Weekend Ramblings

A shameless selfie is one of the few pics from the weekend I have to share.  It just wasn't that kind of weekend. Which is fine by me.  Mj and I did a pairs selfie (a groupie?)but I didn't like the way it turned out.  I feel bad for the poor guy with all the pictures he has to take and be in so I didn't want to ask to do it again.  

Friday was dinner and a movie date night

I really hate it when a new scary movie comes out and the trailer looks awesomely spooky but then when I go and see it I walk away totally disappointed.  I'm happy to report that The Conjuring is not that movie.  We wanted to see it at Cineopolis but it wasn't playing there so this was actually my first time being back in a "non luxury" theater in a while and it was fine.  I might be an HD snob but I have not turned into a luxury cinema snob yet.  The movie was creepy and kept me jumping in my seat which is how I like it.  Walking away from that movie you kind of get the impression that demonic possession could happen to anyone so I'm thinking about converting to Catholicism.  The Vatican is in charge of all the exorcisms so I think it would give me an advantage should I ever become afflicted.  

Cinnamon Toast Sticks from Hooley's Irish Pub & Grill

I've had egg whites, greens and tofu coming out of my ears lately so I took the liberty to indulge over the weekend.  You can only eat salads for so long before you eventually break.  Friday before the movies at dinner I ordered Grilled Chicken Mac and Cheese.  I LOVE Mac and Cheese but I rarely ever order it.  It was soooo good!  For dessert we had Cinnamon Toast sticks with Vanilla ice cream.  Delicious! Totally worth it.  On Sunday we went to breakfast and instead of ordering the boring Veggie Omelet I went for French Toast which is my favorite breakfast.  I dug in too fast to even get a picture.  I've been there so many times and didn't even realize they have the best French Toast I've ever had in San Diego because I was too busy trying to be "good" and order egg white Omelet's.  I don't feel an ounce of guilt over any of it.  Today I'll be eating a big ass Italian Sub for dinner from Capriotti's because Mj has a Groupon we need to use.

We had a total breakdown in communication on Saturday.  Don't you love it when that happens? It's like you are from two different planets.  Venus and Mars of course. 
Mj:  We're leaving in 20 minutes
Me: What? Where are we going?
Mj:  Mike's party.  I told you about it.
Me:  What party?
Mj:  His Birthday party.  Remember?
Me: No!  I am wearing pajamas.  I took my contacts out.  I was planning on folding laundry and watching Breaking Bad.  Do I have to go?
Mj:  Yes.
Me: F!!! (Since I don't like to actually say the F word but sometimes I really feel it).  Well where is it?  Are we going out to dinner?   See, if you had really told me about this I would know already.
Mj:  At his house.
Me: Lots of stomping around and groaning as I start getting dressed and trying to make myself presentable.

Anyways.  We usually do pretty well but this one totally slipped through the cracks.  We had plans for Cineopolis that night originally so Mike's party was up in the air.  I didn't know if it was a guys thing or if I was even invited when he initially mentioned it and all thoughts of it disappeared from my mind because we had conflicting plans anyways.  Mj never brought it up again.  He says he did but I certainly don't recall.  I got ready really fast, we went to the party and fun was had by all.

Breaking Bad Season 5 is available on Netflix now. It's funny how one minute you can be totally obsessed with a show and the next you can't even remember why so and so is acting all crazy.  I have a really bad memory and we watched season 4 a long time ago.  I was forgetting all of these important details and couldn't remember what was going on so I had to brush up on Wikipedia.  Memory refreshed; I now remember why I HATE Walter so much!   We're going to try to get in as many episodes in as we can before Mj leaves.

Coming back to work on Monday I almost feel like I've been on vacation.  Not because we did all that much but just because it felt really nice and long and it was a nice mix of everything.  I got my oil changed, cleaned house, did laundry, ran errands, shopped, ate a lot, relaxed and went out and had some fun.  It was Mj's last weekend before he jets off to Germany.  I'm glad we were able to get some in some quality time together.

Enter my Shabby Apple Giveaway here.

Bloglovin' // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram

Who Doesn't Love Free Clothes?

If you are a blogger or read a lot of blogs and you have not heard of them there is a good chance you are living under a rock.  Shabby Apple is an online dress boutique that specializes in vintage and retro dresses. Click Here to see their selection.  I'm not much of a dress person but they have a nice selection of unique tops as well.  I have the Aruba Blue Blouse and the Honeydew Melon Tee and I really love them both.  The striped one is kind of like a peplum but with a little bit less of a flare out so it's different.  I love the bottom of the other one too because it's the kind of shirt you don't have to worry about tucking in.  It's got a loose casual feel to it without feeling sloppy.

Actually, I might be a dress person now that I've discovered the comfort of Maxi dresses.  Shabby Apple has a selection of those too. I love this one!  They really do have a little something for everyone.

Jacobethan Maxi // Aruba Blue Blouse // Honeydew Melon Tee

A bit about sizing, in case it's helpful for anyone trying to figure out which to get.  I don't own any tops that come in number sizes so I had no clue where to start.  I normally wear a size Small and I ended up with a 4 in the Aruba Blue blouse which is more structured and fitted but I needed a size 6 in the cotton top.  The 4 fit but just felt a little too fitted so I exchanged it and I liked the fit of the 6 much better.  I also ended up with a Medium in one of their other cotton tops.  I'm going to be honest and say that there were a few hiccups during the exchange process but they were very quick to fix it and I really appreciated that.  You can contact them via online live chats or e mail and they were very quick to respond to any questions I had.

Who doesn't love free clothes? Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

By The Bay

We came up with a whole new business idea on Saturday while sitting around eating hotdogs.  We have a catchy name and a concept.  It's the perfect story.  I can't wait to recount how we dreamed up the idea once we become a multimillion dollar business.   There is little to no overhead so all we need is staff and an implementation plan.

Mission Bay Park is one of the most sought after locations for company picnics and BBQ's.  Every year Mj and his friends have a BBQ in this same spot next to the basketball court with the two tables. You can show up at any time with a blanket and a few chairs and find a spot to enjoy the day but for a large group that needs space you have to get there really early.  And when I say early I mean early.  If you get there after 7am you are a day late and a dollar short and your group is SOL if you wanted a prime spot with a picnic table.   Dave is the mastermind behind this event and every year he takes one for the team and gets there at 5am to make sure we get our spot.  This year he wasn't so sure about that early morning wake up call so Mj took one for the team as well and met him there at 7am with Breakfast burritos and beer to keep him company.

So that's where the whole business idea came up.  We're calling it Beach Butlers.  And for a fee someone will show up at the park for you and spend the 7 hours holding the space so you don't have to.  We will coordinate beach butlers for hire all across San Diego.  And as we get bigger we can diversify and add in other services.  I think it could really take off.

I showed up at 12pm starving because I didn't eat breakfast.  You can't just show up to a BBQ and eat.  Not when you get there on time and have to wait for different people to arrive with supplies and food.  By 1:30pm I had happily devoured a hamburger and was enjoying the day.  The coast is iffy.  People always envision the weather by the beach being most perfect but it's not always the case.  Just 15 minutes inland and it feels like a totally different climate but with the coast you have to deal with a marine layer of gloom that doesn't always want to burn off.  It wasn't cold.  There just wasn't any sun.  Where we live it was bright and sunny all morning but the stingy sun didn't make an appearance by the bay until around 3pm.  It was worth the wait though.  You know I love me some Sunshine.  It turned out to be a really pretty day.  One of the things I love most about this park is that it's like a sandless beach.  There is grass which is a whole lot neater then sand and yet you still get to enjoy the pretty water.

Can you see Mj with his butt two inches from the ground going for the ball?  He is so competitive.  His friends always have some kind of activity like whiffleball or volleyball but I never participate because I suck at team sports.  I don't want to be "that girl" that sucks.  Mj says they won't care and that I wouldn't be the only one to suck but still.  Plus, I really don't want to get all sweaty.  I hate it that I sound like such a girly girl saying that.  And it's really too bad because I could really burn a lot of BBQ food calories if I would just get over it and join in.

The annual BBQ was a success.  There was a good turn out and everyone had fun.  Stay tuned for updates on new biz.

I'm joking.  I just had to throw that out there in case anyone thought I was serious about starting Beach Butlers.  Not that it isn't a brilliant idea or anything.

Bloglovin' // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram

Confessions: Fill in The Blank

Linking up with Leslie @A Blonde Ambition

1. My worst fashion offense of all time has to be....All the years between birth and 2005.  I went from my mom dressing me bad to me dressing bad all by myself.  When I look back on some of my pictures I cringe.  Not that I became stylish in 2005, but I think my fashion sense became less bad.  Is that proper grammar?  I don't think so but it's really the best way to say it because to say better implies good and it was still mostly bad.    I honestly don't think I came close to having a stylish wardrobe until the last few years.  Thank goodness for fashion bloggers.

2. The most embarrassing song on my iPod is probably...Where do I start?  My iPod is so all over the place it's not even funny.  Almost Paradise by Loverboy from the Footloose Soundtrack, I'm All Out of Love by Air Supply and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen are probably the worse offenders.  But I like 'em. 

3. The last white lie I told was...I say things all the time like, How was your day? Fine.  When it's totally not or see you soon when I kinda know that probably won't happen.  I'm pretty sure there are others but I couldn't really think of anything else.

4. The celebrity I most wish would disappear is.....If I had to pick I'd say the Kanye West and Kim Kardashian circus.  Before that, just Kanye West would have been fine to disappear on his own with his funky attitude and crazy antics.  But really, I don't pay that much attention to celebrity news and gossip so I just picked them because I think their new baby's name is ridiculous and both of her marriages seem like a joke.  Not that I know the really story or anything.  And then I hear stuff on the radio about them putting gold swarovski encrusted toilets in their new house.  Really?  We know you are filthy rich and all but, REALLY??

5. Sometimes I wish ... I were rich and semi famous.  I swear I would not be one of those idiots to blow it and squander my riches.  I would use the money wisely, share responsibly, invest and live a life of freedom.  I only say semi famous because all out celebrity sounds kind of awful with all the scrutiny they are under but I do think it would be awesome to be known for being really really good at something or for accomplishing something great.

6. My childhood crush was... I think the first one I can remember was in Elementary and I want to say his name was Sam.  That name just comes to mind first when I try to conjure up a crush memory.  I also had a pound puppy named Sam back then so I could be confusing the two.   After that the next real crush was one that made me cry into my pillow at night was on Caleb.  I was OBSESSED with him for 3 1/2 of 4 years of high school.  A bit on what happened when we met up again over 10 years later here.

7. I've never turned down...Free food samples in the grocery store.  Something about free food in general just gets me every single time.  If it's free I want it even if I don't.  I think Mj is weird because most of the time he won't take them.  You mean you don't want to try the grilled chicken with orzo rice that the lady with the plastic gloves is handing out in those cute little plastic cups with the tiny spoon?  I always ask him to get one too and just give it to me.  Sometimes he will and sometimes he won't.

8. Speaking in Public...makes me a nervous wreck.   Not that I have to do it very often thank goodness.  I literally mess up my name and job title when we have to introduce ourselves at meetings.  It's terrible.  I did have one shining moment a few years ago where I conquered my fears and gave a work presentation to a room full of high school teachers.  Looking back I still can't really believe I did it.  More about that experience here.

9. I'd rather watch paint dry than ... Paint.  Or yard work.  I pretty much hate both.  We painted our downstairs and then when we needed the upstairs done we paid someone to do it.  None of our bathrooms or spare rooms are painted and I honestly don't know if they ever will be.  I did enjoy some gardening last year when we planted some herbs and a dwarf Orange tree but keeping plants alive is just too much for me.  Then using them is scary because when you go to pick them there might be bugs or spiderwebs.  I'm a big wimp.

10. Much like a train wreck, I can't turn away from watching...Bad reality TV.  In particular the one I am most ashamed of at the moment is Toddler's and Tiara's.  The pageant daddies are getting just as outrageous as the mom's and the drama makes my jaw drop.  And it makes me cringe when you can tell the family is financially strapped and mom is working an extra job as a clown to pay for $3,000 pageant dresses that will be too small in 6 months.  And it is kind of revolting seeing 2 year olds with pounds of make up on their face being fed pixie sticks or coffee to keep them awake and throwing a screaming crying tantrum because they didn't win Ultimate Grand Supreme.  But I keep watching.  I've also been watching Breaking Amish.
 

Bloglovin' // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram

Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor Review

I got the Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor for my Birthday in April so I guess it's about time I did my review.  There are more features on it then I actually use or know anything about.  I can't help you out by breaking down all the features because honestly, I'm sure I don't know what all of them are but the main take away here is that if I can figure this thing out well enough to calculate my calories during work outs then so can you.

The first Heart Rate Monitor I ever had was a Mio strapless.  I'd heard that the ones with chest straps are more accurate but I was afraid of the strap. I was worried that it would be uncomfortable, bulky and a pain in the butt to put on.  I couldn't even find pictures of what it looked like.  It so turns out that having to hold down a button to test my heart rate every 15 minutes is more of a pain in the butt then any chest strap could ever be.  The strapless totally interrupted my work out.  Sometimes I couldn't get it to read my heart rate at all and other times I would get a very obviously inaccurate reading which would totally ruin my calorie count for the entire work out.  It's inconsistent.  I wore the Polar and the Mio at the same time for a few days to test the difference. The majority of the time that I had the Mio it was grossly over calculating but then for some reason all my settings got erased after I got the Polar and after I re entered them then it started grossly under calculating.   

Chest Strap // HRM calorie burn = 543 // Machine calorie burn = 598

Do not be afraid of the strap.  It's not uncomfortable at all.  I mean, if I was going to sleep I wouldn't want to wear it but I'm going to move and sweat.  It feels the same as the elastic on the bottom of my sports bras and sits just under it.  If I'm wearing a very fitted top and you look real close you might see a small bulge but for the most part it's not very noticeable.  I run my fingers under the faucet while im already wearing the strap and then stick them under the strap to wet it. It's not weird or gross like I thought it would be. The unit that measures my heart rate snaps on and off of the chest strap so I can easily wash the strap.  The directions tell you to put it in the washer about every 5th wear so I rinse it with soap and water after work outs and let it dry out.  The functions on the watch are pretty simple to navigate and the set up was easy.  I can pause it mid work out if I need to.   The  numbers on the watch are big which is helpful for practically blind people like me.  I  can push a button to scroll between heart rate, calories burned and duration very easily as I work out.  It determines your target heart range based on your input and will tell you when you are out of range.  There is some beeping that goes on that I haven't totally figured out yet but I think it has to do with that.  And you will get the beep of doom if your strap becomes disconnected from your body and stops reading.  Trust me, you will know this one when you hear it.  It's only happened a few times.  Without me having to do a thing if I'm working out on a machine at the gym it syncs and my heart rate show up on the machine like magic.  I didn't even know that was a feature. It also wishes you a Happy Birthday with a Birthday cake on your birthday.  How sweet is that? And of course I love it that it comes in Pink.


I knew that machines over calculate calories even when you enter your age and weight and now I know exactly how much.  The average is about 55 calories over what I'm actually burning based on the Polar.  It's nice to have a number that I can rely on to be accurate.  I count the calories that go in and I like to count the ones I burn too.

Guilty Pleasures

Linking up with Leslie @A Blonde Ambition

Warm Chocolate Molten Lava cake with Ice Cream.

Chocolate for Breakfast.

Eating an entire medium Pizza.  I actually did this on our 2nd date.  Way to impress him right?

Doughnut run at 9 O'clock at night. To my credit my husband is usually the instigator although I happily partake.

Eating Doritos right out of the bag without regard to serving size while sitting on the couch watching TV.  Not that a Dorito's bag has graced our home in a looooong time.  For obvious reasons.

Drinking that extra glass of wine..or two because I want to get tipsy...but not drunk.

5 Splendas in my coffee because I don't want to use "real" sugar and it makes it taste good.  Almost everything causes cancers these days.  I'll take my chances.

Eating a cookie every time a fresh batch comes out of the oven because there are only so many opportunities for that warm gooey freshly baked cookie experience.  Gotta take advantage of it.

Strawberry Twizzlers and Red Vines.  The King size bags.

Leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight in favor of extra cuddles on the couch before bedtime.

Staying in pajamas on the couch and watching TV all day.

Mid afternoon naps just because.

Sitting on the couch watching House Hunters while he slaves away in the kitchen making dinner.  He's just so much better at it then me.  And he likes it.

Skipping my work out.  I always feel guilty later on but in that particular moment that you decide not to put on your gym clothes and get all sweaty it feels great.

Sleeping in past 10am.   The guilt point used to be 12pm but I haven't been able to sleep in that late in years.

Running to Express or The Limited every time they send me a coupon because you just can't beat $15 off $30 minimum purchase.

Buying that shirt in both colors because it's just so darn cute.  Then, suddenly feeling an insatiable urge to buy shoes too.

Saying screw it and letting the house work go undone for another week.

Reality TV full of gossip and scandal.  It's taking every ounce of strength I have NOT to watch Pretty Wicked Wives on Lifetime.

Staring out the window at work thinking about what I wish I was doing instead long enough to forget what I was actually supposed to be doing.

Bloglovin' // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram