Friday Favorites- Valentine's Day Edition

I'm so happy it's Friday, and a 3 day weekend, AND my coworker is finally coming back on Tuesday! Woooot! Valentine's Day is on Sunday, which means I get my favorite meal too. And The Walking Dead Returns! How romantical. We're also going to see Deadpool, because I may have kind of dragged Blue to see 50 Shades last year. But I've been hearing great reviews on it, and that it's kind of the anti-superhero movie, so I'm actually excited to see it. It's supposed to be stupid cold outside too, so I'm more than happy to stay in as much as possible. Time to kick it off with Amanda and some favorites from the week!

Favorite Song: Work This Body- Walk the Moon

Favorite Recipe: How cute are these Hostess-esque heart shaped cupcakes? And if you're like me and don't have a heart-shaped baking sheet, I saw an article that suggests putting cupcake liners in your baking pan with a marble to create a heart shape.

Favorite Reads: 

• This list of instructions on how to adult is on point! And Jana contributed, among many others!
• I kind of love Barbie's latest make-over. Inclusion for all! 
• I prefer Micah's list of alternative Valentine's Day presents to some of the more traditional ones. 
• Do you know your Love Language? Knowing yours (and your lover's if you have one) and acting accordingly could make a positive difference in your relationship. Find out yours here! 

Favorite Lust Item: If only this was a real thing, I would totally want it because it makes me LOL.

Favorite E-Card Funnies: 

What are you up to this weekend? 

Confessions: Work, Food, and Money

It's Wednesday which means it's time to confess with Nadine and Kathy, so let's get right to it!

Friday was my boss's last day and I have no idea what will become of my position since I'm the only person in my "department" (my coworker is on short term disability). And I'm freaking the eff out.

Someone asked me for a one line description of my job and I had no idea what to tell him. My job responsibilities have changed so much in the last year that I legit don't even know what I do anymore.

Like I mentioned, my coworker is on short term disability. I've been getting stuck doing all the work. While I understand that she's not well, I'm starting to get pissed off. But then I feel bad for getting mad. #viciouscycle

I was way more excited about the Superbowl than Valentine's Day. Why? Because all the food! Plus I kinda feel like there are too many expectations that come with Valentine's Day, and everything is overpriced, and I can't get a decent meal anywhere without making reservations a year in advance.

I posted about the cheese bombs I was going to make for the Superbowl on Friday, but I didn't get a chance to make them because we had too much food already.

You know what's a great way to not spend money? Lose your debit card. I mean, I wouldn't suggest it, but man, is it effective! Somehow I misplaced it after going grocery shopping on Saturday, and didn't notice until I was on my way to work Monday morning. Obviously I wasn't watching my wallet very well. #walletwatch

You know what's really not a good way to save money? Having a  new Dunkin Donuts open up in your train station. I'm weak in the morning. And 50 points for a breakfast sandwich? Done and done.

Speaking of food, remember when I said I was going to try to only spend $60 on groceries for the month? HAHAHA, that was funny. Groceries be more 'spensive than I thought. And I didn't factor in throwing a Superbowl party.

I totally forgot that I wasn't supposed to eat meat today (Catholics note: it's Ash Wednesday!) until Blue reminded me about an hour before lunchtime. And I almost decided to eat it anyway because it's spaghetti and meatballs day at work. But I refrained.

The fact that there were an odd number of confessions was bothering me, so I'm adding one. That kind of counts as a confession right? Does having an odd or not rounded number bother you too? Just me? Ok then.

What are you 'fessing up to?

Show Us Your Books: January Edition

I like reading, I do. But I've been in a bit of a reading rut since I missed my Goodreads goal last year by just 2 books. I hate feeling like I'm failing, which is why I set my Goodreads Challenge very low this year. I feel like if I set my personal bar lower and achieve it, it will feel even more successful, and will encourage me to exceed it. #mindgameswithmyself Anyway, here's what I've read since last year. 

Stargirl- Jerry Spinelli: 3 Stars

This had been sitting on my bookshelf for years, so I finally decided to give it a shot. I had heard that it was a YA classic, but that was about it. Jerry Spinelli's writing style is simple and straightforward, which made this an easy, quick read. "Stargirl" (one of the many names that she chose for herself) is the new girl at Mica High, and a complete non-conformist, which comes as a surprise to the rest of the tight-knit student body, who just see her as strange. It's her first year in public school; she had been home-schooled her whole life. However soon her antics become too much and instead of her peers just thinking that she's strange but okay, she's ostracized. 

I found her innocence and naivety endearing, and the romance between her and Leo very sweet, until he pushes her too much to be "normal." She tries, but fails miserably, and loses herself in the process, until she decides to go back to the way she was. And of course she disappears just as quickly as she arrived, leaving Leo with pangs of regret for not loving her the way she was. There were some parts that were a bit too far-fetched, but many more that I could completely relate to, or would have if I was in high school. Also, the little wagon with the stones that represented her happiness level was an image I couldn't erase from my mind. 

Trouble- Kate Christensen: 4 Stars

I picked this up on a whim at the library because I liked the cover. However I didn't expect to like it as much as I did based on the synopsis. In short, two 40-ish year old women go on vacation to escape their lives. Josie, a psychotherapist in NYC, suddenly realizes that her marriage is stale and needs a break from her family. Raquel, one of her best friends and a rock star, has a sex scandal and the media is after her. They dive into a two-week vacation full of food, drinks, weed, and sex with a group of up and coming artists and disillusioned expatriates. I loved Christensen's descriptions of the lush scenery, exotic food and drinks, and the people; mysterious and brooding David, electric and passionate Felipe, even Josie's insanely smart yet vapid tween daughter who does a complete 180. And the ending takes a dark, unexpected turn that was a total punch in the gut. 

Many of the reviews I read didn't like it because it didn't "measure up" to some of Christensen's other works, but having never read anything from her before, I really enjoyed it. Great for a summer beach read. 

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend- Katarina Bivald: 5 Stars

I should start by saying that I almost never give books 5 stars, but I absolutely adored this one. I love how stories and titles from many other books were mentioned or alluded to, and I loved Amy's letters to Sara were included and woven into the story at seemingly perfect intervals. It was like getting her POV without her physically being there, but her presence was very much felt throughout the story. I also loved how the town came together to help and protect Sara, who came in as a complete stranger and found her way into their hearts and small community. *This book was courtesy of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

What are you reading lately? Link up below! 

February First Friday Favorites

Say that 10x fast...

Ya know how some weeks just getting through feels like a major success? That's how this week was for me. Today is my boss's last day of work. I've worked with him for 7 years (my entire time at my job) and for him for the last 3. It's... surreal really, that he's leaving. Of course I wish him the best, but I've actually never had a boss leave before. My group (me and one other person) is moving under a different manager until we find a new department head, and we're in the middle of a major financial system upgrade. And remember how 2 days ago it was 60 degrees? Yeah- there are 3 inches of snow outside right now, and it's still coming down. Fun times. Anyway, I can't wait to have some girl time with one of my besties and some Mexican tonight, work on some goals tomorrow, and shovel food in my piehole again on Sunday during the Superbowl. I don't really care who wins this year, I'm more interested in the food and the commercials. Time to kick it off with some Amanda and some favorites from this week. 

Favorite Song: I just love this girl's voice. Her song "Here" was on repeat for me as well. This is her new single. Wild Things- Alessia Cara

Favorite Recipe: Of course there will be sliders and dips and such, but two words: cheese bombs. I'm really excited to attempt to make these for a small Superbowl party. NOM. 

Favorite Video: I've probably watched this video at least 7 times. I absolutely love Kristen Bell and Dax Sheppard as a couple, and this made me literally laugh out loud. On a train, which was really awkward, btw. 

Favorite Lust Item: Being that I'm not shopping right now, I don't have a favorite purchase. But if I was , I would totally buy this bad ass bitch candle. 

Favorite Funnies: 

February Goals

Oh, hey February. Nice of you to sneak up on someone me like this. I haven't made a goals list in months, so I figured now was as good a time as any. I have 5 (or 15, depending on how you're counting) goals this month, and I plan to rock them all. It makes me extra excited because February is a (only slightly) shorter month. It's go time. 

The Wallet Watch: Wallet watch lasts from February 1 - February 29. If you wanna know more about it, go here. These are my parameters: 

- No more than $50 on take-out/food out, period
This one is borrowed from Alyssa, who's set goal was $20. Though I love that idea, it just seems a little unrealistic for my life. Though that would be totally feasible on weekdays, I get take-out at least once every weekend. Instead, I'm opting to try to stay within $50 for the month. 

- Check the checking account for fees, and change banks if necessary
Ok, another one borrowed from Alyssa, because I never even thought to check if my bank was charging me banking fees. I'm really good about not racking up ATM charges, but I don't remember actually looking for these bank charges. Hers was charging her up to $12/month. I can seriously stretch $12, and spending that much just to have an account with a certain bank seems ridiculous, so I need to look into this. 

- Grocery budget $60
Honestly, I haven't really looked into my grocery spending in a really long time, but I know I went APE SHIT last month because I had lots of coupons (yes, I clip coupons), I had access to (Blue's) car, and it was the Shoprite Can Can Sale. I have more than enough food. I really don't see the need to spend over $60 for a single person household this month. 

- Get taxes done
I've received my paperwork already, so this is more a matter of scheduling the appointment with H&R Block since I don't trust myself to do my own taxes, regardless of TurboTax and what anyone else says. I'll leave that up to the professionals, thankyouverymuch. 

- Open savings account
This has been a long time coming. I was just lazy/procrastinating. I think I meant to research the banks/companies with the best rates? I don't remember why I put this off for so long, but I need to do it already. 

- Check my credit score
Those commercials finally got to me. I know I've put it off because Blue told me hers (unprovoked), and I know mine is SO MUCH WORSE, even though it's not actually my fault. But that's a story for another day. Through the years I've been trying really hard to clean it up, but it's certainly not easy. 

- Talk to those pesky student loan peeps 
Another "issue" that isn't my fault but needs to be handled. I had a LOT of student loan debt when I graduated from my undergrad program. But now I work at a college and attended classes part-time last semester. When you attend graduate school, even on a part-time basis, you're loans get deferred. However for some reason they lost it, my paperwork was never processed. So the loan companies who originally told me I didn't owe anything until May 2016 have been hounding me for payments. I fixed the issue at the school, but now I apparently need to fill them in as well before they reek havoc on my credit score. 

- Revisit and readjust the budget
After I realized I didn't have to make student loan payments for at least 6 months, I kinda sorta didn't follow or pay any attention to my budget. It was just so nice being able to not be so tied down to it! But now it's time to re-evaluate and readjust accordingly. 

- No unapproved spending of any kind, for anything. Approved Spending: Valentine's day gift for Blue, flowers for gravesite, Mom's birthday present, Boss going away present. 
Yes, I should have bought some of those things in January- my bad.  But since I haven't reallylooked at my budget in months, there's no monies set aside. Also, my boss of the last 4 years recently resigned, and though I gave money towards the present from out department, I want to give him something else from me personally. I know sometimes I complained about his insane attention to detail and napping in his office, but he may have been the most effective boss I've ever had, and I feel lucky to have worked with him. 

- track spending and share how I did on Friday, March 4

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

Update my resume
Work life has been hard, to say the least. I decided (with the help of some very knowledgeable and supportive friends) that if you seriously dread going to work each day, to the point where you literally consider calling out "sick," maybe it's time to start looking elsewhere. 

Meal plan every week
Like I mentioned, I have a lot of canned goods in my cupboards. I have more than enough to successfully meal plan, and I'm going to try to do so this month. 

Closet purge
I've literally said this for months, whether in blog posts or comments on other blogs. But I'm serious this time! There's just too much that I'm not using/wearing, and though I may have originally planned on selling these items, I'm now willing to just accept the monetary loss and donate them in exchange for peace of mind. 

Finalize vacation plans
Work  is making me move my vacation because the end date for a major project changed. Luckily I hadn't purchased any plane tickets or anything yet, but I'd like to do that by the end of this month, since we're trying to take an international trip in May. 

Are you tackling any goals this month? 

Currently: February

reading: The Restaurant Critic's Wife by Elizabeth LaBan. It's super slow and the author bangs you over the head with the main idea. 

listening to: a lot of Heart. Why have I not heard more of their stuff? And why didn't I know they sang Barracuda? At least I'm catching up now.

smelling: rain. You know that smell that comes when it's going to rain? That. 

planning: things to do while in Williamsburg, VA for a friend's wedding next month

anticipating: a girl's night out with my college friend on Friday night

watching: Angel from Hell with Jane Lynch, and Grey's Anatomy (Season 2) 

organizing: my tax paperwork 

sending: positive thoughts and prayers to a few people who need it right now

eating: toasted English muffin with butter

dreaming: of a tropical vacation

hearting: the weather lately. It's currently 60 degrees. In New Jersey. In February. Crazy! 

What's up with you currently? Linking up with Jenna, Anne, and Kristen! 

Weekend Updates: Cooking 101, Bad Pizza, and Bruce Springsteen

You guys, last week was hard. And this week doesn't look much better. But I've found that the best cure for such weeks is not doing jack on Friday nights, so that's exactly what I did. Blue and I had plans to go to TGI Friday's, but when we couldn't find parking, we decided to to just hit up the diner. I almost always get breakfast at diners, because I can, but opted for a buffalo chicken wrap and waffle fries, which totally hit the spot. (Waffle fries are seriously underrated, btw.)

I've found that in each relationship (or at least mine), each person assumes a role. For instance, with me and Blue, I'm the planner of allthethings, and she's the cook. At least once a weekend, "we" make one big meal. As in, I drink wine and keep her company while she cooks. This works well because 1. I like wine and 2. she likes to cook. She usually asks what I want and though I always want mashed potatoes I know they're a pain in the ass to make so I don't often request them. Mashed potatoes are basically my ultimate comfort food, and like I said, last week was hard, so I requested them, and she offered to teach me how to make them. I peeled the potatoes and took notes and YAY now I know how to make them myself. I also learned how to make a whole chicken without a crockpot, and gravy, so that was pretty awesome too, even though I will probably never do it myself because cooking for one doesn't really require an entire chicken. But I know how to do it now, and knowledge is power or something.

Oh, I also don't believe in cooking without music, regardless of who is cooking, so I queued up the Spotify playlist Alyssa had shared to be our background music. It was the perfect mix of smooth and upbeat.

peeling. Yes, I sit on counters regularly. 

winner winner chicken dinner...literally

one of the best screw top wines, Spotify, and the 
finished product: deliciousness

We also watched The Intern with Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro. Don't watch that. Though cute, it was one of the slowest movies I've ever sat through.

On Sunday, we watched Angel From Hell and then ran some errands. Have you guys seen this show with Jane Lynch? It's funny and kinda cute, which means it'll probably be cancelled soon, but I really like it. And then it was time to introduce Blue to tomato pie (FINALLY!) and for her to introduce me to her all-time favorite musical artist: Bruce Springsteen. 

The tomato pie experience was a complete bust. We waited for 90 minutes and wound up with some shitty cardboard pizza (NOT tomato pie) sitting next to the bathrooms in the basement. The management completely lost control of the overwhelming crowd. Guys-- you are located next to the Prudential Center. You need to expect these crowds. Get your shit together. So naturally I wrote them a lovely Yelp review. The owner actually wrote back to me and offered a refund or a pie, but I'm not close enough to that area to go just for that, and I'm not interested in their fake tomato pies. 

Obviously Bruce Springsteen was amazing. Seeing him live in NJ was absolutely phenomenal. The fans are so nice and you can tell they absolutely adore him (obviously, there's no other way people would hand over $200+ for a ticket). There was just so much happy energy in the arena. He sang some 30 songs, barely taking a break to breathe, he danced, he crowdsurfed,.. I can only hope to be that in shape at 67! 

shitty pizza

Bruce and a Bro-hole fan

crowdsurfing!

Sorry for the crap pictures. You'll just have to take my word that it was him and it was awesome. Linking up with Biana for Weekending!

How was your weekend?