2010 in Review

2011 is right around the corner- literally! One more week and it will be a new year. 2010 has been an amazing year for me. Sad to see it end, but really excited to see what 2011 has in store for me!

*January: My assignment at Portafab Corporation is extended. Mark turns 26. I take my first session of Zumba- love it love it! Lose a great friend: Tom Meyers Jr. Spend a few days in the hospital thanks to gastritous (all better now).

*February: Loki celebrates her 4th birthday on the 8th! Attend Jenny's Baby Shower. Enjoy the fact that my assignment w/ Kelly Temps at Portafab has been extended yet again.

*March: Portafab hires me on! 2 days later I get a new car. I make my biggest purchase to date: a 2010 Ford Escape in Sangria Red. I call her Ruby! Enjoy time w/ friend Sarah (who lives in Cali) when she visits St. Louis by getting our nails done. Get to meet her beautiful daughter, Hayden for the fist time.

*April: Froggiegirl & Gimlet (aka Jenny & Tom) welcome their beautiful daughter Jillian Nicole into the world on April 5th. I get to meet her a few weeks later. I attended a wonderful sectionals held by Alpha Phi at Washington University.

*May: I turn 28 on the 5th. EMAA holds a meeting at Ted Drews where I become the Vice President.

*June: EMAA holds a great bbq. Jillian is baptised on the 5th, and a party is held in her honor at the Kyle house. Get to spend more time w/ Jillain :) Attend a baseball game w/ JR. Start taking Pilates w/ mom and friends

*July: Pilates finishes up at the end of the month :( See Titantic at the Muny w/ Amy Rose & her mother. Start up Zumba again. Slip and fall, landing on my knee after a drs appt at St. Clares- end up dropping Zumba :( Parents leave for annual gambling trip next day.

*August: Dad celebrates his 61st birthday. Mom and dad take a road trip to the Smokey Mountains. Parents celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary! Attend a Cards/ Cubs game w/ Dad.

*September: Mom celebrates her 39th birthday (she began counting backwards once she hit the big 5-0). Mom & I check out the Hispanic Heritage Festival downtown, plan on making it a yearly tradition. Attend my 3rd (and last) Cardinal game w/ a friend, Michael Mulqueeny. Cards (finally) win (they had lost the other games I had attended)

*October: Hispanic Heritage Month!! I attend my first Taste of St. Louis w/ Jennifer Francis & Friends. Take care of the Kyle's Chinchillas as they take a roadtrip to Chicago for a wedding. Hang out w/ Erin & Kelly at Erin's new apartment and celebrate their birthday- get to see some friends I haven't seen in a while. Friends Veronica & Kyle celebrate their 2nd wedding anniversary.

* November: Celebrate Jenny's b-day at Chipotle w/ friends. Start attending weekly meetings for my chapter, Sigma Alpha. Participated in SIUE's Fall Service Day. Participated in Scouting for Food Collection Day. Attend Guns 'n' Hoses (Cops vs Firefighters) Boxing Match w/ JR. Experience a white Thanksgiving (we only got a dusting but it was pretty). Enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving w/ my family. Grateful for another year together and yummy food.

* December: More snow fell on St. Louis on December 12th. Experience the shortest elections in a long while with Sigma Alpha. Mark falls and breaks his elbow, and has surgery (doing fantastic). Enjoy a lovely evening at Zia's w/ EMAA. Then enjoy Tilles Park's Winter Wonderland w/ Andy K, Sonalee, and Stephanie. Mom recieves the Vigil Award for Order of the Arrow (the highest award). Possibly going to enjoy a white Christmas. Enjoying my first real vacation in four years. Going to fly on a plane for the first time in 4 years on the 27th- super exciting. Flying to Atlanta, GA to attend my 2nd National Convention for my Fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega.

Nationals 2010- Atlanta, GA

Nationals are 5 days away. In 5 days I will take my first flight in 4 years! I am soo excited! Dad got my suitcase down from the attic. Took awhile to find it. We looked in the attic, found mom's which is similar to mine, looked downstaris, and then looked in the attic again and found it. It was partially covered by a white trashbag. Why? I don't know. I have my luggage tag and ribbons on it. I also put a ribbon and luggage tag on my laptop bag which is my carry-on. Went out this afternoon with dad to complete his Christmas shopping; people were insane! They were not at all in the Christmas spirit. It was all me, me, me! Cars would block the intersection just so they wouldn't have to wait for the next light. The shopping areas were nuts. Apparently everyone is out and about today getting those last items. Snow is coming- we might have a white Christmas! They are saying that we will get anywhere from 2 to 4 inches. All I care is that Sunday afternoon (when I get my nails done) and Monday morning (when mom & dad take me to the airport) the roads are nice and clear!
Christmas Eve is t/m. Where has the time gone?! Here is some stuff that has occured since I last blogged:
* Congress passed the (much needed) Bush Tax cuts and Obama signed it into law.
* Congress also passed the DADT (Don't Ask, Don't Tell) Bill. Finally!
* I have unofficially been working at Portafab Corporation for a year. This time last year I was working as a temp and praying my assignment would get extended. March 1st will be my year anniversary there! I love my work! My co-workers are really nice and I like going into work everyday. Although by the time 4:30 rolls around I am ready to go home! I am extremly grateful for my job. Portafab is closed today and t/m (of course), and then closed again on the 30th & 31st. Thanks to my job, I am able to take my first vacation in 4 years. My first day of vacation started off wonderful- I slept til noonish :) Monday morning I fly to Atlanta and return to St. Louis on January 1st.
* Last Wed, we got a glazing of ice. This made our driveway a skating rink, and unfortunately my brother discovered this when he slipped and fell and broke his elbow. Mark had surgery yesterday morning and it went great. He is doing really well. I am suprised by how well he is doing- he is actually out with a friend! Instead of a hard cast his arm is wrapped in an ace-bandage which allows him to move his elbow. Suprisingly the more he moves his elbow, the better. So his recovery should be a lot shorter than we orginally thought. Which would be fantastic!

Atlanta or Bust!

Yesterday I officially registered for Alpha Phi Omega's National Convention. This time Nationals is taking place in Atlanta, GA! Today I got the official word that I have the 3 days off I needed to attend Nationals. Nationals goes from Dec. 27th- 30th. My company is closed on the day before New Year's Eve and of course on New Year's eve. So I am going to Atlanta!! This will be my second National Convention. I attended the 2004 National Convention in Denver, CO. An extra perk about Nationals in Denver, was that my uncle Milton lives in Denver. I had the opportunity to see my Uncle, my Aunt Angie, and my cousin Duke for the first time in over a decade. I had a great time at Nationals, I served as the voting delegate for my chapter, I got to see family and ring in the new year surrounded by hundreds of brothers. Normally, I have no clue what I am doing for New Year's until a few days before. This year I know what I'm doing, I will be surrounded by my brothers! Now I don't have family (blood family that is) in Atlanta, but I will have my brothers. I am sooo excited about this. I can't wait to go! I don't want to wish away the time, but I want to go now! I am going as an alumna, so not sure what my role will be. I know I will be volunteering to help out in whatever capacity I am needed. I am definately volunteering for "security patrol". It was called 'Ski Patrol' in Denver. Basically, its brothers patrolling the hallways of the hotels and keeping the peace. Doing things so the hotel doesn't have to worry about it and so we won't upset other visitors. Each shift is two hours long. When I volunteered I got to wander around 3 floors with two other guys talking/joking on the walkie-talkies with other brothers who were on different floors. I remember one brother reporting that an ice machine was leaking and there was a small puddle on the floor. We started trading jokes about it...a tiny puddle became a giant lake within minutes as we asked the brother if he needed a boat to get accross it. It was very funny. The shift was 10 to midnight and we needed something to keep us awake. Not all of us broke up parties. I look forward to seeing brothers I haven't seen in a while, meeting new brothers, and having a great time! Atlanta watch out! Alpha Phi Omega is coming and we are going to rock the city!!

My Heritage Part 2

Okay so now everyone knows I am Hispanic: Puerto Rican to be exact. The large part of my heritage is German ancestry. I am half German, I've never really looked into this side of my heritage b/c I don't feel the pull towards it like I do with my Puerto Rican heritage. I chose to learn Spanish in an effort to get closer to my roots. Another reason I didn't chose German: it doesn't sound as romantic as Spanish does. Some people may beg to differ but that was my reason, German has harsh sounds and is more guttural. Spanish flows and is kinda musical. Both of my parents have German heritage; Mom's mom was German (not sure on the percentage but she had a very German last name) and my grandma (dad's mom) was of German descent. Not sure about Grandpa- I think he was of German descent. Abuelo Milton (mom's dad) is my Puerto Rican connection. I know my dad's side of the family has been in the United States since before the 1900's as my grandmother was born in 1911 and always talked about her dad in his odd jobs, she never talked about him talking about where he was from. My great-grandfather had a lot of odd jobs; he sold fruit, he sold ice, he even sold cars and some of his customers paid in diamonds! Some of the diamonds went into my grandmother's wedding ring. When I was a teenager, my grandmother decided to break up the diamonds in the wedding ring and give each of her grandchildren one. My brother and I received diamonds which were turned into necklaces. My three cousins; Heather, Holly, and Heidi received diamond earrings. For the moment my mother has my brother's diamond. I wear the necklace on special occasions, its very special. Another item that I have of my grandmothers that I absolutely love is her opal ring. It is a small blue opal in a classic high set ring. This ring is more precious to me than I could describe. A friend found this ring while we were moving grandma out of her assisted living home. She found this opal mixed in with all of grandma's costume jewelery. Unlike the other jewelery or items my grandmother gave me, we don't know the back story on it. She didn't even know that we found it and that I started wearing it. Note, I did not steal this from her, her memory was fading due to dementia and Alzheimer's. Her short term memory was gone, so even if we told her she wouldn't remember. I know she would want me to have it, grandma was a very kind, loving person and wanted to make me and my family happy. She liked giving us little gifts. One time she gave me a ring that her father gave her upon her graduation from 8th grade, the completion of her education). The ring is a black rectangle (not sure of the stone), with a tiny diamond (I think) in the center. I felt really special when she gave it to me, and loved hearing her tell me the story behind it. I loved all of my grandma's stories; she told us all about growing up, stories about my dad when he was a kid. She had an exceptional memory, even when she got Alzheimer's, her long term memory was as good as it was a few years before the disease set in.
I am a mix of nationalities; German, Puerto Rican, English, and French. Those four we are certain of. We know of the English blood because we found a Noel family crest when we visited England. French because our last name is Christmas in French. Other than that I don't know. Maybe one day I will really delve deep into my heritage and get more details, when I have the time and the money. For now, I think I will settle for hearing stories about my family; both sides; the German and the Puerto Rican side.

My Heritage- Part 1

Just looking at me with my golden blonde hair and green eyes (and not knowing me) you wouldn't believe me if I told you I am Hispanic. However I am. I am 25% Puerto Rican to be exact and extremly proud of my heritage. I am half German, and the other 25% is a mix of English and French. English because we found a Noel family crest in England, and French as Noel is Christmas in French. My mother's maiden name is Gonzales. Here is the story behind my unique heritage:

In December of 1929, mi bisabuela Florence Ernest (for whom I am named) (great-great grandmother) moved her husband, her daughter Iris- who was pregnant with my grandfater, and Iris's two sons (Charles and Cecil) from Puerto Rico (where exactly in Puerto Rico we are not sure- we think San Jaun which is the capital city) to New York, New York. They came in through Ellis Island where Iris's last name was changed from Gonzalez to Gonzales. Why we don't know, this is what my grandfather (Pop) told my mom. In January 1930, my grandfather Milton Selvin Gonzales was born. Upon entering the U.S. mi bisabuela said "We are in America now, we speak English" and that was it. No more talk of Puerto Rico or anything. Back then, it wasn't like it is now; where you tell everyone where you are from and are proud of it. In the 1930's everyone just wanted to blend in and be accepted. Most people didn't even know what a Puerto Rican was (take for example my paternal grandfather, Red). The jobs for Puerto Ricans were few and did not pay a lot, but they were jobs and they supported the family. Mi bisabuela was the matriarch of her family and was a very great lady. To me, she is very inspiring. She had the guts to move her family from everything they knew to a place where they knew nothing and didn't fit it. She did it because she wanted a better life for them. My mother was named for her; in fact at first Pop thought mom's name was Florence Jacqueline not Jacqueline Florence as it is- he was very excited to tell his abuela that his daughter was named after her. Mom named me for her as well; Jennifer Florence. One day if I am blessed to have a daughter her middle name will be Florence (not negotiable- its tradition). At first I didn't like it because it was long and different from everyone else's (ex- Jennifer Marie, Jennifer Ann, etc). By high school I realized how unique and special it is and now take pride in its uniqueness.

Times have changed and now if you hail from a different land, you make sure everyone knows it and take pride in it. I am extremly proud of my heritage and one day I hope to learn more about my roots. I learned Spanish in an effort to get closer to it and understand it better.

Loki!

I haven't blogged about my puppy (dog really as she is 4 but she still acts like she is 3 months old!) Loki in forever, so I thought I would share some updates about her (in an effort to blog more too). As I said before, Loki is now 4 and will be 5 in February- wait I don't want to even think about that one! Loki is still the same rambuctious animal she was when we first got her, although her manners have improved greatly. She listens better (she still has her moments), isn't a complete goober brain all the time. Loki is still nuts about swimming and retrieving. She isn't as enthusiastic about a tennis ball as she is about her retriever. She still has endless amounts of energy. She does have a bad habit of barking a lot when someone comes to the door. Mom likes it b/c then ppl know we have a big dog in the house. I like the intial barking, then I'm ready for her to shut up. Lately, Loki has decided that 9-9:30ish pm is bedtime, and will trot off to my room where she sleeps. She will nudge my door open (if she can) and then flop on the floor and snooze. If she can't open my door, she comes back to the living room with her sad eyes until you open the door or she lays back down in the living room. Last night I went to my room to put something away and I told Loki "bedtime" she got right up and pranced right to my room. Loki has gotten used to riding in my new car- the first time she wasn't so sure b/c of the different smells, but now she is golden. She gets in and takes a nap. I always put a blanket over the back seat to prevent fur getting on my seats. I have noticed recently that she won't come out of the car until you invite her out or give her permission, which is great. That way I can have a hold of her leash, so that when she gets out she won't run in front of anyone unexpectedly. She still has her moments when we wonder if her obedience training even sunk in, but for the most part she is good. She is 62 lbs of solid musle,not an ounce of fat on her. The vet is very happy with her health, and is impressed by her muscle tone. This is a big difference from our last lab, Shadow, who was overweight at 100 lbs and healthy but still some fat at 90 lbs. Loki we have maintained her weight b/c it is far easier to maintain her weight than get her to lose it. Labs are notorious over eaters and will eat anthing in site so its important to make sure they eat the right amount. I love it when we go to the vet and hear that we are doing every thing right. Makes me feel like a better owner :) That's all for the Loki report as of now. Stay tuned, as I'm sure I'll have more Loki Adventures! -cheesy I know, but hey I gotta have fun :)

Hispanic Heritage

As many of you are unaware October is Hispanic Heritage Month. As I am Puerto Rican, and I want this month to be well known, I am going to be posting stuff about Hispanics/Latinos and other related Hispanic information. I want to spread awareness of this month. Hopefully I won't annoy anyone although if I do feel free to block my statuses for the month of October b/c the majority of my tweets and status updates will be about Hispanic Heritage.
This past Sunday, mom and I went to Soldier's Memorial Park off of 14th and Market for the Hispanic Heritage Festival. We had plans to go Saturday night as we figured when a lot of the bands and salsa music would be played. However, I caught mom's cold and was not in shape to go. So we went Sunday, and our first thing to do: find food. We were starving! So we found Rice and beans with beef and plantains (arroz y frijoles con ropa de viega y platanos) from a Cuban stand. It was sooo good (muy sabroso). We split the plate and listened to some band and then later a girl singing Selena songs (I love Selena and this girl had a great voice). Later we found a Nicaraguan stand and got a Spinich Empanada (Empanada con espinca) and split that...oh that was yummy. For dessert we had tres leches (3 milks) with strawberries. Once we had eaten, we listened to some music and checked out the booths. It was a good festival and we are going to make it a yearly tradition as the festival is yearly. This was our second time and the festivals 5th year. The first year dad went with us, this year he was too tired to go. Otherwise he would have gone as he loves Hispanic food and the culture. Yesterday when I got home from work, mom suprised me by making a Puerto Rican dish- Arroz con pollo (chicken with rice). It was sooo good. She has a family recipe but this particular one is from my Latina magazine that I get monthly. We have lots of leftovers which is great. Next dish I am wanting is Red rice and beans (Arroz y frijoles rojos)- another Puerto Rican recipes of mom's that she got from her family when she lived in New York. Now I know, Arroz con Pollo and Rice and beans is not soley a Puerto Rican dish, they are common all over Latin America; I first had Arroz con Pollo when I was a foreign exchange student in Costa Rica. I lived off of Arroz con Pollo y elote (corn)! Every meal was Arroz con Pollo y elote y Fanta (the best orange soda ever). However each country adds their own spin to the dish, which makes each dish unique. It is mid September, (scary!) yet October is right around the corner and I am ready for Hispanic Heritage month! I will use this to blog more often...as I have been slacking in that area.

North Pointe Aquatic Center

Today I finally visited the North Pointe Aquatic Center in Ballwin. It has a lazy river that goes around the majority of the complex. It sooo relaxing and doesn't move too fast or too slow. There are two pools, one is a kiddie pool that has a "beach" where you can ease into the water. Then there is a big pool that boasts two diving boards, two lap lanes, an Aquaclimb where climbers can climb a slanted wall and if they reach the top they can fall/jump back into the water. There was also a rope swing. There are two big slides; one dark (covered) and one open. I did the dark slide and it was awesome! For the kiddies there is a pretty nice splash ground and a kiddie area. The kiddie area has a tower w/ two slides a bucket on top that spills when it fills up and other fun things to entertain the little ones. There are lockers available however the center does not provide locks. I had a lot of fun floating in the lazy river and treading water in the big pool. I didn't bring a lock, I had my back pack which I thought would be fine however I was right next to the lazy river and it got splashed and my clothes got really wet. So next time I will bring a lock; that way I don't have to worry about my stuff or worry about wet clothes. There is also a cafe that provides the usual fare; burgers, dogs, chips, soda, etc etc... The shower/dressing room has three private showers and three open shower heads. There are no benches and only 4 things to hang stuff from. Hot water is non existant, the best is luke warm, however there is nice pressure. There are three changing rooms where there is a bench. That was nice. I normally go to the Riverchase Complex in Fenton, however it is closed until Tuesday for major cleaning. That provided the perfect excuse for me to explore a new pool. If it wasn't so expensive $7 a person I would go a lot. Now a comparrison:
Pluses for North Pointe: Awesome lazy river, aqua climb, rope swing, big kiddie play area, spash ground, two slides, Life guards Very attentive!
Negatives: Price, lack of hot water, lack of benches, lack of privacy (in the shower house), lack of locks, Open only Memorial Day through Labor day

Pluses for Riverchase: Has an indoor and outdoor pool w/ two kiddie play areas, has a nice hot tub, great pressure and lots of hot water in showers. Lockerroom is nice and spacious/ and private with electrical outlets so you can hook up a hairdryer. Locks are provided. Also there is a machine in the locker room that drys your suit- really neat. Indoor pool open year round.
Negatives: Lazy river is a joke, scratch that there is no lazy river, Price ($7 a person although they are advertising a new discount for 63026 residents-aka me), life gaurds are airheads w/ no authority and too worried about ruining their hair or getting their clothes wet to provide adequate protection ( I do not trust those gaurds!)

All in all, I really enjoyed my time at North Pointe and will definately be visiting again soon (I hope).

Jenny goes Ka-boom!

Okay I have been getting some questions as to why I'm on crutches and what happened. So here goes:

Friday morning I went to the doctor at St. Clares Hospital for an appt and to turn in some papework for medical bills. After my doc appt and getting even more paperwork, mom and I headed back to my car. Mom is helping me w/ the bills and paperwork, and thank God she was with me then! It was raining and mom and I were joking that we were going to shrink b/c we were getting wet. I was about a foot from the drivers door when I slipped. Long story short my left knee hit the ground first and hit the hardest. Falling and landing on my knees has been a nightmare scenario for me for a while now. I was in shock when I got up from my fall. Thank God for my mother- she ran and got me a wheelchair and convinced me to check into the ER. A cop took a report of the accident b/c I fell on the hospital parking lot. He took pics of my torn up knees and my dirty shoes (now covered in mud thanks to my fall). Once in the ER, they cleaned up my left knee, took some X-rays, and gave me some pain meds. I wasn't in real pain until we were waiting to get checked out. I opted to have my knee wrapped instead of an imobilizer b/c I just bruised it, I don't think I tore anything. Thanks to my lack of grace I had to call in to work late, then after some convincing from momma I called and said I wasn't coming in. As we were leaving (I think I was starting to feel the effects of the meds) I was asking mom if we could still go to my eye doc appt (which I had to cancel when I fell). I ended up taking a long nap when I got home. I was (and still am) upset about dirting up my cute red tennis shoes (I had just washed them the week before).
Right now I am home icing both my knees b/c the right one is protesting after having to have all my weight on it. I had to replace the pads on the crutches as the old ones were practically falling apart. So now I have new pads on the crutches which I may or may not use when I go into work t/m. I will more than likely be missing Zumba again (booo!) thanks to this. The first 24 hours sucked. My knee is feeling better and I've done some walking w/o the crutches, little unsteady but doing okay. So I'm feeling alright and am recovering nicely. I am trying to rest...not easy as I don't like to admit that I need help or take it easy.

Pilates/ Zumba

As many of you know (or may not know) I have been taking Pilates classes throughout June and July. My last class is this Wed :( I really love Pilates. It is a gentle workout, you don't really feel like you are working out but you feel it later. I have improved my flexibility and the strength in my core (stomach). Another plus of this class is that I feel better about myself b/c I am more comfortable with my body. I am in better shape and better for it. I am definitely signing up for fall classes as this is something I want to continue. I can do a lot of these exercises at home; I bought a little toy ball for a workout tool. Only problem is that my dog thinks its for her. So I have to hide the ball when I'm using it. I am taking Pilates through St. Louis Community College Continuing Education. Right now we are at the South County Center. The instructors name is Kat and the classes are on Monday or Wed ( I go on Mondays) at 6:30 pm. The fall classes will be at Mehlville HS ( I think).
I also started a new session of Zumba; I started doing this last winter, but due to health complications and a hospitalization (I'm better now) I was unable to continue. So I have started it up again, as it is soo much fun. I've attended two of three classes (I skipped last week as my knees were really hurting). I love how I feel after the class. Parking has been a bit of a nightmare as the place where I take Zumba (Riverchase RexPlex) also has a summer swim team and they have hosted some meets. This creates a big problem; even though they open up a place for ppl to park on the grass, a lot of people think they are too good for that and create their own spots. Never mind that these spots are illegal and create potentially dangerous situations. Last time there was supposedly a cop out in front. I hope every single driver who parked illegally got a ticket.
Overall I am healthier and happier. These classes also provide a nice escape from the daily stress of life.

Products I love!!

Sometimes I run accross a product that I absolutely love and just have to share with others. A lot of the products are name brand- I usually buy them on sale or use coupons. I hate paying full price.

Deep Water Bath by Better Bath
This gadget I am absolutely in love with!! You place it over the overflow drain on your bathtub and you are able to get a few more inches of water in the bathtub. Hence deeper water :) I love taking long hot bubble baths. This is my ultimate de-stresser. Now I can get the water up to my ears. The product advertises that not only does allow inches more water, the water stays hotter longer. I'm a bit skeptical of this...however in according to physics (yes I'm using physics) the larger the body of water it is the longer it takes to heat up or cool down. So since you are able to add more water, it takes longer for the water to cool down.

Aromatherapy Luxery Bath in Lavender Chamomile by Bath and Body Works
I love, love, love this bubble bath! It is a very soothing refreshing scent and creates amazing bubbles that last a long time. At little bit creates a ton of bubbles! Right now Bath and Body works is having their Yellow Sale- where everything is on sale and all aromatherapy items are buy 2 and get 2 free! The only downside to this product is that it is in a glass bottle, other than that its amazing!

Pantene Nature Fusion Moisture Balance Conditioner
This stuff is amazing. It smells clean; not a floral scent. It aslo leaves my hair shiny and soft. Very happy with this product!

Haircare
Bed Head TIGI Maxxed Out Hairspray-It has amazing hold & smells like grapefruit. no helmet hair feel. I bought new hairspray sometime last spring and two hairsprays were packaged together (buy one, get one free deal). Just finishing up the first bottle, so the product lasts a long time.

Garnier Fructis- Fiber Gum I use this stuff to hold my part and add some volume and texture to my hair. I love the fresh semi fruity smell. It also helps against frizz and helps hold your style. I just use a tiny bit and it goes a long way- I've had the original container for over a year now.

Fekkai Glossing Creme-I put this in my hair before I dry it. Cuts down on the frizz big time! Gives hair a smoother texture. Again a little bit goes a long way- you just use the amount of a pea. Lasts a long time so its worth the price. Of course having coupons for Bath and Body works helps a lot too! Especially those buy one item and get a 10 dollar item free! I love those coupons!

Eyes
Opti-Free Replenish Contact Solution-My eye doctor got me hooked on this. I just put my contacts in this solution and they are clean. Last year I got a ton of samples from my eye doctor so I haven't had to purchase this stuff in over a year!! Also, if you do buy these most of the time inside or on the box its in there is a coupon for a dollar or so off the next purchase.

Blink Eyedrops-I got this sample from my eye doctor and the past few weeks I have been very grateful for these! My allergies have been acting up (thanks to an outrageous mold count), and these drops help stop my eyes from feeling on fire. This is particulary great b/c its sensitive enough that I can use it w/ and w/o contacts.

Beauty/ Cleansers
Olay Daily Facials Express Wet Cleansing Colths (Sensative skin)-My mom and I use this to take our makeup off at the end of the day. It gently removes all the makeup and dirt accumulated during the day. We prefer the sensitive skin formula b/c my skin is extremly senstive- all of my face wash stuff has to be sensitve otherwise I break out. Your face feels clean and fresh after using them.

Clinique- 3 step-I love Clinique- personally I think they make the best makeup. They also have a really good skin care line. I have been using this for years and am very happy with the results. My skin is clean and clear. The Dramatically different face lotion has been ranked consumers fave face moisturizer for 5 years in a row! The main reason I love clinique so much is b/c it works with my sensitive skin. I've tried other products and they have caused rashes or break outs.

Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser- just switched to this for the winter, love how my face feels "cool" after using it.
Clean & Clear- Morning Burst- My other face wash- like it b/c it wakes me up (could be the shock of water on my face) and its sensitve enough for me.
St. Ives Apricot Skin (gentle)- I use this exfoliater once a week, really cleans my face and gets rid of dead, and dry skin. Again my skin likes this.

Milk-Bone Dog Biscuits- Loki loves these! We usually get no name brand, but then I found out that Milk-Bone donates a percentage of their profits to an organization that helps pair people with helper animals. So we alternate b/t no name and Milk-Bone (Loki doesn't know nor does she care).

and finally:
QuikTrip - how could I not include this?! I love QT- this is the only place I go for gas. Their stations are always well lit, clean and the workers are very friendly. Plus I love their 32 oz fountain drinks :)

For those of you who read the entire blog: thank you- hope it wasn't too boring and helps you out; giving you new products to try or a good laugh.

Change it up

Okay so blogger made some changes to refresh and enable users to personalize their blogs more (probably a long time ago so I'm a little behind but whatever). So I have made some changes. I changed my background, the text, and the color. I also added a few gadgets- my latest twitter postings and the weather forecast (I'm a weather nut like my momma). They made it super easy to do these changes too! Previously I had my friend, froggiegirl (the web guru) make my blog look cool. Now I am able to do it. Although froggiegirl's blog looks snazzier, I like my changes :)

All in a Day's Work

After a lazy start to the weekend; I sleept 'til about 11:30 AM, I suddenly got motivated. So I donned my bikini and washed my car. Not only did I wash it, I cleaned all the windows, and vaccumed it. Then since I was on a roll and wanted more sun (I did put sunscreen on) I washed my mom's car. I gave it the same treatment as mine; it is now clean inside and out. I also frebreezed her car. My car still has the new car smell and I like it so I didn't febreeze mine. After cleaning up outside, and putting both cars in the garage -bring it on rain- my cars will stay clean! :) I continued laundry-which I had been doing while cleaning the cars- I am a multitasker! :) I made my bed, then vaccumed the living room, the office, my room and Loki's bed. Loki even helped; for those of you who are wondering "How did the dog help?!" Loki's version of helping translates to following me around everywhere, getting in my way, and trying to trip me up. Loki did not help wash the cars. Loki loves water, and since she just got groomed on Wed, I so didn't feel like washing the dog and then dealing w/ wet puppy. So now the house is clean. The last load of laundry (excluding the whites which I will bleach t/m) is in the washer and I have tri colored rotini noodles on the stove for the Pasta Salad I am making. Loki was such a good dog, she waited patiently for both her meals today- first she let me sleep in (thank you- I apparently needed it) and then she let me clean and then feed her. Now she has her cow- Frankenmoo and is squeaking him while trotting around the house. Now she is showing her towel who is boss- yea Loki take it out on the towel... I have to go out later and get broccoli and cauliflower. I am feeling the after effects of cleaning 2 cars and the house.. I am tired but happy. I feel accomplished. I love how I feel when the house is clean- plus it looks good. Leftover Yellow Chicken and rice for dinner and then I'll hit the grocery store. It's all in a days work! I love the weekend! Normally I would clean on Sunday's but as I have a baptism to go to and then the after party, I won't get a chance, so I took advantage of the sun.

Personalized Plates

One of the things I wanted to do when I got a new car was to get personalized plates. I decided to get Cardinals plates, as I am an avid baseball fan. So I submitted the forms and necessary paperwork and so forth. My first choice was Bear82- combining the nickname given to me by my father when I was 5 seconds old and my birth year. If I couldn't get that I chose JOSO82- Oso is Spanish for bear, so it would have been (in english) JBear82. My third choice (and ultimaley the one I got as the other two are taken-boo) was 82Bear. I have also put up Birds on the Bat decals on the back two windows, a Darwin decal and a Cardinals atena ball. All that is missing is my APO sticker...had one but lost it (after I put it in a safe place so I wouldn't do that). So I have to order the one I want off the National website. I have had my car for 3 months now, and I am loving it! I love sitting higher up and feeling more secure. Almost 3000 miles on it (probally will have that by June). One thing I don't like about my new SUV: paying the monthly bill. Le sigh, such is the price of a new toy.

My new Car

I have a new car!! Last night, I bought my very first car! I am now the proud owner of a 2010 Sangria Red Ford Escape!
I didn't tell anyone about the possiblilty of getting a new car b/c I wasn't sure it was going to turn out like this. So I kept quiet about it. Here is the deal, we played a game of musical cars. My brother's car (which was my mother's originally) was a 1999 Chevy Cavalier and on its last legs. So we traded in the 99 Cavalier and my brother now has my 2000 Chevy Cavalier. So now I own a SUV, which I've been dreaming about for a few years now- one of my dreams came true!
My Escape has keyless entry (a pointy- clicky thing as I call it)- a first for me, power windows and locks-again a first for me, a sunroof (one of my must haves), solar tinted back windows (standard if you can believe that), and an iPod jack (again standard!). For me this car has everything I wanted. I am shocked that I now own a Ford (after years of badmouthing Ford). I was shocked by the things that are now standard on cars. So the only thing I got on my SUV that isn't standard is the sunroof. I got my SUV at Dave Sinclair Ford- I highly recommend them. They found the red, dark interior, SUV w/ a sunroof- exactly what I wanted. Even tho the day I came out to look, they couldn't find it. They looked for an hour and still no SUV. Apparently my SUV was in the body shop! The mileage on the SUV when I got it was 22.2- 2 is my fave number so I took it as a sign that it was meant to be!
Other relevant news: I got a job!! I work part time (for now, could gain more hrs later) as an Admin Asst at Portafab Corporation in Chesterfield. The company is really good and the employees are awesome. The drive is nice, and I know back roads in case the highways are bad. The back roads mean a longer drive, but its more peaceful.
So far 2010 is appearing to be my year. It is only the 3rd month and I have a job, and a new car. I wonder what else is in store for me this year. I am hopefull that I have more good things coming to me.

Twitter and other updates

*Okay so I am officially entering the 21st Century....I am going to start texting and tweeting. Aye! I found out I can upgrade my phone so I will upgrade my plan upon getting my new phone. I am highly suprised that I haven't had any major probs with this one. I will miss my red phone. Le sigh, but hey I have a red iPod so it's all good.
*Missed another Zumba class due to my stomach. I am going to attend my last class next Tuesday and then instead of signing up again as planned I am taking a break until my stomach and gastritus are under control. This makes sense as I don't want to waste money on classes I am unable to attend. I'm not happy about making this decision but sometimes you have to be an adult and make decisions like this. Once my stomach is back to normal I will sign up again, as I love Zumba.
*The water is starting to call me. I want to go swimming soo bad, but with my stomach I can't. Hopefully I will feel good enough this weekend to hit the pool and do some laps... I can use my new goggles (I broke down and bought new ones a few months ago- the old ones had scratches and were begining to leak-so yea I had to get new ones). Gotta remember to bring a bottle of water and my pull bouy.
*Baseball season is around the corner!!!! Pitchers and catchers reported to Jupiter this Monday :) I can't wait for the season to start. Thank goodness for the Olympics which allows me to get my sports fix. Otherwise I'd be going batty or watch hockey....which I'm not to fond of. The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to have a good team this year. As long as our players stay healthy I think they stand a chance. As always I hope they win lots of games and for the Chicago Cubs to lose lots of games and NOT win the World Series...hehehe.
*Speaking of the Olympics, I have been highly entertained. My favorite moments so far have been watching Apolo Ohno on Short Track and watching Shawn White decimate the field on the Snowboard Half-pipe. Shawn White's first run in the finals was amazing, he got massive air and landed all of his tricks clean. Then his second run, which was his "victory" lap as he knew he had the gold before he snowbaorded, was even better. He did his new trick which was soo cool. The thing I like about Short track is how fast they can go and then how they defy gravity by nearly getting horizontal to the ice. Of course, the ability to skate fast is impressive to me as I can't ice skate. I prefer to be in the water, than on the water. So go Team USA!!

Zumba Week 5

No, I didn't slack off and not blog about week 4. I didn't make it to week 4. I didn't make it because I was sick/ still recovering from my bout with gastritus. Gastritus is where everything in the stomach is inflamed. I ended up going to St. Clare's ER)Thursday night (Jan 21) for shortness of breath and nausea. I ended up being admitted to the hospital, got up to my room (a private suite!) a little after midnight. I was released around 4 on Saturday. Unfortunately, I missed Friday's work b/c I was in the hospital, thankfully my employer understood. Long story short: I am all right, and am doing better.
Okay now to Zumba. Well the class I missed last week, two new songs w/ new moves were added. Lucky for me I pick up choreography pretty fast, so I had few problems with the new routines. My fave songs were still there. I had a lot of fun even tho the class worked me over big time b/c my energy level is still not at 100%. Only 3 more classes left :( I am definately signing up for up for another class. Our Zumba instructor told us that she is being certified in AquaZumba, which is Zumba in the water and that Riverchase (where I take Zumba) is interested!! So AquaZumba might be featured there around May or June!! I seriously hope so!

Zumba Week 3

So I was a little late Zumba due to spacing out before class, but I came in before the first song ended. I got an even better work out as I finally caved in and wore my left knee brace. I have a love/hate relationship with knee braces.....I hate wearing them with a passion, but I love the support they provide. Next week the music is changing up a bit, so the routines that I have now got down (minus a few steps) are are going bye-bye. Oh well, I am sure that I will enjoy the new music and new moves. Some I can add to my dance moves :) Tuesdays are definately becoming my favorite days. I get excited on Mondays thinking "Zumba t/m night!!". Tuesdays I am almost dancing around chanting "Zumba, Zumba, Zum-Ba!!! Zumba, Zumba, Zum-Ba!!" . I am definately signing up for another session, I am having soo much fun and want to continue. Plus I love how I feel after class, even though I am all hot and sweaty, I am tired but its a good tired. Also condsidering exercise releases endorphins which makes you happy. Its also a good escape from the "real world" for an hour. Everyone could use that! Come on Tuesday! I want to Zumba again!!

Zumba - Week 2

Well I survived my second class of Zumba. Once again I had a blast and it kicked my butt. Learned some more stuff 1)Bring a larger bottle of water (worked up a big thirst), 2) apparently there is a clock in the room...however it is analog so I can't read it, 3) Still need to get those songs to download. Concentrated more on my abs this time, keeping them contracted and imagining my belly button pushed against my back. So as a result, they are a bit sore. But its a good feeling. I am exhausted, but feel awesome. Tuesdays are becoming my favorite days! I get so excited about class! The class was a lot smaller this time, I'm guessing some ppl thought it was too much. Yes it pushes you but thats what you want. You are supposed to work up a sweat and be tired. I would love it if Zumba was twice a week :) Tuesdays and Thursdays....that would be awesome!! However, I'm going to start swimming on the weekend to get more exercise.

Zumba- Week One

Today was my first Zumba class. For those who don't know, Zumba is a fusion of latin dance moves, hip hop and aerobics. I signed up for an eight week session, and today was class one. I was super excited. Within the first few minutes, I learned the following: 1) bring a water bottle (hydration is muy importante- the instructor kept saying "keep hydrated"), 2) my knees don't like some of the moves, but this will help stregthen them which in the long run is great, 3) you don't really need to get a locker- if you get there early enough you can snag a hook for your coat, 4) my salsa abilities help a little, 5) ditch the watch, time is irrelevant, class ends when class ends (besides I was the only one wearing one), 6) this class is going to kick my butt. So the next class I will definately be bringing a bottle of water- although finding a water bottle might be a problem j/k we have an overflow of water bottles in the house as a few years ago they were all the rage as participation gifts. Between scouts and APO we accumulated quite a few within a short period. The instructor warned us that our legs will be burning t/m morning. I hope so, that means that I'm working hard. I'll just stretch it out. Also, I might have to ge the names of the songs played so I can download them :) some of them I already have. The music is a variety of latin, hip hop, and raggaeton songs. I heard a new Daddy Yankee song- must get this :) I am already thinking of signing up for another session when this is over. It is a lot of fun but a lot of work, within the first ten minutes you are sweating.

Bienvenido a 2010!! (Welcome to 2010)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! FELIZ ANO NUEVO!! 2010 is finally here, 2009 is finally gone! I survived 2009! There were moments this year that tested my strength, but I pulled through! I am sooo excited to start 2010! Every new year people are supposed to come up with new years resolutions...not usually a big fan of that. Didn't come up with one for 09. However, since it is the dawn of a new decade I have decided to make a resolution. I am keeping it simple. Here are my resolutions for 2010
1) Eating healthier- making sure every dinner meal has at least 2 veggies. This has already started and mom is on board so this is a family resoultion. We are also planning out our menu for the week, so we know what we are making each night ahead of time.
2) Making smarter choices. Food wise: switching to whole grain whereever we can. Exercise wise: getting more active- already got a jump start on that. I signed up for Zumba classes at Riverchase. My eight week session starts this Tuesday, Jan 5th. So every Tuesday until Feb 23rd, I will be dancing for an hour. I have always wanted to do this but have always come up with excuses not to. This year I'm not making any excuses, I am doing it! My motivation- the fee I paid for the classes. I paid for the classes so I have to go to get my money's worth. Who knows? Maybe after the first session I will sign up for another one or a different class, just to keep active. We shall see. I also will be taking the dog on more walks. Loki is in great shape and we need to keep her there. It is far easier to keep a Lab at a good weight than try to get them to lose weight.
3) Try not to be so pesimistic. This is my hardest. I will need help on this one. For the past few years I have been pesimistic instead of optimistic. Time for that to change. However, in order for me to achieve this goal I will have to focus on it and have some outside help.
4) Upping my skills in the kitchen: I can cook, but I need more practice and need to expand my repitore. So I am going to take turns with my parents on cooking family meals. As we plan out the weeks meals on Sundays; I will know ahead of time what I will be cooking. Also this will be a big plus when I'm finally out on my own. Mom got a food processor for Christmas, so I will get to learn how to use that too :)
Another thing I will be doing this year is I will blog after my Zumba classes. So heading your way are 8 blogs about my trials and tribulations in Zumba. Should be entertaining, possibly producing some chuckles. Again, we shall see.
Final Thoughts: May your new year be filled with joy, laughter and love. Never take anything for granted, and count your blessings. Try to live each day to the fullest, and appreciate the time you have with your friends and loved ones. So once again Happy New Year!! Feliz Ano Nuevo!! Here's hoping 2010 will be the best year yet!