Thursday, July 31, 2014

Day 31....blogging is harddddddd

Day 31...Blogging is hardddddd.....


We did it!!!! We made it through the 31 Days of Blogging challenge!!!! Gigantic shout out to Faith, Allie & Juliette for hosting this amazing challenge. Seriously guys, this month has been so much fun and there have been so many great topics!! With all of that said, blogging is definitely not all relaxing and good times...It is hard!! For the final day in the challenge, I am going to tell you about all of the reasons why blogging is hard work.

It takes time---it is rare that I will spend less than 30 minutes writing a blog post. Sure, I could knock out a few of my favorite things in 5 minutes, but then I have to add the links, the pics, the GIFs...the whole sha-bang. The average time it takes to write a post is about 45 minutes...multiply that by 31 and I have spent AT LEAST 1,395 minutes blogging this month. That breaks down to a little over 23 hours...wtf!!!!



Some of the topics are really challenging...I can easily come up with one thing that makes me go hmmm, but thinking of 5 or 10 things? That's a whole different story. Suddenly 45 minutes turns into an hour and a half, most of which is spent racking my brain for something that made me wonder why.

You get seriously sidetracked. Try looking on Pinterest for something...anything at all. Suddenly what started as a recipe for chicken turns into a dog in a chicken costume, which of course leads you to google "pets in costumes," and you eventually end up on some crazy ass page about the strangest pregnancy photo shoots. Trust me, no matter how focused you are, you will ALWAYS end up sidetracked.



It is a huge commitment. Skipping a day or 2 here and there is ok, but what happens when you go out to dinner on the 3rd day, have a cold the 4th and 5th day and then decide to watch a movie on the 6th day? Suddenly it has been a week since your last post, people have lost interest and you have no idea what's going on in the blog world. Blogging is a huge commitment. And I don't even have kids!! Kudos to all you mommy bloggers out there!!

If you have a boring week, you have zero to write about. Sure, this month was a piece of cake when it came to what I should write about. But guess what? The month is over, and now I have nothing to talk about. I've pretty much spilled every favorite, everything I love, what I do when I am alone and some things that I can't live without. Now what?? Let's hope that there are some fun happenings over the next month!


Well ladies, this challenge has been wonderful. I have enjoyed getting to know all of you and hopefully I was able to keep you semi-entertained. I am looking forward to taking a day (or maybe a few days) off from the blogging world. That is, of course, after tomorrow's VLOG Accent Challenge!! Make sure you tune in to find out what I really sound like! :)

Allieology


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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Day 30...sorry not sorry...

Day 30...sorry not sorry...

Ok, so there are certain things that I have no problem apologizing for. If I accidentally open the door on you, spill something on your shirt or hit you with my ginormous purse as I walk by, I will say I am sorry. I have no problem admitting when I do something wrong (although my hubs would argue otherwise). I will not, however, apologize for something that doesn't deserve an apology. Such as:

 
To the rich bitch in the Lexus who cut into my lane and almost killed me on the interstate…sorry not sorry that I was secretly wishing that your husband was cheating on you and that big rock on your hand. 


To the rude waitress that took care of my to-go lunch order…sorry not sorry that you got zero tip...maybe you should have smiled and asked how my day was going...Then you would have realized what a fabulous tipper I am. Sucks to be you.



To my sorry-ass-hypochondriac-calls-out-of-work-3-times-a-week coworker, (we will call her Molly), sorry not sorry that I hope you get fired. And also, sorry not sorry that I take every opportunity to throw you under the bus…see what happens when you’re not a team player?!



To the poor girl at Rue21 who had to carry all of my clothes to the dressing room. Sorry not sorry because I had to run back to the floor for 17 other items, and my arms were starting to hurt.



To the scumbag from Hungry Howie's pizza...Sorry not sorry that I got you fired...that's why you don't spit on people's cars when you are delivering food.
To my fellow beachgoers…Sorry not sorry that the only reason that I go into the ocean is when I have to pee.



To the person who ends up parking next to me…sorry not sorry that I am terrible at parking, and I’m probably more than halfway in your spot…I have better things to do than to fit my car between 2 white lines.


To the woman taking up the entire aisle in Walgreens…Sorry not sorry that I rudely announced that because of you, I was going to have to walk all the way around the long way just to get to the register. Maybe you should learn how to share the aisle.


To anyone around me when I am due for my period…Sorry not sorry that I am a miserable bitch, I have zero time to listen to your problems  and I will most likely make you super uncomfortable by crying over a broken fingernail. PMS is no joke—you have been warned.


Guess what tomorrow is guys??? The last day of our challenge!!! Ok, well not really, because I may also be participating in the August 1st VLOG event, also hosted by the lovely Allie, Juliette & Faith, so that should be fun!!


Allieology


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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Day 29...5 things I love about....me!!!

Day 29...5 things I love about....me!!!

 Everyone has those things that they HATE about themselves...for example, I wish I was a little taller, I wish my abs were just a little more washboard-y and there is this blemish on the right side of my face that no amount of make-up will ever cover. But that's not what we are going to talk about today. Today is all about the things I love about myself. Let me start by telling you a secret. When I was a teenager an into my early 20's, I was obsessed with myself. Seriously, conceited was a huge understatement. As the years have passed that has faded away, but there are a few things that I will always love about ME! And here are 5 of them:

1. My intelligence. My entire life I was a straight-A student (chemistry aside..seriously, who needs that crap?) and it has helped me so much as an adult. Rather than screw around in school, I studied as hard as I could and learned as much as possible, hoping that at least half of it would stick around. One of my favorite favorite things to do is sit around and watch Jeopardy, shouting out every answer that I know. I would seriously go to school just for fun, if I didn't have to worry about all the paper writing and cramming (ain't nobody got time for that).


 2. My personality. I have always tried to be the perfect mix of outgoing and mysterious. I am definitely not one of those in-your-face people who will run up and introduce myself immediately, sharing my life story over hugs and giddy screams. On the other hand, I am far from the type of person who will sit in a corner and keep to themselves. I will be the first to break out in a song in the middle of an antique store to win a candle (true story), and I have no problem breaking out some dance moves in the middle of a restaurant if it will make one of my nieces or nephews happy. I'm pretty much an awesome person to have around.


3. My uniqueness. I have a very different, eclectic taste in pretty much anything. I believe the gaudier the better. When it comes to clothes, I will be the first person to mix a green shirt with some purple skinnies, throw on a pink scarf and some sparkly jewelry and head out the door. My taste in shoes and purses is pretty much the same. When it comes to decorating inside of the house, anything goes. For example, in my living room, as soon as you walk in the front door, I have the most amazing mirror you have ever seen. It is covered with like 50 gigantic rhinestones and matches zero other things in the house. But ya know what? It is fabulous!!


4. My cooking. Call it my Italian heritage, my grandmother's cooking lessons or just my plain old love for food. I am an awesome chef! My gravy (or spaghetti sauce for all of you non-Italians) is top notch, and is pretty much everyone's favorite thing that I make. I am also a huge fan of taking a bunch of stuff from the pantry, throwing it in a skillet with some garlic and wine and Voila! And OMG I hate recipes!! Seriously, I will take a recipe and substitute like 5 items to add my own twist. This is probably the reason why I cook 20 times more than I bake. You have to have just the right amount of pinches and dashes when it comes to baking. Cooking is a different story. Sure, that looks like half a cup. Eh, go ahead and add a little more.


5. My OCD. Ok, so I haven't officially been diagnosed with OCD, but a self diagnosis is pretty much the same thing. I am ridiculously organized and I hate when things re out of place. My closet is color coordinated and all of the items in my pantry have to be facing the same way (label side in). I am always over prepared for everything, packing for a vacation 5 days before we leave. I make checklists for EVERYTHING, always making sure that I don't forget something. We went to Tennessee last year and I literally had a folder that contained directions there and back, directions to all of the attractions we were visiting, gate passes, the contract that I signed to rent the cabin, coupons for all of the attractions, a notarized letter from my mom that we were allowed to take my brother out of state, and a printed receipt that contained all of the reservation info. I will never be under-prepared for anything, and that is so comforting to me. Trust me, I am a great person to have around on a rainy day (I keep a poncho and a deck of card in my purse).


I hope you all enjoyed getting to know me a little better, and I am super excited to learn more about all of you. Only 2 days left in the challenge guys!!!!! We can do it!!

Allieology



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Monday, July 28, 2014

Day 28...one pic, two pic, three pic....ready go...

Day 28...one pic, two pic, three pic....ready go...

So it's Monday again..ans as usual, it sucks. To brighten up everyone's day a little bit, I am going to share 3 pictures with you today. One picture is a picture that I took. One picture is a selfie (which, duh, I also took). And the third picture is anything at all. Hopefully I can brighten your day a little bit.


Picture 1: A picture that I took


This is one of my favorite favorite pictures ever. It was a rainy Sunday, the hubs and I were laying on the couch watching Friends a movie, and Casper decided that he wanted to snuggle with us. This picture pretty much sums up my perfect afternoon. Adorable, right? Plus, it is super rare that Casper lays still on the couch for more than 20 seconds, so this was a momentous occasion.


Picture 2: A selfie


This picture was taken right after I went from blonde to brown a few months ago. I love the color of my hair, and I had just tried the mail sample of the most amazing concealer in the world (here). And you know how there are some pictures that you just feel flawless and amazingly pretty? Well this is one of mine.


Picture 3: A picture of anything


This picture contains some of my favorite people in the world! Yes, I made everyone wear the same thing for this picture. We were submitting a picture to be cast on a game show...be jealous, we are some pretty awesome people.This also happened to be the night before we left on our first cruise, so the excitement is literally radiating out of me.


FYI...anyone else love short and sweet blog posts for a Monday?! I sure do!


Allieology


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Sunday, July 27, 2014

Day 27...Interview time...

Day 27...Interview time...

OMG guys there's only 5 days left in the "Blog Every Day in July" challenge!!! So far this month has been fabulous and it's about to get even better!! Today I get to pick someone's brain and share my findings with all of you...and I figured the best person for the job was none other than my amazing fabulous hubby.


What's your hidden talent?
"Playing spades. My current record is 195 wins to 3 losses. I welcome all challengers."


What's your favorite TV show?
"Friends. I've been watching the show since it started and still watch it to this day. And my wife hates that we watch it so much."



Name someone you admire.
"My father. No matter if you are family, if you are a stranger..no matter what..he is always there to lend a helping hand."


Who is Canada's current Prime Minister? 
 "I have absolutely no idea..."


Do you prefer cake or pie?
"Pie. Cake is disgusting, unless its an ice cream cake."


If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
"Steak, mashed potatoes and green beans." 


What's your favorite memory of (or with) me?
"My wedding day. I thought you were the most beautiful person, thing, anything in existence that I had ever seen. You took my breath away." ( <3 <3 <3)


Quote a movie, any movie, right now.
"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."


Did the last question give you a little bit of anxiety?
"No. Why would it?"


Name something inappropriate you always laugh at.
"When people shit their pants."....followed by... "It's gonna come back to bite me one day."


After the interview was over, the hubs was pretty upset that there were only 10 questions. He then said "I love your blog, anything I can do to help." Seriously guys, is he not the most amazing?

I hope you all enjoyed learning more about my best friend. P.S...Juliette, Allie & Faith...If you host another blog challenge, my hubs would love to participate again :)

Allieology


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Saturday, July 26, 2014

Day 26...A picture an hour...

Day 26...A picture an hour...

Last week you got to live a day in the life of Casper the friendly dog (here). Today you get to live a day in the life of me. I know, today is Saturday and 90% of the pictures are from me at work...well guess what?? I took 'em yesterday so that I could make sure I had a post for all of you lovelies to read today. Nice of me, right?

Since I look like a zombie for the first 60 minutes of my morning, I didn't start taking pics until 8:00am. Just assume that anything before that is lots of puffy eyes, baggy clothes and knotty hair.

8:00 AM
Breakfast time!!
(Special K Protein...IT.IS.AMAZING.)

9:00 AM
C'mon 5:00!!!

10:00 AM
Guess what time of the month it is?!?!

 11:00 AM
...blah blah blah blah...

 NOON
Lunch time!!! Love me some hot pockets..and yes I eat at my desk

1:00 PM
I'm still here????

2:00 PM
Afternoon pick me up...

3:00 PM
Almost time to go...

4:00 PM
Bathroom break...

5:00 PM
Trying to beat the storm home!

6:00 PM 
Dinner time!! Homemade Stromboli for the baby sis's bday

7:00 PM
You know, just hanging out on the floor with my princess
(PS--I hate blurry pictures...but she sits till for like .025 seconds..so deal with it)

8:00 PM 
Time for some Spades at GiGi's


Well there ya have it folks, a day in the life of moi...I lead a pretty exciting life during the week lemmetellya! I hope everyone has a great weekend, and be sure to tune in tomorrow for an interview with the one and only hubs!!


Allieology

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Friday, July 25, 2014

Day 25...Must have apps...can't live without 'em...

Day 25...Must have apps...can't live without 'em...


Today’s topic is doubly awesome!! First of all, I get to share with everyone all of the apps that I use on a daily basis, and 2, I get to find awesome new apps by reading other people’s posts! Win win!

Before I get into the apps that I can’t live without, I am going to start out by saying that I don’t need any apps to remember that today is my baby sister’s birthday!! She is the big 2-6 today!!! She is officially in her late 20’s, which means that I am officially 13 months away from being 30…which means that we are old, and that sucks big time. So happy birthday to my favorite rolling rock of destruction, here’s to lots of wrinkles and saggy boobs!

To begin, here is a picture of my home screen. I’m pretty much as anal retentive OCD as they come, so of course everything is neatly organized into categories. ((Little tidbit of info...The pic on my home screen is a few months ago when our poor little town flooded and we went to the river to take some snapshots.))

  
In no particular order, here are some of my must have apps:


1.       Social Media Apps: 
I’m pretty sure everyone reading this uses one or all of these apps on a daily basis, so there is really no need for a long explanation for each. Pretty much, they are all awesome and everyone needs to download them like, yesterday.
*Blogger     *Instagram
*Facebook      *Pinterest





2. Music Apps
*Pandora—create your own music channels based on an artist, a genre, a song name, etc…I literally have this open every single day of my life.
*Shazam—you know how when you are sitting in a store and you hear an awesome song on the radio but you don’t know the name or the artist? Open this app, hold your phone near the music and Voila! Within a few seconds you have the artist, song name album, etc…If you are anything like me this will save hours of obsessing trying to figure it out!
*YouTube—again, this one is kind of a no brainer. Looking for a video of pretty much anything? YouTube probably has it.


3. TV/Movie Apps
*IMDB—This is the “Internet Movie Database,” and it is the best creation in the whole world, like ever. Look up any actor/actress and instantly know every other movie that they were ever in. Need to know who played the main character in “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken? (It was Gabrielle Anwar, btw)…pull up this app and instantly find out. It is an absolute lifesaver!
*Flixster—This app is basically a movie theater guide. It tells you which movies are playing at any theater, gives you ratings for each one and lets you watch trailers. Also, it tells you all of the upcoming movies so you can look forward to Paranormal Activity 5 or The Best of Me!
*Netflix—Although this uses like obscene amounts of data, it also gets you through a hell of a boring day. Pull this up and watch movies instantly, just like you were home on your couch. A definite must have.


4. Games

*Magic Piano—Ok so I am completely hooked on this game. Not even joking, the first thing I do when I get home from work every day is sit down and play my free song of the day, then complete the daily challenge. It’s basically just a piano on your phone where you have to touch the screen when the light gets to the bottom..Pretty simple concept but super addictive!!
*Bloons Tower Defense Battles—This can be played as either a single player game (against other people in the world) or a competition game (with your hubs)…you set up your monkeys all around the board, upgrading towers and collecting bananas and sending out this huge blimp called the “Mother of all Bloons.” I know, awful description---but I’ve been playing all of the versions of Bloons for 10+ years, so this is another must have for me. I HIGHLY recommend downloading it.
*94 Seconds—This game is a really fun, really fast paced game—and its even more fun when you are a few drinks in. You are given a letter of the alphabet and a category, and you have to think of something that fits (for example….Fruit that starts with “C”….Cantaloupe…Clementine…Country that starts with "B"...Bolivia, Brazil...). You only have 94 seconds to come up with as many answers as you can, and each question is a different letter. It gets intense lemme-tell-ya.


5. Shopping  
These apps are all used for coupons. Walk into a store, look up the name and BAM...All of the coupons and sales they are currently offering! Sometimes you don’t even have to look up the store!! You walk into a mall and the sales just pop up! 95% of stores will honor the coupons, so why not save yourself some money!! 
*Shopular

*Snip-Snap

*Savings.com


6.  Random apps that don't fit any other category

*Timehop—Sync this bad boy up with your facebook, instagram, etc and it is like a walk down memory lane. Every day you can see what you did on that day a year ago, 2 years, 3 years…it is so funny to see the difference in what you were doing and where you were back then.
*MyRadar—Since we live in Florida and it rains like 14 times a day, I am always pulling up the MyRadar app. It will literally pinpoint exactly where the storm is, down to the mile. It also breaks the storm down by color so you can see if the rain will be a light mist or a torrential downpour.
*Police Scanner—I admit, I am THAT neighbor that will come outside and pretend to walk to the dog or take out the trash if there is a cop on my street, I am also THAT neighbor that taps into my county’s police scanner with this spiffy little app. To be honest, I am not 100% sure if that is legal, but since I got it on the app store we will just assume that it is…moving right along…
*Bleacher Report—This app will mean nothing to you if you are not a sports fan. You can pick your favorite team and it will alert you of any news, scores and anything else pertaining to the team.  Pretty fantastic.


7.  And of course, the app I use more than anything in the world...
*Google

 (cred)




 
 Hopefully you were able to find some new must have apps of your own. And I would LOVEEE to hear about some of your in the comments!!!!



Allieology

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