Wedding Woes

Of all the problems that could possibly go on with a wedding, I was a little taken aback yesterday when a problem arose with my little trip.  This trip was to go try on my wedding dress.  It finally came in after 4 l o n g  months of waiting.  You think that the dress, once you find it anyway, will be fool-proof.  You spend hours trying on all these pretty dresses that aren't quite right, but then, you find it.  The dress.  After that, it should be simple.  You get measured and they find your size, you clarify your color, and viola! they order the dress and you wait.  How much more simple could it get after finding it?!

Well apparently it's not always so simple.

You see, when I went to try on my dress yesterday, the first thing I saw was a big, fat, ugly tag that screamed IVORY!  The problem is, I ordered Diamond White.  I loved the dress and it was a bit more than I had expected on spending, but it was from the limited line and blah, blah, blah, at that time, I readjusted some other items in the wedding to get this specific dress.  Well, apparently, little miss Maggie Sottero decided to move my dress from the limited collection, to their standard line.  Not that I really care, although in my head it was a nice thought that there probably weren't that many other girls that were going to have my dress.  Problem is, when they did this, Diamond White no longer exists.  This happened from the time I paid my monster deposit, to the time they got around to cutting out my dress?!  I was a little thrown yesterday and did not understand.  How does this happen?  Do they really not call when something like this happens?!  After the flustered sales lady tried to figure it out, she told me to go ahead and go and she would get a hold of someone and figure out this problem.  She called back pretty much right away and told me that when they discontinued a color, it was the actual ivory and that diamond white became ivory?  I'm not buying it.  So, I'm going back today so she can hold it up to the actual diamond white dress I tried on back in July, to see if there's a color difference.  If it's off at all, something is changing.  I don't want an ivory dress.  The sales lady was very nice about it and was slightly freaking out with me and I was very nice and calm back.  My mom on the other hand, I had to pull off the lady.  She's all sweet and nice usually, so it was a little entertaining in my head.  I guess if my nice way doesn't work, and then if necessary, playing hard ball doesn't work, I can alway have her handle them :)  To add insult though, when she was showing me the catalog on how they moved the dress to their standard line, I saw a price, but it didn't register until my drive home, but now they are selling the dress for significantly less than I paid.  I want my money back!  And a white dress!

I go back this afternoon so she can show me how "they're the same color and they just changed the name"...yea.  Hopefully that's the case, but it's doubtful in my normally optimistic head.  I'll keep you posted.

Miscellany Monday

1. A client of mine took John and I to the Magic/Heat game on Wednesday night, with fancy steak dinner on top :)  It was a fun night with R and his wife.  We had a great time and great seats!

2. Thanksgiving was awesome!  Started with the annual Turkey Trot, which I was pretty happy with my time since I had a late night the night before.  After the race, we started the preparation of all the food!  Lily was worn out at the thought of all that turkey!

Plus, my apple pie turned out looking pretty darn good if I do say so myself!

3.  I get to mark TWO more items off my 101 in 1001!!!  We put down new flooring this weekend...Friday, Saturday AND Sunday, but it was worth it.  We also painted the rest of the house!  We have a few minor touch ups to do, but the whole huge house can be marked off the list!  Yay!  So much for our relaxing holiday weekend we had planned!  Here's sneak peak at the new flooring.  It's plank porcelain tile, but looks like wood.  Pretty indestructible!  

It's now cleaner than pictured above and has furniture in the rooms.  I'll post more pictures when we have completed the trim, but we are very happy with the results.  All that hard work this weekend paid off!

The house was a complete mess all weekend because we had to shove all the furniture in the kitchen.  Lily was rather thrown off by this so I let her sit up with us during lunch on a stool.  She didn't know what to think!

4.  I'm taking advantage of Cyber Monday!  I have already purchased one rather large Christmas gift this morning and have gotten all of our client gifts ordered.  So far, I've saved almost $200!  Thank you discounts!  Is anyone else taking advantage of this shopping day?!  I hope to have most of my Christmas shopping done by the end of the day!

5.  My Insanity challenge starts today.  So far, I'm off to a pretty weak start.  I didn't get out of bed this morning...I blame it on the new floors and paint...and then, I forgot to bring my DVDs to work to do it during lunchtime.  I did however remember my clothes and shoes.  Pointless now.  So...after my little trip after work tonight...I'll be starting my workout after dinner time.  Boo.  Maybe they have a sneak peak online I could try?   Youtube...please help!

6.  Wedding Wednesday will return this week.  I haven't had much to say the past few weeks about it but a BIG item has arrived and that's what my little trip after work involves! So excited!

7. I have nothing to say about the Gators performance...or lack there of.  Thankfully, I was busy putting down tile during the game and was just listening mostly.  The coaches did not utilize the talent they had on the team all season and right now, we stink.  Let's get out of the Tebow era (although I adore him) and work with what we have NOW!  Every team has their good and bad years...this is our bad year.  Hopefully they can learn and at least look like they're trying next season, even if we don't win...let's not look SO pathetic. Urban, I admire you as a man, you're a great guy, but if you don't take the care of the coaching staff, things aren't going to look so hot for you...or the other coaches.  The end.

Happy Monday All!  Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving!!

Turkey Day!

The Bird: How it is prepared?

John usually fries up the turkey for his family's lunch with his brother.  He injects it with a lot of stuff, and then throws it in the fryer for a while.  It's always delicious.  Usually, my mom bakes the bird, but this year, my dad is having the turkey smoked.  Should be yummy!

The Fixin's: What's your favorite?

Hmm...that's tough.  I guess it's probably green bean casserole, followed by potatoes, crescent rolls, and stuffing :)

Desserts: What can you not resist?

Any apple dessert.  And probably any of the banana/pumpkin/apple bread.  They are all so yummy.  I really don't care too much for pumpkin pie.  It's a texture thing.

Travel: Do you go out of town for Thanksgiving?

No, we're in town.  Most of both sides of our family live in the same area.

And Counting: How many stops do you make?

Usually just two stops.

Traditions: What are yours?

Usually Thanksgiving morning we run the local Turkey Trot, then we go to John's parents to get ready & watch the Macy's parade.  We eat and hang out for a bit and then are onto our next stop at my parents.  By the end of the day, we're full and tired.  Nice...tryptophan comas...

What do you do for Thanksgiving??

Happy Thanksgiving my bloggy friends!!!

Thanksgiving Pies...Oh My!

I'm so excited about Thanksgiving coming so soon!  I think in some ways these holidays are more fun when you get older because you end up being more involved in the preparation.  This year, I'm making pies!  I love to bake, but haven't tried many pies.  This will be my first attempt at pumpkin pie and I'm also making an apple pie...that's my favorite and I've done it before, but it gets tricky because sometimes they are too liquidy...and that all depends on the apples.  Not sure what to do about it...so if anyone has suggestions, please share :)

First off, I'm going to use Libby's Pumpkin Pie recipe.

They're the ones who make the pumpkin for the filling, so I figure it's a good place to start!  I can tweak it next year if I like.  This is what it should look like...I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Now, for the actual recipe

For the apple pie, I like to go simple:

• 6 cups thinly sliced apples
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Prepare your pastry for a two crust pie.  Wipe, quarter, core, peel, and slice apples; measure to cups.

2. Combine sugar and cinnamon.  The amount of sugar depends on how tart your apples are.

3. Arrange apples in layers in pastry lined pie plate.  Sprinkle each layer with sugar and cinnamon.  Dot top layer with margarine.  Cover with top crust.

4. Place on lowest rack in oven preheated to 450 degrees F.  Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.  Bake for 30-35 minutes longer.  Serve warm or cold.

I'm looking forward to baking.  These upcoming holidays are just a good excuse!  

What are your favorite pies??

Insanity Workout Challenge

I'm sure most of you have heard of P90X and other workouts along those lines.  One morning, I turned on the TV and there was an infomercial on Insanity. 

The same company, Team Beachbody makes these two workout DVD packages, plus many  more.  It sounded like something I'd like to try, so I bought my first item ever off TV.  I started doing the workouts after marathon training last year, but decided to stop so I could focus on triathlon training this past spring and summer and then I once again was training for a 1/2 marathon, so I've decided next Monday, I am starting my 60 day Insanity Challenge.

These workouts are hard.  It seriously made marathon training feel like a break in some ways.  Crazy.  Each workout for the first month is 30-45 minutes and then the second month they are around 60 minutes.  So Monday, I begin the challenge from start to finish.  I am also going to be training for another 1/2 marathon I think John and I are going to do in February, so it should get interesting.  This program is all cardio and plyometrics.  It's hard, but effective.  I saw results in a couple weeks!  It should be exciting.  I will finish up at the end of January.  I'll be keeping tabs with you on my progress!  It's also one of my 101 in 1001, so I'm looking forward to checking something else off my list!

Happy Monday!  I'm happy it's a short week AND Thanksgiving!!

Back to our regularly scheduled blogging...

I apologize for my little whine last week.  I just needed some rest.  I did get some much needed rest the next couple days following that, so I was a much happier girl!

I left for my work trip Thursday and it was cold.  I'm not a fan of their kind of cold.  Yuck!  I much prefer Florida "cold".  When John drove me to the airport Saturday morning at 5:15am, it was 18 degrees in November.  Ugh. I couldn't live up north like that.  I had a layover in Minneapolis and they had snow everywhere.  It was pretty, but it was November!  No thanks.  I'll suck up the ridiculously hot summers, just so I don't have to deal with frigid winters.  I guess it's all what you're used to...people probably think I'm nuts for living through the miserable Florida summers, but I'll stay with what I know :)

We had our mini girls weekend for the 1/2 marathon!

We went to see

then ate

then

to get ready for

The day was a great success!  Christy, Ashley, and Christy's mom finished their first 1/2 marathon and they all did awesome!  Every one of them met or exceeded their goals for finishing!  I'm so excited for all of them!  Plus, it was a great time to spend with my lady friends :)

A picture after we had all finished!  It was really sunny!

Congrats Ladies!

Now, Lily and I are snuggled up on the couch waiting for John!  Oh how I've missed my little fur-ball!  

Today, I'm a mess...

Exhaustion from the past couple weeks has reared it's ugly head and I'm a mess today.  John's a good man for putting up with me sometimes.  Today, I really do feel bad for him.  It is one of those days when you're so tired, you feel ridiculously sensitive and emotional and don't understand why...that is...until it's very kindly pointed out to you that you've been running yourself ragged, haven't slept much and need to stop and take a break.  That's where I'm at.  Ugh.  I leave for my work trip tomorrow and fly home Saturday in time for our 1/2 marathon.  Hopefully I will take care of this mess in a hurry...I have things to do!  Hope everyone has a good rest of the week/weekend!  Updates will be coming soon on the 1st annual ladies 1/2 marathon.  Stay tuned!


Until then...

John is my hero!

That is the pathetic look your dog gives you after she almost chokes to death.  An hour later.  After she's done shaking, coughing, wheezing and scaring you...this is the look you get.

Last night, Lily decided that she would continue the bad behavior that her grandpa allows when he watches her and snatched 1/2 a steak off the table.  As I was trying to get it away from her, she took a huge chunk and tried to swallow it whole so I couldn't get it.  As I was scolding her and taking the rest of it to the trash, she starts running towards me panicked.  I realize then, she's choking.  I start to panic and yelling to John to save her and to do something.  It was kind of a blur.  He had to give her the heimlich.  It was ridiculous.  After 4 pumps, she spit out the steak...3" across.  No wonder she couldn't swallow it.  Needless to say, I was quite stressed the rest of the evening.  And that's one of the reasons John is my hero!  Thanks to him, Lily's fine and here to live another day.

A little bit about us...as a couple...

I saw this over at Smiling is Good for Your Teeth and thought it was cute, so now, my turn :)

1. What are your middle names?

Joseph & Lou.

2. How long have you been together?

July 4, 2006.

3. How long did you know each other before you started dating?

Age 10 or so...

4. Who asked who out?

He asked me out.

5. How old are each of you? 

He is 27. I am 26.

6. Did you go to the same school?

Nope.

7. Are you from the same home town?

No, I'm for a city south of him.

8. Who is the smartest?

Depends on the subject ;-)

9. Who majored in what?

He dual-majored in Physics and Civil Engineering.  I have my undergrad in Political Science and my master's in business.

10. Who is the most sensitive? 

I'm going to go ahead and say myself.  Neither of us are really that sensitive...which works well for our personalities :)

11. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? 

Utah I think.  Snowboarding...woo!!!

12. Who has the worst temper? 

Probably him, followed closely by myself.  We both used to have really bad tempers, but over the years realized they weren't worth it.  We're much more mellow now.

13. How many children do you want? 

None.

14. Who does the cooking?

He probably cooks a little more than I do, but we share that role.

15. Who is more social?

We're both pretty social.

16. Who is the neat freak?

Depends. I am in dealing with the kitchen.  He likes everything to all have it's  place.  We're in a balancing act right now trying to make all of our stuff start to mesh.  I still have a whole house to move over to his :)

17. Who is the most stubborn?

Hmm...I think I win that one.  Although I try not to be, I can't help it sometimes.  He has a stubborn streak too though.

18. Who wakes up earlier?

That's usually equal.  He's happier about getting up early than I am though.

19. Where was your first date? 

The movies to see 'Click'.

20. Who has the bigger family?

I do...by far.

21. Do you get flowers often?

No, I'm not much of a flower gal.  They're nice to get, don't get me wrong, but I'd prefer other gestures over flowers.  John knows :)

22. How do you spend the holidays? 

Thanksgiving: We go run a local 5K and go back to John's parents house to prep for Thanksgiving #1, watch the Macy's parade and visit. After we dine there, we drive down to my parents house and spend another part of our day over there.  Then, we roll back to our side of town to sit in a turkey induced coma.

Christmas: Christmas Eve is spent going to church, followed by dinner at my Aunt's house.  Christmas breakfast at my parent's house and the rest of the day is spent at John's grandparents house.

23. Who is more jealous?  

Um, neither of us really.  I'll give him a hard time sometimes just to tease him, but usually neither of us are really jealous people.  We both know our relationship and each other well enough to be comfortable with what life throws at us.

24. How long did it take to get serious? 

Probably a little too fast for my liking.  I remember thinking, "oh man, this is way too serious for me, should I end this?  I'm not ready".  We've had our bumps but it's all worked out in the end.  I think the serious-fast thing threw us both for a little bit of a loop.

25. Who eats more?

John.  The end.

26. What do you do for a living?

We are both in construction.  He works for a General Contractor and I work for a subcontractor.

27. Who does the laundry? 

Right now, I do mine and help him with his on occasion, but he does his own mostly.  When we get married, I'm sure that'll all be mine.  Although, I'd rather do laundry than other household chores.  Bring it!

28. Who's better with the computer?

John.  He can do pretty much anything on a computer.  He's his company's stand in IT guy.

29. Who drives when you are together? 

90% of the time he does.  I only drive if he really doesn't want to, which is rare, or if I'm feeling in a big hurry and he's moving slow that day.

30. What is your song?  

Well, when he was working on a project out of town, "Hey There Delilah" was a big song, so that was probably our first song.  We've had a couple more over the years too, but our wedding song will probably stick as our song.   You'll have to wait to find out what that is though :)

25 Q's

Playing along with Ashley! My answers to 25 questions:

1. Do you see a lot of stars at night where you live?
Yes! I love clear nights! Sometimes you can even see planets if you're paying attention. I took an astronomy class in college (hey...counted as a science credit) and it was really interesting. I can still remember a few things.

2. Did you cry today?
Nope. That rarely happens though, so I'm not expecting it tomorrow either...

3. What are you doing tomorrow?
Back to work. Hopefully a run in there somewhere too!

4. What is the last movie you watched and what's the best thing about it?
Due Date. Robert Downey Jr. Nuff said...

5. Are you craving any kind of food right now?
Nope. I just ate cereal a bit ago and am good to go.

6. Who slept in your bed with you last?
My mother and I have been on vacation the past few days, so that would be my mom.

7. Where were you at 9AM?
The Park Central Hotel in NYC.

8. How do you feel about your hair?
I'd like it to be thicker. It's so fine=no body. But it's super straight & takes me less than 5 minutes to dry & that includes style.

9. Do you plan on having any babies and if so, how many?
Fur-babies only please. I'll take 2. Not a big fan of human babies 24/7. We plan on being fun Uncle John & Aunt Christina.

10. Do you wear makeup?
Usually, unless I'm doing a physical activity of some sort or going to play in the water somewhere.

11. Have you done any community service this year?
Yes. Helped out at the Ronald McDonald house & seniors first.

12. What is the last concert you went to?
OAR I believe.

13. Do you have any secret wishes right now?
Yes. Although some people know them. They're still pretty secret though ;-)

14. Have you ever cried in front of the last person you kissed.
Pretty much the only person who's seen me cry in the past 5 or so years. Ha.

15. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you want to be?
At the moment I couldn't be more content :-) finally got home to see my love & lil love. I'm happy.

16. How is the weather lately?
It's in the 60's right now. But it's nighttime. 80's tomorrow.

17. Where do you want to eat next?
Home. Cookin' tomorrow night. I'm sure I'll want me some Chick-fil-A soon too though. With their magical styrofoam cups!

18. What scares you the most about relationships?
In general-Trust. It takes me a while...

19. What's your favorite sport to play?
Football. I totally would have played had I been born male. But, alas I was not. They did start a girls team at my high school a few years after I graduated. Bummer.

20. Do you like chocolate?
In moderation...and usually with vanilla or peanut butter or some other yummy flavor to off set the chocolate.

21. What are you listening to?
The fan blowing. That's all. It's almost bedtime. Well technically it's past bedtime, but I'm off on my schedule so I'm winding down.

22. What happens to you when you get nervous?
I fidget.

23. Does the rain ruin your day?
No, I like a good rainy day every now & then.

24. What is your relationship status?
Engaged!

25. Are you ticklish?
Unfortunately. Sometime John uses that against me. And he's bigger so he wins.

THE END!!

Christina

Goodbye NYC!

Well, we're getting ready, packing up and heading home!!! I'm so ready to go home to these two:



New York is great and is crazy on the weekends! Such a difference Wednesday-Friday made versus Saturday! It was nuts! Yesterday, we played in a crowded central park, ate some New York staples





Shopped more


And saw the city once more at night



Goodbye NY! I'll be back!!

New York!

New York is pretty awesome! Today, I successfully managed to figure out the subway system which made me rather proud!
This is just a glimpse from certain pictures I've taken on my phone, so here goes!

We've seen 'Wicked'


The set before the show started.
I'm not a musical person, but it wasn't bad. My mom loved it!

We've visited Times Square...



Seen the Statue of Liberty...



Here's a friendly little squirrel that would pose & dance for you for food...he was so cute & chunky...



We've paid our respect at ground zero...


Hard to believe it was 9 years ago...

And today, after a long day of NBC studios (the station with most of my favorite shows AT 30 Rock!!), Bon Jovi on the Today show & lots of shopping


we finished tonight off with The Rockettes.



Oh, and how could I forget...


Serendipity 3!!!

Tomorrow we have another full day ahead of us and I'm exhausted! Ha!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

An Award!!!

La Tache over at Smiling is Good for Your Teeth gave me this award!  Her blog has become one of my favorites to read.  She's fun to read, cheerful, and getting married soon!  Go check her out!

The rules:

7 things about myself

Choose 15 other Stylish Blogs to receive recognition

Now on to Rule #1--It's all about ME!

1) I am headed to New York City TOMORROW!!!

2) but first, I am running 10 miles with my friend Ashley really early for our LAST long training run before the race!

3) My favorite color is pink.

4) I much prefer warm weather to cold.  I like cold in spurts.  I'm comfortable in warm weather long term.

5) My favorite meal is a toss up.  Beef Stroganoff vs. Any Mexican food!

6) Lily (my dog) and I have separation anxiety issues.  I think it stems from the fact that she gets worried sick (literally) when I leave her and I can't explain to her that I'll be  back soon.  The next few weeks are going to be rough.

7) I have to shave every day.  I cannot stand having stubble on my legs.  I've been like this, well, since I started shaving.  It probably won't change and is quite inconvenient at times!

Now for Rule #2: It's all about YOU!

Life After the Aisle

Chronicles of a First Year Teacher

Nashville's Melrose

Rants. Raves. Ridiculous.

Sandy a la Mode

The Nelson Diaries

Young and Fabulous

The Survival Guide for the Young, Fabulous & Newlywed

The Daily Dose

Running From Cupcakes

Polka Dots, Pearls, and Pink...OH MY!

Living a Life of Love

life, love, & puppy prints

A Classy, Southern Bride

a gal and her dog

The Invitations Are Here, They're HERE!!!!

That's right, our invitations came in today! Woo!!!  Just arrived via UPS!

Monday, all day...

{one}

This weekend was quite productive.  We painted the kitchen and 1/2 the family room, as well as finished off the master bedroom!  Completed a 9.16 mile training run.  We ran to the race (6 miles) and then did a 5K.

 Toasting the newly painted kitchen...

Kitchen, only need to add some doorknobs, change out the counter tops and get a new range/microwave in there and we are good to sell!

{two}

I'm totally excited about the next few weeks!  I have an awesome work schedules because of how vacation, work trip and Thanksgiving fell, but between the next 3 weeks, I'm working only 8 days!  Score!

{three}

I will be here very soon!

{four}

Our 1/2 marathon is only 13 days away!  I'm excited!  Plus, quality time with some of my ladies!!!

{five}

A small part of me wants to train for a marathon again.  The other part of me beats that side down into submission.  Watching coverage of the NYC marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon the weekend before have given me the bug again...slightly.  How long will I hold out?

{six}

I have been fighting it, but tonight, I will lose my battle about going:

It's our new arena.  I just feel like it's a ridiculous waste of money that no one needed to spend in this economy.  Especially for a team that most of the city has a love/hate relationship with. Let's just hope it brings in what the projections were...and then some.

{seven}

I'm tired of the "cold" weather.  I know those of you up north will just laugh at me and my Floridian self, but highs in the 60's aren't my friend.  It's been windy and cold and I'm happy the 80's are coming back.  The cold snap was nice while it lasted, but I'd prefer in the 70's next time please :)

{eight}

Jessica, over at Chronicles of a First Year Teacher, got engaged this weekend!!!  Stop by and tell her congratulations!!!

{nine}

I would be happy with a nap right now.

The End.

Happy Monday!!!

Five Question Friday + Major Score!

1. If you could have any talent and turn it into an occupation, what would it be?

Hands down...sideline sports reporter.  Only for college football though.  I have a pretty good knowledge of football.  It's my favorite thing to watch on a Saturday!  As I've stated before...the Erin Andrews, without the controversy would be fine and dandy with me!

2. Would you rather have a house at the beach or a cabin in the woods?

Fortunately, I have the luxury of both...thanks to my parents :)  We have a condo at the beach which is only 30 minutes from our side of town and we love it!  Both John and I grew up beach kids, so beach kids we will stay!  

Can you really get tired of this?  I don't think so....

My parents also have recently acquired a cabin in Tennessee, mostly for rentals, but if it's not being rented, we are allowed to go up there!  I love it up there!  I might want to move up there one day.  Just sayin'...

3. Is there any meaning or reasoning for the names you chose for your child/children?

I don't have people children, but I do have a fur-baby and her name was  picked for a reason. The story: My dad and I decided to get my grandma a Shih Tzu for mother's day one year after meeting a lady in Cracker Barrel that had just had puppies that morning.  After a few minutes, I decided I wanted one too!  The only problem was I had just graduated and was living at home with my parents while saving for a house.  My dad and I decided it best to not tell my mom right away, although he was ok with the idea.  Weeks went on and it was almost time to get her and my mom still didn't know.  I decided to name her Lily because that was the nickname my mom had for me, so I figured it would soften the blow a little.  It did, after her initial anger shock.  She now loves Lily and so do I :)

4. What is your guilty pleasure? (I know we've done this one before, but I'm guessing people's "guilty pleasures" change frequently. At least, mine do!)

Right now...baking.  I'm obsessed with baking.  Every Friday, I feel like I. Must. Bake.  It's been going on since our first cold snap and I feel like it's out of control a little.  Oh well...it's kept me happy.  And I have people over to eat the baked goods so it's not just on John and I.  Yay!  So far in the past month, I've made sugar cookies, chocolate chip cake, countless chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin cookies, cup cakes x 2, muffins x 2...and I'm honestly sure there's more, but that was just off the top of my head.  Hey, at least I have skillz....ha.

5. Do you live in a house that is deep cleaned or straightened?

Uh...well, we deep clean the carpets from time to time if that's what you mean?  Then there's the cleaning of the kitchen pretty much daily and the weekly's of other places.  There's also the cleaning to the fridge every couple of weeks to get out the old and spray it down with some good ole bleach...yea.  I love clean.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MAJOR SCORE!!!

...on what might you ask?

Laser Hair Removal.

Thanks to

That's right...$1,800 worth for $188.00!  I bought 2...they were $99 for $900, but since I recommended a friend, I got $10 off!  That gives me 12 sessions!  We'll see how this whole deal goes!  I'm going to start ASAP...hopefully I'll be mostly done before the wedding! Woot!

Pumpkin Cookie Recipe

That fabulous little gem is a pumpkin cookie.  I got the recipe from Joy the Baker's blog.

They are perfect for fall and the consistency of a muffin top!  YUM!

Tips:

• I substitute white chocolate chips for the butterscotch chips...I like the flavors together better, but both are tasty.  
• You'll see below it calls for baking on parchment paper, if I don't have parchment paper, as I did not last night, I just spray a little Pam on a non-stick baking sheet and it worked just fine.  
• I also put all the pans in the oven at the same time without any problems.  I totaled three pans last night to fit all the cookies.

Without further adieu...

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or corn oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips

Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute.  Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.  On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended.  Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it.  Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart.  You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a  scoop.  Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the  cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes.  Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool cimpletely.

Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar.  The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

ENJOY!