My DVR rose ceremony

I love television and DVR has made watching it a lot easier (more fun and commercial-free.) But between the writer's strike last year and lack of summer programming, I've taken on more shows than my DVR and my TV-watching schedule can handle. And now that the really good shows, like LOST, are back, it's time to bid adieu to my "filler shows."

Which means, in true Bachelor fashion, it's time to have a DVR rose ceremony and I need your help.

(I just grabbed this image to fit the post topic, I don't think he is attractive)

I've listed below some shows that could be on the cutting block from my DVR series manager.

Let me know what shows should receive a rose tonight and what can be sent packing. I've already eliminated Best Week Ever, so it's time to do some mid-winter cleaning.

• Daily Show (still a Colbert Report addict!)

• My Name is Earl

• Grey's Anatomy

• Samantha Who?

• Real Housewives of Orange County (the ladies are getting on my nerves)

• Say Yes to the Dress

• Fringe

• Scrubs

• Nip/Tuck

• 90210

• Ace of Cakes

• Iron Chef America

• Chuck

So now you know what might have to leave my DVR family, but what show(s) would you never remove from your TV schedule? Or, if you have DVR, can you imagine watching TV without it ever again?

Mine absolute keepers include: Top Chef, the Office and 30 Rock. Definitely the Office, even though it hasn't been so great lately. Grumble, grumble. Fingers crossed the Super Bowl episode doesn't suck.

Reader note: Wow. I was completely blown away at the response to Tuesday's crying post. I agree with many of the comments, specifically that it doesn't make you weak and of course, if you can wait to cry in private, that's preferred. But sometimes when the urge comes, you can't stop it. If I cry in front of people, I end up crying more because I'm mad that I'm crying and can't stop myself. It's a weird triangle of emotion.

In response to those who feel crying at work does make you weak, I see your point, to a certain extent. I hope that we can all agree that crying in private or with your closest friends is the best way to do it, if that's an option :)

And welcome to all the new commenters! It was great to hear from you.

Does crying make you weak or human?

I am not a really a crier. But sometimes, I get so frustrated that it manifests itself in tears and I don't know how else to express my feelings.

Last week a friend and I talked about an interesting topic: crying at work. Some friends think it's a sign of weakness, especially from a woman, but I disagree. Crying doesn't make you weak, it makes you human. And if I saw someone cry, I would remind myself that they are a real person and may just need someone to ask if they're okay.

Some colleagues and I talked about our "secret place" to go cry at the office, which includes "taking a walk" to a deserted part of the building or hiding in a bathroom stall. One girl had a super creative idea, which is to go to the ground floor lobby of a neighboring hotel, where the bathroom stalls are the size of studio apartments. I've received several crying phone calls from bathrooms and the acoustics are amazing.

We even came up with the idea of creating a "crying room" at all offices for women to go for a few moments of alone time to gather themselves. It would be decorated in neutral colors, with soothing waterfall machines and a kitty poster that says "hang in there!" And of course, assorted make up to help touch up your face before going back to your desk.

Crying isn't something to be ashamed of, whether it's at or outside of work. I'm not saying you should cry all the time or at the drop of a hat, but when the urge comes, it's okay to indulge it from time to time. And if your friends are as loyal to you as you hope, then seeing you show tears and emotion won't send them running in the opposite direction.

I may not be the best at consoling people when they're crying (because I want to help,) but if you need a shoulder to cry on or need someone to talk to, I'm your woman.

How does everyone else feel on the this subject? Are you showing weakness if you break down at work or in front of friends?

My SAG Award fashion wrap up

My Golden Globe fashion wrap up got such a great response that I thought I would do a recap of the SAG Awards.

Normally, I don't watch the SAG Awards because it's the "stepchild award show." People recognize it, but it doesn't matter as much as the big shows. And the pickings last night were a little tough so I hope this doesn't disappoint.

So without further ado, here is my wrap up, let me know if you have people to add to the list!

Man my uterus wants to give babies to (no shock, I know)

Best use of dyed toilet paper as draping

Most likely to give the milk away for free 

Best reinvention of a mumu (she's gorgeous but "phoning it in")

Most in need of chicken cutlets (faux boobs are a wonderful thing) 

Best dressed woman (tie - both flawless and age-appropriate) 

Best channeling of Mr. Roboto (sick figure though)

Frumpiest boobs (she just looks uncomfortable, come on Liz Lemon!)

Best Dumbo boobs (the woman could take flight)

Best Saran Wrap silhouette (love the color and great shape)

Most in need of a cheeseburger, or four (the emaciated look is so 1990s)

If you guys still enjoy this, I will do one for the Oscars, which are the Super Bowl/holy grail of fashion events.

Happy Monday!

Key Learnings, family visits, cupcakes and cold!

Whenever family comes to town, it feels like the longest day(s) ever. There is a lot of prep work in coming up with things to do and back up ideas in case the plan has be changed, mapping out where to eat, what to see, etc. That said, it's still great to have visitors :)

So while I put my apartment back into normal shape now that my brother and SIL are gone, let's check out my key learnings.

Key Learnings:

• Ice skating is a fun idea until you strap the skates on and realize you have zero idea what you're doing

• Zamboni's are still entertaining to watch as an adult

• $3 mimosa's are a great Saturday night companion

• You really love your family when you spend an entire -11 degree day outside showing them the city

• Entertaining guests all weekend is exhausting!

• It takes a lot of tolerance to watch people unknowingly dirty up your apartment and not immediately clean up after them

• Long underwear is never a fashion faux pas, especially when it's cold

• You know you're just like your brother when you both eat an entire mini-cupcake in one bite and don't judge the other person

• Dancing in restaurants near closing time is publicly acceptable

• It's okay to leave barely a 10 percent tip when your dinner in a non-busy restaurant takes 1.5 hours due to poor service

As I mentioned on Friday, my brother and sister-in-law were in town this weekend and it was fabulous. Now that he's married, I don't get to see him as much as I want to, so getting nearly two days with him was a real treat. And because he doesn't spend a lot of time in Chicago, we covered a lot of ground Saturday, full of food, drinks, sight seeing and trying to win lottery tickets to Wicked (which closed this weekend.) It's fun to be a tourist again. 

We didn't get lucky on tickets, but my brother and I did throw caution to the wind and went ice skating at Millennium Park, which did not turn out as expected. We're more "summer sports" people and both of us looked ridiculous baby stepping around the rink (while holding the bars for support) so that we wouldn't fall. After two slips and an hour in the freezing cold, we called it a day, but had plenty of laughs and one great picture.

Forgive the picture. At this point, it hurt to smile because of the wind

Andy and I also checked out a new cupcake place, Sugar Bliss Cupcakes, which is located across from Macy's downtown. What I love the most about this place is that they have full-size and mini-cupcakes, which is perfect if you want to try several kinds at once. Below is a picture of our bounty. I definitely want to go back for the full size Texas Red Velvet cupcake (yee haw!) and frosting shots. Those just sound awesome.

Clockwise: Chocolate peppermint, chocolate/vanilla, chocolate/milk chocolate

Finally, the best part of having my brother in town is that we sat and talked about anything, from movies to politics to news. We have a lot of the same interests so we never run out of things to talk about, which is probably why we were up until 1:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. Oops. And he's the only guy I would let yell "keep dancing woman" at me at dinner Saturday night, when I couldn't control my dancing groove to Rihanna's "Disturbia."

How was everyone else's weekend? Tonight is the SAG Awards so check back tomorrow for my fashion recap. The response was so great from the Golden Globes, that I'll keep it going!

Tidbit Thursday

I'm going with bullets today because my ADD has been a little worse than usual this week and I cannot wait for the weekend (as always.) So let's see what is swimming around in my brain right now.

• Inauguration talk: It's official. We have a new president and I am loving Michelle Obama's style. Lemongrass with green gloves isn't my kind of look, but she is fabulous and I can't wait to see what she wears next

• I'm also finding the Obama girls beyond adorable too. And wearing J.Crew? Even better. I love J.Crew too and the fact that they are sensible about where they shop makes me like them more

• What is up with men wearing sunglasses indoors at night. Let's pause to enjoy the Corey Hart 80s song reference. Why do guys think this is cool? Even with the half tinted shades, it can border on d-bagness if done wrong. Tip: it doesn't make you cooler!

• I'm having trouble losing the weight I put on over the holidays. I know it won't fall off overnight but the fact that it's not going away is taking a toll on my self-esteem

• Lately my gym has been a scene of unique characters, including women with dark, unshaved armpits, lots of boob action and guys flexing in front of women working out. I shouldn't be surprised given that I am a freak magnet

• My buddy Megan sent me a link to a site with "fashion slips" (as in slips for clothing.) I think these are adorable and I totally want the one with ostrich feathers and rhinestones. Allows me to channel my inner Carrie Bradshaw

• I love the Office. I will always love it, but lately, I've been a little disappointed. I still love Jim, Pam, Dwight and Kelly, but the writing hasn't been that great this season and I feel a little let down. But then I see a picture like this and it gets me through :) (I love you!)

• Ashley and Rebekah shared an article from Spike.com about "The 7 Best Butterbodies." I could go on for hours about why this is offensive and how wrong this a**hole guy is about these women, but I don't want to give him any more recognition than I have by mentioning the article. So I'll just give him the middle finger and remind him to call his mom to tell her what he wants for dinner tonight

• I don't care what anyone says. Aretha's bow is bad a** and being the diva she is, she should rock a hat like this. You go girl

Alrighty, well those are my bullets for Thursday. Little on the random side but that's what's bouncing around in my noggin right now. Feel free to also share other random tidbits of what's on your mind too.

Big weekend plans for anyone out there? My brother and sister-in-law are coming in town for a visit, which means I have to plan a weekend full of Chicago activities. This should be interesting!

Tampon Girl

After being so emotional during yesterday's inauguration and indulging my desire to chant, "yes we can," I'm going to postpone talking about it and rather discuss something for the ladies: tampons.

People have always felt comfortable sharing and asking me for things. And lately this includes asking me for feminine products, specifically, tampons.

I don't have a problem with people asking me for this (hi, I'm a girl, which means I have a cycle), but I find it adorable that when people need tampons, they think to ask me. Do I have a tampon-like body shape? That's a rhetorical question. 

Maybe that is my new superhero name, Tampon Girl (don't worry, Rage Girl still exists.) So, if you're mensing and need something to help, I'm here to save the day! I just hope my cape and outfit isn't red. That's not really my color.

But once you've asked me for tampons and I call in my connections to secure one, I will even deliver the product in a Mission Impossible-like covert way. I can be very discreet and I don't judge. You won't see me running through the halls, happily tossing tampons around, asking if everyone wants one.

Oh and the people I borrow tampons from for my clients probably think I menstruate like four times a month. Wouldn't that be awful? But they may think that it explains my crazy mood swings at times. Wait, I hear someone calling for help, Tampon Girl is off to save the day again!

I guess there isn't really a reader question in this post, but feel free to share if people always ask you for certain things. While I don't always have tampons in my purse, I do carry a lot of other random stuff that seem to help people out in a pinch.

Reader note: Also, I just wanted to apologize for dropping off the comment radar for a few days. I've been working on a big project for work and things are finally slowing down. So forgive my absence and thank you for all the comments too! They make my day, especially when things are totally crazy and I'm beyond stressed out.

My introduction to tongue action

Mind out of the gutter. The 20sb January blog carnival topic is first kisses and I would love to share with everyone the story about the first time a man's lips collided with mine.

I was a late bloomer in high school and my senior year was like the pinnacle in my high school career. I wasn't as awkward around people, started dressing in more flattering clothes, got contacts and embraced my big boobs. 

Despite these changes, I was also a huge debate geek and participated in competitions on weekends in spring. And my senior year debate season was the best year, partially because it introduced me to my first kiss, Ben.

Ben was a year younger than me and loved tweed jackets with elbow patches. He was my high school dream boy. He had glasses and Blagojevich-like hair and he thought I was "intriguing." On our Valentine's Day weekend debate, we shared nachos and hot dogs during a competition break and he casually asked if I had a boyfriend. When I said no, he quickly responded, "oh yeah me either, I don't have a girlfriend." This was followed by five minutes of awkward silence and bashful glances.

A week later, we went out on our first actual date (and my official first date with a guy) and saw a movie, chastely holding hands  at the theater. When he drove me home, he was a gentleman and walked me to the door, giggling with me and holding my hand. But because this was my first real date, I had no idea how it was supposed to end. Hug? Kiss? Was I that kind of girl? 

Like a lady, I said thank you for the movie and went in for a hug (because he wasn't leading) and he swooped in like an eagle going for the fish and kissed me right on the lips. Shocked for a moment, the first thought in my head was...that's it? That's what a kiss with a guy is? Fast and quick and a total surprise? Confused, I leaned in for another one, which he again used as a chance to peck at me like a bird, but this time he lingered on me to jam his tongue in there. But before that could happen, I pulled away, thanking him again and going inside.

I watched him drive away and felt this rush of...nervous excitement. A good guy liked me and kissed me and thought I was interesting and special. And I ran as fast as I could to my room to scream in excitement in my pillow, kicking my legs like an Olympic swimmer.

So the first kiss wasn't bad, but I always panic a little when guys swoop in for it. Ease in there, I'm not a fish that's going to get away.

How was everyone else's first kiss? Do you remember it as vividly? Was your first kiss any better or worse?

Key Learnings and hot man bus fail

Since I'm one of the few people I know without HBO, I couldn't watch the Obama We are One concert today (sniff sniff) so I'm relaxing after a nice dinner with friends and preparing for work tomorrow (even though our office is closed.) Oh and I need to bring out my Obama buttons for Tuesday too!

So to help delay me from doing something productive, let's bask in some key learnings together.

Key Learnings:

• Friday fish fries are the perfect way to close a long week

• Tequila served out of a plastic test tube will make you feel like throwing up

• Beer tastes good but can give you a wicked headache the next day (not good)

• When smuggling in candy to a movie theater, avoid food that makes too much noise when opening it so you don't draw attention to yourself

• There are some ugly fur coats on Michigan Avenue

• Grocery shopping when hungry is a bad idea

• Don't sit next to the man rocking back and forth in his seat on the bus, you never know what he'll do next

• Even if a guy says, "This may not come out right but I mean it as a compliment," whatever he says next will be mean

• Telling a woman she's wearing a "grandma sweater" is not a good conversation starter, same with telling her friend that she looks like a lesbian cartoon character

• Beer + good 80s music = dance party in public. I love 80s music

• On bitter cold days, CTA bus tracker (which calculates when bus routes will be at your stop) is a godsend

• Friday Night Lights on NBC is one of the best shows on TV. Everyone should watch it and bask in the hotness of Coach Taylor. Meow

Hot man/bus fail

It has been a long time since I saw a guy who was so attractive that I literally couldn't look away. Sure, there are celebs that I think are very attractive, but not in a sense that when you see them, you can't help but stare at them (in a non-creepy way.) The last time I had that feeling was with a guy in Minnesota...which was....several years ago.

I found myself in a "non-creepy stare" situation on Saturday while I was on my way to see Slumdog Millionaire (great movie). I was sitting on the bus, listening to my iPod, when I looked over and saw a guy, maybe around my age, standing near the back exit. And I have to say, he was the most attractive man I've seen in a while. Like, I could not take my eyes off of him because seeing him sparked a little flutter in my chest. Now I wasn't staring at him like a piece of raw meat, but I dare to say, he was semi-tall, dark and handsome.

And in true me fashion, I didn't take a picture (don't have a camera on my work BB) and while trying to tweet/stare at him, he suddenly jumped off the bus near Tiffany's (is that a sign?) and disappeared in the crowd. I actually thought for a moment that I made him up.

So while it was disappointing and a half-fail that I didn't get to wave or say something to him, I have to say that the reminder that a guy can cause the long-thought-dead flutter in my chest to reappear, is a start. And right now, I'll take what I can get.

Photo Sunday:

En route to the movie, I saw the biggest icicle that I've ever seen and, of course, was compelled to take a picture of it. Enjoy!

How was everyone else's weekend. See any good movies or did everyone hibernate because it's "warmer" but not actually warm?

Stamp of parental/friend approval

Were you more scared to introduce your boyfriend/girlfriend to your friends or parents?

I'm thinking about this because eventually, any man I date will be meeting both, but I don't know which meeting concerns me the most. Actually, concerns is a bad word, makes me nervous is a better way to describe it.

My friends aren't scary but they can be a little intimidating and because I've teased them so much about their relationships, I fear what it will be like when it comes back around.

My dad isn't scary either but he's very...reserved and when he gets that way around guys I like and it makes me very uncomfortable because I can see him scrutinizing them with his eyes. Plus, he's only met one boyfriend before and he hated him immediately so I want to make sure I'm serious about a guy before I bring one in front of him.

(This could happen, fortunately our basement isn't that big)

Maybe this opens it up to a bigger question, how important is your parents or friends approval of your boyfriend/girlfriend? 

One of my friends says she doesn't want her boyfriend to ask for her father's permission to propose, and teases that her fiance will meet her parents at the wedding. I joke about it too because I don't like confrontation and I fear that the meeting could go badly, but deep down, my dad's approval of any man I marry is important to me. And of course I want him to get along with my friends because they are a huge part of my life too.

I know this is a random topic for a Thursday, but I have three days of "matches" to review tonight and this weekend so it got me thinking. Fingers crossed Prince Charming is in there.

How does everyone else feel about this topic?

Reminder!

If you are a 20sb member, you can still vote for me for the Last Chance award! Help me continue to close out my twenties in style. You can vote for me here.

Reader note: I was pretty amazed at the Crocs comments from Tuesday's post. Holy cow. There are some real lovers and haters of it. And I know some of you hate Uggs, but I strongly endorse them too. They kept my feet and legs warm in -25 degree wind chills today. Woo! And to answer sjane's question, no I don't wear Crocs while carrying Speedy. I think the fashion gods would strike me down!

What a Croc of a shoe

A friend sent me an article about 2009 Style Resolutions, which lists out fashion trends that the editors love and hate for the new year.

And to no shock, number seven is about hating Crocs. The little foam devils that promise comfort but are racked over the coals for being tacky.

So I'm going to take a leap and say that this blog, Everyday Adventures, endorses Crocs and won't cave to the demands of fashionistas to have us hide them in shame or delegate them only to the garden. I don't have a green thumb thank you.

Despite my nice taste in clothing and accessories, I don't hate Crocs for a simple reason. They saved me during an awful sunburn on a trip to Florida.

While vacationing in Destin with my parents, this fair-skinned girl didn't spend enough time in the shade and her SPF 30 sunblock failed her, resulting in a painful sunburn (on the first day of vacation too!) Chest, shoulders, legs and feet were burned, the feet burned badly enough that I couldn't wear socks, shoes or sandals. 

To the rescue came my pink Crocs, which gave my swollen feet room to breathe and walk around for a few days until I could handle normal shoes. And honestly, it is nice to not have beach shoes weighed down by absorbed water and they're comfy on the feet during long, hot summer days on pavement.

So while Crocs may not the cutest thing around, I say that Crocs are welcome in my home. Oh, and I have a Mary Jane pair in purple. That's right, I have TWO pairs!

The article also says white tights are out, and I have to agree. I still see people wear them in Chicago, but they scream Pretty Woman circa 1990, if you know what I mean.

Now, let loose on your support or critique of Crocs, I can take it. Go ahead. Heck we even have a Crocs store in downtown Chicago!

Reader note: Thank you everyone for the awesome comments on my Golden Globe fashion awards. I will definitely do them again for the Oscars! And even SAG awards if you want. You tell me!

My Golden Globe fashion awards

I love awards shows. So in honor of last night's Golden Globes, Everyday Adventures is handing out it's own fashion awards. Check out my picks and let me know if you have other celebs to nominate for an award or who you thought was the best/worst dressed from last night.

Beware, there are a ton of photos, but the humorous awards are reason enough to scroll all the way through.

Best Dressed Man (on left) - I love you! I love you! I love you!

Best Head-to-Toe Look (flawless!)

Most Tragic Loss of  a Cheetah - not awful, but not her best

Best Addams Family revival - this is just so tragic, there are no words

Best Cotton Candy Fantasy - love it though, seriously

Best Wrapped in Tin Foil Look - we get it, you lost the baby weight

Best Uni-Boob - my chest hurts looking at it

Best Tumor of Fabric (look at that growth! Fab necklace)

Best Bosoms - they are taped in and looking good

Best Bird's Nest Revival - with black roots? Is this Melrose Place 1995?

Worst Posture - shoulders back young lady!

Best Birthing Hips - those kids will walk out!

Did I forget anyone? I could have included a ton more but had to restrain myself.

Key Learnings and thank god for weekends

Last week was absolutely crazy and because it was my first week back from vacation, let's just say getting back in the groove was tougher than I imagined.

But it's Sunday now and we have about seven inches of snow on the ground so while I'm watching the Golden Globes, let's recap with some key learnings.

Key Learnings:

• Beer makes any bad day better. And two beers make any bad day not exist anymore

• Hearing your neighbor have loud sex can be a distraction while reading

• People who don't shovel their sidewalk should be kicked in the nuts

• Walking through a snowstorm can be soothing and exhausting when you finally stop

• There is no ladylike way to stop yourself from falling in the snow

• Snowblowing and setting off a car alarm outside my bedroom window at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings makes you a d-bag

• Putting away holiday decorations is not as much fun as putting them up

• Wearing a T-shirt that says "I love hot moms" in your dating profile automatically eliminates you. Also guys who say they like "easy women" will also get you eliminated

• Sometimes, Saturday night dance parties in your apartment are necessary

• Gelato in a snowstorm is always a good idea

• Replaying old mix CDs is a great way to relive awkward and poignant times as a teenager

• Men who leer at women at the gym with their mouths open are creepy

Vote for me!

Also, if you're a member of the 20sb community, go vote for me for the Last Chance Award. Voting closes on January 19, you can vote every 24 hours. Help me bring home some bacon for this blog! Click here to vote!

More f*cking snow

I love snow, hi, I've lived in the Midwest my entire life. But after being pounded with snow in Wisconsin over Christmas, I was ready for a dry remainder of winter. WRONG. Friday night we got more snow, around six to seven inches. And while it was light and pretty and actually kind of fun to walk in, here are some pictures of what it's left behind. Oh yeah and the rumor is we're getting more snow Monday night. Woo!

Thursday post clarification:

Finally, I did forget to include in Thursday's post what I said to my stepbrother about his girlfriend. After reflecting on my more inappropriate comments, I told him that if she made him happy, then I was happy for him. And to clarify, the things I said in Thursday's post, I didn't say those things to him, it was a list of comments I've said to other friends, etc. over the years. 

How was everyone else's weekend?

The art of keeping my mouth shut

I have a problem keeping my mouth shut and it's gotten me in trouble a few times, especially when it comes to relationships.

Over the holidays, my stepbrother brought another new girl home to meet the family. He says that she's "the one," but when he asked what I thought about her, I had an odd flashback to other, more inappropriate things I've said about friends and family's past significant others. As a disclaimer, alcohol was involved in just about every one of these below moments.

• "Well if you like a horse face, she's great!"

• "Girl looks like Blossom, whoa! No one wants to bang Blossom"

• "She's carries water weight well"

• "Her eyebrows look kind of whorey, and if the eyebrows are whorey... you know what I'm saying"

• "She's nice, but seriously, no one is that nice unless they're on pills"

• "She looks easy, is she just for tonight?"

Turns out, I don't just say this about others, I tend to have inappropriate responses to compliments or declarations of love from guys. Brandy had a similar post over summer and I thought it was also too applicable to me to pass up. 

So here are some of my responses to compliments or declarations of love from men:

• "Don't stay here for me, trust me, you'll regret it"

• "If you think I'm pretty, you don't get out a lot"

• "I sure...like you a lot...yeah...I gotta go"

• "I love you too...so are we making out?"

• "How desperate are you?"

• "No I won't go get you a beer/soda/glass of water/or pair of pants to put on"
  

• "Get back to work"

Yes, when Peter told me he loved me, I believed him and did not respond with a snarky comment, so I'm capable of hearing it, maybe it's just the context in which I hear it needs adjustment.

Maybe there is hope for me in 2009 to think before I speak, especially when wine is involved. And I need to be more supportive of my friends' and family's love interests, but I'm sure deep down  some of them were thinking the same thing, I'm just verbalizing what they're afraid of saying. Yeah that's it.

Well, I am super excited that tomorrow is Friday and it's the weekend again. This weekend I want to go see the Sean Penn movie Milk, help celebrate a colleague's birthday and have a few friends over for the Golden Globes on Sunday. I'm sure I'll have my thoughts on who won/lost and what everyone wore on Monday.

Big weekend plans from anyone else?

Reader note: Thank you everyone for sharing your candy addictions. There were some very interesting comments with some choices I didn't even think of! I'm sorry I didn't include a link to Frango, thank you to everyone who explained what they are. There is a Frango page on Wikipedia too!

Candy is my sweet mistress

Since the holidays, I've been having some issues cutting back on the sweets. The issue being that I don't want to. I feel the same way about having to wear pants again to go to work.

Back on track, I can't quit sweets because I love them. Cake, candy, pie, treats, you name it and I want it, and usually I want a handful of them. While I'm usually able to watch portion control and maintain my cravings, I have some candy vices that are like kryptonite and cause me to beeline right to the candy dish.

My brother's candy kryptonite is peanut M&M's. You get a bag of them near him and it's a scene from "when animal's attack." At Christmas, I lured him to sit near me to talk by putting the peanut M&M's within reach. And as I expected, he sat right next to me. *insert evil laugh*

But I can't judge my brother because I'm just as weak in front of temptation. This week, my weakness is Lindt Lindor truffles. A vendor sent them to me and I want to punch that guy in the wiener for tempting me so much. 

So here is my list of the candy I cannot avoid. Reader beware, if you put any of the following candy near me, it could get ugly:

• Plain M&Ms

• Sweetarts

• Raisinets (or any chocolate covered raisins)

• Swedish Fish

• Frango mint chocolate (the dark chocolate version tastes like Thin Mints)

• Twix

What candy or sweets are you unable to resist? 

I'm a repeat offender when I snack and work on the computer. The handfuls of candy or food seem to subconsciously find it's way to my mouth and subsequently my stomach and hips.

Damn you candy!!! I wish I could quit you!

A love letter to my LBD

Dear Gap LBD dress -

First off, you look great. You have been well stored in my parent's attic (sorry it's so cold up there) and you haven't faded or anything. Very classy.

I also wanted to thank you for being so awesome this week and totally saving my a** for Cousin Nick's wedding, you know, when my stepmom went bat sh*t crazy and told me my original outfit wasn't "appropriate." I have no idea what brought this on, but I am so glad you were around because you were perfect, yet again, to wear to another wedding.

I remember buying you at the Gap in Uptown in Minneapolis during college, when I was a lot heavier and dirt poor. I got you on sale and you were the last one in your style in the store, and of course, you were my size. We were meant to be together.

Now I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I do need to dry clean you and get you hemmed because you're kind of long on my petite frame, but I know we can get through this. I told Cheryl that you were my "emergency LBD" because you have saved me countless times.

Tim Gunn says a woman always needs at least one trusty LBD, and I'm glad you're in my arsenal. I feel good wearing you and you help hide my not-so-flat stomach, which tends to be less than flat when I consume copious amounts of food and alcohol at weddings and social functions. And you fit awesome in the chest, that's a total plus.

You might not be "Chicago dress" appropriate, but I think you're pretty great. So thanks for being in my closet and looking so hot whenever I need you.

You complete me :)

xoxoxoxo Jess

Does anyone else have an accessory or piece of clothing that they always turn to when they need it? For a wedding, work meeting or even just a night out?

Key Learnings, bloggy visit and getting back in the groove

After two blissful, busy and holiday-filled weeks, my vacation ends today. Of course, it went by too fast and it's bittersweet, but I'm looking forward to getting back in a routine and seeing the lovely ladies I work with :)

So before I begin laying out clothes for the week, let's enjoy some key learnings!

Key Learnings:

• Don't stick NYE party favors in your cleavage, because the color dye might run and turn your boobs colors, like...green

• A sweater vest should cover your stomach and touch the top of your pants. Anything smaller than that means it doesn't fit

• As you get older, the harder it is to bounce back from a night of heavy drinking

• A feather bed is like sleeping on a cloud, everyone should have one

• I hate cleaning my bathroom, especially the tub

• Michigan Avenue protests can really slow you down when rushing to a movie

• You can never have too many purses or shoes, especially when they are on sale, like another 40 percent off the latest markdown

• Paying $10 for a one-way cab ride to the cable company's service center to swap out a defective remote at 9 a.m. on a Saturday can start your day off wrong, especially when the transaction take only two seconds

• Indigo denim looks hot but leaves a blue ring on pink Uggs (shoot!)

• I suck at saying no to shopping peer pressure. Looking at you Jenn

• Getting back in the gym routine is not as much fun as getting out of it

Bloggy visit

To get my holiday-induced fat a** back in a routine, I tried twice to go to the gym and got a big FAIL on both attempts. But instead of working out and burning calories, I opted to spend Saturday with two lovely visiting bloggers, Jenn and Rebekah, for lunch and shopping on chilly Michigan Avenue. One three hour lunch and chilly shopping trip later, I'm pleased to say I learned three things:

1. Jenn loves to shop almost as much as me, and will peer pressure me into buying adorable shoe booties from White House/Black Market (see picture below)
2. When sick, Rebekah can rally and keep up with both of us
3. Conversation with bloggy visitors can cover any topic, from family to shopping to the benefits of self-hosting, which Rebekah is a master of knowledge

Rebekah has even gotten me thinking about self-hosting this little site. She can be quiet persuasive, so I think I'll be following up with her on it.

Back in the groove

Vacation has been great. I have enjoyed the fun of not showering every day, or wearing makeup all the time and, per usual, my body has adjusted to a new sleep schedule just in time to change it back!

So today I did the following to get ready for tomorrow: packed the gym bag and purse, cooked dinners for the week, got lunches organized and began digging for ideas of what to wear. 

But the one thing I like about vacation (and not on weekends) is the cool stuff you see on the street that you miss while working in an office. 

For example, check out the below picture of a plastic penguin, lounging in a local restaurant before it opens. It's quirky and kind of cute and it definitely caught my attention as I walked by. These are the kind of cute things I love and miss far too often.

I just hope he got some bread fast because penguins can be quite loud.

Is everyone else already been back at work since Christmas? I was shocked to find out people were in the office Friday, the day after New Year's Day.

(Not the best picture, but it was unusually sunny that day)

Goals for 2009

Happy New Year! Woo! I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year's Eve. As per usual, mine was spent in Chicago with close friends, drinking way too much and having champagne spilled on me (again.) But there was no crying or bloody noses this year so that's a plus.

And now that we're officially in 2009, I'm thinking about resolutions. Normally, I don't make them because I rarely keep them, and this year because of my list, I'll forgo the laundry list of things I will do differently and keep it simple with two main goals.

In 2009, I want to really do two things: 

• Be happy

• Stay healthy

As a note, I'm not saying that I'm currently unhappy. Overall, I am a happy person who looks at life with a "glass half full" mentality, so to help me stay on this path in 2009, I want to challenge myself (with my list and beyond) and continue working on things in my personal and professional life. And reminding myself that I can't let the little things bother me, it will keep me grounded and focused. 

So goal #1 is to keep being me but remaining happy and content. I'm grateful for my friends, family, good health and a good job, so as long as I can focus on these things, the rest will follow.

For goal #2, well I'm leaving that one a little vague. Sure, I would love to lose 10 pounds and say that I will work out four times a week, but I'm looking at this on a bigger scale. It's eating more in moderation and watching portion control, it's keeping a better balance of healthy vs. unhealthy foods and allowing myself a treat without turning it into a candy binge. It's all about baby steps.

Looking back, 2008 was a big year with big milestones - especially during the summer months - and I'm hoping 2009 is just as good. I learned a lot and met a lot of new people, and I hope the new friendships I've forged are just as strong next year as they are now.

Did any of you make New Year's resolutions or goals? If so, feel free to share them, I would love to hear what everyone else is going to be working on this year!