It’s just bizarre. I think it’s safe to say that this is one trend that I will most definitely be passing by. And I know that I said that about Uggs too; but I live in Oregon now and my feet were cold and they are so comfy that I went for it. I think it’s safe to say that they are exponentially more practical than a panda hat.

What do you think about this trend? (Answer carefully. I’d hate to terminate our relationship over this issue)

Photo credit goes to www.shopanimalhat.com for the cute kid. And if you are really determined to express your inner animal via this trend they do have the best selection for both children and adults. The Snooki photo is from glamour.com.

Last Friday I posted about my plans for the weekend. Since there is quite often a disparity between what I plan to do and what I actually end-up doing, I thought it be a good exercise to see if my weekend expectations came to fruition.

1-Ate. A lot. Yes, I know that most people eat over the course of a weekend but I’m noting this because I also thought (maybe I’m wrong here) that most people do not eat that much when they are sick. They nibble on crackers, slurp on broth and get skinny. Not me. Yes, there was some broth sipping (mainly because I happen to love miso soup) but also a lot of other yummies. Panda Express (we just got one here recently and I’d never had it), pizza (a Saturday happy hour treat), Peel N’ Eat Em Shrimp with Asparagus (yumm), Sonic cheesy tater tots (best guilty pleasure ever) and homemade leftover lasagna (this is one dish that tastes better the second time around). And my new favorite snack/side/appetizer–an artichoke.

Isn’t it pretty? And super tasty sprinkled with lemon pepper and dipped in melted butter.

2- Helped Micah pick out a new laptop. I’m mentioning this because I learned something new on this shopping excursion. We went to Best Buy and I quickly sniffed out a bargain (there is no cold that can hinder that ability). I noticed that there was a section of boxed laptops that were cheaper than the ones on display and figured I’d discovered the clearance section. My favorite! What I’d actually found was a selection of repackaged laptops that were offered at a discount. Basically, in my interpretation, laptops that were returned but couldn’t be sold at full retail price since the packaging wasn’t pristine. We learned the laptops were fully vetted to make sure they were in full working order, were covered under warranty and could still be returned. Ummmm sold! We were able to find a suitable, repackaged laptop at a great discount.

3- Watched the Mad Men Season 5 premiere and drank a Martini. I’d been abstaining from alcohol since I had a cold but I couldn’t break tradition and went for it. And you know what? I felt much better after. There is something to be said about drinking through it after all…

4-Rested. In between finding bargains, eating and watching premieres I found time to rest. It didn’t make for the most exciting of weekends but it was necessary to beat the cold. There was a time when I’d barrel through a cold and just keep on truckin’ but I’m much more mature now. Bummer.

There were a few things that didn’t get done but I’ll blame the cold. I didn’t want to pay an exorbitant amount of money to go see a movie (The Hunger Games) that I’d be coughing and sniffling through the whole time. Not to mention the glares from the other movie-goers. And my bike will have to get tuned-up another time. They’re calling for chances of snow again so I’ve got some time. I guess Spring is ignoring my pleas. And there’s always next weekend…

How’d your weekend turn out?

AKA Making the Best Out of a Crummy Situation

1) I slept in until 12 pm today. Can’t tell you the last time I did that. Cold medicine is a very powerful thing indeed.

2) Upon waking, I had orange and vanilla sorbet for lunch. Not sure why I don’t do that every day.

3) As if I hadn’t rested enough, I plan on spending the rest of the day on the couch. This cold is a beast that I will drown with lots of rest, cold medicine and fluids. And maybe a Martini later. It is Martini Sunday after all and the last time I checked it qualifies as a fluid.

4) Since I’m down and out, I will not be folding laundry, cleaning the kitchen, cooking or any other strenuous activity today. That doesn’t mean my brain isn’t whirring to go (although maybe slightly slower and a bit foggier than normal) so to keep boredom from creeping-in I will read, shop online, play Words With Friends and watch tv.

I really hope I’m not making you jealous. I know it all sounds so glamorous.

How do you handle being sick?

So I was just sitting on the couch thinking about my to-do list for the weekend and thought I’d share/write it down in an attempt to have some sort of accountability for actually getting these things done.

1) Take my bike in for a tune-up. It’s been sitting outside all winter and started making a weird noise at the end of last summer so a tune-up is a must. The snow is melting and I’m ready to hop on my bike! Goodbye car and outrageous gas prices! Hello more money in my wallet, shapely legs and the wind in my hair as I cruise around. (Don’t pretend that doesn’t make you want to hop on your bike as well!)

2) Go see The Hunger Games. In a previous post I discussed my love of the book and the movie is out to rave reviews. And while we all know that the book is almost always better than the movie version, sometimes it’s just so fun to see it on the big screen. And I can’t wait to join the masses of screaming teenagers that’ll be flooding the theaters.

3) Clean and laundry. This always seems to appear somewhere on the weekend agenda. But lately I’ve been coming home on Friday afternoons (it’s a short day at work) and doing the majority of it. I used to designate Sunday as my cleaning/get organized/do laundry day but that’s no fun. That’s half the weekend spent doing chores. I’ve found that I’m already in productivity mode from work when I come home so it makes sense to keep going and get it done! Also it’s a bit hard for me to relax unless the house is clean and organized (wonder where I got that awesome trait from…??) so it works out. The trick is keeping it clean throughout the weekend…

4) Rest. Not normally something I’d have to focus on doing (I’m a big fan of sleeping) but I have a throat tickle that I want to eradicate before it turns into the never-ending sickness that I experienced in January. So while I want to fill the weekend with non-stop fun I’m going to be forced to take it easy. Darn.

5) Watch the Mad Men Season 5 Premiere on Sunday night. When Micah and I started watching this show we quickly realized that the characters always seemed to have drinks and so should we. We’re quick learners. So Sunday nights took on a whole new element of fun spent watching Mad Men and drinking Martinis. In case you were wondering my favorite is a dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives.

K 5 seems like a good place to start. It’s important to leave room for spontaneity throughout the weekend. Who knows what might happen…:)

What are your plans for the weekend?

Dear Spring-

I’m impressed. I asked you to bring it and you brought it. Sunshine that is. Now if you could please take the Winter chill out of the air that would be great. I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.

Love,

Lauren

Dear Spring-

Did you not get the memo that you were expected here two days ago? Because this–the scene I woke-up to this morning–

is not Spring!!! No, it positively screams Winter. Awesome. Are you seriously going to let Winter spill over into your season? Stop dilly-dallying, get here, open a can of whoopass sunshine and show Winter whose the boss! I know that you are more of a love, flowers and butterflies sort of season but I believe in you. You have the power. Everyone knows that sunshine melts snow. So bring it. I’ll be waiting.

Love,

Lauren

I’ve already illustrated my craftiness and creativity with paper bags and tissue paper. It’s time to show ya’ll what I can put together in the kitchen. Check out this beauty:

This creation came about on taco night (we typically end-up having tacos about once a week since it’s one of the few meals I have truly mastered) when I discovered that we only had two flour taco shells left and there was no way I was going back to the store just for that (I guess I’ve mostly mastered tacos…sometimes I forget an ingredient or two).

It was time to get creative, to scour the pantry and fridge and to figure out an alternative. I found corn tortillas which I assumed were interchangeable with the flour tortillas. I figured I’d nuke them in the microwave and make mini-tacos. How cute!!

Micah heard my plan and intervened. Apparently corn tortillas don’t hold-up so well in the microwave and are much better fried.  He suggested that I layer the taco night ingredients (beefy taco meat, sour cream, red taco sauce, tomato, lettuce, and shredded cheddar cheese) in between the crispy goodness.

When I went to eat it, I quickly realized that trying to be dainty and cut it with a knife and fork was not going to work. This was a pick-it-up and eat it like a sandwich kind of dish. So that’s what I did. And discovered that it was more of a tostado sandwich than a taco hybrid. It was messy and cheesy and crispy and amazing. I enjoyed every bite. So next time you find yourself in the midst of dinner preparations and find you’re short an ingredient, don’t worry! It’ll be ok. No need to run to the store–get creative with what you do have. I can’t wait to hear about it!

So Friday night I was all prepared for a night-in with the “Real Housewives” (Micah was out of town on a fishing trip leaving me to my own devices) when my friends convinced my to go to a party with them. Since they were offering to pick me up and to run me by the store to get a tasty beverage, I decide to get out there and live a little. We went to Safeway and I grabbed a jumbo bottle of red wine for us to share. When I went through the checkout line I requested paper since the week before I’d had a bottle of wine bust through a plastic bag and roll down the parking lot as I was headed to my car. Luckily, the wine bottle didn’t shatter, but I wasn’t taking any chances.

Of course, I had to use the restroom on my way out so I took my paper bag of wine in with me and sat it on the floor. I started my business and mid-stream was horrified to see red wine start seeping out of the bag and all over the floor.  Oh shoot. Did I just jinx myself or what? Just as I was picking the bag up and trying to figure out what the heck happened, the bathroom door opened and an employee walked in. Seeing my guilty expression she blurted out, “I’m just trying to pee!”. “That’s what I was trying to do too!” I exclaimed.

She ran for a mop (and probably to report to her manager that there was a crazy lady in the bathroom guzzling red wine from a paper bag) while I threw the bag and ruined wine into the trash. Not knowing what else to do I made sure the bathroom clean-up was under way (no, they really did not want my help) and headed out into the store for another bottle. I decided that I should probably buy a different brand just to be safe. This time I declined the bag and bathroom break to head straight for the car clutching the bottle of wine tightly to my chest to prevent any mishaps. All the while shaking my head and wondering, “Who does this happen to????!!” So random.

This card (and the one from Monday) come from one of my favorite sites ever, someecards.. This is the perfect site to browse a hilarious array of greeting cards. Take me to a store for a greeting card and we might be there for hours. Seriously. I will read EVERY SINGLE ONE to find the perfect card. With someecards I can browse from the comfort of my couch. And the cards are waayyy more amusing than the ones at the store and never seem to convey quite the right message.

Another thing I love about the site is that you can make your own cards FO FREE! I just made the one above in like two seconds. Nothing crazy or super witty, but it gets the message across just fine. Pick a theme, image, background color, type your text and you are good to go. Amazing.  There is even a section to browse all the user created cards. I find myself frequently checking this for hidden gems. Only problem is that I start to get ecard envy as I bemoan the fact that I’ll never be as witty as User 5515 whose ecards put my creations to shame. Oh well. Can’t be good at everything.

I absolutely love this candy. It’s not the first candy to combine peanut butter and chocolate–seriously a match made in Heaven–but for some reason it is the BEST. I don’t know if it’s because it’s shaped like an egg (so fun for Easter) and comes in a pretty package or what but it just tastes better. And while I love this treat and choc/PB is my all time fav marriage, I kind of forget about it until Easter rolls around again. And then one day I’m watching tv or browsing at the grocery store and I see the yellow packaging and fall in love all over again. Bliss.

And even more blissful is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg and red wine combo. A pretty balanced meal all things considering. You get protein from the peanut butter, resveratrol from the red wine (some antioxidant that’s supposed to be good for your heart…honestly I’ve known for ages that wine was good for something) and a sugar high from the chocolate. Perfection.

What’s your favorite Easter candy/alcohol combo?