Ditch the Phone

Most Sundays, I try to enjoy brunch with my parents. It's a relaxing way to catch up with my family and review all of our weeks, all while staying guilt free that I haven't seen them or spoken with them in weeks (because you know that happens). This week, the weather was lovely, so after brunch we chatted on their porch, enjoying the 70 degree weather and dappled sunlight.

It was ideal and charming. Families were playing catch in their perfect green lawns. People were gardening in their perfect flower beds. Families were riding bikes. Seriously. Their neighborhood is ridiculous.

Anyway, these charming families were walking dogs and their kids in strollers, when this lovely family rides their bikes by; Dad on a sporty bike, two little girls on a tiny white wheels bikes, a sullen teenager on a cruiser with a basket, and bringing up the rear, your classic "do-it-all" modern mom.

It was so perfect... except the mother was on her mobile phone. On her bike. Ignoring her family. Talking so loudly that from my parents' porch, I could hear the whole conversation.

I get the desire to be someone who does it all. Someone who can have a job, have kids, run a house, make delicious food, have a social life, do every Pinterest craft, and look flawless doing it all. It's unrealistic, but I get the desire.

But really, Lady. Engage with your family. Put your damn phone down and spend this gorgeous Sunday with your family. There is really no phone call that can't be taken in 20 minutes when you get back from your bike ride. As a kid, there was nothing more important than spending time with my family. Could you imagine spending this time with your parents and getting the "one minute" finger? You only have to get that one minute suggestion a few times until you stop trying. As an adult, I know I get frustrated when someone I have some important matter and they won't put down their phone.

Embrace your family. Engage your friends. Don't waste your life having superficial relationships, because you couldn't put your phone down and ask your family and friends about their day. 

The Perfect Barbecue!

I'm not a HUGE meat eater. I'll eat poultry, seafood (if that officially counts as meat), and rock some pork/ham from time to time. But, I lurv to cook because it's pretty relaxing for me and the reward of eating whatever I've made is always a good incentive.

As I've complained a few times now, I'm busy! Not at busy as someone with kids, but still, I've got a lot of plates in the air. I will admit it now - I've turned to crock potting. Originally I wouldn't fully fess up, since the cream of whatever and block of cream cheese - though amazingly delicious - is not healthy. I know, you may have to sit down from that heavy revaluation. I am also pretending to be a healthy person (though anyone who knows my love of cupcakes and chocolate could very easily disband that non truth).

But, here we go, I'll admit it. I really love my crock pot! (And I got a brand new time included pot for Christmas. Thanks Sir Viking!)

Okay. Barbecue. As someone who doesn't really like condiments, I've never fully understood the love of meat (bah) smothered in a smokey, spicy ketchup like sauce, until recently. I had pulled chicken and was allowed to dispense my own sauce. I finally understood. The delicious smoked meat is so juicy! Yum.

Knowing that Sir Viking is southern and enjoy barbeque, I was on the interwebz one day and found this little crock pot gem... and believe me, this is requested about every 9 days. You're going to want to write this down:

1 pork tenderloin
1 can of root beer

Place in crock pot on low for 8 hours. At the end of the time, the meat will be tender enough to shred with a fork.

And it is.

Seriously. Combine the TWO ingredients in the picture. That's it.

Apparently the root beer acts as a tenderizer to the meat and gives it a sweet, herbal taste with a slight effervescence. It's friggin' fantastic people!!!

Once we're hungry, we use pretzel rolls (yumz!), I add cheese for me, and a little sweet barbeque sauce for each of us.  Add a side salad and you have a perfectly delicious meal! AND since there are only two of us, we always have leftovers.

Hey! I was watching that!

After five years of living alone in my little nugget house, I got a roommate. The Viking and his pup, Mocha, moved in at the end of this past summer. Needless to say things have been a little bit different around here. I have a new couch (and the current desire to rearrange my living room), less space in my closet, and a kitchen full of awesome gadgets! I've gained the best person to spend my free time with and someone to share everything with. Which includes my DVR. Dum dum DUUUUUUUMMMMM!

It's really not that bad, until we get to Tuesday nights and I want to record my shows and he wants his... and it only records two shows at one time. Gah!

As a little side note, let me just say, I have pretty awful taste in television. Not that amazing television is really happening currently in the world, but I have a talent to hunt out the Honey Boo Boos, Gypsy Weddings, Unfunny two camera comedies with laugh tracks... anything to not watch anything too scary (read: NCIS, Law & Order, CSI: Omaha, Or any of those crap dramas) I've lived by myself forever, so that was my excuse. Honestly though, I have a crazy imagination and a job where I have to review bomb threats and what to do in a hostage situation. Needless to say, I prefer rainbow, unicorns, and mildly funny comedies to get away from the stress of my day. Thankfully Sir Viking gets that and prefers reality shows that mostly involve restoration or digging things out of the dirt.

Since we both have things we want to watch, that are both pretty different, we've got a system down. (With the mildly reluctant help of Mocha and Lewie).

- Get a second DVR - After a mishap with some saved programs and trying to watch EVERYTHING on the Olympics, we opted to get an additional DVR for our bedroom. Mostly movies, jointly enjoyed shows (Daily Show, SNL, Real Time, etc.) and a few of his favorites have migrated upstairs as well, since he keeps later hours than I do.

- Take Turns - We watch the most TV together on weekend mornings eating breakfast. Our method: if you just watched one of your shows, let your roommate/significant other/cat watch one of their shows.

- Utilize On Demand - Sometimes you want to watch a couple of shows that are all on at the same time. Thankfully our cable service offers most of the popular TV shows the next day for free. So, naturally, we've been taking advantage of that.

- Consider Netflix, Hulu, or the like - For catching up on shows you like and making sure you have free space on your DVR.

Really, the most important thing is compromise. If you are choosing to live with someone, then you obviously like them. If you like them, you should probably be nice to the. And if they watch TERRIBLE TV and it's their turn, either grin and bear it, distract yourself, or politely go into a different room.






* No pups or kittens were harmed in the making of this blog... even if they look surprised that they were caught because they were up to no good (he is a cat, after all) or upset that they were awoken. 

Leopard Print

By now you may or may not have noticed that it is incredibly important to me to embrace who you are and what you love. Especially if it's an archaic social norm. If you're into it (and it doesn't harm others), go for it. We all need hobbies and interests.

I could, quite obviously go on ad nauseum, but that's for another day. Today, my though it about leopard print. Leopard print can be wonderful but can get so tacky, so quickly. And thanks to the tween stores of the universe and their love of neon green leopard spots, my beloved leopard print has received a bad rap.

Eff that noise. I love leopard print. I love how I feel when I wear it. It's this blend of sassy, chic, and less tightly wound, as my job makes me a little tense some days. But the key to leopard, only one piece at a time. If you wear more than one piece at a time you're going to look like a lunatic.

Here are the best pieces that you can get, that would work with just about any favorite print or graphic color as a pop:

- Shoes. I always have at least two pairs of leopard print shoes. One flat and one heel, so work and play are both covered. And believe me, any time I need a little bit of funk or sass in an outfit, leopard shoes are my go to.

- Cardigan or Coat. I love adding on a little sassy cover that might not stay on the whole time I have an outfit. Just a little ump.

- Purse or Clutch. I have seen a lot of terrible leopard print adds in my day. But a really good one can make all the difference in the world. If you're not really to take the plunge with a purse, a little make up bag or wallet is a nice addition to your normal purse gear, to brighten up your day.

- Scarf. This is an easy way to try something new or embrace something you love with a big impact for a little price. Just remember, only one piece at a time.

I'll leave you with this, what's your leopard print? What makes you feel chic, yet care free, with only one piece?

Football Party Bean Dip

I am a college football fan. Professional football, in my humble opinion is only good for beer and food. Otherwise it's a bunch of superstitious crazies or bandwagon "I live near here, so I'm going to be a fan" types. Bah. College football is way better to watch.

Living in a part of the country that adores football and there being a mildly large game tonight... I wanted to share my favorite go to for a football viewing party. Mexican Cheesy Bean Dip!!!

It's so crazy easy.

2 cans of refried beans
8oz. cream cheese
8oz. sour cream
1 pk taco seasoning
2 C cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 350. In a big bowl, combine the beans, cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning, and 1/2 c of cheese. Spread it in a 9 x 13 dish (consider a disposable baking pan if you are not hosting) and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes or so.

Done!

It's so good! I suggest a strong tortilla chip or one that can scoop easily. It's pretty heavy and you're going to want to eat a lot. For healthier options - consider vegetarian or fat free refried beans, skim milk mozzarella cheese, low fat or fat free sour cream, and neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese (it takes nearly the same, but has less fat). Also consider ranch or fajita seasoning or hot sauce for a fun twist.

Tiers of Friendship

So, who watches The Mindy Project? I happily fall into that category. But like every other show, I get into it and then watch it for a few weeks and then don't go near it for another month (I get distracted). But this past week Ms. Kaling brought up an interesting point:

Best Friend is not a person, it's a tier.

Acquaintances, Friends, Good Friends, Best Friends... Or maybe if you are a little bit younger/cooler than me it's like Randos, Your Posse, Homeslices, Best Bitches. (I don't know, kids these days...)

Okay, okay, hold on. If you are someone who has only one best friend and you have been best friends since you were five and you've never had another best friend, let me just say, you are incredibly lucky (or possibly delusional). Seriously though, if you are one of those rare few, that's really fantastic. The rest of us... not so much.

I think from time to time we have all felt the pressure that we need to have one best friend. It's like this golden status of superiority... that, frankly, I think is bullshit. 

Realistically, through out your life, you've probably moved when you were a kid or in high school, probably went away to college (or if you didn't go too far, I'm guessing a majority of your high school friends moved away), and then moved after college (and maybe a few times after that). This isn't even taking into account hobbies you've found along the way, significant others, maybe you got married, or even have a kid or two. I'm guessing, unless you hate people you probably made friends during these phases. Moreover, I'm going to assume that a few people became the proverbial "cream of the crop".

There is rarely just one that stands out above the rest. And that's because there are so many people with incredible qualities that bring so much to your life. That's really the best part. I may not be one of those girls with a BEST FRIEND, but I have a group of best friends who make my life better everyday. Best friends are like cookies. It's always a good idea to have more than one.

It's Been a While

So. It's January. I caught that too. Hrm. Sorry about that. I got a little busy living my life, rather than writing about how to make things easier/better/prettier/whatever. My writing team now includes two little boys named Mocha and Lewis... Who happen to be a dachshund and a tiger stripped teenage kitty, respectively. Oh yes. And a Viking.

From a life of a single, mildly care free (I can pretend), pet free gal to a pet crazed, official girlfriend of a live in Viking can get pretty hectic (though I really can't imagine how moms with like 87 kids do it), I'm having a ball.

So, yeah, it's been a while. In the honeymoon haze of my life for the past months, I feel like I've lost touch with some of my very best friends. Some is probably a natural growing apart, as life takes us in unexpected or at least different directions. Kids, pets, new jobs, boyfriends, girlfriends, moving, husbands, wives, life changes - it happens. For me, it is really important to continue these friendships as much as possible. Whether I haven't seen you in 5 years or 5 days, I am always happy to chat with an old friend. So, with a grand gesture - here is my old friend and yours, "the handy tips".

- Send a card! Mailing anything is so rare these days that it's a pretty special occasion when you get something in the mail. Even if it's a little note saying "I miss you."
- Visit them at work. If your friend works in an environment where visitors are okay, stop in! Just make sure to not stay too long, incase they have a tough boss.
- The phone works both ways. Instead of waiting on your friend to call you, call them. Or even send a text message if that's easier.
- Visit!! Some of my very best friends live thousands of miles away. I'm always happy to hop on a plane and go for a long weekend. Even if it's just to the other side of the state, a weekend together will always be fun and appreciated.
- Most importantly, make plans and keep them!!! Rather than saying let's get together and never seeing each other, pull up your calendar and see what works.

These seem obvious, right? Reconnecting with old friends... The hardest part is the first step. It's always a little weird at first, but I promise, they'll be happy you did. And so will you. Now... Who wants a weekend visitor???