Mind Blow February 2013

This may come as a shock to many of you, but I'm pretty dorky. And my boyfriend, well, he's not exactly the manliest of librarians (ok, well maybe he is...). We like dancing in public, skipping on the streets in spring and can't mention the word bacon without bursting into the hula song. Well tonight my nerdy mind was blown and it needed recording.  Begin scene:

Katie is in the middle of a facebook shout-out to her brother in law, who was thoroughly traumatized over the holidays by her (and her boyfriend's) love of Too Cute! - the best show ever on animal planet...or the world.
Katie: Which Parry Gripp song should we post? Baby bunny or baby monkey?
TJ: Baby monkey....no, baby bunny.
Katie posts with glee after the two watch and dance to several videos.
Katie (hesitantly): Is it ok if I really actually like his songs, like sincerely? Like I like the tune and his voice and the style and the silly words and if they were longer or he made a record I would actually listen to them?
TJ: That's perfectly alright - I really like them too!
Katie: OK good cause I really like him.
Katie thinks to herself: Hrm, I wonder what he looks like or who he is. To wikipedia!!
Upon which she discovers...

Wikipedia:
Parry Gripp (born September 22, 1967)[1] is a singer-songwriter as well as lead vocalist and guitarist for the pop punk band Nerf Herder.

Nerf Herder?!?!? For those that don't know, Nerf Herder was (is?) one of my favorite nerd-punk bands from the 90's, who I've learned still make occasion albums and apparently did the theme song to Buffy. So I guess I totally have listened to several albums by Parry Gripp already, and enjoyed his voice, the style and the silly words.

Mind blown.

End scene. Queue music video I didn't remember existed:
Is this what you wanted, Sammy Hagar?

(and not at all known classics like Golf Shirt)
Ok, really done now.
Happy day.

Challenge 1 - Report!

As many of you may or may not remember (or care?), I've decided to attempt a 2013 challenge or multiple 2-3 week challenges. My first challenge - flossing. Nothing real earth shattering here. I went years and years without having any cavities - all the way into college. But lately, not so good. I even went (accidentally mind you) three years in college without going to a dentist. I just kind of forgot about it. And big surprise, since then I've been getting more cavities.

At first, it didn't really matter to me. It was "just one - not such a big deal". Then it was "Just two - most people have had loads by now. I'm really just catching up to where I should be." Then it was three, four. I don't know how many altogether. All small and non-problematic, except that I *used* to be someone that had never had a cavity. Ever.  I still remember being in the dentist office, 10yo, going for my fluoride treatments (which i loved because my dentist had cinnamon flavor), and seeing a sign hanging up on the wall: "You don't have to floss all your teeth...." - this is good, I don't have to floss!! - "...just the ones you want to keep!" - Damnit! Fooled by a clever rhyme again.

None of it really mattered, until I started having to pay for it, that is. In that past, my dental insurance was pretty OK. Nothing amazing, but good. These little cavities didn't really hit the wallet too hard. But this last one - I paid 134 out of $184. Not ok!! Apparently my insurance thinks I should get silver filings on my back teeth and that white ones are too much of a splurge. I went against every cheap natural instinct of mine in order to not "ruin" my "white" smile. It was a rude awakening.

So flossing seemed like the natural first challenge. Overall, I think I flossed about 75% of the days - sometimes I was just too lazy. Did I learn anything amazing? No, probably not. But I did learn that its really not at all that bad to freaking floss. And if I don't want to spend $200 on cavities to appease my laziness, I should just floss and not be such a lazy butt! My gums are still a little sore each time, and my permanent retainer is still a pain (working on that - need to call orthodontist), but I'm getting used to it. And it's not nearly such a daunting task. Who really wants to floss?

Well, this lady minds it a little less nowadays. I've postponed my 6mo. dentist appointment to see if it makes a difference. Last time, some of my gums were still "irritated" - hoping for better next time! So I guess I don't have to floss all my teeth - but I do have to floss for the monies I want to keep.

Four months later....

And I definitely have not been blogging, eh? Boooooo. I'm thinking that should change for 2013. I'm thinking 26 x 2-week challenges, with updates. Some of them probably won't be that awe-inspiring, but I'm constantly wishing I was improving X-Y-Z about myself - so I should finally get my butt off the couch. Lovely, "easy" things, such as:

• floss!;
• read more (magazines don't count);
• make friends for realz;
• use random items in the freezer/pantry;
• attempt morning workouts;
• save money;
• learn to sew for real; 
• study some engineering things;
• watch less tv;
• buy something on QVC;
• learn how to take good pictures; and
• finish my in-progress craft projects.

So that's it! I'll be updating as I go and accepting suggestions and challenges. I'd like to be excellent to myself in 2013. And....

Party on dudes!!!

Darla is it?

We've all seen Finding Nemo, right? Excellent film. Thoroughly enjoyable. Well, I came to the realization today that I AM DARLA!!!!  The death machine that all the fish fear. Yeah, that's me.

At least in the world of plants I am. I kill everything. My amazing great grandmother would be rolling over in her grave if she saw what I do to plantlife of all kinds. Most recently, I've killed:

• A basil bush (pricey too - got it at the farmers market!)
• A smaller basil plant
• Pansies
• Venus fly trap
• Most of my cilantro (a few sprouts are hanging on)
• Lilies
• Some mystery plant that looked like the speck from Horton Hears a Who.

I've even killed cacti. And bamboo. Twice.

The only thing I can seem to keep alive is this $0.99 plant I got from Walmart!


<===== Walmart plant FTW

I got a sunflower plant about two weeks ago and tried so damn hard to keep it alive. I read about it (ok ok, only a little). I tried to pay attention. Watered it (though I have no clue how much water you're actually supposed to give one). Put it in the sun. Talked to it. Loved it. All that good stuff.

No luck. He now looks like this ========>

I got a new one a few days ago, brought her home and put her next to her very dead friend. Probably moderately terrifying for the "new" sunflower. Assuming sunflowers can think and feel of course. And it hit me....

I. AM. DARLA.

I want that! Ep1.0

I recently found a show called "I want that!" They essentially just have 3 min bits on random cool products, usually for the home. I loved it! And I thought that I could do that on my blog.  So here's my first installment of I Want That - Katie style.

Essential Oils Sniffers.

I've been seeing a lot of buzz about these in several magazines I read. Basically, when you're stressed out, you just pull out a container of this super smelly wonderful oil and it's supposed to calm you down. This of course was supported by "studies" that weren't listed, but I think it's totally believable and I'd love to give it a whiff. The ones I saw recommended were:

• Pocket Diffusers
• Nature's Alchemy Pure Essential Oil Rosemary
• Aveda Stress Fix

Tiles - but cooler!

OK, so this one I actually saw on "I want that" but they're just so cool that I had to share. As I start to more seriously consider buying a home, I try to take note of easy ways to add some flare in a simple way. These tiles have an adhesive back  for super simple SMART installation. I think even my boyfriend could do this :)

Adhesive backsplash?!?

Caitlin Moran

I don't quite remember where I heard a review on this woman, but she was described as a modern Rosanne, which sounds right up my alley. She's written several books, one titled How To Be a Woman, which is on my Amazon wishlist right now! At one point, she goes on a mini-rant about the current state of "pube disapproval". Hilarious, IMO....

"I can't believe we've got to a point where it's basically costing us money to have a vagina. They're making us pay for maintenance and upkeep of our lulus, like they're a communal garden. It's a stealth tax ... This is money we should be spending on THE ELECTRICITY BILL and CHEESE and BERETS ..."

Caitlin, I cant believe it either.

So guys, I want these things. Do you?

Boring to.... yummy?

So I think just about everyone at some point has seen a cheap (or not so cheap) paper lantern style light fixture, right? And if you're like me, you're less than thrilled about how commonplace they are nowadays. The cool ones are uber expensive and hard to find. Meanwhile, mine focuses more as a dead bug catcher than anything else. And it's got a huge rip in one sides.

Luckily, I saw a great and simple idea to revamp ye olde paper lantern for about $5. Cupcake wrappers! Yup, cupcake wrappers. Here what I used:

• About ~200 large cupcake wrappers
• About ~200 mini cupcake wrappers
• Hot glue.

 That's it! Here's an intermediary shot:

Nothing really to it. Just glued on lots of big ones first (easier with a partner to do the hot gluing and break the hot glue threads!) and then I glued the smaller ones inside each of them. I didn't squish them too much.

 

I wasn't too sure at this point. It didn't look as flowy as I wanted and I didn't know how much of an effect the smaller ones would have, but I kept on! Well, me and my helper.   

And for the final product....

Tadaa! A simple, chic, cheap, quick project with a big effect. Any cool simple projects you want to do? Let me know (so I can steal them!!)

Part Deux - The Jersey Edition

Well howdy-ho! Have you missed me? Obviously, it's been ages since I've blogged and it's time to get crackin' again! Let's consider this Part II of my blog - the Jersey chapter? I'd like to make this an exciting post, but I'll be honest - this is the "summary of recent life events and missteps and things I want to improve" post. So....

Sorry!!!

So in the past 6 months, I graduated dive school (top of my class - take that boys), scored a new job with a great company, moved to New Jersey (wtf - I know), moved in with my lovely boyfriend and have started a new phase of my life as an underwater bridge inspector. I'll try to elaborate on all of those at some point. I'm sure there's at least one montage of cool dive photos in me.

So now for the elephant in the room (the blog room...?) - that would be me! :-x Woahhhh is there a lot of me nowadays! Surprisingly, I've been pretty upbeat about my current "big boned"-ness. Unfortunately, that's also lead to some pretty apathetic complacency that just needs to quit! I've been ramping up for a good solid game-change over the past few weeks. I've been getting back in the gym a lot more regularly (re-starting New Rules of Lifting for Women). I've been going for lots of bike rides and walks. I've done some awesome farmer's market shopping:

I'm trying to kick it up a notch now though and actually track, log, blog and focus on getting healthy. It's not really a getting fit thing anymore - I feel generally unhealthy and that just wont do. So here are some of my upcoming health goals:

• Homemade dinners - been lazy lately!
• Homemade breakfast - I used to make awesome eggwhite omelets. That would be great but some premade fritatta or quiche would be great too.
• More protein!!! - A must have for any gal trying to get back in shape, stay full, bring back some of the muscles.
• Take my vitamins, especially my iron and fish oil
• Floss
• Invest in better quality kitchenware - BPA free/microwave safe tupperware recommendations?
• Give morning workouts another shot - I'll probably procrastinate this goal!
• Go to sleep earlier/wake up more regularly
• Learn to run again
• Not suck at pushups (never ever been good at these, even at the height of my fitness abilities)
• Try new recipes - I have lots of great healthy cookbooks that should get dusted off
• Drink more water/tea and less (eventually none) diet soda

I'm going to be working on incorporating them slowly. I'm thinking one new habit a week? Maybe every other week? I should really give that small changes thing a good chance. In addition to those, I'll be working on some general life goals:

• Putting out the trash on Monday (not tuesday am)
• Find healthy/green/craft magazines
• Try not to kill all plants that enter my house
• Do the dishes!
• Read more
• Write to/call my friends more
• Blog!!
• Start playing the piano again
• Actually do the crafts I've bought supplies for.
• Sign up for some classes in town. We have:
• ExtraordinaryEd - where you can take special classes on all sorts of goodness
• The Quilted Nest - where I could *finally* take sewing lessons
• In the Kitchen - Classes including date night courses
• Start prepping and slowly reviewing for the PE exam -April 2013? October 13? We'll see.
• Learn about home buying

Well that doesn't sound like too big of a list, does it?  Hopefully I'll be able to take it slow and steady and add new good habits at a decent pace. And more importantly, get some fun blogs out of it and get you guys back in the loop with my life!

Cheers! Let's go!