The (Other) Girl Behind The Blog: Blue

Hey all! Today is my favorite person's birthday, so I'm sharing some facts about her! It's a little long but I'm only doing this once, so bear with me. Meet Blue! 

1. She majored in music can pick up and play many instruments. She mainly plays the guitar but is adept at others including the piano and the saxophone. Her most recent have been the accordion (which she just picked up and starting playing when someone brought one on our camping trip) and a guitalele (a cross between a 6 string guitar and ukelele). 

2. She is very easy going. If me or someone else wants to do something, she'll give in (as long as it's not on a Sundays. She doesn't do Sundays). Love that she'll take pictures with me, waits for me to take food pics for the 'gram, and go on with my crazy plans.

3. She techy and loves gadgets. She needs all the latest and greatest tech stuffs. 

4. Her favorite teams are all New York: Rangers, Mets, Jets/Giants (in that order). 

5. She looooooves ice cream. And all sweets. 

her favorite hometown ice cream shop

6. She's a t-shirt hoarder. I don't have a pic, but trust. She's has recently made some headway in cleaning out her closet (a select few t-shirts included) and has started a pile of t-shirts I will turn into a blanket for her Christmas present. 

7. Her favorite thing to do on vacation is going to the beach and relaxing. She tolerates me planning on doing touristy stuff though. 

8. She speaks Dani-ese and has a lot of seemingly useless knowledge. I can (and have) said "who was that famous actress from that soap opera who finally won after like 50 nominations?" and she knows it's Susan Lucci. Not surprisingly, she rules at trivia. 

9. She makes me laugh on the regular. She's witty. She doesn't think so, but her one liners and comments are always cracking everyone up. You can see some of them here. 

10. She's a goof ball. She'll dance, belt it out, and do all sorts of crazy things. 

turkey dancing with her niece and aunt

11. She likes subscription boxes. Her favorites are Lootcrate and Smuggler's Bounty (Star Wars themed boxes), and stalks their sites/IGs regularly.  She's a self-professed nerd. 

her Funko collection/nerd corner. Not pictured: her comic book collection

12. Girl can COOK, which is perfect because I hate cooking. She makes mostly Italian or American foods. 

homemade burrito bowl

13. She won't leave the house before turning on CNN since 9/11. She also listens to 1010 WINS news in the car until I change it to pop. 

14. She's "in the know" about allthethings, probably because she watches the news. It's rare that I can show her something and she hasn't heard about it yet, which is incredibly annoying. 

15. Her go-to drink is a Manhattan, and favors Knob's Creek. She also likes red wine (Pallazzo Della Torro is her fave) and craft beers. 

flight night

16. She goes to bed  and wakes up early on weekdays and has a complete opposite sleep schedule than me. 

17. White Castle. 

#gluttony

18. She owns a cat, Keebler. I never really liked cats until I met him, and he acts more like a dog than a cat. Thankfully, she's open to having a puggle. 

19. Her favorite movie is Star Wars. She was inconsolable when Carrie Fisher passed away. She doesn't have a favorite TV show, but if it's comedy, she usually likes it. 

yes, this is a Darth Vader waffle. Yes, she has a Darth waffle-maker. 

20. She hates flying, but likes to travel. (Other hates include feet, socks with sandals, and loud chewers, which she will publicly shame via photo/video on FB.) 

"Nice stems." 

21. She's lived in NJ and Amsterdam. 

22. She recently got a new job as a SCRUM Master at an education company. She was project manager at a music company for nearly 20 years(!), but she really wants to be a full-time PM consultant. 

I didn't make up the word Scrum- see?

23. Her favorite color is blue (duh). 

24. Favorite food, besides ice cream, is pizza or prime rib.

white clam with late onions pizza

25. Today is her birthday! She's a Leo. 

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Happy birthday Blue! I hope I didn't embarrass you too much! Can't wait to spend the weekend with you in Atlantic City- hope you win big! And I hope our balloon festival and Pat Benatar concert doesn't get rained out, but even if it does I'm sure we'll make the most of it! Love you! 

Add It To My List: July

So for some reason I forgot that this linkup was on the last TUESDAY of the month, and not Thursday... my b. Anyway, here are some things I'm recommending this month. 

One Dish Kitchen
One of the biggest issues I have with cooking is the fact that I'm always left with a ton of leftovers, since I'm usually just cooking for myself. I don't mind eating leftovers, but sometimes there's just too much and I hate wasting food. Enter this website. Lots of great recipes for every meal and all sized down to serve just one person! I love the diversity of the recipes, and the fact that there are even slow cooker meals for one. I've already bookmarked a few to try. Hopefully this site will help me get back in the kitchen soon! 

Degree Motion Sense Dry Spray $5
I received this in some beauty box or other, and at first was turned off by the idea. I've been a dry stick girl for as long as I can remember. But it was there and my current deodorant was not doing a great job so I tried it. And I have to say, I'm a changed woman! This keeps me feeling dry and fresh for at least 24 hrs, feels cool going on, and smells great. I'm a fan of the Shower Clean and Fresh Energy ones. 

First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Caffeine Matcha Wake Up Wipes $15
The same blogger recommended this and the item below, but I forget who it was. Anyway I immediately added it to my newly created morning routine, and I honestly don't see any difference whatsoever. It claims to be designed to remove excess dirt/makeup/oil and help to hydrate skin and even out texture. Maybe it's because I use this in the morning (and don't have excess dirt on my face at that time), but it doesn't remove anything. Seriously, I wipe my face and there's nothing on the wipe. And I don't feel any different either. I've used products with caffeine in them in the past and they would tighten my skin and de-puff the area under my eyes. This does neither. Honestly the Simple wipes work better, and they're less expensive. Definitely would NOT recommend. 

First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy: Brighten, De-Puff, and Smooth $36
Look at all of those benefits! Exactly what I need! I was so excited to try this even though it's a bit more than I'd normally pay for cosmetics. And it works. HUZZAH! However, it only comes in one shade: Fair/Medium. I am not fair or (what these people deem to be) medium. It's meant to be used alone or under make-up, but I can only use it in conjunction with concealer or foundations because of the shade, which kind of defeats my purpose. I wanted to be able to just put it on and be on my way. I did like the applicator though. It's got a cool, stainless steel tip about the size of your pinky, so you dab on the product and then rub it in with the tip in a circular motion. It felt great, but I might wait to repurchase until they get some more shades! 

Clean & Clear Deep Action 60 Second Shower Mask $5
I received a sample of this in a recent Walmart Beauty Box, and I love it. A lot of times I skip doing masks because they take 20 min and unless I actually plan it out, it just doesn't happen. I like that I can put this on while I'm washing my hair or shaving and it actually feels "steam activated" like it claims. It makes my face all tingly and I can visibly see a difference after only a few uses. If only the wipes mentioned above worked in a similar way.

That's all for today! What else should I add to my list? 

Click below to see what others are recommending and link up with Lauren and Bre! 

Shit Blue Said

While doing yoga and Keebler was going around under her...
I was going for downward dog and instead got petulant cat.


Me: Did I tell you that I figured out why mosquito bites turn into welts on me?
Blue: No, why? I figured it was because you're tiny and they weren't to scale.


Blue: I'm wearing that black and gray cardigan I bought. I don't know if I like it.
It's a bit big, and the sleeves are awkward. They are 3/4 length but like, webbish under the arms. I look like a flying squirrel and a dolphin made a love child.


Blue: There's drilling going on somewhere here and it sounds like mating whales.
I hear it through my headphones.

In text... 




Blue's Sister: I think I will zoodle some potatoes (or is that potoodles)?
Blue: Redefining the shame spiral.


Blue: A while ago HR made us go to "Sexual Harassment Training" I was like, what? Are you going to teach us how to do it?

Blue: On a side note, I got a bag of Cheez-its from the vending machine. After they went through that little vending-spiral of shame and fell 3 feet to the pick-up tray, they all got crushed. So I'm basically doing shots of Cheez-its in my cubicle.
One day, I'm going to use ground up cheese its as breadcrumbs.


Blue: I wish I had Oprah's closet. It's the size of my condo.
Me: No you don't. You don't even own that many clothes.
Blue: But all the colors.
Me: Your closet consists of gray, black and white. What are you even talking about?
Blue: I have some blue! And a red sweater...


Me: You like that little bag don't you?
Blue: I do. It's what we do as women bags inside of bags inside of bigger bags. It's like our whole lives revolve around nesting dolls.

One liner of the month...

I've created a new word: Pumidity- when humid weather causes people on mass transit to smell really, really bad.

You can find other Shit Blue Said here: Vol. 1,  Vol. 2, Vol.3, Vol. 4, Vol. 5, Vol. 6

Show Us Your Books: June

Another month, and a few more books. This month I got trapped by the first book, and it took me a long time (until last night, tbh) to get past it. I also really wanted to just start Erin's challenge, so I was antsy waiting for that and really dive in to what I wanted to read. Anyway, here's what I got through this month.

This Is Where I Leave You- Jonathan Tropper: 3 Stars
Read if you like dark humor, dysfunctional families, dramedies
own, free paperback thanks to Erin- if you'd like to read it, I'll send it to you for free!

I didn't have a hard time getting into this; that was the easy part. I had a hard time sticking with it, but not in the DNF sense. It was a solid story and I really liked Tropper's writing style, but it was a bit too dark. I didn't like any of the characters except the mother, and I only liked her towards the end. In fact, I strongly disliked the main character. He was a punk ass. I felt like I was inside his head, which I enjoyed for the most part, except the whole planning-his-entire-life-with-one-look-at-a-woman thing. Though I usually like it when I get pieces of a main event in the past throughout the story, it didn't work for me here. And there were a few too many plot points that were extraneous and really didn't need to be there. However I did put it down for several other books and then had a hard time getting back into it, so maybe that had something to do with it too.

Everything, Everything- Nicola Yoon: 5 Stars
Read if you like YA, romance
library hardback

Even though I've seen all you's reading this (and loving it), the only reason I wanted to read this was after I saw the preview in the movie theater. The description on Goodreads just wasn't telling enough. I admit that I really didn't see the twist coming at all, and it completely threw me. And I loved it. I love Yoon's writing style and all of the descriptions. Yeah it's YA and it read that way, but I really enjoyed it. It was realistic (or as realistic as I would imagine it would be for someone with this type of illness),  and I loved Olly and Maddy's quirks and how they grew and changed. I plan on reading a lot more from this author.  

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Last time I promised to share what I planned to read for Erin's 7.0 Book Challenge (which started on July 1st!) but then I didn't which is a good thing because I've already changed some of my original selections! So here's what I'm planning to read:

|5 points| Freebie: Some Girls Are- Courtney Summers
|10 points| Starts w/ “B”: Beautiful Ruins- Jess Walters
|10 points| Yellow cover: Everything Changes- Jonathan Tropper (currently reading)
|15 points| An animal on the cover: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe- C.S. Lewis
|20 points| Published in 2017: Exit West- Moshin Hamid
|20 points| Compass/cardinal direction in title: East, West- Salman Rushdie
|25 points| A most commonly banned book in America: Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging- Louise Rennison
|30 points| About mental illness: Everything Everything- Nicola Yoon
|30 points| Non-human main character: I Am The Messenger- Markus Zusak
|35 points| A Disney movie /book/ based on a Disney movie: Holes- Louis Sachar

What are you reading this month?

Linking up with Steph and Jana! 

Currently: July

Reading: Books for Erin's 7.0 Book Challenge! I just finished Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon (review coming for Show Us Your Books tomorrow). Currently reading The Lauras by Sara Taylor. 

Listening to: These 5... you can find the rest of my playlist here!

Planning: my trip to Las Vegas! It's in December but I already got Britney Spears tickets (her run in Vegas is over at the end of Dec!),... and did not get a hotel or flight, so I kinda gotta get on that! 

Watching: Just finished The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu (if you've seen it- I'd love to discuss!) Currently watching Food Network Star, Married at First Sight, and Married at First Sight: Second Chances. Might try to get back into Legion soon. 

Hoping: that it doesn't rain on Friday. I'm going to see Incubus and Jimmy Eat World at an outdoor venue! 

Documenting: my summer, mostly on Instagram. I did a post about what all happened in June here though! 

Accomplishing: I finally *completely* cleaned out my closet... and then I cleaned out Blue's closet, refrigerator and freezer. I'm on a roll! Next up- my hall closets. 

Enjoying: all the warm weather! And some much needed time off! 

Spending: a lot lately. Recently I purchased a bunch of "staples" from Old Navy (replacement flats and sunglasses, and tanks/undershirts), new jeans, pullover, and T-shirt from Poshmark, and a few expensive things from Sephora on a whim. I need to stop! 

my new favorite shirt

What's currently going on with you? 

Linking up with Anne and Stephanie!

What's New With Me: June

You guys, I've been a terrible blogger. I said it back in the beginning of last month (on this same link-up), and it happened again. I kinda dropped out of the blog world for the second half of June, but hoping to get back in to the swing of things. Blogging in the summer is hard! I don't want to be inside, staring at a computer screen- I want to be outside doing things! It didn't help that I was off for the last week and a half. (I was hoping to find my mojo then, but alas, I did not.) I finally got my shit together and scheduled a few posts though, so yay! I'm making a comeback! Here's what was keeping me at bay in June.

I thought June would be quiet, but we had plans every.single.weekend (and it continues until the next week- oof). Like I said I enjoy being outside, especially in summer, but having plans can be quite draining with no breaks in between! We started out strong the first weekend with a local craft brew festival. I tried a bunch of new stuff, and loved that it was local- no crazy commute back home! 

loved the slogan on that brewery!

The next weekend with a concert by Train with Natasha Bedingfield and O.A.R. opening. We've probably seen Train perform about 3 times now (tickets are usually so cheap!), and this one surely didn't disappoint.

The following weekend I had a double-header because I'm a poor planner and Michael and I had Groupons for Yonkers Brewing Co. that were about to expire and Blue and I had a birthday party to attend that night. The food was better than I expected, the beer was so-so. Que sera sera. 

brews on brews

birthday shenanigans

Next up was Brew at the Zoo! I've been wanting to go to one of these for a while now, but 1) they're kind of expensive and 2) they always sell out so fast! I had marked my calendar way in advance this time so I wouldn't miss out. We didn't see as many animals as I would have liked, but it was still a fun time! The only not so great part was trying to get home. We had taken an Uber there (around 4) but coming home the price had spiked to $100! So we found a nearby restaurant, but it seemed like everyone else got there first. We ordered food and drinks, got drinks after about 30 min, but no food. After about 2 hours prices went down, so we were able to get home.

The next day I met my mom and some of her church friends bright an early for a sailing trip in NYC. It was a gorgeous day and we had a great time laying back and eating lunch while the crew did the hard work in and around the Hudson River. It also happened to be the same day as the Pride parade (which I didn't participate in), so her church offered a huge (free) feast, including lots of wine. Her church has lots of free events, because they are kind of a big deal. Maybe you've heard of it- the famous Trinity Church on Wall St? She volunteers there and everyone knows her, so we were welcomed with open arms. I was kind of floored that there is a church that not only welcomes the LGBT community, but actually endorses them and plans events just for that group. So we stopped in there, then moseyed on over to Le District on the waterfront to eat and drink some more while the sun set. Perfect ending to the day.

flower display by Le District

I was off from work the last week in June, and did a whole lot of resting and cleaning. My AC, bathtub faucet and toilet broke, so I was home when the landlords came to fix those, which was pretty annoying since they came early on 3 separate days. Grumble. But at least it got me moving around instead of wasting my days off completely. On Wednesday, I met up with Blue, her sister and her cousin to go see U2 on their Joshua Tree tour at Metlife Stadium. We were up in the nosebleed section (really- the second row from the top!), so we couldn't see much, but we didn't mind too much because her sister had packed us jello shots which we pre-gamed with in the parking lot. 

the stage/backgrounds were really cool

On Friday, Blue and I headed to Citi Field for our annual Mets/Phillies baseball game. We try to see them play at least once a year, and this year was no exception. As per usual, the Mets beat the Phillies. I'm pretty sure they've won every time we've seen them play each other, but we had great seats and it's always more about the experience than the actual game for me.

So tell me friends- what did I miss? What's new with you?