Easter Family Time

Hey Y'all, 

Happy Easter! I'm sure on this Easter evening, you're sitting on your couches, stuffed with hams, eggs, Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs (If you're me!), and all kinds of food deliciousness.  

It's days like these that really make me miss my family and friends back home.  I wish that I could be with them.  Luckily, I have a pretty awesome doggie who keeps me entertained (moreso than I'd like to be!) She's wonderful, and keeps my head on straight during times like these.  

So, I'll keep this short and sweet today - value the time you have with your family and friends.  Though I am sure that they can be (and can drive you) insane, they really do help keep you sane, whether you like it or not.  Being far away from them, or not having them, really makes you realize how important and fabulous the are.  Insanity is a good thing some times - this I can promise you! :)

With that, this has kept me laughing for the past two days, so I feel almost obligated it to share it with anybody I can!

Have a fantasmic week, guys. 

Happy April!

AJ

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Karaoke Staples

Hey Ya'll!

I'm feeling very inspired as of late.  Inspired in the sense that, I will forget all of my awesome and amazing ideas by tomorrow.  It was a good run. 

Onto tonight. This post was entirely inspired by the Thought Catalog.  It's my very favorite time wasting site.  I'm able to read 20-some age group inspired posts.  They are fairly relatable, while sometimes, not so much.  Wading through the nonsensical posts, and immature lists, I came across one, that caught my attention, in the current state of mind I'm in. 

I made 2 New Years Resolutions this year.  Generally, I find resolutions absolutely improbable, therefore, I absolutely make 1 beyond ridiculous but in my mind, reasonable, resolution.  The responsible resolution I made - was to run a 5k this year.  Now, whether I actually do it, or not, doesn't matter in the least to me.  If I do? Awesome.  I think it's a decent goal to work toward, but, am I going to behead myself and gouge my eyeballs if I don't? Not so much.  Maybe another time. (Sorry for the visual, I had to really paint a picture for you!) :)

My second resolution was to figure out exactly what Billy Joel is saying in "We Didn't Start the Fire" and sing it at a Karaoke bar (from memory!) by the end of the year.  This is one resolution, I very much intend to keep.  I'd like to be able to incorporate something interesting on my resume that sets me apart? Right? No? Blonde hair, don't care. I was pretty jazzed to make this resolution.

So, I'm incorporating both parts of this post.  My list of the Top 10 Songs I will absolutely sing with you at Karaoke (dependent on the number of G&T's consumed prior to the task).

1. Journey - Don't Stop Believin' (I know everybody does it, sorry I'm not sorry - you can sing along).

2. Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer (Again, don't care.  Also, I will change the lyrics)

3. Celine Dion - It's All Coming Back to Me Now (To my girls - this is for you) (Also, this is filled an over dramatic interpretive dance, get used to it)

4.Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girls  (Don't worry, it's guaranteed I'll change brown to blue)

 

5. Garth Brooks - Thunder Rolls  (Well, anything Garth Brooks - I'm looking at you Friends in Low Places)

6. Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart (You know you do too)

7. Bonnie Raitt - Something to Talk About (Shout out to my Eball!)

8. Eminem ft Rihanna - Love the Way You Lie (Because I'm multi-talented and sing both parts of the duet)

9. Katy Perry ft Timbaland - If We Ever Meet Again (for this, I'll need a duet partner - for the effect, of course) (excuse my dance moves) (sorry I'm not sorry)

10. Spice Girls - Say You'll Be There (Actually, please sub ANY Spice Girls Song)

Obvious Bonus: Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire

I wanted to put at least 15 on here, however, due to time constraints (totally listened to all of these - and danced) I had to stop somewhere.  I have a pretty general rule, that, as long as I can scream the lyrics, I'll include it in my playlist.  Nothing that takes too much skill...

Have your own dance party! Any you'd add on?

AJ

Egg-static for Easter

Hey Ya'll,

(That title took longer than I'd like to say to come up with - I'm fresh out, guys)

I'm a little kid at heart.  The kind of person who skips down the street for absolutely no reason, than the freeing feeling.  The kind of person who bakes chocolate chip cookies, but ends up making half the batch, because I've gotten too excited and licked the spoons, mixer blades (sorry mom!), and bowl. The kind of girl who can't keep a straight face, and mutters under her breath "...that's what she said".  (Yes, I'm aware the joke is old, overdone, and terrible.) ( I also don't care!)

I also enjoy celebrating holidays, as most kids do.  It brings me back to my carefree childhood times.

So, yes, I carved pumpkins for Halloween. 

And, yes, I did do Christmas big. 

So, what holiday is next? 

Yes, I'm aware that Easter isn't "technically" about cute little bunnies, colorful eggs, hunting for said eggs, and peeps.  However, I am not a super religious person, so, to me, this is how I like to celebrate. To each their own, right?

To make a long story longer, Martha - I love you.  I'm going to dye eggs this year if it kills me.  

Any suggestions to what I can do with these chicken droppings after Easter? I can only eat so many hard-boiled eggs. Serious guys, too many eggs can kill (It's probably on Wikipedia).

Love, AJ

Old

O hey y'all! 

How is your St Patrick's Day? I hope that you've thoroughly overdone yourselves.  Isn't that what St Patrick's Day is all about? Irish culture and the over indulgence of certain intoxifying beverages?

If you've ever been to Dallas, you'll know, that their 2 biggest party days are New Years and St Patrick's Day.  Although, some will probably argue that football season is insanity as well.  And, well, while with college football, they may have a point, I'll fight them to the death about certain pro football teams (GO PACK GO!). 

Anyways, with a certain birthday approaching in the very near future, I've had to come to the reluctant realization that I am not the young, spry gal that I once was.  Seriously.  I'm sure I'm getting a lot of eye rolls with that statement, but I'm pretty in touch with myself, and it's true. 

I'm. uh. old.

 While I try to ease into my late twenties gracefully, many of my friends are getting married, having babies and baby siblings, or doing the whole party lifestyle thing.  More power to all of them.  However, I find the eternal struggle as to what suits myself.  I'm in absolutely no way ready to even consider reproducing (this weekend helped solidify that reasoning).  However, my body has reached it's limit as to what it can handle "party-wise".  

So, what I'm getting at, is -- Yes, I'm currently in my mid-twenties quickly bordering on the very scary upper-twenties.  Yes, a full day of partying must be well thought out and planned accordingly.  And yes, unfortunately, according to HIMYM, "Nothing good," really doesn't "happen after 2am".  I mean really, if I am not in bed by midnight, I'm going to be a little crabby.  I really am not missing out on anything, right? 

Anybody want to correct me? Anybody think I have the right mindset here?  I'm serious here.  I'm willing to listen to anybody.  I feel like I'm failing as a human being! I love to have fun, and I have plenty of fun (as far as I am aware!)

That being said, Slainte!

Dancing with Myself

I don't have a whole lot this week - due to an unfortunately avocado slicing incident. My palm was the only casualty. (If you're keeping track, the score is Cooking - 1 Alyssa - 1). Typing too long proves to be a difficult task and full of entirely too many spelling errors.  So, I'll leave you with the current song in my head (as it has been for the past week).  And let you do your own slide and snap dance! If you don't know what I'm talking about, you've clearly never seen me dance to oldies music. Sorry I'm not sorry. 

Also - if someone can fill me in on this Harlem Shake business, I'd appreciate it.  I don't care to take the time to try to listen to the song and see what this phenomenon is. (I felt the same way about Gagnam Style)  I've been about 4 months late on these dance trends lately.  It's made me feel insanely old and frankly, blonde hair don't care. (Except the pop culture fanatic inside me - I NEED TO UNDERSTAND!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuqHlv1YPe0 

Enjoy your St Patrick's Weekend! 

Kale-in' it

Did you see what I did there? Did you see it? 

Sorry for that one, guys. Actually, I'm really not. I'm pretty proud of my mad wordplay skillz.

Moving on. 

I'm trying to live my life a little more domestically in the present days. You know, actually doing laundry (instead of the standard sniff test), decorating (in a grown up way, not in the glittery 14 year old way I really want to), and cooking (not throwing noodles in a pot and drenching it in 8 different kinds of cheeses).  

So, being the ever-so grown up that I imagined I was supposed to be, I went to the grocery store and bought a whole lot of vegetables (I'm really not a fan of too many fruits).  When I got home, I immediately put away said fresh ingredients and perused Pinterest (obvious next step). 

I was able to make a few delicious dishes and then promptly fell back into my undomesticated ways.  The turnaround was actually quite quick.  

That being said, I really hated to waste food.  So I did the 180 degree change up for another 24 hours, and decided I was going to cook that super nutrient-laden leafy green - Kale. 

I've had Kale before, and really loved it.  Loved it for it's leafy greens (I'm a sucker for salads), interesting taste, and the face that it's just so gosh darn good for myself. The downside, is that when I've cooked it before, it hasn't quite tickled my palate in the way that I wanted it to.

So, back to the wonderful world of Pinterest! (And Martha Stewart) Of course, I had to find a brilliant recipe with ingredients that I already had at home! (not much!) Then, as if from the heavens, it appeared.  A simple Kale recipe, that involved my first favorite food - pasta. 

So, how did it go?

Delicious! 

If I were to make it again, I'd find a different spice to add.  Thyme isn't my favorite spice, a little too overpowering. Granted, maybe there was a bit of a tomato mishap (my two cups of grape tomaters wanted me to go grape stomping with them), so I should've had a few more tomatoes added in.  Twas really amazing though.  Made me feel healthy and full, all at the same time! 

Make Martha's recipe your own, and roll with it - it's a pretty great way to incorporate some health into your life! 

Although, you should realize, I'm currently elbow deep in a sleeve of Thin Mints.  I don't regret it at all either - not with the healthy meal I just ate! 

Love and Laughs, 

AJ