Day 7: Least favorite thing about the Holidays

There aren't a lot of things I dislike about the holidays. One thing that I do dislike are all the crowds that the mall and stores attract. I also don't like that I can't find a job during winter break. lol How does Santa expect me to pay for all the presents I have to get? 


Tomorrow I'm going to go look around and see what kind of jobs are out there for me only for 7 weeks. 




A Christmas shopper's complaint is one of long-standing. - Author Unknown

Day 6!!

Holiday Craft/DIY  (If you don't make anything, what do you WISH you could make?)


I'm not very handy when it comes to crafts. But I wish I was. I still like doing crafts. I remember in elementary school I'd always make ornaments. 


My sister and I also used to make gingerbread houses every year. That was fun.

I wish I could make cool ornaments, or stockings. Maybe once I'm older, I'll try new crafts.

Day 5: Gift Ideas!!

Day 6: Gift ideas (what do YOU want? We all have family/friends reading our blogs...so let them know!)

Kristen’s Christmas List

-Coach- Bev Sneakers (khaki/chestnut- size 8)

-Coach- Poppy perfume

-New glasses case

-New purse

-Nice teacher clothes (shoes, pants, shirts, jewelry)

-SHAPE magazine

-pots and pans

-Hunters Wellies Boots w/ fleece welly socks AND wellie sock cable cuff (NOT SURE ON COLORS YET-I want to try a pair on before with different colors)

-Converse women’s chuck Taylor all star low top sneakers (size 8- charcoal)

-Gourmet Getaway lunch tote- French bull Vine

-Vera Bradley: Multi-Pocket Tote in Black Microfiber –OR- Tote in Night and Day (Take a look yourself. You can choose one you like better)

-A grey DePaul hoodie (WITH NO ZIPPER)

-Either the DePaul Nike Tempo Shorts in Blue or DePaul womens nike workout pants- black

-a White depaul womens t-shirt or the grey long sleeve depaul shirt

-A new blog design (or blogging for dummies –or something like that)

-TJ Max gift card

-Teacher supplies (lesson plan workbook/ideas)

That is the exact list I gave all my family and friends! Hopefully this year will be a good christmas! :)

Day 4: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special

I know I'm a day late, but I was so busy yesterday I didn't have time to blog. :( I haven't NOT had time to blog since I started! But I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, because I know I did!!

My all time favorite holiday movie is White Christmas. I watched it with my parents all the time around the holidays and still love it. My sister and I actually wanted to perform, 'Sister, Sister' one Christmas eve, but we still have yet to do that. I also love the movie Elf. Such a good, funny classic christmas movie.

Another TV show that I watch religiously around this time is the Victoria Secret Fashion show!

Quote of the week: "Buddy the elf. What's your favorite color?"

Day 3!!

The most meaningful gift/best gift you've received:

This is pretty hard. I would have to say homemade gifts are the best. My sister made me a picture frame one year and my aunt made me a tie blanket that I still use a couple years ago. Homemade are the most meaningful. I've never received any type of jewelry from a special boy or anyone like that..so it's not that....(yet). lol.

That's all. Short and sweet.

I'm off to Ohio tomorrow morning for Thanksgiving to see my grandparents! :)

It'll be an early black friday for me!

Day #2

Day 2: Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks


To be honest...I've never gone shopping on black friday. I don't like crowds and I think people's worst side's always come out when battling to get the last of the 'hot new toy' deal. I like to go shopping when all the crowds are gone. I usually get ALL my christmas shopping done the day week before Christmas Eve. 

(THIS DOES NOT LOOK FUN TO ME!!)

As for tricks....I don't have any. But I do love me a great deal. I'm already the coupon goddess! I love coupons. If anyone has any ideas to get even better deals than coupons, let me know! :)


On another note: today at 5 pm I will officially be on Winter Break until January!! YESSS!!! ohhh the joys of going to a private school that is on the quarter system.

Christmas Blog Challenge: Day 1

Day 1: What are your Christmas/Holiday traditions-

For Thanksgiving my family (of 4) usually goes to my aunt and uncle's house for the big feast. I'm always amazed at how much dinner I eat and (somehow) I still manage to gobble down plenty of dessert! Dessert's my favorite of course..so it's only right.

It'll be my first holiday in 11 years without my best friend :( ---L-to-R; Bear, my aunts german shepard and Buddy, my baby boy!!!!)

As for Christmas, it's my families turn. We have lots of friends and family over for Christmas Eve food, desserts and presents! My dad always makes a shrimp jambalaya for every Christmas Eve. The last party go-er's usually always leave around 11 pm, when 'santa' has to do his job.


Christmas morning, my whole family wakes up and opens stockings. We then eat breakfast, make coffee and such. My sister and I are usually the first one's down by the tree ready to open presents; even though we're already 20 and 21 years old. lol.

Christmas 2009. My fam! My Mom, me, my sister, Dad and my baby, buddy!

After all the presents are open, we head to my aunt and uncle's house for a christmas #2 (basically). We open presents, eat snacks and finally eat christmas dinner and dessert once again. Christmas dinner's are alway's bittersweet for me because I love the Holiday's and Christmas dinner is like the last 'hooray' of good holiday dinner's and dessert's and family time!

5 Question Friday

I'm joining Mama M's five question Friday. 

1. What Christmas song do you loathe?

I like a lot of Christmas songs, but one that I can rather do without would have to be Silent Night. It's just slow, monotone and not cheery, like I feel christmas songs should be.

2. Do you and your significant other cuddle at night or sleep on opposite sides of the bed?

Cuddle! :) Until one of us falls asleep and toss and turn, then we just get comfy and  continue to sleep.

3. Have you ever had surgery?

Yes. I have dysplastic nevus syndrome. So, I have had 4 invasive surgeries to remove dangerous skin cells.

4. When do you typically have your holiday shopping done?

Whenever I have the money to finish it. That's usually the day before christmas eve. :)

5. If money were not an issue (and you HAD to pick something), what would your ultimate luxury item be?

Good question. I would probably get an iPhone first, and then a white VW Jeta OR a Nissan Xterra. Either of those would be my dream car. OR.....a whole new wardrobe. :) I could go on forever with this list. I'll stop there! 

Hope everyone is having a fabulous day!!

A dog is the only thing on earth That loves you more than he loves himself. -Josh Billings

12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge!!

So as I was 'blogging' around, I came across Aly's Blog. Her and friend and her decided to create a 12 days of christmas blog challenge. I thought, "What a fantastic idea." So here are the topics (I took from aly's blog), if anyone else would like to do it also. 

Start Date: Monday, November 22nd

{Topics}

Day 1 (November 22nd): Christmas/Holiday traditions

Day 2: Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks

Day 3: Most meaningful gift/best gift you've received

Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly holiday season

Day 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special

Day 6: Gift ideas (what do YOU want? We all have family/friends reading our blogs...so let them know!)

Day 7: Holiday Craft/DIY  (If you don't make anything, what do you WISH you could make?)

Day 8: Least favorite thing about the Holidays

Day 9: Favorite Holiday recipe

Day 10: Favorite Christmas Songs/Caroles

Day 11: New Year Resolutions

Day 12: Show us your decorations (indoor/outdoor)

Day 13: Favorite Cookie Recipe

Day 14: Oprah's Favorite Things: What item(s) would you want if you were in the audience?

Come back on Monday to link up! I hope you all join in! We are giving you a sneak peek so you can start getting prepared!

Days 1 -3 are November 22 - 24

**** NO BLOG CHALLENGE ON Thanksgiving! ****

Day 4 will pick back up on November 26th!!

(don't mess this up girls! i will hunt you down!)

Finals, thanksgiving and moving???

I HATE finals week. Thankfully, I only have 3 finals left next week and then its Turkey day! Probably, one of my favorite holidays! I cannot wait. With the end of this quarter ending so quickly, I'm realizing how close I am to the real world. I'm terrified, yet so excited!

                                                   (thanksgiving 2009- L to R, my sister, my grandma and me)

In my personal health class last night, we were talking about the differences in health insurance plans; such as a HMO and PPO, and oh-my-goodness, I have no idea how I'm going to choose when the time comes I finally get a big-girl job. I texted my mom about which plan we have. She reassured me that she would help me choose a plan that would be right for me when the time comes.

So, because I have been thinking about how close I am to student teaching and graduation (it's about time), I've been thinking a lot about my future classroom and what type of teacher I'll be. This quarter, I've been an after school math tutor for a group of 2nd graders, in an inner-city school. I loved every minute of it! Every time I go into their classroom, I can't help but look around and see everything that I would do with the classroom, if that was my space. Ahhh, I can't wait.

All this future talk has got me (of course) thinking about the future in general. I got my roommate obsessed with House Hunters as well. We were talking about the pros and cons of moving to a different state or city. This is the list we came up with:

CONS:

*Moving away from friends and family

*Not knowing anyone when you move

*Not know the area or schools

*Moving expenses

*No help

*Cost of living might be to expensive

 PROS:

*Cheaper cost of living                                          

*More house for your buck (in certain areas)         

*You can start over (if you wanted too)                 

*Better weather                                                       

*New or better paying jobs                                    

*More things to do                                                

I'm sure the lists can go on. I'm still not sure if I would ever move out of the Chicago-land area, but I'm definitely not 100% against it.

I was looking on yahoo.com real estate website and I came across this link:
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/homes-for-under-100k.html. Homes across the US, for under $100,000.

It amazes me how much more house you get in different areas. Some of these houses are gorgeous. This house is in Detroit, MI; with 3,800 sq. ft. for $89,000. (ABOVE)

This house is in Cleveland, OH; at $89,900 with 1,170 sq. ft. This house is such a cute little bungalow.


Ok, I should probably go study now for my finals. I'll post another blog later about other things I say dream about! :)

Thanks Grandpa!!!

I just wanted to take the time to let all the vets out there know how much I appreciate their services and courage throughout the years to protect this country. Happy Veterans Day!! I wanted to personally say thank you to my Grandpa Dick, who is 93 years old and still hanging in there!

(My Grandpa at Honor Flight in 2009)

My Grandpa, who is my hero, served in WWII and SURVIVED (for 3 1/2 years) the Bataan Death March, along with other horrific events that no human being should ever have to endure. My Grandpa, and many other American POW's, thought that liberation was only a dream. He endured an 80 mile walk to a camp and somehow found the only Japanese solider willing to help him remove his appendix, instead of killing him right on the spot. If that doesn't say courage I do not know what does.

 

(L to R- Me, My Grandpa, my Grandma and My sister-Xmas 2009)

Thank goodness he made it, because I wouldn't have wanted any other guy to be my Grandpa Dick. I love you Grandpa so much and I want to thank you so much for sacrificing your life for my freedom!! I will see you in a few days Grandp's!! Can't wait to see you!!!

Friday Night, Blog Night

So on a normal Friday I would be getting ready to go out with my friends and having a good time, but not tonight. Just not feeling it. I have finals in 2 weeks and have a lot on my mind. And one of my roommates is working and the other is MIA. So I thought I would dedicate this night to learning more about the whole blogging world. Any suggestions or tips? I do want to get a new background, but i don't know how or where to get them. lol.
So another thing that people might not know about me (unless your my roommates) is that i am a TV fanatic! I love reality tv the best. Even though I know a lot of reality tv is scripted, it still gets me. I also love tv shows about design, home and architectural TV. 

I can watch HGTV and TLC all day everyday. Cake Boss is one of my favorite shows. Buddy is soooo talented. If I ever go to New York or New Jersey I definitely want to go try some of his canoli's. I wonder if because they have a TV show, if they charge more for their pastry's. So, I recommend if anyone that has a sweet tooth and wants to get a good laugh, watch Cake Boss on TLC! Here are some of his amazing cakes!

If anyone has any good recipe's for cookies, cakes or anything bake-able, please let me know or just send them this way! I love deserts!!!!

Quote of the week: I believe in pink. I believe laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing; kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles." -Unknown