Hello to my new Russian readers!
I'm embarrassed to say that I've had an Ariana Grande song stuck in my head for almost a week now. It's Dangerous Woman.
Rather randomly, I also have Steven Tyler's newer-ish country song stuck in my head. Love it! It was such a different song from that he normally does that I really came to like it.
What songs are stuck in your head?
Monday, May 9, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
Spare Parts, the Movie
Earlier this year while looking through movie options on Hulu, I thought this movie looked interesting. It had several familiar faces: George Lopez, Marisa Tomei, Carlos PenaVega, and Alexa PenaVega. It was a heart-warming story of underdogs achieving greatness despite all odds. In a high school on the West Coast, undocumented students come together to form a robotics club with George Lopez's character as their advisor. They work together to compete in a robotics competition against reigning champions, MIT. I loved their determination and resourcefulness, as they obviously had a much smaller budget than teams like MIT.
I found out that Spare Parts is actually a book and I plan to read it this summer. Kansas State University has a book of the year for students to read and this fall's book is Spare Parts.
I really enjoyed the movie and I think you will too.
I found out that Spare Parts is actually a book and I plan to read it this summer. Kansas State University has a book of the year for students to read and this fall's book is Spare Parts.
I really enjoyed the movie and I think you will too.
Monday, April 25, 2016
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Ruelle-I Get To Love You
I'm again addicted to Dancing with the Stars. I watched one of this year's contestants, Nyle win America's Next Top Model and was excited to watch him again. He has the best attitude ever and happens to be deaf. His dances blow me away every week. This week's dance was especially moving and I fell in love with the song; in particular the beautiful lyrics! I hope you love it too!
I would've included the music video, but I didn't like it that much.
I would've included the music video, but I didn't like it that much.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Fitbit Flex
I'm Addicted!
I was using a pedometer, but it was a pain as it easily re-set itself and was impossible to wear with dresses. I knew, I essentially just wanted something to track steps and stairs. I have a watch and also didn't care about it relaying calls and texts. Thankfully, I friend had a Fitbit Flex that she wasn't using.
How it Works
It wasn't hard to figure out the Flex; each dot represents 2,000 steps. The blinking dots mean you're on your way to earning that next 2,000 steps.
Charge
While I heard that it has to be charged a lot, I haven't found that to be the case. I charge it twice a week. The phone app tells you how much battery you have left and I haven't found that to be accurate. Also, once it emailed me that it was dying, but hasn't since.
Features
It tracks my sleep which is really cool to see, including how many times I woke up during the night, as well as times of restlessness.
I can track my calories. It has a nice list of product's calories, so for my fig bars, I just found the brand and listed how many I ate.
It tracks roughly how many calories you've burned as well.
You can track how much water you drink.
You can add friends and see how your steps compare towards theirs. This has been really helpful as I'm very competitive. "What do you mean I'm 150 steps behind so-and-so? Not anymore, I'm taking out the trash!" I've even asked a high-stepping friend how he gets in so many steps. I've incorporated some of his feedback into what I do daily.
You also earn badges for your first 10,000 steps, etc. These are neat and motivating.
You can also start competitions. A friend of mine added me and a bunch of other people to a weekend challenge. During the weekend, I generally don't walk a lot, so the added motivation was great!
Statistics
I love stats and there are a ton on the app. It compares my steps to last week. My total steps this week compared to my friends. You get the idea.
App
The app is really intuitive and easy-to-use. My only issue with it is when I'm adding in food I've eaten and it freezes and kicks me out before I can add the other items I've eaten.
Overall
I love my Fitbit Flex and can't imagine life without it. I will note that it doesn't track stairs.
I was using a pedometer, but it was a pain as it easily re-set itself and was impossible to wear with dresses. I knew, I essentially just wanted something to track steps and stairs. I have a watch and also didn't care about it relaying calls and texts. Thankfully, I friend had a Fitbit Flex that she wasn't using.
How it Works
It wasn't hard to figure out the Flex; each dot represents 2,000 steps. The blinking dots mean you're on your way to earning that next 2,000 steps.
Charge
While I heard that it has to be charged a lot, I haven't found that to be the case. I charge it twice a week. The phone app tells you how much battery you have left and I haven't found that to be accurate. Also, once it emailed me that it was dying, but hasn't since.
Features
It tracks my sleep which is really cool to see, including how many times I woke up during the night, as well as times of restlessness.
I can track my calories. It has a nice list of product's calories, so for my fig bars, I just found the brand and listed how many I ate.
It tracks roughly how many calories you've burned as well.
You can track how much water you drink.
You can add friends and see how your steps compare towards theirs. This has been really helpful as I'm very competitive. "What do you mean I'm 150 steps behind so-and-so? Not anymore, I'm taking out the trash!" I've even asked a high-stepping friend how he gets in so many steps. I've incorporated some of his feedback into what I do daily.
You can also start competitions. A friend of mine added me and a bunch of other people to a weekend challenge. During the weekend, I generally don't walk a lot, so the added motivation was great!
Statistics
I love stats and there are a ton on the app. It compares my steps to last week. My total steps this week compared to my friends. You get the idea.
App
The app is really intuitive and easy-to-use. My only issue with it is when I'm adding in food I've eaten and it freezes and kicks me out before I can add the other items I've eaten.
Overall
I love my Fitbit Flex and can't imagine life without it. I will note that it doesn't track stairs.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Throwing a Baby Shower on a Budget
I wanted to throw a surprise baby shower for a friend, but it HAD to be on a shoestring budget.
I started with a secret Pinterest board; gathering game, food, and decoration ideas.
My Inspiration
(You may remember that I made this for my parent's 25th Anniversary party. Anyway, my friends LOVED it!) Click here for the recipe.
Making it Work
Thankfully, my cousin had just hosted a baby shower so I borrowed glass plates with cup holders (which were a lifesaver for my small apartment, streamers, napkins, balloons, stencils, and fabric pens with which to decorate bibs. My parent's have a lifetime supply of streamers from my parties, so that helped.
I was shocked by how much everyone enjoyed decorating bibs! They turned out so well!
I found this website and printed out the month for guests to guess the due date.
I also made sugar cookie sandwiches with frosting on the outside rolled in blue, green, and yellow sprinkles. I also made my own version of cheesecake dip which is terrific (cream cheese, sugar, whip cream, sour cream, and a little vanilla. Served my favorite store bought hummus with carrots and pita chips.
Costs
Frame for birthday date guess; $1 (Dollar Tree)
Baby boy-colored sprinkles: $1.83ish (Walmart)
Bibs: $10ish (Target)
Food: $15
Total (minus gift): under $30!!!
Best Part
My friend was surprised, everyone had fun, and she received much-needed items for baby!
I started with a secret Pinterest board; gathering game, food, and decoration ideas.
My Inspiration
Making it Work
Thankfully, my cousin had just hosted a baby shower so I borrowed glass plates with cup holders (which were a lifesaver for my small apartment, streamers, napkins, balloons, stencils, and fabric pens with which to decorate bibs. My parent's have a lifetime supply of streamers from my parties, so that helped.
I was shocked by how much everyone enjoyed decorating bibs! They turned out so well!
I found this website and printed out the month for guests to guess the due date.
I also made sugar cookie sandwiches with frosting on the outside rolled in blue, green, and yellow sprinkles. I also made my own version of cheesecake dip which is terrific (cream cheese, sugar, whip cream, sour cream, and a little vanilla. Served my favorite store bought hummus with carrots and pita chips.
Costs
Frame for birthday date guess; $1 (Dollar Tree)
Baby boy-colored sprinkles: $1.83ish (Walmart)
Bibs: $10ish (Target)
Food: $15
Total (minus gift): under $30!!!
Best Part
My friend was surprised, everyone had fun, and she received much-needed items for baby!
Thursday, March 31, 2016
A Walk in the Woods Movie
You may remember that I wrote about how much I enjoyed reading the book, A Walk in the Woods. Since, I loved the book, I was hoping I'd love the movie too.
What the movie did that the book couldn't was actually show the beautiful scenery of the Appalachian Trail. The landscape was breathtaking and is now on my list of places to see! Thankfully, the movie was also funny!
The actors chosen for the movie were much older than their characters in the book. Robert Redford played, Bryson and Nick Nolte played, Katz. Wow, Nick Nolte gotten old! Emma Thompson played Bryson's wife.
Other than swapping for older characters the book and movie were pretty similar. The ending was different and left something to be desired. The scenery, story of friendship, and adventure are the key takeaways from the movie. I think, the trailer sums up the movie really well. Enjoy!
What the movie did that the book couldn't was actually show the beautiful scenery of the Appalachian Trail. The landscape was breathtaking and is now on my list of places to see! Thankfully, the movie was also funny!
The actors chosen for the movie were much older than their characters in the book. Robert Redford played, Bryson and Nick Nolte played, Katz. Wow, Nick Nolte gotten old! Emma Thompson played Bryson's wife.
Other than swapping for older characters the book and movie were pretty similar. The ending was different and left something to be desired. The scenery, story of friendship, and adventure are the key takeaways from the movie. I think, the trailer sums up the movie really well. Enjoy!
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Creed
Let me start by saying how much I love the Rocky series! Growing up I watched the movies a lot with my dad. So, I'm up for checking out any movie Sly Stallone is in. I wasn't the biggest fan of Rocky Balboa; sometimes you can't neatly wrap up an iconic series. Sometimes, it really does have to end. So, while I was skeptical about the new Creed movie, I really did want to like it. So, over spring break I finally saw it.
The story line is unique; the deceased legend, Apollo Creed has an illegitimate son, Adonis. He fights his way through foster homes and juvenile detention; becoming hardened. In a plot twist I'd never expect, Apollo's widow adopts and raises Adonis as her own in a lavish mansion. He grows up, has a good job and gets a promotion, but he's most passionate about his side gig as a boxer. He does well in that arena and soon quits his job, to his mom's disappointment.
The first gym he visits knows about his family ties and won't give him a chance. He moves to Philly, looks up Rocky, introduces himself, and asks Rocky to train him. Rocky says no, so Adonis trains himself at a local boxing gym. There no one knows him or pays him any attention.
He lives in an empty studio apartment with neighbors who blare their music so loud he can't sleep. He knocks on their door and is surprised to be met by a beautiful girl. He talks to her about the noise, but nothing changes. They get to know each other over time and he learns that she's a singer with progressive hearing loss. They fall in love; no shock.
He battles on in his workouts. He asks Rocky for some "quick hands" drills. Rocky says no, but then gives Creed some workout suggestions. Adonis gets to work on the new drills.
Finally Rocky comes to the gym. Everyone greets him with lots of fanfare, then everyone sees that he's there for Adonis. So people start noticing Adonis and how well he's doing. The gym owner wants to have a match between his talented son and Adonis. Next thing you know, they're training for the fight, which he wins. That win draws the attention of promoters looking for a match for their hot-headed Irish fighter, "Pretty" Ricky Conlan. Conlan had another match, but at the press conference he broke the jaw of his opponent. So, they set their eyes on Adonis. Soon, everyone learns that he's Creed's son. His mom is against the fight.
Meanwhile, Rocky's health takes a dive. He gets diagnosed with cancer. The doctor recommends treatment, but he saw Adrian go through all that only to die, so he denies treatment. Adonis learns of Rocky's cancer and wants him to fight it. They decide they'll both fight to win; Adonis against Conlan and Rocky against cancer. The side effects are brutal, but Adonis is there for Rocky.
They make it to London for Adonis's fight. His mom sends American flag boxing shorts with his last names on them. The American flag design is just like his dad always wore. The fight is brutal from the start. The crowd favors "Pretty" Ricky. Adonis takes some hard hits. Rocky struggles to know if he should call off the fight as Adonis's eye swells shut, but he lets it go. Adonis makes a strong comeback, maximizing on Ricky's weak areas. What's the result? "Pretty" Ricky wins and Adonis gains respect and a name for himself.
I guess, if this is the series end, it's a good one. Or will this be a new angle and the first of many more movies? I'm not quite sure. I didn't love this movie like I did all the Rocky movies. It felt like it was missing something.
The story line is unique; the deceased legend, Apollo Creed has an illegitimate son, Adonis. He fights his way through foster homes and juvenile detention; becoming hardened. In a plot twist I'd never expect, Apollo's widow adopts and raises Adonis as her own in a lavish mansion. He grows up, has a good job and gets a promotion, but he's most passionate about his side gig as a boxer. He does well in that arena and soon quits his job, to his mom's disappointment.
The first gym he visits knows about his family ties and won't give him a chance. He moves to Philly, looks up Rocky, introduces himself, and asks Rocky to train him. Rocky says no, so Adonis trains himself at a local boxing gym. There no one knows him or pays him any attention.
He lives in an empty studio apartment with neighbors who blare their music so loud he can't sleep. He knocks on their door and is surprised to be met by a beautiful girl. He talks to her about the noise, but nothing changes. They get to know each other over time and he learns that she's a singer with progressive hearing loss. They fall in love; no shock.
He battles on in his workouts. He asks Rocky for some "quick hands" drills. Rocky says no, but then gives Creed some workout suggestions. Adonis gets to work on the new drills.
Finally Rocky comes to the gym. Everyone greets him with lots of fanfare, then everyone sees that he's there for Adonis. So people start noticing Adonis and how well he's doing. The gym owner wants to have a match between his talented son and Adonis. Next thing you know, they're training for the fight, which he wins. That win draws the attention of promoters looking for a match for their hot-headed Irish fighter, "Pretty" Ricky Conlan. Conlan had another match, but at the press conference he broke the jaw of his opponent. So, they set their eyes on Adonis. Soon, everyone learns that he's Creed's son. His mom is against the fight.
Meanwhile, Rocky's health takes a dive. He gets diagnosed with cancer. The doctor recommends treatment, but he saw Adrian go through all that only to die, so he denies treatment. Adonis learns of Rocky's cancer and wants him to fight it. They decide they'll both fight to win; Adonis against Conlan and Rocky against cancer. The side effects are brutal, but Adonis is there for Rocky.
They make it to London for Adonis's fight. His mom sends American flag boxing shorts with his last names on them. The American flag design is just like his dad always wore. The fight is brutal from the start. The crowd favors "Pretty" Ricky. Adonis takes some hard hits. Rocky struggles to know if he should call off the fight as Adonis's eye swells shut, but he lets it go. Adonis makes a strong comeback, maximizing on Ricky's weak areas. What's the result? "Pretty" Ricky wins and Adonis gains respect and a name for himself.
I guess, if this is the series end, it's a good one. Or will this be a new angle and the first of many more movies? I'm not quite sure. I didn't love this movie like I did all the Rocky movies. It felt like it was missing something.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Sephora, Part 2
I couldn't wait for Christmas to get more make up from Sephora. Here were the items on my list:
-I was dreaming of an eye liner in my favorite color and now I wear it all the time.
-I'd wanted the Buxom la-la-lavish eye shadow since my first Sephora experience in August, but they didn't have it at the time. They also call it an iridescent lavender. I love it and use it all the time. It's fun, yet something I can wear to work.
-I'd tried my friend's Tarte Skintuative gloss in August and thought it was super cool, despite being gooey. I ended up getting their tint. While I really think it's neat, it doesn't last long. For those who don't know, the color is unique to each wearer's "natural pH and energy." I like unique things. On me, it's normally a cherry color.
-Buxom's Patent Leather eye shadow stopped me in my tracks. It's super glittery a kind of sparkling blackberry, as they call it. I now kind of hate it; it gets everywhere, especially in the "fallout" zone. Maybe I'll change to mainly use this for evening looks.
I love having new make up to play with!
-I was dreaming of an eye liner in my favorite color and now I wear it all the time.
-I'd wanted the Buxom la-la-lavish eye shadow since my first Sephora experience in August, but they didn't have it at the time. They also call it an iridescent lavender. I love it and use it all the time. It's fun, yet something I can wear to work.
-I'd tried my friend's Tarte Skintuative gloss in August and thought it was super cool, despite being gooey. I ended up getting their tint. While I really think it's neat, it doesn't last long. For those who don't know, the color is unique to each wearer's "natural pH and energy." I like unique things. On me, it's normally a cherry color.
-Buxom's Patent Leather eye shadow stopped me in my tracks. It's super glittery a kind of sparkling blackberry, as they call it. I now kind of hate it; it gets everywhere, especially in the "fallout" zone. Maybe I'll change to mainly use this for evening looks.
I love having new make up to play with!
Friday, March 11, 2016
Comedian Dennis Swanberg
Cheers to my new readers from the Netherlands!
Last month, my parents and I went and saw Comedian Dennis Swanberg. I'd seen him on TV, years back. His show was at the Beacon Center Mission. He was hilarious! He's a Christian Comedian and used to be a full time Pastor. It was fun to laugh about the things related to faith, family, and everyday life. I needed a good laugh. Several times, I'd look over at my parents while laughing my butt off and they were gasping for air too. :) Check him out!
Last month, my parents and I went and saw Comedian Dennis Swanberg. I'd seen him on TV, years back. His show was at the Beacon Center Mission. He was hilarious! He's a Christian Comedian and used to be a full time Pastor. It was fun to laugh about the things related to faith, family, and everyday life. I needed a good laugh. Several times, I'd look over at my parents while laughing my butt off and they were gasping for air too. :) Check him out!
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