Products with Purpose

The only thing I LOVE more than a great buy (aka a sale!) is a product that does good. With Breast Cancer Awareness Month heading on the out, we’ve all noticed, and perhaps participate in, purchasing PINK for a purpose.

KitchenAid has a whole selection of products, all in pink!

Perhaps I’d cook more in a pink-accessorized kitchen (hear that hubs?)

Don’t like to cook? No problem there are a ton of other products that donate proceeds to breast cancer research or awareness. A few years back I bought a pair of this pair of New Balances:

They have multiple pairs this year (along with other accessories), but I sort of like this:

I'm not a runner, so I will not be paying $144 for a pair of gymmies, but this products has two good causes: breast cancer awareness (5% of the retail price goes to Komen for the Cure) AND the product is MADE IN THE USA! (They are actually the ONLY major shoe manufacturer still domestically producing products ... sad, huh?) They also offer free shipping for any Lace Up for the Cure purchase.

Sephora also has a whole bunch of cosmetic goodness; in more ways than one. Each participating brand will donate a portion of the proceeds to organzations that raise awareness for and find a cure.

Only $14?! Yes please!

Sephora also has The Sephora Project which lists specific products and their causes.

Even the NFL is getting in on the action.

What better way to sport your favorite team, a good cause, while still looking like a girl in sports gear?

Other products:

Essie Limited-Edition Polish, $8

AnnTaylor.com, $58

70% of the proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Research Fund

e.l.f., $3

They are donating 100% of all profits from the sale of the Glitter Gloss in Twinkle Pink and Glossy Gloss in Wild Watermelon to the Breast Cancer Research Fund.

13 Nights of Halloween

Last night was suppose to kick off ABC Family’s 13 Nights of Halloween. It started with a Pretty Little Liars marathon. I've never watched the show until yesterday, and I have to say I may have been drawn in and I may or may not be watching the new season come 2012. ...

However, tonight begins the movies. While I probably won’t be changing my plans to be home to watch every movie, I like the fact that if I want to watch a Halloween-themed/scary movie, there is one on TV. (I’m even worse with Christmas-themed movies.)

Some of my faves:

Hocus Pocus. (Once a SJP fan, always a SJP fan)

Beetle Juice

The Nightmare before Christmas

Others listed: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original is actually a bit too creepy for me ... and of course I prefer anything with Johnny Depp), and Monsters, Inc.

I know since it's on the Family Channel, real scary movies (Blair Witch, The Ring, Paranormal Activity, Scream, The Haunting in Connecticut, The Exorist, etc.) aren't included. But I'm not about to go out and rent these, as I feel I only have enough guts to watch some of the above with commercial breaks to still be able to sleep soundly.

For a full line up (you’ll thank me when you are channel surfing with nothing to watch) go here

Also, in the theme of Halloween, I was perusing through Pinterest (both the best thing that has happened to my creative mind and the worst thing to happen to my time management skills) and picked out some of my favorite Halloween décor:

I would LOVE to do this.

Beautiful for an entryway. And I LOVE the bats!

Again with skulls. (This is homemade too).

How cute!

And of course, since I live in Florida

Skull Candy

I’ve been a bad blogger lately as I’ve been consumed with post-show exhaustion.

But it’s almost mid-October, and I am counting down the days until one of my favorite holidays: Halloween!

Any holiday that makes it mandatory to receive and eat candy without repercussions is good in my book. (All the diet commercials start after the Thanksgiving and Christmas indulging Halloween is still in the safe zone). Besides eating candy and dressing up, I love Halloween because of the decorations.

Many of you are unaware of my slight obsession with skulls.

Even Martini-Dog isn't immune from the obsession.

The day after Halloween is All Souls Day here in the States, but it’s also the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) in Mexico,

where there is a celebration, parades and, the root of my love-affair, decorated sugar skulls:

For some reason I have an obsession with this holiday, and when I found out a woman in my class is from Mexico, I was just short of attacking her with questions about the holiday.

Okay, back to skulls. I was at Target a few weeks ago while all the Halloween décor was still being set up. I walked down the aisle and found this:

It lights up!

I totally would have registered for this stuff.

I practically had a heart attack. I didn’t buy anything as I have a strict policy not to buy decoration until the month of the holiday. But now it’s October, I might have to go back.

A grey skull cookie jar goes with the neutral costal décor of our apartment, right?

And salt and pepper shakers ... a bit much?

Honestly, I really want a Day of the Dead tattoo:

Don't worry mom, since I’m not Mexican, I don't feel right getting one.

But maybe a tribute to Martini-dog?

Adopt A Pet Month

Happy October y'all! I’m been super busy with school and this week is the final week of my competition prep!

We all know that October is the month to save the ta-tas, but it’s also Adopt-A-Pet Month. So allow me a bit of a PSA.

This is a cause very dear to my heart as two of my lovelies are rescues:

Martini-Dog

Morgan

While shelter dogs get the spotlight, there are other types of shelter animals as well including cats, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, etc.

If you are thinking of getting a pet, please check out your local shelters, rescues and even Craigslist as it often has pets for adoption or highlights animals on “death row.” (If you are meeting a private owner, have someone go with you to meet the pet if you choose this route).

Not into pavement specials? While there are local pedigree rescues, due to the economic downturn local shelters may also have owner-surrendered purebred breeds. (Actually, 25 to 30 percent of dogs in shelters are purebred!)

Obviously adopting a pet is a big commitment, and the worst thing would be to adopt a pet and have to bring it back to the shelter because it was too much to handle. Sometimes being a responsible pet owner means not owning a pet. So make sure you have the time and resources if you are thinking of this option.

But there are other ways to help:

Donate to your local shelter. Not only do they need money, but food donations, toys, towels, etc. Call and find out specifics needs. Also volunteer time: to socialize, to exercise, to walk and to clean out the temporary homes of the animals.

Donate to an animal. You may not have the ability to adopt a pet. There are plenty of shelter animals that have special needs or are in need of surgery or other expensive medical treatments to help make them adoptable. This cost money. Sometimes local shelters or petfinder.com will have specific animals that you can donate to their medical needs.

Foster. Local shelters and rescues need foster parents; both “families” that have pets (socialize) and those that have no other pets (special needs). This is a lot of work, but temporary and can be flexible (if you are taking a vacation, sometimes the organization will make arrangements for the animal rather than you having to worry about it).

You can also foster military pets when their pet-parents are deployed (anywhere from three to 13 months). Organizations like Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet offer this option. Don’t you want to be a apart of this:

Support. Support local pet adoption events. Many times shelters and rescues have walks, runs, festivals, etc. You don’t have to have a pet to participate. Call a friend who does or brave it yourself. Earlier this year the hubs and I spent a Saturday morning at a one-mile dog walk and festival. It was fun being around so many pet lovers and just a good change up to the usual Saturday morning routine. And I think the dogs had fun.

The big event

new friend

The hubs with the pups

Water break

If you have a pet, there are a great number programs to help promote pet ownership such as therapy dog programs (in hospitals and/or schools) and volunteering your time and your rescued pet at adoption events.

Pets bring a lot of benefits such as lower blood pressure, lower stress levels, lower chance of depression (or help with treatment) as well as increase physical activity and socialization.

... And don't forget to microchip and spayed and neuter your animals :)

Pre-Loved

This weekend was a bit exciting, as Mark and I bought a new (to us) car!

Okay, let me rewind a bit to about two weeks ago when Mark received his social security card. Bright and early last Saturday morning we walked into our bank and asked to get a credit card (from an American bank) for Mark. Since his social security number was brand spankin’ new, the bank told us even the most basic card was unlikely.

Impatient, Mark asked what he could do to build his credit score now. The personal banker suggested buying a car with financing, and paying it off in a year. Our immigration lawyer also suggested purchasing a vehicle, but for the purpose of proving our relationship. While having adding another bill didn’t seem worth it to prove our marriage, we want a house someday in the very nearer future, and you can’t really do that without a credit score.

So that afternoon Mark (who had been researching cars for months) found one in Fort Myers, and seeing as we were headed to Bonita Springs the following day, we thought we’d take a look.

We ended up at the dealership right before closing, and I literally drove the car off the lot, down the street and back on to the lot. We spent this past week obtaining and providing documents, transferring my car’s title into my name from my dad’s and trying to get last-minute insurance since the car was released from under my father’s insurance umbrella (Thank you to PJ at Geico for providing a tremendous amount of help to us on an early Saturday morning).

Finally on Saturday afternoon, around 5 p.m. we drove off the lot with a new car.

…. And quickly returned to the dealership when we realized we left our house keys on the trade-in’s key ring.

Seeing as Mark has a motorcycle and relatively easy-access to the yacht’s crew car and well as him being gone for half the year, we decided we didn’t need two vehicles and trading my little Hyundai Tucson in was the best solution.

I bought my 2005 Tucson brand new. I spent weeks researching cars, and I was so proud of myself for settling on that one. It has lots of room for a small SVU, tons of cargo space (I used it to move about 10 times), awesome gas mileage and a good warranty. Not to mention, I only had it in the shop once, besides the required routine maintenance.

I was super sad to see the Tucson go as we’ve had lots of memories together.

Goodbye Tucson! I loved you!

It made the Dayton to Daytona trip and back twice. It transported many of Theta Phis and roommates around Dayton (especially to Carmel’s). I sobbed cried in it, driving all the way home on my graduation day. (Leaving UD was probably one of the saddest days of my life so far.) It moved me to Columbus for my first “big girl” job, then back home, then to a new apartment, back home again, to another place and finally to Miami. I drove it to pick up Martini, and a couple years later I drove it to dropped off Mark after our first date. Later I drove it home to get married. Mark drove it back to Miami, full of wedding gifts, and ready to begin our new life together. We picked up Morgan in it. I spent many a frustrated mornings in rush-hour traffic attempting to get to school. … I could go on.

I know the Landie will be the one I will drive home after my last day of class and after I take my boards (possibly crying since I'm sure the exam will bring me to tears). It will move us to a new location (New city? New state?!). I will drive to my first day of work (possibly to my own business). We will drive around looking for our future house in this vehicle. It will most likely be the automobile that will hold children's car seats (… in the very far future, let’s not get too crazy).

I know that this new car is going to be wonderful, but moving forward is sometimes a bit bittersweet.

In memory: Hyundai Tucson 2005 - 2011

Year One

This weekend was an exciting one, as the hubs and I celebrated our first anniversary!!!

(snaps for us!)

The hubs flew in on Friday evening and we did our usual Cheesecake Factory dinner (I was good and ordered the Skinny-lious Grilled Salmon).

I told the hubs I wanted to celebrate by going to the dog beach on Sunday. We could be qualified as crazy dog people, as the hubs pointed out that we drove 4 hours (round-trip) to just to take the dogs to a beach.

The captain and Morgan

Martini-dog

Do we have to go home?

After a couple hours of running around, throwing balls and trying to dodge herds of sprinting canines, we packed up the pups and made a quick errand to Ft. Myers (more to come on that in the future). The “quick errand” took two hours, and by the time we stopped to fill up for gas and head back across Alligator Alley it was already 6:30p.

Noticing the time, and the fact that it would take two hours to get back home, and with no desire to eat a full meal at nine o’clock at night, we opted for a little more of a non-traditional anniversary meal.

Yes, 7/11 hotdog for Mark and a six-hour old salad for me.

We finally got home, bathed the dogs, and cleaned up a bit, then it was time to do something a little more traditional.

Last weekend, when I was home, I brought back our top layer. The bakery we used for our wedding had also sent us a fresh hummingbird cake.

The top layer was a bit frost-bit. But the hummingbird cake was AH-MAZING!

We used A Spoon Fulla Sugar, and I highly recommend them. I am a die-hard BonBonerie fan, but I do believe that Spoon Fulla Sugar could claim the prize in my eye (or tummy).

To recap: our very first wedding anniversary involved no exchanging of cards, no flowers, no gifts, no romantic dinners and no champagne. Though a majority of the reason we didn’t plan a fancy dinner was due to my competition diet, but even if I wasn’t on a diet, I don’t believe I would change a thing.

I am not really the white wedding dress type. If you remember I had an issue with the dress I wore on my wedding day. I ordered another dress last minute, but ultimately I wore the original for my mom.

At first I was angry I never had the “This is my dress” experience, but I now wonder if I would have ever had that anyway. I feel much more comfortable in jeans, and multiple times throughout the wedding planning process, I begged Mark to convince me to elope so I could get married in shorts and cowboy boots rather than a beaded, full-length, fit-and-flare.

Without going into a long diatribe about weddings, I will be short in saying, I’m so glad the wedding is over and we are celebrating our first year of marriage.

Of course, a year into our marriage, we have to be a bit reflective. On the drive back to Miami, Mark and I talked about where we had imagined our lives to take us. I told him I was supposed to be in D.C., dating or married to the young-Republican type who works long hours kissing politicians asses so he can one day campaign on his own. Everyday he wears a suit and tie and polished shoes. I too was to be working in politics, or my towards law degree.

Instead I married a twice-immigrated yacht captain, who spends all day in shorts and T-shirts. And while he does clean up nicely, I’m lucky if he puts on flip-flops, let alone slacks. And I quit my job, worked on a boat, moved to Miami and am pursuing a degree where most of the people I am in class with are a bit more liberal and hippie than I am use too.

To say that God has a sense of humor is an understatement. I say Mark is not the man of my dreams, because I could never dream up someone and something this perfect. Despite feeling a bit uneasy about the future at the time, I truly believe we are in God’s good graces, and I am looking forward to year number two!

Butterfly Effect and A Baby Shower

I know, I've been a terrible blogger lately. But since my last weekend in Cincinnati, this week has been a whirlwind. I haven't since down since, oh, um, last Thursday.

I spent the weekend in Cincinnati for a baby shower of one of my closest friends. It was a quick trip home. I spend all Saturday running around pick up last-minute needs for the shower. Luckily, I did get an early dinner with the bestie, stopped by my old church for Saturday-night service and got to have dinner with grams Sunday night.

But have you heard of the butterfly effect? I feel like this week has been all cray-cray due to my late flight back down to Florida.

Monday morning I woke up at 5:15a to catch my flight back to Ft. Lauderdale. Well, actually my flight wasn't until 9:15a, but my dad does contract work (I never know what he does, but it's with computers and implementing a specific system) and flies out every Monday to his job in another state. To save my mom a trip to the airport I decided to leave with pops.

It was nice being early for once! I can't tell you how many times I called Mark on the way to airport crying that I was going to miss my flight. Though I never missed one, I did learned how to sprint in heels with a carry-on pretty damn well. This time, I enjoyed a coffee and some studying for my quiz later that night.

My return flight was great ... until we got to FLL. Due to wind shears, we had to circle for 45 minutes. Then with our fuel supply depleting and the weather not letting up, the pilot landed the plane in West Palm Beach. After refueling and some paperwork, we took the short ride back to FLL.

I was supposed to have landed at 11:45a. Instead I didn’t get off the plane until 2:30p. I had two hours to pick up the dogs, pick up something to eat (a hungry T is an ANGRY T), try to shower and head out to class, where I would be until 11p.

That was followed by my full day of clinic on Tuesday, which I finally got home around 9:15p, and had to study for another quiz. … Which I promptly failed as I feel asleep in the middle of Teen Mom.

When my four alarms went off Wednesday morning to wake me for my 5:30a workout, I torn the iPod out of alarm clock’s charging deck and threw it on the ground. I vaguely remember this, but I know it happened because I found the iPod in the corner of the room when I finally dragged myself out of bed at 7a. I had to get my workout in on Wednesday afternoon, then came home, found the couch, napped, ate something, then slept.

And I found out my hubbie is coming home this weekend for our first marriage anniversary (I can't believe it!) So after waking up late again, I spent all day cleaning and finishing projects around the house.

So the damn butterfly that caused the wind shears made me feel like I was late to EVERYTHING this week. Not focused at all. I will be happy when the weekend is here.

Anyway, back to the baby shower. Christie and her husband Eric are some of my closest friends. I may only have a handful of college memories that doesn’t involve them and that’s mostly because neither were in my sorority … though both helped surprise and deliver gifts to sorority Littles.

Christie and I went to high school together, so my girlfriends that were in town came to the shower, too. It was so good seeing them, and I am just sad I live so far away! I just I just need to remember how blessed I am to still have them in my life, regardless of miles.

So I will leave you with some photos of the shower:

my pretty ladies

Christie's mother and aunt goofing for the camera

The momma-to-be (How cute is that little one-sie rolled up to a lollipop?)

Ripping open gifts :)

Cutting the cake

I have a strange fear of touching baby bellies, so I listened baby instead.

The high school ladies.