I am a terrible blogger.

Hey All! 

Sorry I suck.  I am a rotten blogger.  Don't fret though...I'm not really keeping up with ANY of my resolutions.  Fair is fair.
I've been thinking about getting a new fancy camera...since today. Ha!  We went to a one year old's birthday party, and her mom had a Canon powershot sx30...so cool.  I found a Canon powershot sx40 on amazon for a decent price...so now I'm just trying to justify the purchase.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/414Tb3zeWrL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
I'm worth it?
It's really cool and I need want it?
I'll let you know what I decide.  Any suggestions?
I painted my nails again today. I do paint them at least once a week, so this is nothing new. They're Essie's Plumberry. I ordered it off Amazon...it took eleven days to get here. Nuts.

Sorry for the crappy picture.  It's from my phone. :)  And the crappy paint job. I was in a hurry. Per usual.

I used my blow dryer to shorten up the drying time since we were running late for the party. I'm always running late for everything.  It's not on purpose...I just have tons to do and I'm a great dilly-dallier.  I should have a PhD in Dilly-Dallying.  Bryan says I have no sense of urgency. 
B and I got each other cologne/perfume for Valentine's Day.  I got him Burberry Brit and he got me DKNY Pure Drop of Vanilla. Yum for both.
Do you ever have those days/weeks/months where you feel so exhausted that you are just plain useless?  I don't want to do ANYTHING.  I get up at 5:00 AM (just to get about 30 minutes of quiet time before my day starts), get ready and get to work around 7:00 AM, work all day, have practice from 3:00-5:00 PM,  get home between 5:30 and 6:00 PM, make dinner, work out if I can find the energy, eat, re-shower...and it's after 8:00 PM.  It's maddening.  I always feel behind. Always.
Anyone else hoping that winter is done? :)  We had a crappy snowstorm on Friday...after school, of course, so no snow day to be enjoyed.  I'm pretty much over the cold weather and snow.  Bring on Spring!
Enjoy your week!
Thanks for reading! :)

<3 Gretchen

January Randoms

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you're all having a good start to your week.
I am...I started it with an extra day to my weekend. Yay!

I got another new phone. I had the Samsung Doubletime and it was soooooo slllllooooooowww. Terrible.  I got the Atrix 2...so far, so good. My husband has it and loves it, so hopefully I will too.
I'm enjoying some box wine. Don't judge. I won it as a white elephant gift at Christmas...awesomesauce.

 Boxed wine White Zin.
We also made some delicious soup...chicken tortilla...in the crock pot. It's not too bad for you either!

I 

I also painted my nails...foxy by China Glaze...I'm in love with reds right now!

Sorry about the janky, dried out skin! I need to use more lotion! (And seriously crappy paint job...)

I'm so shocked I can add pictures, I'm not even sure what to do with myself! :)

I've been trying so hard to work out...I did four days last week, and already started out this week with two workouts! :)  Let's hope I can keep it up. I did really well up until play week in November...I had lost close to 10 lbs...and then blew it.

Well, I hope you all have a great week!

<3 Gretchen

bobbing for baubles

Hey Ladies!

How are you?

This is going to be in typical list fashion.

• I painted my nails with Essie's bobbing for baubles...it was a Christmas gift, and it's lovely!

• I'm also enjoying another Christmas gift...Riesling...from a bottle shaped like a cat! Adorable.  And tasty.

• I got a new cell phone and new service! We switched to AT&T. I got the Samsung Double Time.  So far, I like it (aside from the fact that I've hung up on my mom TWICE with my FACE). Touch screens take a bit of getting used to, I think. (my e-mailed pictures don't send too well, hence the lack of pictures...again! Sorry!)

• I get to pick out costumes for The Wizard of Oz this week!  So fun!

• I also get to go to the doctor tomorrow...not so fun. 

• I have a mild addiction to Words with Friends.

• Our Christmas decorations are still up. It may stay this way for a while.

• We made meatloaf tonight...it was delicious! We also planned the whole week's menu...that's pretty rare in this house! 

• I LOVE my Gilly Hicks PJ pants. They are SOOOOO comfortable. If I could lift my self-imposed clothing shopping ban, I'd buy another pair!

• I did Jillian Michael's Shred It with Weights yesterday...and now I can barely walk. No joke. I can't imagine how much my legs will hurt tomorrow if I can hardly sit down today! :)  I'm sure it's all worth it...right?  The people who say the video doesn't even make them break a sweat have GOT to be kidding.  I just have to power through. I only did 20 minutes on my elliptical today. OUCH.

Well, lovelies, have a fabulous week!

<3 Gretchen

Resolutions :)

Happy New Year!

I know that resolutions are cliche, but I'm going to make them anyway. :)

1. Eat healthier/get into shape.
 I know this is a typical resolution, but it needs to happen.

2. Get organized.
At home, at work, my brain...I think things would go more smoothly if I could just get it together.

3. Worry less/Realize that I can only control myself/laugh more/have more fun (Serenity now!).
I am a HUGE worry wart. I am a worst-case-scenario kind of person. I guess I'm always prepared, but it's kind of a downer.

4. Take more pictures.
I have NO pictures of ANY holiday festivities! That's no good.

5. Blog more regularly.  (I guess I should add to that: Have more interesting/funny things to say ;). 

To me, these are all logical and things I should be doing anyway!

What are your resolutions? :)

<3  Gretchen

Holiday Decorations!

These are the pictures of our decorations! I could only add a few, but at least it's letting me add them now :).
Picture 1: our couch with all my holiday pillows! :)
Picture 2: our living room tree with the janky lights...it's still pretty, though.
Picture 3: My A Christmas Story collection! :)  It's the house and the school so far.
Picture 4: The Keep Calm and Jingle on is from the Etsy store  http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThoughtsToPrint?ref=seller_info
I'll be hanging it in our hallway, and I think it's going to stay there year-round to keep the spirit alive! :)
Picture 5: My Flurryville Snowmen and their new perch.
I don't really have any pictures of holiday festivities (fail!), but these will do :)
Happy Holidays!

Christmas Quiz

I know I'm a little late for this, but it looked like fun. I stole it from Amber at http://www.brunchwithamber.com/.

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate?Hot Chocolate--I've really only had eggnog in the form of a McDonald's shake...it wasn't bad, but it's just the idea...:)
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?Santa wraps presents! He also has fancy handwriting...
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?We have white lights (white and blue on the white tree), but I keep seeing those bright LED lights and I think they look pretty cool.
4. Do you hang mistletoe?I have in the past, but I didn't this year. The white tree didn't even get decorations this year. Oops.
5. When do you put your decorations up?Typically they go up on November 1st. I LOVE Christmas! This year, I didn't get them up until after Thanksgiving...it may have even been after the first of December. I'm going to leave them up a while longer, because I always get sad when I have to take them down.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish?Turkey rolls! They're amazing!
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?My parents would always spread the carrots on the lawn that we put out for Rudolph. That was pretty cool.  Also, just the excitement of waiting for an appropriate time to get up (5 AM!) and how beautiful the tree looked!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?I was older than I should have been, but I like to believe that I believed longer to keep the excitement of Christmas alive...it's not nearly as fun without Santa!
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?As kids, we always opened our Christmas Pajamas. :)  I think I should start that tradition again :).

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
The regular tree is a random assortment of stuff from when Bryan and I were kids and cool ornaments that people get us for Christmas and birthdays.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it?I dread it, but it really didn't feel like Christmas this year, and I think it's because we didn't have any snow.  As long as the roads are clear, I guess it's okay.

12. Can you ice skate?
I can! It's a lot of fun, but I haven't done it in a while.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?I've had too many amazing gifts to recall just one.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Hanging out with my family, shopping for the perfect gift for someone, the beautiful decorations...I would usually say that people are nicer around the holidays, but I didn't really see that a lot this year.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
My mom's mint ice cream/oreo dessert.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Going to my mom's Christmas night :).
17. What tops your tree?I don't have any tree toppers! :(  I've found that all the ones at the store are too heavy for a fake tree to handle.
18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving?Both! :)
19. Candy canes: yuck or yum?Yum! They're especially good in a mug of hot chocolate!

20. Favorite Christmas show?
Elf, Love Actually, Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story...all of them? :)
21. Saddest Christmas song?Christmas Shoes. I seriously hate that song.
22. What’s your favorite Christmas song?I love all the classics, but Etta James' Sleigh Ride is probably my favorite.

It's December already? Say what?

• How did I get so busy, and yet still feel like I'm doing nothing? :)

• I can't believe it's already December.

• So far, two trees are up...one is decorated.  Hmmm.

• Our stockings are sitting on a chair.

• I don't have a wreath on our front door. Yet.

• The Flurryville guys our out, though!

• One fell from its perch and broke. Crap.

• I still play with Webkinz...yup, I'm 32!

• I'm REALLY looking forward to Christmas break.

• I would like to flee to the Cleve. I've mentioned our strange love for Cleveland, Ohio. I cannot explain it, so I just embrace it.

• I'm already tired of snow. We've had one snow day. That's enough, Winter.

• I got double charged at Sephora for mascara...they're being nice about it, but no one has solved my problem quite yet.  I still love you, Sephora. It was a human error...and I don't even blame her. It was her first day and they were BUSY. I'd have been crying behind the register.

• I tried to get sweaters at New York and Company and couldn't use my kick-ass coupon with their buy one get one in store...so I went online and used my coupon, and got seven sweaters.  With free shipping.  Take that, in store employee!  I feel like I somehow beat the system.

• I'm scared to attempt to post pictures. Anyone else having issues?

• I've started working out again. I panic when  I don't think I'll have time during the week...but yer I can't get myself to work out in the morning. I'm way too uncoordinated tired.

• I would really like a nice relaxing day...I don't see that happening soon.  Oh well...me and everyone else, right?
• We saw The Muppets movie this weekend. I LOVED it.  It was so funny and a happy ending...which we all could use right now.  I'll take a good, happy story over "reality" any day of the week. Please and thank you.  The movie comes highly recommended by yours truly.

Well, sorry for my lack of posting! :)  Have a great week! I'm off to watch some terrible Christmas movies! Tis the season! ;)

<3  Gretchen