New Moon Pre-Ordered? Check!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I caved and pre-ordered my copy of New Moon from Best Buy last night (thanks to the hubby's willingness to let me indulge in my obsessions)! :) I had been seeing the signs posted everywhere about all of these pre-order deals...and I was really just going to go and get it the day it comes out (March 20...in case y'all didn't know). But, it seems easier to just know that the day it comes out, I don't have to run around to multiple places (in case it's sold out at one place) or deal with the Twilight stampede of fans...I can just walk into Best Buy, pick up my copy and hurry home to have a New Moon party of my very own!!

So excited...and I hope there's a preview of Eclipse on that darn thing...we are all waiting VERY impatiently for it!

Giveaway from The Design Girl

The Design Girl, one of the blogs that I follow, is giving away a free blog make-over! How exciting for all of us bloggers!! She has made-over other friends of mine's blogs and they look amazing. She is talented people!! Anyway, all you have to do to enter is:

-Become a follower of her blog and post a comment letting her know that you are a follower

For *extra entries*:

1. Post about her giveaway on your blog
2. Follow her on Twitter
3. Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter
4. Leave a comment on her blog sharing your favorite city!

And if you do all of the above, you can go back to her blog and enter once per day!! Leave one comment for EACH entry. And it ends...Sunday night! So get to it! :)

You Don't Have to Feel That Guilty!

I present to you...

Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Brownies

I picked up this little box at Trader Joe's, thinking, what the heck...I'll try these brownies, even though all the instructions called for was the mix (inside the box) and 2/3 cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt. Seemed like a strange combo to me...but also sounded healthier than Little Debbie's versions! :) And voila!

Right smack out of the oven!

These puppies are freakin' awesome!! Even the hubby likes them...and I think he was questioning my cooking abilities when he saw me add yogurt to the mix. They are so yummy and so addicting...I had to share with you all! Now, I know that not all of you are close to a Trader Joe's...which is such a shame!! I have become quite obsessed with all of Trader Joe's "treasures" that I have found. I could post about a dozen more...but I think it's time for another brownie!! :)

Put a Sock in It

The knitting/crocheting group that I belong to just met for a Sock Start-up Brunch...it's basically exactly what it sounds like. We met for brunch and each started a pair of socks! There was also a lot of chatting about socks, because socks are not the easiest thing to learn how to knit. First, you're normally knitting with tiny needles. Second, you're knitting on double-pointed needles...which entails more than 2 needles, as you normally would when you knit. Yeah, you get the point...it's tricky!! It's a real esteem booster though, if you begin to knit socks...because you stop every once in awhile and think..."Wow, I'm really knitting a sock...and this isn't very easy...and I'm doing it!" Hehe :)

I actually started a pair of socks a few years back when I was still living in southern IL...I made it to the toe and that's where the sock's status is still at to this very day. I intend to finish it and it's mate...someday!

Here's the yarn I'm using for my latest pair of socks...beautiful hand painted Mountain Colors yarn from a local yarn shop in Pacific Grove:

Gorgeous greens, blues, & purples

And after our meet-up, here's where I'm at:

I'm telling you...it's a process...getting started, knitting on all of those needles...Sock 1 has begun

Happy (Belated) Heart Day

The hubby and I don't tend to make too big of a deal about Valentines Day...but we always like getting a chance to go out to dinner and remind each other how special the other one is! :)

I wanted to post a few pics of our Valentines Day celebration...

Roses from Cody and the heart pajamas my Mom sent me (Thanks, Mom!) :)

We exchanged small gifts...

DVD that I received (really good movie, REALLY good book)

Game that Cody received

Cody also bought us new pillows...I had been waking up a lot with neck aches and swore it was because of my pillow. So he got us these awesome pillows from Target that are one side down/one side memory foam...and let me just tell you, they are amazing!

We ended up just going out to dinner at this little Italian restaurant, Favaloro's, in Pacific Grove...great Italian food and great service! And then we went to see "Valentine's Day" at the theater...cute movie, but not as funny as I'd hoped. But hey, it was Valentine's Day, what else were we going to go see?! ;)

Back at home, after an evening of fun...we were definitely sporting the Valentine's Day colors!

Oooh...and I also received a little Valentines Day surprise from one of my fellow knitters/crocheters:

It's a bag full of goodies:

• 1 skein of Valentines-inspired yarn
• 1 pattern for crocheted Sweet Hearts
• A Valentines note pad
• Coaster
• Heart Pencil
  
• Candy (including New Moon Sweethearts)

**Thanks Jenn**

Hope everyone had a fabulous Valentine's Day as well!! <3

Skin Deep

I have become pretty particular over the years about the types of Skincare products that I use even though I have pretty normal skin. But since I have started selling Mark products, I have been dying to try out some of their skincare line. I've read all of the reviews and for the most part, customers really seem to be happy with all of them. Plus they are all made from super fruits & super foods!! After receiving another Mark order...

I love when the UPS man brings me my boxes full of Mark stuff :)

I decided to try out the 4 new skincare products that I had ordered:

• Step 1: Make It Go Away makeup removing wipe
  
• Step 2: That's Deep purifying gel cleanser
• Step 3: Shine Fighter oil control mask
• Step 4: Matte Chance mattifying lotion
  

Haha...I couldn't resist showing you the workings of the mask...it's okay, you can laugh if you want. :) Every time I put on a mask, Cody says "What is on your face??" like I'm a mutant!

It was too hard to take pictures of the other steps, seeing as my hands weren't free...

Clean face and ready for bed

Anyway, I know everyone has their own skincare products and we rarely stray once we've found stuff that works for us...but if you are in the mood to try something new, try Mark! They've got other skincare products for various skincare types. Here's a Skin Quiz if you want to find out more!

HeartScarves is On It's Way

I just wanted to post a picture of the completed HeartScarves scarf that I blogged about in previous posts. It took me about a week to finish and turned out to be a very nice & easy pattern to work on for 72"...but I am very glad that I purchased the kit and knitted a scarf for a woman going through heart surgery/rehabilitation. I even got to write a personal message and send it along with the scarf. I hope whoever receives it, likes it!

BIG purchase

I have been wanting to buy Cody an Xbox 360 for quite some time now...he has been wanting one for a couple of years now and has waited very patiently. He mainly just wants to be able to play online using Xbox Live (and especially game with his brother Curt)...and his game of choice just happens to be: Call of Duty!!

Since he just passed his latest exams and has worked so hard this past year...I really wanted to surprise him with it! And how lucky am I that they just came out with this Limited Edition COD bundle:

It came with everything...a COD-themed console (250 GB hard drive), the COD game, 2 wireless controllers, a headset, everything you need to set up Xbox Live, etc.

I was like, "Wow, what a deal?!" My sister and brother-in-law were also nice enough to give Cody a 12-mo. membership to Xbox Live! Thanks guys! :)

Well, he LOVED it!! He was so surprised and I would have to say that he is extremely enjoying playing online, seeing as that is what he doing at this very moment next to me. I wouldn't say I've completely lost him to the gamer world...haha (but only time can tell, right?!)!! I'd say it was a good purchase...I mean, I got to download Tetris! Everyone loves a game of Tetris :)

Knitting in Circles

So, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to join a meet-up group that involved knitters/crocheters. If anyone doesn't know what meetup.com is, it's a website where you can search for groups around your area that are tailored to specific interests (running, knitting, yoga, etc.)...one of its major goals is for people who have just moved to an area and don't know many people to, you guessed it, meet new people!

Well, my first meet-up was last week and I had a blast! The group meets once or twice a week at various restaurants, pubs and coffee shops around the Monterey area. Everyone is so friendly and I mean, sitting around with fellow knitters/crocheters...talking about knitting...my kind of get-together! :) I've been knitting for quite some time, but I feel like I've been kind of out of the knitting "loop" for awhile...and now I feel refreshed and ready to continue my obsession.

A couple of the girls told me about a woman, living in Colorado, who dyes her own yarn. Now, dying yarn is a complicated and tedious process...not just anyone can pick up the trade! I go to check out her website, and holy crap...she has some of the most beautiful yarn that I have ever seen! She is literally a genius in this stuff! I mean, I couldn't resist...

"Esme Island"

How beautiful is that skein of yarn??!! And yes, some of you might recognize the name "Esme Island"...she has an entire collection/line of Twilight-inspired yarn. Bella's Truck, Forks, Edward's Volvo...just to name a few! Let's just say she is one talented yarn dyer and I plan to continue to purchase from this woman. Oh, and let me tell you...she updated her store this past week and the new yarn that she put up literally sold out in a matter of minutes (I watched it happen)!! You can find her yarn at Sunshine Yarns *Check it out

I also ordered this kit from Red Heart yarns for HeartScarves.



Basically, it's a kit that comes with everything you need to knit/crochet a scarf (yarn, needles, pattern) AND after you knit the scarf, you send it to the WomenHeart Support Network and they deliver it to a woman undergoing cardiac surgery or rehabilitation.

I mean, come on, how awesome is that!! The whole program was designed so that everyday knitters' scarves could offer support, comfort and hope to a woman undergoing cardiac surgery or rehabilitation. I just started on it, but will definitely post pics when I'm finished...the pattern is really pretty.

Finally, (I know, I told you I was back to my knitting obsessed-self), I taught myself how to crochet last weekend. Well, I only learned one stitch, the single crochet (sc) but it was quite weird to use only 1 needle, versus 2 in knitting. I just decided to practice by using up some old yarn that I had and crochet a scarf...here's the work-in-progress and the finished product:


P.S. I am almost finished with my veggies...all that's left is 1 pea pod, so I will definitely post pictures as soon as I get the whole group together. Those things were pretty tricky...swearing was definitely involved at times! ;)

Well, I must go run some errands...I hope everyone has a great Saturday and a fun Super Bowl Sunday!

Exciting News

Without going into too much detail, the hubby has had a really long and strenuous year that included LOTS of studying/homework. And the outcome of this year was all basically riding on 3 exams that just happened this past week. And I am so proud to say that he passed with flying colors! I knew he would and I just know how relieved he is to be done with this part and onto the next.

That said, the other exciting news is that we have been told where we will be stationed at, starting in September (granted, things could always change); but as of right now, we will become residents of:

Omaha, Nebraska

I am for one, very excited...although it will be difficult to go from living in such a beautiful place like Monterey to Omaha...I am always up for change, and it will be nice to live in the seasons again! I've already been told that they have an awesome zoo, many good restaurants (although I'll be missing out on all of the best steaks ;) ) and lots to do! So here's to all of the new things to come over the next year!