Day 59 ~ A New Chair

I have been searching on craigslist for 2 new chairs to go with my kitchen table. It has been a pain in the butt, but it finally paid off.

My new thing today was my 2 new chairs. As you can see in the photo, they are not a perfect match but they match well enough for me. They are a little smaller than the chairs I have but the best part about it was they were free! That is right. I had written the seller about the chairs and they offered them to me free, they just wanted them gone. I never go to get anything from craigslist alone so my husband drove over after work and picked them up. They were a nice couple and he said thank you and left. Can you believe it? Talk about my lucky day! It is nice that there are people like that out there!

Day 58 ~ Pump it Up and The Invention of Lying

All three girls went to a Birthday party at Pump it up and it was the first time for my youngest daughter. She was climbing, jumping and sliding with the big kids and as I watched I felt my heart squeeze, my baby is not a baby anymore.

Pump it Up is "The Inflatable Party Zone" with huge bounce houses, tall blown up slides, and large blown up obstacle courses. I was climbing and jumping in with my youngest and was laughing and giggling like I was one of the birthday kids. I kept thinking how great it would be with a few adult friends, to just go and spend an hour. Guaranteed everyone would have as much fun as the kids did, and it would bring out that inner child. There aren't too many things today that really bring out the kid inside us and allow us to do a face plant and still laugh it off! By the end of the party the kids were whipped and so was I, it was a good time. Side note... button up shirts aren't ideal for the obstacle course, unless your plan is to become the entertainment, if you know what I mean! NEVER AGAIN!

Another new thing for the day was the movie The Invention of Lying. Anything Ricky Gervais is in I can almost be guaranteed a good laugh. I admit the first scene threw me off, and I wasn't sure how much I would like it, but by the end of the movie I had laughed and cried and I loved it! It is definitely an adult movie, the humor can be a little crude at times, but if you need a good laugh, you are sure to have a few with this one!

Day 57 ~ Dinner and Champagne

Last night, my neighbor did something very special for us. She made us dinner, and brought us champagne.

My wonderful neighbor wanted to do something special for my family, in honor of the fact my husband has gotten a new great job. It has been a rough couple of years, and she has been there for me through it all. The plan was to go to her house, but then one of her children got sick, so she brought everything to our house and it was delicious. She is an amazing cook. She also surprised us with a bottle of champagne. I admit, I am not a champagne girl, I tend to prefer a cold beer, but I thought I would give it a try especially after all she did. Can I just say YUMMMMMMM... it was so good. I had tried champagne a long time ago at my brothers wedding but didn't like it. This though, this was so tasty it reminded me of apple cider, but better. I kept asking, "This is champagne, really, it is?" I couldn't believe how good it was. This must be what all the fuss is about. This must be why some people talk about it like it is candy. We have a very special bottle of champange we have been saving for our annivsary, I am now looking forward to it. I realize not all bottles are the same, but I also know tastes buds change over the years. What ever it is, me likey! We had a great night, with an unexpected surprise, from an absolutely wonderful friend.

In case you were wondering the champagne is called:
Martini & Rossi
Asti
Sparkling Wine
Imported from Italy

Day 56 ~ OMSI

Today I went on a field trip with my daughter's 2nd grade class to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. It was awesome.

I have never been to OMSI in Portland before. It is an amazing place with so many different things to check out. It was so much fun just spending time with my oldest and looking at all the exhibits. My daughter's favorite exhibit was the ball room and the T-Rex skeleton named Samson, mine was the IMAX movie. Part of the field trip included watching an IMAX movie on their dome screen..I have to say, it freaked me out a little. This is probably how my mother's generation felt when the TV came around. The IMAX was incredible. It was so real I felt myself wanting to smack things out of my face and even at times felt like I was submerged in the ocean water. It was a totally new experience.

I would say the best part of the whole day was just hanging out with my daughter. She is such a happy, jolly little girl who is growing so fast. She makes me smile and I love her with all I have.

Day 55 ~ Ziti and a Dance off

My husband and I started the second season of The Sopranos. Tomorrow we get the last disc of the season, so tonight I tried making Ziti for the The Sopranos' marathon.

On Sopranos, Mrs. Soprano is always making Ziti, warming it up, or taking it out of the freezer. I had no idea what it was, so in honor of our marathon tomorrow, I made it tonight and stuck it in the fridge for tomorrow. It looks good, tastes good, and I can't believe I have never had it before. I even made a low fat version and still loved it. It think it will be something that I continue to make and keep in my freezer too! I have another 5 or more Sopranos seasons to go, so I am sure I will make it a staple of our diet. If you have a good Ziti recipe please send it my way!

Another new thing I did today was a dance off. I call it that because I was on a mission to dance off my bad mood. Holy smokes I was in such a yucky mood this evening I couldn't even stand myself. I would have liked to punch myself in the eye if I could have. I kept thinking, what can I do to shake this crap off, so that is what I did, I shook it! I went into my computer room, shut the blinds, turn up the radio and danced. I danced with my eyes closed and danced, danced, danced until I couldn't stop smiling. Maybe I was smiling because I was laughing at myself, but the truth is I felt great. I like to turn the music on and dance with the girls because they love it, but tonight was just for me. Most of the time I dance because I am happy, not mad, but this time it was different. All the kids were in bed and it was just me in the room, shaking my thang! Within 20 minutes I felt amazing. Next time you are in a bad mood try it. It may work for you too!

Day 54 ~ Swing Lessons

I have been trying to talk my husband into taking swing lessons with me for 9 years. Today I signed us up!

Starting in April my husband and I will be taking swing lessons once a week for a month. I am beyond excited. He was so against it for a very long time, but today I decided to sign us up any way. When I told him, he wasn't thrilled to say the least. He frowned, then half smiled, and then gave me the "Whatever fine" look which means I have won!!! I think once we take a few lessons he will change his mind. I may have to make him a drink before the class begins though, it may be the only way to get him out the door.

Day 53 ~ One of the Talks

My new thing for the day was "the talk" with my two girls. No, it wasn't "THE TALK", but it was the talk about becoming a woman.

It actually started kinda funny. One of my daughters asked me, "Mom what is a period?" My other daughter answered, "It is the little dot that goes on the end of a sentence." So myself and my two girls sat and talked about what it was, and what it meant, and I left it open for questions. They asked a couple and then it was done. The funny part was when my husband entered the room. He realized what we were talking about and made a 180 back to the safety of the BBQ outside without a word, but with a look of terror. It actually went well though, and while one daughter decided she was never going to grow up, the other couldn't believe that in 3 or 4 years she would begin the first steps into becoming a woman. To be honest, I can't believe it either. I think I would like them to stay young a little while longer. How about a whole lot longer.

Day 52 ~ It is all about the Yum Yums

I am starting to see a pattern. I like food, I like to cook, I like trying new dishes, tastes, meals, especially treats. Tonight I once again made a new dish and it was delicious.

Tonight I cooked another recipe from the Clean Eating magazine called Moroccan Buffalo and Chickpea Chili. Sounds strange, but oh man, it was so good.
The recipe is as follows:

1lb top-rounded buffalo steak or lean beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes. (I used beef stew)
2 tbsp garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups yellow onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 tbsp cumin, ground
2 tsp dried coriander
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp saffron (optional)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup frozen corn (no need to thaw)
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 6-oz jar tomato paste
2 lemons (optional) used them and added a great taste to chili!

Step One: In a large nonstick pot, cook steak for 2 min. over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, celery, carrots and all spices. Cook for 5 minutes. Then add chickpeas, cooking for 2 more minutes.

Step Two: Turn up heat to high and pour in 4 cups water, corn tomatoes and bay leaf,. Bring to a boil and stir in tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces and chili thickens. Squeeze juice of both lemons into chili, if desired, and stir.. Remove bay leaf before serving.

After my yumo meal, and once the girls were in bed I sat and watched a new movie. It was one of those movies I saw and thought, hey why not? It was called Garden State and it was actually pretty good. I loved to be surprise by a movie, when you don't expect much, but you end up enjoying it. I guess that is where they came up with the term pleasantly surprised.

I tried something new today and was pleasantly surprised by a good meal and some laughter.

Day 51 ~ A Nap

As a mother of three I can honestly say I don't get much sleep. Today I took the time for a little me time, that included a nap.

You say, "A nap, what is the big deal, how is that something new?" Well, anyone who has kids will understand that as a mom, you don't get naps anymore. In fact it seems that once you have kids, you really never sleep well again.

I can remember as a kid when my mom would have me go lay down for a nap, and I would fight it, cry, and lay there struggling to keep my eyes open, just so I didn't have to nap. Now as an adult I dream of napping, relaxing, and having quiet time to close my eyes during the day. Today was my lucky day, and it was spectacular. The sun was shining so I pulled my wonderful hammock out of the garage and placed it in the back yard in the sun. The two older girls had play dates and the youngest was sleeping in her crib with Dad on the computer inside. I decided to take full advantage of the situation, and crashed on my hammock. The air smelled so clean, and the slight breeze helped the hammock to gently sway back and forth until I felt myself falling into dreamland. I awoke to my daughter crawling in beside me and sharing all her amazing stories of the day, and we laid there and snuggled a little more.

It is almost unbelievable what a little sleep can do for a tired Mommy. I think I need to start making this a weekend thing!

Day 50 ~ Flank Steak Roll with Spinach and Garlic

Today I made a new recipe, Flank Steak Roll with Spinach and Garlic. It was easy and VERY good. Believe it or not, but this is one of the Clean Eating recipes. I have to admit, after I had cooked it and put it on the table, I felt kinda fancy. Oh la la.

I asked my husband what he thought about the clean eating and he told me as long as I cook meals like tonight there is no way he will say no. I have to admit though, I am fiending for some treats and chocolate right now. It is Friday night movie night and everyone is having something sweet but me. I think there are some healthy treats in the magazine, I think I need to check them out.

My new thing for today felt like a gourmet meal, with little or no work.

Day 49 ~ Clean Eating

I started something new today, a diet. Well, they say it is not a diet but a lifestyle change. Whatever you call it, it wasn't too bad.

Today I also gave up Soda pop. It didn't even bother me until I got in the car to go somewhere and normally I pick up a pop for the drive. I swear I was twitching. Today it was water. I had water, water, water and some more water. I enjoy my soda pop, but lets be honest, there is nothing but crap in it. After a day of no pop I figured I would have a horrible headache but I actually feel pretty good tonight. I ate clean foods all day, no perservatives, all natural, and maybe it is just me, but I feel a little different. We'll see how this goes. Wish me luck, I got some pounds to lose!

Day 48 ~ Home Sweet Home

We made it, barely. I am so tired I feel like I could sleep standing up. We drove 14 hours today with the kids, and although we will miss the family, it is so good to be home. Today didn't leave me with a lot of time to try something new, but one thing I did do was spend a lot of the drive reading through a magazine called Clean Eating. The idea of it is consuming food in its most natural state. This includes colorful fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean protein and lots of water. I couldn't believe how great the recipes looked and they were recipes I could easily make. I like to cook but I don't like spending all day doing it. I have decided to try Clean Eating for two weeks straight and see if I noticed a difference in how I feel, and my energy level. I am definitely not as healthy as I would like to be and to be completely honest, Cheez-its and Pop will be so very hard to give up. If you are interested in checking it out, here is the website: http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/minisite/ce_index.html

For now I am off to bed, if I can make it up the stairs! I was able to down load all my pictures tonight and hope to update my blogs photos tomorrow.

Day 47 ~ Carmel

I think Carmel has to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I was unable to upload my pictures today but will tomorrow, because it is truly a majestic place.



I figure with this being our last day, my husband would not be up for going anywhere, but he surprised us by taking the kids and me to Carmel. It had to be 70 degrees and the sky was blue. We walked around the shops and stopped for coffee and treats, and I swear the smile on my face was so big people probably thought I was up to no good. Everyone around on the streets would smile and say hi and comment, "Isn't it a beautiful day?" We would agree because honestly it was the thing that you were saying over and over again in your head, "This is such a beautiful day!" So many were out walking their pets and we happened to run into a horse dog. I call it that because it had to be the biggest dog I have ever seen in my life. White and fluffy and sweet as could be. The girls happily petted the dog and it would just turn and nuzzle them and lick their hands.



After a walk around the town we headed down to the beach and parked and we all played in the sand and chased waves. The waves were so powerful and the crash of them on the beach sand seemed to shake the earth. It was nothing less than beautiful. It had been 7 years since I set foot on that beach and as we drove away I promised myself I would never wait 7 years to return.

Day 46 ~ Santa Cruz

Today my husband and I spent some time looking through the local shops in Santa Cruz. This was my first time and all I can say is I can not wait for summer!!! The weather was outstanding and I was able to wear a T-shirt and shorts. Back home I would be in pants and a sweatshirt. Although I do love Oregon, you can't deny the Cali love. My husband and I both grew up close to the beach, and although he is from NorCal, and I am from SoCal, the beach just brings a smile out in both of us. It is hard to believe tomorrow is our last day.

We also watched a new movie tonight and laughed our butts off. Couples Retreat was hilarious and with my in-laws 60 inch TV, it was just as good as a movie theater. We made popcorn, and had candy, and enjoyed one of our last nights here. I have to say I am pretty lucky to have the in-laws I do. I hear so many horror stories of peoples in-laws being a little on the crazy side, but mine are pretty fabulous.

New shops with a new movie was a pretty great way to spend the day. Tomorrow is our last day and I plan on enjoying it and the sun as much as possible.

Day 45 ~ Lover's Point

Today the family headed out to Lover's Point in Pacific Grove. It was a beautiful, perfect day.

I haven't been to Monterey in 7 years. It is a beautiful place. The sun was shining, the waves were crashing, and we all just looked around taking in the beauty of the scenery. People from all around the world come to this place for its beauty, and when you get here and just look around, you see why.



After we sucked in as much ocean air as we could, we went and had lunch with the whole crew. Can you come to this place and not have seafood, I think not. I ordered fried calamari with cocktail sauce and it was so good. I wish it was labeled a vegetable so I could have it every day. It was that good. We have been enjoying ourselves so much on this trip, but we only have a few more days and it will come to an end. I am going to make sure theses last few really count!!!

Day 44 ~ A Day of Family

Today was an awesome day. It was not about just me doing something new, it was about all of us doing something new.

My husband got to go mountain biking, something he enjoys more than anything else. He hasn't been able to do this for over a year and a half and not only that, but got to go with his brother and one of his best friends. The girls spent the day with their cousins riding scooters and playing hide and seek on 3 acres of what I like to call Narnia, aka Grandpa's gardens. They were always too little for these things before, but now were able to join in the big kid activities and loved it. I got to spend the day visiting with my sister in law, one of the best sister in laws in the world. She is so inspiring and a go getter, and being around her makes me feel like I can do anything.

Last but not least we got to sit and have dinner with my husbands entire family and eat skirt steak and delicious food, my amazing mother in law cooked.

At the end of the day, I look around and think, how lucky I am. In one day we all did something new, and I wish today was an every day thing.

Day 43 ~ The Beach

My husband and I grew up near the beach, we have spent many summer days laying on the sand. There is nothing like listening to the sound of waves, and feeling the sand between your toes. I haven't been to the beach in 3 years and today we changed that.



Today my family and my brother in law's family headed to the beach. When we first set out it was sprinkling, but by the time we arrived on the sand, the sun was shining. The kids went crazy running back and forth and chasing the waves. We collected sea shells and rocks and played in the sand. This was Kyndall's first time to the beach and she sat and grabbed handfuls of sand at a time and would chuck them. You couldn't help but laugh. The smell of the ocean can be amazing at times, and the sound gives such a sense of comfort and piece of mind. I just sat there for awhile and watched my husband with the girls and smiled. I can honestly say I was so happy and so full of joy, I felt almost overwhelmed. To be there with my all my family was so much fun. The beach is a beautiful place and I am so glad we went.

PS I will be added photos tomorrow, words really can't describe the beauty of the day!

Day 42 ~ 2725

2725 Princeton Court is where it all began. It was my apartment while I attended college and made new friends, it was where my husband asked me to marry him, it is where we spent the first 2 years of our married life, and it is where we brought our oldest daughter home from the hospital. That apartment holds a lot of memories, a lot of very good memories. Our new thing for the day was visiting my old campus and visiting our old place.

I haven't been back to my old campus at CSUMB since I graduated. It was so great to drive around and see the new buildings and see how the campus has changed. It brought back so many wonderful memories. When I graduated and left, I realized I had no memorabilia with my school's logo, and I always planned on going back to change that, so that is what I did. I bought a coffee mug and I sit this morning drinking from it, feeling pretty good. It's almost like it says "Hey, I was there, I graduated, and I rock!" We also took our oldest and showed her where she spent the first year of her life. It brought back so many memories and I couldn't help but tear up, but only because I was so happy to have experienced all that I did. It was a good time a life. It was the first time I was away from home and it really forced me to grow up and experience life as an independent woman. I really grew up those 3 years, and they have helped make me the girl I am today. After touring the campus and our old apartment, we took the kids to a park, and they had the best time climbing trees, laughing and swinging. It was an AWESOME day!

One other amazing thing for the day was after a 4 interview process, my husband was offered a new job. I can not tell you the happiness and relief we feel. It is something he is very excited about and it will allow him to take care of our family. You can imagine the smile on his face. I truly believe this will be one of our best years yet to date!

Day 41 ~ A Road Trip

Today our new thing was a 15 hour road trip, I am half dead, lost 75% of my hearing and am seeing double, but we made it.

This morning we left very early and set out to Monterey. We saw trees, trees, trees, snow, crazy fog, eucalyptus trees, farm land, olive trees, orange trees, and a hitch hiker with a drum. I listened to my husband have conversations with drivers in the comfort of his truck, although they couldn't hear him, he still explained what the were doing wrong and why they need to get the BEEP out of the way. Of course with 3 little girls we made umpteen stops to use the restroom, but over all, the drive went well. At least for the first 13 hours. The last two were almost painful. It went from "When will we get there?" every 30 minutes to, "Are we there yet?" every 5. I thought the two oldest were going to scratch each others eyes out and their screaming came to an all time high. Then I started thinking, maybe a little competition will work, so I challenged them to the good old, quiet contest. Who ever stays quiet the longest wins! That worked for all of about 15 minutes, but those 15 minutes were wonderful. Once we arrived it was so great to see the smiles on every ones faces. The 15 hours of driving was well worth it. I am so excited for the next week and the things we will see and do. Stay tuned in for more adventures in Monterey!

Our new thing for the day was a 15 hour road trip, and I can say I am happy that we arrived!

Day 40 ~ Packing for a Road Trip

Last minute we decided on a road trip to see my husbands family we haven't seen in 2 years. My new thing is packing for it, and I think I am ready to pull my hair out. I haven't packed for a vacation in 4 years and I think I have forgotten how.

Literally, I have been packing and organizing ALL DAY! I am ready to go to bed yet I hear the suitcases calling me.......

Jennifer, did you remember enough socks for the kids, Jennifer don't forget the snacks, Jennifer did you remember DVDs, Jennifer are you a crazy woman!

This drive will take us about 13 hours. I am so excited yet I am a little afraid. Afraid of what I will do to myself after 13 hours in the car. We haven't had a vacation in about 4 years. This summer I will also be heading on vacation to San Diego to see more family. Two vacations in one year, I think I am on a roll!!

Although this trip won't be a long trip, it will be fun trip, and damn it, I will be prepared, so back to packing I go. MONTEREY HERE WE COME!!!!!

Day 39 ~ Miami Glow

My new thing for the day was a gift from my wonderful husband.

Today my husband and I went shopping for some shoes for the girls. He was nice enough to come along and keep me company, we all know most men don't enjoy shopping too much. I was picking up my dad some of his favorite cologne in the perfume store, and casually smelling the different scents. I love perfume. I love things that smell wonderful whether that is fruit, flowers, fresh rain, sunshine, fresh air and even food. I have a very sensitive nose, so although I love wonderful scents, if something smells wrong, I find it almost painful to be around. It is a blessing and a curse all wrapped up in one tiny package, my nose.

While smelling the different perfumes, I came across this AMAZING scent. It smelled of summer, of coconut, pineapples, sunshine, everything wonderful and beautiful in the world. To my huge surprise it was by no other than J-Lo. That is right folks, Miami Glow is what it was called, and it was intoxicating. I sprayed a little on my neck and my husband just gave me that grin. The, "Hey, how you doin?" grin. I couldn't help but laugh. Later today he had to work, but came home with a surprise. He found the same perfume and brought it home for me. Of course I was delighted, he made me feel very special.

Tonight I sit here and smell of summer, coconut, pineapples, and sunshine, everything wonderful and beautiful in the world thanks to my wonderful husband.

Next time you are at the mall, check out the J-Lo perfumes, I think you will be pleasantly surprised

Day 38~ Oregon Zoo

Today my friend called and asked if we felt like ditching the Super Bowl and taking the girls to the zoo, she had extra tickets and thought it would be fun to go. My poor hubby had to work so I thought why not? Could be a lot of fun! I was right, it was and the Wild Six were at it again.

It had to be the perfect day to take the kids, nice weather, very few people and all the cats were out. I love the spur of the moments things. Where you don't have to plan it all out, you just go. Those type of things always seem to be so much fun. I thought about a million other places I would love to go during Super Bowl, like Disneyland! Can you imagine how short the lines would be. HMMMM.... maybe next year!

So there you have it, our new thing today was ditching the game and going to the zoo and we all had a wonderful time!

Day 37 ~ Beef Bourguignon

Tonight I tried a new recipe, Beef Bourguignon, and although it took awhile to cook it was DELICIOUS!!


In Late December I rented Julie and Julia and was inspired. She went through the entire year, cooking new recipes from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The movie not only inspired me to cook, but inspired me to start this blog. I loved the idea of trying something new everyday, and so here I am, day 37, trying the famous Beef Bourguignon. Although it is a slight variation from Julia Child's recipe, it was still wonderfully delicious. Trust me, the picture does not do it justice, just ask my husband who licked his bowl clean. I spent most of the afternoon cooking, sautéing, and chopping, and it was well worth it. I have attached the link to the recipe I used. I made a few substitutions like using 6 pieces of thick cut bacon instead of what the recipe called for, and no, I didn't use the cognac... I was afraid I would set the house on fire with that trick! Either way it was still absolutely delicious. The Italian Bread was a wonderful touch, toasted with a small amount of butter. All I can say is I tried a new recipe today and it was YUMMY!

Try it out, you will not be disappointed!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beef-bourguignon-recipe/index.html

Day 36 ~ Children's Museum and a Spray Tan

Today we surprised the youngest two with a trip to the Children's Museum. They had the Clifford Exhibit out and the girls LOVED IT!! There were so many great activities and things for the girls to do. The Children's Museum was amazing, and the girls kept running from one thing to another.


Hailey always had this look of excitement and "NO WAY!" I swear you can hear her scream from a block away and her happiness is felt across the room.


Our youngest's expressions are a little different from those of her sister. She is little more along the lines of "What the hell?" "What are you looking at?" I think this is her permanent look at all times. It seems to fit in any situation she is in. She is sweet and loving, but she can give you a look like you have never seen before.

It was so nice being able to get out together, and although my oldest was in school and we missed her a ton, we all had a lot of fun, and it was a great new thing to do this afternoon.

A Spray Tan

My other new thing for the day was a spray tan. As most of you know, or don't know, I am pretty fair. I grew up in San Diego where the sun never stops shining, and spent way too much time sun bathing as a kid. Now as an adult with as much money and energy as I put into keeping my skin nice, I avoid tanning. I have heard about spray tans but have never had one. I have nothing against tanning beds, but I do have something against wrinkles on my face.

My very good friend told me about a special at a local tan and spa salon. The Ultimate Tan and Spa in Newberg offers 50% off on Fridays for spray tans. Sounded like a great deal to me so I decided to go in. I can not tell you how good it smelt in there, like sunshine and coconuts all wrapped up in one. Seriously, just hanging out in there made me feel like summer. The girl behind the counter was so nice. She set me up, and showed me what to do. I went in a room and rubbed lotion on my hands and feet to reduce any chance of crazy stains from dye, I put a hair cover on, and then stepped into the machine. I pushed this green button and waited for the spray... blink, blink, blink and then the spraying began. It scared the crap out of me and I gasped for air, which at that moment included a heavy dose of tanning solution. I felt like a white man doing the sprinkler dance as I tried to make sure I got my body covered, doing the things the nice girl at the counter showed me to do. Then it stoped and I turned to get my back side while repeating the crazy stances/dance moves.

Once I was done, I stepped out and dotted the excess, got dressed, and came out. I unfortunatley have extremely dry hands, and noticed a streak, so I go to wash it off. After my hands are washed I noticed something. OH NO! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!! I have washed off the mist on my hands and now they are soooo white, I look like I am wearing white gloves. I go out with this look on my face. The nice girl just smiles and fixes it for me. I guess I am not the only one who has done this before. I am to wait 4 hours before showering to help it set.

I am so glad I did this because it gave me such a nice bronze color, not too dark but still enough to make me feel great. I feel next time I will be a little better with my moves in the spray room, but other than that, it was soooooo worth it. I definitely will be doing this again.

I got a tan today and I am loving it!

Day 35 ~ Crazy Sushi

As I mentioned yesterday, it has been 10 years today, since I met my husband. He is the love of my life and through good and bad times, he is the only man I want by my side.

When he woke up this morning and saw the I Love You signs around the house, and all the stickies with funny memories, he couldn't help but laugh and smile. I even stuck them in the shower, so when he thought he found them all, he found a few extra in there. It was well worth the lack of sleep to get it set up for him.

We decided to go to lunch and try a new sushi place, for our new thing today. It is called Crazy Sushi. Crazy Sushi, heck yeah, I would say it was crazy good. HOLY @*$#! It was absolutely spectacular. The food was AMAZING and colorful and beautiful and each plate looked like a piece of art. The prices were very fair and the portions were very generous. We were so full, we didn't even come close to finishing it, and we ate the rest for dinner. It was AWESOME!!! Yes, I am using the word awesome because that is how dang good it was! We tried some new sushi including:

Spider Roll

soft shell crab, crab, avocado, masago

Lobster Crunch

crab, avocado, cucumber, asparagus rolls

Lobster tempura piled on top

Washington Roll

California roll base with fresh Salmon on top

This was the best sushi I have ever had. If you live in the Portland area I would highly recommend it. It is a small place but, is UNBELIEVABLY good!!

We tried a new restaurant today and some new sushi and I would have to say, IT ROCKED!!

Here is their website, check them out. They even have coupons for free appetizers.

http://crazysushi.net/crazy-sushi/index.php

Day 34 ~ A Surprise

Tomorrow it will be 10 years since my husband and I met. I use to think people were strange celebrating this day, but this year I really wanted to do something special for my husband. I can honestly say the day we met started a new and happy chapter in my life. We met, and that was it! I can remember calling my mom the next day to tell her about the guy I met. We met at a bar by chance and all I can say was it was meant to be.


Tonight I went and got him all his favorites at the store. Favorite candy, favorite breakfast, favorite beer, favorite food and I plan on decorating the house once he goes to bed. When he wakes up he will find all his favorite things, signs all over the house that say I love you, and little sticky notes everywhere with funny memories we have shared. I have been having so much fun today planning and searching out these items. I can't wait to see his face in the morning. I think the biggest joy in life is often the the joy you receive from doing things for others.


Today I planned a big surprise for my husband and I can't wait for tomorrow!!

Day 33 ~ Variety

Today I did a variety of things that were out of the ordinary for February, and I am ready for bed!

Where I live we get a lot of rain. We spend too much of the winter indoors, and it is pretty gray. This morning I woke up singing Tonight's gonna be a good night, sang it all day long, and I think the sunshine had something to do with it. Today was BEAUTIFUL. The sun shined all afternoon and my husband and I tried to suck up as much sun as we could. We ate outside, played outside, worked on our yard, planted some bulbs and just sat and watched our youngest play. It has been months since we have been able to sit and enjoy a beautiful day together. My husband normally works a 65 hour week, so just having him here today to hang out all day was new in itself. I have to say there is nothing better than a beautiful sunny day in February. That was definitely something we haven't had for a while.

All I have is one word for you, LOST! LOST is finally back on and in its last season. I love this show!!! I wish it would never end. Enough of that.... OK one more thing... LOST is the best show ever.

Today consisted of a variety of new things for February. I wish the sun always shined like this. I would never come indoors. One thing I did realize is my legs have not seen the sun since October, and I think my new thing this week will consist of a spray tan.

Day 32 ~ Eye Doctor

Now my new thing today stinks!!! In fact, it was horrible. I was up until 3 am last night because of my eye. We decided this morning I needed to see an eye doctor. This is not how I planned on spending my day.

Well, I will say that the doctors were great, friendly, and nice. They tried to be as comforting as possible as they poked my eye and flipped my lids looking for something in my eye. After a good 20 minutes and 2 doctors later, they came to the conclusion that I have a scratch on my eye and that I have a swollen gland under my eye lid. They are not connected, just happened to happen at the same time. Are you kidding? Guess what else? There is nothing in there, it just will feel that way for a week. A WEEK? I was getting ready to take my eye lid off myself last night. My eyes have been killing me all day, I am wearing a warm compress aka pirate patch, and I am on the verge of puking, but there is not a dang thing in there.

All kidding aside, I have lots of eye drops to apply every hour that really help, and I did get to spend the after noon with my husband which was very nice, so I am very glad I went. I haven't been to the eye doctor since right after high school. There is something about someone getting that close to my eye that freaks me out, but I realized with a quick eye test she gave me, that I probably need some reading glasses too.

So there you have it, my new thing for the day was the stinking eye doctor. Lets hope tomorrow will be a lot more fun.