Serindipity: "a nice sounding word for what it means: a fortunate accident" (Serendipity, 2001). This is the home of an extremely Type A future special education teacher, dancer, Philly lover, and car dancing expert who has found herself in some of the best situations because of serindipity.
Happy Tuesday! I'm half way through the work week now and I feel like time is slowing down yet simultaneously speeding up and out of control. Insane!
Monday is a Zumba and lifting kinda day around here. Zumba was great. Sometimes Zumba can be wonky if the instructor isn't good or you just have a case of bad music. THIS Zumba was everything I could have ever wanted--fab songs featuring oldies plus newbies and the best instructor!
Did everyone watch Bachelorette last night? WHAT THE HECK?! I'm not loving this season. I was never a huge Kaitlyn fan--Team Becca all day err day-but I thought Kaitlyn was the lesser of two evils so I was rooting for her over Britt.
I'm not loving these random, sporadic rose ceremonies. I need one every week at 9:37 people!
Confession time: Every week my friends come over and we pick our faves and call them our Bachelorette Husbands. Weird? We respect each other's dibs and are encouraged to like them for them only. We take our fake future husband rules just as seriously as real boyfriend/husband Girl Code Doctrine dictates. I'm a fan of Ben Z (except I feel like he sold Josh--my friend's BH down the river). My other friend's BH is Shawn.
Shawn's date was precious! Loved the moonlit boat ride.
I like that Ben H tries really hard to open up. Also he looks like Peter Brady and I kinda can't get past it.
That group date was a cluster of lunacy! First of all, why is Nick back?
I'd be mad, too! Plus, who writes lyrics like that at a family friendly mariachi contest?
Also, why all the contests Kaitlyn? Did anyone else notice that she always does things where they have to perform and she sits back and laughs at them? She makes them look ridiculous just to get a laugh. That's MEAN! Every other season has the Bachelor/ette interacting with other guys/girls on the date. She just stands there and creates situations that are not conducive for interactions! Also, the fighting does have to stop--it is primitive and coming off as desperate.
Anyway, at our party last night we decided to roll with the Tex/Mex theme and make vegan quesadillas! I had these at Wegman's this weekend when I was eating all of the samples
shopping.
So good and so easy!
Salad beat with tomatoes, avocados, cukes, greens, and a splash of pear infused vinegar.
Guac with baked Ezekiel chips!
She tore up a wrap, drizzled some OOVO and salt on them and then baked them. To. DIE. for.
Collage of the yummies<3
It's Better Bean Wholly Chipotle Black Bean Dip in an Ezekiel wrap with some Monterey Jack Daiya sprinkled on top. DAAAALISH!
We ate and watched the crazy unfold. I'm not a huge fan of this season, but I love the show itself so I'll watch it. My friend brought up a good point--after Andi everyone else just kinda falls flat. She was one of the elite Bachelorettes. No one will top Jenn Scheft in my mind, but Andi was great! She had a job (mad she isn't a lawyer anymore), was funny, took it serious enough without being weird, and she was just cool to hang out with. Don't you love how I act like I know her?
Also, my friends and I joke that only Bachelorette can you tell 25 guys point blank that you're looking for a husband after 2 weeks and no one blinks/runs for the hills.
Have a Happy Tuesday! We're having extreme heat up here in the Northeast so to my NJ friends--stay cool!
Jolly ol' Saint Nick did a great job at the Kitley household! I got lotsa cute stuff! Thank you brother for the glamtastic Reebok running jacket! Lerve winter runs! Something about the cold, picturesque skies, and seeing your breath just warms my little runner's heart! Thank you Mama and Daddy for my new juicer (Dylan says I will now be the "juice girl" like a cat lady but less pathetic healthier! He says you'll see me standing in random places handing out juice with "baby eyes" to passerby's. I hate to admit that that might be true. I love juice and want everyone to drink it!) I got a lotta Jackie O stuff including a (not creepy at all-she is flawless like my girl Jackie is) Jackie Doll! She is dressed for the Inauguration! I swoon! As you all know I'm a Jackie fanatic and consume all things Jackie! I live and breathe for her style and life inspiration! I also got These Precious Few Days, the tome about Jack and Jackie's last year together. I got a few Kennedy magazines, too! I think if Jackie was still alive I would be on some sort of Do-Not-Let-Her-Within-50 yards of 1040 Fifth Avenue. I got a few other books and a Phillies jersey in light blue! I got a Phillies rubber ducky! (Win!) an E Alex and Ani bracelet! I also got a pink sock monkey and a Loub ornament all from Dollywood! I also got subscriptions to Glamour and USWeekly! (Side note, I spend so much money on magazines so this was a Godsend!)
Anyway, time to talk about the issue at hand--Winter Break! Since October I have been dreaming about Winter Break! I have been hoping, wishing, dreaming, and living for Winter Break Bliss. Sleeping til 11, eating cookies all day, shopping with my friends and family, and seeing old high school friends that are home for break. I daydream all about trading my linguistics book for Kennedy books and cruising the internet for vital and important information Pinterest, blogs, and Glee marathons. This is the life, people! This is the part of break I adore! (That and the fact that I can wear sweats/hoodies/tees/and big fluffy socks and rock a messy bun 90% of the time)
Preach it Kim!
Another great thing about Winter Break is that my mom makes all the best food because Dylan is home! (Also, Dylan is my partner in crime and it's nice to have someone else get yelled at/split 50% of the suspected household crimes like leaving dishes in the sink, causing the blankets to not be in their perfect, precise spot (shudder), or just not responding to parental questions because you are too enthralled in a TV marathon.)
I also love hanging out with my high school friends and literally reliving our high school hang outs. Tonight I'm getting Sonic and watching Just Friends and eating half apps just like the good ol' days! Last week I drove around looking at lights and giggling with another great friend.
However, some parts of Winter Break are not glamtastic.
The part of Winter Break I hate is that 10% of the time I have to leave my house. I live in a small town. Like really small. Like everyone knows you, your mom, your grandma small town. This is why I run to the city any chance I get. I don't necessarily hate living in a small town, it's nice to wave to your neighbors (know their names/see them regularly/exchange holiday cookies) but sometimes I need to get out and experience life without the confines of gossip, soccer moms, and minivans. The definitive worst part about Winter Break is running into everyone you have ever gone to school with since birth. The rule of life is that when you are looking less than stellar (i.e. the Erin Kitley at home wardrobe of yoga pants, hoodies, and messy bun) is when you will see absolutely everyone you have ever known. So cue the make up, hairspray, and skinny jeans with boots (thankfully it's so cold here that you don't have to wear a cute top because as long as you have a cute topper and scarf combo you are set from the waist up. I loathe seeing people from high school. It's not that I'm a hater of the class of 2009, it's just that...I prefer to call it selective friendliness. Let's take a stroll back down high school memory lane. Ok, in high school I was quite the juxtaposition. I was probably a Rachel Berry-esque human being. I was so entrenched in being perfect and living perfectly that I probably missed out on actually being 14-18. I went on exactly 2 dates in all of high school because I was more focused on AP classes and keeping a 4.0. I was also cheerleading captain and on Science League. I was VP of French Club, in NHS, and in SADD (and totally judged the people in SADD who drank. I was terrified of alcohol and really never drank until I was 21. Complete truth. I've never even been to a college party because I hate basements, frat boys, and cheap booze.) I was rarely liked in high school because I took myself and life wayyyy too seriously. I realize this now because in college I had wayyyy more fun and took myself (not my school work) less seriously and life was 1000000000 times better! So anyway, when I see people from my graduating class I tend to think they still hate me. It's probably true. I was super, painfully, distractingly shy and awkward and never really felt like I fit in. Typical though. Also, I've come to realize that those people that think they fit in to the high school mold are usually not going to be successful in real adult life. They suck as grown ups because let's be 100% honest, binge drinking and being illiterate are not cool after 18. I always loved culture, reading, and travel. I know that being the geeky museum girl is not hot in high school. I know that it makes people uncomfortable. I learned that in life it is far better to be educated than uneducated. This is ranty now and I don't think it's even relevant anymore. I digress.
Okay, the worst part about seeing people from high school is that you never know what to say to them! I usually just smile and keep on walking. Not out of rudeness, but just out of I don't know what to say to you because we didn't talk during the 13 years we went to school together, EVER. I sometimes offer a wave. Sometimes no matter what you do/say/muse you are wrong and inevitably going to run into the high school kids that think they are still running the world. My feeling, 5 years after graduating is whatevs! Seriously, this is the feeling I have come to now. I don't care. I really don't. However, my Deb makes me wave and pretend like I'm sofreakin'pumped to see them.
how I really feel wearing pants with zippers and putting make up on and doing my hair etc.
I also hate having to get dressed up and look cute when I just want to run to Target, Shop Rite, Starbucks, or Panera. (The mall is different, you should always dress cute at the mall. The mall is where suburban style is born. RESPECT!) Some of you (including myself) may be like Oh, Erin shove it and just go bare faced to the stores. Welp, easier said than done. You don't want people to be like "Ewww, I saw her and she looked disgusting!" No one wants to peak in high school--especiallly not this girl.
Another non-fave part of Winter Break is getting ready for the upcoming Spring Semester. I don't wanna go back. That's not true. I want to go back--just to hang out with my friends and finally put this masters degree to bed. I hate the planning, organizing of supplies, mentally prepping for homework/projects/assignments/lectures and all the craziness that a semester inevitably brings with it. Michael Scott knows what's up:
So, what are your best and worst things about Winter Break? Do you have any Winter Break Horror Stories?
This weekend I was housesitting because my parents were returning Dylan to JMU for his sophomore year. He's old. I'm old. I think I need to start using a night cream and get Botox for my forehead.
Anyway, I was asked to stay home and watch Cody and the house because the weekend coincided with the Jason Aldean concert. Most people would be like PAAARRRTTTYYYY! Not me! I think that when I was going through the personality product line as a baby I was distracted by something pink and sparkly and went over there instead of picking up any bad girl traits. After spending 100,000 years in a car with my family (that I love but after 16 hours in a car you just...) I was pumped to be alone! Here's what I did:
-Jammed out like Tom Cruise in Risky Business! Complete with air guitar :)
-Watched John Hughes' movies on "The Big TV" in my jammies and glasses
-Ate popcorn, chocolate chips, and cinnamon (I highly recommend) while watching John Hughes' movies
-Sang at the top of my lungs (sorry neighbors)
-Danced to my music at deafening volumes
-Danced like Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels...awkward and fabulous!
-Drank vanilla almond milk like it was my job
-Used "Funny Walk" as my main way to cruise around my house
-Watched Haunted History (in the daytime because I'm not stupid)
-Went to Jason Aldean and rocked it!
-Made oatmeal without anyone telling me I was using too much honey (is there even such a thing?)
-Got my first day of 18th grade outfit ready
-Shopped for a headband
-Left the light on in the family room (a major no-no in my house)
-Jumped on my bed
-Had uninterrupted Tabata time
-No one interrupted my lifting time
