Favorite Things April 2011 - Better Late Than Never :)

well sheesh!  The months just fly by don't they?  March just came and went with no favorites at all (I was too busy being lazy) and here we are in the first week in May and what have I been up to?  Well, online shopping, tv watching, Royal Wedding obsessing :), planting, dieting, p90x sweating, babysitting, and preparing for D's family to come in town for his brother's graduation party (more on that later).  Yowzer.

1.  AeroBed.  Yes.  David and I have sealed our pact with adulthood by buying our very first air mattress.  Now people can stay the night and enjoy the sensation of sleeping on a giant soft life raft.  I did some online research and actually looked for airbed alternatives for a while to avoid the noxious off gassing, but nothing was as easy to store or set up as the ol airbed option.  We got AeroBed at Costco for like $110 and set it up in the living room so it could "air" out (heheh) and after only a few hours that nasty pvc smell was pretty much gone.  That day was two weeks ago (or was it three?) and AeroBed has been inflated in the living room ever since.  I'm giving it a "very extended test run," and have been very pleased with the results.  It's seriously sooooooo addicting to just lay three or four feet in front of the tv, with all these blankets and pillows, and the laptop, and snacks, etc.  On the weekend nights, I even sleep on it.  I leave the windows open to let the cool breeze in, I snuggle under the comforter, and sleep like a baby.....on an air mattress.  I HIGHLY suggest buying one, even if you don't have guests.  (Our guests will be here for two weeks starting on Saturday, and I'm not looking forward to giving up my living room nesting spot).

ours is all beige, but has the same headboard which is good at keeping the pillows on the bed

2.  Helpful "gotta lose weight" websites.  On MyFitnessPal.com you enter your weight, age, goals, lifestyle, activity level, etc. and it tells you how many calories you burn on an average day and subtracts a healthy amount so you have a deficit and will lose weight.  Everyday you enter in the food you ate (using the huge database of stored nutritional info that has everything from Carl's Jr. to Amy's frozen dinners to Cheerios -- and if they don't have it, you can add to their database using the info on the back of your food) and it gives you a breakdown of how many grams of carbs, protein, fat, etc. that you have left in your allotted totals.  It's been very helpful.  It also helps me pay better attention to what I'm eating (getting the most nutrition and energy from my meals without overeating, consuming empty calories, or losing my balanced diet) and has made me more aware of serving sizes and calorie intake. (Now when I watch man vs. food I feel sick). It's like the facebook of health and nutrition, but I choose to ignore the 'social aspect' part of the site, and just use it to keep track of my stuff.  And it acts as my conscience too.  I still cheat on Saturdays and eat out -- even though i try to make good choices and limit my servings -- so I don't log in during the weekends and I always have an email waiting for me "Rebecca hasn't logged in for two days"... but i ignore, I don't want to make myself super crazy : /

The other one is EatingWell.com.  Also known for it's food magazine, the website has a zillion recipes organized according to whatever kind of diet you are on.  Low-cal, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, diabetic, low-carbs, etc. You can login in, browse through the recipe collections and 'add' them to your recipe box for later reference. I've been SUPER good at making multiple meals throughout the week and I love that it tells you all the nutritional information right there so you don't make a meal and find out it's gonna fatten you up.  ANDDDDD all of the nutritional information for these recipes is on MyFitnessPal.com so I just need to say, yes, I had one serving of chicken tikka masala, and it already knows how many cals, carbs, protein, etc.  THANK YOU INTERNET.  ANNNDDDD maybe it's not so much dieting as it is eating ideal healthy balanced fresh food, because I feel full most of the day and have good energy, and go to bed feeling like the weigh in won't be successful the next morning...but it almost always is!

 3.  Sunset magazine.  I have been reading the same three issues that I stole from D's mom's house a year ago and still love them.  Yesterday I picked up the new May issue and flipping through it has convinced me to just pay for a year's subscription.  It's soooooo pretty and interesting.  It gives me all these yearnings to go explore all the beautiful places in the Southwest, and at the same time makes me want to beautify my home and DIY.  It will seriously spark some good ideas, no matter what your interests are.  Plus, I feel like all of the vacations, projects, and businesses / products they plug are fairly within my income bracket and there aren't just ad-ridden pages showing me stuff out of my reach (like many magazines, I think).  I feel like it's a real magazine for real people. 

4.  Pinterest.  Talk about an overload of ideas!  This website lets you make collages / idea boards based on products / art / ideas / fashion / recipes / diy / furniture / music / travel / funny pictures that other people have 'pinned.'  Every member contributes ideas and then shares them with the online community.  I haven't really taken the time to create my own board yet (I would be there all day), but I did spend like 2hrs at work one day looking at the 2,000 pictures from YoungHouseLove.com's board.  AND you can browse all you want, but if you want to become a member and pin things, you have to "Request an Invite" and it took two or three weeks before I was officially "invited."   that's ok, the wait was totally worth it because I'M IN LOVE.

5.  Pirate Booty.  I'm probably the last person on earth to discover this yummy snack, and I love it!  mmmmm it's like a bag full of airy light white cheddar Cheetos and you can eat almost half the big bag and not kill your diet.  I like to eat them when I just need to put something in my mouth and get some flavor, snacky snack.  And David, Luka and Lola love them as well :)

Editor's Note:  I also love spring flowers, warm days, cool breezes, little babies, pregnant ladies, whole wheat crust pizzas from Bricklight Dive, my mommy, my baby boy nephew, 30 Rock, a glass of red wine at the end of the night, spring planting, the smell of hose water, shopping at CostPlus, royal weddings, etc.

Okay, that's all I can really think of right now.  I gotta clean the house up and down, in and out before D's dad and girlfriend come to stay with us tomorrow...I'm already behind : /

Countdown to JAMAICA!

I make a point not to talk about Jamaica on a daily basis because I don't want to bore those around me / make them jealous ;) but I DO pretty much think about it every minute of everyday.  Examples:

-- "Oh, I'm not taking a lunch, AND I'm staying two hours late?  But you will enjoy your lunch AND leave one minute early?  Sure thing, sucker.  I'm gonna be on the beach in 25 days and you'll still be here being a little *******."

-- "Hmmmmm.....do I really need a bathing suit for everyday we are there????  Should I really be spending money on new underwear that nobody is gonna see?  Am I becoming addicted online shopping because of this trip?  What if none of these clothes fit and then I end up having to wear my old boring clothes and everyone looks cuter than me?"

-- "I hate the wind.  When is it gonna stop already?  Jamaica will be my zero wind paradise and I will sit on the beach, just as I sit in this cubicle."

-- "How many pounds can I lose in 9 weeks?  7 weeks? 6 weeks?  3.5 weeks?  Will I make my goal?  Am I being realistic?  Am I going to gain it all back after one meal in Jamaica and after countless weeks of dieting?"

-- "What if I could take my dogs to Jamaica?  Would they ever want to come back home?"

-- "Should I get a spray tan before I go?  Just so I don't blind everyone with my whiteness?"

-- My mantra while Dave's family is in town:  "This will fly by, everything will be fine, and even if it's not....I'M GOING TO JAMAICA AFTERWARDS."


Anyways, when I envision this dream vacation, this is what I see:

Now all I need is some nice cheap sunglasses :)

happy belated easter!

just another photo post today bc i dont have as much time as i'd like to sit and tell you all the things on my mind this blustery week!  maybe tomorrow :) or tonight?  we'll see....

 

 

 

This week in pictures...

In honor of my favorite weekly Thursday posting HERE...

We will review the past week of April 10-17, 2011 as it was captured:

we're real classy people

 

 

 

David fulfilled my wildest fantasy by taking me down to U Pull U Pay.  JK.  It's one of those places I talk a lot of shit about, but can't resist my curiosity to go and see who needs car parts on a Saturday afternoon.  It was beautiful weather, and we successfully found a few Tacomas, 4Runners and Jeeps, of course none of them had the parts we needed.  It's so crazy how all the parts of a car can be pulled.  EVERY. SINGLE. PART.  On the ground are a million bolts, odometer needles, seatbelt buckles, car handles, hoses, gaskets, pumps, fuses, and little itty pieces of safety glass.  I am a firm believer that the pull and pay lot is haunted.  You are surrounded by 500 beat to shit cars and many of them look like the passengers must have died upon impact.  Dave laughs at me, but I feel it...all around...those ghosties...just watching us pull their car parts.  I also believe that the lot is a likely place to be murdered, this is not to say that the people who go there are not the most upstanding fellow citizens of our fair city, but as I look down the rows of FU**ED UP autos, I expect to see someone's feet being dragged under a car (I need to stop watching tv).  My final belief about the car lot is that 90% of the cars either belonged to DWI drivers, or DWI victims...very lame NM.  Oh yeah, one more car lot judgment:  the sections for domestic cars (Chevy, Pontiac, Dodge, Ford) are ginormo and separated by make, whereas the section for foreign cars is pretty small, mainly contains cars from the 70s and 80s, and all of them are grouped into one section that is less than half the size of the Ford section...just sayin...

 

See our lovely volcanoes in the distance? One more car note...  the main reason I agree to go is because I believe someday I will find a million dollars of border smuggled drug money in one of these cars.  Not too far from the truth?

 

I bought some flowers and plants this weekend to kick start my Spring time cheer.  It worked.  I also did some fierce yard work in D's mom's front yard and it felt good to get all stinky and dirty and have my muscles sore from my hardcore raking and monster tight pruning (and yes, that's the full moon rising in the distance.  Can you believe it's been a month since super moon?)

 

Have you ever met someone addicted to succulents?  Hi.  My name is Rebecca and I've never met a succulent I didn't like.  I love them.  They are unique, a-sexual, and can survive the harshest droughts by storing moisture in their little body parts.  Little survivors.  And did I mention how unique they are?  Everytime I go to Lowe's, I find a new one I've never seen before.  I especially like the one that looks like butt cheeks and also can't resist a little cactus :)

We had an impromptu dog-shadow-afternoon-photo-shoot.  No animals were harmed, and afterwards, they both got oatmeal shampoo dog baths.

This is my favorite baby boy.  I watched him last Sunday and after he took a huge leaking dookie in his diaper, I realized that my sister forgot to bring extra diapers and wipes.  I jumped into action.  He got a thorough spray off in the shower and then I created some "big boy undaweahs (underwear)" out of some old school white cotton lady hanes her way that I have taking up space in my drawer from my days in India.  He liked them and was a great model.  I especially love the 'over-the-shoulder' look.  LLLLLLOVE my Narayan  <3 <3 <3 (oh yeah, and the next day I dried my face off with the towel I used on him...BIG mistake...it smelled like caca.  A warm preview of parentood?)

LOL

I saw this sign on my new favorite website (pinterest.com -- more on this later) and had to share it

credit:  prischarming.tumblr

Sunday mentionables...

1.  I have planned out three meals for the week thanks to EatingWell.com.  I have amassed quite a long list of quick, easy, low calorie dinner recipes.  I'm hoping that if I can manage to make three meals this week, I can make like 6-8 servings worth of food for plenty of lunches and dinners.  Windy weather has me in the mood for some Spicy beef with shrimp and bok choy, brothy chinese noodles, and lemon & dill chicken. (update:  I made the spicy beef for dinner -- it's a winner!)

2.  After looking on Monster.com for 15 minutes, I found D a new job that has the same description and responsibilities of his current job, but in a professional, structured, and supportive work environment.  He knows things like this are meant to be, change is natural, and he is open to moving on to a new job.  He is applying tonight....keep your fingers crossed!

3.  Thanks to my girlfriend Lindsey, I now have all the study materials necessary for taking the wretched GRE.  The book has been sitting next to me all day, and I swear on my life that I am going to at least flip through it before the day is over.  Goal:  Take the GRE two times (or three, if needed) before August, starting in June.

4.  While Narayan slept today I watched the 'Deadliest Catch' marathon of season summary episodes to prepare myself for the season premiere this week.  Anytime it comes on I'm like, really?  do we have to watch this?  and after one episode I'm freakin hooked and can't look away.  soo much king crab drama.

5.  Yesterday we went to the mall to escape the wind and walk around.  Big mistake.  The mall is GHETTO.  There were five million people and I was afraid of all of them.  Children, teens, adults...all of them.  Now I know why people resort to online shopping.  Anyways, I picked up some new flashy tenny-shoes.  My old addidas have been with me for like 8 years and I think my feet have grown because they are a half size too small and my toes always hurt.  Introducing los Nikes:

6.  We are going camping next weekend.  Too soon?  Is that what you're thinking?  Well I agree, but these men have their minds set on it and there's no getting out of it.  Throughout the next week, if you are at a red light, or eating lunch, or trying to fall asleep, say a few little prayers for me that it will be a very warm and dry weekend so that I don't turn into a popsicle.

La la la love story-ish, pt. 2

sooooooooooooo..... finally a continuation of this post.

I went to D's bday party.  Back in the day he lived in a casita guest house behind a larger house he sat for 9 mos out of the year.  I didn't know this at the time, and thought that the main house (where the party was) was his actual house. I remember thinking he had a worldly decorating style and was really impressed that there was quinoa and organic foods in his cupboards...ehhh wrong.

Summer 2005

Anyways, went inside, super nervous, he was nervous, I shook hands, I looked around and didn't know anyone, said I could only stay for a bit but wanted to say hi, and suggested that we take a Happy Birthday shot of Jack Daniels (to ease the nerves).  I ended up staying a long time and somehow spent almost all my time in the kitchen, chatting with D and meeting his friends and family.  I remember standing in the kitchen and realizing he was a lot shorter than I remembered and I shouldn't have worn my platform flip flops.  I slouched while we talked. He only left me once to go to the bathroom, and I was so shocked that he stuck by me the entire time instead of joining his party.  Eventually he mentioned that he lived in the guest house and I went with him to 'get the tour.'   There were a few people in there, but we didn't notice.  He was pretty drunky drunk by then and kept asking "Why are you here?  Like I thought you wouldn't come.  And you never talk to me at work...why are you here?  Like I'm really glad you're here...but just surprised" etc etc etc.  I think I admitted that I had a crush on him and one thing led to another and we had a very sweet first kiss. I remember telling him he was missing out on his party and all his friends were going to be mad that he was MIA, but he said he would much rather be with me :) I left shortly after (I had a test the next morning) and he walked me to my car.  He invited me to hang out the next night and made me promise that I would call him when I got home.

the first birthday of mine that we celebrated together Oct. 2005

D's birthday 2006 and almost our 1yr anniversary

back in the days of disposable cameras

I saw him at work the next day and it was soooo awkward.  He kept trying to hold my hand in the break room in front of other people, and I kept putting my hands in my pockets because I didn't want anyone to think I was another one of Dave's "ladies."  Oh gosh.  We hung out later that night.  We chatted in his hot tub for a while and I kept thinking to myself  "seriously, first date and he's already got me in a bikini?"  Then he did the unthinkable...."So, Rachel...."  I was barely clothed, in a hot tub, and he didn't even know my name?  I had visions of just getting up and leaving right then and there.  But I stayed...I gave him a second chance and stayed to watch a movie and ended up staying the night (no! no hanky panky AND I slept in my bathing suit!) hehe.  And don't think I let him get away with calling me the wrong name!  No!  I sternly corrected him and still remind him about it to this day.  He even calls me Rachel sometimes, because he knows it KILLLLLS me.

Halloween 2006?

The next day he took me to meet his mom (to pass some "mom test" I presume), and then later that night we watched North Shore.  During the movie I hinted that I was kinda seeing other people and he took the leap and officially asked me to be his girlfriend because he thought this was something special and he didn't want to lose me to someone else (feminists would not be pleased with this statement, but I thought it was cute).

first trip to Cali for my birthday - Oct. 2006

And that was that!  Happily ever after!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                 NOT.

There were enough good times to get me hooked, and enough bad times to make me question my sanity.  We would be on top of the world, and every three or four months, D would have an emotional crash and burn.  I never ever gave up and for whatever reason, kept telling him and myself, "I'm not saying we are going to be together forever, but I believe that for this time in my life, we are supposed to be together."  It was just me being stubborn (I've always been the one to dictate the course of my relationships) and living with a big case of denial.  But I loved him and felt like I knew him better than anyone else and that okay, you can't change a guy, but he can most definitely change himself, and I would give him something worth changing for.  It worked!

I tell D all the time, we definitely would not be where we are now if we didn't learn from the lessons in our past and we are much better off because of it.  Get all the big drama out in the open early on so that you aren't dealing with it later on and so you have a completely clear picture of the person you are with and don't find out when it's too late.  We have both grown up and matured and become very committed people and now that all that drama is behind us, it is smooth sailing :)  Part of me does miss the youth of the old days though, sharing a twin sized bed, playing video games, scraping by with almost empty bank accounts, driving broke down cars, D working as a lifeguard, me a nanny, studying at flying star, having house parties, ditching classes, being carefree...but all those things have been replaced by ONE even better thing:  "OUR."  Our house, our dogs, our decisions, our things, our families, our trips, our time, our friends, our future...Life is good.

Here's to six years!  Huzzah!  Huzzah!