Friday Confessions

Hey people! Happy Friday! I hope you have some fun stuff planned for the upcoming weekend....but, before we get into the fun, it's time to link up with Leslie at A Blonde Ambition for some confessions....

I confess that....

....I'll be leaving for Maine this weekend, will be gone for about a week, and I don't have any guest posters lined up. After the last time I went away, and had two people bail last minute, I just decided it's ok to let this little blog have a break for a bit. I'll miss you guys tho!

....I wanted to punch a rude AC technician Wednesday when I spoke to him on the phone before he came to fix our AC unit. He was SO rude right from the get-go and I was none too thrilled with his attitude. Luckily, for me and for him, someone else showed up instead.

....I'm getting a little antsy to find out what school I'm going to be working at this coming year. I don't even know if I'll have elementary, middle or high school...I just wanna know!

....on our roadtrip to the lakehouse last weekend, I was introduced to Cheddar Jalapeno Cheetos. I'd seen them before but thought they sounded gross. They're not. My waistline is proof.

.....I substituted an hour at the pool for working out the other day. It was too nice to do anything but be outside and I wanted some sunshine. And, either way I'm sweating...that's gotta count for something, right?

....Cooper got a haircut on Wednesday and he looks a little goofy. His hair is pretty short (shorter than I wanted), but that's ok cuz it's been really hot out and I dont want him to overheat, but the way they cut his face just looks a little "off." Maybe it's cuz Im used to a big, round, fluffy face and it's definitely not that. Hopefully it'll look a little more normal in a couple of days...

....I was slightly annoyed to wake up yesterday to find an empty coffee creamer bottle on the kitchen counter, and none left for my coffee. Luckily I was able to improvise with some milk and sweetener, but I was kinda irked at the lack of chivalry. And, not only did I not get to use the creamer, I got to throw away the empty container that was left, too. Lucky me! #LivingTogetherProblems :)

...I'm looking forward to the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Danny Boyle, the director of Slumdog Millionaire is responsible for organizing it, and I'm curious to seeing what he's come up with.

....I'm excited for vacay, seeing my little buddy (MG's niece), and meeting the rest of MG's extended family. Fingers crossed it goes well!

Have a great weekend and I'll see you in a week! 

Miss me lots :)

Cheaters Cheaters are no fun!

I know the song actually goes "Secrets secrets are no fun" but I thought cheaters was more appropriate, and no I'm not talking about personal experience this go 'round (even tho I've been cheated on before and it's no bueno).

I'm talking about Kristen Stewart. I'm sure you saw the news yesterday that Kristen was caught cheating on R Pat. With a 40 year old.  First of all.....ew. Second of all....why??

I don't understand cheating. If you're not happy, leave. If you want to be with someone else, it might hurt the person you're with, but it will hurt more when you go behind their back and betray them. And then they find out the hard way. Be straightforward--it's better for everyone involved!

Also, if you're a celeb and want to cheat, with all of the media and paparazzi following you at all hours of the day, what makes you think you will get away with it? You've got to be a moron....

Lastly, shame on someone who does something like this with a married person who has a family. SHAME on you. Not saying that the other person hurting their own family isn't to blame either--they are. But if you go into something like that KNOWING they have a family, and KIDS, all I have to say is, I want to be far away when karma comes to find you.

I know we've all made mistakes in our lives (I know that I have), and hopefully Kristen Stewart learns her lesson. But, you need to think about the people who are gonna get burned in the aftermath of your decisions. And sometimes when you learn that lesson, the person you hurt isn't going to be so willing to put their heart on the line with you again. 

I'm willing to bet that there are more than a handful of ladies who would be happy to help R. Pat mend his broken heart....

Think before you cheat...

WILW and Oh How Pinteresting!

It's Wednesday, and you know what that means......

Yeah buddy!

I'm loving that I finally used my massage that MG got me for Christmas yesterday. It was amazing. And when the massage therapist said I have something like an "iron back and shoulders" because it's so tight up there, I'm glad that I went!

I'm loving that I have over 200 followers! I love meeting so many new, fun and sweet people, and I'm glad to know that you are all are enjoying what I've got going on here! 

*special shout out of thanks to Janna for helping on this*

I'm loving that my old school started this week and I wasn't there. It feels good to be away from that mess.

I'm loving that MG and I will be in Maine for almost a week starting this weekend for his BIG family reunion, where I'll get to see his immediate family again, and meet ALLLL of the rest of the family I've yet to meet. I'm looking forward to it, vacationing, and eating some yummy lobster!

I'm loving that I'm convincing myself to try one of the craft projects that I have pinned on Pinterest. Let's hope it's a success! (more on that once I get all of my materials, etc)

And, you know, I love Pinterest. Probably more than is normal. But I'm ok with it!

This week I've been pinning...

I wouldn't mind vacationing here....

I want it. In my closet. Now. PLEASE?

Love this idea for decoration around the house for spring and summer 

Sundried Tomato and Basil Chicken  Mmm, yummy!

Sounds like a perfect world to me!

lol, love this!

What have you been pinning? I wanna see!

Until tomorrow, amigos,

Costa Rica.....yes, please-uh!

I've heard nothing but amazing things about Costa Rica from people who have been, and the pictures I see of it look incredible. It's always been on my list of places I want to go someday, and lucky for me, it's been on MG's list too (and is one of the places he actually HASN'T been to yet), so we decided to try to plan a trip to Costa Rica for around Christmas time (like the day after Xmas). Obviously this is one of the most expensive times to travel, but unfortunately, being a teacher (and no longer working at a year-round school with breaks throughout the year), this is one of the few times I can actually go somewhere. #teacherproblems

Anyway, we're looking for recommendations and/or ideas about places to go, places to stay, adventures to do, etc. And, if you know of any places that are a little less expensive but still nice, that would be fab and much appreciated.

So, have you been? Do you know any good places? Things that we absolutely HAVE to do? Please please please, tell me!

Fingers crossed we can make this happen for less than a small fortune! :)

Random Weekend

Hey peeps! How was your weekend? Mine was busy, didn't really feel like it, but it seemed like it flew by. I'll explain.

Friday MG and I went out for a date night dinner in the area and then came back and hung out at the condo and watched old The Dark Knight movie on tv....until I fell asleep on the couch. #oldladyproblems

The winery on a sunny day...

Saturday we were supposed to go to MG's friend's lakehouse, but the weather when we woke up was chilly, gloomy and wet. So, we waited to talk to our friends who we were riding up with and decided to go up around 1 anyway and just spend the night with friends since the place was a little over an hour away. Well, that's without traffic. By the time we got in the car, the GPS said it would take us 3.5 hours. We took back roads but it got bad until we made a happy accidental turn that took us on some major back roads but cut our time down significantly. And we happened to encounter a really cool winery along the way which we decided to stop at for a tasting.

{via}

Morais Vineyards and Winery is my new favorite winery in/near our area. It was a rainy gross day and the grounds were absolutely beautiful. They had a tasting room, a ballroom with a stage, a small lake outside with a gazebo-like area, and even a small chapel. I walked in and one of my first thoughts was "I want to get married here." I mean, it is gorgeous! And, to top it off, the wines were SO good. Out of the 8 we tried, I only didn't really like one of them. MG and I had about  4 that we wanted to buy (but, not wanting to be lushes, we only purchased 2 bottles).

After our very happy accident, we finished up our trip and headed to the lakehouse. Since the weather hadn't cleared up at all, we spent the rest of the night hanging with friends, letting the dogs play, eating food, and just enjoying relaxing with everyone. We got up early the next day, cleaned up, and headed out. It was another dreary morning and wet out but traffic wasnt looking too bad. We got to one point where we were turning, and all of a sudden the back tires on the SUV skidded out. It was like it was happening in slow motion. We kept skidding and turning, hit the guard rail, and continued to turn. We did almost an entire 360 degree turn. The four of us (and Cooper) were shaken up but no one was hurt, thankfully, and the car wasn't damaged very badly at all (some damage on the bumper and a lost license plate). We were actually able to drive away once checking everything out. I just thank heavens the people behind us were able to stop so we didn't get hit again, and that we didn't flip over the guard rail. Cooper was a little shaken, but otherwise seemed ok, and spent the rest of the ride in MG's lap. Needless to say, we were all happy when we made it home, safely, 45 minutes later.

MG and I decided to unwind by running errands and seeing the new Batman movie (The Dark Knight Rises). It was REALLY well done, and intense. I thought Anne Hathaway did a great job as Catwoman. I also thought the movie had a creepy factor to it (like these movies tend to be). The scenes of take-over and destruction made me think of terrorist acts, and it gave me chills. Creepy chills. Which is the reason why I'm confused that people would take little kids to see this movie. I thought it was good, really good, but I'm an adult. I know what's going on is fake, but I also know that some of the things that happen in the movie COULD actually happen, and just how terrifying they would be. But, I guess that's each parents' decision. I just know if I had a young kid, they wouldn't be seeing that movie with me. If you're an adult, like action movies, and the Batman series, definitely go see it--it's good!

And, on that note, my thoughts and prayers go out to the families in Colorado who were affected by the horrific shooting last week. I can't even imagine how something like that happens, or how you pick up the pieces after such a thing happens. Maybe that made the movie more creepy for me, too.  Nevertheless, my heart breaks for Colorado, and I hope the individuals involved and the families and friends are able to find the strength and reserve to heal.

I Must Confess...

It's Friday and what perfect time to reflect on the week and drag out some confessions? Linking up with Leslie at a Blonde Ambition for Friday Confessional:

I confess that....

....I've somehow managed to go to a grocery store EVERY day this week. I think it has something to do with my plan to save money. And the universe's response of "not happening."

....when I went to return a RedBox movie (at the grocery store...see??), I had visual images of strangling a lady there who stood with two kids and literally clicked through EVERY movie before checking out. Apparently the tapping of the red box movie against my arm and my heavy sighs did nothing to speed her along.

....I was irrationally annoyed when I went to Yogiberry this past weekend and they'd changed the flavors. I had my favorite there and then it was no longer. I feel like someone should be severely punished for taking away my Mixed Berry option, because really...HOW DARE THEY! :)
<--And yes, this is the actual scene where this travesty occurred. 

....I wish I had more friends who have off for the summer like I do. Especially when I'm trying to save money since I'm not getting paid for the next two months. There's only so much reality tv a girl can watch. Oh dear, did I really just say that??? This is far worse of a problem than I ever realized!

....I haven't done anything with my SLR camera since last summer (don't worry, I'm slapping my own hand as I type this). And my camera is on some settings that I don't even know how to undo (or frankly what they are even on!). I have a feeling when I take it to Maine, I'm gonna have a bunch of blurry figures in weird colors. I guess when if this happens, I'll just say they're artistic. #funwithphotography 

....the Kashi commercial with the girl going in search of natural ingredients drives me bonkers. I can't stand her voice and something about her mouth bugs me too. Maybe it's because I'm a speech pathologist.  Or because she's just really annoying. I'm not sure. But I do know that I mute it whenever it comes on.

....I wish MG would realize that he could just as easily put on his tie in the bathroom with the lights on instead of turning on the lights in the bedroom at 6:30am while I'm still trying to sleep. Ironically enough, after this he kisses me good-bye and tells me to keep sleeping. Much easier said than done after the assault on my eyes that's just taken place....

....I hope it's cool in Maine in a week. MG and I are heading to his family reunion and apparently the place we're staying doesn't have AC. I'd really love to not have the "overheated sweaty/wet dog" look around his extended family for the entire 5 days.

Hot, right?  No... it's literally HOT....hehe

Happy weekend! Go get into some trouble so you have some things to confess next week! ;)

Thoughts on Thursday, Reality TV Edition

I haven't posted about tv lately, and since I'm on summer break I've been doing more than my fair share of watching tv. Yes, I admit it. Don't worry, Im not letting my brain go to complete mush, but I am definitely testing the limits some days :)

Anyway, as I was watching the shows on my DVR, I had several thoughts running through my head, so I'll do a quick run down based on show.

Teen Mom:

-since when do trailer parks do background checks on people? Maybe I'm naive, but I would have thought this was one of the LAST places that does background checks

-Amber looks more on drugs while she's at rehab than she looked when she was at home. Open your eyes, girl....literally!

-Farrah is still a spoiled brat. If I ever talked to my parents like she does, I would put myself in time-out

-I'm sad Kyle and Maci aren't together anymore.


Real Housewives of New Jersey:

Yikes! Enough said.

Bachelorette:

The Men Tell All? There wasn't much to tell! All I can say is, I was WAY bored. When Chris Harrison was telling Emily that he's seen some intense things before and her telling Kalon off tops that list....uhh really, C.H.? THAT is the top of your list? She said "Get the F out"...there was no slapping, etc. I was proud of her, don't get me wrong, but I can think of some more intense things than that from my job with middle schoolers. I think they were stretching for some "interesting" things for this episode. 

Nevertheless, I'm excited for the finale, even though I already know what happens *wink wink*

Real Housewives of Orange County Reunion: 

I really like Heather. I love her husband. Love them together. And I would gladly live in their house.

Vicki is off her rocker and needs to realize Brooks is a weirdo. What dude do you know will freak out on a female for rolling her eyes? Give me a break. 

I'm glad Tamra and Gretchen are friends.

Keeping up with the Kardashians

-I love Lamar and Khloe. I'll admit, I didnt think they would last when they first got married, but I adore them and their relationship.

-I heard rumors that Kris Jenner is still talking to that ex guy and that she and Bruce are on the verge of divorce because of it. If that's true, she deserves it. 

-I'm still not sure how I feel about Kim and Kanye

Do you watch any of these shows? (Tell me you do, so I don't feel like such a reality tv junkie...even tho I totally am) What do you think?

And, after this list, I need to go read so that I can do something slightly productive with my life that doesn't involve my DVR! :)

WILW and Oh How Pinteresting!

It's my favorite time of the week! Linking up with Jamie and Michelle for my Wednesday funzies!

I'm loving that I am SO close to 200 followers! I think I'm going to do a giveaway when I reach 200!

I'm loving the quality time I was able to have with my girl Genna this past weekend. It was great to hang out like we did when we lived together and made me realize just how much I miss having her near by all the time!

I'm loving that I finally finished the 50 Shades trilogy. I must say, I liked the last book a lot.

I'm loving that I'm getting back into the groove of working out and trying to eat a bit healthier. Now that I have the time to do it, I'm gonna start some better habits so when I go back to work, it will be easier to continue the habit.

I'm loving that I got to spend some quality time with my parents yesterday. I need to take advantage of having them both healthy and so close more frequently rather than taking that for granted and getting caught up in my day-to-day life.

And, as always, I'm loving Pinterest!

This week I've been pinning...

Love this for a casual summer outfit

Shrimp, Feta and fresh herb Mac n Cheese  I die.

In case you didn't know ;)

I want this!! So cute!!

heheh, ain't that the truth!

Try not to "awww" at this. I dare you.

What have YOU been pinning?

Sunshine Blogger Award

Woohoo! I got an award today from the sweet Amanda at A Year of Me today and it made my day! Thank you, chica!!

Rules of the Award:

1. Include the award log either in your acceptance post or somewhere on your blog.

2. Answer 10 questions about yourself.

3. Pass the award on to 10-12 other deserving bloggers.

4. Add a link on your post to all of the talented winners and comment on their page to let them know they've been deemed amazing.

5. Thank the brilliant soul that recognized your talent and bestowed this wonderful award on you...and of course link back to them as well.

And just when you thought you knew everything about me...

1. What would you most like to change about yourself?

I think I would worry less and not get worked up about the small things

2.  What is your theme song?

My theme song? Hmm...I guess I would say One Republic's "Good Life" because things are feeling pretty darn good in my life right now, and I don't have much to complain about :)

3.  One part of your life, a memory, action, etc. that you wish you could surgically remove from your brain?

I'll have to agree with Amanda on this one and say that everything happens for a reason and I wouldn't be the person I am today, in this life, without everything having happened. And since I'm happy with things, I'll keep all of the memories, etc.

4. What generation do you wish you had been a part of?

I'm happy to be an 80's child. And if I was part of another generation, I'd have different parents and friends, and I'm pretty sure MG wouldn't want to date someone much much older or younger, so I'll stick with my 80's background :)

5. What was your favorite childhood toy?

There were so many but I remember being very fond of Polly Pockets and Littlest PetShop things

6. What is your favorite housecleaning chore?

Laundry. And basically anything that doesn't involve the bathroom.

7. Do you Twitter?

Kind of....I'm on there but not a ton. @jamiffer3

8. Any goals?

To hopefully have a successful year at whatever new school I start at this coming school year. Hopefully it will be a good working environment with nice people.

9. Do you really drink margaritas all the time?

I think I'd choose sangria over margaritas, but I do like me a frozen strawberry marg every now and again. And don't forget that sugar rim!

10. What is the ugliest car you've ever driven and were embarrassed to be seen in?

Uhh, it wasn't necessarily "ugly" but it was an old man car. My first car was a Chrystler Concord. It was a boat. It treated me well while I drove it, but it was definitely not a young and hip car.

And now, the ones I nominate are:

P!nk Persistence

Tales from Trish

Poodleism

Page: Twenty-two

OMG I'm Back in DC

The Vintage Apple

Sweet Silver Linings

Fried Green Pickles

Perception is Everything

Lovely Little Things

Go check them out--they are all amazeballs!

Tasty Tuesday: Foil Packet Tilapia in the Crockpot

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe with you guys, and since this week has marked the first full week where I literally have nothing to do (no more moving, no work orientations, etc) I decided to try out one of my old recipes on MG last night.

You all know how much I love my crock pot (and if you don't know, now ya know....playa!) and I have been on a seafood kick lately...mainly shrimp but I love me some seafood. I've also been trying to be better about eating healthier and working out (since it's hard to make the excuse to not go to the gym when I've done nothing productive during the day), so I made Foil Packet Tilapia in my crock pot last night from my favorite crock pot website, A Year of Slow Cooking.

It's REALLY easy! And really yummy! And healthy! Win win win!

What you need:
4 tilapia filets (or some other white fish)--can be frozen or thawed
1/4 cup mayo (I used light mayo and it worked fine)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 tsp already minced garlic from jar)
lemon juice

Mix the mayo, parmesan cheese, minced garlic cloves together. Add lemon juice--just don't make it soupy (you don't need a TON of lemon juice here). If you get it soupy, just add another squirt of mayo to thicken it up a bit. Stir it all up.
Get out your foil, lay the tilapia on top and spread the mixture on top of each filet. Fold up the packets and place in the crock pot (I used a 4 qt crock pot).

Now, I added a package of frozen veggies (I did broccoli, cauliflower and carrots) to the bottom of the crock pot, added a splash of water, a small scoop of butter and some basil and THEN layered the fish packets in. This steamed my veggies nicely and I had a complete meal at the end.

Turn the crock pot on HIGH for 2 hours and then check the fish. It should flake easily.  I made a thing of Uncle Ben's instant rice (regular brown rice) for a little extra and it was fab. MG loved it and we both felt like we were eating something that tasted good and was good for us! It's really light and perfect for a summer meal when it's hot out!

Did YOU know you could make fish in the crock pot? Did I just blow your mind?? Go try this. You will like it!

Weekend O' Fun!

How was your weekend? Mine was a LOT of fun! I had my girl Genna in town and we had a great time together, as we always did when we lived together.

Friday afternoon, Genna got here and we immediately went to grab lunch at our favorite sushi place in Old Town Alexandria (literally, this place is a hole in the wall, but it's what I compare all other sushi to...and I've yet to find sushi that lives up to it). We did a little shopping at Loft and Target where we found this fabulous dress for $27, that looks WAY more expensive than that (you'll see it later in the post)....and then came back to relax before going out for a Girl's Night to see Magic Mike!

I never thought I'd say this...but I didn't like it. I LOVE me some Channing Tatum and other attractive men, but the story line was really forced (not that I expected a ton), and there was very little of the actual dancing. I would have enjoyed it more if it had more of the dancing (even without "stripping"). But, it was still fun to have a girl's night and to see what all of the hype was about.

Saturday I had a bridal shower to attend for one of MG's friends who is getting married in October. It was in this gorgeous penthouse party room at the top of her apartment building with really amazing views. The food and drinks were fab! I left at the 3 hour mark since Genna was here and I wanted to spend some more time with her, but the party was really nice! And it gave me a reason to wear the dress I'd gotten at Target the day before. (You like?)

MG, Genna and I went to dinner that night at Ray's to the Third since I had raved about how good the food was (and the Mexican place we originally wanted to go to had us waiting for a table that "is almost ready to leave" for over 30 minutes). Since we'd all been out late the night before, we decided to have a night in with some wine and a movie, which was nice cuz it gave us some more quality time.  I was really glad that Genna liked MG....it's always nice to get your girl friend's approval! :)

Sunday, before Genna made her way back home, we had a lunch at Lost Dog Cafe (where a portion of the proceeds go to dogs in animal shelters) with two of our coworkers from our old school. Funny enough, it was me (Jenn), Genna (pronounced "Jenna"), and our two friends, Jenn and Jen. I kid you not.

We had some yummy food, caught up, and got to see our friend Jen's 3 month old cutie pie baby girl!

And then it was time for Genna to go back home. Luckily we've already made plans for our next couple of trips to see one another with our guys so I'm really happy. I love that it's been since October since I've seen Genna (ok I dont love that), but that it feels like I just saw her yesterday. We keep in touch all the time, and I think that helps. She is truly one of my best friends and I loved seeing her, having her see my new home and who I live with, and just having a great time like we did when we lived together.

I hope you had as fun of a weekend as I did and that your Mondays aren't too Monday-like :)