Blogtober Day 30: Facts About Me

Well, we've been together on this journey off and on for a whole month, so I'm guessing you know a decent amount about me by now, but in case you wanted to know more....here's a list of  15 random facts about me:

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1) I hate bananas. The consistency and texture are just...ew. 

2) Listening and putting myself in someone else's shoes are some of my strengths. Some days I wish I had become a psychologist/psychiatrist instead of a speech therapist because I enjoy giving people different perspectives when they're dealing with tough situations.

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3) I'm a lover of all things bottle-nosed dolphin.  One of the more memorable days of my life was when I got to swim with dolphins for the first time.

4) I love sarcasm and I especially love people who get my sarcasm and are sarcastic back (which may explain why I enjoy someecards so much.....and Shay) hehe

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5) Purple is my favorite color and has been for as long as I can remember (which is why it was a primary color in my wedding) :) I'm a little envious of Myla because I totally wish we could paint our front door purple (but I'm not sure our HOA would approve it)....

Wouldn't that be pretty??

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6) I never give gifts with the intent of getting a "thank you"--I give from the heart without expecting in return. Is it nice when I get one? Absolutely. Do I always show my appreciation when someone gives me something or does something nice for me? Definitely! But my intent in giving is never to get praise for it.

7) I bruise easily. Most of the time when I have a bruise, I have zero clue as to where it came from or how it happened.  

8) Instagram is my favorite social media app. Mindlessly looking through photos is more fun to me than reading a bunch of updates on facebook or re-tweets on twitter.

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9) I've lived in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area my entire life. It's really hard for me to actually see myself living somewhere else, despite really wanting to sometimes.

10) Most days I'm a walking advertisement for Loft and/or Target. And sometimes when I go to Target, I realize that all of the things I'm wearing that day are from Target. It should embarrass me, but in reality, I'm totally ok with it :)

11) I love the Redskins. I always have. I used to sit on my dad's lap watching the games with him when I was little. Even when they have a tough season (or, let's be real, seasons), I'll never stop rooting for my dad's and my team.

12) Sometimes when I really like something I say I want to marry it (ex: "this is so good, I'd marry it"). MG is well aware that I have several "cheese husbands" that I'd 'marry'....and then proceed to eat. It would be a short-lived romance. But a delicious one.

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13) My favorite weather is one in which I can open my sunroof. If the weather is nice, I have a hard time being in a bad mood.

14) Dirty martinis with blue cheese stuffed olives (and/or crazy feta stuffed olives) is one of my favorite adult bevvies. They take me down mighty fast, too, but boy are they delicious!

15) I have the best memory for the smallest of things, but when it comes to remembering why I walked into a room, 50% of the time, I can't remember #gettingoldproblems

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There! 15 new and probably useless, but fun facts about me!

Did you learn anything new?

Blogtober Day 27: Letter to Younger Me

It's another 2-posts in one day kinda day! (For my weekend highlights, scroll down to my next post, or click here)

*I wouldn't actually include the pictures in this post in my letter to myself, but thought I'd put them in my post to add some interest for you all :)

Dear Younger Jenn,

It may be a bit crazy to you that I'm writing to you from the future, but I am. In 2014 we now have the power of time travel so that's how I'm sending this to you. Just kidding--it's through the magic and power of your blog. "Whats a blog?" you ask? You'll find out eventually that it's a great place for you to be creative, get your thoughts "out", meet amazing people, and connect across miles. It's awesome.

If I'm to give you advice to keep in mind as you go through life, I'd put it into three categories: Family, Friends, and Love. First is family.  Make sure you vocalize just how much you appreciate and love your parents. I know you do, but it's nice to hear it, and your parents are no exception. Spend as much time with them as you can. All those fears you had growing up with an older dad, are for a reason. Call them more than you think to, even if nothing new is going on because they like to hear from you. They'll still always be there when you need them, and have all the answers you need, even when you're grown up, married and have a house. As much as you don't think so now, they know a lot. And, frankly, they're just the best :)

In terms of friends, they will come and they will go, but throughout  everything, you'll realize who the important people are. The ones who check in on you when things are rough, who support you not only during the tough times in your life, but the ones who are over-the-moon excited for you during the big, happy things. You'll continue to learn that even though people don't do things the same way that you do, that it doesn't mean it's wrong, it just means people are different. You won't jive with everyone you meet and you don't have to. Move away from toxic people in your life because you don't need their negativity, pettiness, cattiness, or drama. When you look around afterwards, you'll notice that there's a BIG group of friends still there to support and love you without those other people there. You'll meet some of the most amazing people in the most unexpected of circumstances, and they'll make your life that much better and brighter. And on your wedding day, you'll look around at the amazing girls standing around you and know that you're one of the luckiest girls around because you have some of the best friends in the world.

And lastly, love--you may have already  skipped over everything else at first to read this part, but I put this at the end because just like love, you need patience.  Know that what your mom always told you was true: every relationship and heartbreak WILL get you closer to finding the person who is perfect for you. It might not be on the timeline you had in your head (ok, it won't be), but it WILL happen, and it will happen when it's the right time. He'll be your  biggest supporter, your constant source of laughter, and your best friend. He'll be there when people hurt you, help to put things into perspective for you, and will wrap you up in his arms when you need it--you'll always feel safe with him. You'll get married and buy a house all around the same time, and even if other people who are jealous have comments about it, you two know that everything happens in your timing and was totally right for you--you guys are living your life together, for one another, not for anyone else (always remember that). He will definitely be the best thing to ever happen to you, so make sure that he knows that. Oh, and to top it off, he'll have the best sisters and parents you could have hoped for--in fact, they're pretty much the epitome of what you're hoping your in-laws will be like. And you'll be an aunt to some of the most amazing kids ever, who love you to pieces. Remember how I said before that you were lucky to have your friends and your amazing parents? The same applies to this awesome family/extended family of yours. Always count your blessings :)

Life is pretty fantastic, and definitely worth the bumps in the road to get here. I promise.

Basically, in the end, keep doing what you're doing. Enjoy things as much as possible, try new things even if you're nervous, brush things off that don't deserve to be thought about, and know that everything happens for a reason.

Love,
 Your Older Self

P.S. Look into creating something called "Facebook", or "Twitter", around 1998...get ahead of the curve, and then you'll be a gob-zillionaire. I'll send you the details in another letter.

Blogtober Day 22: Pet Peeves

Today's Blogtober topic is Pet Peeves

I did a funny post on this back in August (you can check it out here), but I figured I'd attempt another list filled with someecard funnies for you! (If someecards are a pet peeve of yours, do not continue reading past this point!) :)

-having someone (especially a kid) tell you "actually, it's ____"...when in "actuality" it's not

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-hypocrits; when people comment about something when in reality they're the ones guilty of doing it. Drives me BONKERS!

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-fakeness

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-when people leave a few seconds on the microwave when they're done using it (I encounter this daily at work, so it was worth the repeat from the last list!)

-when people don't flush after they go to the bathroom (soooo gross...and inconsiderate for the next person who has to go in there and see your 'business')

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-when your nail polish chips a day or two after getting it done

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-people who can't let things go, especially when it's something soooooo small and insignificant, it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things but they insist on bringing it up again and again at every opportunity....

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-when telemarketers call...over, and over and over (despite being on the Do Not Call list). If I haven't picked up the last 5 times you called, take a hint and don't call again!

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-pulling up to my house to find all kinds of flyers on or around our front door. Especially when it's from the same company that left flyers the previous week. #ifiwantedyourservicesiwouldhavecalled

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-when people talk over you or interrupt you mid-sentence

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-people who link up to link-ups and their post has nothing to do with the actual link-up

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Hopefully those gave you a giggle :)
What are some of your pet peeves??

Blogtober Day 21: Dream Vacay

Oh man, is this the perfect topic for today, when it's just a bit too chilly for my liking and I'm at work after a pretty stressful weekend and days leading up to it. So, let's escape life's drama and focus on something much more fun--my dream vacation!

At this point, I think my dream vacation would be going to Greece. If you go on my Vacations board on Pinterest, I'd say the vast majority of pictures are of Greece and the Maldives, which is also another dream vacation. I'd love to see Athens, and then head over to the beautiful islands of Santorini and Mykonos. So many of my friends have been heading to Greece recently (and MG even had a work trip to Athens and Cypress earlier this year), that I would love to go and experience it for myself. All of the pictures of Greece look almost magical and I would not mind being able to soak it all up myself. The views, the food, the history, the people...I'd be all over it!
Who wouldn't want to see this??

Realistically, any trip that MG and I go on together is usually a dream vacation, or at least one for the memory books. We always know how to have fun no matter what we end up doing, and we know each other's strengths and weaknesses when it comes to travelling which makes it so much easier to do. We also tend to have the same balance of interests: we can sit pool/beach-side and just relax, and then we like to do an adventure here or there. He's the best travel partner I've ever had, and I'd go pretty much anywhere with him. (Especially if one of those places was Greece or the Maldives ;)

What's a dream vacation of yours? 

Blogtober Day 19: Happy

Today's topic is a nice and easy one: things that make me happy.

Luckily this list is pretty simple.

Again, I'm not going to do the obvious and talk about people. You all know my husband, my family and my friends are the most important people out there to me so I figured I'd do a list about the small things in life that make me happy!

In no particular order:

~morning text messages from my husband before he goes into work

~emails/phone calls from my friends

~cards in the mail

~just-because flowers

~Cooper cuddles, and when he stares into my eyes while I'm petting him

~weather that lets me roll down my windows and open my sunroof

~getting a pedicure

~date nights 

~blogging

~Scrolling through Instagram

~drinking wine 

~snuggling on the couch and a cup of coffee in the morning

~our home

~holding hands

~reading outside on the deck

~Loft...yeah pretty much everything at Loft

~sleeping in your own bed after being away from home

~when you're craving something particular and finally get what you've been wanting 

~laughing so hard that you cry

That's just a taste of some of the small things in life that make me happy.

What are your happies??

Blogtober Day 16: Fall Fashion

Today's Blogtober topic is Fall Fashion

As it's gotten closer to Fall, I've been scoping out some cute Fall outfits, and of course, Pinterest has helped a ton (or really, just made me want a ton of clothes all at once)

Here are some of my favorite Fall looks from Pinterest:

Super cute dressy/casual look. I could totally wear something like this to work

I need to find this shirt. Like, now.

I really need to find a vest for this fall!

especially loving the polka dot shirt

love this combo for a laid back look!

*All of the above looks can be found on my Pinterest board here

If you couldn't tell, I pretty much love any look that involves brown boots and/or some kind of scarf.

What are some of your Fall Fashion picks?

Blogtober Day 13: Fall Recipe

While MG and I are making our way back from Minnesota, I thought I'd leave you with another blogtober post.

Today's blog topic is a favorite fall recipe.

I have a ton of recipes that I love to eat during the fall (check out my recipes tab to look at them all), but to me, nothing says Fall more than a hot bowl of soup or chili. So today I'm refreshing your memory with this recipe I posted in December 2012 that I got from A Year of Slow Cooking

Pasta fagioli in the crock pot--this recipe has a slight kick to it (nothing too spicy, just a little hint of something) that soaks in the longer this soup sits (hello, leftovers!!)

This isn't a recipe you'd make before leaving for work because the prep takes a bit more than dumping everything together. It's perfect for making on a Sunday afternoon so you have dinner ready for that night, and quite a bit of leftovers for the next day (or days).

What You Need:

-6 qt crock pot

-1 lb lean ground beef

Imagine salt, pepper and oregano are in the picture

-2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (we did no salt added cans to take away some of the sodium)

-4 cups (32 oz) beef broth
-about 1 cup of dry pasta

-26 oz pasta sauce

-1 can kidney beans

-1 can small white beans

-about 1 cup of carrots (or slightly more if you like), chopped

-about 2-3 stalks of celery (or more if you like), chopped

-1/2 large red onion, chopped

-1 Tablespoon of Tabasco sauce

-2 teaspoons oregano

-1/4 tsp pepper

-1/2 tsp salt

What You Do:

1. Brown the meat and then drain it well. Set it aside to cool.

 2. Chop up the carrots, celery and onion. Add it to the bottom of the crock pot.

3. Drain and rinse the cans of beans. Add them to the crock pot.

4. Add in the tomatoes, with the juices.

Im not sure why these look like neon tomatoes in the picture.
 I swear, they were totally not radioactive.

5. Add in the pasta sauce, beef broth, oregano, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

6. Finally, add in the ground beef and stir everything to combine it.

7. Set the crockpot to LOW for 8 hours, or HIGH for 4 hours. About an hour before it's done, add in the dry pasta (I used more than one cup of dry pasta in mine--closer to 1 1/2 cups). Cook for another hour until the pasta is tender.

Serve with Parmesan cheese if you have it.

(Try it with the grated parmesan--like what you'd put on spaghetti-- instead of the shredded like
 I have in this picture. It gets pretty stringy with this kind of cheese.)

This made two meals for dinner for us, and 5 servings worth of leftovers. Possibly more if you don't go back for seconds *cough cough...MG!*

It's SO yum!

Blogtober Day 12: Advice

Today's Blogtober topic is the best advice I've been given

Some of the best advice I've been given is to cut the people out of your life who don't deserve to be in it, rather than giving them chances time and time again (something that's been difficult for me for a long time). Ironically, this advice was given to me by someone who I had to cut out of my life because our friendship turned into a relationship that just wasn't supportive or healthy anymore.
We have enough hardships in life as it is without being around people who drain the energy from you, or take away from your happies. Surrounding yourself with a fewer number of really good, loyal and true friends who are a constant support is something I would pick any day over someone who plays nice to your face, but when it comes down to it, isn't there to support you during the fun times or hard things in your life.

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Sometimes it's not easy, and definitely not fun, to cut someone out of your life in the short run, but in the end you'll be so much happier and have more energy and time for the positive people in your life. And, when one door closes, another one tends to open that holds bigger and better things for you :)