Saving Luna

So I moved into a new house. Yes I bought my first house. I have a great roommate, Dennis, who has been a pretty good friend of mine for 5 years. My boyfriend, Ryan, and I recently broke up and while it hurt the house and the responsibility of it all has made me whole again. I have the best friends and family also. They really helped through the entire move and the full break up. The break up was not an amicable one, even though it may have been portrayed that way face to face. See the last year of Ryan's life was a secret to me. He had started working 2nd shift (at our company it was a 2nd-3rd shift gig) about 2 years ago and I basically never saw him. This past year he also picked up a 2nd job. So one day a week I spent some time with the man that I thought that I was building a future with. Turns out...he was snorting heroin and spending all of his money. He was arrested, admitted to detox, then went into rehab. In rehab, he met this heroin addict and decided she was a better fit for him. He left me one week before the closing of the house and resulted to injecting heroin. So after this turn of events and living in a new house (let's prelude that he was stealing my stuff and selling it while we lived together, pretty sure he robbed my parents house and stole from my best friend) I decided, with the blessing of Dennis (Again the roommate) to adopt a large dog that could protect the house. 

Luna...Luna Belle, Lil Luna, Luna Bo Buna, Luney Tune...came home yesterday. And boy this crazy cattle dog is already a handful. Yesterday she was so scared she pee peed on her new bed. She has never been leash walked so every time I tried to take her out the front door she hid at the kitchen island. She basically slept all day long. She cried anytime I left the room and she could not see me. She basically resisted all basic commands. When we had to take her outside to go to the bathroom we had to pick her up. We gave her a rawhide because her foster mom said she loved them. Oh yeah she does, so much that she growled at Hunter , my first dog. No rawhides unless she is alone is out first rule. But truth be told this morning is a little better...She woke up and was happy to see me and Dennis. I am saying this is good because she recognizes us. She went right outside to the bathroom this morning. She came in had some breakfast and started crying by the dining room door. When she started circling I realized she had to go again. Dennis picked her up and carried her outside. Hopefully she figures out the right door for outside (however now we know) :). She has started to sit. That is a good sign. She lets me touch her paws and she lets me brush her coat. I do like that. She is not too interested in Moka , my cat. That is good. Ryan brought home a pit bull at the end of our relationship and it traumatized Moka. 

I know that I gave her a better home than she had. She was in a foster with 21 other dogs. There was a lack of attention and a lack of training there totally. She has 2 people around that love her and care for her and she does not need to compete around here with a house of 3 animals. 

I will keep this going on Luna's progress. I am going to get her training going full swing this week. 3 -15 minute sessions a day on the basic commands.

Things I am Grateful for...

1. My Japanese Chin, Hunter, who loves me so much he cuddles with me all of the time and is obsessed with giving kisses. He brings such great joy and love to my life. Everyday he teaches me to love a little more fuller just like his unconditional love.
2. The fingers that I am using to type this blog
3. Ryan David Watson, the man that I love to the depths of my soul. He is the only one that I can honestly say that I love like this. I am also thankful for the love he gives me back.
4. Melissa Day- my best friend and who I call my soul sister. I am so thankful for or relationship because she is my confidant and because she is so much like me she understands me more than anyone else in my life. It is simply amazing that we can be this connected
5. My Dad and Step Mom Leona for all of the love and guidance that they have given. The countless custody battles and money spent to make sure that I got the best care that only their love and support could give. Even as of last weekend they were still giving my 27 year old butt advice to live by.
6. My health- I am the product of perfect health.
7. My cat Moka who I thought we rescued but turns out she rescued me from myself when I had miscarried. She was something I loved and took care of which pulled me out my rut. Plus she is totally beautiful and has such an independent personality she makes me just laugh.
8. The ability to have the knowledge available to me on any subject and position so that I can research and make my own decisions which are entwined in my beliefs
9. My career at Action Packaging for many reasons. The leadership position that I have there helps me mold and teach minds. It helps me learn from other managers so I can be better. It gives me great pay to do the things in life I enjoy and help give.
10. The legs that I have to enjoy walks with my dog and best friend
11. The eyes I have to read a book or email...or to look deep into anothers eyes and see in their soul
12. Our washer and dryer to wash our clothing here at our convenience.
13. My honda crv and the smooth ride it gives me while be economical on gas. Chloe is loved and a part of me. it gets me where I need to go with every stop in between.
14. The dyson vacuum that my parents gave us when they replaced their dyson. I am just grateful for this as it is the best vacuum on the market and should last a life time when taken care of. It is just plain cool :)
15. My ambition and drive for DIY projects whether it be cooking, baking, or fixing things. I updated a microwave cart that was bought a flea market and decided to start grooming Hunter myself just a few.
16. The savings account that I have started! The money is accumulating faster than I could have expected.
17. The sunshine and how the sunrays in my window or on my face while walking my pup makes me smile and lifts my soul
18. living in the USA where we have democracy and the process to vote our leaders into place. I have been watching all of the dictatorships in the middle east
19. clean water for drinking and showers
20. All natural and organic products and how their purity does great things for the body.
21. nice cold beer on a hot day
22. giving someone the most perfect gift
23. my mac computer and how fast it still is after all of these years and how safe and secure it is with my identity
24. hopes and dreams that inspire me to achieve more
25. smell of cotton or fabric softener
26. moose
27. I love all dogs and cats and I am so grateful that I have extra money to donate to animals that need the love that we can give
28. Our apartment at Cornfield apartments. It is a town house style at a great price with nice landscaping and neighbors. It safe and quiet and everything that a home should be before the purchase of a house
29. My skin color. It is the perfect shade so I never have to tan.
30. Butter leather furniture and how it feels like you are sitting on cloud. That is how it feels sitting on my parents furniture
31. Ocean air while the sun is kissing your skin while laying in the sand. Oh yeah with Banana Boat sunscreen
32. I love cameras and how they capture some of the most important memories of our lives
33. fleece socks
34. flip flops
35. scarves and hats
36. the beauty and excitement of the first snow

I have asked....

So I am onto reading The Secret the second time. It is such a great book. I will continue to keep saying it until everyone in the world has read this book.  On Sunday I also made my list of things that I wanted. I have mediating over what it is like to have these things:

Below is the how I am receiving and feeling the things that I asked for

For a while I have been working for a 720 credit score and I am there. Yes it feels great and accomplished to hit this number. I am triumphant. I called my credit card companies and lowered my interest rate :) Yahooo. And I filled out my mortgage loan application. Now I get to go find the house of my dreams. While I look around I know I am going to start another vision board.  Ryan and I need to find the perfect home for us.

I have all $40,440.70 in my savings account at First New England Credit union. This is my money for my down payment for our mortgage. I love this...It is also a great fund for any weather.  I feel so grateful to have this money and along the way I was able to donate to charities just like I wanted to do this year.  I feel an abundance of joy and I feel like I can buy anything. A new car (but I am keeping my Chloe CRV because we are going to 300,000 miles) The Mercedes G55 will be mine next though. I can buy all new suits for work, weekend and going out clothes. I can buy Hunter another play mate or any toys, treats and clothing. I can buy jewelry and shoes and coach bags! I can afford anything. We go out to dinner once a week and leave  a 20% tip. We have  a stocked kitchen and Ryan has many options for dinner this week.

I have to be thankful for my promotion to Label Department Manager for this money! I have hired Michael and he is 3rd CSR and Doug believes that I can manage them now on my own. I have shown continue improvement and responsibility when it comes to watching and making decisons for the company and my department. Truth be told this is another great feeling. I love the feeling of a monetary increase but there is pride in knowing that your work was recognized. It has been totally recognized and I am one step closer to my vision of being a partial owner of Action when Doug is ready to retire. I love the position of being able to coach the employees underneath and getting excited to build another one up to be my 2nd. To show my appreciation to Bill for his hard work to help raise me to level is great. We are going to lunch!!

I am loving all people which is nice. It rejuvenates me. I feel great just telling people how they are impacting my life in positive ways and making sure they know that  I am thankful for them. I am feeling thankful for everything now. I am even thinking of ways to change my sentences around in another way if there is any negation in there. My life is all about the tone and since I have been receiving these great rewards and additional great things...I know that I have an attraction level that is at an all time high with the Universe. It feels great and I feel ALIVE. I am enjoying every minute of every day. I am so thankful and I have faith. Faith in everything and everyone.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!

The Secret

So I have started reading the Secret this weekend and this book has already changed my life. Yes it is about being positive but it is more than that. It is the law of attraction from the positive and thankful thoughts that we have. I am a magnet and I am attracting only greatness for my life. I am attracting more love with the love that I have for others. I am attracting wealth by the wealth I have. I am giving to others and they are giving to me all of the time. I have everything that I need and am loving it. The Universe is my genie and I am giving it a list of my wishes.

So I started off reading this great book and I knew in 2011 I wanted to think positive. Well I am. I have mediated for about 5 minutes every morning to get my inner energies going. I think of those things I asked for and believe I have them and how I feel having them. I have a promotion and office at work. I have employees that are happy I am there supervisor and I am happy to help them and be their supervisor. I have customers that love me back as much as I love them and relationship we have. I have $44,000 in my savings account left over from all of the money I have left from buying the clothes I have, the necessities my pets need, the trips Ryan and I take because I can afford anything. We are prosperous and enjoy every breath and minute of every day. I am grateful for every breath that I take. I am grateful for all of the things I have, the people I know and love and the path my life is on. I am thankful for Michael who loaned me this book. It has put a never ending smile on my face. I am happy all of the time and it contagious. That is the magnet again.

So I am happy and I want you all to have this feeling too. I shared the basics of the secret with you and I hope you use it. One more important thing. You can never fear or doubt anything that you ask for. You need to believe to achieve :)
I love you all and good luck and godspeed to a great life :) Your friend! Natasha

Where there is Crisis there is opportunity

I started to write this blog a few days ago to vent. Ryan and I had faced a bunch of little problems this week, but when we were climbing that mountain it sure seemed like crisis after crisis after crisis. Truth be told I was not finding ANY opportunity that was one that could be positive.

Then yesterday it hit me. The opportunity was to think POSITIVELY about the situations...
See Ryan and my credit/debit card numbers got stolen. My credit card was used in England and Ryan's bank card was used in Brazil. My credit card company called and emailed me right away letting me know of the charge and making sure that it was mine. It was not so they automatically closed the account and removed the charges. They are starting me with a new account this week. Ryan didn't find out all of his money was gone until he went to get gas and card was rejected. His bank account was cleared out. He was able to dispute the charges and get this money reimbursed within 5 days. He is also getting a new debit card with a new number. At the time Ryan owed me some money to cover our rent but would not be able to give it to me until after the rent was due. This made me stress out!!! But then I realized we didn't have too. I started a savings account in September so we could buy a house. I have plenty of money in there to cover the rent. So nothing to feel bad about. We are fine because I no longer let us live paycheck to paycheck...and that feels great.

The other minor situations are Ryan's truck broke down but he has a friend with an extra vehicle that let him borrow it for as long as he needs it. What great friends/family. And my cell phone battery crapped the bed. It will no longer hold a charge. I can talk when it is plugged in to a charger but that is all. That will get me through the week and I will buy a new one on Wednesday. No worries. So there...the opportunities became positive thinking and great friends and family.

We had no penalties and I will be able to replace the money that I took out of our savings :) Yeah!! Happy 2011...It will keep happening...


Because I had to take money out of the account it also made me really dive into all of the bills we have. I started an itemized spreadsheet and I will keep track of this through out the year. Last year I started budgeting to save money. This year I am taking it one step further by documenting everything :)

Thanksgiving weekend-the kick off of Christmas

There is always something to be happy about!! Even more so there is always something to be Thankful for. 

Here is my list of thanks...

1. Family and that we were all able to spend Thanksgiving with Justin and Kaitlyn

2. Ryan and how he always comes through for me 

3. Hunter and Moka because they love me unconditionally

4. my job, that although stressful at time, because the paycheck helps put food on the table, a roof over our head, gives me a car to drive, presents to buy at this time of the year and still allows me to save for our dreams

5. Christmas trees and the beauty these things add to life

6. My friends and how we can spend time with each other doing nothing and just laughing..or watching Charlie Brown on Youtube :)

7. Setting goals and keeping them. This year I am super thankful for new years resolutions

8. This year I am thankful for learning how to budget

9. The spirit of Christmas

10. my health and my family and friends Health

11. Helping those in need no matter how small

12. Being able to end my facebook addiction. No farmville this year

13. Living a "greener" life

There are so many more but these are the recent and bigger ones. I am thankful for many more things.

I am also hoping to start blogging a bit more. Maybe on Santa Claus, the meaning of Christmas and spirits!!

Frugal and Green

Yup...I have been green for a quite a few months now. I only dry 50% of our clothes in the dryer. The other 50% hang dry. I grew my own tomatoes and basil this year and today I actually made a homemade sauce. We have the cable box plugged into a power strip and turn off the power strip when not in use as to not use phantom electricity to run the time and light on the television. All of our other appliances that keep time...like the coffee maker and microwave are unplugged when not in use. That is the way to roll. 50% of the time I use reusable bags at the supermarket (50% because I need bags to empty the cat box). I also recycle like a maniac. Next year my plan is to an electric bike for Spring-fall and to save on emissions and gas. I will do it. So this being green stuff is frugal...why? A lower electric bill and a lower grocery bill. I also clip coupons to save money...not green but frugal.

I did another FRUGAL thing today. I watched an infomercial for WEN a $30.00 hair care product per month. There is a blog that teaches me how to make it from scratch saving you $400.00 a year. And when I run out of my next product I am so going to. I am going to to look great on dimes :)

I have been so good at keeping my goals this year for 2010. I cannot to build on them for 2011. My debt will be paid off by the end of this year as I had planned. Ryan and I had a talk and we are saving for a house. So the money that was spent in debt last year will be put into a new smartypig account for our down payment on a house. When I look back on this blog wow how I have matured :)

WOW! Do you know what you are worth???

When I get frustrated with my job I go on career builder and monster.com and search for other jobs that are available in my field. Last night after work was one of those nights. I stumbled upon a correlating job in my field. The starting base salary with same experience that that I have was $32,000 more than I make at my job. I am certain that I am one of the best in our industry. I decided to go on salary.com and fill out the survey for my job. I was more than honest about my education, my work history etc and I am being paid the lowest possible salary in the 10th percentile for what I do. 

So Tuesday I am pulling all of the emails that I have received with compliments from the accounts that I manage. Get a time line of goals my department has set and broken in the last year. Make a bulleted list and  give boss the job description for my position vs what I actually do. 

 I don't need to get a $32,000 raise but I am not going to take a another $.75/hour raise this year.

26 Days!

26 Days until I am credit card DEBT free. That is right. In less than a month I have paid off all 4 of my credit cards :) Well I actually have 3 of the 4 credit cards paid off. Next month I have accomplished a New Year's resolution I made January 1st :) I am pretty proud of myself.


Just a quick update: 21 days until I am credit card debt free. I have $406.00 left to pay off. It feel so good to be this close. I am over the hump. I can say looking back a couple of years ago that I could not imagine this day being here but now it is and it feels so good. I was in so much debt when I was with Brian because he didn't know how to manage his money...but now with Ryan and I on top of everything I have managed to get here.

You can have it all, just not all at Once!!!

Yesterday I am sitting at my computer, pushing the papers around my desk when an email rolls in. It is my Motivational Quote of the day... I read Oprah's words of wisdom " You can have it all, just not all at once." Wow! I read a quote that I think just changed my life. I posted the quote on face book. I printed it out and taped it to my computer monitor. Today I am making sure that I update my list of short term goals, make a list of mid range goals, and long term goals.  I can have it all but I need to build on my successes. 

My most recent yearning is for a home. I love love love my apartment but I feel like our property manager acts like my mom. She needs to do know what I am doing while I am in "the house" or in this case on the property of Cornfield. I want to have my own house where I can live by rules Ryan and I make together...not what Devcon says I must do. I want more space!!!  I am really working on my carbon foot print and I feel like I am maxed out here. I cannot use solar panels or wind mills. I cannot replace out ac with energy star air conditioners. I just feel like I am stuck in a rut!!!

AS for my short term goals...I am on track with my 2010 goals to pay off my credit cards. I will have them all paid off by September!!! I am so proud of my self. I need to be debt free by the time I buy a house!!! :) Well I don't have to but I want to :)

I am just going to keep working towards my dreams :) 

I want you all of keep working towards your "ALL"

Green, Green, Green... One small step by a lot of people makes a huge difference

I know being Green is not new! I continuously work on being more and green all of the time. Last winter Ryan and switched all of our light bulbs over, bought an energy efficient shower head, and energy saving power strips. That was last years accomplishments!! Last weekend we went to the flea market and I got a laundry drying rack. Today I have saved electricity and the air (by not pumping the chemicals out of the apartment) by only drying 2 of 5 loads of laundry today. The rest I let hang dry. It is also green to buy locally from people at the flea market. This year I am also growing my own tomatoes. 

I have also set up a bag to start recycling junk mail and other jar and jugs that I cannot return to the bottle redemption center. 

I am trying to do my part! The next step is for me to start biking or at least walking to work. It is only 4 miles one way!!!

I hope you all do your own things to be more and more green!!! If you do not have a rack for drying clothes I recommend you invest. You will save so much on your electric bill by doing this!! See below

It's So Much Better When We're Together!!!

Ryan and I went to the Jack Johnson concert last night and it was flat out awesome! If you like a relaxing surf feel this is for you! There is not ONE sad song that he sings. He closed the show with Angel and Better Together which very well be a mashup that Ryan and I will dance to as our wedding song. We swayed together and sang together!! Flat out awesome. If you have not heard Jack or have not purchased the CD yet do yourself a favor and click on this link and purchase from Amazon.


Saturday I spent the day with my other other 1/2 my sister Melissa!! We went Country store shopping! I am redoing part of the apartment. I love, love, love the stuff that I bought today.  Ryan and I have a lot of projects to get into as it starts cooling down in the fall.  I am going to distress the coffee table in our living room by basically scraping, burning, and beating the current table with a chain. See when we bought Hunter almost 2 winters ago he went and chewed on one leg while teething! Instead of trying to restain I decided to distress it because we bought a media shelf case for our dvds...so now it will match.
In September we are also buying an electric fireplace. I cannot wait for this portion of the living room to be complete. The weekend before we will be repainting the white walls in the hall way and kitchen! I want to get eclipse blinds for the living room slider to keep the heat in. Also need to redo the trim now that Hunter is done teething too. This is going to be the hardest project!!! While it is warm I am going to rope him in to building me a pergoda. He just does not know it quite yet! I want to go a candle chandelier for outside!!!


Tomorrow I am off to the flea market! What other gems can I find! Melissa, Joe, Ryan and I are then headed to the fireworks!!!

Take the Time to Tie Up Loose Ends

I am sure for those of you that have been following this blog or my facebook, you know that I have been working on the positive thinking thing. And I feel like I have been doing a great job. This will still take some time because I am a compulsive judger. I judge every situation, people I know and people I don't know. Only a few have made it to the NON-JUDGEMENT list.  Again...long way to go until I can get everyone in that category but still trying to repremand that poor thought process when it pops up.

Any how, I have decided to tie up all of the loose ends. You know the things we start but don't finish.
So yesterday the first untied string was to chave Brian and my joint bank account closed since we have not been together for 2 years. He started to resist and I made him transfer out the money and then closed it. I doo not need to be tied to his name.

I also put an end to a really messy confusing friendship. No need to have a drama filled relationship with anyone. It just kept dragging me down! Ridiculous.

I started writing down my goals again so I could them all accomplished. When I was 19 years old I said I wanted to run a  marathon by the time I was  30 years old. I have spent these years postponing this goal and I am turning 27 in 2 months. So this month I am starting the 1/2 marathon training for the Hartford marathon in October. I am going to run the full marathon next year when I am 28 years old and do the Triatholon next September. It would be good to not push the envelope and wait to the last minute. So I on the search to get my timing chip for my ipod and sneaker and track my progress! I am pretty pumped.

One of my new years resolutions was to pay off my credit card debt and I am still right on schedule with that. My car should be paid off at the end of 2011. That was a recent set goal. Oct I have 3 more years to go so I will end up paying off 2 years early! I totally recommend the money budget site http://www.mint.com/ . It is super helpful.

So all and all I am feeling super proud and super positive.

Have a happy 4th everyone.

Happy about NOT Dieting!! Happy about MY Body Image

So about a month ago I bought a book called Thin is the New Happy by Valerie Frankel. I bought this in the height for my 4 hour a day exercise regimen (which I exhausted my self and my time every day accomplishing) and finished this book this morning.

This must read novel if for ANY woman out there : in all shapes and sizes. It teaches you now to break the dieting cycle and rid yourself of the negatives that cause you to eat. The book takes you on an emotionally disturbing memoir of the poor body image her mom bestows  on her at 11 years old. Her mother Judy, calls her Fat, puts her on diets, sends her to Weight Watchers. This preadolescent girl is burned with the thought process that skinny is the only way to get love, to be loved, and succeed. After years of crash dieting she rids her mind of her emotional baggage and the idea of dieting and gets to her predetermined goal weight. She drops "The INNER BITCH" talk and thoughts and starts to think of herself positively.

Valerie does continue to exercise but she allows herself to eat and enjoy life. We all should not be basing our inner worth on food and calorie counting and the guilt that is brings with it.


"Amen, sister! We shall overcome! Among all oppressed peoples throughout history, we women hold the dubious distinction of being the only group to persecute ourselves. We are our own enemies. We choose the battle that we could never win. Call it the Thousand Years War. If every woman on earth were to suddenly release her far obsession into the wind, the world would change profoundly for the better. The world around us, and world within." Valerie Frankel


I love this book and the emotional and mental process has changed in me. I do not want to diet. I just want to be healthy. So today I vow to change my thinking and way of life. I want to live happy and not worry about the guilt of dieting.

Rise up women...It is time to stop wishing we all looked like Victoria Secret models. Our bodies are all not predisposed to be that way.

I recommend this book as an immediate ready. Feel free to click on the Amazon.com link today to purchase your copy.

With love, Natasha!!!

My man!! He makes me so Happy!

So Ryan stepped it up major for me today and this has proved he would do anything for me. Nutshell...my dream car is for sale. I filled out an application to purchase the vehicle. When did this the loan amount was still high because I have not saved for a down payment...cause I was not looking for a car. With my student loans they are saying that I need a co-signer even though my credit is great. So Ryan offered to co-sign for me today because he knows how much I want it. I am not sure if this will work out but this is awesome. This would be better than getting a ring...and that is something that I have wanted to have happen for about a year and hasn't. Yes I love this car so much that this is better than diamonds! We will see...it is just to have him offer. I did not even ask

Memorial day weekend -bathing suit season is here

So I am so happy that it is memorial day because I love warm summer weather. I am unhappy Memorial day is here because someone at work 2 weeks ago told me that I have a little belly that can be seen sometimes when I bend over. Hello. So I got home and went on the scale. I am 5' 6" and weight 135.6 lbs. I have not problem saying that because my goal weight since I was 160lbs at the end of high school was 135lbs. Yes I have a little pouch but that happened when I got pregnant. So for the last 2 weeks I have been running or walking 5-7 miles a day and doing some ballet inspired moves. I have decided that after memorial day weekend I am picking up the pace.

1. I want to lose 10 more lbs and I am done. Some would say too skinny and just maybe to them. I know when I was my thinnest was 127lbs. If I finish there I will be happy too.

2. I will do this by losing 2 lbs a week- eating 1400 calories a day

3. Each morning will be sent starting with a 5 mile /walk or run. I will continue to walk another mile on my lunch break every day

4. After work I will rollerblade to work on MY troubled area MY LEGS. Yes that it right. I don't consider my stomach poor...I sit on a stability ball every day at work...if anything it is tight...but has a little pouch. Rollerblading will be days a week.

5. Yoga, pilates, or ballet stretches will finish each work out.

6. 2 times a week 30 day shred circuit training Jillian Michaels style followed by resistance band training.

7. I am going to do a total body system cleanse in the month of June

Lots of Great things to come

So I have not blogged in such a long time and it has not been for lack of thoughts, feelings, or happenings. First, I just want to congratulate Tara and Steve on their engagement and wish them nothing but more of the undying happiness and love they already share.

Any how...Life has been going very well. Since my last blog entry Melissa and I have done another wine tasting but this time in CT -we started the wine trail at Taylor Brooke vineyard with our pooches. We then came home and grilled lobsters, corn on the cob and asparagus. It was a perfect night. We finished it up by watching It's complicated! Great movie.

Last weekend we kicked off the Country concert Mega ticket series with Sugarland. There was some great tailgating with even better friends. We grilled and played games of cornhole and some got hammered. Melissa and I then took off Monday and went to the beach...cause who doesn't need a recovery plan.

Tonight we went to see Sex in the City 2 and went to the Burton's premier party. 1. We had Sec in the City martinis and they were the best I have ever had. While we there we had our pictures taken on CTNOW.com. There are many mixed reviews out there but I surely enjoyed it.

This weekend is memorial day and I am getting ready to do many picnics! It will be a great time!!!

I forgot something important. I had dinner with an old best friend. Someone I have not seen in 6 years. It was one of the best dinners I had in a while...

These are a few of my Favorite things

I love when I come home from a long day of work and I pull into my parking spot and my little Hunter's head pops up and looks for me out of the window.

I love french fries with honey mustard (that is actually what I had for lunch)

I love cuddling up in bed when it is really cold and hibernating

I love when I get a new haircut and it comes out great even when you are nervous. That is what happened last night. I printed out a picture that I loved of Kimberly Caldwell and it came out perfect!!

Good Times Never Seemed So Good

I love my friends. I guess we will get right to the point with the things that I love today. Last night Amy, Eileen, Lindsay and I went to Fenway to watch the Red Sox. It was awesome eventhough they are not playing a super awesome season. When you are a die hard sox fan the love is infinite even though they continue to break your heart. I love the "green" of Fenway. The Green Monster and the plush green grass. I love singing Sweet Caroline in the 9th inning while swaying and hugging my girl friends. I hate riding the T but thank you to Eileen and Lindsay it flew by with the crazy conversations, people watching and laughs. Amongst the most funny phrases of the night were: Lock it up. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! I will never forget that grill. I ate my weight in meat. Don't get me started on your sausage. I also got to share in Lindsay's first beer at Fenway. This great time made up for the fact that I got home at 1:30am and needed to be up at 7am. Oh that and the help of a Great One Dunkin Donuts coffee.

I started really working out as I am training for a 1/2 marathon! It is a slow process but I love the way my endorphins kick in about 15 minutes into a great workout. I did 3.75 miles today. I still feel great. It is going to take me awhile to come down. Another bonus is that it is a great natural medication for my anxiety so I do not have to take my pills. And last but not least I love that I decided to run a 1/2 marathon in October because I will be confident enough to wear a bathing suit in no time. I wanted to do so some Yoga to stretch it out after but decided to take it easy today!

Hand and hand with any running regime is the great music I listen to on my ipod. I am building up a pretty great mim. Amongst my favorites are some Justin Beiber -Baby and Carrie Underwood. Lots of Carrie Underwood. My favorite workout song is Undo it by Carrie. The more and more I hear her sing the more I am upset by this continuing wave of Taylor Swift. How does Taylor win all of these awards when she is not a good singer. I have never seen her sing good live once and I have seen her 4 times...never mind the sound in the awards show. She has no vocal range and she is always flat. They say she is a performer well I have only seen that on award shows. She was never doing anything out of the ordinary when I have seen her live. When I saw Carrie in February she did set changes, outfit changes and was never off pitch. Sounded just as good as her cd. Oh wait and she things about adult things and she is gorgeous! Phew I had to get that off my chest. I just don't get the phenomenon anymore.

I am super excited because I have a haircut tomorrow. It is going to be a drastic change. I love changing my hair. I do it almost every cut. Tomorrow it going to be one of the most daring in awhile!

There you have it. My most positive thoughts for the day! Pictures of fenway and carrie are posted on FB!

Thankful for my Mom

I am glad that I started this blog when I did because there is just so much to love. Today is mothers day and most people I know are thankful for their mothers. I am not thankful for my birth mother nor do I love her but I do love my step mom and am super thankful for her. She has changed my life and without her and my father in my life, it would be super different. I would have probably turned out to be such a low life. There actions, love, support and positive reinforcement have lead me to where I am today.

Mother's day was great. We had brunch with Ryan's family. I love all of them, they really are a great bunch of girls (except Ryan...He is like the one boy in the family). I could not be part of a better family and I am excited to one day call them all in-laws :) Anyway...we had eggs, hash-browns, bacon, crepes, fresh fruit and english muffins. I love hash-browns. We sat and we all just talked and talked and laughed and talked.

I think one of the highlights was watching Ryan's mom open her gift from us. We bought her an awesome beach birdhouse and she loves the beach. She even has her own. We also got her a flamingo holding a pina colada for the back yard because she collects them. Her face just lit up. I love giving people really great gifts. Success.

We then we to my parents house for dinner which was lasagna, meatballs, sausage and awesome garlic bread. We had an extra surprise. My cousin Jim, his Wife Mandy, and daughter Emma (who is 2 years old and cute as can be) came down with my Oma for dinner. After a great dinner we played hours of scrabble. Scrabble is a tradition in our family. We must play with my OMA after dinner at every holiday. She is the champion so she plays on her own team and the other 3 teams are couples. It was Ryan and me, Joe and Mike, And My dad and mom...and then my OMA. I love family scrabble. We misprounce words...search for words in the scrabble dictionary for help, steal each others spaces...try to make up words...it is just full of laughs everytime. It is just plain great. You have not seen scrabble until you play with our family. My brother Justin, who lives in NY and couldn't be home called in while we were playing. My dad put him on speaker so he could say hi to all. He was even making up words on the phone for us...laughing when he heard us playing. My Oma was getting so competitive she even slipped out and "OH SHIT". My Oma barely swears. Awesome day.

Yay for family!!! I love all mine!!! I will be posting pictures of Emma tomorrow on Fb!