Healthier Me.

Lately, I've been trying to eat a little better. I have become obsessed with some things because of this...

Almond Milk. I think soy milk tastes okay, but Almond milk is sooo much better! I'm a big fan of Almond Breeze's Light Almond Coconut milk. I eat it with my cereal and I have been making super yummy (and low calorie) smoothies with it!

Chobani. I wasn't a fan of Greek Yogurt until I tried Chobani fruit on the bottom Greek yogurt. The fruit seriously makes this yogurt to die for. They have so many flavors - your typical blueberry(my fave), strawberry, raspberry, pineapple, and cherry. But then they have some crazy flavors - blood orange, passion fruit, pomegranate, and lemon. I cannot recommend this yogurt enough!

Mini Sweet Peppers. Everyone at work has been bringing these in with their lunches and I decided to be a copycat and buy some myself. They are a really good and healthy snack. I love them!

Low Fat Cottage Cheese. I have always liked cottage cheese, but now I throw in a handful of grape tomatoes and it makes my cottage cheese 10x better. My husband thinks I am weird, but I don't care, it's delicious.

Egg Salad. I found a low calorie recipe and I have been eating so much egg salad! I can't usually get through a dozen eggs before the expiration date, but since I found this recipe, I've been going through 1/2 dozen a week! I serve this on my new favorite bread (Sara Lee 45 calorie per slice) and this sandwich is only 4 points on Weight Watchers.

Pirates Booty. Best snack that tastes like it should be bad for you, but isn't. This little gem can be found in the organic section and can be pricey, but I have a friend who buys it for me at the commissary every week. It's puffed corn & rice and tastes like popcorn. Yum!

Low Fat String Cheese. Need I say more? It's cheese.

Anyway, I'm not really trying to lose weight, but I have lost 5lbs since trying to be healthier. I still enjoy my processed foods and I definitely and not healthy 24/7, but I really am trying to eat more fruits. I eat a lot of veggies, but I am not a fruit person. Hope everyone is doing well!

Pet Peeves.

Today I am using a blog prompt because my mind is blank, but I felt like blogging. I picked one from The Imagination Prompt Generator that said five of my pet peeves are. I could probably list more than five, but I stick to what the prompts says.

1. People who don't put their shopping carts in the receptacle.

SERIOUSLY. How hard is it to put a cart away? I will never understand just leaving your cart in a random spot in a parking lot. The worst is when you think a parking space is empty and you start to pull into it, only to realize some idiot has left a cart there. Really? Most stores have multiple receptacles, so it's not really that difficult to walk 10-20 feet to put your damn cart away. I usually park close to a shopping cart receptacle because I find it less likely to find the random cart, reducing the chances of my cart getting dinged. However, I did see a man park two spaces away from one of these receptacles and he still didn't put his cart away! I got out of my vehicle, flipped him off, and put the damn cart away myself. Seriously, dude?

2. Irresponsible Pet Owners.

You know, the people who get an adorable puppy and love it and care for it, but then decide it's too much work, so they either leave the dog outside 24/7 or they just get rid of it. My neighbors are these people. They have two dogs who are outside ALL the time. They peek their heads over out shared fence and start barking, making my dogs go nuts whenever they're outside. It wouldn't bother me if this was just during the day when they're at work, but nope, they leave the damn dogs outside all night too. What is the point of having a pet just to keep it outside all the time? It really breaks my heart for the dogs, I'm not even mad at them when they bark, I'm mad at their owners for not caring enough about their pet to take it inside every now and then.

3. Facebook.

I could probably write a whole post on the annoyances of Facebook, but there are two occurrences that really stick out to me. The first is all the complaining/bragging. There are certain people who never post unless they have something to complain about or something to brag about. It's either my life sucks so bad or my life is so wonderful, aren't you jealous? The occasional complaint/brag worthy moment is okay, but every time you post? Can't you just post about the wonderful meal you cooked for dinner or your favorite sports teams like most people? The second Facebook related pet peeve are the people who give advice when it's not asked for. When someone posts "I wish my baby would sleep" here comes 50 mothers giving their advice on how to put the baby to sleep. Can't someone have their occasional complaint without being bombarded with people telling them what to do? It'd be different if someone asked for advice, but if they're not asking, shut your face.

4. People who are always broke, but continue to spend money on frivolous things.

I went Black Friday shopping with a friend of mine and she invited one of her friends along. Her friend bought a $400 TV, a $300 tablet, and a $600 laptop. I found out this week that her car is going to be repossessed in February. Which means she hasn't paid it in sometime. I don't get how buying big ticket items could be more important than making your car payments? I mean I've splurged on things before, but never so many things at once! You pay off one thing before you go buy the next big thing. My friend told me this girl was complaining about being broke before Black Friday which is why she wasn't invited - she invited herself. I don't get it. I never will.

5. People who don't discipline their kids in public.

I'm not talking about beating your child publicly, but if I'm sitting on an airplane and your kid is kicking the back of my seat repeatedly, ya think you could ask them to stop? I don't have kids, so I'm not one to judge parenting styles, but if your kid is being obnoxious, parent them! Don't just act like nothing is happening. I see it all the time at work - parents just letting their kids run loose and getting into everything. Your five year old child should not be pushing a cart down an aisle full of breakables. I'm sure being a parent is trying & tiring, but if you decided to bring them into this world, you should be making sure they aren't making everyone around them crazy. Just sayin'.

New Year.

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I updated my blog! So much has happened, so I'll do a little update post right now.

The first few months of the year were pretty mellow. Just normal, everyday life. In April, I got a promotion at work, from cashier to Assistant Manager. It's a few more hours and a raise, but it's not too bad. Jenry and I also made a trip to New York City in April to see his family since we didn't go there over the holidays. We had a good time, catching up with his family and friends, and of course, taking in some new sights in the city. We went to the NY Mets home opener at Citi Field. It was our first time there since they closed Shea Stadium a few years ago. It was a nice place, but I still prefer the old stadium. We wandered around Times Square, went to Tim Horton's for the first time, went to a comedy club, saw a movie, and hung out with his friends.

In June, my closest friend here in Arizona, moved away. Her husband got out of the military, and they were planning on staying in the area, but he couldn't get a job. That was a really hard time for me, but luckily, my other two best friends, Ashley & Kelsey came to see me in July. I knew Ashley was coming, but she surprised me by bringing Kelsey along. We had a fun girls weekend (well, plus Jenry) and ate, drank, shopped, and just had fun.

In August, I went to San Diego, CA for the first time. I actually met a friend off the internet (sounds creepier than it is). We met on XBox Live a few years ago and became really good friends, so I went out there for his birthday and took in so many sights - San Diego Zoo, USS Midway, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Pacific Beach, Old Town San Diego, The Whaley House, and more that I'm probably forgetting! It was a fun weekend and I definitely plan on going back! Also in August, my friend who had moved away came back to AZ for her sisters wedding. It was 6 hours away from me, but I drove up to Snowflake, AZ and spent a day there with her. The drive up was so beautiful, so many mountains and canyons. It made me remember why I moved out here. We also adopted a dog this month, a girl German Shepherd whom we named Josie. She had some real issues (destructive and anxious), but she has improved a lot with medication and training.

In September, I flew out to North Carolina to help take care of my nephew while my sister had a c-section for the birth of my first niece, Fiona Lynn. I was nervous at first, because I hadn't spent much time with my nephew, but he took to me right away and I had fun playing with him and getting to know him. He is such a good boy, and so smart! Fiona was (and is) adorable. She's a good sleeper and eater and growing up so fast already!

Nothing much happened until December, when I went home to Michigan the week before Christmas to spend some time with my family. Jenry didn't go with, he stayed behind to work and take care of all the animals. It snowed when I was home, so that was exciting for me! I love snow! Jenry took the week of Christmas off work, and today is our last day before we go back to work tomorrow.

I hope to blog more this year.... I feel like I say that a lot, so who knows if I'll actually do it! Haha!

Update on Life.

I haven't blogged in a long time, and let's be honest, no ones surprised. I've never been one to be consistent with blogging. Life is pretty much the same. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's, Bronx and I make our way on post at about 9am, where we walk two or so miles with my friend Alexis and her bulldog, Sampson. After our walk, the dogs play for a few hours, and around 1pm, Bronx and I come back home, where I usually clean or do laundry until my husband gets home from work at either 3pm or 4pm, depending on his shift for the week. I'm still working at the thrift store on Tuesday and Thursday, from 9am-3pm. After I get off work, I come home, relax for an hour or so, then I start dinner. Weekends are usually low-key, the hubby and I usually hang out in our PJ's, or run errands. Sunday is my favorite day of the week - Date night! Every Sunday night after dinner, Jenry and I watch a movie on Netflix, followed by an episode or two of Quantum Leap (how he got me hooked on that show is beyond me).

This winter has been warmer than normal. We had one week of temperatures in the 30's, and even some snow flurries, but we're back up to the mid 60's. It's bittersweet though. I love the warm weather, but I still miss snow. As a Michigander, I'm accustomed to feet of snow - not inches.

Bronx celebrated his 1 year birthday in December, and we're thinking about getting another dog as a playmate for him, but we know it's a big commitment, so we're not rushing into it. We also plan to adopt a dog this go 'round. I definitely do not want another puppy. We're looking at medium sized dogs, and I would love a Corgi - they're adorable!

This past Saturday, my congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, was shot in the head in Tucson, about an hour northwest of here. It has been a real shock to Southern Arizona and I can't really describe how it feels to be so close to such evil. I'm hoping the Giffords makes a full recovery, and it seems like she will.

Anyway, my life is pretty uneventful, which is exactly how I prefer it!

Meme - Day Twelve.

Today I have to post a picture of the town I live in. I live in a small town of about 50,000 people in Arizona, called Sierra Vista. If you're not familiar with Spanish, sierra vista translates to mountain view - and boy, is this town full of mountain views, which is why I decided to share the following picture.

Photo via City-Data.

Those are the Huachuca Mountains, which surround my town. In the winter, they are always covered in snow, while we almost never have any on the ground here. I may live in a teeny, tiny, town - but the views are amazing!

Meme - Day Eleven.

The topic today - What's in my makeup bag. I actually have a lot of makeup that I never wear, which I keep in my caboodle. Yes - a caboodle. I was excited when they brought these back. I bought one and put all my excess makeup in it and put it under my bathroom sink. I then have a smaller makeup bag that store my everyday makeup. In there I have:

-CoverGirl Concealer - My must have makeup item.

-Physicians Formula Mineral Powder

-L'Oreal Mineral Blush

-L'Oreal Mineral Finishing Powder

-L'Oreal Mineral Bronzer (I wear this in the summer)

-CoverGirl Eyeshadow - I almost always wear some shade of brown/copper.

-Eyeliner - In both black and brown, depending on what I'm wearing.

-CoverGirl Lashblast Mascara - The best mascara ever!

I don't wear makeup everyday, when I go to work, it's usually concealer, powder, blush, and mascara. Occasionally I will wear eyeshadow and liner. I also wear lip gloss, but I keep it in my purse. I know I could've taken a picture of this, but I'm lazy today :]

Meme - Day Ten.

Okay, so I'm back. Don't judge me. I will try to be better.

Today I have to post a picture of my favorite place to eat. My all time favorite restaurant is...

IHOP

But it's very sad - we don't have an IHOP in the town I live in. So my favorite place to eat in Sierra Vista is Filiberto's which is the most amazing Mexican fast food ever. I usually get the chimichanga plate and some horchata:



It's the best and I L.O.V.E. it!