Rangers Home Opener

Hey Y'all!

This is for my good friend Helene.  She's wonderful. And awesome. And absolutely ridiculous.  I think the latter is my favorite part about her. Seeing as I've known her for about 2.5 years, I can tell you that her blog is absolutely spot on with who she is.  Friendly, Random, and beyond hilarious. It's a great read, I laugh every day.  I'll participate more in her Travel Tuesdays link up (since traveling is my absolute favorite!) when I find time to recap my favorite adventures... in the meantime...

As promised - a recap of my superfun Friday. 

I love baseball.  It's probably my favorite sport to watch - live anyways.  That atmosphere is something else.  The smells, the people, and the baseball players in their little baseball pants!

So, sure enough, I got up at the break of freaking dawn. Granted it was a half hour later than I would normally be at work, but it's all for the cause, right? Good thing it was in the forties and I was wearing shorts. After being called numerous names (like crazy, and absolutely out of my mind),  we were on our merry way! 

Hellooooooo Baseball! 

(Yes, that is the sun still rising...)

Enjoying our day off

We weren't the only ones

We were prepared.

 But still managed to forget a flipper for the burgers on the grill, and put the grill plate on upside down.  Plastic forks work surprisingly well! (I think, I wasn't in charge of the grilling!)

 Having some fun in my sunglasses.  Maybe a little to much fun..

We had to stop on the way into the game and buy Mumford and Sons tickets.

  

 We may have created a traffic jam trying to get the full wifi signal...

We weren't the only ones at the game, apparently

Enjoyin' the show

Jack Ingram singing to 'merica

Pomp and Circumstance

The BEST thing about the ballpark - Garlic Fries!!

Opening Day #2 (We have this exact same picture from last year)

The whole group!

It was a long exhausting day, and I fell asleep, no joke, 30 seconds after I got home.  Forgot to let the dog out and everything (She was not happy).  But, was so much fun, wouldn't change it for anything.  It's ok to be jealous. I would be.

Actually, the only regret I have is that my hair is out of control.  According to these pictures, I need a cut and color baaaaaaaad. 

Nothing But Perfect Advice

I always strive to be the ultimate hostess.  I LOVE having people over, having some appetizers, drinks, and entertaining. It's absolutely top 3 favorite thing to do in my life.  However, since my income is less than adequate (I'm talking lottery amounts here, folks!) I don't have a chance to always keep things on hand,  just in case someone drops by, or plans change.  

I was reading on Thoughtfully Simple the other day, the solution to my problems!! I also added some of my own opinions and additions!

1. Always keep 2 bottles of red wine and 2 bottles of white wine on hand. 

You'll always have something to serve your guests. Plain and simple, entertain is keeping the belly full and tongue from being parched! Now, if you're going to be a guest in my abode, I will probably not offer the white wine - I have very little love for white wine.  It's too sweet! Most white wine drinkers I know will also drink red wine if need be.  I'd also suggest keeping a 6-pack on hand as well (something domestic).  Some people just prefer beer to wine.  This way, if a couple or couple of friends stop by, there really is something for everyone.  This being said - keep a couple of water bottles handy at all times.  People always want to quench their thirst, and you can always throw it in a nice tumbler with ice cubes to make it ice cold!

2. Keep ingredients on hand for simple appetizers.

I wish I was able to follow this one better.  My cooking skills are limited.  However, I am slowly inching my way up the foodie ladder (thanks Pinterest!).  Martini Kabobs are easy enough, and keep well (olives, prosciutto, cocktail onions).  I also would suggest keeping sour cream, mayonnaise, and a dip packet to mix in, and that's easy enough - since more likely than not, you have chips and crunchy veggies to dip on hand as well.  Not necessarily the most fancy of appetizers, but certainly works in a pinch! Who doesn't like chips and dip? 

3. Keep Supplies like cocktail napkins on hand and invest in a simple set of cocktail plates. 

Yup. Paper Towels don't exactly scream, "I was totally ready for you, and I'm not grasping at straws to accommodate for you". Something like cocktail napkins/plates say, "These might seem relatively formal, but I'm classy like that. No you didn't put me out at all!".

In my world, I follow this every day.  However, in real life, I don't keep wine on hand - because I'll find a reason to drink it.  I don't keep too many ingredients on hand - because it generally goes bad before I use/eat it.  I don't have cocktail napkins on hand because I hate to spend money that I shouldn't spend on non-absorbent, functional things. It's not a perfect world, but I sure do dream in one!!

Happy Week before Turkey Day! :)