Unplugged

Just popping in to let you guys know that I am taking an involuntary break from technology.

I still don't have a phone after the whole "phone + lake = bad" situation. And then the other day my laptop suddenly told me it was unplugged. So I checked the cord and, whaddya know, it was not unplugged, the cord just got squashed under the chair leg and then started smelling like electrical fire and smoking.

So until I get my new cord for that, I most likely won't have any of the witty, entertaining posts that you have all grown accustomed too.

Sorry.

Dinner and a Movie

So last night Chad and I finally were able to sit down and watch The Hunger Games!

I also decided to make one of the recipes that I found on Pinterest.

I thought I would review them both for you today. (Be warned, this is an unusually long post for me)

For dinner, I made Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll-ups.

Source: mmmcafe.blogspot.com via Carly on Pinterest

This is not for the lactose intolerant, nor for those of you on a diet.

What you'll need is:

shredded chicken breast (I poached some chicken breasts in chicken stock earlier and then shredded it)

shredded mozzarella cheese

alfredo sauce (the link has a recipe to make your own, but I used the jar kind)

lasagna noodles (cooked al dente)

oregano

garlic powder

Basically you put a little of the sauce on one end of the noodle, top it with some oregano, garlic powder, chicken and mozzarella. Then you put them in your baking dish, top it with the rest of your sauce and mozzarella and bake it.

Pros: easy to make, great for picky eaters, can be assembled beforehand and popped in the oven 

Cons: a little time consuming to individually roll them, quite fattening

When I make it again (because I will), I will probably change it up a bit. I will use less mozzarella, use low fat alfredo sauce and probably add in some sort of veggies (probably some spinach and onions). A good, customizable, recipe.

Now for my review of The Hunger Games

First let me say that I LOVED the books. I wasn't going to read them initially, but then Sister told me I had to. So I did. And I loved them. So naturally I had to watch the movie.

Chad has not read the books, so he didn't REALLY know the story line.

Obviously, the movie wasn't as good as the book. They never are.

I do think that it was done very well in the aspect of controlling the gore. In the books there was so much killing and whatnot that I was nervous that it would really be too much, but it wasn't.

I wasn't super impressed though. Chad pointed out that it was really slow in the beginning. Which is true. And it didn't touch on a lot of the stuff before the Games that seemed like really important things in the books. I wanted to see more of the relationship between Peeta and Katniss. The book showed so much more of an internal struggle for Katniss and the movie really didn't show it. I think that people who didn't read the book wouldn't know that Katniss didn't really have the feelings for Peeta that she let on. And the ending was awful. It ended really abruptly and I think missed a lot of stuff.

Overall, it was good. It wasn't great. I would prefer to read the book again than to watch the movie.

Mid-Week Boredom

I haven't linked up with Michelle for a while, so I thought I'd share with you some of my more recent finds.

Source: 27.media.tumblr.com via Carly on Pinterest

Source: skiptomylou.org via Carly on Pinterest

^Sweet and Salty Fritos... danger.

Source: fashionworship.com via Carly on Pinterest

Source: maggs-r.tumblr.com via Carly on Pinterest

Source: d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net via Carly on Pinterest

^A Ba-Shar... basset hound shar pei mix. I DIE.

Source: connellinteriors.blogspot.com via Carly on Pinterest

^A sleepover attic. So awesome.

Source: xoimagine.com via Carly on Pinterest

I hope everybody is having a good week so far. Mine could be going better, but there's not much that can be done by complaining.

Things that Happened Whilst Fishing

So yesterday after I said that I was going to spend my day watching tv, doing chores, and napping, Chad and I actually decided to go fishing. 

Lately I haven't been going with him because a) I get tired of fishing a lot sooner than him, b) all he wants to do is go bass fishing, which has never been my thing, and c) that is usually his "alone time" with Dustin.

Anyways, here are a few things that happened on our fishing trip (in the order that they happened)

1. I caught my first bass! Just a little fella, but I got 'im none the less

2. Chad thought he had a fish on, and yanked his pole like it was a 6 foot shark he was trying to hook, thus causing his lure/hook to hurtle through the air, narrowly missing my face and instead getting caught up in my hair

3. Got barked at by a little dog on a dock who wanted to kill us so badly that he actually jumped in the water and chased our boat.

4. I caught my second bass (another little fella)

5. While programming Chad's phone to show the picture of me with my fish when I call him, Chad crashes the boat into a rock and my phone flies out of my hand into the lake

6. Get a MONSTER bass on (okay, it was, like, 3-4 pounds) and that asshole snaps my line and takes my hook and lure

So, now I have a phone that doesn't work (it was shallow enough water that Chad could reach it), and I missed the big fish of my lifetime (probably).

Ugh.

Salutations

Hey there kids.

It's been a few weeks since I have taken the time to tell you about my weekend.

So, here we go.

Friday:

It was the hottest day of the year on Friday, so I didn't feel like doing much of anything after work. We are cheapos around her, so that means we don't turn the cool air on pretty much ever. If you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen this, but this is what it looked like in my house Friday night:

Saturday:

Yesterday we did something that we used to do every single weekend, but haven't done yet this summer... float the river!

Around here, floating the Snoqualmie river is the #1 thing to do on the hot days. People come from all over to float our river (don't even get me started on the mess these asshole out of towners leave). 

Anyways, it was our friend Brad's birthday party, so a bunch of us met up and got on the river. There are a couple things I realized on our float yesterday though:

1. drunk girls need to be more aware of themselves. nobody wants to see your girly bits hanging out of your swimsuit because you're too drunk to realize your swimsuit is only covering half of what it should be. Same goes for dancing. It's not necessary. This isn't spring break in Cancun.

2. I need to purchase a fancy floating couch or island or something. Regular rafts just aren't cutting it for me anymore.

I'm thinking something like this:

After we were done floating, we went back to our friend Brad's parents house to barbecue and hang out. Overall it was a fun day, but Chad and I were both tired from all the sun and alcohol, so we ended up going home at about 9:30 like a couple of old people.

Sunday (today):

Today I fully intend to just relax and do some housework. I went to see my horse this morning and met with Shannon (that lady whose barn I keep her at) because she wanted to look at the wound and see how it is looking, because we both are thinking we can maybe switch up the care plan a little bit.

Now I have positioned myself in front of the TV to watch Intervention and feel good about my life.

I hope you guys had a great weekend!

So, last night I had this completely random dream.

I was literally a character in Pretty Little Liars. It was like I was an extra friend that never comes up on the show, but is really very important.

Except in my dream, things were a bit different.

For one thing, Toby was gay. And had a "partner" and two children. Which he was never allowed to tell anybody about because that evil bitch Jenna would kill them.

Another weird thing? In my dream, they found Ali's body. But not in the same way that they found it in the movie... it wasn't just in a hole in the backyard. It was stuffed in a plastic garbage can in a hole in the backyard. And, even though it had been, like, a long time since she had disappeared, she wasn't decomposed or anything. She was just skinnier.

And when I found Ali's body in the garbage can, Jenna was really mad.

So she was going to shoot me.

Bitch.

It was a pretty stressful dream for me.

PS: Blogger is being extremely difficult right now and took away my signature and is making my spacing and whatnot all wonky.

Not happy.

Some Confessions

I have a few things to confess to you guys.

I know there are link ups for these sorts of things, but I don't really have enough energy am too lazy to find them.

I am a sucker for cheesy Harry Potter humor.

Source: kodakgallery.com via Lesley on Pinterest

I always fill up on chips and pico de gallo when we go to Mexican restaurants, and then I don't eat hardly any of my food (so Chad eats it approximately 15 minutes after we return home from the restaurant)

I hate having nothing to do at work. There are only so many times you can check for breaking news before you get sick of it.

I am so in the mood for fall, even though I haven't done many summer activities yet, aside from the one trip to a lake and the couple small barbecues at my house.

Source: 26.media.tumblr.com via Carly on Pinterest

Speaking of fall, I keep seeing cute hoodies on Pinterest. I go to the site to potentially purchase one, only to find that it is a European country, so they don't have big girl sizes, since America is the only country that will reward someone with cute clothes for being a fat ass.

Source: zalando.co.uk via Carly on Pinterest

Anyways, I just wanted to get those things out there in the world, although I may have potentially sabatoged myself and am now running behind schedule.

Damn you, Pinterest.

Prayers Accepted

I know I have some Pacific Northwest followers out there, but for those of you who AREN'T from around here, you may not have heard about the crazy wildfire burning it's way across Kittitas County right now.

It's not close to where we live at the moment, but it's close enough that we have a lot of friends and family that live over where the damage is being done.

As of the last news story I saw, it has burned through 28,000 acres. Took down 60 structures. And displaced hundreds of people and pets. It started Monday and has just now become 10% contained.

It's the real deal.

Last night, Chad's cousin called. He just moved into a new house two days ago. Less than 24 hours later, he found himself being evacuated. 

Chad's aunt was also evacuated.

They were forced to stand on the side of the freeway watching the flames get closer and closer to their home.

Thankfully there really hasn't been any human deaths (at least not that have been reported as of yet), but so many people are losing everything. A lot of people in the areas that are being affected make their living on farming. 

Our close friend Dustin (you've seen him mentioned on here a few times) has a family cabin out by where the wildfire is raging. They went out there this afternoon to see how close things were going. A friend who owns the property next door has been digging a trench to try to slow down the fire. This is a picture that Carol (dustin's mom) posted on facebook this evening.

They are hoping they get the fire contained before their cabin is in real danger, but the fact that they can see the haze from their property is so intense to me. 

After she posted this morning, so many people were flooding her with messages, and this is what she had to say 

Carol: thanks all. There are so many over there that have everything to loose. We will miss ours for sure but our thoughts are for them. I hope they are all safe.

Anyways, sorry for the somber post, but this is something that has been weighing heavily on my mind the past 24 hours. If you're the praying type, please send some to Kittitas County and the surrounding areas.

They need them.

Social Sunday

If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Chinese food. Easily.

What's your guilty pleasure/comfort food?

Well, my guilty pleasure in the past has always been McDonald's. But I would say my comfort food is mac & cheese. And pancakes.

What's the weirdest/craziest thing you've ever eaten?

I don't typically eat weird things I don't think, but maybe the deep fried gizzards at the bar...?

What foods do you avoid at all costs?

Carrots. I mean, I'll eat them in soup when they are completely mushy and have no taste. And real coconut.

What meal reminds you of your childhood?

Well, one meal that we used to have on a fairly regular basis was chicken and rice a roni. And it was always dark meat chicken, bone in, skin on. In the oven with lots of Johnny's on the outside. I always wanted the skin because it was so crispy and salty and delicious. Could explain about how I gained so much weight as a child...

Share one of your favorite recipes and the history behind it.

I don't really have a favorite recipe, in all honesty. I like to try new recipes a lot. I posted about a couple new ones I tried last week here

The Liars' Club

I told you guys I would be getting back to normal soon. I was actually able to finally finish reading this book (that I started reading, like, 3 weeks ago).

Before I really get into my review too much, I would like to tell you a few things about this book physically. I ordered it online from half.com (since I am cheap and don't like to spend more than $5 on a book). There weren't any "NEW" copies (I'm also a snob and try to buy all new books) so I had to get a used one. 

When it arrived, not only was it CLEARLY used (we're talking water spots that made the pages warp, and old glue had held the sleeve or whatever you call it on the outside of it was visible everywhere.

And it was in LARGE PRINT. I've never owned a large print book. It was very strange for me. Everybody at work commented on it. 

Anyways, moving on.

When I started the book, I wasn't really sure how I would feel about it. The story took a while to really come together in a way that sucked me in. But eventually it did. Here is the breakdown on the back:

"Perched on the swampy rim of the Gulf, Leechfield, Texas, is famous for mosquitoes and the manufacture of Agent Orange, a place where the only bookstores are religious ones, and the restaurants serve only fried food... the place where Mary Karr grew up. 

In The Liars' Club, Karr looks back through younger eyes to a family whose very sanity is threatened by a mother's unimaginable past, a mad puritanical grandmother, a vast inheritance squandered in a single year, endless emptied bottles and the darkness and lies inflicted on an eight-year-old girl. Miraculously, in a voice stripped of self-pity and exploding with antic wit, she takes us on a journey into joy - a wonderfully unsentimental vision that recaptures and redeems a painful past.

I have to say that the condition of the book (the physical condition) kind of added to the story. That sounds a bit stupid, but the fact that it was kind of tattered went along with the overall theme of the book.

This girl grew up with a family situation that I couldn't imagine, and the things she saw at such a young age is crazy. 

Like I said, it was a little bit slow starting out, but after it got going I really enjoyed it.

Overall, I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. 

Recipe Reviews

In my healthy eating attempts as of late, I have tried a couple new recipes that I thought I would review for you.

Both of them are from Skinny Taste. It is probably my favorite website to look for recipes. The pictures are also her's... my food doesn't look this good.

The first one I tried was Chicken Rollatini with Proscuitto and Cheese.

It was good. Chad ate three pieces. And a cheeseburger, but that's beside the point.

It was a little bit more labor intensive than I usually prefer (you have to put the chicken in   an olive oil/lemon juice mixture, then breadcrumbs, then roll up the meat, cheese, and onions in it... lots of steps for my simple mind). But it was well worth the work. I highly recommend it. 

One of them came unrolled in the oven, but it still tasted BOMB, so I don't think that matters.

Tonight I made Chicken Thighs with Artichoke Hearts and Feta Cheese.

This was SUCH an easy recipe. Basically three ingredients (and some spices) thrown together in a bag and then put in the oven. SO GOOD. Chad didn't have any because he claims he doesn't like feta cheese or something like that. But the artichokes and the cheese add a bit of zip to the chicken and I hope it reheats well... since I don't want to throw it away and I'm obviously on my own for eating it.

Anyways, those are two new recipes that I've tried and enjoyed. Highly recommend them both. And since they're from Skinny Taste, they are pretty healthy... double bonus.

Inspire Me: Healthy (week 2)

I'm linking up with Raven and Kristen again this week!

The big thing I wanted to start working on this last week was not eating carbs in the evening. 

Let's just say that between my sister's rehearsal dinner, the wedding and then an all day outing with Chad on Sunday, I wasn't successful over the weekend. 

But this week I have been a lot better. I have been being a bit more conscious about what I am eating and how I plan my meals. 

I haven't seen a huge difference on the scale yet (shocking, after 4 days right????) but that could also have something to do with the fact that I haven't been eating super healthy during the day since I don't have any groceries at the moment. Whoops.

Anyways, I have also set a more long term goal for myself. 

I would like to lose 15 pounds by Halloween, and then an additional 10 by Christmas. So that's 25 lbs by the end of the year.

I know it's completely do-able if I am smart and determined enough and make the right choices.

But mac and cheese is so good...

I don't post a ton of pictures of myself (because I don't like them) but I figure it helps to know what I look like when it comes time for updates and potential photo comparisons... So this is me and my sister at her wedding this past weekend. 

Some Okays

It's okay... to not like bubble necklaces

It's okay... to not read sponsor posts because you have seen the same sponsor post on 6 other blogs

It's okay... to have a hard time sticking to a diet. It's better to try and struggle than to not try at all

It's okay... to be coming to the realization that not only do I think I may want to have kids someday, but that if i do, I want to be a stay at home mom

It's okay... to eat Safeway sushi. Spicy Salmon roll anyone?

It's okay... to have been a little disappointed when we tried Sonic for the first time.

It's okay... to NEED not only a horse trailer, but a tent trailer also, and not know which one is a bigger necessity. (that's a lie. the horse trailer is a bigger necessity. by far.)

It's okay... that after all the stress of my sister's wedding, a destination wedding sounds like a really good idea.

It's okay... to use penis shaped ice cubes when you are out of regular ones in the freezer (they didn't get used for Sister's bachelorette party)

It's okay... to break out laughing in the middle of the night because Chad is trying to steal my blankets and is talking to me about it in his sleep.

It's okay... to want to try to learn to ride Chad's jet ski, but not want to do it when there is a bunch of people around

Love is in the Air...

So I'm popping in today because I haven't posted anything for a while. a LONG while. I know I've mentioned it, but I have been stressing out a lot these past few weeks about my sister's wedding. 

Luckily, the aforementioned wedding took place this past weekend!!

So, I thought I would share a few of the pictures that have been floating around FB since then (they aren't all fancy schmancy or anything, so don't get too excited)

First dance as husband and wife 

Cutting the cake (which my talented cousin actually made for them)

The flower girls, who are all Matthew's (my new bro in law) nieces. 

Hunting for the garter under about 57 layers of dress 

Me and Sister! The only picture that was taken of just the two of us (that I'm aware of at least...)

Anyways, that is kind of a preview. I will try to post some better ones later on.

I also promise to try to get all caught up on reading your blogs and back on track to regular postings also.

Argh...

So, the house hunt for us must carry on.

I just got an e mail from our real estate agent letting me know that the house we had our offer in on for the last three damn months went to auction because the sellers didn't turn in their paperwork in time.

I am quite annoyed. I don't think it's even a little bit fair that because the sellers didn't turn their paperwork in, we missed out on a house. I think the bank should have been able to look and and either approve or reject our offer themselves without needing financials from the sellers. 

I feel like there is a serious break in the communication here. The listing agent and short sale negotiator that has been working with our offer didn't even know it went to auction. We had heard from the neighbors (who we are friends with) that the owners had gotten eviction notices saying that the house had been sold, so I passed that info on to our agent, who then asked the listing agent/negotiator. They had to get in touch with the bank themselves to find out.

You'd think the bank would have told the listing agent FIRST, yeah? Or at least let them know so they aren't out there trying to sell a house that doesn't need to be sold anymore?

I know, I know, I don't know everything there is to know about short sales, but still. I have a feeling that the bank would have gotten more money out of our offer than the did from whoever bought it at auction. 

Moral of the story, I am really frustrated and upset. 

So two of my favorite bloggers have started a new link up for us ladies to go and share our successes, frustrations, goals, and tips for living healthier lives. Kristen and Raven are going to be alternating each Thursday hosting the link up. 

Anyways, for my first post to link up I am going to be sharing my current daily goals.

1. Do at least 30 minutes of cardio a day

2. No carbs after 6 pm

3. No more bored eating

So far this week I have been doing really well with the cardio part... maybe because I haven't been working this week so it's a lot easier for me to get to the gym.

As for the carbs, I just need to start being more aware of what time it is. Lately Chad has been fishing every night, so I end up not knowing when we're eating dinner, so I end up waiting around until, like, 8 o clock before I eat. So I need to start being more aware of what time it is and if I am going to be eating later, I need to restrict my dinner to meat and veggies.

Bored eating is always a tough thing for me. But, this week being off of work has been a good test for me. I've been basically sitting at home, so the potential for bored snacking is  HUGE. Especially after Sister's bachelorette weekend because there is tons of leftover bad food (I did have the willpower to throw away the leftover donuts though, score one for me!) Overall I think I've been pretty good about my bored eating. If I snack, I'll have maybe 20 cheez it rather than 50. Everything in moderation.

Anyways, that's my first post for this link up. Hopefully next week I'll have a good weight loss update for you guys. 

Thanks Kristen & Raven for hosting this link up!

A Little Bit of This & That.

Linking up with Michelle for some Pinterest finds.

Source: themetapicture.com via Carly on Pinterest

I was just having a conversation about this over the weekend...

Source: google.com via Carly on Pinterest

I want a cake somewhere along these lines...

Source: its-scuttle.tumblr.com via Carly on Pinterest

Truth.

Source: creative-ambitions.blogspot.com via Carly on Pinterest

Making this for future wedding pictures.

Source: fyeahtattoos.com via Carly on Pinterest

Super cute tattoo

Source: epbot.com via Carly on Pinterest

Really into the whole Steampunk thing right now. Love these necklaces.

Source: pshiiit.com via Carly on Pinterest

Nautical nails. Don't have the skill to do it myself, but love them!

Source: google.com via Carly on Pinterest

Love this song and the tattoo.

Source: missatlaplaya.blogspot.com.es via Carly on Pinterest

   

Dakota & Elle Fanning. So pretty.

Source: blogs.babble.com via Carly on Pinterest

       

DIY Skeleton Shirt