Tuesday, December 15, 2009

My favorite things - Winter edition

Taking a page out of Oprah's book, I want to share some things that really make my life better, in a practical way. Things that I would suggest to close friends, or family members. I did one of these in the summer, but it had very summery-things on it (like sunscreen and flip-flops). Sunscreen and flip-flops feel like a world away right now. :)
1.
Starbucks Eggnog Lattes (light, decaf). Nothing says "holidays" more to me than this drink. And if you ask for a little extra nonfat milk, it's not so bad for you!













2. Bella Band by Ingrid and Isabel: This is a MUST HAVE for anyone who is newly pregnant. I love mine (I have two - one white, one black). I've been wearing it since I was about 17 weeks pregnant, almost every day. The only days I don't wear it is when I'm wearing pants that have a full-belly panel. I love it because it helps hold my pants up, makes me feel like I'm "held in" in all the right places, and keeps me warm because I'm having a winter pregnancy. I'll probably keep wearing it post-partum as a "support-hose" substitute.

3.
Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Sugar Scrub. Can you say at-home pedicure in 3 minutes? I can. I use this stuff a lot, maybe
once a week or so, and the different scents really do effect my mood (for the better). My favorite is Orange Ginger for Energy.






4. Motherhood Maternity: Ok, this is the end of the "pregnancy things," but I really love this store. They have a great online system, which is good for someone who lives in Pullman, but the in-store staff is really great and the prices can't be beat. Some of the clothes are more fashionable than others, but that's to be expected, since expectant moms come in all ages and sizes.

5. Pandora.com: I can't believe I hadn't discovered this online radio site until last week. I am now totally addicted, listening all the time at work. You get 40 free hours per month, and they will tailor-make a radio station according to what you like and dislike. I typed in "Michael Buble Holiday" and the music that followed was absolutely perfect for office-listening.

6. Armommy: This company is owned by a friend of ours, Rae Friis, and her mother. Rae lives over in Seattle and she is one of the most fun, creative people I've ever known. Armommy comes up with products that make a mother's life easier, and Rae does printing; holiday cards, gift tags, invitations, etc. I fully intend to buy one of her nursing tops and some of her bibs when baby comes!

7.
Suave Damage Care Shampoo and Conditioner: Due to prenatal vitamins and pregnancy hormones, my hair is growing at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, while it's growing fast, it doesn't seem to be growing healthy. Combine that with the very dry winter air, and I had a lot of breakage on my hands. When the hair stylist told me I need to switch shampoos, I thought I'd give this one a try since it was cheap ($2.79 per bottle at Wal-Mart) and I've liked Suave products in the past. I was pleasantly surprised! It really does seem to have made a difference. If you are struggling with breakage and split ends, you should give it a try.

8. Wrapping paper from Costco. In December of 2004, Jeremy and I were preparing for our first Christmas as a married couple. I had never wrapped that many gifts before, so I thought - "why don't I just get a roll of paper from Costco?" Well, five years later, that roll of paper has finally run out, as I wrapped gifts for this year. I seriously wrapped almost every gift we gave over five Christmases in that same paper from Costco (good thing I liked the print), and I cannot believe how long it lasted. Not only that, but it was really high quality paper as well, with a good feel, and it didn't rip easily. I believe it was 300 square feet for $9, or something close.

9.
Starbucks Peppermint Mocha (nonfat, decaf): Normally this entry would be "hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps," but since that's off the menu for me this year, Starbucks gets an extra shout-out. These are delicious.

I was shooting for a list of 10 things, but I ended up with 9. Oh well, that's life!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

It's been a long time.

I didn't realize how long I've gone without a new post! How disappointing. Anyway, below is a belly pic of me today, almost 25 weeks pregnant. Only 15 weeks left! I guess we better get going on the nursery...

We ordered some prints for the walls from Artimals.com, and of course I'll post photos when the nursery is put together, but I have a feeling it'll be a while. Honestly we probably won't really start working on it seriously until January. Oh well.

We got the house decorated for Christmas, and found out that we'll be going to Boise with the University of Idaho for the Humanitarian Bowl. Fun! I love this time of year - I'll even put up with waking up to 0 degree temperatures for the Holidays!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Of which to be thankful

Thanksgiving is a week from tomorrow. That makes me very excited, since this year especially we will have a large family gathering and I am immensely looking forward to seeing everyone! In that spirit, today I am thankful for:

-Hot chocolate, in a very cold November in Pullman.
-Cheerleaders and dancers who are more than willing to carry things for their pregnant coach.
-A husband who, despite being sick, works extremely hard and cooks for me.
-An easy, "low-risk," trouble-free pregnancy. Praise God!
-A savior who loves me regardless of my sins and failures.
-Decaf Eggnog Lattes from Starbucks, and some friends who gave me a gift card.
-A few days off next week.
-My last 10 days of being 27. :)

Monday, November 16, 2009

A little something to share

I read a lot of stories online, most of which are either sent to me or linked from one of my blogs. This one is pretty long, so you'd need some time to read it, but it is a very touching true story about a man and his autistic son who were swept into the sea while swimming.

I love the ocean, but also think it's one of my Top Three Scariest Things.

Friday, November 6, 2009

It's A Boy! And other bits and pieces

We found out this morning that our baby is a boy! A big boy, by the way, who has a rather large head. That will be fun to push out...

Everything looked great on the ultrasound, and I feel really good. My favorite part was that we got to see baby boy yawn twice during the ultrasound. Very cute. Got my H1N1 shot today, and have a sore throat to prove it. :)

Just some pictures to update - here's me at 19 weeks (today I'm 20 weeks) and my cheerleaders in the Alamo Bowl as we played Notre Dame in San Antonio last week.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Gratitude

Dear Pullman Transit Bus Driver,
You are the hero of my crappy Monday. You know, one of those Mondays where even the weather is depressing, your body doesn't feel right, and maybe something crappy happens too? Well, I'd like to thank you for doing your job well, and thinking of others, during what I'm sure was a busy day. Why? Because more people ride the bus when it's raining. See, I know, because I went to school at Western.

Thank you that you noticed me walking on the sidewalk in the pouring rain. Thank you that you noticed the HUGE puddle in the street about three feet from me. Thank you that instead of blasting through that puddle and drenching me from head to toe, you slowed down and let me speed-walk past the puddle before driving through it. You are a caring person.

Because while today was not the best Monday ever, you saved it from being the worst Monday ever with your kindness.

Thank you, Monday hero! You were a blessing on a very gray day.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

I am WAY too old for this - by about 10 years.


But I guess this is what I get from working with college kids...

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Your source for all things pregnancy :)

1) I watched a rerun of Dr. Phil the other day, where he spent an hour talking about stay-at-home v. working mothers. I can honestly say I agree with everything he had to say on this, a very polarizing issue! He featured Heather Armstrong, writer of Dooce.com, as a guest expert, and hers is a website I read quite often. It's poignant, but also a little bit heavy on the language, so there's your warning. It's interesting to me that women who are probably quite intelligent, loving, level-headed people can so completely lose their heads over this issue! I'll give you a clue - there is no one-trick solution for every family. You gotta make it work how you can make it work! :)

2) Last Thursday, for the first time, someone recognized that I am pregnant without my telling them (my dental hygienist, who I see every six months like clockwork). I definitely have a belly, and have been utilizing the rubber-band on the jeans technique almost every day. Picture below.

3) Found out that baby can hear us now. His/her ears are functioning, and I should really start feeling movement soon (I have thought I felt something once or twice, but wasn't totally sure).

4) We'll find out if we're having baby boy Wang or baby girl Wang on Nov. 6th, as long as the ultrasound is clear. My bet? Boy.
Here's me at 17 weeks (on Sunday). Still getting used to the automatic setting on the camera. Can't figure out the right moment to smile - ha! :)

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Although I DO have plenty of things to say about my pregnancy (I'll save them for another time), I thought I would diverge a bit and talk about the fact that I actually have many things going on in my life that do not have to do with pregnancy.

I also think about things unrelated to babies, which I'm sure will surprise my husband. :)

We are in a home-group Bible study with about 30 people from our church on Tuesday nights. This year, we are studying the core of our beliefs and how they match up with beliefs of churches like LDS. It has been eye-opening and fascinating. The book we're working through is "The Changing World of Mormonism," which I believe is older than me, and we all had to buy used copies off Amazon because it's been out of print for something like 12 years. If you have questions, it's a great resource.

Also, work has been pretty crazy the last couple months! We've had four home football games, a trip to Seattle and one to L.A., along with a few very fun and exciting volleyball matches. The volleyball team is ranked 25th in the nation, which is GREAT, but eight teams in the Pac-10 are ranked in the top 25, so they've got their work cut out for them over the next five weeks!

Homecoming was last week, so here's a pic of the "Coug Wall" stunt, and a video of the "Ball Back" pyramid. :)




Monday, September 28, 2009

I know what you're thinking

I know what you're thinking - "Oh, man. She's just going to turn her blog into a pregnancy journal." Well, not true. But, yes, today is another pregnancy post. :) I figure, it's about all people ask me about anyway, so they must be interested.

Here's a picture of me today at almost 15 weeks - I'm just starting to show. I'm really surprised at how self concious I am about being pregnant. I was shy at first when we started telling people, and now I have all these body image issues about gaining the weight. I think it's just a phase, and I'm sure come February, when I'm huge I'll think it was all very silly to feel this way.

And here is a little blog post I wrote a while back, before we were telling people about the pregnancy.
Post written July 22, 2009 (4 or 5 weeks pregnant)

I found out I was pregnant last Friday. It was a huge shock. I took the test on a whim, convinced my period was going to start ANY MINUTE, and was so shocked at the positive result that I told Jeremy in about the worst way possible, and took 2 more tests within a four-hour period. Of course they all said the same thing.

I think the reason I was so shocked was because I had heard that when you go off the pill, it takes a while (at least a month or two) for you to start ovulating again. NOT TRUE.

Before I knew I was pregnant, I had felt "normal." Sure, I had been needing to use the restroom in the middle of the night more than usual, and I'd had 2 little tummy aches, but for the most part, my body felt the same.

But the moment that test said "pregnant," I started feeling symptoms. I started being nauseous, peeing every hour, my boobs started hurting, and I was tired. Yeah, right. Like I went from "normal" to all that in 1 day. So I decided that at least at this stage of my pregnancy, I can feel exactly as "out of sorts" as I want to.

That could mean that I feel something (tired) and make the worst of it - "Oh I'm so tired and pregnant, I need 12 hours of sleep tonight." Or I can just be a little drowsy and make it through the rest of my day. Or I could feel nauseous and go sit by the toilet expecting morning sickness to overtake me at any moment, or I could just take a couple deep breaths and get on with life.
I'm sure there will be plenty of time down the road for really being overcome by this pregnancy. For now, since no one knows I'm pregnant, I want to feel as normal as possible. Mind over matter, for now, anyway.
UPDATE: I feel very blessed that I have had an "easy" pregnancy so far - very little morning sickness/nausea, no real issues other than fatigue.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Only six months left

Here is a picture of our little bun in the oven! :) He/she is due on March 26th, which is just about perfect if you ask me, and now I just have to be patient. I think I'll start showing soon, but the pregnancy has been fairly easy for me (thank God) so far. More on that soon. :)
Besides being knocked up, work is just crazy busy, as we finished three weeks in a row of home football games. Thankfully we have two weeks off from games, but I am flying to LA on Friday to help chaperone for our game against USC. They'll be sufficiently pissed off, from their embarrassing loss to Washington this weekend. Yikes!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Resolution

I've decided to not try and force the blog. When I have something to say, I'll write, when I don't, I won't put meaningless crap up here. Sound fair?

I mean really, nobody cares what I had for lunch (leftover Chinese from The Emerald).

But just so there's something here for today, you need to go to www.capitalonebowl.com and vote for Butch T. Cougar! Preferably, every day. Thanks!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Life is Demanding, Without Understanding

Deep, huh?

Last night, while waiting to fall asleep (usually doesn't take long), I started thinking about Ace of Base, the 90's fabulous Swedish pop sensation. I know, totally random, but when I asked Jeremy about them, we both started busting out in song. When I was 13, I had their whole album memorized (Happy Nation), and would dance around in my living room to "The Sign" and "All That She Wants." So for your Wednesday viewing pleaseure, please enjoy some Ace of Base. Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes, they are still a band, and they tour around Europe. Good for them!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96jFtzVa80A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjJwqDa1QVI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RYo0JpT410&feature=related

You know you missed it!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

A thought for today

"This is life's nature: lives and hearts get broken - those of people we love, those of people we'll never meet. The world sometimes feels like the waiting room of the emergency ward and that we who are more or less okay for now need to take the tenderest possible care of the more wounded people in the waiting room, until the Healer comes."
Anne Lamott, in Traveling Mercies

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."
Matthew 9:20-21

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

An experiment

So, last Friday, I was out at my parents lake cabin, by myself (with two dogs), while it rained all night and all day. I went to Video Quest here in Pullman to rent a movie, and found out I could rent 5 old movies for 6 bucks. So I went ahead and did it. Then, I was so bored, I watched four of them in one day. Here's my impressions of them - some I had seen before, some I hadn't.

Movie #1 - Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (1996)
I rented this because Jeremy had taken me to the play in the park two days earlier, so the story was fresh in my mind, and I realized it had been almost 12 years since I've seen this version. I do love how Baz Lehrmann took olde english, and put it into a modern, gang-riddled, dirty L.A. setting. 17-year-old Leonardo Decaprio doesn't do it for me, but the characters are all portrayed very well.

My thoughts on the actual STORY, though? Well, first, Romeo and Juliet are DRAMA QUEENS, and Romeo hangs out in a pretty rough crowd. Secondly, they received some VERY unwise council, in the forms of the Priest and the Nurse. Star cross'd lovers? Yes, but perhaps cooler heads may have prevailed? But then it wouldn't be a timeless love story, would it?

Movie #2 - Definitely, Maybe (2008)

I've recently become a Ryan Reynolds fan, ever since I saw him in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Proposal.

Definitely, Maybe stars him and Abigail Breslin as his daughter. It's a very cute telling of a man's life story, or maybe more accurate, his love story. It's very sweet, and definitely worth a rental, maybe. :)




Movie #3 - August Rush (2007)
To be honest, I never had much of a desire to see this movie. That being said, I rented it because I had friends who LOVED it.

I almost turned it off 10 minutes in, because the premise is so absurd. "Orphaned kid finds his parents by 'following the music.'" Puh-lease.

However, I'm glad I stuck with it, because it's a beautiful story, it's always worthwhile to see Robin Williams play a creepy character, and I do love me a happy ending!

Movie #4 - Cold Mountain (2003)
As my husband can attest, I have a terrible memory. I rented this one, forgetting I'd seen it on the DVR at home.

That being said, I'm glad I watched it again. It's such an incredible movie, with outstanding acting and a poignant storyline.

It's no wonder this movie was nominated for seven Oscars. Just an FYI - there are some steamy scenes, that certainly weren't there in the TV version, so I wasn't prepared for that...

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Lazy blogger

I admit it. I've been a lazy blogger lately. I think it's because we've gone out of town to the lake every weekend (I know, it's a rough life. Someone's got to do it) and when we're in town, we're desperately getting caught up on work and chores. I know, enough excuses.

The summer has TOTALLY FLOWN BY. I can't beleive that I start "real work" next week. We go to cheer/dance camp at Central Washington next Wednesday through Friday, which I think will be very tiring but really fun. After that, practices start. So I'm trying to savor every last bit of summer, since it's ALL OVER in six days. What? Too dramatic? Okay, I'll stop.

The summer has been lovely, pretty much everything I hoped it would be, lots of travel, seeing family, doing races, hanging out at the lake. It's even been hot enough for me. (Remind me of that when I'm whining in January about the cold/snow) Our house isn't air conditioned, but we make it work pretty well, with window-and-fan-management.

Just to throw a picture in here, here's Reggie and I sacked out in bed, on a hot morning.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Triathlons!

Over the last two weeks, Jeremy has finished two triathlons, and I have done one! I found it
more challenging than I thought it would be (mostly due to the lack of current in the Spokane
River) but fun, nonetheless. I think I'll do one again, maybe next summer!

Here are some photos of Jeremy at Tiger Tri in Colville, WA. It was an Olympic-distance race, .6 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 5 mile run.

Before the swim in the new wetsuit!

Finishing the bike leg


2nd transition. Stuff that Powerbar into your mouth and GO!

And here's a video of him finishing!



And here are some pics of me at Race the River in Coeur d'Alene, ID. This one was sprint distance, 5. mile swim, 11 mile bike, 3.2 mile run. Jeremy did this one as well, but he was in the first heat to start, and I was the last, so he was done by the time I had started!

Coming out of the swim - amazed I could actually run.

Starting the bike leg - my favorite.

At the finish with my tri buds Jessi and Katie. Nice job girls, and thanks for the support!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Warranties are our friends

So as you know, we bought a "new to us" car last month. I still love it. However, on Tuesday evening, we were on our way to see Harry Potter (which was okay, by the way), and I went to get something out of the backseat, and the door wouldn't open! I was so frustrated and annoyed that I just said "I'll deal with it tomorrow."

Now, the nice thing about buying a Hyundai is the warranty. All Hyundais come with a 10 year/ 100,000 mile warranty on the engine, and a 5 year/60,000 mile warranty on all car parts. And even when I bought the car used (it's a 2007), it still had that factory warranty. So I drove down to Wysup Hyundai in Lewiston yesterday to have them check out the door.

As it turns out, both interior panels on the rear doors had come loose, causing them to get jammed when you try to open the door. In an hour, they had them both fixed, and fixed two other problems with the car (factory mandates - the speedometer and brake light), at no cost to me. Woot!

I've never had a car with a warranty before, since I've never bought a car this new. I love it. They gave me a bill that said Total Charges: $85.42. You owe: $0.00. That is what I like to see.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Redirected!

I don't have anything meaningful to say today, so I'm going to direct you to my father-in-law's blog, Logos2Go, because he had a great post yesterday.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Ohio

Last week, we went to Ohio for a family wedding, and spent some time with long-distance family. I had never been to Ohio, but found it very flat and fairly humid. We had a lovely time with Jeremy's family, eating a lot of food, chatting, and playing cornhole. :)


Here's some photo highlights.
Us at the wedding (don't mind the rain-flattened hair).
The wedding colors were green and bright pink - very bright! Here's the cake (which was wonderful) and the centerpieces.

And on our Detroit-Seattle flight home (a pretty brutally long flight, by the way) I spotted this interesting cloud formation (I'd say over the Dakotas).

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Oh, PR, where art thou?

Summer TV sucks. No, really. I've always been known to be someone who maybe watches a little too much TV. But even I don't watch most of the crap that's on in the summer. ABC has such jems as "Wipeout," "Dating in the Dark," and "I survived a Japanese Game Show." NBC is currently airing "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here." HBO one-ups them all with the new show "Hung," (warning, link is PG-13) which, if you can't guess what it's about, well, that's probably okay.

Oh, but let's not forget Fox's "More to Love," which is literally "The Bachelor" for fat people. Nice.

For the last five years, the only thing I've watched in the summertime is So You Think You Can Dance, which I still LOVE, by the way. That's the only DVR timer I've got set right now.

Okay, that's not true. I've started watching this new ABC Family show, "Make it or Break it." It's about a foursome of gymnasts who train at "The Rock" in Boulder, CO., and it may be one of the worst shows ever made. Don't judge me.

Anyway, there was always one glimmer of decent TV amidst the tidal wave of crap. And that was Project Runway. It's now been over a year since season 5 of PR aired. I was thinking the other day, "Where is my beloved Project Runway?" I know you were thinking it too! Well, I'm here to answer your question. Project Runway has been dropped by Bravo, and picked up by Lifetime, and season 6 will premier on August 20th. Thank goodness! You see? They've "made it work!"

Here's a little teaser video for any fans out there!

Just got back from Ohio at midnight last night. Photos and stories to come.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Bald Eagles and pillows on the floor

So you know it's been a long time since you've posted when your three readers are giving you crap about it every time they see you. Sorry. I have been enjoying the sunshine instead of holing up in front of the computer screen. That, and I haven't had much inspiring to say, as I'm sure you'll discern after reading what's below.

It's never a complete Independence Day until you see a bald eagle at the lake, right?
Happy Birthday, America.

Well, I guess for my perfect Fourth of July, you'd need family (check), 90+ degree weather (check), the lake (check), a floatie (check), and LOTS of good food (check). So I'd say we made out pretty well.

On Sunday, I decided I was in need of new shoes for the wedding we're attending this weekend in O-H-I-O, and Jeremy decided he needed a new pillow. Where can you get both these things in one stop? Ross, of course! So head over to Moscow we did. Here is Jeremy pillow-testing in the aisles. What a goof.










By the way, I have come to accept that it is a hard-written truth that every time I wash my car (or cars), it pours down rain two hours later. Such was my Sunday.

P.S. This is what a Beagle looks like when he returns home after a long (fun) weekend, to a house that is 85 degrees.

Monday, June 22, 2009

A Sweet Ride

I guess we can check this rite of passage off our list: we bought a car this weekend. Did the whole "test-drive, negotiate term and rate, sign a million documents, have the dealer wash and 'prep' the car for you" car-buying experience. With no parents within a 200-mile radius. We have very loving, helpful parents, but I'm glad we did this on our own. It sounds strange, but this seemed like a more grown-up, scary thing to me than buying a house. I wonder why that is? Anyway, here's the car. It's a blue 2007 Hyundai Elantra. I love it.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Ah, to be remembered in a sidewalk for posterity

A few blocks from my house, the City of Pullman is paving a sidewalk. It's much needed - along a narrow, steep road where Reggie and I have nearly been sideswiped multiple times. Walking it today, I came across a little message from Emily and Geneviere:
Apparently, they were here! Now, I don't have any problem with little sidewalk "So and So was here" or even "So and so loves So and so" messages in wet concrete. I even think it's quaint and adds small-town-charm to an otherwise boring sidewalk.

Well, so much for small-town-charm. On the next square, Emily and Geneviere drew lewd pictures and wrote nasty four-letter words. Classy. This sidewalk is three blocks from an elementary school, in a family neighborhood. If I were Emily or Geneviere's parents, I'd be having a talk with my daughter. FOR REAL. I might expect this on Greek Row, or in a bigger city, but in my little corner of Pullman? Really?

I dunno, am I overreacting? They're not quite done with the corners of the sidewalk, so my hope is that when they come back to finish the concrete (after the rain), they'll pave right over E & G's little lapse in judgement. We'll see.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Taking a whack at home improvement

I'm really proud of Jeremy for renovating our shower over the weekend. He did a great job. I'm so excited for when the grout is dry and sealed, and we can actually shower in it. A note to all you aspiring home improvement junkies - when renovating a bathroom (or just a shower), it's helpful to have another one to use. A big thanks to Jessica who let us shower at her house multiple times over the weekend. :)

Here's a little photo journey. Don't expect a true "before" photo, because of the aforementioned nastiness. Here's Jeremy and his buddy Karl (without whom this project would have been a major disaster) in demolition phase 2. The plastic surround torn off, cutting through drywall to see (yikes) what's back there. And yes, they found a window... Note - see the curling iron I forgot to put away on the counter - covered in dust.
A closer look at the window. So weird. And a tubfull of debris.
Here's the grouting phase - Karl in his dress socks because he came from a wedding. Classy!
Here's the "almost after" pictures. The tile and grout are finished, but the bullnose (edge) tiles are still on order and will get here Thursday-ish. So that's why it looks so literally rough around the edges.
For anyone who might be keeping track, we haven't gotten the new car yet. Hopefully it will happen on Saturday! For now, I just hope the weather holds up so I can keep biking around town... :)

Friday, June 12, 2009

An Update

So, lots of things going on right now!

We're trying to get out to enjoy the lake, but seem to have things going on every weekend so far. It's okay, I guess, since the water at Coeur d'Alene is COLD right now.

Yesterday I sold my car, which means I'm two-wheelin it around town until I get a new car, which will hopefully happen sometime in the next week or so, but we'll see! At least it's nice weather for biking.

Tomorrow, Jeremy is tiling our shower surround (this summer's home improvement project) so I'll post an after photo next week. I would post a before photo if I wasn't so ashamed at the filthiness that is the current state of the shower. Long story short - the plastic surround doesn't meet the top of the tub, so there's an inch of mold and dry rot that I'm sure is infested with snakes and critters just waiting to grab my ankles while I shower. Okay maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but it is certainly not something to be proud of, or to post on your blog for the world (or your three readers, thanks Jaclyn) to see.

Next weekend is the Plewman Family Reunion in Tri-Cities. Hoo-ha! Should be quite a day.

Watch for pics of the new car! Ooh! Suspense.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Yoga-tastic

I'm currently taking a "Conditioning Yoga" class. It's really challenging! Other yoga classes I've taken have been watered-down, yoga-for-the-masses easy versions. This class, on the other hand, is almost two hours long, and designed for "athletes, dancers, and fitness enthusiasts."

There are only two of us in the class (me and my friend Erika, the dance coach) but it's really fun, because our instructor tailors it specifically to us and our strengths/weaknesses. The teacher says it's a treat for her, because she gets to use all the challenging poses that she can't use in her other classes. I'm ALWAYS sore on Saturdays, usually in my glutes, and my flexibility has shot through the roof from all this yoga!

Sometimes the teacher has a tendency to get a little too "spiritual" for my liking (chakras, anyone?), but all we have to do is tell her we want less of that, and more of the hard stuff, and she's happy to comply. So far, my favorites are Plow Pose, Dolphin Pose, and L Pose.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

10 Things I'm Loving Right Now

1. My pink Samsung Instinct, which is Sprint's version of the I-Phone. The texting took me a while to get used to, but I love love love having the Internet at my disposal, the visual voicemail, and the Sprint TV (full episodes of 30 Rock, anyone?).

2. Silver flip flops. (link to a similar pair at Old Navy) These have pretty much replaced all the rest of my flip flops this summer. I wear them everywhere. The problem is that the soles on these are actually leather, so they're starting to wear out from all the use.

3. The peonies in my back yard. So pretty! The perfect color, and each blossom just gets bigger and bigger!







4. Safeway Organics Italian Sodas. Orange blueberry is my favorite. They're about $2 a bottle (4 servings) and perfect for summer!



5. My Jane Austen Anthology. I've finished Sense and Sensability, and Pride and Prejudice, and I'm about halfway through Mansfield Park, which is pretty scandalous, by the way. I still have Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and Lady Susan. I love having this to read, but it's SO heavy! Also, it makes me feel like a slow reader, because look how much text is one one page!:









6. kottke.org I certainly don't always agree with the politics here, but this is my new source for random facts. Here's something I learned today: "Thanks to digital technology, designers can squeeze so many functions into such tiny containers that there is more computing power in a basic cellphone (not a fancy model, like a BlackBerry or iPhone, just a cheap one) than at NASA's headquarters when it began in 1958. That is why the appearance of most digital products bears no relation to what they do."
7. Banana Boat Faces SPF 30 sunscreen. I've always been prone to breakouts, but I needed to start wearing a high SPF on my face, to avoid the premature aging process. This one is oil free, doesn't smell too "sunscreen-y," made with organic materials, feels good going on, and best of all, doesn't make be break out.
8. White ballet flats. (Link to a similar pair at Target) These are great because I can literally wear them with anything. Skirt? Check. Jeans? Check. Shorts? Check. Capris? Check-check-check. And they're made of PVC pipe, or something, so I can just wipe them clean.
9. Facebook. Seems to be the only way to keep in touch with my cheerleaders/dancers while they're gone over the summer, so I've become even more addicted than I used to be (who knew it was possible)? It's even worse considering Facebook Mobile on my phone (see #1).
10. Working out! Specifically, working out with a buddy who keeps me accountable. My good friend Erika and I have been working out regularly for about three months now. I feel great - healthier and less stressed. Watch for a post in the next couple days all about our LONG weekly yoga class. It's quite something!

Monday, June 1, 2009

UP

What's that? You want to go see a fantastic, wholesome movie? You like comedy, but also incredible animation, intricate storylines, adventure, and heart-wrenching emotion? Well, you're in luck. Disney-Pixar has made a movie just for you.
We saw Up on Friday, but I've been told my movie reviews lack some... "eloquence," so I'm going to direct you to my favorite movie blog for their RAVING review of UP. I love summer movie season... :)

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

For the over-25 set

If you are 25 or older, or approaching that age, please read this. Thank you.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Five random things in my purse



1. USB memory card adapter - Because you never know when you will need to put some photos onto your computer! It looks so beat up because I've been carrying it around for 2 years!!

2. Dental floss - has come in handy more than I every would have imagined (think pineapple, popcorn at the movies, steak/broccoli/lettuce from a restaurant, etc!)








3. Tide to go - I guess that's not so random, because lots of women carry one, but mine is unique because it's there for messy Ivy, not messy kids.

4. Artificial nail glue - classy, huh? I also use it as superglue when stuff breaks.

5. A very cute, very NOT functional fake Chanel wallet - I bought this for ten bucks at an outdoor market in L.A., and in retrospect should have investigated it much more fully. Problems: 1) there's no pocket for coins, so they're flying all around the inside of my purse and of course I can never find them when I want them. I even resorted to putting them in a ziplock bag. Classy, Ivy, classy. 2) the wallet is constructed badly, so I can't even keep my cards in the slots, because I can't get them out on demand. Jeremy calls this the "Law of Diminishing Returns." I wonder when I'll give up and revert back to the old wallet? We'll see!