Fifty Shades Trilogy

I just finished reading the Fifty Shades Trilogy today and I cannot even begin to tell you how thoroughly I enjoyed reading those books.  Now, I know that a couple of posts back I had just started book one and I was complaining about how I didn’t understand the hype…..but then the story finally started to move and I could not put the book down.  I read all three books in less than two weeks.  Believe me, with my busy life, that is super quick for me to read one book much less three.  Fan-freakin-tastic.  That’s what those books are.  It’s not usually a genre that I would read, but I could not stop myself.  I think I have even developed quite a crush on Mr Grey if I’m being honest here lol.  I wish I could go into details about the story but I don’t want to ruin it for those of you who have not read the books yet.  I highly, HIGHLY recommend them.  They are definitely page turners.  The story is everything….it’s erotic, it’s heartfelt, it’s captivating, it’s suspenseful, it’s mysterious, at times it’s sad.  The author does a great job of helping you feel like you know the characters and you can feel emotions for them and with them.  After reading these books, I feel like I know these people personally.  I can’t say that I have read a lot of books that left me “feeling” something for the characters.  It’s easy to do that in movies, but in books you have to really try and EL James definitely succeeded with these.  I cannot wait for the movie and I really hope that she considers writing more books about Mr Grey.  If not I’ll miss him lol.

If any of you have read these books, what are your thoughts?  How did you feel about them?

A Letter to My Husband on Our Anniversary

Today is my four year wedding anniversary with my wonderful husband.  So I wanted to take some time to thank him for everything he has done for me and continues to do for me.  He may not always think so, but I love him fiercely and appreciate everything he does for our little family.  You can read about how we met on my “About Me” tab, so I’m not going to go into all that.  I will say, however, that it is as fresh in my memory as when it happened.  I hope that I will always be able to remember it this way!

Dear Mr H,

It seems like an eternity ago when I first heard your voice on the other end of the phone line.  A short time after that first phone conversation, we met and the rest is history.  I didn’t know that first night I met you that we would end up married someday with a beautiful baby boy, but I’m sure glad that God had that planned for us.  Every day since then has been simply amazing.  We don’t have a fairytale romance and our life isn’t perfect.  We fight and argue sometimes, but we get through it and at the end of the day we love each other and that’s all that matters.  I’m not sure what the future holds for us, but at least we will experience it together.  I just want to thank you for the things you do.  You work so hard to support our family and I just want you to know that even though I may not say it, I do appreciate it.

Thank you.  For being my husband, for being a hard worker, for being supportive, and most importantly, being a wonderful father to our son.  He adores you and that makes me love you even more.

Here’s to many more wonderful anniversaries together.

I love you.

Mrs H.

Say Whatttt?! Wednesdays

So this is a new thing that I’m going to start trying to do every Wednesday.  Depending on whether or not I run out of things to talk about, it might be every other Wednesday haha.

I’ve been following a lot of other bloggers and have picked up some of the recurring blog posts that they do as well, such as Sometimes and Always and Hey It’s Ok Tuesday.  So now I want to do something of my own.  This is one of the things that I came up with.  So without further delay, let’s talk about “Say Whatttt?! Wednesdays”

I’m really mad that Grey’s Anatomy ended the way that it did.  First, the plane crashed in the middle of nowhere all “Lost-like” and then they kill off Baby Grey! 

Someone paid 18K for a pair of Queen Elizabeth’s USED panties??  Shouldn’t they be hunting down the perv who wanted them and evaluating his mental status?  He might have old ladies chained up in his basement or something.  They have stains on them for goodness sakes!

I know that this is old news…..but I’m still in complete shock that Snooki is going to reproduce.  That is all.

Miley, love you, but wearing a jacket with nothing else to an awards show is not cool.

Justin, did you and Miley consult the same stylist??  Your crinkly pants tucked behind your high tops and sagging off your behind make you look like an oompa loompa.

Who the heck is this?  Can we all stop trying to be like Lady Gaga??  I’m talking to you you Nicki Minaj, or however you spell your freaking name…and now this chick.  Your shoes are hideous and your hair is stupid.

Ok, I’m going to get off my Billboard wardrobe rant.  It just shocks me that people don’t seem to know what clothes are anymore. 

In other news, Lindsey Lohan is playing Liz Taylor in a movie about her life.  Unless Liz Taylor was a cokehead, kleptomaniac, alcoholic….. I don’t think this is the right person for the job.

Facebook is selling stock.  They thought that was a good idea because……?

You can now have your dead loved ones turned into diamonds….. I admit the story is touching, but I’m not sure that this is something I would want to do.  See the video here.

And finally, I’m going to close by sharing a little article that I found on my favorite news website, The Onion

Couple Has Nest Egg Of Debt To Make Sure They've Got Some Money To Owe Down The Road

May 22, 2012 | ISSUE 48•21
 

BRIMLEY, MI—Local couple Matt and Wendy Ratliff told reporters Tuesday that they have been steadily building up a nest egg of debt to make sure that they always had something tucked away to owe banks and creditors no matter what the future held. "We've been saving a little debt each year for about 15 years now, which might not sound like much, but as the debt grows over time, it will hopefully provide us with a nice chunk of debt we can dig into later on if we happen to run into any unexpected prosperity," said Wendy Ratliff, 47, adding that if she and her husband stuck to their plan, they would have enough outstanding payments stashed away to not only retire in debt but also to ensure that their children could inherit some of their debt as well. "It was a little difficult setting aside the debt at first, but after awhile, we just got used to it. Now we barely notice how crippling it's going to be." Ratliff said the nest egg was personally important to her, as her own mother had never put any debt aside and was now an elderly widow with almost no source of financial hardship.

SAY WHATTTTT?!

Sometimes and Always #3

Sometimes:  I have a day that makes me just want to give up and run away.

Always:  I am reminded of how lucky I am to be blessed with a husband and a beautiful baby boy who can push those thoughts out of my head as soon as they enter.

Sometimes:  I bite off more than I can chew.

Always:  Getting it done makes me feel accomplished.  Exhausted, but accomplished.

Sometimes:  I hate going grocery shopping.

Always:  My family has to eat.

Sometimes:  My son embarrasses me in public and won’t behave.

Always:  I hear Darius Rucker in my head, “It won’t be like this for long.”

Sometimes:  I criticize myself too much in everything I do.

Always:  Someone unexpected gives me a confidence booster just when it’s needed.

Best Lasagna Ever!

I made this tonight and everyone raved about it.  The recipe is courtesy of The Pioneer Woman.  If you have never visited her page, I highly recommend it!  She has tons of delicious recipes on her page.

Best Lasagna Ever

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pound Ground Beef
• 1 pound Hot Breakfast Sausage
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
• 2 cans (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 3 cups Lowfat Cottage Cheese
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1/2 cup Grated (not Shredded) Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 pound Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 package (10 Ounce) Lasagna Noodles
• (add 1/2 Teaspoon Salt And 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil To Pasta Water)

Preparation Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain half the fat; less if you’re feeling naughty. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil and salt. After adding the tomatoes, the sauce mixture should simmer for 45 minutes while you are working on the other steps.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together well. Set aside. Cook lasagna until “al dente” (not overly cooked).

To assemble:

Arrange 4 cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Spoon a little less than half the meat/sauce mixture over the top.

Repeat, ending with meat/sauce mixture. Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan.

Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top is hot and bubbly.

The Best Brownies on Earth

The recipe I'm about to share with you is my ALL TIME FAVORITE brownie recipe.  I have only made it a few times, but it has been delicious every time.   

Best Brownies Ever!

For the Brownies

½ cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking powder

For the Icing:

3 tbsp butter, softened (Softened does NOT mean melted!  I used the tub butter bc it is already soft)

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar

To Prepare Brownies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 or 9 inch square pan.

Melt butter in a large saucepan.  Remove from heat and add in the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook.

To Prepare Frosting:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Mix together well.  Frost the brownies while they are still warm.

Prepare for chocolate decadence.  I also like to add pieces of chopped semisweet chocolate squares into my batter mix.  Yum!  I’m sure anything you would like to add to the batter would be delicious, but these brownies are fabulous just as they are.  Don’t skip the icing because it really makes this brownie.  But you have to let it set up before eating it. 

 Yummy!!

Skechers Settlement - Do You Qualify?

Did you buy a pair of Skechers Shape-ups, Resistance Runner, Toners or Tone-ups shoes? You may be eligible for a refund. The FTC charged Skechers with making unfounded claims that shoes are “toning shoes” and would help people lose weight.  Shape-ups, introduced in April 2009, cost consumers about $100 a pair and were extremely popular! But  consumers now say they didn’t lose weight, they gained weight! Apparently Skechers used spokespeople (celebrities) that had a stake in the company and Skechers failed to let consumers know that. So, between the unfounded claims and everything else the FTC has ordered that Sketchers refund $40 million dollars to consumers. You may qualify for a refund if you have purchased any of these shoes!

See if you are eligible for a piece of the  Skechers $40 million settlement

Hey, It's Ok Tuesday!

Hey, it’s ok….

….that I started reading 50 Shades of Grey and I think it’s horrible.  I don’t know what the fuss is all about.  The writing is terrible.  Did a 12 year old write that book?  If I see the words “oh my” or “jeez” one more time I might shoot my eyes out.

….that I am in love with Justin Beiber’s new song “Boyfriend.”

….that I wish Dora would get lost on one of her stupid adventures and never come back so I wouldn’t have to watch that show anymore.  And she should take Diego, Wonder Pets and all the other ones with her.  What happened to the GOOD cartoons that we used to watch when we were little?  Ok so maybe they weren’t “educational” but at least they didn’t suck.  And I turned out ok…. *crickets*….

….that I took the summer semester off from school.  I feel slightly guilty, so this is me trying to make myself believe that it’s ok.

….that I still watch The Secret Life of the American Teenager even though it’s LAME beyond belief and all they do is talk about sex.  It’s overkill…..but for some reason I just can’t look away.  It’s like a train wreck…..no really, that show is a train wreck.

….that I got information about my upcoming high school reunion (10 years) and I’m not even excited about it.  It’s more depressing than anything to think about the fact that I graduated from high school 10 years ago.  Sighhhhh.

Sometimes and Always #2

Sometimes:  I hit the snooze button on my alarm clock because I don’t want to get up.

Always:  I get up too late and have to rush around like a chicken with my head cut off to make it to work on time.

Sometimes:  I really enjoy cooking and baking.

Always:  I HATE to clean up the mess it makes.

Sometimes:  I like to listen to 90s music.

Always: It makes me reminisce on my childhood.

Sometimes:  I wish they would show 90s Nick at other times besides midnight when I need to be sleeping!

Always:  I DVR it and watch it with Caden.

Sometimes:  I wish I had more time to read.

Always:  I have a two year old that wants all the attention.

Sometimes:  I start things and don’t finish them.

Always:  I think about it and continue to put it off anyway!  Which reminds me, I have a few projects that I really DO need to finish lol.  Maybe this weekend.

Sometimes:  I let Caden stay up a little later than his bedtime.

Always:  He snuggles with me on the couch <3

Sometimes:  I wish I could quit my job and stay home with my baby.

Always:  I remember that I should be thankful that I even have a job at all and that I have responsibilities.  Then I suck it up and go to work.