the semi-reformed nerd

{life} three years of marriage...

 

Today is our third wedding anniversary. Three. Years.

Can somebody please slow this crazy ride down a little bit? Good grief. It doesn't seem possible that we've been married for three years already.

We may not have the house or the kids or the whatever else some people seem to think you're supposed to have by now. But we've got the world's cutest pup. And we've got an intense determination to pay off all of our debt -- and we're 71 percent of the way there. (I know this because I crunch the numbers every single day because I'm a crazy nerd lady like that.) Yup. Considering the numbers we're talking about, that's a gazillion pennies. I can assure you that.

It's rather alarming to see the looks I get from people when I tell them we've been married three years. Since when has it become society's quest to make you feel inadequate -- despite your career, personal achievements, goals, desires, etc. -- when it's "discovered" that you don't have kids? It's as if I walk around with a third eyeball. (And I don't... in case you're wondering...)

What we do with our lives is our business. I'd much rather be patient, responsible and intentional with my life. And rather than be applauded, acknowledged or simply accepted, the growing number of people who think we're "doing it all wrong" seems almost... frightening.

While it's pretty clear to me that people are simply insecure about their own decisions, I can't help but have to reinforce our 'master plan' in my head more than once a day lately. I've (unfortunately) let people get under my skin.

Here's hoping that with this anniversary, a new leaf has been turned and I can learn to let the looks, questions and weird shifty glances roll off my back.

Go team.

PS: I love you, dude. I'm still waiting for you to realize you can change the locks on the doors and/or run far, far away from the crazy lady. Thanks for sticking around. :)

 

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{etsy} biggest pet peeve -- ANIMALS DRESSED AS HUMANS!

Itsy Bitsy Spider - Dog // Superman Cape - Hamster // Lion - Dog // Chia Pet - Dog // Where's Waldo? - Dog // Boob Scarf - Dog

 

Much like Monica (in my most favorite episode of Friends, no less), one of my biggest pet peeves is animals dressed as humans.

And yet... as much as I hate to admit it... I've been seriously thinking about putting The Captain in a costume for Halloween.

I know. I disappoint myself too. It's okay. You can say it.

So... let's discuss my Etsy finds, shall we?

1. A puppy spider. No way, no how. That thing would haunt me in my dreams, people.
2. A hamster dressed as Superman. Um... no. We used to kill every hamster (by accident) we had growing up, so maybe it's that. But I can't waste a cape on a rodent. Sorry, Charlie.
3. A super cute pup in an oversized lion costume? TOTALLY. So stinkin' cute. The Captain would probably eat the thing, but still... totally worth the pictures.
4. Chia pet. It pains me that I didn't think of this myself. Brilliant. A little outdated, perhaps. But stupid clever and totally cheesy. Just how I like it.
5. Where's Waldo? YES! So cute and totally doable. I'm not sure I could keep the glasses on our pup... but I'd be willing to try.
6. A boob scarf. There are so many levels of wrong with this, I truly don't even know where to begin. In fact, I may be speechless. That happens once a decade, so let that sink in for a sec, shall we?

 

Are you dressing your pet up this Halloween?
Not that I'd rip off your idea or anything -- I'm just curious. Promise. :) 

 

_____________________

This time last year:

• Menu Plan Monday: Week of 10.24.11
  

 

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{life} happy birthday, hubs!

 

I asked The Captain what he wanted to get Brett for his birthday, and he said he wanted to write this blog post.

So I let him give it a shot. To say I was a bit disappointed would be a mild understatement. It's like he doesn't have opposable thumbs or something.

 

fdsjlj;fdkl;fdakls dfljkfdjskdsjkl; jlfdsfksdl

(... and then he snorted on my computer screen.)

 

Needless to say, I'll take over from here. Today is, in fact, the hubs' birthday. This weekend promises to be a bit crazy -- birthday, his high school reunion, our friend's wedding (not to mention TCU Homecoming, which we aren't going to be able to make... and yes, there will be at least a tear or two shed over that one).

I'm sure I'll have plenty to blog about next week between all the food, gifts, cake, pie, more food, more pie, beer and who knows what else. We even took today off of work to enjoy it. We never take the same day off from work unless we're travelling or something. Here's to a great weekend. :)

 

PS: If you've stumbled over from Jenni or Kelly's blogs today, WELCOME! I'm fun, I promise. And the pup is always cute, so there's that. And while I owe my faithful readers a recipe or five... I do like to cook. So I'll humor you, entertain you and feed you. How's that for service?!

_____________________

This time last year: 

• Happy Birthday to the Hubs!
• Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Peppers and Onions

 

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{etsy} halloween finds that don't suck

Halloween Spider Decals $5 // Creepy Halloween Garland $15.50 // Huge Zombie Halloween Decoration $40 // Halloween Banner $24 // Pumpkin Teeth $6.99 // Halloween Button $2.75   

 

Truth be told, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that it's the second half of October. Already.

I'm going to need this ride to slow down a little bit. It's my most favorite time of year! I'm going to blink and it's going to be 3,000 degrees outside again!

This time of year brings out the Etsy shopper in me. And I won't even try to hide the fact that I wish I'd thought of making buttons that say, "This is my costume." Seriously. Best idea ever.

So do yourselves a favor and make the most of the first holiday this season. Do something fun. Stick some ridiculous teeth on a pumpkin. Slap some ridiculous spider decals on the toilet and scare your significant other to death.

It's Halloween. Channel your inner child and stuff.

 

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{life} the anatomy of a lunch break

Over the years, I've learned to appreciate and value my lunch breaks. If I could give them a big fat bear hug, I'd do it in a heart beat.

Why?

Because sometimes (okay, a lot of times), you just need to step away from the computer. Seriously.

When I first got out of undergrad, I found myself working through many a lunch break. Sandwich in one hand, phone in the other. Over time, I grew to be a very bitter, very irritable and very unstable co-worker.

All work and no play make Julie a dull girl.

Fast forward almost a decade (which I find entirely too difficult to believe), and I force myself to take my lunch breaks. They're my time.

I make it a point to do something for me doing my lunch breaks -- go to the gym, go outside just so I can remember what it's like to be in the sun, pull out my personal laptop and tether some righteous interwebs from my iPhone so I can get some blogging in. That hour? It's for me.

It's taken some doing, but I've more or less learned how to block all things work-related out of my head during this time. I still find myself on the treadmill checking my Blackberry on occasion, but I'm getting better about it. Some day I have this crazy goal of leaving the Blackberry at my desk during lunch. Insanity. I know.

There's no question that taking some "me time" out of my work day has helped keep my sanity (more or less) in check. I have to remember to dial it down and remember that life happens whether I have time to focus on it or not -- so even if I have to spend the time scheduling hair and doctor appointments, it's still about me. Not work. Go Team Julie.

 

What does your lunch break look like? Do you take the time to focus on you?

 

_____________________

This time last year: 

• Cream Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Chicken

 

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