Confessions

I confess:

I was supposed to be off this entire week, but due to a project at work, I'm here. I'm not bitter about it or anything -___-

I left work a little early yesterday because I felt like death. Thanks for that, panty ruiner. And then I sat on my ass watching Hangover 3 until like 8 when I decided pasta and cheesy goodness was in order.

I wore white pants on Memorial Day. The same day as the red tide arrived. And then I was freaking out the entire rest of the day and going to the bathroom like 80 times to check for any destruction. (There wasn't any, thank goodness.)

I usually write confessions as I think of them in a notebook. I accidentally left said notebook out on my dining room table when RJ came over. Two of the confessions were about him:

1. "I'm really upset that I got invited and then uninvited to a MDW BBQ because it was supposed to be a 'guys night' and the person invited girls before he remembered that."
2. "Sometimes I hide products from RJ [because he uses them all up]." (Seriously. I bought a brand new Listerine and he used the entire thing before I even knew he had opened it, and he didn't even ask! I know it's a little thing, but it's one of a few things, and like,... could you at least ask first?!)

He woke me up at 6:30AM Saturday morning to tell me that I left it out. Cue freakout because I didn't remember exactly what I had written. But whatever because then I got to go to the BBQ (and there were other gfs there, so I'm guessing they had something to say about suddenly being uninvited as well).

The products are still hidden. 

If it weren't for this linkup, I 1. wouldn't know what day is was and 2. would probably not be posting this week. 

What are you confessing this week?

Confessions: On Gifts and Other Things

+ I've regifted. I know some people think this is "wrong," but if I don't like something, and I know someone who would, I will give it to someone who will really appreciate it.

+ I've exchanged gifts. I mean, isn't that why you include the gift receipt?

+ I've given handmade gifts. And my friends loved them.

+ I've bought "gifts for no one." My ex used to complain about this all.the.time. But if I see a really good deal on something in July, and I know one of my friends would love it, I'll buy it then and save it for Christmas/birthday.

+ I saw that some other blogger started a Confessions on Wednesday linkup and it kinda pissed me off, and I'm not really sure why. YOU AREN'T Vodka and Soda- STEP OFF!

+I don't do mornings. Really. My coworker knows not to speak to me until after 10am. She also wants to buy me this mug:

+ I've become a planner. This is so unlike my former/younger self. But I like knowing where I'm going and what I'm doing ahead of time now (for the most part).

+ I'm kind of embarrassed that I'm 30 years old and still have issues sticking to a budget, like every month.

+ I went out last night. At 9pm. Though I was only supposed to stay for an hour and a half, I was having fun so I stayed later. I'm now thinking maybe that wasn't such a great idea. Stupid work getting in the way of my fun-having!

+ I feel like maybe I haven't been true to myself lately. And I don't really like it. I love traveling. I love dancing. I love just going to fun events. I gotta step up my game and start going solo if I can't find people to go with me- I'm tired of missing out!

What are you confessing today? Share it with Kathy!

Shit Men Say

Ever since we've been together, RJ likes to ask "Would You Be With Me If...?" I always thought this was so weird, especially since usually he'll ask one out of nowhere. Here are the top 10 I remembered to actually write down: 

Would You Be With Me If I...

said brah all the time

slept hanging upside down

painted my nails rainbow colors and ate skittles all the time 

ordered the same thing as u all the time 

was shorter than you

had a hump like Quasimodo

…All I ate was pasta. With no sauce. And didn’t work out. And if we went somewhere where they didn’t serve pasta, I would just stare at you eat.

(Well damn. I just realized I didn't write down 10. So here are some other randoms)

People dressed as the Easter Bunny give me the creeps. I guess its the blank non-blinking gaze with the mouth hanging open...just staring at you.

Say no to racism. Be like a panda. Pandas are black, white, asian....not mexican though. In that case, be like a panda wearing a sombrero. 

And that time he made himself into a corny meme:

Confessions: The Wishlist/I Suck at Saving Edition

After Steph's Wallet Watch, I swore I would get better at tracking and saving money. And I have. But that month made me realize something: I hate saving money.

It's not that I'm a crazy spender. It's just that I have a lot of bills to pay. And a "Treat Yo'Self" mentality:

Bottle of wine? Yes please. 

Dinner with friends? When? 

Happy Hour? Well.. it's been a rough week...

Groupon for Paint Night? I've always wanted to go!

Karaoke? I haven't gone in years, and can never find anyone to go with me- yes!

See? No bueno.
I can always find an excuse to spend money. Usually I'm spending on experiences instead of material things, and somehow that makes me feel a little better. But now that the watch is over, here are a few things I've been craving:

Goodbye Wallet Watch by lildesiqua featuring a nonstick cookware

new sunglasses: specifically amber ones since RJ accidentally broke mine- and because he's buying me new ones

new eyeglasses: I got insurance money, I'm on my last pair of contacts, and before the Watch, I bought a Living Social deal for an eye exam + glasses.

haircut: I actually have a coupon for a *free* haircut, and I was just waiting until it wasn't as cold out to chop off my locks. Looks like Spring has finally sprung so time for this hair to go!

shoes: I am in serious need of new flats, specifically black and nude. Booties aren't necessary, but I still want them

frying pan: NEED. My only one is small and crappy. Like, really crappy. Everything sticks to it, no matter how much Pam or butter I use. I want this Orgreenic frying pan I've been seeing on TV. I have a BBB gift card that I received for Christmas, so it's time to use it!

HDMI cables: I have Amazon Prime and Netflix, and am considering taking the plunge and cutting cable. This would be a big help in allowing me to still enjoy some TV and movies. I also got some Amazon gift cards via Swagbucks, so it would basically be free!

perfume: I ran out of my favorite one back in September.

jewelry: Um, I just like jewelry, though I hardly own any. And F21 has some cheapies that I love.

Salem, MA: heading here in June! Ok, so I guess I should save...

How do you save?

What are you confessing today?

Link up with Vodka and Soda and My So Called Chaos!!

Who Said Mets and Phillies Fans Can't Get Along?

This was one of those weekends that I didn't want to end. 

I took off Friday for no other reason than I could. And honestly, I didn't do a damn thing. I slept in, did a little online shopping, browsed the Internets, and enjoyed some time outdoors because the weather was gorgeous allll weekend. RJ was able to get on an earlier train here, so we went out for a little bit, but then got some Chinese food, and just laid low. 

Saturday he was supposed to volunteer, and I was supposed to go to a friend's birthday brunch. However, he woke up at 6 and decided he'd just go next weekend, and as I was heading out the door to brunch, I realized I didn't have my ID or debit card. I had taken them out of my wallet on Thursday, and threw them in my work bag. I realized this two hours AFTER brunch had started. Ooops. 

I wasn't too upset about it though, because it just meant I had more money to spend at the baseball game we were going to that night. RJ made breakfast, and then we pregamed, because ya know, dranks be expensive at stadiums. 

[Sidenote: Baseball is RJ's FAVORITE sport. He watches/listens to/keeps up with every Mets game- he even has the MLB app that updates with everyone's scores. And their biggest rival is the Phillies. I'm pretty sure I heard his heart break a little when I told him I was a Phillies fan!] 

We have both been looking forward to this game since February, when he bought the tickets for us for Valentine's Day. And it was extra special since it is both of our favorite teams, and it fell 2 days short of us being together for 6 months (yes I keep track- hush!). Also, the tickets were 5 rows behind 1st base... 5 ROWS! I have never been that close. It was also my first time at Citi Field, and our first game together- and it was awesome! 

5th row baby!

Unfortunately we couldn't stay til the end because of stupid public transportation, but we were able to watch the end of the game at a local bar- and the Phillies won! Oh, RJ was also able to talk me into buying a Phillies baseball cap at the game- I was surprised they even sold them since we were in Mets territory, but they did and it wasn't terribly overpriced, so I got it- my first one! 

Not sure why mine looks so much bigger? Probably because it's not worn in yet

Proof that Mets/Phillies fans CAN get along!

We ended the night just sitting on my patio and talking in the rain mist until super late. It was a perfect ending to the night. 

Sunday was another low key day. We slept in literally half the day, and spent much of the day in recovery. My mom's phone hasn't worked since Easter, and his mom had work, so we're both postponing Mother's Day celebrations.

How was your weekend? 

Five Favorites on Friday

1. Days off from work/ 3 day weekends

2. Oversized mugs

3. Sleeping in

4. Flowers in bloom

5. This song that makes me think of summer. Love the beat: Rude- Magic!

Confessions: Last Weekend Edition

I confess:

+ I was really PO'ed on Saturday because my friends bailed at the last minute for this festival I wanted to go to. I said I understood, but I don't. Especially since I had to reach out to them to even find out. I was all "So what time are we meeting?" And I got "oh yeah, we can't make it." Thanks for letting me know jerks.  

+ Saturday was spent eating a lot and watching a lot of TV. I'm kinda sad that this is the last weekend this month when I can do this. 

+ Saturday night was a Cinco de Mayo party. See also, I take super blurry pics when drinking. Proof: 

One that's not blurry- clearly I didn't take it.

+ I didn't have any burritos, tacos, or margaritas for Cinco de Mayo even though I love all of those things. #holidayfail

+ I cannot party until 2AM anymore. I woke up feeling like death on Sunday.

What are you confessing? Link up with Vodka and Soda below!

April Wallet Watch

Back in March, Steph created this April Wallet Watch linkup. I loved this idea because there were no "set" rules- you could make up your own. The main thing that I noticed during this month was how much I was spending and in what categories. It was a bit of an eye opener. 

I decided on 3 simple rules: track spending, no unnecessary/non-budgetted purchases, and stick to my budget. I'm glad I only had three rules- even sticking to those were hard at times! Here's the recap...

My Rules:

-track spending daily: (mostly) Success!

I did this. If I was using cash, I noted it in my phone on the same day (otherwise I know I would have forgotten). If I was using my card, I was able to just double check the statement. Except I hate checking my account. So a few days might have gone by without me checking.

Solution: I set an alarm on my phone to check my account every MWF.

- no unnecessary/non-budgeted purchases (gift cards not included): (mostly) Success!

The only thing I bought was a round trip train ticket because I couldn't find my transit pass, and a gift for my friend who had a baby. Oh, and I "bought" Gravity, so that will be added to my cable bill which I'll be paying for this month. Also, I did get my couch (finally), and it was $200 UNDER budget! #winning. I didn't use any gift cards, mainly because I usually am terrible and spend a little more than the gift cards are worth. I decided it was best if I just didn't walk into any stores, and delete all shopping related emails.

- stick to budget: Fail. 

I was under my grocery budget, which was set at $60. I guess buying some non-perishables at the Dollar Store really helped! And I paid all my bills, but that was it.

I failed the most miserably in the eating out/entertainment category. Week 1 was probably the worst for me. There were THREE unexpected (non-budgeted for) nights out, because two people who were unexpected came into town, and my work wife quit. Which meant eating/going out aka completely blowing my eating out/entertainment budget. Actually, the first outing only cost $20, because I was careful choosing what I got, didn't get any drinks, and got a free appetizer (thanks Yelp!).

But then my friend and her fiance came up for the weekend completely out of the blue, and I haven't seen them since last summer, so we went out. And my other friend quit, so we went out. One night I spent too much- the night my friend finally was able to go out because her bf was watching the baby. It was one of the very few times she was able to get a night out, and we took full advantage. (Which didn't end up well for her or my wallet, but that's another story.)

Overall, I think I did pretty well. I'm going to continue this through May and see if I can do a bit better. One thing that will help is that there are basically events every single weekend, so I know what I will be spending for them. Less free time = less frivolous spending in my case.

I've redone my budget, since I had to add a "Gift" category for May (hello, Mother's Day, a baptism, an engagement party, my Godson's graduation from Kindergarten, and 2 birthdays!). I think I need to be a little more realistic regarding my entertainment/eating out category. Or maybe separate the two. Plus, I need to save for an upcoming mini-vacation.

Do you budget? How did you do?

5 on Friday: Get Happy

Happy Friday! Can I get an Amen?! This has seemed like an extra long week to me. And when that happens, all I want to do is play my absolute favorite songs... ya know, those songs that can make you happy no matter what. Those "bring you outta that funk songs." These are my top 5 "de-funktifying" songs:

Fantasy- Mariah Carey

Rubberband Man- T.I.

Get Ur Freak On (Remix)- Missy Elliott ft. Nelly Furtado

Everyone Falls in Love- Tanto Metro and Devonte

Time of My Life-

Bonus:

Rick Astley- Never Gonna Give You Up

Happy Friday loves! What are some of you're favorite "Get Happy" songs?

A Series of First World Problems

I am one cranky lady today. So today you get my rants, because that's what I'm thinking of.

+ I almost got hit by a car on my way home last night. I kid you not, the old hag was less than a foot away from me. And I had the right of way! Also, I was the only person in the crosswalk, with a giant RED bag, and an umbrella. Pretty hard to miss me. Asshat. 

+ My ceiling sprung a leak last night. Right in the middle of my living room, and right on my new-to-me pull out bed, which I hadn't yet folded in. Luckily I caught it pretty early, and put a bucket down before the entire mattress got wet, but it was still damp this morning when I checked. The leak only lasted about 20 minutes, but it was weird since someone lives above me. I knocked on her door to see what was going on, but she didn't answer. Also, the unidentified spillage smells like pee. Awesome.

+ Tonight we have an after-work happy hour. Normally, I try to dress just a tad cuter for these occasions. I picked out an outfit (in my head) last night, only to find that the pants were not work appro (too tight) and the shirt I "planned" was dirty. 

+ Being that I woke up late, I had no time to find something else cute and business cas. I threw something on, but I hate what I'm wearing. I'm having an ugly day. Oh also, it was rainy and shitty when I left home, and now it's sunny and 76 degrees. 76!! We haven't had warm weather in over a week, and the day I finally dress warm enough for ~40 degree weather, it's freakin 76 out. So now I look crappy and I'm overheating. 

+ I made my morning coffee like I always do, but left it on the counter as I was running out the door. I figure "that's okay, because there's a DD right next to the train station, I have a DD gift card, and it's only a 15 min train ride." However, my job got this handy little app that tells you where the shuttle is to get you from the train station to work. So I check it, and realized that there was no time for coffee, because the shuttle was literally pulling up to the stop. Time to run again. 

+ I get to work, and instead of getting the free coffee on my floor that tastes like ass, I decide to go to the cafeteria to get a decent cup of coffee. And "oh, looky here! French toast flavored? Yum... let's try that!" NOPE. $2 and still tastes like ass. 

+ Get a text from coworker saying she'll be late, and I have to run the training. I've never run the training.

+ Get a text from my best friend saying that she's in the hospital. Cue freakout. Turns out (after about 2 hours) that it's minor and she'll be ok. *Phew*

So, I am just going to try to hide in my little corner of the office and hope now one else notices I'm here. And hope that this day gets better. It has to, because there's happy hour afterwards, right? Right?! 

How's your day going?