Zippermend

Have you ever needed to fix your zipper but you didn't know where to begin? Well I did, recently, and found the perfect product for my needs. Just thought I would share! I got mine for about 7 bucks and my wrist-let was back to new in no time!

What's in a Name?

Weird? Personal pet peeve? I don’t care, I am just going to say it.

Don’t name your child Liam, Xander, Kate, Peggy, or any other name that is SHORT FOR SOMETHING ELSE!

Name your child William, Alexander, Katherine, and Margaret. It sounds much more formal and professional on a business card or deed and from there you can come up with a nickname. If you are worried that someone may try to form their own nickname for your child, either let them because it is adorable and you like it, or correct them and they are sure to never do it again. Then, when your child is old enough to think for themselves, they can decide what they want to be called. Isn’t that fair?

My husband is Steven. But people call him Steve AND Steven and one time his mom tried to correct me and say that it was Steven… but by this point he was 30 years old and very able to correct someone for himself. I mostly call him Steven, but he goes by either. I digress…

Regarding this whole issue, the one that gets me the most is naming your kid Tripp or Trey when they are not a III! If your name is, for example, Robert Griffin, III then by all means, feel free to be nicknamed and called Tripp or Trey, but not if you aren’t a third. It is just confusing.

Don’t even get me started on people in the south naming their baby the woman’s weird maiden name… Anderson or Thomas, yes, but do you really want to be named Blackwell, Schultz, or anything Polish? Didn’t think so.

Enough ranting for now. As you were. :)

Charleston's Top 40

Every year the Charleston Regional Business Journal takes nominations for the areas Top 40 people under 40 years of age. This year, my boss nominated me and I got the news yesterday that I was chosen! I am beyond excited for this event. I have wanted to be nominated for a long time, but to my knowledge, this is the first time that it has happened. Congratulations to the 40 under 40 class of 2014! #40CHS

My First Selfie

I was looking through a bunch of old photos to find some for my friend's wedding slideshow and came across what I believe to be one of my first selfies. I took this almost 8 years ago! Where does the time go?

I Heard a Rumor...

...and they say Emma Stone sent a nude selfie. I say, she is still my favorite and who cares?!? The pic does kind of look like her, and you can look it up if you want, but half of her face is covered! The digital age really leaves no privacy, for anyone. How is one supposed to send a naked pic these days? haha I jest, of course, but really, I still love her.

P.S. I love balloons too. :)

Number Pad Woes

Can we just all agree that the number pad needs a comma? Every time I type a number greater than the hundreds, I always have to stop and think, "Now, where is that comma?" Like I've suddenly lost it or something... I would go out on a limb and suggest that they could replace the number lock key with the elusive comma. #firstworldproblems

You and Me

 Me and You. 

400th Post!

Another milestone is reached! I love growing and learning about myself through this blog. Thank you for reading if you do! It has been a great last few years. :)

Sincerely,
Joellen

Valentine's Day Prep

This year for Valentine's Day, I am spending the night with my girlfriend while our husbands go out of town for a Bachelor party together. I know, I am an awesome wife. haha ;)

It got me thinking about love and how we show our love all too often with food. Over the past 5-6 months, I have been really focusing on healing some chronic problems in my body with whole foods and supplements. Going mostly gluten, dairy, and caffeine free has been very hard for me, and although people have the best of intentions with their gift giving, maybe chocolates isn't the way to go this year?

 

If you are dating someone who is trying to lose weight and/or get healthy and they set a goal for him or herself at the new year, try to be supportive in ways other than taking them to dinner and/or ordering dessert. Valentine's Day isn't that far off from when they began their journey and if you become a help instead of a hindrance for them, this will go above and beyond their expectations.

Here are some ideas for expressing your love in ways other than a dinner date, chocolates, and flowers. All monetary values are included. For simplicity and since Valentine's Day is mostly for the woman (duh), that is how these ideas will be directed:

1. Rent out an old theater to play her favorite love themed movie just for you two. Maybe have a nice dinner brought in with a good bottle of red wine. Don't know her favorite love movie? Princess Bride should do the trick.
2. Take a secluded carriage ride (if available). Buy her a new soft down blanket and bring it along for a snuggle with some homemade low calorie hot chocolate. A quick stop to Starbucks beforehand will work if you can't make the drinks yourself, just make sure the order says "skinny" in front of it!
   
3.  If money is tight or you can't do something together on Valentine's this year, for whatever reason, send or give her a list of 25 things you want to do together over the next year with her Valentine's card. They could be as simple as getting some frozen yogurt to taking a trip. Just make sure you follow through with the list!
4. Cook her something healthy, including a healthy dessert like the one below, and spend a romantic night together at home. Build a fire, play some music, and buy her something pretty to put on - maybe a satin robe, massage oils, or other beauty products.
5. Speaking of massage oils, for the woman who has everything, how about a spa day and while she is gone, clean the house and prep for date night #4 above? Go a step further and hire a cleaning service to come back, repeatedly. 
6. How about completely washing the inside and outside of her car? Filling it up with gas and new windshield wiper blades or mats will get you bonus points. There is nothing I like more than a clean car.
7. If she has a dog, what about a cute new collar/harness and leash? Coach makes some really nice ones if you are in the mood to spend, or any pet store will have some too. Check online for cute accessories for their collar/harness as well, think bowtie for boys and flower for girls. Perfect time for a walk afterward to get some exercise!
8. A lady can spend HUNDREDS at the hair salon. It would probably mean the world to her to have you set up an appointment with her favorite stylist for hair (and makeup?!?) before a special night out. Bonus points if your city has uber or another less expensive car rental, taking one out could be a special treat. You can pull up to a play or other event in style. Be sure to take her through the drive through for a laugh!
9. Stay-cations can be a great idea for an extended Valentine's Day or two. Staying in a hotel in your downtown or nearby city can be just as exciting as a real vacation, as long as it is someplace new and out of the ordinary it will have the same affect. In our town you can find a cheap last minute rental on the beach, especially because it is off season. Look for rooms/housing with hot tubs and be sure to order room service for breakfast!
10. Think really hard about something she has always wanted to have or to do. Like REALLY hard. A new jacket (or bathing suit?!?) or touring a local place that she just can't seem to get to? Surprise her with a Pretty Woman-esque shopping spree or tickets. For this one, the thought might just count more than the money... there is always something that we've been "meaning to do."

The list could go on, but the idea is the same, your woman just wants to be thought about. Not getting her chocolates while she is trying to lose weight is step one, planning a date that she would love is just icing on the cake. See? There I go with the food again.

Chocolate-Avocado Mousse

 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli
4 very ripe (8 ounce) avocados, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup agave
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Fresh raspberries, for garnish

Directions:
Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Place over a small saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Place the melted chocolate, avocados, agave, cocoa powder, almond milk, vanilla and salt in a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Spoon into glasses and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (can be prepared 1 day in advance). Garnish with fresh raspberries and serve.

source

Not So Easy A Task...

My husby asked if I would pick up the new Fast & Furious 6 for him while I was at Best Buy a few weeks ago... I didn't think it would be that difficult of a task! Eenie Meenie Minie Moe... Not really, I texted him this picture and he told me the one all the way to the right.

The Bachelor - Update

I am doing pretty well in my The Bachelor predictions noted here. Only one girl gone from my original guesses, and she got kicked off this week! Pretty good for making them the second week in! I wasn't a huge Kat fan after that week anyways. She is better suited for someone else.

I also think that Andi and Nikki are also better suited for someone else, but their personality might make their interest in Juan more about the win or maybe even becoming the next Bachelorette. For me, there is no one better for Juan Pablo than Clare! Wonder if he feels the same way? Only 6 girls left...

 

Leaving Notes

I feel like there are certain things that should remain in your childhood, and one of them is leaving notes for strangers and/or coworkers. Whether it is protecting your items or correcting behaviors, there has to be an adult way to take care of your problems, right?

There are some notes around my office and I am proud to say that, for once, I did not put ANY of them there! I think I may have crossed over an imaginary line of maturity when I turned 30. I no longer want to be the one that leaves a note out for replacing the toilet paper or leave a reminder for someone on how to park because when I saw the notes that other people left, well, I just don’t want to be like them.

Here are some examples of ways I have taken care of problems without leaving a note:

DISGRUNTLED DRIVER

While driving one day (not my usual route), I found that I needed to get over one lane to get on the highway. I immediately slowed down and turned my blinker on. While waiting a couple of cars I slowly moved over into the lane and started on the exit ramp. The man behind me was FURIOUS. He was waving his hand, flipped me off, and honking his horn. This was not even major rush hour traffic either; this was mid-day, and quite a nice sunny day at that.
THE FIX: He was driving a freaking business van! I called the number on the side of the van, reported his vehicle number to his place of business and explained the situation, only to find out that I was the second caller of the morning to report him and his supervisor would be speaking to him as soon as he got back to the office. Thank you, kind supervisor.

DISAPPEARING COFFEE CREAMER:

I rarely drink coffee, but when I do, I like to have a natural French Vanilla creamer to go with it. I keep said creamer in the office fridge (that of which has a note on the front of it exclaiming to ONLY eat or drink things that belong to you) and I used the creamer ONCE. About a week-10 days later I went to use it again and it was EMPTY. This was not a small bottle either; I sprang for the large size. I think the only thing that annoyed me more than the fact that I had to use the crappy powdered creamer is that they put it back into the fridge empty instead of in the recycling where it belonged.
THE FIX: At home, I transferred my creamer into a used but fully cleaned, 20 ounce plastic container with mountain dew on the label before I brought it into the office. When people don’t know what is in said bottle, they tend to leave it alone. I don’t mind sharing, but taking it ALL was just wrong.

NO MORE PAPER TOWELS

The bathroom I use is on the second floor and only about 5 people use it. When the toilet paper and paper towels are gone from under the sink, someone has to go to the first floors supply closet and get some more. For more than a year, only one person did it – yes, me. I would NEVER leave someone without a square of toilet paper and that happened to me several times, along with the paper towels on the regular.
THE FIX: I started bringing my own rolls with me and taking them back to my office when I was done and low and behold, someone else replaced them. This is an ongoing issue, but at least I broke the streak of being the only one to replace them for more than a year.

Also, I found these examples below to be particularly hilarious. See? I don't want to be that person! :)

The Walking Dead Premier!

I love mid-season premiers... especially when my favorite show is back on! YAY!

Amazing What A Haircut Can Do

Never took a second look at Shaun White until this press interview for the Olympics! He should have cut his hair years ago.

Delta - 2, Joellen - 0

Remember this post? Well, Delta duped me again!

I wanted to "gift" some miles to my husband for an upcoming trip. Seems OK right? There are SEVERAL options to donate, gift, transfer, etc. your miles to someone.

It costs $0.01 per mile to do this. So, for 5,000 miles, it is a $50, but then they add a $30 fee onto that! So frustrating.

That being said, the $80 total was a lot less than buying a new ticket, but still. We bought a LOT of flights for that 110,000 mile total.