My AC has been broken for about two weeks and during this miserably hot weather, it's very hard to drive with your AC working at about 10%. I'm so excited to have it working again. I've also needed to replace my windshield wipers for about 8 months but we haven't had any rain so I kept putting it off. We finally took my car in yesterday right as a rainstorm blew through. It was amazing to have rain (finally) and even more amazing to be able to see while driving in it.
I did not have computer access yesterday so I have to do my Thankful Thursday post on a Friday. Please forgive me for being late!! Hope everyone has a great Friday!! This week I'm thankful for a wonderful birthday celebration for my mom. We went to Pete's Piano Bar and had a blast! Quite a few people showed up and the piano players were hilarious. I love listening to good music and getting in some laughs! I'm also thankful for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. My brother has Ulcerative Colitis and last year I joined Team Challenge (a partner of CCFA) to help raise money to find a cure for Crohn's and Colitis. Hermano has been very sick lately and they recently upped his chemo to try to help him battle his current flare up. He has been battling it since July 2010. I'm so thankful there is an organization focused on finding a cure and willing to reach out to those suffering and help them learn to live a long, happy life. Relaxing on Husband's recliner I'm thankful for nights at home snuggling with my husband. It looks like each of us will be traveling quite a bit in the month of October and it makes me really appreciate the nights we have to just eat dinner and relax at home together without other obligations. My car's twin! Finally getting my AC fixed in my car and my windshield wipers replaced (DURING the rainstorm yesterday - woohoo).
My AC has been broken for about two weeks and during this miserably hot weather, it's very hard to drive with your AC working at about 10%. I'm so excited to have it working again. I've also needed to replace my windshield wipers for about 8 months but we haven't had any rain so I kept putting it off. We finally took my car in yesterday right as a rainstorm blew through. It was amazing to have rain (finally) and even more amazing to be able to see while driving in it.
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Today is my mom's birthday! We are planning a great little party for her downtown. Hope she has a blast! Love you, Mom!!!
This morning I was having a bit of bloggers block so I asked my friend, Ken, for a topic suggestion. He laughed and goes, "Why don't you write about boots? Girls love boots! I'm sure that's a great topic for you!" He's so right. I DO love boots. And I'm excited I get to pull out my boots soon! I did a little boot shopping online and found some that I really like this season! Here are some that I are topping my shopping list: I have always loved the look of riding boots. They are so classic and seem to mix fashion with play and practicality. These Bandolino boots are very affordable as well. I found them on Zappos.com right here. I'm loving the this versatile shade of grey! You can wear it with navy, chocolate, or black. It's a great accent color. And this boot is a great way to dress up a pair of jeans or dress down a skirt or fall dress. It has some dimension to it and the stacked heel gives it a strong look. I found this one at InStyle.com. UGGs are sooo comfortable and warm. I wore them every single day during the winter in Syracuse. These UGGs are also quite fashionable and you can change up their look depending on what you're feeling that day. They are easy to slip on and have a sort of western flare to them. I also found these on on Zappos.com here. Since I'm in Texas, I gotta show off some absolutely adorable cowboy boots. These are so detailed and cute! Very neutral in color but the blue gives them a little pop. I found these on the Anthropologie site right here. Burberry - Love this color! For all of those not suffering from this crazy drought, it's time to pull out your rain boots! Rain boots give you a chance to wear something a little brighter/with a little more statement that you generally would. I picked out a few different rain boots that I find very cute! All these can be found at Zappos.com. You all know by now that I absolutely love fall. It's my favorite time of year for so many reasons; one of those reasons is the food. Fall dishes are delicious and it's a time when I can really put my crockpot to work. Husband's boss gave us a crockpot as an early wedding present and it has been amazing. It's so easy to throw food in there and leave it to cook all day while I'm at work. When I walk into the house after work, it not only smells amazing, but I don't have to spend any more time preparing dinner. Crockpots are especially great for stews and cozy meals. Since we got married in March, we haven't had many opportunities to make cozy, home-cooked stews/soups. A Texas summer just doesn't leave one craving hot, belly-warming dinners, but now that it's fall, I feel like it's a good time to start putting that amazing kitchen device to work! (I'll just pretend the high isn't teetering on triple digits today). As you know, I'm quite fond of the recipes from Fitness Magazine. That's the first place I go when looking for a quick/healthy meal. I was searching the site today and I found two easy recipes that look delicious. I'm headed to the store after work today so I can get the ingredients. The first is Savory Bean and Spinach Soup Makes: 6 servings Ingredients 3 14-ounce cans vegetable broth 1 15-ounce can tomato puree 1 15-ounce can small white beans or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 garlic cloves, chopped 8 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach or kale leaves Finely shredded Parmesan cheese Directions 1. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine vegetable broth, tomato puree, beans, rice, onion, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic. 2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting 5 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. 3. Just before serving, stir in spinach or kale and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Nutrition facts per serving: 150 calories, 9g protein, 31g carbohydrate, 3g fat (1g saturated), 8g fiber The next (probably tomorrow night's dinner) is Cajun Shrimp and Rice. Makes: 6 servings Ingredients 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 14-ounce can chicken broth 1 cup chopped onions 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 6- to 6-1/4-ounce package long-grain and wild-rice mix, such as Uncle Ben's 1/4 cup water 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 1 pound cooked, shelled and deveined shrimp Hot-pepper sauce (optional) Directions 1. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, onions, bell pepper, rice mix with seasoning packet, water, garlic, and Cajun seasoning. 2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting 3 to 3 1/2 hours. 3. Stir shrimp into rice mixture. Cover; cook for 15 minutes longer at high-heat setting. Sprinkle with hot-pepper sauce if desired. Nutrition facts per serving: 223 calories, 21g protein, 32g carbohydrate, 2g fat (0g saturated), 3g fiber I can't wait to try these out. I'm sure Husband will love them as well! What are some of your favorite crockpot recipes? What are some of your favorite fall recipes? In light of a conversation I had with my work pal, Kim, I thought I'd put up some cute/funny pictures of dogs to make you laugh and smile this morning. Happy Friday you guys!
To continue the Thankful Thursday tradition I'm trying to start: This week I am thankful for Aggie Football. I hope the Ags play well this weekend when they meet Oklahoma State! The rain we got on Sunday and Monday. It was amazing to wake up to the sound of raindrops on Monday morning! If only we could get some more! Keep praying that we can recover from this extreme drought! Starbucks. Where would I be without my morning coffee? Relaxing with the Hubs to the season premieres this week. It's always fun to check out the new shows and decide which ones are worthy of our limited DVR space. Daily Devotionals. I like to start my morning with a quick devotional. It gives me a chance to connect with God for a few minutes each morning and think about how blessed I am.
I love to read. I was even that kid in school that read every reading assignment during college. I know, who does that right? My favorite store is Barnes & Noble (B&N as I like to call it) and I am constantly going there to clear my head and break off from life's stressors. When I have free time, I pick up a book. In fact, I LOVE riding the bus to and from work every day because it gives me 25 minutes in the morning and afternoon that I can get lost in a book. I also like to run. Notice I said "like." Now, running is a new interest of mine. Yes, I played soccer for years and years, but I never really liked running. It's different when there is a game going on and like I used to say, "a ball to chase", but running just for the heck of it? I never got that. Until about a year ago... Then I realized that running can be kind of nice. I guess I like the feeling I get around mile three, - when my legs have finally warmed up and I start to just go with it. And I like the sense of accomplishment I feel after a good run. But, like I said, I just like it. I'd much rather be doing something I love (like reading). So when given the option, I'd gladly choose a book over a tiring run. Then I thought of something! I can download audiobooks and listen to them while running. It's much more engaging than the same monotonous music and it combines my love of reading with my like of running!! It's not ideal. I mean there is something about reading the words on a page (I'm a very visual person - audio? not so much), but after a little while, I really do get into the story! And it distracts me from wondering how much further I have to go or how much my leg is cramping because I didn't stretch well enough. In fact, I find myself WANTING to go for a run because then I can listen to my book. (I made a rule that I am not allowed to listen to my audiobooks unless I'm actually working out. That way I am HAVE to work out if I want to hear the rest of the story). I like to read to clear my head and feel like I have a little bit of time to escape from the goings-on around me. Running does the same thing. Now, I can come home twice as clear-headed. It's like I've exercised my mind and body at once! Right now I'm listening to Heaven is for Real (which I HIGHLY recommend).. It's engaging and thought-provoking while very inspiring. It's great to listen to while running because it's the type of book that really makes you feel good inside (and that's definitely a good thing when you may not feeling so great on the outside when on mile 4 of your run). I'm almost finished with the book and I'm looking for something to download next. Do you have any suggestions of good books or good audiobooks??? What do you like to listen to when you work out? Anniversary flowers from Husband! Yesterday was Husband and my 6 month anniversary. I can't believe it's already been half a year since we said "I do." Before I left for work in the morning, Husband told me to keep my lunch hour open so we could do something. (Normally, I work out during lunch but I'm always grateful for an excuse to take it easy :) ). He wouldn't let me know what he wanted to do, so I was anxious for our date all morning. When lunch time rolled around, he took me outside and it was gorgeous weather! It was around 75 (cold for us right now!) and the sun was starting to peak through the clouds. I was hoping we would stay outside during lunch so I could soak up the great weather. I guess Husband read my mind because he took me the outdoor Niko Nikos and we got to sit in the shade while enjoying delicious Greek food! I have wanted to go there since I began working downtown so it was a perfect date! Husband offered to take me to a nice dinner to celebrate after work, but since we had such a super busy weekend, I decided to stay in. Since last night kicked off the new season of fall tv shows, I just wanted to lay around and watch the season premieres. This worked out well since I got sick around 3pm and went home to take a nap. Instead of picking up the grilled cheese and tomato soup I had originally asked for, Husband came home with chicken soup and flowers and took care of me the whole evening. We watched How I Met Your Mother, Two & a Half Men (thoughts on Ashton Kutcher's new character???), and Two Broke Girls. Though not an ideal anniversary celebration, Laughter and my husband's care-taking were just what I needed! Marissa showing off her new ring! This weekend I went to Aggieland for my little sis's ring day and the football game. It was great to see my friends and relive the good old days with friends and my adopted family. (My lil sis is my friend Rick's sister and his family refers to me as their "rental daughter"). My boss was kind enough to let me leave a little early on Friday so I could surprise Marissa. I got there just in time to see her receive her ring! Then we went to dinner to celebrate! Midnight yell with the Hubs I wasn't the only one doing the surprising this weekend, though. Husband showed up in the middle of dinner! He wasn't supposed to be there until Saturday so I was extremely excited to have him with me when we went to midnight yell - another Aggie tradition. We went to Yell and then went to see his little brother who had flown in from Arkansas for the weekend. Sorority sisters before the game We stayed with one of my sorority sisters and her husband on Friday night and got to have breakfast with them before getting ready for the football game at Husband's aunt's house on Saturday. Then, we tailgated and walked through campus. We met up with my friends (some of my sorority sisters in the picture above) again before the game. After watching the Aggies beat Idaho, we went to Northgate and Husband ran into a bunch of his fraternity brothers. Since he hadn't seen many of them for 6 or 7 years, it was great for him to have a chance to catch up! We ended the night playing pool with Husband's brother and some others at The Dixie Chicken - a famous bar in Aggieland. The entire weekend revolved around Aggie traditions and old friends. It sure made me miss the Good Old Days! P.S. Today is Husband and my 6 month anniversary!! Can't wait to celebrate with him. I'll let you know what we do tomorrow!
The Aggie Ring Today is Ring Day at Texas A&M! For those of you who don't know about the Aggie Ring, it's kind of a big deal... Here is a link that gives a little more information about how important the Aggie Ring is to the Texas A&M seniors and graduates but I will give some as well. At most schools, people don't even know about class rings and if the school has one, a very small percentage of students actually order their ring. For Aggies, it's a totally different story.... From the day they begin their freshman year in college, Aggies start their ring countdown EVERYONE at A&M gets a ring when they have enough hours (when I was there, you had to complete 95 hours before you could even ORDER your ring). Needless to say, people pile on the hours when they get close so they can receive their ring sooner. Students look lustfully at those who already have theirs and begin adding up the number of hours left before they can request an order form and go to their ring fitting. Then... they wait. There are only three days in the year that Aggies can receive their ring. These days are called Ring Day and there is one in April, September, and November. On Ring Day, there is live music, families and friends come to town, and there are many celebrations. I could go on and on about Ring Day, but I don't want to take up TOO much space. I will, however, discuss a little bit about wearing the Aggie Ring outside of campus. Aggies tend to wear their rings for life. I work with someone who graduated from A&M over 50 years ago and he still wears his ring every single day. No matter where I go, I see someone with an Aggie Ring and it immediately begins a conversation. Even those who did not go to A&M will begin talking to me when they recognize my ring. Since every ring has the same design, and the rings are gold, they stand out. In interviews, people mention my ring, and I never seem to go somewhere without someone commenting on (and complimenting) my ring. It's strange how much attention and benefit a single ring can have, but the Aggie Ring means so much more than just a college ring. It's hard to explain it, but I think my life would be different if I didn't have this gold class ring on my finger. I want to say congratulations to all of the seniors getting their rings at Texas A&M today. I'm especially proud of my little sis, Marissa, who has patiently waited for this day to come!! |
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