Holiday Fun!!

Work sometimes is not a whole lot of fun. We get busy and stressed, and forget to lighten up at times. So I decided a fun way to inject some fun into the office for the holidays is to do a cookie exchange! I got the idea because my mom-in-law always does one with her coworkers. Plus, one of our patients brought up a plethora of cookies this morning! She makes 300 dozen cookies each Christmas! That is just crazy! Anyway, I saw how much everyone squealed over them, so I thought we need to do our own exchange!! I talked to a couple of coworkers and then my boss, and made a flyer and a sign up sheet and ta-da!! Cookie exchange is happening!!

I of course didn't think about how this would work if EVERYONE signed up! But so far there are 4 of us, and a few more who are scared to sign up too early and get stuck making cookies for 20+ people. We are also going to have a little holiday potluck, so it's just something fun to look forward to. Of course, there is also our yearly Christmas lunch at Ruth's Chris! It's not the same as the big party the owner used to throw, but this is really nice because we are all together as an office! And unlimited free drinks makes this girl happy!

I also have Chrismukkah to look forward to even after the holidays with a group of lady friends. Because we are all so busy with holidays things in December, we have it in January, we get a private room at Wildfire, and stuff our faces and exchange gifts. This is our 5th one. We start planning it in the summer time, and draw names super early cause some of us are busy bodies and shop early! I look forward to this so much each year!!

Our bowling league is even having a gift exchange!

In other news, I have my Christmas cards all addresses and signed. I just need to pick up stamps, stuff, seal, and send!! I am surprised I got this done already, but I just sat down last night and powered through it! We got the apartment decorated, and I couldn't be more pleased with the way it looks!! I had a vision, and just made it happen.

Then in a couple of weeks we are going downtown to see the window displays and having afternoon tea at The Drake Hotel. Mike made reservations without me having to ask him! I am so excited to add this to our yearly tradition, they make a mean tiny little sandwich!

And tomorrow, Mike has the day off with me, so we are going out to breakfast and hopefully finishing our Christmas shopping. We already got our gifts to each other, so we just have to get gifts for our family. And gifts for the Yankee gift swap we started doing at the B-fam Christmas. Then my favorite part of wrapping the gifts and putting an obscene amount of ribbon on them!! lol

My picture needs to be by the words happy and excited in the dictionary!

Black Friday or Greedy Thursday?

I am honestly so turned off by what Black Friday has turned into.  You used to be insane if you got out at 5 in the morning.  Then it was 3, then midnight, and now it's 8:00 p.m. Thanksgiving day.  What deal is that important to rush through family time?  I am more disgusted though in the businesses who do this to their employees, and to their customers.  I am afraid of what next year will look like.

I went to work for half a day, and then Mike and I got some lunch.  The mall was still crowded even at 2:30.  We had a specific target, and then we left before we started feeling stabby.  Woodfield is my least favorite place this time of year.  I actually prefer Oakbrook even though it is an outside mall, I feel like there are less stupid people there for some reason.

Thanksgiving was really nice this year!  The wine slushies mom-in-law and I sucked down probably helped. :)  My chicken n dumplings were nothing like my moms, which I felt disappointed about, but it was good for my first batch.  I was totally grossed out when I had to debone the chicken.  I've done how many dissections?  How many cadaver bones, muscles, and organs have I touched and studied?  How many butts have I wiped???  And yet seeing the chicken vertebrae is all it takes to gross me out??  Not sure how much I want to do that again!  Maybe I'll buy some chicken breasts that still have the bone and skin next time and call it a day!

After everyone left, Mike and I stuck around and hung out with his parents.  It was a really nice night, and I wish we had more of them.  It seems like its been forever.  But at least we have Christmas Eve to look forward to!

Speaking of, I think everyone is just gonna get underwear because no one has given us their lists!!  I managed to come up with one, so it is possible!!  My bro-in-law refused to give a list one year, and I warned him that I was going to close my eyes and twirl around around and wherever my finger stopped....that was his gift!  I don't think he thought I was serious, but he did in fact end up with a big ol' pair of granny panties (and a gift card somewhere more gender neutral, of course).  It was pretty funny. :)

My family is the worst offenders with this!!  They know I need to plan in advance, yet they are always so last minute about things!!  *sigh*

We have a pretty easy going weekend planned, just gonna finish decorating our place!  And we gotta make a stop at Tiffany's because one of the pearls on my earrings came off the post, and I'll be truly upset if they can't fix it.  We also need to add on my graduation charm to my charm bracelet.  I've had my eye on that baby for 3 years, and I was so happy when Mike gave it to me in May!  I've procrastinated on getting it added because they have to send it off to New York, and I don't like parting with my Tiffany pieces.  Spoiled girl problems, I know.

Thanks

I'll say it now because tomorrow will be far too busy with family time and stuffing our faces. I am thankful this year for many things. I can't say it enough how blessed we have been this year, and while this year also brought a lot of unnecessary situations and hurt feelings, I still feel it has been a great year thus far.

I am thankful to be done with school, and to finally have my nursing license. I started on this journey over 3 years ago, and I had many panic attacks, nervous breakdowns, and tears to get here. I am so thankful that this chapter in my life is over because I had to sacrifice so much, I had to live with my in-laws (while they are amazing in-laws, no one is super stoked about this living arrangement) for 2 years. I didn't get to see my own family for over 3 years, and didn't spend nearly enough time with Mike. My life was controlled by this program, my instructors, the weekly tests, the thousands of dollars of textbooks. The threat of failing a test induced so much anxiety that I could not do anything other than study. I would not go through that again even if I was paid to do it. So, again, I am very thankful to have this part of my life over with.

I am thankful for my in-laws. They did not have to offer their home to us so that I could go to school without taking out massive loans. This is the most support I have received from anyone in my life other than Mike. I truly could never repay them for this generosity. I would actually be sad to move away from them if we ever moved back to Tennessee. I just would.

I am thankful for my job. I have been there for over 5 years, and it has its frustrating aspects, but it is my work home. My boss has been amazingly flexible with me over the years for school, and the fact that I still had a job waiting for me when I finished school was such a blessing. While I may be having a hard time RN job searching, I am content for the time being.

I am thankful for our home. It finally feels like home to me, and I love coming home to it just being Mike and I. We couldn't be happier.

I am thankful for Mike, above all else. He is there for me no matter what. When I was crying my eyes out over school, or family-issues, or my job search, he was there. I could not have imagined when we first started talking to each other over 11 years ago, that this is where my life would have taken me. He makes me laugh every single day, we wake up every morning and fall asleep every night cuddled up tight. He surprises me by doing sweet things for me, and he makes me feel so loved. He humors me when I'm being cranky, or obnoxious. He accepts me for all that I am, flaws and all. I know he and I make a great team, and I couldn't be happier with this great man who fell into my life.

And lastly, while there have been brutally upsetting situations this year, I have to be thankful for the lessons I've learned from them and move on.

We are having Thanksgiving dinner with Mom and Dad-in-law. I am making chicken n dumplings using my mom's recipe. It's always a bit anxiety inducing using her recipes because there is never a straight-cut method. It's all by using your judgement. Which for something I've never made before is impossible. I'm so nervous to make this. The chicken is cooking now, and I just have to hope for the best!

Bring on the Holidays!

I'm sure that I have said it many times n previous posts about how excited I am for the holidays!  Thanksgiving if officially a week away!  I was craving T-Day dinner so much the other day that it was all me and my coworkers were talking about the other day while we were listening to Christmas music on the light station.  If I didn't feel a trip to Boston Market would cheapen my craving, I'd totally give in!  My Mom and Dad-in-law make an awesome Thanksgiving dinner, and I'm sooo looking forward to stuffing my face with some stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy!  Yum!

I decided I was going to work the day after Thanksgiving.  One of the doctors was crazy enough to open his schedule, and our patients are crazy enough to come in!  And Mike and I don't like making it out into the crowds anymore, so why not?  I'll be done by 1, so we can go shopping after that if we wanted.  I really have no clue where to start for Christmas gifts, but luckily I don't have to ship them this year, so I can give myself a bit of a break!  That's one of the things I gotta work on today, is making our list of who we are buying for, jot down some ideas.  And then there is the whole frustrating task of making a list of ideas for myself.  I am awful at it.  Most of the little things I would want, I just buy for myself.  Sure, when I first moved up here and was poor, it was easy because I needed things like plates and crockpots.  I don't really need anything like that anymore, so it makes it difficult.  Maybe I'll just make a "do not want" list, like no smelly-good things, no socks, no Hello Kitty.  No one other than Mike would know my tastes well enough to pick those sort of things out for me, and even him doing that is questionable. lol  I hate to sound like a brat, but that stuff just always ends up in my re-gift basket, that never ends up getting re-gifted because I could never bring myself to do that.

I really don't get stressed out by Christmas shopping.  We set a budget and stick to it.  I already bought my Christmas wrap on clearance after last year.  So all I need are gifts to go inside!  And Christmas cards.  I haven't done them the last few years because of school, and I felt kind of weird sending them from my in-laws' address for some reason, so I am happy I can do them this year! 
I can't wait to make my Santa cookies.  I can't wait to go downtown and see the window displays at Macy's!  And if we have time, I'd LOOOOOVVVE to have tea at the Drake again.  Those little roast beef sandwiches were amazing!  I also can't wait to see my family in Tennessee!  I'm so happy that this is happening this year! 

And speaking of that, I think I'm at a point right now where I may put the job search on hold for the next month.  I would completely devastated to have to cancel our trip because of a job offer, but on the other hand, what better Christmas gift could there be for me at this time?  I also really don't want this big gray cloud hanging over my head to mess with my Christmas.  I get depressed every time I fill out an application, every time I check up my application statuses.  I just get so upset lately doing anything with it.  So, I just think that if I spend too much time trying to job search over the next month, it is going to hamper my ability to be happy about the Holidays.  And I am not going to have a repeat of last year where my Christmas cheer was severely dampened because of some unnecessary dishonesty cast our way.  Lesson learned is all I can say about that.  This is going to be a great Christmas, and I'm so thankful for the good things that are going on in our life!

And yep, Mike got promoted!  I am over the moon excited for him!  He got some really awesome e-mails from the higher ups in his department, praising him for his hard work and success.  He truly has been amazing at his job, and I am so proud of him!  He has been waiting a long time to get this recognition, and I'm so thankful he did, because I was getting nervous he would go job searching on me if he didn't! lol

Not much going on.  Mike is gonna go see Bro-in-law's band play on Saturday, and I'll be out with Mom-in-law on Sunday for the craft show.  I've been somewhat productive today, I even got out to the post-office to ship out something I sold on Bonanza.com.  And I yelled at Norton Antivirus for taking out money for an auto renewal that I didn't authorize! I have an appointment later at my spa/salon, and right now gonna catch some lunch!  Exciting, right?

Free Saturday

I have this lovely day all to myself. I wish Mike could have taken off with me, but it is nice to have the day to yourself sometimes! I'm gonna be productive today, I promise!

We have bowling tonight for our league, and then we are gonna have a little date night afterwards. Let's hope I can stay awake. I have gone to the gym each day this week except Friday, and I have been cashed out by 9. Where is this all this extra energy you are supposed to have from being more active??

I have also been using My Fitness Pal. My doctor told me about it a couple of years ago, but I never tried it out until recently. It is pretty easy to use, and it has a great database of foods, which makes keeping track of your intake really easy. The barcode scanner is my best friend!

I was a little upset when I weighed in because I have been working out a lot this week, and keeping on track calorie wise, and I only lost a pound this week. I have always lost more than this initially when I started a program. But a new coat that I bought isn't as snug as it was, so that is at least something I have to show for my efforts!

I need to get my butt to the gym today, but I'm pretty cozy under my blanket!

My little sister is going to be 17 this Wednesday. I remember being in 6th grade in 1995, and proudly wearing my pin that the hospital gave me with her foot print on it. I loved getting to be Junior Mom, and feeding her and getting her to fall asleep while she laid on my chest. It makes me feel old.

Next week, Mom-in-law and I have our annual Crafts fair outing. It's always the same booths, but we like going. This year, I'm excited to find some cute Christmas things for our place, where I haven't really been able to buy much the last couple of years.

And then it's Turkey time!! I can't believe how quickly time is going by! I want to make my mom's (well I guess my Grandma Welty's, actually) recipe for Chicken 'n' Dumplings. I didn't have time the last couple of years to try to make it, so I think this year is it. It's a staple at my family's Thanksgiving dinner, and I'd like to have it this year! I'm sure the B-Fam will like it!

In other news, I signed up for a couple of the classes I need to start my BSN program. I will be taking Nutrition and Statistics. They are both online classes, that way if I do get a job offer, I won't have to drop the class and lose my money! It is extremely important to me to obtain my Bachelor degree. While I am proud of my Associate degree, it will only get me so far in my career. I have to strive to make myself better in anyway that I can, and this is the next step.

I also want to set the bar high for our kids, and hopefully they will strive for the same thing. Even if they want to be a artist or musician, I want them to get the education and training that will help them be the best that they can be. My parents never finished college because life got in the way, and I was scared that this would be my fate as well. So I am so thankful for the opportunity I received to finish my education! It meant the world to me to be able to achieve this accomplishment, and that I can do what I love, which is to help others. To help someone in their time of need is so important to me as a person, that I couldn't imagine being in any other field. This is what truly matters to me, and I believe it is the most important thing you can do for another human being.

I could never do a job in Sales, where its all about meeting your goals so your paycheck is better. That has just never been my motivation.

So I guess it's time to get my butt to the gym!!

Weekend Update!!

Last night went off perfectly! I decided to take a risk, and make something new and different from my normal southern comfort food for Mom and Dad-in-law last night. I really wanted to make this chicken dish that I had from the hospital cafeteria during my Capstone that was rice and cheese stuffed, salsa smothered chicken. I just couldn't find a recipe anywhere! So I improvised a bit, and stuffed the chicken with cheese, smothered it with salsa and hoped for the best, and it was AMAZING!! I also made Southwestern stuffed peppers from a recipe I found on Pinterest, and those turned out great! We made some Spanish rice, some different kinds of salsa, some cheese quesadillas, tortilla chips, and I even made guacamole for the first time!!

I was a bit nervous pulling this all off, but I timed everything perfectly! We all ate til we hurt! I also made my jello poke cake to top it all off!! I just couldn't have imagined it would all go so smoothly! And luckily we have lots of leftovers that I'm so excited to eat!

I just love cooking for other people, especially when it turns out so well. It just makes me feel good. :)

We also played Life on the Wii, and we had so much fun. It took forever!! I was almost falling asleep by the time we were done, but I won!! We had a really good time, and got to hear about their trip to D.C., which actually made me want to go visit sometime!

Today, I just want to relax. I overdid it at the gym on Thursday and really hurt my hip. I'm feeling better, though. I have just been so busy with errands and trying to plan the dinner last night that I need a freebie day!!

The Bears are playing the Titans today, so I'll be happy either way the game goes! I'm just feeling happy today! :). This week is gonna be rough at work because both my boss and one of my coworkers is on vacation. Then we have an all day seminar for all of the employees of the company, not just my office, on Friday. So my nice short and quick Friday turns into a 9 hour class. But we are getting fed at least!

And I love Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta SO much more than the New York one. It just makes me feel like in back home. :) We are less than 2 months away from getting to go back home, by the way! So happy!

And I ended up taking a few days off of job searching. I need to recharge my batteries because I am worn down. I'm back to not talking anymore about it until I have something positive to share.

That is all for now!! :)