Tag Archives: random

Quiz

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I’ve wanted to blog many times over the past couple months, but felt no one was left to read it. But today I’m blogging anyway. Because I know like 6 of you will read it. To jump back into it, I’m copying Katie and answering 5 questions.

  1. At the top of your wishlist right now….The perfect swimsuit (does it exist?), all the skin care treatments available — facial, botox, fillers, peels. Skin care has become a recent obsession (post about my new routine forthcoming). article-thumb1
  2. Blog(s) you’re loving lately….My friends’ blogs The Perks and Winchester Wife. Jessica actually got me to watch The Bachelor because of her hilarious recap posts. I might be hooked which I never thought I’d ever say…ever. Other than those I literally only read a handful of others…i suwannee and despite her extreme perfection, I still love Liz of Sequins & Stripes. Pretty in Pink Megan and Cupcakes & Cashmere are long time favorites. Dog puppy with cat in front of a laptop isolated on white background
  3. Favorite thing about spring….Longer days, getting some color on my ghostly gray skin, and flowers of course.tanning-mother-620x338
  4. The next trip you’re taking….Mike & I are attempting another vacation, hopefully this one without disaster (another post for another day), to the Florida Keys. We are staying in Islamorada but will rent a car and explore. I’m looking forward to it and hope it is nice and warm.600x600_1316019102458-beachocean
  5. TV show you can’t stop watching….Fresh Meat! On a recent girls weekend with Emily & Kelly Ann we decided to watch some Netflix. For some odd reason we chose to start this show and it is super hilarious.  I have also been watching The Family on ABC. It is a new show and it is fantastic.tv-fresh_meat-2011_-howard_maccallum-greg_mchugh-tshirts-s01e02-geologists_go_deeper_tshirt

A land of make believe.

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Today was the day I would start my transformation into Blake Lively, except that I got up and wanted pancakes. I did not make pancakes because a “30 minute meal” usually takes me two hours, and Sloan did not have the patience to wait for me to whip up a pile of carbs, even with the cheerios/blueberries breakfast decoy.

Now I’ve turned on the TV so I can write this. Yes, I let her watch TV. And sometimes I let her play on the iPad to which she has become so insanely proficient it is scary. And she eats goldfish and fruit cups. And she had formula as a baby. And still gets a bottle at night. So by today’s standards, I’m the world’s worst mom. But I look at her sweet face, and she is happy and smart and healthy and loving. So to all you moms out there killing yourself to be perfect, I’m sorry. I wish I could set you free. But you are your own warden.

In the land of make believe, I planned to start my morning before Sloan woke up, have hot water with lemon because that is supposed to do something good, get dressed in my new workout clothes and plan my day. Which would include a workout, healthy food prep, cleaning house, and organizing…something. Something always needs organizing in this house. Last night as I was driving down I-40, I was planning all this. I was planning to get home and workout after Sloan went to bed. I wasn’t going to eat anything bad. I wasn’t going to drink any drank. But I got home, got Sloan to bed, changed into pajamas, ate a piece of leftover pizza, and poured a glass of wine. I plopped in front of the TV and watched some Pretty Little Liars and New Girl. I thought to myself how I can’t keep a good plan in place for 5 minutes. I will start fresh in the morning.

In the land of reality, I woke up at 8am with Rolo laying on my head and hair. I could hear Sloan chattering in her crib, so I sit up and take my thyroid medicine…which requires me to not drink or eat anything for 30 minutes and puts a damper on each morning when all I want is to rise and drink a beautiful, glorious Nespresso. I get Sloan up and changed and downstairs. Let the dogs out and feed them. Rolo also has to have his medicine as he has been diagnosed with primary epilepsy. Le sigh. I think about pancakes and then chastise myself as this was the day Operation Blake Lively was to begin. I look around and realize my kitchen has been cleaned thanks to my mother-in-law. I silently thank her profusely. It takes a while to get breakfast completed for Sloan and myself. My kitchen is no longer clean. How does it happen so quickly? I am still in my robe and Uggs. I turn on Daniel Tiger and sit on the couch with my laptop. Rolo and Wilson have both settled in for one of many naps they will take today. It is suddenly 10am and this day that was supposed to be full of energy and accomplishment hasn’t even begun. I took the day off and Mike is out of town. Luckily the sun is out, and it is hard for me to sit around when the sun it out. I will get up soon. I will get dressed in my new workout clothes. I might even workout! There is still time. I am my own warden! I can still be Blake Lively by the end of the day…in a land of make believe.

Five Things

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Because it’s Friday and Jessica inspired me to blog.

I have not had major issues with what I call my stomach ulcer in years. Until now. (I don’t know if it is in fact a stomach ulcer because I don’t go to doctors, duh). It could be the excess coffee and booze. That tells you how things have been going around here. I cannot wait to not have so much going on. It feels like it has been years since I have felt settled. Le sigh. More on all this later.

Sloan has gotten ultra clingy. It is sometimes really sweet. Like when I got home from work the other day she wrapped her teeny arms tight around my neck and gave me a kiss!! I almost cried. It is also sometimes really annoying. I can’t get ANYTHING done other than play with her, hold her, stroll her, etc.

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I finally went blogger basic and got the Lisi Lerch turquoise tassel earrings. When am I ever going to wear these monsters? I mean, I love them but they will probably be for sale soon. Some PYT will get a lot more use out of them than this old hag.

Side note: I ordered mine from Design Darling and they came in a white box in an envelope. No pretty packaging, no receipt, no note, nothing. I guess I’ve gotten used to these smaller boutiques really having impressive packaging, because that matters right? I had this exact same experience from Mini Moxie baby moccasins. I waited 8 weeks for these little mocs. And got no email response when I asked, very politely, when they may show up since they were a Santa present for Sloany. I finally stalked her instagram and saw where she had replied to several order inquiries there. They finally showed up, after two months, smushed in an envelope. No thank you, sorry it took so long, nothing. I guess I understand you were probably swamped from Christmas orders, but still. Have something generic printed and thrown into the shipping envelope. Anyway, customer service is a pet peeve. And pretty packaging.

I cut my own hair this past weekend. I am constantly getting the itch to do something different with my hair and just can’t wait for appointments sometimes. I think I will cut bangs once it gets cooler (like Reese). This current stagnant humidity and bangs do not mix.

I straight up stole a pair of the Jack Rogers Lilliana sandals via Amazon for $38. I have no idea why they were that cheap, but one day I was just perusing and saw them and of course purchased immediately. Now I’m checking the site regularly just to see if I can snag another pair for cheap. I love them. They are so much more comfortable than the traditional Jacks.

Happy weekend!

I want to blog, I really do

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I don’t know how I used to do this every day. There are many nights sitting in a hotel room I think to myself, oh I should blog…but then the words just don’t come. Or if they do…I end up deleting it. I’m not sure what it is but it’s like I’ve lost my voice. Or maybe I just don’t have anything to say anymore. I’m so boring!

My wardrobe is far from interesting these days. Madewell tshirts, jeans, workout pants, pajamas. Repeat.

I did order this bathing suit from Target. The bottom is backordered for like a month, but the top came quickly. It is cute but kind of itchy. I’m not sure if I’ll keep it. The quality is meh. And I just realized the whole suit is no longer available online in black. I like the icy blue, but be warned the material is not very thick.

Another Target find…several weeks ago I bought this top…didn’t think I was going to keep it…then forgot where I put it…then found it weeks later. And now I’ve worn it three days in a row. It is very swingy and great for summer.

I brought two dress options to wear to a wedding this past weekend. The one I did not wear I saw on another girl at the wedding. Crisis avoided!

I’m currently taking a 12 hr driving improvement course online because I got a speeding ticket. FML.

I spilled red wine on my beige sofa tonight.

Tomorrow is Monday.

Plus and minus

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I don’t really make resolutions. BUT I do often think with the new year what I’d like to change, add, delete to my life.

CHANGE: I have this thing where I will know exactly what I want, but will somehow let someone (someone = my husband) or the price tag change my mind. I will get what I sort of like, end up hating, wanting to get rid of and buy what I wanted to begin with. In the end I waste money, time, and happiness by trying to be cheap or compromising too much.

ADD: Fresh air. Last winter was atrocious, I was in my first trimester, remodeling a house, and living in an office/warehouse. I don’t feel like I was outside enough. The summer came and I was really hot, really pregnant, and basically couldn’t deal with being outside. So now I’m ready to get OUT and breathe. Be it with my little family or alone, I can’t stand to be stagnant any longer.

ADD: Hobbies. Paint more. Sell said paintings. Maybe try tennis again. I suck at tennis.

DELETE: Complaining about dog hair and dirty floors. This seems trivial, but in my house it is a constant battle and I spend so much time being aggravated by both. I love my dog and he’s not going anywhere so with him comes dog hair aplenty. I love my husband and he’s not going anywhere so with him comes boots, and dirt, and dirty boots.

ADD: Meal planning. It works. Makes my week go so much smoother and my grocery shopping has purpose. Instead of just wandering the aisles buying random ingredients and then getting home with nothing to eat.

CHANGE: My hair color! Mixing it up on Thursday because I can. Taking this pic of the Duff to my hair girl.

So a few things I’m pondering. Obvi much of my year will be spent watching my little baby girl grow and learn new things every day. 2015 is going to be great.

Blame it on the rain

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I may be the only one, but I have enjoyed the days upon days of rain. Nothing makes you feel worthless like being a blob and looking outside and it is a gorgeous day. I haven’t felt like doing anything. I am constantly tired, my back hurts basically 24/7, this little fetus is practicing her dance moves on my ribs. Yeah, I’m complaining, so what. Rolo has been extra sweet today making me want to curl up in my bed and snuggle with him all the more appealing. Wilson decided to pee on my rug yesterday.

This is Wilson in trouble. So stinkin cute.

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I made brownies last night. Sometimes brownies are really delicious.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I am looking forward to wearing jeans (comfortably), tshirt, blazer, and boots. Every year fall creeps its way to the top of my favorite season list. Sorry summer. Ha. I’m also looking forward to champagne.

I need some good freezer meals…go.

Goings on

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I love a random post…so here’s to another.

I just love this little family pic of us (minus my thunder thighs of course). It basically sums up what we do with our free time.

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Madewell is my go-to for tshirts. I know that sounds kind of dumb, but their tshirts are the best ever, specifically the Slub V-Neck pocket tee. I have four with two more on the way thanks to their big 40% off sale items promo…that ended yesterday. Whoops. I am not one for duplicates, so they must be amazing. I also splurged a little and ordered their classic Transport Tote in navy. I have been wanting the perfect tote for a long time and I’m hoping this one fits the bill. Also hoping it might can serve as a diaper bag as well.

If you follow on instagram, then you saw that delicious focaccia bread I made yesterday. It is sooooo good I can’t even describe. I used this recipe but decided to ex-nay the tomatoes. It was easy enough and just a little time consuming since you have to wait for the bread to rise two different times, but totally worth it.

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When did cereal get so expensive?

xo

Randoms

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I watched all eight seasons of Dexter in an embarrassingly short amount of time. I followed that up with season one of The Following. I can’t wait for season two to come to Netflix. Now I am at a loss…what next? I was thinking The Killing…but that is a lot of murder television for one person.

Blogging/grammin observations: 1. Everyone got the new BareMinerals liquid foundation to review? I do kind of want to try it now, so mission accomplished. 2. I, too, want the palm leaf Target bikini 3. I do not have a glamorous “i’m packing for vacation” pic 4. Everyone is pregnant 5. How many more peony pictures can one girl take?

Rolo is so handsome and sweet…and not supposed to be on the furniture.

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We need to hang art on our barren walls.

The only thing I have the energy to cook for supper is a frozen pizza.

Friday Randoms

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Random posts are always my favorite.

– So, we half-assed moved. As in, there is still a lot of little crap left in the warehouse. Our carpet installers have just completely dropped the ball and are holding us up big time. But whatev. At this point, I don’t have much care left in me. I have just been relaxing and watching a lot of tv and doing a lot of online browsing. After not having tv or internet since Nov 1…we have earned some time on the couch.

– Speaking of couch…we got ours back from the upholsterer. I like it. I can’t say I wouldn’t have preferred velvet, but velvet + dog slobber just wasn’t in any way practical.

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– Madewell is offering 30% off sale items {code: BYEMARCH} and I scooped up two more of my absolute favorite tees. I ordered a size up so hopefully they will accommodate the growing belly throughout the summer.

– I have been cooking up a storm this week. If you follow on instagram then you have seen a couple of my go-to recipes, Baked Egg Rolls & Italian Frittata. Mike’s uncle lives in the midwest and he and his wife own and run a restaurant. He visited once and brought with him their egg rolls and served them with big leaves of lettuce and assorted herbs {any herbs you want, I usually use cilantro and/or basil}. You sprinkle some herbs on a leaf of lettuce and wrap around the egg roll. It was amazing and I try to always eat my own egg rolls this way. Since my egg rolls are baked and just shy of bland, I always like to have a tasty dipping sauce. I love Newman’s Own sesame ginger dressing, which I recently mixed with a sweet thai chili sauce and added a healthy squirt of sriracha. Basically I just make it to taste. Nothing fancy or measured. Egg rolls are one of those things that you can use what you have in the fridge. I have added chicken, shrimp, and fish and it is all good.

I don’t really have a recipe for the frittata…there are hundreds of variations so I suggest just looking it up online to find one you like. Once you make it once, you won’t need a recipe! You can also eat it hot, cold, or room temp for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Plus it is packed with protein and veggies (and in my case, cheeese too).  This is what I added to mine (I only used half the italian sausage + shredded sharp cheddar and sprinkled some feta on top):

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– We have zero window treatments. How am I supposed to decide on and afford window treatments for every window in our house like right now? I mean, people are staring at our every move at night because there is zero privacy. I also hate to waste money on temporary options because unless they are from Dollar General nothing in the drapery world is cheap. I want to try my hand at making my own. It can’t be too hard right? More than the cost savings, I don’t want to wait for someone to do it for me. The lady that did our sofa and chair took forever, and while she was good and very reasonable, I want something now. I cannot get this fabric out of my mind, and it is not too expensive, so I may give it a try. The colors are perfection and it is just fun and formal at the same time. Plus it has dogs and ginger jars…a win win.

That is all for this Friday. We will be busy moving the rest of our junk out the warehouse this weekend. Fun fun!

An update.

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Lots of things happening over here. The biggest is our house reno. What a TASK. The house is basically going to be new when we are done. New and fucking awesome I might add. The husband and I are mostly agreeing on most things, which is all that I can ask for. The bad part is the time and money. Time is ticking by at an alarming rate, and I don’t want to pay rent + a mortgage again. Which means we have 4 weeks. 4 weeks to get a new kitchen, bathroom, floors, electrical, plumbing, paint and trim. NBD. Since all I have right now are before pictures, I am just going to wait until we have afters to share anything on the blog. You can follow our progress on instagram (@summersantana).

With the crazy investment of renovating a house, that means no fall clothes for me. So boring. The only thing I have bought recently is this Ily Couture sweatshirt. I wore out the ‘Oh My Chic’ version from last year, so I knew this would be a necessity.

I’m getting my hair done today! Only two weeks overdue. Root city over here. Speaking of hair, I love this shampoo/conditioner and best of all, it is cheap. Suave Professionals Moroccan Infusion

Our five year wedding anniversary is Friday. The husband will be at the DU Banquet to celebrate. So sweet.

I can’t remember all of the other things I was going to post about now that I finally sat down at the computer. What is going on with y’all?