tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90888542273754271642024-03-12T22:16:19.266-06:00cardy & jennyou're the cream in my coffee.Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-39380831306935696202013-07-01T17:35:00.001-06:002013-07-01T17:35:02.550-06:00Weekend HappeningsI had such a great weekend! There was a while there that I thought my weekends would never be fun again. So often I have to work at least one of the weekend days, if not both, and I just dread it. Don't get me wrong, I have about the best (& easiest) part time job repping fragrance for a great company but the downside is I end up working lots of weekends & holidays. I feel like I miss out on so much. This summer will be so much different. My last work day for the rest of the summer was Father's Day and I don't go back until the fall. I am so excited!!!<br />
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This weekend we saw two movies- World War Z (omg. Brad Pitt for life!) & The Fast & the Furious 6. I have been anticipating WWZ for a while now and it didn't disappoint- I really liked it. I didn't read the book first like I wanted but I've heard they are very different so I think I'll still keep it on my list. Cardy & I have a thing for the Fast & Furious movies. We love them! They're so cheesy & ridiculous but entertaining as hell! We went to a late night showing and ended up having the entire theater to ourselves. I never had that happen before. I kept whispering to Cardy and then I would realize I didn't need to be quite but it felt really weird talking out loud in a dark theater. <br />
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We also hit up the downtown farmer's market on Saturday and came home with some delicious cherries. We love walking through the market on Saturday mornings. It's one of our favorite things to do in the summer. The rest of our Saturday was spent running errands, napping, and planting some veggie plants Cardy had picked up. It was lovely.<br />
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On Sunday, Caroline & I headed up to Park City to check out the Park Silly Market. This was my first time and I didn't know what to expect. It was almost like a local mini Arts Festival. Lots of great vendors, music, food booths and a beer garden. Caroline & I were excited when we spotted a Bloody Mary bar so, of course, we had to stop for one. This was one of the raddest bars I had ever seen & I hope to duplicate it (on a smaller scale) for future parties. We had our choice of three Bloody Mary mixes and then an entire set up of garnishes. In the end our drinks looked more like a salad than a cocktail! It was awesome! <br />
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Afterwards, we walked up & down Main Street checking out the shops and running into another small farmer's market. I'll definitely be making the drive to Park City several more times this summer. <br />
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The only thing I didn't get to do this weekend was get Zoe out of the house. I do feel really bad that the hot weather has kept her in doors a lot lately. With temperatures over 100 degrees, it's just way too hot to do anything with her. The evenings are even unpleasantly hot but that's when we take her on some walks so the sidewalk doesn't burn her little paws. I can tell she is so bored being indoors. I'm off for a long four day weekend this week so I'm going to make it a point to get up early in the morning on Friday and take her on a nice hike. She'll love it!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">{cutest girl ever!}</span></div>
Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-7339526762159323292013-06-28T17:22:00.001-06:002013-06-28T17:26:47.766-06:00Life Without A PhoneLast week as I was heading down to Lake Powell with my family, I realized I'd misplaced my phone. I realized this as our entire group was departing from some random parking lot in Draper- not even 15 miles from my parent's house- the last place I'd remembered seeing my phone. Of course, I was in a dead panic and began dumping everything from my purse and my beach bag and stuffing my hands into every nook and cranny in my dad's truck. Nope. No luck. "No problem." I thought. We'll just turn around and head back to the house where I was sure it was. Nope again. My dad was not about to turn around and abandon the rest of our group for my phone. I wanted to cry. How was I going to survive the next five days of my trip? No phone, no camera, no Spotify, no Instagram & Facebook. I was already upset, 20 minutes into our family trip. Not to mention the fact that I was going to have to admit to Cardy that I had actually lost my phone. Sure, I'd misplaced it before, mostly in my house but I'd never lost, lost a phone. <br />
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After some quick thinking, I called my friend, Ashley, and pretty much begged her to stop by my parent's house to see if I had left the phone sitting on the counter or to check if it was laying in the street where we had been loading the truck and boat. She was awesome and ran right over, despite her and her family trying to leave for the same boating trip. Unfortunately, she didn't find anything. <br />
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I must have re-traced my steps in my head a hundred times. I could remember the last time I looked at my phone (to check a text message) but I could not remember what I did after that. I tried calling the phone, I tried calling Verizon to see if they could locate it with GPS (they can't...whatever.) but I didn't know what else I could do from Lake Powell. <br />
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At some point that first day I had to let it go. There was nothing I could do about it so I wasn't going to spend the rest of my trip sulking. It was hard. I felt very disconnected and it made me realize just how much I rely on my phone for everything. I use it as my camera, alarm clock, calendar, organizer, music device, social media connection, email, etc. This sucked. I had to rely on my family to let me borrow their phone to call home & I was forced to listen the only 10 songs my brother had on his phone. I even went so far as to put the Instagram app on my mom's iPhone so I could try not to miss out from afar. For you Sprint users, I'm sorry. You're service sucks. My mom's phone could barely function in Page, AZ so checking Instagram regularly was a bust. <br />
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All is well in the world now. This week I was able to use the insurance I had on my phone and I now have a new phone. It's the same brand I had before- Samsung Galaxy S3 (yes, I'm an Android girl). Who knows what happened to my lost phone. It was probably smashed to smithereens on the road somewhere near my parent's house. <br />
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Here's what I learned in the whole week I was without a phone: <br />
*I'm glad I have insurance on my phone- & one that covers lost/stolen phones (not all do). <br />
*I'm thankful I didn't have any bank info or financial information on my phone- even though I don't think it was stolen, you never know. <br />
*I'm thankful I didn't have any nudie pics currently on my phone.<br />
*I don't give as big of a crap about Facebook as I thought. However, Instagram is another story!<br />
*Always put a tracking app on your phone. You have to be proactive about it because once it's lost, you're screwed.<br />
*Verizon can sell your info to the NSA and social media apps can use the GPS on your phone to track your location but if you lose your phone, your sources are mute. No one can help you.<br />
*Back up Assistance is a bust. Thank you BUA for only saving my contacts in the most ridiculous order imaginable. It was weird discovering Cardy's phone number was now listed as "Email" in my backed up contents. It's a mess. I lost pics, videos, calendar, and other organization trackers I had on my phone. I was so sad. iPhone users have the iCloud but it's no good unless you save things to it. I'm thinking about using DropBox. <br />
*Who knew the police will actually write up a case report for a lost/stolen phone? My insurance required this and I was totally embarrassed calling the police department to report my lost/stolen phone (saying stolen made me feel better about). What a waste of their time!<br />
*I actually survived. I wasn't as disconnected to the world as I thought- I just didn't have all my guilty pleasures at the tip of my fingers. Living without social media, Google and a personal phone is possible.Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-19720127905466723082013-05-17T17:39:00.000-06:002013-05-17T17:39:10.060-06:00Vaycay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We just did something we haven't done in a very long time! We booked a vacation! Hooray! 'I've been dying to plan a vacation and this week we did it! We will be going to St. Croix in August and I am "pee my pants" excited!!!<br />
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I have been nagging Cardy about a vacation- and one that doesn't revolve around work or consist of attending conferences. He's a real home body and traveling is not top on his list of priorities but after a little persuasion and lots of Google images of the island and resort, he agreed- we deserve a vacation. <br />
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I had been doing lots of thinking of places I'd like to travel to. Obviously there are so many on my list and between Cardy and I, we just couldn't decide. A few weeks ago I happened to be searching the Groupon website and I was looking through their deals on travel. I was hoping this would help me narrow things down a bit and low & behold I discovered a great deal to St. Croix. I started researching the island and loved what I saw. I shared my discovery with Cardy and we decided to go ahead and book it. Hallelujah! My husband's taking a vacation! <br />
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St. Croix is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands, located just East of Puerto Rico. It's tropical and beautiful and romantic. I can't wait to visit! Our hotel is on the beach and close to the main town on the island. This vacation has been a long time coming and I will be so happy to relax and spend some much needed down time with Cardy. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yes, Please!</span></div>
Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-50662401681385467102013-04-09T22:50:00.003-06:002013-04-09T22:50:31.094-06:00Book ClubLast fall, my mom and some friends put together a book club. I've always wanted to be part of a book club so I was so excited when they included me. I asked my friend, Alex, to join as well. She's the biggest book nerd I know and it's nothing for her to read several books a month. She's the only person I know who browses the library, checks out numerous books she knows nothing about and reads them all. She was an English Lit major in college, but still, who does that? <br />
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I wanted to join because reading is one of my favorite hobbies. And who doesn't love getting together with friends for dinner and wine to discuss a great book? Sign me up! I'm the exact opposite to Alex when it comes to picking books. I prefer recommendations from friends and even then, I check Amazon and Good Reads for the reviews before I commit to anything. I feel like being part of a book club will give me the opportunity to read books I might otherwise not hear about or read.<br />
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Our group meets about every 4-6 weeks and each person takes a turn to host. The host serves dinner and drinks, provides a group discussion based on the book we just finished and presents the group with a few recommendations for the next read. We vote as a group on our next book. <br />
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Last week was my turn to host. It was so much fun. I stressed for weeks over what to serve and what books to recommend. I ended up choosing four books that have been on my list "to read" for a while now. They are: <br />
*<em>The Art of Racing in the Rain</em> by Garth Stein (this is the book we chose)<br />
<em>The Little Giant of Aberdeen County</em> by Tiffany Baker<br />
<em>Cutting for Stone</em> by Abraham Verghese<br />
<em>The Book Thief</em> by Markus Zusak<br />
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I have truly enjoyed the books we have read so far. Some more than others. So far we have read: <br />
<em>Gone Girl</em> by Gillian Flynn<br />
<em>Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman</em> by Alice Steinbach<br />
<em>The Light Between Oceans</em> by ML Stedman<br />
<em>The Things That Keep Us Here</em> by Clara Buckley<br />
<em>The Devil in the White City</em> by Erik Larson<br />
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<em>Gone Girl</em> has been my favorite so far. I can't say much because this book is full of unexpected turns and twists but it's definitely one I could not put down. <br />
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I love my book club group- It's a fun mix of ladies!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">alex, my mom {joyce}, brittany, janet, susan, jane, lynne</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">book club: april 2013</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">hosted by: jenn</span></div>
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Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-6446144691046450102013-03-21T16:40:00.000-06:002013-03-21T16:40:11.252-06:0033.Ahhhhhhhhhh! I can't believe I'm 33! Where does the time go? I swear, just yesterday I was 27. I truly forget how old I am sometimes. Not that 33 is old, old but I know at some point in my younger years 33 seemed mighty old and now I'm there. I think my misperception of my age is because I sometimes compare myself with the girls I went to high school with and their bunches of children- because of this they somehow seem so much older than me. In my crazy head 4 kids must = older age. Weird- I know. This is obviously me reasoning with myself that I'm not <em>that</em> old. <br />
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Despite time flying right by me, I actually really enjoy birthdays. Who doesn't love being spoiled on their special day? I received so many nice phone calls, texts and facebook messages. They all really made me feel loved. Also, I make it a rule to not work on my birthday. Even if it's just taking the day off work to read and relax, no special plans, just a day for myself. This is exactly what I did yesterday {minus the reading part}. For my birthday, I slept in, snuggled with miss Zoe then I took her up to Tanner Park with our friends, Alex, Steve & Bentley. In the afternoon my mom visited- we made coffee and enjoyed some pastries. I ran a few errands {with Zoe, of course} and then Cardy surprised me by coming home from work a little early. We had reservations at Pago and I was super excited to finally go! I had been wanting to try Pago since they opened and it did not disappoint! We had a fabulous meal. We ordered an appetizer we had never tried before. Chicken live mousse with homemade pickles and dried cherries served with a baguette. I'm still not sure if I liked it {I didn't hate it} but it was fun to try something new. I loved the sweetness of the cherries with the acidity of the pickles- together with the mousse, not too bad. For dinner, I ordered the NY strip and Cardy ordered lamb. It was divine! Dessert was a must for the occasion and after having such a great meal, we wanted to try everything we could. We ordered the bread pudding with ice cream and salted caramel- also fabulous. I wish I had pictures of all of these dishes but Cardy made me <strong>promise</strong> I would not take any pictures in the restaurant. It embarrasses him to death, especially if the place has dim lighting and I need to use a flash. So, even though it was my birthday, I agreed. I was checking out Pago's brunch menu- amazeballs! I may be back sooner than planned!<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Tanner Park is this lady's Disneyland. The water was cold, Zoe only gets in knee deep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">This is the only picture we took in Pago. Not my fave but I wanted to remember the evening.</span></div>
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The night before, my family met up at Copper Onion for dinner not only to celebrate my birthday but also my brother's. His birthday is the week before mine. Good God, I've eaten well this week! Copper Onion is delicious and probably one of my favorite new restaurants. I always suggest it to people wanting to try a new place for lunch or dinner.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cast iron chicken & sweet potatoes. I rarely order chicken but this sounded amazing- it was!</span></div>
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Blippity, blah, blah, blah. Enough about food & detailed descriptions of everything I 've shoveled into my mouth this last week {or month if you've checked out my <a href="http://instagram.com/jenngodina" target="_blank">Instagram</a>}, I really felt the love this week. Despite feeling old{& pretty chubby}, I love my life. I'm surrounded by so many great people who influence me daily. I feel so lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life who care about me so much. Thank you to everyone who not only made my birthday special but who make my life special. <3 p=""></3></div>
Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-64922161882576359512013-03-14T17:39:00.000-06:002013-03-15T10:09:40.664-06:00BudgetOne of my goals for 2013 was to manage our finances more closely and get a better grasp on where our money is going. A couple of weeks ago, I sat down and plugged in all of our regular expenses into a budgeting tool. Putting in our monthly expenses like our house payment, car payments and utilities was easy, but what seemed to be challenging me was all of our "other" expenses like money spent on groceries, shopping, and all other miscellaneous things- hence my need to comprehend our finances. I don't necessarily want to live by a strict budget or go to the extremes of the Dave Ramsey envelope method (yuck!) but I want a better understanding of how we are spending our money and what's a reasonable amount to put away into our savings. <br />
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I decided to start by looking at the money we spend on groceries. Food is a constant, we obviously have to eat and like utilities and our house payment, groceries are a routine monthly expense. I'm not a regular shopper or a regular meal planner so grocery store trips can run me anywhere from $25-125. Sometimes I take big shopping trips and I buy food to last us a week or two but mostly I stop at the store a few times a week and pick up the necessities. Needless to say, I had no idea how much I was spending. <br />
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I used my <a href="http://www.mint.com/" target="_blank">Mint</a> account to help me out. Mint tracks and categorizes spending habits, so I updated my account and looked at my spending for February. $350 in groceries- probably not 100% accurate but good enough. At first I was in shock. Then I started asking my co-workers & friends how much they spend in groceries per month and I realized Cardy and I are on the lower to average end of things. Only one person I asked knew exactly how much she spends per week but she shops once a week and plans every meal. In the end, I was relieved that we aren't extravagant spenders at the store but I know I also need to take into account our meals outside the home which adds another huge expense to our monthly finances.<br />
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I'm happy to have a baseline to gauge my spending at the store. What I'm hoping to come away with in all of this is being more conscious. My end goal is to understand how we are spending our money and to put more money away in our savings account and other investments- this task is much more difficult if you don't know where all of your extra money is going. <br />
<br />Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-11566097474911485372013-03-04T17:46:00.004-07:002013-03-04T17:46:47.587-07:00As of late...I've been inspired to blog again. I'm not even sure how many people check my blog anymore because of my extended hiatus. Recently, a friend started a <a href="http://bohemeyum.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">new blog</a> and <a href="http://itwasjustlikethat.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Caroline</a> began blogging more frequently. I realized how much I enjoy reading their blogs and getting small glimpses into their thoughts and daily activities. I also realized I don't need major life milestones just to create a post- Sometimes a short blurb or quick thoughts are the best. It's truly amazing how quickly time flies by. It sounds so cliche to say that but it's true! Eight months have gone by since my last blogging session {which wasn't much} and I can hardly recall everything that's happened since then. <br />
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Last year was pretty crazy. The last six months of 2012 were incredibly busy with weddings and other celebrations that 2013 has been pleasantly relaxing. To give you an idea of all the festivities I hosted and/or attended- here's a list: <br />
- Baby shower for Julieanne & baby Joseph.<br />
- Three wedding showers: Tara, Jenessa, & Caroline.<br />
- Bachelorette party for Caroline.<br />
- Wedding planning with Caroline.<br />
- Four Weddings: The Bitners, The Carters, The Cooks & The Hargraves.<br />
- One Quinceanera for my niece, Chile.<br />
- Our Five year anniversary. <br />
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Our five year anniversary came and went. I always pictured us doing something so big and special for this milestone {think trip to Hawaii} but September was the busiest & craziest month we've had since planning our own wedding. Not only did we have a ton of events but Cardy was just starting a new job at a new company. Our anniversary was on a Saturday and wouldn't you know it, we spent it attending a wedding! We actually had two weddings that weekend, both Friday & Saturday. Luckily, the wedding we attended on our special day took place at Deer Valley and my mom & dad were so thoughtful and booked Cardy and I a room at the lodge. We spent the night with family and friends, a full, open bar and a cozy room in a beautiful hotel. We just pretended the whole event was a celebration for us. <br />
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During the holidays, I took almost a full two weeks off and it was lovely!!!!! Cardy was able to take some time off too and I enjoyed spending some much needed quality time together. Zoe was so spoiled having us home, she was really sad in January when we all had to get back to reality and go back to work{I think I was more sad}. <br />
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Now that you're semi caught up. Here's what I've been up to lately: <br />
~Hitting up Tanner Park with Zoe. She loves the snow and Tanner Park is one of her favorite places on Earth. We love dog dates too and luckily Caroline & Owen love the park just as much as we do!<br />
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<br /> ~Trader Joe's. Need I say more? Since opening in November, I've been frequenting this place on the regular. The store is small and doesn't have any wine but I'm definitely loving having TJs around. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">{Grand opening of Trader Joe's. Complete madness!}</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">~New Restaurants in the SLC. Flatbread Neapolitan Pizzeria in Sugar House. Amazeballs! We went on Valentine's Day and I'm so glad we did. Not only did we run into Devon & Caroline but the pizza was awesome!</span> </span><span style="font-size: small;">I'm dying to go back and try some other menu items. </span></div>
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~Sewing. I love to sew. I'm a novice and I'm itching to make something other than burp cloths for babies so my goal this year to attempt some new projects. First up: Pillows. I'm meeting up with my mom's friend next weekend so she can show me the tricks of the trade when it comes to pillows. She a master when it comes to pillows and I want to learn how to make pillow covers with zippers and everything. The whole she-bang. This little guy was something I worked on in February in an attempt to decorate my house for Valentine's Day. I love how the buttons turned out but the pillow was struggling. Very Kindergarten. Luckily most of my hand stitching was on the bottom and easily hidden. Bring on the pillows!<br />
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Welp. Here's to more blogging and many more posts to come. Now, I'm off to Target to pick up a few essentials for my trip this week to Boston. </div>
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Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-515574873211659402012-06-02T00:22:00.000-06:002012-06-02T00:22:03.889-06:00Friday Five<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1.</span> It's summa, summa, summa time! Which means I'm craving my favorite treat on the daily. <span style="font-size: large;">I heart fro-yo.</span> I especially love all the yogurt shops that let me put my own toppings on- as much or as little as I like! I'm a tart yogurt with berries, sprinkles, granola, & chocolate chips kinda girl. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2.</span> <a href="http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?Br=F21&Category=ACC&ProductID=2000033623&VariantID=" target="_blank">Hats</a> make me <span style="font-size: large;">Happy </span><span style="font-size: small;">- I'm especially loving fedoras.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyph_xxzg7an6Hykx6c0oEPROQF4Hvia3F6QXm0vXySqfwUGPGbBdia4hdmLqJn6YvjW7xluFtO9NtDoNUCLyWP_eS8GBlGo2FaAcP64HuZPUISDcXb3RQfPOG4e4DpGAB3BOh-iOd0Gs/s1600/fedora.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyph_xxzg7an6Hykx6c0oEPROQF4Hvia3F6QXm0vXySqfwUGPGbBdia4hdmLqJn6YvjW7xluFtO9NtDoNUCLyWP_eS8GBlGo2FaAcP64HuZPUISDcXb3RQfPOG4e4DpGAB3BOh-iOd0Gs/s320/fedora.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3.</span> Game of <span style="font-size: large;">Thrones</span>- Season 2 finale <span style="font-size: large;">;(</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">lord tyrion, need I say more?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4.</span> <a href="http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=acc_scarf_gloves&ProductID=1000045634&VariantID=" target="_blank">Scarves</a> - not just for <span style="font-size: large;">winter</span>. I think they are so <span style="font-size: large;">cute</span> with a t-shirt or a tank. </div>
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It's the new <span style="font-size: large;">summer </span>accessory!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">5.</span> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqG0rc7vZX4" target="_blank">Garfunkel & Oates</a>- my new favorite <span style="font-size: large;">peeps</span>!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVODKvGr0e1UReldj6vIrgNOg9eTheJkVxvPpY7YUDSCym9fMQc9eLdZHbzxJSBmLKz-uGbvJedZ8Ju7gSG-sDM7OEWNu692w4IAz0UhTNm0xxYL4XsqH35GPKA2rAABl1W5Yo7R0Qps/s1600/Garfunkel-And-Oates-Pics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVODKvGr0e1UReldj6vIrgNOg9eTheJkVxvPpY7YUDSCym9fMQc9eLdZHbzxJSBmLKz-uGbvJedZ8Ju7gSG-sDM7OEWNu692w4IAz0UhTNm0xxYL4XsqH35GPKA2rAABl1W5Yo7R0Qps/s320/Garfunkel-And-Oates-Pics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-21619500410843593992012-04-13T00:09:00.003-06:002012-04-13T00:09:52.222-06:00Friday Five<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">1</span>. One word- <span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Obsessed</span>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFmFeOpF-HTzrP822QNAmRleCzyZMoS8uEFX-zwRiorteES4qFWPu4BIN0W1wdDmaNSJxsz_U6dMtT9byUbdkMUOsRJw0r8a7xCIXXiY535hyphenhyphenakFXUqVLqhtuOHIKqwRuJ768Hs3kXc4/s1600/skinnies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFmFeOpF-HTzrP822QNAmRleCzyZMoS8uEFX-zwRiorteES4qFWPu4BIN0W1wdDmaNSJxsz_U6dMtT9byUbdkMUOsRJw0r8a7xCIXXiY535hyphenhyphenakFXUqVLqhtuOHIKqwRuJ768Hs3kXc4/s1600/skinnies.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">2</span>. Make these <span style="font-size: large;">asap</span>! I made these delicious <a href="http://justcallmemaria.blogspot.com/2012/03/oatmeal-lemon-creme-bars.html">oatmeal lemon bars</a> for Easter and they are my new favorite dessert. <span style="font-size: x-small;">Hint: Double the lemon juice- I did & <em>it was the best decision I made all week</em>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">3</span>. Ombre hair. <span style="font-size: large;">I want it</span>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">4</span>. This <span style="font-size: large;">little</span> thing <span style="font-size: large;">melts</span> my <span style="font-size: large;">♥</span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">5.</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Words</span> to live by...</div>
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<br /></div>Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-26910475245816789092012-04-12T23:46:00.001-06:002012-04-12T23:46:57.048-06:00B is for BoyLast weekend I threw a baby shower for my friend, Julieanne, who is having a a baby boy next month. Julieanne and I work together at the U and ever since she told me she was pregnant, I knew I had to throw her a shower. Watching her through this whole process has been so much fun & we talk on the daily about babies (okay, okay...I'll admit it, it makes me a little baby hungry). Most of my girlfriends either had their babies 10 years ago or have not yet ventured into that part of their life so it's been nice to have Julieanne give me all the deets on everything that's going on inside & out.<br />
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For the shower, I ordered the most adorable invitations from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/">Etsy</a>. It was so simple, I just chose the design I liked, purchased the image and the seller created a custom invitation with my information. The image was sent to me in a .jpeg & .pdf format which I threw on a thumb drive and took to OfficeMax for printing. It was easy-peasy and I was thrilled how they turned out!<br />
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My mom has a perfect house for entertaining and she was nice enough to offer up her house for the party. I was really happy with the way everything turned out- good food, delicious beverages, great guests, amazing gifts for the baby, and some adorable favors. Julieanne was so excited and I'm glad we had such a great turn out. Successful party = happy host!<br />
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Paper lanterns & Pom-poms</div>
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Beverage Bar</div>
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Yummy Food</div>
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Sugar cookies given as favors for the guests. I ordered stars & baby chicks- they turned out super cute!</div>
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Martha, my lovely co-host, modeling some of the awesome gifts.</div>
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Glowing mom-to-be & proud papa-to-be</div>
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Three hosts & a pregnant lady</div>
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<br />Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-70034563582296286652012-03-24T12:22:00.001-06:002012-03-24T12:22:06.986-06:00Very PinterstingMy husband asks me everyday if I've seen anything "pinteresting". He thinks it's so funny. <a href="http://pinterest.com/jenngodina/">Pinterest</a>. It's my latest obsession- actually...I think it's every girls latest obsession. It's a virtual dream for anyone who loves to craft, cook, decorate and dress up. I find myself getting sucked in- oohhing & aahhing over peoples abilities to create and hoping I can recreate the same for me. <br />
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I've tried several of the recipes I've found on Pinterest and I've used a bunch of the organizing and cleaning tips I've seen. I have hundreds of home decorating ideas pinned and lots of sewing and crafting projects I'm dying to try. Here are a few I hope to be trying out real soon: <br />
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Chevron wall- I've been dying to paint an accent wall in our house since the day we moved in. I go back and forth between colors but I can never seem to choose. Then I came across the recent trend of the patterned chevron wall. I like the subtleness of the tones and I think the pattern adds and element of fun to the room.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*inspiration from </span><a href="http://www.sabbespot.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">www.sabbespot.blogspot.com</span></a></div>
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Pom pom & lantern decoration- I hope to recreate this next Saturday for a baby shower I'm throwing for my friend, Julieanne. She's having a boy so I will be using blue, white and pops of green and orange. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRK24lCon3GH6fz4tKZaMbqkGG64p_-3fNQ_ngig-yw6UPufUgqYaqumzpS-ut7RDi15BSGO-S7hYbOuZBUtBL0pdcIrM8x3nTi1ZitvHoM1INbZVzAAJJewT0kTxRb6wEXlzzU3NulfY/s1600/party+poms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRK24lCon3GH6fz4tKZaMbqkGG64p_-3fNQ_ngig-yw6UPufUgqYaqumzpS-ut7RDi15BSGO-S7hYbOuZBUtBL0pdcIrM8x3nTi1ZitvHoM1INbZVzAAJJewT0kTxRb6wEXlzzU3NulfY/s1600/party+poms.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*inspiration from </span><a href="http://www.perfectlyimperfectblog.com/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">www.perfectlyimperfectblog.com</span></a> </div>
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Hooks on reclaimed wood- I want make this for our bedroom. Between Cardy and I we have a million hats. Okay, not a million, but a bunch. This particular set of hooks is from Anthropology- it's a fortune (for hooks anyway) and oddly enough it doesn't come with any hardware. Weird. Cardy has skills and I'm sure between the two of us we could easy come up with an Anthro knock-off (plus who doesn't love reclaimed wood?).</div>
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These three are just the beginning- I have many, many pinteresting creations to try. I will definitely post any projects I attempt- I'm super excited! Thanks Pinterest for providing such a great place of inspiration!</div>Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-8517827547693366592012-03-23T23:08:00.000-06:002012-03-23T23:08:23.180-06:00Off site business meetingWednesday afternoon conversation with my manager (& friend)- <br />
<strong>Me:</strong> <em>"Marth, what's your schedule like tomorrow?"</em><br />
<strong>Martha:</strong> <em>"Ummmm, pretty open. I might have a meeting but I'm not sure if it's tomorrow or Friday. Why? What do you have going on?"</em><br />
<strong>Me:</strong> <em>"Nothing, wanna go skiing? It's supposed to be beautiful."</em><br />
<strong>Martha:</strong> <em>"I'll schedule the meeting for Friday."</em><br />
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I didn't have to twist her arm at all!<br />
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Empty parking lot in the morning, nobody on the chair lifts, and slopes all to ourselves (mostly). Solitude is right! </div>
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Sunny and beautiful all day- couldn't have asked for a better Thursday away from the office. </div>Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-35692345317767386732012-03-23T22:56:00.000-06:002012-03-23T22:56:03.830-06:00Always a reason to celebrate...and eat.I love to cook & entertain- it's like a match made in heaven. I find it so much fun and very satisfying to make a meal that everyone enjoys. I will find pretty much any excuse to have friends over to eat. Zombies, vampires, football, birthdays, holidays, you name it and I'll make a shin-dig out of it. Lately we've been meeting up on Sunday nights with Devon and <a href="http://itwasjustlikethat.blogspot.com/">Caroline</a> to watch whatever TV series we're hooked on at the moment. Caroline & I usually take turns hosting and making dinner for the four of us. It's so much fun to have a friend who enjoys cooking and trying new dishes to share. I'm always begging Caro to make one of her delicious pizzas or something we've been drooling over on Pinterest.<br />
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Of course, using any reason to make a big dinner and have friends over- we had to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. To be honest, I'm not even sure who St. Patrick is...but I sure love corned beef and all the fixins!<br />
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For Saturday's dinner I made corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread served with apricot preserves, and <a href="http://www.ferdakost.com/2011/10/tartiflette-eating-france.html">tartiflette</a> (a delicious potato dish with bacon, cream & cheese- made by Caroline). For dessert we had chocolate stout cupcakes with Bailey's cream cheese frosting with our Bailey's & coffee.<br />
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On Sunday we got together for the Walking Dead season finale (amazing!) and had Reuben sandwiches and roasted asparagus. I had never made Reubens before but I tell you what, next year I may just skip corned beef & cabbage and go straight for the Reubens. Holy cow, they were delicious!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEUa6xvND_heIoqN-27OQK-qXzqTmrYKZjOP3S5T1GMCMP9oWEZI_AfFAZsLa_-fx25cqMkYoCYPzQSVeYIXtHq9WzmJx6Id9eiWwXaEB9lcmTaah-e_LvZ8OUKFTHyzjzLRFwNhLztQ/s1600/spd+reuben.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEUa6xvND_heIoqN-27OQK-qXzqTmrYKZjOP3S5T1GMCMP9oWEZI_AfFAZsLa_-fx25cqMkYoCYPzQSVeYIXtHq9WzmJx6Id9eiWwXaEB9lcmTaah-e_LvZ8OUKFTHyzjzLRFwNhLztQ/s320/spd+reuben.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-48807939379683954452012-02-09T21:59:00.001-07:002012-02-09T21:59:32.800-07:00Holiday RamblingsHoly cow! I can't believe its been months since my last post. I'm always amazed at how quickly time passes me by. I'll give the short, short version of my holiday season: <br />
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-Thanksgiving came and went. I pretty much survived the month of November on anything pumpkin-chocolate chip. I did lots of cooking and I took my very first cooking class with my friend, Carlee. We made roasted cornish game hens and a curried butternut soup. I immediately decided it's imperative to own an immersion blender for soups galore. Cardy and I also continued our tradition of roasting our own turkey, stuffed with our delicious home made dressing, a blend of both our mom's recipes.<br />
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-Christmas was wonderful, as usual. December is always a busy month- working, shopping, decorating, wrapping, Christmas parties, etc. Cardy took note this year and I received my beloved immersion blender.<br />
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- We spent New Years Eve with our closest friends, Devon & Caroline. We had a fabulous dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. <br />
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Check out these ballers. They both won their fantasy football leagues. Champagne was in order.<br />
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- I had my first Sundance Film Festival experience. Cardy and Devon were dying to see <a href="http://www.magnetreleasing.com/timandericmovie//">Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie</a>. Me? Not so much. But...being the awesome wife that I am, I signed Cardy and I up for ticket time slots (a benefit for locals) to be sure we scored some tickets. <br />
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Devon, Caroline, Cardy and I braved the snow to catch the first Salt Lake showing at the Tower Theater. The movie was pretty much what I expected- I'll leave it at that- but we had a really fun night. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Caroline and I being good sports before the movie</span></div>
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</div>Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-74432508251390164272011-11-16T10:40:00.001-07:002011-11-16T10:47:07.055-07:00I wish...I have lots of wishes but today here's what I wish for most...<br />
-I wish I could blink my eyes and my house would be clean<br />
-I wish a full work week was only 30 hours long<br />
-I wish dogs didn't shed<br />
-I wish I could take a short nap everyday<br />
-I wish working out didn't seem like a choreJenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-25812009100812920582011-10-27T22:56:00.001-06:002011-10-28T10:20:14.739-06:00Birthday Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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She may be a fighter- but she's also a lover. We consider her our baby. We think everything she does is the cutest thing we've ever seen. Most people think we're talking about our child (which she is) but she's actually our furry baby. It's her 2nd birthday today and we are celebrating in pure doggy fashion. Just like her birthday last year, she was treated to a very special birthday breakfast, served "breakfast-in-bed" style (prepared by her dad, of course).<br />
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Today we pampered Zoe with lots of loves, belly rubs, a nice walk in this beautiful Fall weather and a game of fetch. <br />
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We love this little girl so much. She fills our hearts with so much love. We can't imagine our lives without her. Happy Birthday, ZozoJenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-65132507107389221712011-10-26T23:38:00.000-06:002011-10-26T23:38:49.433-06:00This Bites...Friday night Zoe got into a tussle with one of the neighborhood dogs. This particular dog is one Zoe's played with many times. In fact, one of the things we love most about our community is the large grassy area that pretty much serves as a dog park. We've met most of our neighbors because of the dogs. Each night we can look out of our kitchen window and see who's outside playing. Zoe is usually on high alert making sure she doesn't miss out on any fun. <br />
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Typically the dogs all play really well together but for whatever reason Zoe wasn't feeling it and after enough prodding the fight ensued. It all happened so fast but luckily Cardy was quick minded and strong enough to break it apart. Both dogs were okay and not seriously injured. However, when we got home we noticed Zoe had a tear in her front paw. It was a pretty good size tear but after assessing it, it wasn't bleeding and she was walking on it just fine. Cardy and I cleaned it and wrapped it up for the night but we took her to the vet the next day to have it officially checked out. I had a feeling the tear was just big enough it would be difficult for it to close up on it's own. I was right, the vet felt Zoe would be fine but put 4 staples in to close up the wound. <br />
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Fortunately the neighbors dog was okay. We walked over to check on her and make sure she hadn't been injured her during the fight. Neither one of us had ever experienced a dog fight before and it shook us up pretty good. We're just thankful the injuries were minimal we'll keep our fingers crossed this doesn't happen again any time soon.Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-70037151421804659202011-09-14T17:19:00.000-06:002011-09-14T17:20:22.720-06:00End of SummerThis summer seemed to go by so fast. My schedule has eased up but I still feel like there were so many things I wanted to do this summer that I still haven't gotten to. My dumb knee and even dumber hip have kept me from doing all of the active things Summers usually entail. I was really looking forward to hiking with Zoe and doing some more biking but my body just wasn't having it. I've been starting to feel a bit better so hopefully I can still do a few things before snow hits the ground. And I certainly hope I'm feeling better before ski season! Summer officially comes to an end next week but I'm still looking forward to another month of the Farmer's Market, cooler days and nights, a few more movies at the drive-in, and hopefully another time or two on boat.<br />
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I'm also SUPER excited for the Fall. Definitely my favorite season!<br />
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Dear Fall, <br />
Please stick around for as long as you possibly can. <br />
Thanks!<br />
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My Fall favorites: <br />
-Football!<br />
-pumpkins<br />
-my anniversary<br />
-hoodies and sweaters<br />
-pumpkin spice lattes<br />
-halloween<br />
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I also love cooking this time of year. I love firing up the grill and I don't mind turning on the oven. I love the veggies during this season. I've been such a cooking slacker this summer but I'm excited to try out some of the recipes I've been posting to <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest.</a> Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-82581471364650406112011-07-08T00:41:00.000-06:002011-07-08T00:41:53.005-06:00Stiff, Sore & MoreBack in April I started having some issues with my right knee. At first I thought I had hyper-extended it from a doggy play time accident. I limped along and didn't think too much about it. After a week or so of some serious stiffness and some mild swelling, I had one of the doctors I work with take a look at it. He examined it and moved my leg around to see if my pain could be related to the ligaments or meniscus in my knee but we quickly determined they were fine. We were unsure what was really going on but decided some anti-inflammatories, ice and elevation might do the trick. Unfortunately, they did not. I didn't feel well but I was trying not to be a complainer and just "suck it up". I kept thinking that with time it will hopefully just go away.<br />
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After a while, I was feeling miserable- not only was my knee still a problem but my right wrist and a few other joints were starting to bother me. I am lucky I work for the Rheumatology group at the University of Utah and the doctors in my department are amazing. They were all concerned with my continual limp and my obvious frustrations but I kept passing off my pain and limp as no big deal. Finally I couldn't take it any longer, I made an appointment to physically be seen as a patient in my clinic. Gary Kunkel saw me as a patient and did a full exam. He was pretty sure my knee pain wasn't related to any damage to my tendons, ligaments or anything else. And he's pretty certain the tenderness and swelling in my joints is actually something called, <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/reactive-arthritis/DS00486">Reactive Arthritis</a>. This type of arthritis is an autoimmune disorder which responds to an infection in the body typically caused by certain types of bacteria.<br />
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Dealing with the reactive arthritis has not been pleasant. Since my doctor's visit I've taken two rounds of steroids, had two cortisone injections (one in the knee and one in the wrist), been eating Ibuprofen like it's candy, and started a medication called Sulfasalazine. I'm still incredibly stiff in the mornings and my new meds are giving me headaches. I also feel sluggish and fatigued- I'm not sure if it's the arthritis or the medication that's making me feel this way. Thankfully, my joints seem to loosen up by the afternoon and walking, climbing stairs, and driving become much easier. But it's like Groundhog Day- it all starts over the next morning. I did make Dr. Kunkel promise the meds wouldn't make me gain anymore weight or make me more irritable (lol). He found this amusing. I read that sulfasalazine can actually make you lose weight due to all of the GI related side effects- I'm still waiting for this side effect to kick in. <br />
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Here are some pictures of the cortisone injection I got in my wrist. (I was too chicken to even look at the injection when he did my knee.) Dr. Kunkel uses an ultrasound machine to analyze the swelling and to help determine exactly where he will inject.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Here is my wrist the morning of my injection. You can see the swelling in the top of my hand. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Prepping my hand prior to the injection.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVNJANUf056vxHkF5stZ0eeKSKbe0KFZCn79thVpKDLR06_JDs7G7K4-4UIRvBF2pPYv7qPCtctg4mB_zpM7DbpRG5shE6OdAeLFtSoXkc876dtswPolobTCUTk1WnUUC79WxRzcY3qk/s1600/hand1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVNJANUf056vxHkF5stZ0eeKSKbe0KFZCn79thVpKDLR06_JDs7G7K4-4UIRvBF2pPYv7qPCtctg4mB_zpM7DbpRG5shE6OdAeLFtSoXkc876dtswPolobTCUTk1WnUUC79WxRzcY3qk/s320/hand1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Using ultrasound, ready to inject.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrv2EUsQvk2QJ3DyQRJZmICyJVYOynUV4HU6PGQMdw8-BAiZi20PVwoydh1bzMmfbbgAyHFjQS-EsXDtwnzXKiGABaDUktlHtPTKfuYibti36hJalBr5l2BJnqxK0osWrxpGwkxa_2jxk/s1600/hand2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrv2EUsQvk2QJ3DyQRJZmICyJVYOynUV4HU6PGQMdw8-BAiZi20PVwoydh1bzMmfbbgAyHFjQS-EsXDtwnzXKiGABaDUktlHtPTKfuYibti36hJalBr5l2BJnqxK0osWrxpGwkxa_2jxk/s320/hand2.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center">All the way in. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGB_49XoFh5dHf1Y13EWqZa7KM9llMA5me8ngEIyRUYTmB5pJ-ASEQ_9dYIf3rVeVlsQLaKIhVTPb5DnEM31TnZrUyHvOkIVt4O-ElI1bx9Dypix5CUN7SCrX5KByDB2ggN4PmxZCd344/s1600/hand3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGB_49XoFh5dHf1Y13EWqZa7KM9llMA5me8ngEIyRUYTmB5pJ-ASEQ_9dYIf3rVeVlsQLaKIhVTPb5DnEM31TnZrUyHvOkIVt4O-ElI1bx9Dypix5CUN7SCrX5KByDB2ggN4PmxZCd344/s320/hand3.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center">Pulling off fluid.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pds-toOpwUU8jmSWRzuBdXa2nPJbcy20hsh83O1WucUqOxYGiK8MeqYinA0DVjqfCkbTA3Wd51gQFU1hWttg0GeRDfTgCdvKmzuux8Avg-IMeFo7vX3mGwLvp9qaHIxuZyb16bkKtwo/s1600/hand4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pds-toOpwUU8jmSWRzuBdXa2nPJbcy20hsh83O1WucUqOxYGiK8MeqYinA0DVjqfCkbTA3Wd51gQFU1hWttg0GeRDfTgCdvKmzuux8Avg-IMeFo7vX3mGwLvp9qaHIxuZyb16bkKtwo/s320/hand4.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br />
<div align="center">This is the screen on the ultrasound machine. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYe3WHUhX7-QA573gGGcvuhZ8ShgZDx2iihD2aOXS_TVii1Pg4XfxFQ_IZYn2yo30hsX5-J1CbkiETMD3-pzgSuKUa1I_penAUHYCX0-A-nHjzpNxqqG2x1RlusKnCnAQE-iPZ5QQS-DY/s1600/hand6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYe3WHUhX7-QA573gGGcvuhZ8ShgZDx2iihD2aOXS_TVii1Pg4XfxFQ_IZYn2yo30hsX5-J1CbkiETMD3-pzgSuKUa1I_penAUHYCX0-A-nHjzpNxqqG2x1RlusKnCnAQE-iPZ5QQS-DY/s320/hand6.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-27557205929815616452011-06-05T23:55:00.000-06:002011-06-05T23:55:29.598-06:00April Showers Bring May FlowersWe're already into June and we've just barely had our first day of 80 degree weather. April and May were unusually wet for Utah this year so we've been stuck inside most weekends. Over Memorial Day, I took an extra day off work to do some projects around the house and well... have an extra day off of work. The weather was mediocre for Friday and Saturday but raining again on Sunday & Monday. I took advantage of what I could and headed to the garden store with my mom to buy some flowers for my pots. I love planting flowers and seeing the color and extra charm it adds to the front of our house. <br />
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Zoe hung out with me while I planted. I'm surprised she hung out on the porch. Usually she's snooping around the neighbors patio or searching for some friends to play with. <br />
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Here's the flower pot on my front porch<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWM06uY-vjGT69ITrIVLrIFYXGp5yRf55oj6muTvt4i9xM41hY2iLpzpCLyFzelWVKsBiWtvMET9nGg208yTcdv9OWy9y_jYPQuFzmMI1BWBhsjbN5yY_luuYsei8quDM-1_tgmL3V7Sw/s1600/flower+pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWM06uY-vjGT69ITrIVLrIFYXGp5yRf55oj6muTvt4i9xM41hY2iLpzpCLyFzelWVKsBiWtvMET9nGg208yTcdv9OWy9y_jYPQuFzmMI1BWBhsjbN5yY_luuYsei8quDM-1_tgmL3V7Sw/s400/flower+pot.jpg" t8="true" width="238" /></a></div><br />
This year I decided to try my hand at growing some herbs. I planted cilantro, chives, rosemary and basil. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZg-aTQM5_Xbj54Bce6fG54hBM49b2G0Wyl_i_LFeFD6Y4E3y8eAllbs_5YYQJCHnsDiDzy3lxSBEo-5ZoV88nO3fV0sNGD8D-Rb59ys4F6PjHlWkWQ4UrDHOD2R_D3gh4f5n2O0AbOCE/s1600/Herbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZg-aTQM5_Xbj54Bce6fG54hBM49b2G0Wyl_i_LFeFD6Y4E3y8eAllbs_5YYQJCHnsDiDzy3lxSBEo-5ZoV88nO3fV0sNGD8D-Rb59ys4F6PjHlWkWQ4UrDHOD2R_D3gh4f5n2O0AbOCE/s400/Herbs.jpg" t8="true" width="238" /></a></div>Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-76802350750260221572011-06-05T23:38:00.000-06:002011-06-05T23:38:24.605-06:00N'awlinsOh how I love taking vacations with my husband. I'll pretty much take anything when it comes to a vacation- a night in Park City, all-inclusive in Mexico, or boating trips with my family. You name it and I'm there. But there is something about traveling with Cardy that is so much fun. Maybe it's his sense of adventure or his relaxed state of mind- whatever it is, it makes him a dream to travel with. <br />
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This trip was especially fun. I was invited to attend a conference for work and it just so happened to be in New Orleans. Perfect! I've always wanted to take Cardy to New Orleans. With such a rich culture and history galore, I knew he'd love it. We could not pass up the opportunity to take a couple extra days and visit one of the neatest cities in the United States. Yep, I said it, literally one of the coolest places I've ever been. I was fortunate enough to visit New Orleans six years ago, the spring just before Hurricane Katrina and I've always wanted to go back. I was a little worried the city would be different than I remembered. We've heard so many stories about the devastation which occurred there and I wasn't sure Cardy would have the same experience I did. Fortunately, I was wrong. Cardy fell in love with New Orleans and is already dying to go back to see more. <br />
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During our little trip we crammed in as much as we possibly could. Here are some of the highlights...<br />
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-Ate BBQ in Memphis (layover to & from NOLA. sadly, no pictures- my fingers were too messy!)<br />
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-Stayed in the gorgeous and historic Hotel Monteleone<br />
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-Explored the French Quarter, Jackson Square and the River Walk<br />
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-Noshed at some amazing local hot spots<br />
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-Rode the Trolley for a little more exploring<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYjw-VKNYoa3WLceGaNlEz1SR4wJc8UlcM1jjK56guR6VEPl3aiNKavQN7wMOiywZmAlhDa2qnO-TJ7T-WUAHRBB0N4narlYes4n27Vo6Ozz9il3i2WqFPnOKNAOXF72yZm2OPCSZ14c/s1600/New+Orleans+061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYjw-VKNYoa3WLceGaNlEz1SR4wJc8UlcM1jjK56guR6VEPl3aiNKavQN7wMOiywZmAlhDa2qnO-TJ7T-WUAHRBB0N4narlYes4n27Vo6Ozz9il3i2WqFPnOKNAOXF72yZm2OPCSZ14c/s320/New+Orleans+061.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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-Took a walking Ghost Tour through the French Quarter<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnHjFdBw-sR3nLqEQY2nApHRtzICbt2R1X03nbLHsftzHwr0pbCLexl-3u8fd5hpP_zdv-GGBjeGbhJOb66hOaSh144GCY8tL8Mev7tyCSERTCpXR88xnk-ITTXddzUU9rUcfVp5kaVM/s1600/New+Orleans+072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsnHjFdBw-sR3nLqEQY2nApHRtzICbt2R1X03nbLHsftzHwr0pbCLexl-3u8fd5hpP_zdv-GGBjeGbhJOb66hOaSh144GCY8tL8Mev7tyCSERTCpXR88xnk-ITTXddzUU9rUcfVp5kaVM/s320/New+Orleans+072.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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-Enjoyed watching the street performers<br />
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-And of course, who can forget Bourbon Street?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5-Z97BnwI4dB3Fav7w0B5_oGsmb7CLI0yQP6MvHyWKkODp30jjrGRs7riKyMYrw9Yrt9psm_e35glM8MAhhgIb91z-JmTk8837zwjBiSR5anA874f3yHpkWAH0ESgcq2FHReB7GIxHo/s1600/Bourbon+St.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5-Z97BnwI4dB3Fav7w0B5_oGsmb7CLI0yQP6MvHyWKkODp30jjrGRs7riKyMYrw9Yrt9psm_e35glM8MAhhgIb91z-JmTk8837zwjBiSR5anA874f3yHpkWAH0ESgcq2FHReB7GIxHo/s320/Bourbon+St.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Wow, it took me a long time to post this. This trip feels like it happened ages ago. I think I'm ready for another!</span>Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-59414276683198838772011-03-31T17:29:00.000-06:002011-03-31T17:29:47.273-06:00The new planFine. I'll admit it. I'm just now realizing that I can't do it all. What? Could this be true? I'm not some super woman with amazing abilities and unlimited hours in the day? For my personal sanity, and my husband's, I've come to realize I don't want this persona, I want to have a good life balance.<br />
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I've done a lot of thinking since my last post and I decided I need to make some changes to help with the new balance I desire. Here's my plan: <br />
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1. Eliminate 1 of the 3 current jobs. By my own elimination criteria, I've decided which of the three it will be, it's not official so I'm not sharing yet but you'll soon find out. I love all my jobs and I'm lucky that in such a crappy economy I have jobs coming out of my ears. The down side to having too many jobs is I feel like I'm devoting all of my free time to working. I can't wait to have my evenings free and more weekends to enjoy. <br />
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2. Spend 30 minutes each weekday completing a task or two around the house. Whether it's dusting, cleaning out a drawer or throwing in a load of laundry or two, I want to accomplish more throughout the week instead of waiting for it to pile up and overwhelm myself with what seems like hours of cleaning. This way I can feel like I'm keeping on top of my house work and I can still make time to cook and relax with Cardy for the rest of the night. <br />
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3. Relax. When Cardy asks me to sit with him on the couch and watch TV for a bit, I'm not going to throw a tantrum and ask him if he knows just how dirty our bathrooms are. I need to make a huge effort to show him know he's far more important than my dusty tables. <br />
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I'm trying to be reasonable and rational in my new plan and for now, it seems doable. It's definitely a plan I can stick to.Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-91842027780601050342011-03-29T14:47:00.000-06:002011-03-29T14:47:43.366-06:00Thoughts for today...When I get home tonight (that is, if I don't have to work at Pottery Barn) I want to walk in the door and blink my eyes and have <em>this</em> happen: <br />
-magically clean bathrooms<br />
-clean, folded and put away laundry<br />
-mopped and glimmering kitchen floor<br />
-vacuumed carpets<br />
-oh, and a clean car would be nice<br />
<br />
So that I'm not:<br />
-tired<br />
-grumpy<br />
-stressed<br />
-crying<br />
-all of the above<br />
<br />
Why do I let household chores stress me out? How come I can't come home and relax like my husband begs and pleads? Why do I think it's not okay to veg on my couch and watch TV all night with take out and a glass of wine? Poor Cardy, he gets the brunt of my craziness (sorry, Baby). Can you imagine if I had real stress in my life?Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-53782111262294011462011-03-24T22:49:00.000-06:002011-03-24T22:49:37.018-06:00"Shampoo is better- I go on first and clean the hair..."Do you want to know the most amazing hair product ever? Dry Shampoo! It's the absolute best and a huge life saver. I don't typically advertise what I'm about to say and I'm only saying it because I love my dry shampoo so much but with this amazing little invention I've been washing my hair only once (maybe twice a week).<br />
<br />
The best brand I've found is called Batiste. I buy it at Got Beauty in Salt Lake but I've heard it can be found at Sally's. It's about $10 a bottle but totally worth it. My hair tends to get a little greasy, my bangs especially and around my hair line. I used to wash my hair every other day and then a few years back I started using a little baby powder to help absorb some of the greasiness (what can I say, I'm lazy in the mornings). It helped and I was able to extend my hair washing another day or so but too much baby powder and my hair looked gray and ashy. I'm not sure who introduced me to dry shampoo but I'm sure thankful! The manager at Got Beauty recommended the Batiste brand above others they sell and said most of the stylists in the salon used it. It is definitely my favorite of the few I've tried. I used TIGI Rockaholic and the new dry shampoo by Tresseme. Both were fine but I think the Batiste still does the best job and it comes in a few different fragrances as well. My favorite is the Tropical but I want to try the new Diva scent.<br />
<br />
I cannot tell you how much less stressful my mornings are with not having to wash, blow-dry and straighten my hair constantly. I know to some people it sounds gross but honestly- most people don't even know when it's been 4 or 5 days. Believe me, I have my hair issues and by the end of the week, I'm sporting a bun or a ponytail but at least I don't have greasy, smelly hair. Oh yeah, and to keep my hair from getting wet in the shower, I just pull my hair up in a bun and cover my head with a shower cap. <br />
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If you're a wash your hair everyday or even every other day kinda girl, think about trying a dry shampoo, I promise, it's worth it!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjmg3fdq3YhkpQaAf9KqXR19veb7ishcuV6ots0KtNjrqd0UJQ8nrC8KpD98TKhG4Tr0LtPai15dfWrD3XCh26Jn739jKEjIER8pZKdy6vZB9VvUs8q0ZagKHnWN-aZxFbYpbDVusDOQ/s1600/bastite-final-group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjmg3fdq3YhkpQaAf9KqXR19veb7ishcuV6ots0KtNjrqd0UJQ8nrC8KpD98TKhG4Tr0LtPai15dfWrD3XCh26Jn739jKEjIER8pZKdy6vZB9VvUs8q0ZagKHnWN-aZxFbYpbDVusDOQ/s320/bastite-final-group.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088854227375427164.post-18059787903788818042011-03-08T19:24:00.001-07:002011-03-08T21:13:02.957-07:00Burgers and Pork Chops and Nuggets, oh no!That's right, I'm not eating meat for 40 days. Lent is here and as I have in the past, I am giving up something I enjoy until Easter. I'm giving up meat but will still be eating fish and shellfish and dairy. I was telling a co-worker about it today and she exclaimed this is not vegetarianism. fine. To be clear...I will forgo the following: red meat, pork (all pork products) and chicken. To be technical, this style of diet is called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pescetarianism">Pescetarianism. </a><br />
<br />
When I mentioned my soon to be meatless diet to Cardy, his first reaction was, "What am I going to do?" Well, I'm the cook so you'll pretty much be doing whatever I'm doing.<br />
<br />
I'm extremely hesitant and a little worried about this challenge. Of course I felt this way last year when I gave up sugar and the year before when I gave up carbonation. Notice a trend here? Sugar, carbonation, and meat- all food related. Oh well. I'm not very prepared to for this diet change and I'm getting ready to go to Orlando this weekend where some of my meals will be provided- hopefully they will offer a pescetarian option. <br />
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So tonight I'm still trying to decide what my last meaty meal will be before I delve into the world of meat free living. In & Out? Crown Burger? Ruby River?<br />
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Please feel free to send me vegetarian or seafood related recipes. I'm excited to try some new things in my kitchen. Unfortunately...I don't like shrimp.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">ADDENDUM...</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Okay, so Cardy suggested SmashBurger tonight. I love SmashBurger but the funny thing is- I never order the burger. In fact, I never, ever order burgers at any restaurant. I always get the grilled chicken sandwich or a salad. I also love the fact that SmashBurger offers wheat buns- bonus points! Tonight I thought what the hell...I'm getting a burger. I'm giving up meat tomorrow so why not go out with a big, juicy BANG!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgkoh6M8trSNIqJ6GL5gB9FpCilS5_n42iTxghA4AfZWE2Be3vKufeWDXo4g2uCBdbWx01UJKYlmkRwv_1xpMXI6OJSbfHsnk5Jgpxr_Rlbeb5Oojzcme1FnS9Rc3zssxMXvsw-VlJC8/s1600/Baby+showers%252C+basketball+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgkoh6M8trSNIqJ6GL5gB9FpCilS5_n42iTxghA4AfZWE2Be3vKufeWDXo4g2uCBdbWx01UJKYlmkRwv_1xpMXI6OJSbfHsnk5Jgpxr_Rlbeb5Oojzcme1FnS9Rc3zssxMXvsw-VlJC8/s320/Baby+showers%252C+basketball+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It was really good and I'm glad I ordered something out of the norm for me. Although, I am feeling a little more full than I typically like. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2MkLmDHc8EZlPABY4YUJtGQdpFkxjRUmakkp5IzoZCpfJYRfrhsZNQaNQJyMcFTdKcm92Dy7Prln9DZPxkflELzzwkTjZmeh_tfw91yv0cE9KyUinX_PnhNAzvQDvDnGi71Y70nTFvQ/s1600/Baby+showers%252C+basketball+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2MkLmDHc8EZlPABY4YUJtGQdpFkxjRUmakkp5IzoZCpfJYRfrhsZNQaNQJyMcFTdKcm92Dy7Prln9DZPxkflELzzwkTjZmeh_tfw91yv0cE9KyUinX_PnhNAzvQDvDnGi71Y70nTFvQ/s320/Baby+showers%252C+basketball+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Delicious burger. Sorry for my gross bangs.)</span></div><br />
P.S. I went out with some girlfriends last night and ordered fish tacos. Fish tacos? What the hell? These are some of my best pescetarianism choices for the next 6 weeks - why start early? I should've had a steak. Dang it!Jenn & Cardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362297577297160887noreply@blogger.com4