Happy Monday!

Iiiiiii'm BACCCKKK!

How are you lovelies?!

I feel like I haven't been here in

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**Enter tear that baseball season is now officially over**

Although, if the rumor mill is to be believed we could oFISHally be picking up Mike Trout!!  Did y'all love my fish pun?  #dork4life

This week is especially exciting for me because I'm going to visit Zach in NOLA on Thursday!  I'm beyond excited to be back in my 2nd favorite city.  This time my friends will be joining us for half of the trip.  Hello Haunted History tour, beignets, and Muriels!  Plus...I hear there's a Gumbo Festival happening!

Anyway...where have I been?  

First of all, it's the beginning of the school year and that is it's own brand of crazy. 

Second, Kate and Bill got married!  I'll post about that soon!

Third, I've been training for the Philly Half Marathon...YES I'm cleared to run again!  

Lastly, I've been a busy bee with just running around, teaching, visiting friends, tutoring, and working at the gym. 

I just wanted to stop in and say hi to all of you!  

Also here's a fun recipe to try this week!  It's easy, involves cheese, and takes under 10 minutes to make!  Winner winner grilled cheese dinner!

So Deb just got knee surgery and one of her favorite meals is grilled cheese and tomato soup.  I stepped up to the plate (metaphorically and literally) in a valiant, yet futile attempt to gain some FCP (Favorite Child Points) and decided to make this for her.  The trouble is that I'm not a grilled cheese fan because it's so greasy and full of pointless calorie bombs (hello butter I'm looking at you).  So I decided to attempt a healthier alternative.  

I'm a huge fan of cheese, though, and the highlight of my week is sampling the new cheeses at Wegman's Sample Saturday!  You can roll your eyes all you want, it's the little things my dears!  

So a few weeks ago, I was happily sampling away, and I tried the cheese on a piece of Fluter Bread.  It was a life changer let me tell you.  So the idea of a healthier grilled cheese was born.  My cheese lady, Vicki, put some truffle honey on top of the cheese and 

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So I decided to ask Vicki what kind of cheese would be good for my grilled cheese dream!  She suggested an organic creamy jack cheese.  She's a brilliant woman!

Here's the recipe if you wanna give it a whirl!

1.  4 slices of Wegman's organic flute bread

2. 2 oz of creamy organic jack cheese

3. a drizzle of Wegman's truffle honey

Step 1:  Turn oven broiler on high

Step 2:  Take four slices of bread and lay them on foil on the broiler.

Step 3:  Slice the cheese into .5 ounces and put atop the bread

Step 4:  Broil bread and cheese for 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Step 5:  When done, top the grilled cheese with a drizzle of truffle honey

If you want bonus points... try it with this soup recipe!  I added 1 cup almond milk to the recipe for extra creaminess!

Twas delish!

Enjoy your Monday!  I'll be back with updates from the rest of my life soon!

-e

Weekend Recap

HHappy Last Week of August!

Can you believe how fast the summer went?? I know *technically* we have one more month of summer, but I consider the first day of school to be the first day of fall. 

Well, this weekend was a full one!  It always takes a little bit of recoup time after a vacation, but I bounced right back into the usual routine. 

Friday am I had an early morning run followed by a tutoring session. I hit up the gym for an upper body training session. After eating gross cruise food and not really working out for 5 days it felt AMAZING to get sweaty and really workout. 

Friday night Cait and I went to see Keith Urban rock out at the BB&T Pavillion. He was amazing per usual. Cait had never seen him before and I couldn't wait for her to experience one of his live shows. He really is an incredible and rare talent. You never realize what a great guitar player he is until he starts ripping it up. Maren Morris was his opener opener and she was outstanding. She's so new to the main stream concert circuit, but so comfortable performing. Brett Eldridge was the opener and he was beautiful I mean insanely talented. He sang a lot do his new stuff. Is it bad that we were disappointed he didn't wear his white jeans from last year?  I think he's the only guy to be able to pull of white jeans. 

We're country concert ready!! 

At the end of Keith's show 

Cait and I had one of those you know you're old when moments at the end of the concert when we decided to forego the encor to avoid missing the early train. We know that the 11:04 train is the best one because it doesn't get stuck behind the departing concert traffic. We were both exhausted and had early mornings ahead of us. #oldladystatus

Saturday started super early like usual, but this time I was teaching Zumba! I love teaching Zumba because the people bring so much energy and you need that at 8 am on Saturday morning. 

I also taught a super sweaty Total Body Blast class. I only have one more class left to sub, then I have to relinquish the class. I'll keep subbing through the year on a need be basis.  After class, I took a Pilates class and boy did I feel it. Pilates always centers me and makes me feel whole and strong like no other workout. After being out for a week it felt beautiful to be back. 

After the gym I headed to Wegman's to make my usual sample rounds. Kind of a disappointing sample display I have to say. I guess the place really dos fall down without me ;) 

What Wegman's failed to have in samples, they more than made up for with the arrival of HONEYCRISP apples!  My beloved pounder of an apple quickly got attacked by cinnamon! 

Saturday night Deb and I went shopping for Kate's wedding. The beauty of being a bridesmaid is that you don't have to think about what to wear or which accessories to buy!  So so in love with that!  While I wont reveal Deb's outfit I will tell you we got it all (including dress, shoes, and jewelry) for $143!! That's insane! Does anyone remember the show The Look For Less from the Style Network circa early 2000s?  I felt like we were on that and we beasted the challenge!  Even Deb, the always reluctant shopper enjoyed herself!  

After a long day of shopping, Cait and I met up for a frotrip to Menchie's!  I had my first Menchie's moment in Pitt at PNC Park in June and have had a hankering for it ever since. They have one a few towns away from me and Cait and I decided it was time to sojourn there. 

Can you guess which one is mine?  If you picked the ginormous one...you are correct!  It was a delicious $8.50 sundae. 

Menchie's is cool because they don't have the traditional flavors (I mean they do, but you have options.). They had sorbets, too! I got cake batter, peanut butter, and chocolate. I then topped it with cookie dough, brownies, Oreos, Nutella, peanut butter, hot fudge, marshmallow, and m&ms.  

Sunday was a Funday!  I'm still nursing an Achilles injury so I skipped my long run and slept in so id be fresh for our big trip to New York for the Mets Phils game. The Mets had been dominating the series and we were not optimistic. Buuuuuuuuttttt third times the charm!  We won!! 

This is stadium #6 for us on our MLB tour. We were so surprised by how beautiful Citi Park is. All of the people were so nice to us despite our Phillies gear. Shocked!  We were expecting heckling and booing. But no. Nothing. I was severely uncomfortable with all of the niceness. We also had great food. Zero complaints!  

View form our seats. 

Our seats!  They were right in front of Jerry Seinfeld's box. He wasn't at the game, but it was cool to see his seats. 

Baked goods?!

Epic Brownie Situation. It was a salted caramel pretzel brownie. I'm gonna leave you with that and let it sink in. 

All of the retired numbers including Jackie Robinson's 42. 

Shea Bridge

Shea Bridge Selfie!

Home Run Apple

As we were leaving we passed this sign. 

Pretty cool, huh?

Well I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! What did you all do?  Anything fun planned for the upcoming week?

 This is my last week of summer vacation so I'm going to be setting up my classroom and prepping for the first week. I have no real plans for Labor Day Weekend so I foresee a lot of sun bathing and reading in my future. 

Xoxo,

E

Free Baseball

Hey Friends!

How are all of you doing today?  I'm doing pretty well.  Still working on staying on the wagon (just a little coconut milk ice cream with a drizzle of chocolate sauce), but everything else has been bueno.

Today started with sleeping in until 8 (YUSSSS!) then tutoring for an hour.  A quick grocery store run rounded off the morning.  I'm off to get bonds put on my teeth because I apparently brushed too hard. It's supposed to be a quick appointment...fingers crossed.  I'm such a dental work baby.

Last night was super fun.  My dad and I went to the Phillies game last night.  They Phils played the Giants and the game went into extra innings.  Extra Innings=FREE BASEBALL!

The game went into the 12th inning and the Phils pulled out a win thanks to Maikel Franco!  I saw one of my students on the Phanovision which was so exciting!  I think this was his first baseball game so that makes it extra fun!

Our seats this time were right next to the bullpen in center field.

We've never sat here before and it was fun to watch the pitchers warm up.

Covert Ops Pictures

Also, where there are pitchers...there is CAMERON RUPP!  My fave player and the only person who could ever be runner up to Phillies beloved Chooch!

Cam warming up

Cameron's fan club is known as Ruppies Puppies!  We're considering this for our audition.  It should work, no?

To stay healthy at baseball games I tend to eat before I go.  Last night I sliced up an eggplant (from JERSEY BABY!  THANK YOU FARMER'S MARKETS), Jersey tomatoes, Jersey zucchini's, and some fire roasted tomatoes.  I mixed a little EVOO, garlic, Italian spices, garlic, and rosemary and brushed it on the eggplant before I put it all in a baking dish and baked at 450 for 45 minutes.  It was delicious!  So easy and super healthy.  Definitely a keeper!  

At the game I bought a giant water (for $6...not too happy that I could buy an entire case of Disani Liters for $4...but such is life) and sip it throughout the game.  It keeps me busy (I'm a notorious boredom grazer) and hydrated.  With a race a little more than 5 weeks away, I'm trying to keep myself hydrated and away from the junk.  

Tonight I'm off to Zumba, Pilates, Barre, and weight lifting.  

I hope you all are having a great day and I can't wait to share with you a little Weekend Warrior Workout that I'll be doing with my HIIT class on Saturday morning :)

Does anyone have any fun weekend plans?  We're doing a beach birthday bash for my cousin, a bridal shower, and a dinner with Ra in Princeton.

xoxo,

e

Actual Real Life Humans That Exist At The Movies

BRRRRRRFRREEZZEEEYFREEEZZEEEYCOLD!

That's NJ for hello!  

This past weekend my family and I went to go see Monuments Men.  A great cinematic adventure made even more magical by the fact that the movie theater had reclining seats.  Not only seats--LAZY BOYS!!!  Like big, plushy, butt sinks into the leather, seats.  Heaven on Earth!  The movie was great and I enjoyed it, as a history nerd I couldn't help but point out historical inaccuracies.  If you've ever seen a history movie with me you know this is a bad habit of mine.  I'm just a snob.  Get over it.  

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Anyway, when I was at the movie I noticed some people.  Why?  Because I am a serial people watcher.  Like I go outdoor restaurants just to watch the people.  And eat dessert.  Duh.

Here are some real life people I noticed.

The Newly Dating Daters:

You can spot these people because the girl is still wearing skinny jeans.  She has not evolved into the yoga pants phase yet.  The boy is still holding up the wall while she leans her whole body into him and they're making out.  This is Monuments Men.  NOT 50 SHADES OF GREY!  You don't need to make out during probably the least sexy movie of all time.  There's no kissing at all in it.  George Clooney (the sexiest man alive) didn't write any kissing into it.  You know why?  Because it's NOT ROMANTIC!  Say no way to PDA.

The Love-Me-Long-Time Daters:

She's in yoga pants and texting and he finally got to pick the movie.  That's why they're at the 10:25 pm showing of Monuments Men (a film with no romance) and she's texting and wearing sweats.  

The Movie Buff:

This man is a movie fan.  He has seen ALL.THE.MOVIES.  All of them.  Every film ever created.  Just make the mistake like the poor schmucks next to me did and ask him about them.  Instant regret on their part...

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He's the kinda guy you wanna do a Jimmy Kimmel Live like thing and ask him about movies that have not been created just to see his smug little self tell you (in detail) about the intricate plot lines.  He uses words like characterization, mood, theme, and motif.  Ironically, he attended the movie alone.

The Early People:

That would be my family.  

Okay, we got to the movie about 45 minutes before it starts.  Why?  Oh because some people (cough cough) don't understand that when a place is 20 minutes away...it will always be 20 minutes away.  No, no one moved the theater 30 more minutes away.  No we don't have to buy tickets (Thank you Fandango).  No. No. No.  Everything is fine.  It's 20 minutes away.  Well, we leave about an hour before the start time.  Once we arrive, 45 minutes early beeteedubs, we just stand around our theater waiting for the previous showing to let out.  After exchanging glances at my Deb for 5 minutes, she says, "I'm sorry I thought it would take longer to get here."  

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Side note-I love my Deb but sometimes I'm like the movie won't start early.  

Anyway, people from the previous showing start to file out of the theater and we meet...

The Crier:

Every movie has one.  This movie wasn't sad.  America comes in and saves the day!  George Clooney and Matt Damon are both alive and the world is good!  Hitler has been defeated and America has bested the rest of the Axis powers!  Good.  Day.  For.  Alll.  However, one lady came out bawling her eyes out.  Like not little tears.  Nope.  Full on sobs!  I turn to my Deb and say, "In 2 hours that will be you."  She smiles because she knows I speak the truth.

The Awesome Older Ladies:

These ladies are in their late 60s early 70s and are too cool for school, too cool for rules, and too cool for me.  

I'm not going to lie I can't wait to be an old lady.  They're just too fab!  These ladies were wearing furs. Real life furs to an 8 pm movie in suburbia.  They know what's up!  Anyway, as they're leaving they are talking in cryptic code and I overhear this:

"Let me know if you are going to wear anything tomorrow, Joyce," Cool Old Lady #1.

"Oh, believe me," Joyce replies over her fur laden shoulder, "If I do?  You will be the FIRST to know."  

Tomorrow in this case refers to Sunday.  What kinda crazy things are you ladies doing on The Lord's Day?!

Joyce and Cool Old Lady #1 are the most awesome people in the theater!

Quiz Boy:

As said people are filing out of the movie theater, the movie attendant decides to ask each and every person how the movie was.  I didn't know there would be a quiz at the end of the film, so I haven't prepared my answer.  Will I go with great!  Does that not sound enthusiastic enough?  Should I go with AWESOME and be THAT girl?  Fine is definitely off the table because that's how you refer to a sub par diner meal.  Do I go with Roeper and say 5 Stars!?  I immediately start to feel my collar closing in.  

The Quiz Boy actually expects an answer?!  What does he think this is?  The South?  We are NJ!  Don't talk to us!  And surely don't expect an answer with actual formed human speech.  No, the majority of people give him a smile and nod.  

He actually cares what the people are saying!  He makes appropriate comments back to them and affirms their judgement.  What is this!?

Anyway, he finally puts the Socratic Method to bed and moves on with his movie theater cleaning thing.  

The I'm-Just-Gonna-Check-Couple:

These TWO!  Everyone knows them!  Hopefully you aren't them.  These two arrive at 10:10 and see us all standing around (oh you know about 20 people) and still, STILL, they check the theater door to see if the movie theater is open.  Really guys?  You think we all forgot to check the lock status on the door?  Do you think we've never seen a door?  That the door is this anomaly and it is up to you two geniuses to decode for us the opposable thumb's magical powers of opening things?  I'm sorry please proceed with your investigation of the door and exclude the 20 some human context clues that the door is in fact not meant to be opened at this time.  

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So the genius tries the door.  Finds it open but then is promptly told by Quiz Boy that the theater isn't ready.  The guy turns to us and says, "I just had to check."  

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We know.  We all know.  He and his lady friend then sat directly in front of the theater doors.  As in, so close, that they would/will/are most definitely going to hit him once Quiz Boy opens them.  We're all waiting with bated breath hoping and a wishing and a praying that this happens.  Unfortunately for us, his lady friend advises him to move back.  So he does.  RATS!  About one foot back to be exact.  Yup, yup, he has to be first in the theater.  

The Non-Movie-Theater-Appropraite-Snack-Guy:

Also, THIS GUY!  Yup the same checker of doors guy was eating non-movie theater snacks.  Here are a list of movie theater snacks as approved by Dane Cook and me:

• candy
• popcorn
• Blue Icees
• Soda
• Fruit
• Water

That is it!  Literally, those are your six choices. 

No, no.  Not THIS GUY!  This guy had 6 chicken wings.  

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And a PIZZA!!  

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He also had a fork.  I didn't know why as seeing that he had no fork-needing foods.  I was intrigued to say the least.  About 20 seconds later he showed the now captivated audience why he had the fork.  TO SCRATCH HIS LEG!  I'm not even kidding.  By now we're all grossed out but he keeps scratching.  I'm like "honey, you shoulda gone to a dermatologist about 8 scratches ago...Get that checked out!"

Now, once Quiz Boy has deemed the theater pristine and the sanitary equivalent of a hospital (you're not fooling anyone...we know you just wiped up the popcorn, you didn't even bring out the Lysol wipes for the chairs) SCRATCHY MCNONMOVIETHEATERAPPROPRIATEFOODGUY bounces up and runs in.  Yes it took all my strength not to jump and dodge and elbow my way into the theater first.  Snaps for Erin!!

You woulda thought that once in the theater the madness would have stopped.  

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Nope.

And he had to find the Musical Sweet Spot like he was Sheldon Cooper!

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You are not Dr. Sheldon Cooper!  Plus this theater has assigned seats!  Seats you ordered online like everyone else!  He did try to get new seats by the way.  I think he was successful.

The Judgey Family:

That's my family.  That we be us.  The three of us stand there drinking our cokes and just observing.  Making comments in our heads.  It's nice to look out at the world and be the normal ones for a hot minute.  

The Sleeping Couple:

After the movie, as we're all filing out and Deb has once again reprised her role as The Crier, we notice a sleeping couple.  This is by no fault of their own:  DID I MENTION THIS PLACE HAS RECLINERS?  And yes people frequently bring pillows and blankets.  The arm rest also folds down so you can actually cuddle, too.  Great Invention!  Because America doesn't have enough PDA filling it's streets.  I digress. Anyway, these two sweethearts are sleeping all romantic comedy chic style and guess what my fellow fine Americans do?  Wake them?  Nope.  Gently nudge them that the movie is over?  Oh no.  Nope.  They start taking pictures of the sleeping duo!  This is why I love America!  Oh you're sleeping and I should probably wake you up before Quiz Boy comes in and badgers you with Stabler and Benson like questions?  Psych!  I'm gonna take pix of you, "And I'll put it on Instagram!"  That is a direct quote from someone.

Some people photobombed the sleeping beauties, too.

I was kinda proud of the photobomber's creativity.  

Anyway, have you ever seen movie theater characters?  Thankfully there were no youths present.  That's the perk of being pretentious...very little youths want to see Monuments Men.  

xoxo,

Er

Thoughts of Summer!!

Happy Hump Day!!


Today is a great day in the history of Erin.  Why?  Oh many many reasons!

1.)  It was a 2 hour delay so I got to sleep in!  Thank you winter.

2.)  My class was cancelled tonight!  Thank you again winter!  Girls' Nite was supposed to be made up tonight but alas, it was cancelled.  Don't cry too hard because we've already rescheduled for next week.  Phew!

3.)  My roomie from college is coming to sleep over because she currently doesn't have power.  Sad about the no power but happy about the roomie reunion and and impromptu dinner plans

4.)  It's Wednesday!  My most favorite television night ever.  This is not sad and pathetic this is awesome!

• 8 pm-The Middle the most underrated tv show on the air now.
• 8:30 pm-OFF (aka cruise the channels searching for Modern Family) I came too late to this party but I am a fan!
• 9 pm-Criminal Minds daily dose of psychopaths.  Everyone needs that...if only to make yourself feel normal
• 10 pm-Nashville  Just a great show about country music!  What could be better!?

5.)  Speaking of country music...WE GOT THE MEGATICKET AGAIN!!  That means this girl and Kate and Jess will be grooving and jamming to a few of my friends all summer long!

Have you met Luke?

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Miranda?

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Jason?

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Brad?

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Toby?

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Tim?

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I thought you might know them <3  This is my favorite time of year!  You can also bet your bottom dollar that I already wrote these dates down in my Lilly P planner.  Can't double book my summer!  Kate and I have gone the past few years and this year we're excited to add Jess to our country cutie jam sesh!  Is it bad that I'm already planning my outfits?  Yes/No/Maybe?  Cowboy boots and cut-offs?

Jess and me Blue Steeling before the show

Kate and me selfie-ing it up before the always eventful train ride!

All the girls at Blake!

6.)  Speaking of jam sesh...Deb and some of her friends from work got Bruno Mars tickets today too!  Deb got me at ticket, too, just because she's the best Deb that ever lived.  

7.)  Also, I got my Phillies tickets for the season!  So more Daddy Daughter Phillies dates!

The time we lived large and sat 3 rows behind home plate!

It's going to be one music and baseball filled summer and I wouldn't have it any other way!  So now all this winter nonsense can slip away so I can jam out and cheer on my Phils with warm weather and the Philly skyline as my backdrop!

Beautiful CBP!

The best mascot in MLB

Da Bell!

Keep thinking those warm thoughts!

xoxo,

Erin

Favorite Things: Baby Showers

Happy Sunday Funday!

    With the fam returning Dylan to school I have the house to myself.  Mwahahahaha.  Since I loathe long car rides (10+ hours locked in a car with no internet connection is no bueno) I get to be the dog sitter.  Most 23 year olds would have a party while the parentals are away.  But not this girl!  I'm just pumped because I get to wear yoga pants, a messy bun, eat Panchero's burritos, and watch Bridesmaids!   Also, my woman crushes always, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are hosting The Golden Globes again tonight!  (YAY) I love awards season!  Mostly because I get to see Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lawrence!  I'm planning on accompanying the Globes with some dessert :)

Yes Please!

     I digress.  We're talking about Baby Showers.  Baby Showers are the best!  As a early twentysomething I look forward to spending my weekends at baby showers!  The baby shower I was just at was amazing!  The mother-to-be is my cousin's wife and she would make Kate Middleton jealous.  She just looked stunning.  I doubt I will be that lucky.  I will look like Richard Nixon with his jowls and burliness.  It won't be cute.

    Why are baby showers amazing?  Oh I don't know, do you need a reason besides these cookies?

To Die For!

Look at these cookies?!  How cute is that onesie?

If you are not salivating yet and saying, "Yes, yes, Erin you are right these cookies make me love baby showers," and need more reasons here are a list:

• You get free wine.  Plus there is one less person drinking the wine...so...there is more wine for everyone!
• Baby shower food!  So much carbs!  Plus every kind of food that the mom-to-be wants!  Moms-to-be want cookies, cakes, pasta, fruit, tomato pie, chicken dishes, bread, and pretty much anything else you ever wanted!  It's heaven!  Plus the little mini-real-food-dinner-things-as-small-appetizers are genius!  I went to one shower where there was mini chicken parm on a stick!  That is a genius idea!  Take that to the bank!  It was a skewer with a piece of popcorn chicken coupled with a cheese cube and a tomato!  I enjoyed that!
• Games!  I love playing disgusting guess what kinda chocolate is in the diaper?!  Finally, I have some place to execute my candy-loving-sugar-monger skills!  I am a baby shower game wizard!  You want me on your team!  Why?  Oh I don't know maybe because I worked at a daycare with the infants to 2 year old crowd for 2 years?!  Maybe because I babysit all the time and have for 10 years?  I don't think I need to continue...you all get it!  I'm also competitive as a Russian gymnast so things can get real...pretty fast!  
• I pick out great gifts!  I am up on all the latest and greatest Caldecott Winners and Honorees because of my job and major.  I am also a great baby stylist because I watched that Friends episode where Christina Applegate dresses Emma and pierces her ears.  That's clutch.  Baby stylist Erin to the rescue!  
• I also thoroughly enjoy Babies R Us' aesthetic appeal.  Why?  Oh I don't know, maybe because I find the bright pastel colors soothing?  Or maybe it's the joy emanating from the parents to be?  Maybe it's the fact that there are pirate ship beds there?  #jealous Maybe because some of things at Babies R Us are hilarious?!  Butt Paste?  Come on people, that joke writes itself!  Funny stuff!  Plus babies are Cuuuuuuwwwwwtee!  There is nothing better than walking through Babies R Us and seeing an adorable baby and coo and ahhh at the baby and smile at the mom and know that you have zero financial/emotional/social responsibilities for that child.  You just get to look at that baby and say, "She/He is precious!"  That's kinda where I am in my life right now.  I just like to look at the babies and tell their mom that they are visually appealing.  
• I get to hang out with my family!  I love being with my family and I will take any excuse I can to hang with the whole fam!
• Girl Time!  
• Baby clothes are fun!  Baby stuff is fun!  Baby clothes are adorable!  At Babies R Us, my mom and I saw a precious red tartan miniature suit for a baby!  Whose baby doesn't need a red tartan suit?  Oh, did I mention it came with a beret?  Precious!  I died a million deaths it was so cute!  
• Children's books run amok at baby showers!  I heart children's books and the morals they teach.  Especially when they teach things like the importance of saying Good Night to all the objects in your home (Good Night Moon) revenge/karma (Chrysanthemum) and the importance of cutting down the one thing that has always helped you (The Giving Tree).  These are life lessons from literature folks!  
• Baby shoes!  The little baby received like 8 pairs of shoes!  That's great!  Babies need to appreciate the importance of shoes, too!  I have 50 pairs of shoes, so I think I know the importance of shoes in one's life!  The baby received 2 pairs of Chucks, little slip on booties, sneakers...I could just go on and on!  The baby is going to be well heeled let me tell you!  

Some people don't like baby showers but I don't like those people.  I love the merriment, the food, the trip to Babies R US!  It's all great!  I hope you all have a great weekend--what's left of it!

xoxo,

E

A Very Preppy New Year!

Happy New Year!


Welcome 2014!  Can I get you a drink?  Perhaps a bottle of pink champagne?  Or an amaretto sour?  Or a Jack and Coke?  Here, give me your coat.  Yes, we're Irish Catholics!  How did you know?  Is it because we offered you a drink before we took your coat?  Come sit down, let's chat!  I know you're new here so I'm gonna tell you how this goes.  You get me Channing Tatum/Chris Evans (your choice because you're our guest) and a full time teaching job and provide my friends and family with love, happiness, and prosperity while  I continue to be awesome.  That's your job my love.  That is all you have to do!


What?  You don't talk to 2014 like me?  That's really your loss.  Anyway, I hope you all had a great NYE and NYD!  I spent my NYE like a traditional 23 year old, I wore my jammies and watched Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve with my parentals and soooo many apps and dips!  Amayyyyyzing!  We had champs, amaretto sours, and sangria.  Delightful!  Then my little nugget Cody bear was my NY kiss.  I love my doggy!  Then, it was bed by 1 am.

NYD brought me a beautiful little surprise.  Dylan bought a shirt last week at Hershey's J.Crew outlet and it turns out that S's on shirts actually do mean small, not slim fit like he originally thought.  Oh wellz!  He gave it to me so I got to finally rock a cute plaid shirt that actually fits me!  (Ever since my high school cheerleading days I've always had broad shoulders-it's a real thing and it's fine lol) So traditional women's cut shirts are either too tight around my shoulders but perfect everywhere else or too big all over.  No bueno.  So I jumped at the chance to wear this new one.  We went to my family's NYD party and ate and ate and ate.  Then we played NYD trivia and just like all trivia in our family if you fail to answer the first two questions correctly you get demoted to the "What's Your Favorite Color Question."  No one wants this.  Believe me!  People remember and don't want you on their team.  It's a sad truth :)  These questions are hard y'all!  You want the little kids on your team because they get the soft ball questions and that can pad your score.  (Are you sensing my competitive nature?)  Also, Deb was on my team and didn't quite grasp the whole don't shout out the answers to the other team's questions.  FRUSTRATION CITY!  I wanted to mid-season trade her.  I was captain this year and as you can expect I took my job uuber seriously!  If you're not first your last...ammi right?!

Anyway, here is a little NYD fashion for you!

*Yes our house is still Christmas House.  Go with it!  Christmas isn't long enough if you ask me!*

Shirt-J.Crew Factory Men's slim fit-thanks bro
Jeans-Jessica Simpson
Boots-Fancy French store Tarjay!
Belt-Charming Charlie
Bracelet-J.Crew
Necklace-I don't know...bridesmaid's gift
Earrings-Tiffany's & Co.

So, I hope you all had a festive NY!  I hope yours was as glamtastic boring as mine was!  Remember, when you can, raid your brother's closets!  Menswear jackpot!  Plus it's free!  Just don't spill!  And doesn't being warm and classy beat cold and drunky?  I think so.  Plus, TMI but I loathe when I shave my legs for a fancy occasion and then it's all cold and you get pricklies!  So much awful in that sentence.  Shaving your legs sucks-and now you have to shave twice in a week...in the winter!?  No thank you!  

Anyway,  Happy New Year and I hope you have a classy 2014!

  

2014 Plans/Goals/Dreams/Fears

Happy New Year Blogfriends!

Are you as happy as I am that 2013 has come to an end?

This is me jumping with joy at the end of 2013! (I'm Ron Burgundy if you were wondering)

Ok, 2013 wasn't all bad.  It was reminiscent of 2011 though.  2011 was a shadowy, wallowy chapter in the book of Erin.  I got my heart really broken for the first time.  EVER.  Sure I had had little crushes that didn't work out, but 2011 was THE YEAR of heart break.  Well, anyway I cried, got over it, and moved on.  In 2011, after I got my heart broken, I got a promotion at work, a raise, (does that happen to anyone else?  When your personal life tanks your professional life flourishes?) made new friends, and set a new standard for my self:  Don't be that girl again!  Proudly I can say that I lived by my (and Professor Stromwell's) life motto:  If you're going to let one stupid jerk (edited) ruin your life than you're not the girl I thought you were.  However, I didn't live by this motto and I let that heart break creep into 2012.  No bueno, Erin.  

Flash to 2013, got my little heart broken again.  This time I'm keeping that heart break in 2013.  I'm not letting it worm it's little way into 2014.

Thank you Sex and The City for always voicing what a girl needs to hear.  I'm anchoring that realtionSHIP (get it, ship?  Anchors?  I love puns?  I'm a dork?  Yes?  Absolutely!) firmly in 2013.  I've actually asked that meanie to never contact me again.  Look at me being a big girl.  That brings me to resolutions.  

I usually make New Year's Resolutions.  I have a strong disdain for people who say "I have no resolutions and don't make them because you never keep them."  Welp, thanks Debbie Downers!  I actually do keep my resolutions.  And I think that if you don't set them you are showing the world you are not goal oriented.  

 

You don't know my life!  Does anyone else love that sentence as much as me?  Probably not.  I actually do keep my NYR's!  This year I'm going to make one big one and lots of little ones.  My big NYR is going to be to rid my life of people that don't make me happy.  This is going to be an easy peasy one to keep.  Only one person in my life is making me angry.  And he's been asked to vacate the premises...

My little NYR's

Health & Fitness:

• Run a 5k (doing this in September with my biffster so that's a check).
• Register for the Disney Princess Half Marathon!  I'm beyond pumped for this bad boy!
• Drink only 1 soda per week
• Drink homemade juice every day! (for lunch/snack)
• Learn new juice recipes   
• Keep my usual gym routine/class schedule in place
• Drink more Ovaltine (Just kidding!  I miss that movie...)  WATER!

Travel:

• Go back to my favorite city-NOLA!  (Hello Creative Writing Family Vacation!)
• Go on a New England Vacay!
• Go to Disney for NY 2014-2015

Work/Professional Life:

• Get a full time teaching job!
• Graduate with honors from GRAD SCHOOL!
• Start paying off my student loans!
• Work my butt off and see my hard work pay off!
• Write a proposal for a class on Jackie Kennedy for TCNJ

Personal Life:

• Rid self of anyone who makes you unhappy
• Keep looking for the one and let my guard down (Isn't that the best part of a permanent ending?  Realizing that you're one frog closer to Prince Charming!)
• Don't trust anyone with bad eye brows
• Don't make excuses for jerk behavior

Personal Improvement:

• Read 1 book a month (maybe I'll vary it up and not exclusively read Kennedy things?  Haha even I laughed when I wrote that)
• Save money
• Blog a little more (3x's a week)

Shopping:  (come on, you knew it had to be here)

• Buy Tory Burch brown leather boots I have been lusting over for 252643623 years

Hello, Lover!

• A new wallet.  I'm not sure which one I want but my faux coach one is looking a little crusty.  It will probably be pink and girlie like yours truly.  Most likely purchased at a Kate Spade Secret Sale!
• MORE LILLY!!  God, I can't stress this enough!  Lilly Warehouse Sale 2014 I'm looking at you and salivating!  Plus, I need to be in true New England style for vacation, right?  I'm really looked for printed shorts and obvi more shifts!
• Jack Rogers (for said trip...a necessity!)  I'm not really sure which color yet but I'm thinking a gold neutral would be pretty.

So these are my New Year's Resolutions 2014!  I'm liking them and thinking that I'll definitely stick to them! 

Here's What 2013 has taught me:

• I graduated TCNJ (a smart people school) with honors in both majors
• I can let my guard down and let people in
• I can pick up the pieces of my broken heart and move on with my fab self
• I have the world's best/sweetest/prettiest friends in the world
• Travel cures all
• Reading before bed is perfect
• Running solves whatever travel can't (it's cheaper, too)
• I can reach personal goals:  whether they are to save money, risk being totally awful, try new things
• Not having a happily ever after at 22 is totally fine
• I have a fantastic family
• My relationship with God keeps me thinking that there is a silver lining to everything
• My life's serindipitous events never cease to amaze me
• Taylor Swift concerts = Amazeballs!
• Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers
• Feminists and advanced degrees scare most boys (Note I said boys, not men.  REAL men aren't afraid of a strong woman)
• Sometimes tough love from a friend (We let this happen to us-JB) is the impetus for greatness and an even better happiness than you could ever dream up
• St. Louis' Cathedral in NOLA is not actually Princess Tiana's castle (Mind. Blown.  I'm not really an idiot--this is an inside joke <3) 
• I'm a hard worker
• Between a rock and a hard place you find diamonds
• "Everything may not be conscious, but everything is intentional"Dr. H
• Phillies are the best team in the MLB

So my loves, shine on and don't let 2013 drag you down.  My one friend said it was especially bad because it has a 13 in it.  I agree!  (13 has actually never done anything to me personally, but I'll roll with it!)

Below is a link to a great list of rules for being a human being in 2014.  Tell me what you think!

http://thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2013/12/24-rules-for-being-a-human-being-in-2014/


Happy 2014!  I'm going to celebrate with the famiglia and relax!

Love Always,

Erin



photo source:
Picutre 1:
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS8x94h0A2DMIlYtJXmbQI-D6n3GuYeZnLWIPYgH50ST3VTILU7hQ

Picture 2:
https://31.media.tumblr.com/de6c2ae078cc3939da95f4e381f0d361/tumblr_inline_my5z06NDlr1rw4dyd.gif
Tory Boots;
http://skirtpr.com/blog/fashion/lindsays-fall-must-haves/