Conviction, about a woman who becomes a lawyer, just to free her innocent brother from life in prison. It has Hilary Swank and Minnie Driver, and it's based on a true story. The brother in jail was also a prisoner in The Green Mile, and Sandy Cohen from The O.C. plays an attorney in the film, so Zac and I were joking that they only cast people in roles they'd already seen them in. Probably not funny to anyone else, but Zac and I had a hoot with it. Haha. The film was a little slow and long, but worth watching. If you're curious, you can view the trailer here. It was sort of strange to watch a film all about a guilty conviction in the midst of all this Casey Anthony mess.

Thursday, July 7th
1. Do something productive.
Zac cooked lunch and I washed dishes and loaded/ran dishwasher, visited a friend in the hospital (who might have Crohns, which of course is near and dear to my heart, so please pray for him! The colonoscopy is tomorrow), worked on a special video project
2. Do something healthy, or for others.
I went to the doc for a B-12 shot. If you want to know that benefits of B-12, see the bottom of this post. I have been taking the sub-lingual (under the tongue) lozenges for months, but recently read that they still aren't as good as getting an injection, and I totally don't mind shots, so it seemed appropriate. I haven't been feeling too hot lately, so maybe this (and a few other changes I'm making) will help.
We took some magazines to our friends in the hospital, so I guess that would be doing something for others? I always feel like I'm bragging when I list something I did for someone else, and it seems to discount the action, but that's not my intention at all. I hope you know that. I just list it to hold myself accountable.
3. Do something selfish.
After visiting our friend, I forced poor Zac to go shopping with me (although I didn't buy one thing, and we were really only in the store for about 15 minutes). Afterwords we went to Baskin-Robbins, and I got my favorite coffee drink of all time...the Mocha Cappucino Blast. YUM! Z got a double scoop of cookie dough ice cream, and smiled the whole time he ate it. :)
The day isn't over yet, so who knows what else I might (or might not) accomplish today, but I wanted to go ahead and post this, since we might have fun plans tonight. I'll let you know! Also, a new season of Big Brother starts tonight. Woohoo!

The top 5 health benefits of vitamin B 12 are:

• It is needed to convert carbohydrates into glucose in the body, thus leading to energy production and a decrease in fatigue and lethargy in the body.

• It helps in healthy regulation of the nervous system, reducing depression, stress, and brain shrinkage.

• It helps maintain a healthy digestive system. Vitamin B12 also protects against heart disease by curbing and improving unhealthy cholesterol levels, protecting against stroke, and high blood pressure.

• It is essential for healthy skin, hair, and nails. It helps in cell reproduction and constant renewal of the skin.

• Vitamin B 12 helps protect against cancers including breast, colon, lung, and prostrate cancer. 

This info is just from one site (different sites list various "top reasons" to take it), but if you are interested, or think it could help you, you should definitely research it. I read on a government website (after already receiving the shot) that people who've had gastrointestinal disorders or surgeries are especially good candidates for the shots, since we aren't able to absorb as much. Cool, huh. Every site also said that vegans should consider taking some form of B12, since it's usually absorbed in meats and milk products. Okay, I'm off my soapbox-of-the-day now, and done being a pusher. :)
And yes, as a matter of fact, that was three posts in one day. Make sure you didn't miss any of them. I'm making up for being out of town over the weekend! You're welcome.

Old dog, new tricks?

Wow, just...wow! Watch the video, before reading below.


Wasn't that impressive!? Sidenote: I think it's a little unoriginal to name a Boston terrier "Boston," but hey, they make up for it by the cool trick! I wish Molly could do that. But I also wish she could skateboard. (Check out these Parisian BT's getting busy!)

I have a toypedo. (the name of that dive stick)
I have a Boston Terrier who loves water.
All I need is a pool that allows dogs, and a few days to practice!
Who says you can't teach on old dog new tricks!?

my summer must-haves...

I love a good product recommendation from a friend. It's comforting when trying something new, to know that someone you like and respect approves the product. Anyways, here are a few things that I've been really loving lately, in case you wanted to know...
Maybelline Collossal Volum Express mascara. Nothing compares! I have tried several other types and brands (including pricey department store brands) and I keep going back to this. It feels light, doesn't dry hard or crispy, doesn't smudge or come off throughout the day BUT comes off fairly easily with remover (as opposed to others that I've had to scrub and scrub to get off), the brush is big and soft and spreads it on perfectly, and best of all, and the most unique thing about it...it SMELLS good! I know right...I've never heard of scented mascara, and they don't advertise that it has an aroma, but I swear it has a rose scented fragrance. Lovely.

 Bali Mango everything from Bath & Body Works...my favorite smell this summer! I only have the shower gel and lotion, but I'm thinking about buying the lip gloss and body splash. It's so yummy!

Taco Bell Limeade sparklers! I used to love a good Sonic cherry limeade, but that was like, so totally two years ago! Taco Bell has the most refreshing and tasty limeades that I've ever experienced! Try one...you'll thank me! But be sure to mix it with the straw before you take a sip. They intentionally leave it separated (not sure why!?), so you need to give it a good swirl before you drink it.

 Nike shorts! Oh my gosh, am I in love! I know I'm late for the bandwagon, because they've been out for awhile now, but I finally just bought my first pair. Then two days later, I bought my second pair. After two weeks of wearing them non-stop, I bought my third pair. They are sooo comfortable! I don't usually wear short shorts, but these are flattering for some reason, and cool, and comfy, and have I mentioned that I love them!? I had black with pink, and black with blue, but I just got wild a bought some purple ones, with pink mesh on the sides, and blue piping. Crazy colorful! Who knew a simple pair of shorts could make a girl so happy!?

 

Some honorable mentions: Burt's Bees Chapstick, Smart Water, and the entire Francesca's store! :)

Hope you enjoyed my list! And if you buy any of the products, I hope you like them too. Let me know!!! What are your summer must haves? I'd love to hear!

Who run the world? Girls!

Also known as Summer Blogging, Day 4. It's a long one, with links, pics, video, and more. I will be out of town all weekend, so probably won't be able to blog again until Sunday or Monday. Here I go...
1. Do something productive.
This morning I tried to sleep late to celebrate my first day of summer, but I woke up at 8:15 and couldn't fall back to sleep. That is several hours later than I have been waking up though, so that's good. I went to my campus and turned in my summer school grades, attendance, and time sheet. Tonight after dinner I emptied the dishwasher. This afternoon I cleaned out my car. It needed it. Badly. Every single item in this bucket came out of the front passenger seat floor of my car. I know, pathetic huh?

2. Do something healthy, or for others.
I had Panera Bread for lunch! That's healthy right? They have the best Greek salad in the universe! But my fave part is the Kalamata olives and they left them off today. Boo. Oh, and when I was cleaning out my car, I found a tennis ball, so I played with Molser outside for awhile. I also took her for a walk tonight. Not long enough to be considered exercise for myself, but she was panting, and I know she enjoyed it. Here are some pics from our tennis ball time. They are taken with the Hisptamatic app on my phone (where you can change out different lenses and film types), and then put together with Diptic. This one is new to me, but I love it, and it's so easy. And if you are like me, and you have a hard time deciding between lots of pics, but you don't want to post too many, it's nice to have a single collage, that includes all of your faves. I highly recommend it!

3. Do something selfish.
The best thing I did today was drive to Cedar Hill to buy something I've been looking forward to for quite some time...Beyonce's new album, FOUR. I haven't gone to the store and actually bought a CD in years. Seriously, years. I buy everything on iTunes now, but I wanted the "deluxe edition" with 6 extra songs, and the one and only place it was being sold was Target. (I guess they had some sort of arrangement.) Seeing this special stand was an adrenaline rush.

 B is one of my all-time favorite artists. If I could be only one singer, it would definitely be Beyonce. Alter-ego (Sasha Fierce) included!I'm still getting to know the album, but I like it a lot so far. A few ballads, and few dance/pop songs, and some new sounds as well. I will probably dedicate an entire future post solely to music, so I won't get too carried away, but I do want to show you this video I came across today. These cute girls are covering B's new single Run The World, acapella, and it's soo impressive!


For the real song, and amazingly crazy but beautiful video, click here.
I watched quite a bit of the Casey Anthony trial today, but I wasn't quite as hooked (fortunately). It was on most of the day (when I was home) but it was come and go, and I was doing other things while watching, so that's not as bad, right!? Let me just say that I really wanted Casey to testify, but it didn't shock me at all that she chose not to.
Ramsi texted me this afternoon (as we were both laying down for naps...great minds think alike!) and we set up a reunion dinner. I hadn't seen her in a few weeks, and she just got back from a ten day trip to Jersey. It was so great to catch up. Felt like the good ole days again. :) And you can't ever go wrong with Texas Roadhouse! (Oh, and this would go under the 'healthy' category, but I always get a loaded baked potato there, and I got steamed broccoli instead.)

Starting tomorrow, we will be enjoying a weekend at the lake with this girl, who loves to swim, but is insulted when put in a lifejacket, or "Fido Float." She is a great swimmer, but if we take her out in the boat, to the middle of the lake, it's nice to have a little extra peace of mind. Look at that face...can't you tell she's thrilled!? Lol!

 

 I did give her 3 ounces of steak and take her for a walk immediately after making her pose for pics while I laughed at her awkwardness.

PS-Miley Cyrus just seemed appropriate tonight. Maybe it's because it's almost July 4th, which really IS "a party in the USA," or maybe it's because in the video it's summer, and she dances in front of an enormous American flag, so it just makes me think it's a patriotic song, or maybe it's just because I love it. And who needs an excuse or reason to play a song you love?