Weekend Tidbits and Knowing Your Worth

It was a go-go-go weekend for me.

SATURDAY I had my first day of part time work. My friend - we shall call him EZ- sells his BBQ and hot sauces at flea markets, so I offered to help- if he wanted it- for a price. I work in the same building as this guy, so I see him around pretty frequently, and have been helping him on and off with his business for about a year and a half doing admin type work- setting up a phone number, email address, Facebook page, and getting him the forms and applications he needed to set up the business officially and get into these flea markets. I stopped working with him for a bit while C was unemployed, as I was focused on helping C get a job. But as spring rolled around, I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to make a few bucks.

When I approached EZ about wanting to help, he was excited and said he could definitely use it. I wanted to name a price before I started. When I asked him what he was willing to pay, he said transportation + "some." When I asked how much "some" referred to, his reply was "Don't I always take care of you?" In the past when I was selling his sauces, he gave me $1 per sauce, and the sauce sold for $4, so 25% was great! Based on that, I thought well yes, you did take care of me, so okay I'll take your word for it. BDAY IDEA!

First of all, I thought the flea market was indoors- and it was outdoors. I was wearing layers, but all day I was freeeeezing. Other than that, the actual event was okay. I prepped samples, sold food and sauces, ate some, and talked to lots of people. And then 5PM rolled around and we packed up and left. He drove me to where I was meeting my friend for cocktails, which was nice. But then he gave me my pay.... $30.

WTF! I was SO MAD and in complete shock. It costs me $35 just in transportation!!! $30 for a full day (9-5) of work?!?! That's complete bull! I need to make $50 at the very least. Note to self: Know the exact salary before putting in the time!! I had already agreed to work next Saturday, which I will because I keep my word, but not any longer unless he ups the pay.

The saving grace was that I was meeting up with my girlfriend afterwards. I haven't seen her since mid-December, and she got married between then and now in India! It was so nice to catch up and finally see some pics! She took me to two really cool cocktail bars- I honestly don't remember the last time I had a cocktail! It was a place where you tell them what alcohol you want, and then how you want it to taste- clean, crisp, spicy, floral, fruity... etc.

The "Charlie" cocktail

 My first drink was horrible, I think I asked for rye with floral notes and "Springtime" theme- it was citrusy and generally gross, but my friend gladly switched with me. And then I got a FREE cocktail (above) just for checking in with Foursquare! Woohoo!
However after 3 strong cocktails, I was pretty much done. I switched to beer, but I couldn't even drink it! I took a sip of this one though and it was delicious- I will definitely be looking for it again!

SUNDAY was my girl J's baby shower. J used to be a coworker, and although she switched jobs, she and 2 others stay in touch. It was in the middle of nowhere NJ- literally in the sticks, near the PA border. I didn't really want to go, especially since I'm throwing her a shower near where she lives, but the other 2 girls we're friends with didn't go, so I felt like I had to represent. It was weird going in not knowing anyone- I was kind of nervous! There were so many people there too. And poor C had to drive me, and then sat in the basement throughout the shower where he got some work done. I did bring him food though, so he was somewhat content.  Luckily, I found a small group of her new coworkers who were super fun and was able to hang out with them throughout the shower.

Probably my favorite part of the shower (other than the food - which I forgot to take pics of course) was the drive. I absolutely love long drives on Sundays, with the windows down and the radio on. And we took a route that was along the river, and stopped in Frenchtown on the way home, which is a super quaint little town. We checked out the stores and grabbed some coffee before getting back on the road. It was a perfect Sunday ride.

Car that was in front of us- love it! 

After coming home and relaxing for a bit, we went out to dinner at Friday's. C generally hates these chain restaurants, but I was able to talk him into it this time. It was nice to get out and eat somewhere different for a change- usually we just get Chinese takeout or pizza delivery because we're too tired for anything else!

How was your weekend? 

The Happiness Report #27

- ice cream socials at work

- organizing a baby shower

- catching up with a close friend

- This video (even if it is a week late):

- empanadas

- new cocktails

- long drives on a Sunday

- This article on How To Disaster Proof Your Life

- And this one on 3 Steps to Spring Clean Your Finances

- It has taken me a long time to get into this girl, but I am really loving this song, after 1:20 at least

What's making you smile this week?

Easter Weekend Tidbits

Friday:
I had off for Good Friday, but I wound up waking up at 7:30 anyway! Guess my body knew it was a weekday. I did a bunch of chores, and then made these bad boys to bring to a friend's house where we would be pregaming before a fun Bachelorette Party!

Before they hit the oven- black bottom cupcakes
via

And as soon as I got to the house, I promptly dropped half of them on the floor. WOMPWOMP. But we had a great time chatting, snacking, and of course drinking before we went to this wonderful little restaurant called Osteria Grotto in Montclair.

House special- linguini, shrimp and scallops...deliciousness!

The food here was phenomenal. Everything was cooked perfectly. And it's a BYO spot, and we brought a LOT of wine to wash it down. Of course, the above pic is the only one I have of the night! *blogger fail*
I thought we would be heading out afterwards, but we were so full (and tipsy drunk) that we decided to head home. We still didn't get home until almost one... not sure how that happened!

Saturday:
I had decided to stay over a friend's house instead of taking the train super late at night. Saturday morning I was in recovery, and then headed on home. I was supposed to see a friend's new baby that afternoon, but I was beat. I watched some of Elf before taking a little nap, and then running some errands. Elf is the only Christmas I like to watch even when it's not Christmas time. Oh, wait, that's not true. I can also watch Love Actually anytime of the year. But that's less holiday-ish... and it wasn't on TV.

In the late afternoon we made these baskets to take over to our friend's Shiva (did I say that correctly?). His father passed away, so they were all gathering at his parent's house. Though we were there for a super sad occasion, the event itself wasn't too depressing.

crackers, fruit, and olives

more fruit, meats, and cheeses

I was really happy we went just to support our friend. And they really seemed to enjoy our baskets- they dug right in!

Sunday:
Woke up early to go to church. I actually wore a dress, but forgot to get proof  *double blogger fail* Came home, did some errands, and then headed over to C's parents for Easter Dinner with his aunt and uncle. The food, as always, was yummy. Though I felt a little guilty for not being with my mom, I did have a nice time with his family (and being much closer to home certainly wasn't a bad thing- NJ Transit on the weekends is brutal!).

And of COURSE we were super excited to be home in time to watch Game of Thrones! I am SO happy it's back! Can't wait to see what this season brings! Do you watch the show? What did you think?

Book Club Friday: The Secret Life of a Submissive

This week I'm reading...

From GoodReads:
"Sarah K has a secret.

By day she’s a writer and level-headed single mother; by night she’s a submissive, surrendering herself to forbidden delights. But will she perform the most illicit act of all – falling in love?

Written with complete honesty, this is an electrifying journey to the heights of pleasure; a real-life Fifty Shades of Grey.

When Max comes into Sarah’s life – charming, handsome and deliciously brooding – she can’t stop herself. Before long she has surrendered to him in every way: becoming his submissive, yielding her body to his every desire, powerless to fight his sensual temptations.

As Sarah pushes her mind and body to its limits, she begins to realise that she’s in too deep. Pleasure and pain have become her world. She’s addicted – to the adrenalin, to the sensation, to Max himself.

Now she’s in serious danger of giving in to the ultimate temptation: falling in love…

Daring, evocative and thrilling, but told with wit and honesty, this is the explosive true story of life as a submissive, and of a secret world in which only a few dare to play."

My Thoughts:

I have to say that this was a perfect introduction into the BDSM lifestyle, as my only other experience with this type of book was the 50 Shades series, and we all know- how I felt- about those. 

What I like most about this book is that Sarah K is not one I would assume to be into this lifestyle- she is not some young naive girl, but a middle aged single/divorced mother. That was unexpected. After her divorce  she gets tired of just writing about the lifestyle, and wants to actually explore it and that part of herself. I love how her curiosity leads her in a very methodical series of events to meeting Max. I can't say that I've never wondered how people get into this lifestyle. She found a website, much like a "vanilla" dating site, went on a few dates, and found a match. And though I thought Max was a bit gruff at times, overall I thought he was a great Dominant in that he took his time, explaining everything that would happen, and why. He goes slowly. And as a reader, you are introduced to BDSM the same way Sarah is... cautiously, slowly at first, and building up like blocks until you are fully faced with the acts. Though I don't think I can ever truly understand this lifestyle, it gave me a glimpse into it that made a little bit of sense. Max answered all of her questions in an honest, open, and quite direct way. Safety concerns (both psychological and physical) were addressed, and contracts signed in which both parties consented- they wanted this. I think that's an important aspect to consider. 

I enjoyed the fact that they talked about their day to day lives, histories (more his than hers), and other common interests other than their sexual preferences. I think it was this factor that led to love more than anything else. Though I do think they truly did love each other, I feel like the whole Abby bit was thrown in a bit willy-nilly to stir up some drama in the end for a reason for them to part. I understand that this is non-fiction, Abby came out of nowhere! 

I could relate to Sarah's fear of delving into the unknown, and into something that she was previously taught was not only different, but wrong. I could understand her unwillingness to share everything about their relationship to her friends, and her fear of him or her being judged by their relationship after the initial meeting. 

I did think it was odd that Sarah's children never came up, except towards the end when her son was home and she was getting the anonymous calls. I understand that they were grown children, but it seemed like they didn't exist at all, whereas Max's youngest child and former partner were the reason for their breaking up. I also don't understand how such an independent woman- as Sarah seems to be apart from this relationship- would be willing and eager to be flogged, gagged, made to sleep on the floor, call anyone "Sir", and wear a padlocked dog collar necklace. Some of the scenes described did make me recoil in utter disgust, but I suppose it's just a matter of personal preference. Can't help what you're into, can you? And why should you- apparently there's a whole community ready to accept anything you may be interested in out there! 

Overall, I thought this was a very well written book that allowed the reader to truly get a feeling of what it was like to enter, and be an integral part, of this lifestyle. 

Thanks so much to the publisher for providing me with this book to review!

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