How to avoid Christmas shopping

Christmas shopping is stressing me out this year. I just want to buy everyone gift cards and call it a day. I felt very relaxed today because of this much needed 4 day weekend so I decided to drive around randomly and avoid any mall or buying any type of Christmas gift. Here's what I did:
-Went to Plato's Closet to return a shirt that I didn't feel like trying on and was too small.
-Went to the thrift store (The Salvation Army). I haven't been to one in many years so I decided to look at sweaters for myself. When I was looking in the housewares section I tried to find something cool like a hip hop tape or sword like Napoleon Dynamite at Deseret Industries, but no luck.

Source

I ended up with a powder blue Celebrity Cruises hoodie, a striped Gap shirt, a maroon Reebok long sleeved workout shirt, a nice mug and a rolling pin. Random, huh?
-Went to Giant Eagle and bought toilet paper, toothpaste and aluminum foil.
-Went to a pet store to look at the puppies. These two chihuahua puppies wouldn't stop staring at me! They were so cute! I bought Meatball some rawhides and peanut butter biscuits.
-Went to Dunkin Donuts and got a Coffee Coolata. It was yummy.

I can't wait to see how the thrift store finds look after a good washing, which is what I'm doing right now. I'm going to make an effort to look at thrift stores more often because it will save me money and is good for the environment by wearing recycled clothes and using recycled goods. For every 10 shrunken sweaters there's at least a couple barely worn nice ones to buy.

Overdue Halloween recap

This is a much overdue Halloween post.  I actually did a lot of Halloween related activities this year, kicking it off with going to a haunted  house (or more correctly, The Haunted Yard).  I was flipping through the radio and heard some guy raving how awesome this haunted house is, how they've been doing it for the past 20 years, and how the characters are played by a local metal band.  I dragged Danny to go and we waited in line for 45 minutes in this residential neighborhood.  It was only a $3 donation per person and all the proceeds went to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation which I believe affects someone involved.  When we finally got in, I was SCARED!  I screamed the whole time, especially when people came at me with a real chainsaw, sans chain!  They also recreated scenes from horror films such as Hellraiser, The Ring and White Noise.  I definitely want to get a group together and go next year!

This was my third year going to a Halloween house party with all of my friends.  I got the grand idea to be a pin up girl and then started obsessing over what I was going to wear, the hairstyle and makeup.  I found a great wrap sweater at Forever 21, a black pencil skirt and fishnets with a backseam at Victoria's Secret.  What really made the costume was my hair and bright red lipstick.  For hair inspiration, there are some great videos on youtube detailing step-by-step instructions on pin up hair.  I spent a little too much time and money but I had fun and that's all that matters, right?  Without further ado, me as a pin up girl: 

Video I used for my makeup:

Video I used for my hair:

I've got nothing

I don't know why I've been in a blogging slump.  Over the past couple weeks I've watched Last Holiday, Rumor Has It, Juno, But I'm a Cheerleader, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  I also saw My Best Friend's Girl in the theaters.  That's pretty much more movies than I will see in 6 months.  Don't know why I'm on such a movie kick.  Out of all of those, Juno was my fave!  I have a crush on Michael Cera as Paulie Bleeker, but I have a thing for awkward dorks.  I loved when Paulie said 

"Like I'd marry you! You'd be the meanest wife ever, okay? And I know that you weren't bored that day because there was a lot of stuff on TV, and then 'The Blair Witch Project' was coming on Starz and you were like 'I haven't seen this since it came out and if so we should watch it' and 'but oh, no, we should just make out instead la la la"

Anyway.......Here is a meme I'm stealing from Michelle with one of my all time favorite subjects, food!

Bold if eaten, RED or strikeout if you'll never eat it. (Commentary optional)

1. New York pizza - I've had Ray's in New York a little past Times Square.  The dining area was a little questionable.
2. Hoppin' John - Never heard of it 
3. New Mexico green chile 
4. Homemade buttermilk biscuits - One of the first things I was taught in Creative Foods Sophomore year in hs!
5. Tasso - Yep in gumbo!
6. Whole Maine lobster - I've never had a whole one myself, just bits and pieces.  Prefer crab legs over lobster.  Maybe cause I used to serve tons of them at Mitchell's Fish Market when I served there.
7. Calabash-style shrimp and hush puppies
8. Kansas City barbecue ribs - Not sure what KC style is. 
9. Hot glazed Krispy Kreme - Yep, in Columbus right off the conveyor belt! 
10. San Diego fish tacos 
11. Cheese curds - if this means ricotta, yes. 
12. Key lime pie - I've had key lime pie in Key West.....amazing!
13. Philly cheese steak 
14. Memphis pork barbecue sandwich
15. Low country boil 
16. Huckleberry pie 
17. New England clam chowder 
18. Boiled peanuts
19. Buffalo (Bison) burger 
20. Eggs Benedict - This is Danny's fave. 
21. Pastrami on rye
22. Corned beef and cabbage
23. Pancakes with maple syrup
24. Everything bagel with cream cheese and tomato - yes, but too much stuff to get in your teeth. 
25. Thin Mints 
26. Frito pie 
27. Potato knish with mustard
28. Silver Queen corn on the cob - had so much corn this season!  
29. Soft pretzel from a street cart
30. Fresh-picked blueberries 
31. Sourwood honey - No, not in OH. 
32. State fair funnel cake - I love carny food!!!!  Unfortunately I didn't get to one this summer :( 
33. Chesapeake crab cakes  
34. Candied yams 
35. Oyster dressing - Sounds yum, would like to try!
36. Snow cone or snowball
37. Wild Alaskan salmon 
38. Sautéed more - Never heard of it.
39. Persimmon pudding 
40. General Tso's Chicken - I heart American Chinese food!
41. Frozen custard - I'm a conasiour of frozen custard.  Rosati's and Rita's.
42. Italian sausage with peppers and onions on a hoagie bun - Being Italian, of course!
43. Chili dogs 
44. Buffalo wings with blue cheese
45. Spam musubi - I want to try this!  Read about it on the blogosphere!
46. Saltwater taffy
47. Fluffernutter sandwich on Wonder Bread
48. Black and white cookie
49. Frybread - I love the Najavo from Cheesecake Factory on Frybread
50. BLT with thick-cut applewood bacon
51. Baked beans
52. Pumpkin pie
53. Collards with vinegar and Tabasco - not with vinegar and Tabasco
54. Tex-Mex fajitas with skirt steak and sautéed peppers
55. Fried green tomatoes 
56. Succotash
57. Shrimp and grits - I had this in Charleston, SC!
58. Hot water cornbread
59. Barbecue chicken pizza with red onions
60. Chicken fried steak
61. Carnitas burrito
62. Apple butter
63. Geoduck (pronounced: Gooey-duck) - Eww!
64. Soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate shell
65. Pecan pie
66. Catfish supper at a church or fire station - How about Fried Cod?
67. Oysters Rockefeller
68. Homemade cranberry sauce
69. Pimento cheese
70. MoonPie washed down with R.C. Cola - I've seen this on the Food Network. 
71. Pickled watermelon rind
72. Cracker Jacks at the ball game
73. Smithfield ham
74. Meatloaf and mashed potato blue plate special at diner
75. Chicken and waffles
76. Po'Boy with many napkins - Had a homemade one courtesty of Danny!
77. Green bean casserole with French's fried onions - Thanksgiving
78. Stuffed sopaipillas
79. Turducken
80. Shad roe on toast
81. Sweet potato casserole with or without marshmallows
82. Cioppino - No but I've had tripe.
83. New York cheesecake
84. Pan-fried river trout - In Cleveland we do pan-fried walleye and perch
85. Jambalaya
86. North Carolina pig pickin'
87. California rolls - LOVE!
88. Burgoo
89. Penuche fudge - No, sounds good though. 
90. Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich
91. Scrapple or livermush - I had Scrapple in Ocean City, MD
92. Elk medallions in red wine reduction 
93. Muscadine grapes
94. Cheeseburger at backyard barbecue - YUM!  Cheeseburgers taste the best at a backyard BBQ!
95. Open-face turkey sandwich
96. Chicago deep dish pizza - Danny and I had one in Chicago.  Didn't care for the cornmeal crust.
97. Cobb salad - One of my favorite salads! 
98. Peach pie a la mode
99. Macaroni and cheese
100. Root beer float

Update on Etsy sale for Nie Nie

Well, that sale is pratically sold out.  There's 3 items left.  When it was going on, I clicked on a reversible apron to buy as a Christmas gift, but talked myself out of it as it was $43.  A nanosecond later someone scooped it up.  Just out of curiosity, I searched for reversible aprons in Etsy and found an amazing apron with a damask pattern on one side and a solid grey fabric with stitched flowers on the other side.  For only $18 dollars!  I bought it immediately!

From seller DreamState

I'm still going to do something for Nie Nie, that sale was just at too fast of a speed for me!

Buy on Etsy for Nie Nie

I recently found out about this blogger, Stephanie Nielson (aka Nie Nie), who was in a plane crash this August in Arizona. Stephanie suffered burns over 80% of her body and her husband suffered burns over 30%. The flight instructor passed away in the hospital. This story just makes me so sad, especially a blogger who shares her life story in print for everyone to read. Stephanie's sister is posting updates on her own blog, c jane enjoy it, and there is a recovery website too with more information. Today at 10:00 am PST (1:00 pm my time) there is going to be a sale on Etsy where the proceeds will benefit the Nielson's. Check it out, I'm sure the goods will go super fast because their story has spread to and touched so many people. They have even been featured on the Today show and I believe a blurb in People magazine.  I'm definitely gonna buy something and keep up with c jane (Courtney)'s blog as she updates almost daily on their condition and surgeries and whatever else.  Goes to show you how powerful blogging can be to spread the word and help support this amazing family.

Step away from the fast-food!

Danny and I did something that neither of us have done before.  We went to two fast food restaurants in one day!  For lunch Danny met me at a free-standing Chick-Fil-A which opened a couple of months ago.  That was a nice break to my work day since I'm always alone on my lunch break.  It was a little stressful in there though with small kids running around, two disneyesque characters dressed as cows, balloons everywhere and a play land.  And the kids were deathly scared of the cows!  I asked Danny to get me some honey mustard sauce and I guess they wouldn't give it to him unless he hugged the cow character.  Where's my camera at times like these!  

Then in the evening, we decided to go Sonic which was in it's opening week.  I thought it was so unfair to be tempted by those Sonic commercials on cable and not have one around, so when Danny and I found out one was being built in Cleveland we were so excited to go.  He only gets one day off a week so two fast food restaurants in one day it is!  I personally wanted to go not for the food but for those cool slushies.  This place had much of the same as Chick-Fil-A with craziness, kids and this time a Sonic character dancing around.  Danny does this thing he calls "shotgunning it".  Basically he has no idea what he wants to order and when prompted at the speaker orders a crazy combination of food, this time a corn dog, chili dog, double cheeseburger, tater tots and jalapeno poppers (for me).  And we got my beloved slushie, a lemon lime concoction, plus a fried ice cream Sonic Blast that was staring at us the whole time on our personal menu board and loudspeaker.  Yeah, my body felt like I betrayed it for a day.  But it was so much fun!

Kiss My Face Product Giveaway

The economy is BAD and I am really starting to feel it because my paycheck isn't covering the things it used to.  Luckily there's a plethora of "frugal" blogs to give me ideas on how to save money and they all link to one another.  I stumbled upon this blog today, Stretching a Buck.  They are giving away some children's products from a company whose products I have been buying online since 2001, Kiss My Face.  I think that was the first time I used my credit card online!  Anyway, their products are all natural, organic, smell great, etc.  I especially love the Moisture Shaves because they are unlike any other shaving cream I've used with all the natural ingredients and you can feel good about not buying a metal can!  I can only imagine how good their new kid's line is great to be.  Check the contest out!