Valentine Giveaway - $50 Restaurant.com Gift Certificate

This giveaway is now closed.



I love Valentine's Day. Growing up, I could always look forward to a box of chocolates from my parents waiting for me at the breakfast table. In high school, my friends started hosting an annual Valentine dinner where we'd all make food and hang out - dates or no dates. Now, I have a permanent Valentine (and, a wonderful one at that) but the earlier traditions continue.

For me, Valentine's Day is a time to celebrate all the loves in my life - family, friends - not just my wonderful Husband. So, this year I wanted to celebrate you, my blog readers, too - I love you all for being my audience for this outlet.

I'm giving away one $50 gift certificate to Restaurant.com to help you make some awesome Valentine plans with your loved ones.

If you haven't already checked out Restaurant.com, you should. I use it frequently to grab discounted gift certificates to area restaurants. It's a great way to make date night more affordable and a fun way to try new local haunts.

All you have to do to win is be a follower of my blog and leave a comment with your Valentine's Day plans or your favorite Valentine's Day tradition. Make sure you leave your email or a link to your blog in your comment so I can contact you if you win. You have until noon on Sunday, February 7 to leave your comment - then a winner will be picked with the help of Random.org.

Good luck!

On the Hunt

Yesterday was the big house-hunting start and I went well. We didn't find the home of our dreams, but we still felt productive. We learned a few things:


-We don't want a condo. We sort of knew before we went out - but our trip confirmed it.


-HGTV would die if they saw most people's houses. Especially the purple one we saw. Literally every room was purple.


-House descriptions can lie.


The townhouse we liked the best was listed as "meticulously maintained." The truth? It was nowhere near. You didn't even have to go inside to figure that out - the storm door was unattached and leaning against the front of the house and the front window screens were bent and ripped. Inside was more of the same. It wasn't clean or updated - the owners didn't even make the effort to replace burnt out light bulbs (about half in the house were burnt out).

So, it needed work. A bit of work. More work than any other place we saw. And - go figure - it was the one we liked best. We're not ready to make a move on it yet, though. It's currently listed $20,000 higher than one that just sold in that development - and that one was in perfect condition. Perhaps if we can't find something better in the upcoming weeks we'll revisit it and see if we can't get the price down.

What does one wear house hunting?

Tomorrow afternoon Mark and I are meeting with a realtor to see some homes. It will be our first house-hunting venture and to say I'm excited would be an understatement - it's pretty much been on my mind all week.

A few days ago, I randomly googled "what to wear house hunting". I'm not sure what I was thinking. Perhaps a part of me just wanted to justify my current shopping itch. Instead, I was surprised to find that there were actually articles and advice on this topic.

Who would have thought?

You're not supposed to wear all your good diamonds because people will expect you can pay more for a property. (I caught myself wondering, what diamonds?) And, you shouldn't wear spike heels because they can damage bamboo floors and will make you sink into the lawn. (Well, no duh!)

And, you should dress price-range appropriate. To be honest, I have no idea what that means in terms of my wardrobe. In less expensive areas of the country, we could easily buy a small mansion. In NJ, we're hoping for a decent sized townhouse.

What kind of outfit says "I've-got-my-shit-together-and-can-totally-afford-a-starter-home-but-I-don't-want-to-go-broke-on-this-either"?

I think I'll do jeans and a sweater and a cute pair of flats. Safe, yet decently fashionable. And, if that doesn't work, I'll have an excuse to shop before our next trip out.

Back from DC

This weekend I had the chance to do something I almost never do - have a girls weekend. My friend Melissa and I headed out early Saturday morning to spend some time in DC. Melissa is a stalker huge fan of Brendan Morrison - and since he's currently playing for the Washington Capitals, that's the team of choice.

We got to their practice facility bright and early so we could watch Brendan and the rest of the team get some skating in.




And once they were off the ice, we hung out outside seeing if any of them would come out on the way to their cars. And they did! We got to meet:

Tom Poti

John Erskine

Mike Green

and Semyon Varlamov.

All of the guys were really nice and it was really fun to get a chance to get autographs and pictures with people you'd usually just see on TV.

Saturday night we went to the Capitals game vs. the Phoenix Coyotes. It was a great game to watch and the Caps won it 4-2.

One thing that really, really impressed me was just how accessible the team was. We were able to just walk into their practice and watch them and the guys who came out the main entrance really didn't have any qualms about taking a few minutes for their fans. I had always imagined hockey fans as a somewhat rowdy group, but the Caps fans were really a great bunch. Even though it was my first hockey game - and my first trip to DC in years - I felt like I fit right in. They're doing pretty well right now, and I'll totally be rooting for them for the rest of the season.

Of course, the trip did have one sour spot - despite our best efforts we weren't able to track down Mr. Morrison. We did get some good leads though - Melissa even gave her phone number to a woman who promised to work her sources and find out what kind of car he's currently driving. (I told you the Caps fans were a friendly bunch!) Melissa's got tickets for a few more games this season - hopefully she'll get a chance to track him down on one of those trips!

Rocky Plays Fetch

This was too cute not to share!

They're not just our cats.

You know that saying it takes a village to raise a child? I'm pretty sure the same applies for pets. So many people love our little kitties.

As I mentioned before, Rocky and Kali were previously adopted by a family who ended up having to bring them back to the rescue group because of allergy issues. They loved them. And their foster mom loved them too. I just finished emailing both of them updates on how they're doing and some new pictures.

And our families both love them too. My parents and sister came down and showered them with more toys and affection this weekend. Mark's parents have gotten a few emails full of pictures and will be coming down to meet them soon.

It makes me happy to know that we can give these little guys a good home so that everyone that loves them won't have to worry about what will happen to them.

Goodie Bag Giveaway Winners

Congrats to...

Cassie, Yvonne and Jennilee for being the first three to respond and thus each grabbing a goodie bag.

And the winner of the additional goodie bag, chosen by Random.org is...

Comment number six was from Lena!

You should all have emails from me. Respond within 48 hours and your goodie bags will be on their way!

We have to start somewhere, right?

One of my 101 goals is to run a 5k. It's something I've been putting off working on because well, I hate to run. What was I thinking when I made this goal? I'm not so sure. I guess that's what happens when you work on the same goal list for 2 years - it sounded good at the time!

Anyway, I'm determined to do it, so this week I started this program. So far, so good.

And, as additional motivation, I've found a 5k that would be really fun to run - the Run for the Wild at the Bronx Zoo. Seriously, how fun would it be to run through a zoo?

Any runners out there have tips on starting to run?

House Party Pictures & Giveaway Reminder!

A few quick pictures from Saturday's Fun, Fit & Guilt Free House Party:

The goodie bags! Have you entered to win one yet?

I made water bottle labels to dress up the water a little.


All the party stuff set up and ready to go.

The Melissas getting ready to play Just Dance.

Michelle couldn't stop laughing watching them!

We all had a really good time. Everyone tried out Your Shape and Just Dance and then we hung out, eating Jell-O and chatting. Everyone really liked the Jell-O Mousse Temptations. We tried all three flavors - Carmel, Chocolate and Dark Chocolate - and they were all good.

And, the party sort of re-booted my motivation to workout, which is always a good thing.

Baked Potato Soup for 2

When it was cold growing up, my Mom would make big pots of soup. So since NJ (like most of the US, so I hear) has been freaking cold this last week or so, I started craving soup.

I hate making big pots, though, because we either A) have to eat it for pretty much every meal after that or b) it goes bad before we get to finish it - so I was super excited to find a quick, easy recipe that would make just enough for the two of us! I cooked it up along side a beer bread mix our cousin gave us for Christmas and it made a great, warming dinner.

Baked Potato Soup for 2

1 large potato

2 strips of bacon
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 small garlic clove, minced
5 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
6 to 8 drops hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese

Scrub and pierce potato. Microwave on high for 4-6 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel and cube potato; set aside.

In a small saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towel. When cool enough to handle, dice. In the drippings, saute onion and garlic until tender. Stir in the flour, basil and pepper until blended. Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Add the cream, cubed potato and hot pepper sauce; heat through (do not boil). Top each serving with bacon and cheese before serving.

3 Months, 6 Months

Today marks six months since Mark and I got married. It's been a great six months.

And, how did we spend it? Back in church. Our newest cousin - just about three months old - was Baptised this afternoon.

It was a nice way to spend the day - back with the family and thinking about what lies ahead in our marriage. We've done a lot in the last six months and we're really looking forward to the next six - and the sixty years after that.

Fun, Fit & Guilt Free House Party - Party Favors & Giveaway

** This Giveaway is now Closed.

Today, a bunch of my girlfriends are coming over to try out Your Shape and Just Dance for Wii and Jello Mousse Temptations, courtesy of House Party.

I've tried out both of the games already and I have to say, I'm mighty impressed.

When I turned on Your Shape I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it's an updated version of Yourself!Fitness - a game I've had for years. The basis of Yourself!Fitness was that a virtual personal trainer, Maya, guided you through workouts customized to what your fitness goals were. The biggest downside to this game was that I had it for PC - and there was just never enough room to work out wherever my computer was.

Your Shape is the new, updated version. Instead of Maya, we have Jenny McCarthy leading the workout and instead of having to take our pulse and count our own pushups, situps, squats, etc. there's a camera that keeps track for you. The camera is really what makes this game. During the workout, you don't have to hold a controller - one of my pet peeves of other workout games - the camera does all the work.

Your image is projected on to the screen so you can watch your form. Jenny also provides feedback and encouragement as you go. There's also no half-assing your workout because - hey! - the camera is watching you! It was really a great workout.

The setup was incredibly easy. I did have to do a little re-arranging of the living room to be able to get all of myself in view of the camera, but we're in a small apartment so that's par for the course. It's also been a little tricky to get the lighting right - having it too dark affects how well the camera can pick you up.

Just Dance was more whimsically fun and less fitness-focused. While you're undoubtedly burning calories, you're not concentrating on your movements as much. On screen prompts lead you through choreographed dance moves to stereotypical party songs, like Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Who Let the Dogs Out. Unlike Your Shape, Just Dance allows for multi-player play - making it a really fun party game.

We're also trying out the new, Jell-O Mousse temptations today. While I haven't tried them yet I'm excited to - I pretty much love all things Jell-O.

And, since the House Party mantra is to share the fun with your friends, I couldn't leave out my blogging buddies.

Favors for Everyone!

As readers of my Blog, I have two treats as part of the House Party. First, if you'd like to buy your own copy of Your Shape for Wii, you can get $10 off at Amazon by using code "YOURSHPE".

Right now, Amazon has it on sale for $49.99 with free shipping - so it's only $39.99 after the code. That's cheaper than my per-month gym membership.

There's also a special contest for party guests - text "YOURSHAPE" to 44144 for your chance to win a workout kit valued at more than $300!

Goodie Bag Giveaway!

What's a party without goodie bags? I made up several extra goodie bags to give to my blog readers. The goodie bags include a pedometer, a "For Dummies" pocket book (either Meditation, Super Foods or Being Your Best Self), a workout headband and some healthy snack options - and the first three followers to respond with their favorite work out or healthy eating tip each get one!

In addition, everyone that leaves a tip will be entered to win the big goodie bag - filled with everything above plus coupons for free Jell-O Mousse Temptations. Winner will be chosen at noon on 1/15, so get your comments in before then!

My Husband Rocks

This week has been incredibly busy at work for Mark. He hasn't gotten home before nine any night this week. He's thoroughly exhasted.

But, that hasn't stopped him from being a great Daddy to the new kitties. He gets up earlier to feed them and when he gets home at night he takes the time to play and cuddle. And even though he hasn't been around as much, Rocky and Kali have totally warmed up to him and love him. He rocks!

5 Weeks Vacation

2010 marks the third year I'm with my company so I'm entitled to an additional week of vacation time - bringing my total paid time off to 26 days, or 5 weeks and 1 day.

Sounds like an awful lot, doesn't it? I think so too.

I'll be taking some time off when my buddies Laura and Nicole visit - and probably some time around the house move and the holidays - but that still leaves plenty of time to do some traveling. Mark and I have been busy dreaming up where we'll go this year.

Some of the contenders are:

New Orleans

A Carribean Cruise

The Mall of America

Outer Banks of NC

Where would you go if you had 5 weeks of vacation to burn?

Introducing Rocky & Kali

Our adoption application was approved and last night I got to bring home these two little loves:



Don't let their cute, sleepy faces fool you. They only looked like this after hours of running around the apartment.



This is Kali, which means "black" and is also the name of the Hindu goddess of destruction. Her foster Mom told us she was fearless and into everything - so we thought it was a fitting name.

When we got home, Kali hopped out the carrier ready to play. There was no warming up period for her - she just loved us instantly.



Rocky, on the other hand, is our shy guy. He's actually pretty brave, too - he's just out-shined by Kali right now. He's much more tentative about us. He'll play with us - chasing string or whatever - but isn't so keen on us touching him just yet. We've both been able to pet him for a few seconds, but then he gets jumpy and backs away. He's not outright hiding - he likes to be just on the edge of the action. I'm sure in a few days he'll prove to be just as rambunctious as Kali.

Growing the family

Mark and I have been talking about getting kittens for more than a year now. We'd set a timeline of "after the holidays" months ago. As yesterday was the first day that could officially be considered "post-holidays" we jumped on it.

We went yesterday afternoon and got approval from the apartment manager.

This afternoon, we put in an adoption application for two adorable kittens. They're about four months old - a boy and a girl - and were previously adopted together but had to be given back because the adopter developed bad allergies/asthma because of them. The rescue group really wants them to be adopted together again and they were really excited to hear that we were looking for two playful youngsters.

We spent the better part of the weekend shopping for our new fuzzy friends. The new litter box is set up and the bag of litter is sitting ready. There's a scratching post, matching dishes, a brush and a bunch of toys, too.

We should be hearing from the rescue group this week about whether or not we got approved. We're hoping to hear "yes" tomorrow so we can bring them home - the suspense is killing us!

Goals for 2010

Even though I don't usually keep them, I make resolutions every year. This year, I didn't - simply because I couldn't think of any. I'm really happy with where I am right now and really struggle to think of anything I want to change.

So, instead of resolutions, I have goals for 2010: Buy a house, get our first pets and finish my 101 in 1001 list.

Maybe it's the same as making resolutions, but I feel better calling them goals.

What are your goals and resolutions for 2010?

2009 in Pictures

I couldn't let 2009 go without one more little tribute. Here's a quick montage of some 2009 memories - enjoy and Happy New Year!