The Happiness Report #26

- 3 day weekends

- The return of GAME OF THRONES!!! 

- the return of The Voice

- bachelorette parties

- new recipes

- buy one get one free

- buying my ticket to Puerto Rico! 

- saving $210 :D

- getting my tax refund!

What's making you SMILE today?

It's OK...

Good morning friends! I haven't participated in this for awhile, so I'm linking up with Amber this morning for some things that are OK!


It's OK...

- that when I find a song I love, I listen to it on repeat 100+ times
- to work better with music
- that I laugh hysterically at the corniest jokes
- to want to experience new things, but be afraid of change
- to want to help others
- to choose a major that would help me accomplish this, instead of one that would make me lots of money
- to have steered off course... I am finding my way back, I just took a detour
- to find happiness in the simple things
- to truly appreciate my friendships
- to be a night owl
- to compliment others when I see/hear something I like
- to fall asleep on the couch often
- to be a little jealous but also in awe of those Crazy Coupon ladies
- to still drink juice boxes
- to sniff all the candles at Bath and Body Works

What are you saying It's OK to?

Orange Crush

I've been crushin on orange lately... must be my mind trying to Spring Forward! 

 cardi: Pacific Sunwear

gray shirt and black skinnies: Old Navy

necklace: F21

belt: H&M

boots: Charlotte Russe

I mean, I want  it to feel like Spring, but it definitely doesn't, yet!

coat: Guess, thrifted

scarf: gifted

maxi dress (yes, it's a dress) and belt: Wet Seal

white shirt: Kohls

suede jacket: no idea, at least 10 years old!

Do you have a color crush lately? 

I'm linking up with...

The Pleated Poppy- What I Wore Wednesdays

Transatlantic Blonde- What I Wore Wedesdays

Abbeyleigh- Dress For The Day

Real Girl Glam- Real Girl Style

Menu Planning and Beef Stroganoff

I haven't done this in awhile, and since we actually did meal plan this week, I thought I'd share what's cookin'! I'm not home a lot this week, so we have lots of quick and simple dishes coming up:

Monday: beef tacos and yellow rice

Tuesday: soup and sammies

Wednesday: YoYo (Your on Your Own- I'm headed to a GNO!)

Thursday: Chicken Stir fry and white rice

Friday: YoYo- going to a Bachelorette Party!

Saturday: raviolis

Sunday: Easter Dinner at C's parents

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beef Stroganoff

Have I mentioned how much I love my crock pot? This recipe was so easy, even a non-cook like me was able to make it without any difficulty!

Ingredients: 

1 lb of beef stew meat, cubed

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can of condensed Golden Mushroom soup 

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup water

4 oz. cream cheese

Directions:

Cube the meat.
Chop the onion.
Throw everything EXCEPT the cream cheese in the crockpot for 8 hours on Low, or 5 hours High.
Mix in cream cheese right before serving.

Enjoy!
(We served it over egg noodles.)

What's cookin in your kitchen lately?

Where I've Been/ The Green Eyed Monster

You may have noticed that I've been a bit quiet in these parts. I apologize. Really, I do. Not only have I not written for awhile, I confess I haven't read your blogs either. I'm a bad blogger. And I have some major catching up to do. But let me explain...

I hit a bit of a low on Tuesday night. And then I disappeared from here.
You see, this lil blog of mine is my happy place. I try not to bring any dramz in, because I like to keep it upbeat  sharing the good things going on. But Life doesn't always work out that way. I try not to dwell on negative emotions, because well... what's the point? There are so many more things to be happy and grateful for, and dwelling on the negative doesn't do anyone any good (and it's not especially fun writing or reading material either). And rehashing just makes me sads. But, I digress.

So what had happened was...
Tuesday started as a normal, somewhat boring day. Nothing of note. I went to work, came home, had dinner, and started watching TV with C. And then I was like "Ooh... TV! I need my phone to get points for watching!" so I grabbed my phone which was sitting on the charger. The first thing I noticed was a missed call from one of my best friends from college... we shall call her Banana... and this was odd because I  talk to her just about every day on the Gchats. We don't really call each other. And then I saw this text...

And I lost my shit, to put it bluntly.
I showed the pic to C, saying "Hey. 'Banana' got engaged. See." [shows pic]
C: Oh, good for her!
me: Yeah, great. [full o' sarcasm]

And I proceeded to rush outside with my half glass of wine and cell phone.
And, for about 2 minutes, I cried. And then I felt super guilty for crying. So I pulled myself together, forced a smile on my face (I heard somewhere that others can "hear" when you're smiling on the phone), and called one of my best friends.

Please don't get me wrong- I am SO HAPPY for her and her man. Genuinely happy. They are one of my fave couples. I'm happy that she found someone who loves and supports her, and he's a fun guy who truly brings out the best in her. And she brings out the best in him- she motivates him and supports his goals and honestly they fit together so perfectly. And this wasn't completely out of the blue- she told me they went ring shopping about a month ago. He moved into her apartment over 2 years ago, moving from Georgia to PA, where he knew absolutely no one and had no job prospects. They bought a house together back in October. So obviously, things were serious. And moving pretty quickly in the last year.

Obviously, she was elated. I could practically see her walking on clouds. Which in turn made me happy, but also sad.

You see, I want that happiness. I want my turn. Is that so wrong?

I was jealous... and not just a little bit, but a whole lot. 

Banana was one of my last two "single" friends. And now she was engaged. Meanwhile, I have been sitting on the sidelines for about two years watching all of C and my friends getting married. During that time, I was never jealous of anyone else's happiness. For some reason, this one just hit me... hard. 

I shut down. I came back inside (after having the whole "Ahhhh! OMG How did he do it?! Awwww! Congrats! talk) and wouldn't talk to C. I didn't care what he put on the damn TV. We watched one of "our shows," New Girl, and I didn't laugh once (though it was pretty damn funny). I couldn't. I felt almost numb. I say almost, because I remember a certain distinct sadness/hopelessness.

I felt... sad. Defeated... by who? Life? And a little bit angry. Not at C, just in general. And, of course, jealous.

And then I started comparing. "Well, we've been together almost the exact same amount of time. Why am I not engaged? What's wrong with me/us?"

And then of course over-thinking. Over-analyzing  "Maybe C doesn't want to get married. Or worse, maybe he doesn't want to marry me."

And the whole time this was happening, I knew it was wrong. So I felt guilty for even having these thoughts. Talk about a negative cycle. And I felt pretty stupid... I know how C feels about me. I know why he says we can't get engaged yet. So I went to bed.

Of course these feelings didn't just disappear overnight. Luckily, I had a few other friends who completely understood what I was going through. And they didn't judge me in the least for having those feelings, which I think I feared almost as much as telling them how I felt. So talking to them definitely helped. As did refocusing on things that I do have control over- work, my side gigs, events coming up.

Anyway, I think I'm back to normal now. Maybe it was just the shock factor. Either way, I'm fully "in" now, and hoping she'll let me help her plan her wedding... I am trying to get into event planning here! And if not, I'll just enjoy attending and watching them make those vows... I mean, one of my best friends is getting married! And I can't wait to celebrate with them.

The Happiness Report #25

Source: swimming010.blogspot.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Things that made me happy this week:

- My friend K had her baby! On St. Patty's Day! Can't wait to meet him!

- My friend Banana got engaged!

- planning a baby shower

- helping to plan a bridal shower

- making headway on the side gig

- book club!

- baking goodies

- good hair days

- FREE anti-bac gel, and 20% our candles at BBW

-coming back to bloggyland :) 

What's making you smile this week?

Mid-March Goals Update

After my review of February, I realized how poorly I was doing with some of my goals, particularly the financial ones. So I decided to make a few changes.

1. I got my taxes done. Woohoo! I will be putting the entire sum in the Emergency Fund.

2. I started giving myself a bi-weekly cash allowance. I chose bi-weekly because that's when I get paid, so it was easy to keep track of. I emphasize that it is cash because I have read in lots of places that the physical act of parting with your money usually triggers something in your brain to make you stop and reconsider your purchase. So I figured it can't hurt to try it!

3. After looking at my actual usage, I decided to downgrade my cell phone plan, cutting my bill in half.

4. I opened a savings account. It's just too easy to access your "savings" when you keep it "hidden" in your house. I'm sure not having that cash readily available will help me rethink my choices, as it will take at least a  day to get the monies from the account.

5. I will be starting a part time gig on Saturdays in April.

6. I joined several mystery shopping sites. Mystery shopping doesn't always give out cash payouts, but you could score free stuff, likes clothes or a nice dinner out, while reviewing the store/restaurant. I've also been racking up survey money and TV points that are good for gift cards to multiple stores I currently shop at.

7.  The hunt is on! Job hunt, that is. I have been diligent about checking the job boards and applying to jobs that 1) are closer to home (commuting costs are a B, don't even get me started!) 2) have room for growth and 3) are actually a job I want to do.

I know this doesn't portray how I've been doing with all my goals, but learning to save and budget is by far the one that is most important to me and hardest for me to accomplish, so I'm focusing on that for now. Hopefully I'll stay on this positive track- full update coming at the end of the month!

The Happiness Report #24

Source: buzzfeed.com via CeLia on Pinterest

- Bromley Estate Tea

- this song (Thanks Nikki!)

- friends apologizing when they're wrong

- good music, a glass of wine, and a DIY mani to change your mood

- this snowglobe that we got from C's parents, currently adorning our mantle

- planning a vacation... again! [deets coming this week!]

- taking care of business

- this lil monkey, who has finally started to deflate. You did good Monkey, hanging high since Valentine's Day!

- getting yourself a little treat

-And as a special St. Patty's Day treat, I give you this song, which I've had on repeat for about a week!

We put our glass to the sky and lift up
And live tonight 'cause you can't take it with ya
So raise a pint for the people that aren't with us
And live tonight 'cause you can't take it with ya

What's making you smile this week?

What's Cookin: Chicken, Spinach and Bowties

If you are anything like me, sometimes you fall into a dinner rut. You want something new and different, but also something you're comfortable with. And something relatively quick and easy to make, because weeknights are busy, and ain't nobody got time for some elaborate, multiple course dinner. 

I was trying to meal plan last Sunday, and found a great, easy, and seemingly delicious meal in a cookbook that I've had, but never cracked open. But then I went to the grocery store, and forgot one of the main ingredients... argh. So I found myself with chicken, spinach, and pasta. I took to the interwebs to find something I could make with these ingredients, and found this, which turned out really well. 

Chicken, Spinach and Bowties
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
10 2/3 ounces bow tie pasta
2/3 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 small onion, chopped
2/3 cup chopped red pepper
1 1/3 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 teaspoon salt
2/3 to taste pepper, to taste
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 lb spinach, rinsed and chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:

1 Boil the pasta until done.
2 Meanwhile, cook the chicken in oil over medium-high heat.
3 Add the onion, red pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper with the chicken.

4 Continue to cook and stir 5-7 minutes until chicken is almost cooked through.

5 Add the broth and spinach then cook until spinach is wilted and chicken is done.

6 Combine chicken mixture with hot drained pasta and toss well.

7 Top with cheese and parsley then serve.

To see this and more recipes, check out them out here! 

Insta-Lately Weekend Update

My weekend was pretty lame. Well, really just Saturday and Sunday, because I stayed inside all of both days, when it was finally nice out, blowing my nose and sleeping. I actually left work early on Friday because I was feeling so crummy. But let's start with Thursday, since that was fun.

Thursday: My girl was feeling pretty down, so another friend and I took her out to dinner and the movies. We went to Houlihan's, which I haven't been to in forever.

my friend's Asian-style wings, with two different sauces

my other friend's grilled shrimp salad

My flatbread buffalo chicken pizza- sooo good!

Dessert: Snickers pie. Oh.Em.Gee. It was SO thick, but so yummy!

This was a cute movie. Definitely a good choice for girl's night. Could have held off until it was avail on DVD though. 

Friday: Went to work, left early, around 3. Came home, and saw that there was a book sale at our library, so I got 3 books for $1! uploaded some pics, and slept. 

Why yes, Foursquare, I AM a nerd! Thanks for noticing!

Nerd loot.

Saturday: C had to take his car to the shop, so I took advantage of the quiet and slept half the day. Then when he came home, I took a shot by myself. I hate taking shots. Seriously, I suck at it. I can't just throw it back like you're supposed to; I wind up tasting the entire thing. Ew. And we didn't have any lime or lemon, so I chased it with orange juice. Why was I taking shots when I was sick, you ask? Because my great aunt said the best way to kick a cold out of your system was to take a shot of tequila. My family: using any excuse to drink! I'm feeling much better now, so maybe it did work!

Sunday: Woke up late and snotty again, turned on the TV, and found myself sucked into a Braking Amish marathon. I've never seen the show. I think I watched an entire season (is there more than one?) while eating ice cream. Ya know the #1 way to keep your man from eating your ice cream? Eating it straight from the pint, while sick. TAKE THAT SUCKA!  

How was your weekend?

Spending Report: February and March 1-10

I mentioned that I would be doing spending reports the other day. My spending reports will only include miscellaneous expenses, not fixed expenses such as rent/transportation/etc.

Usually to track expenses, I just add it to a note in my phone called "Spending." As easy as this is, I still only remembered to do this a few times in February. Though I know it's old news, I'm going to put it here, along with my current spending. (Also, I just want it off of my phone so I can start fresh!) Unfortunately I already know where I have leaks, but maybe seeing it this will remind me to slow down a bit and reconsider before spending! So here goes:

FEBRUARY:
$40 - diner
$56 - cleaners
$87 - gifts
$20 - cloves
$34 - Girls Night Out #1
$45 - Girls Night Out #2
$60 - Superbowl (food and drinks)
$200 - Girls Weekend Getaway
---------------------------------------
$542

Good grief. I hadn't even done a budget in February. Now I can see why I seriously need it. BUT! A new month is upon us! Time to get it together!

MARCH 1 - 10
$20 - Night Out #1
$27 - Night Out #2
$10 - cloves
$7 - cab ride to the train station [I wasn't feeling well and it was raining/snowing]
$1 - books


UPDATE: I started writing this post on 3/6, at which point I realized I had already spend more than half of my bi-weekly allowance! Getting through until the 14th is going to be hard!

The Happiness Report #23

Her response to a photographer telling her to watch her step next time.
She's so badass- love her!

- reassessing my goals

- oversized sweatshirts and fleece lined leggings

- book sales!

All these for $6!

- getting tickets to see Fela!

- trying new recipes

- the quietness that accompanies a snowfall

view from the back porch at work

- movie night with girlfriends

- Starbucks chai lattes

- the boss bringing in bagels on a crappy day

- this photo:

What's making you smile this week?

Book Club Friday: Little Bee

Hurray! It's Friday! We're laying low this weekend, which is just perfect because this week has been too long and I'm ready to just relax! Anyway, let's get this party started!

This week I'm sharing...

From GoodReads:
"Two women collide lives on a Nigeria beach. One must make a terrible choice. Two years later, they meet again and the story starts ..."

My Thoughts:
My first thought was "Seriously? They won't tell me what the book is about?? That's so vague!" 
I got this book from a friend who recently read it. She wouldn't tell me what is was about either, so of course I was really intrigued.
Well, I found out why they didn't tell me. 
This story was so sad, but not exactly depressing. It amazes me how Little Bee kept going, even with all that she had seen and experienced. I gave this book 5 stars... yes, it was that good. But I won't give any more details! You'll just have to read it!

What are you currently reading?

See what else I'm reading on GoodReads!

Don't Worry, I Saw This On Pinterest

Sometimes Pinterest gets the best of me, and I want to do the things I see. Usually C somehow gets involved. 

Source: someecards.com via Dani on Pinterest 

So this is how some of these things go...

C: Hey, why is the Pam out?
me: I'm giving myself a manicure.
C: That's great, but why is the Pam on the counter?
me: Oh, don't worry about it- I saw this on Pinterest...

Source: realsimple.com via Dani on Pinterest

C: Umm... why is there a candle in our freezer?
me: Oh, don't worry about it- I saw this on Pinterest...

Source: snapguide.com via Dani on Pinterest

Mine, loaded with seashells

me: Do you have a two-hole punch?
C: Yeah, why?
me: I need to punch holes in these greeting cards.
C: What?
me: Oh, don't worry about it- I saw this on Pinterest...

Source: foundpaperco.blogspot.com via Dani on Pinterest

Started mine with a birthday card- love it!

In the grocery store...
me: We have beef right?
C: Yeah, why?
me: I want to make beef stroganoff.
C: You want to make what?
me: Beef stroganoff.
C: Have you ever even had that before?
me: No. But I saw it on Pinterest. It looked yummy.
C: *grumble grumble, as he heads to find the right kind of beef (we had ground beef. apparently that's not the right kind of this recipe. oops)*

Source: allrecipes.com via Dani on Pinterest\

Look out for the recipe next week!

me: I need to steal some baby pictures from your mom. Can you help me find a way without her seeing?
C: Why?
me: Oh, don't worry about it- I saw this on Pinterest...

Source: bhg.com via Dani on Pinterest

Check out Baby C! Such a lil cutie!

me: Hey, I have a question.
C: ?
me: See this cardigan here? It's too small. So I was thinking... should I donate it, or cut off the arms and make some legwarmers?
C: I'm not getting involved in this!
me: No, this is a serious question!
C: On one hand, I think you should, and on the other, I think not.
me: What's your reasoning?
C: I want to see how horrible this turns out, but on the other hand, why waste a perfectly good cardigan someone else could use?
me: Because I need legwarmers...
C: Did you see this on Pinterest?

Source: sisterssuitcaseblog.com via Dani on Pinterest

He knows me well....

Goals Update: February

In the beginning of the year, I wrote down some things I hoped to accomplish this year. (For full recap, see here.) Now that we are through the first month, I wanted to do a check-in and see how I'm doing!

Get A New Job/ Career- sent in two apps and found a few more I still have to apply for.

Read 20 Books- two more down!

Go On Vacation- shelving this goal fro a bit. Definitely not going to happen unless I find a friend to go with me. To say I'm disappointed about this would be an understatement.

Print Pictures and Make a Scrapbook- urm. Yeah, no progress on this one yet. 

Save Save Save!

I plan to do this by:

     - saving 10% of each paycheck: I was saving, but I wound up spending it for my train pass this month, since my TransitCheks from work don't cover the full costs. 

     - participating in the 52 Week Money Challenge: check!

     - doing a Money Minute everyday: I didn't do this everyday, but at least 2x a week, and wound up saving myself some major agita.  My bank doesn't tell me when I'm overdrawn, and just charges me everytime I take out money/spend after I'm overdrawn... another reason why I need a new bank! 

DeClutter/ Simplify- went through my closet and got two bags ready to go to Goodwill. Also gave away our old record player to a friend- I'm happy it's going to a good home!

Pay Off (at least) One Student Loan
I plan to do this by:
     - revisiting my budget: I did not do this. Nor have I done it yet for March- gotta get on it!
     - tracking expenses: kind of did this, but I forgot sometimes. Doing well for this month though!
     - going on a 3 month Spending Freeze (eek!): I spent $5 on a belt... but other than that, I didn't buy anything clothes/personal wise.
     - Side Hustles; hopefully $100/month: made $20, but then spent $5 :/

Work on Company- no excuses, I just sucked at this one. Again.

Learn to Say No- yeah... I can't think of any outings I said no to. But I didn't buy even one Groupon/deal this whole month, so that's some progress right?!

Line-A-Day- I missed about a week. I just didn't want to do it, I guess because I was a little bummed out. Doing better this month. 

I didn't do very well in February. I might add weekly spending reports here to keep myself accountable, so I apologize in advance for those boring posts! I'm also considering taking on a second job on weekends which I am not thrilled about, but it would be easy money. I need to focus more on my finances in general if I want to pay off a loan, go on vacation, and basically stop living paycheck to paycheck. It is a new month (and the last month of the Spending Freeze- YAY!), so hopefully I will do better! 

how are you doing with your goals?

The Happiness Report #22

Source: Uploaded by user via sassy little on Pinterest

- seeing old friends

- Philly cheeseteaks from Pat's (NOT Geno's)
- absolutely every detail from this reception

- this video

- getting our State Park Pass in the mail

- Gchat

- this video too: 

- having a great Monday

- buying a brand new journal

- sweet thank you emails from close friends

Book Club Friday: Dead Sleep

This Week I'm Sharing...

From GoodReads:
"They are called "The Sleeping Women." A series of unsettling paintings in which the nude female subjects appear to be not asleep, but dead. Photojournalist Jordan Glass has another reason to find the paintings disturbing...The face on one of the nudes is her own-or perhaps the face of her twin sister, who disappeared and is still missing. At the urging of the FBI, Jordan becomes both hunter and hunted in a search for the anonymous artist-an obsessed killer who seems to know more about Jordan and her family than she is prepared to face..."

My Thoughts: 
Someone left this among a pile of unwanted books at work, so I picked it up. It wasn't until I went to mark it on GoodReads that I noticed that this was #3 of a series (argh!), but I decided to read it anyway. I've never heard of the author, but love a good murder mystery! Totally didn't see the twist coming! The only reason this didn't get 5 stars is because there were some unanswered questions.