Just Say Julie

For this week's installment of what's in my bag, I thought I would talk about what is literally in my bag. These are two things I pretty much never leave home with out. The one on the right is my trusty datebook. I love this datebook because it is just the right size to toss in my purse so I can keep track of what is going on in my world. This is actually my second time purchasing this particular datebook (I picked the first one up at a car wash on a whim because I liked the Austin theme to the book) and I'm getting ready to order my 2014 book for myself and two of my coworkers. The other massively huge item is my wallet.  Yes, I said wallet. I know it is big but that is why I like it. It holds everything. All my cards, including all those ridiculous loyalty cards that are hard to keep up with, and my checkbooks (we have 2 accounts) for those random times I need to write a check. Plus it is easy to grab and go if I don't want to take my full purse along with me. It has...

Texas is known for two types of food: Barbecue and Tex-Mex. While I have to be in the mood for barbecue, I can eat Tex-Mex 7 days a week. The better question is where do I want to get the Tex-Mex. There are so many good places to chose from here in Austin but I have a few favorites that tend to be my go-to places when I am in the mood for good Tex-Mex. First, there is my favorite taco joint: Torchy's . Two weeks after we moved into our new house, a Torchy's opened across the street from our neighborhood. There is also one near my office. So I end up hitting there close to once a week. Their queso is to die for with the diablo sauce and guacamole mixed in and my all time favorite, Fried Avocado Taco, is always on the menu.  Plus, I usually like to try the taco of the month just to mix things up a bit. For quick bite close to work, I like to hit Cabo Bob's Burritos . Cabo Bob's is basically a locally Chipotle where you can select your tortilla, meat and fillings....

Somewhere along the way, I became one of the makeup people.  I have always had a love for makeup even though I don't wear a lot on a regular basis. I'm always quick to try new products once they get on the market, which is funny since I still tend to go back to my tried and true long time love products. I think I have tried just about every foundation on the market. The problem I run into is not know if something will work out with my oily skin.  I can't always follow the recommendations of many of my fellow makeup loving friends because they have drier skin than I do which means products that work well for them most likely won't work for me. So I have to try things out for myself and often end up being on a different side when it comes to favorite products.  So here are some of my go-to face products: Foundation: For everyday wear, I prefer the CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation . This provides decent coverage although it isn't as long wear as...

Chris and I have been doing Weight Watchers since the end of July with a pretty decent amount of success.  I've lost 16 pounds and he has lost about 20.  I think we have both stalled a bit which I hate with the holidays coming up because I wanted to be closer to my goal so I could relax a bit and enjoy some of my favorite seasonal foods. But I figure I can still enjoy my holiday favorites in moderation and really hit the diet hard again after the first of the year. I'm still pretty motivated to lose weight, especially when I see a picture of myself with a roll right above the waist of my jeans.  One of the things that has helped us be so successful on our diet was the menu planning we have been doing using WW friendly recipes. I found a lot of recipes that we really got excited about trying. As people who loved food, this is just what we need so we wouldn't be as tempted to cheat. One of my favorite new recipes that I discovered was the taco soup my boss made for us ...

It was my intention to discuss interesting football games I watched in my Scoreboard Saturday posts. However, that would have required me to actually watch football today. Alabama had a bye week this weekend so I ended up spending my day in other, less fun ways.  My company is in the middle of upgrading our accounting software so we had to spend our morning completing the work needed for our month end close so the upgrade can take place on Monday.  Not really my idea of a fun Saturday but we made the most of by enjoying some Round Rock Donuts and my boss's yummy pulled pork. On my way home, I had to pick up my team's packets for the Austin Race for the Cure next weekend and hit the grocery store. The nice thing (bad thing?) about HEB on a Saturday is they give out samples while you are shopping. I tried some tasty chicken, wine, and sushi. So of course I ended up coming home with some of it. After I got home from the store, Chris mentioned that Jackson's eye had looked ...

Surprise! Two months later, I finally decided to show back up in your feed reader.  I really didn't mean to fall off the blogging band wagon but it happened.  Since school started back, we have been non-stop.  I know that never really changes in my world but it is the truth.  Somehow we seem to be busier than normal.  Plus I used a lot of my Fridays off during the summer to blog and schedule posts.  I haven't had that free time recently so I guess I will have to try to make up for it now. Luckily, it is now November and that means NaBloPoMo.  One of the goals I set for myself this year was to complete NaBloPoMo again.  The last time I did this, I found out I was pregnant with Jackson at the end of the month.  Hopefully we won't have any surprises like that again this year but nonetheless, I suspect it will still be fun.  I decided to make things a little easier on myself by deciding on a them for each day of the week. Unfortunately, si...

Or at least the end of NaBloPoMo.  I cannot believe I actually blogged every day for 30 days straight.  I will admit I actually doubted my ability to complete this task.  What surprised me the most is not that I actually did it but that I did it with only using blog prompts twice.  I knew I had more thoughts in my head that I wanted to get out.  It was just a matter of getting in front of the computer and making it happen.  I got a lot of positive feedback from this month though.  Not that I had any plans to discontinue my blog, but I am definitely encouraged to keep it going.  I also have some better ideas on what to write to interest people.  I do intend to make more time for blogging than I have in the past.  I don't promise to write every day.  Some days are just too busy and finding the time is near impossible.  After all, I do have a family and a job and a life (or at least some version of one).  However, I do think ...

"Look's like somebody's got a case of the Mondays!"  The line made famous by the movie Office Space, which just so happened to be filmed here in Austin.  Yep, that was me today.  After the long weekend, I woke up with absolutely no desire to return to the office.  No real reason except that my bed was warm and comfy and I didn't want to get out of it.  Plus, while I am a ton better, I am still recovering from my cold from last week.  The barking cough is gone but I am still cruddy.  That does not make for a good Monday.  My boss commented on the way out of the office this afternoon that I had been quiet today which was out of the ordinary for me.  Well, I had spent most of the day with my headphones on and tried to focus on getting my work done.  Truth was I didn't want to work late so I wanted to knock all my work out before the end of the day.  Also, I spent most of Sunday in a bad mood and really just didn't want to deal with peo...

I can't believe this weekend is over.  It was so nice to have a few days off.  I can't say they were relaxing since I was busy getting ready for Thanksgiving and fighting a cold the whole weekend but it was still a good all the same.  Since month end was Friday, we will be working on our close out to wrap up the month.  That means a busy week for us.  But then I am starting to feel like that is the story of my life.  I was able to knock out a few more Christmas gifts this weekend. I am just waiting for suggestions from a few of my family members so I can finish up.  I also need to figure when I can get the decorations out of storage so we can get the tree up and make this place feel a little bit more like Christmas.  The bad thing is I am just not ready for it to be Christmas yet.  I can't explain it but I am having a hard time getting into the spirit.  Here's hoping that adding some decorations to the house will remedy that problem.

The Sheriff decided to surprise me this afternoon with a date to see the new Harry Potter movie.  He had arranged for his parents to watch Kiddo for the night so we could check out the one movie we have both been wanting to see.  Overall I thought the movie was good but then I am a fan of all of the Harry Potter books and movies.  This movie was definitely used to set up the action that will occur in the second part.  It has been more than a year since I read book 7 so I am going to start re-reading it tonight to see what was left out and to remind myself of what will come next.  What I remembered from the book was that the time Harry, Hermoine, and Ron spent in the woods seemed long and drawn out.  It felt the same way in the film.  There were several things that I felt like they touched on in the film but kind of glossed over.  I am hoping they will be focused on a little more closely in the next film.  I am ready for the action to really g...

In the state of Alabama, there is only one football game that matters: the Iron Bowl.  This is a game were battles are fought and legends are born.  This game pits family members against each other and can turn best friends into bitter enemies.  Alabama versus Auburn.  Winner takes all.  There are so many stories to tell and so much history involved.  I have watched Alabama lose 6 straight years only to come back and shut out Auburn the next year.  I have seen last minute defeats and come from behind wins.  I had no idea what to expect today.  Alabama is the reigning National Champion while Auburn is undefeated so far this season.  But anything could happen.  Alabama came out of the gun firing hard and hitting harder, forcing 3 consecutive 3 and outs while accumulating 21 unanswered points all in the first half.  I thought we had a good shot at pulling off the win and ruining Auburn's perfect season but I tried not to get too o...

Thank goodness Thanksgiving is finally over.  I feel like I have been planning this meal for months.  Truthfully, I had planned out the meal pretty well.  I pour over cookbooks looking for the perfect recipes to complete the meal.  Once the recipes were selected, I planned the cooking method of each item and then mapped out the time everything needed to start cooking in order to be completed on time.  The Sheriff was a big help today.  He took care of the last minute cleaning and house preparation only coming in the kitchen when I called him.  The kitchen was my territory today and it was in everyone's best interest to stay out of my way.  The in-laws seemed pleased with the meal and I received many complements.  All in all it was a successful day.  However, my cold is back full force.  I guess I over did it yesterday when I was feeling better and my body is letting me know today.  There will be no 3 AM Black Friday shopping fo...

Good news! I am feeling better today.  Not 100% but at least functioning which is a vast improvement over yesterday.  The day was pretty busy.  This morning I spent a couple of hours shopping for the Children's Christmas party at my office.  Then I still had some work stuff to take care of.  I was able to scoot out a little early so I could hit the grocery store before it got too bad.  HEB was smart though offering free wine samples while you were shopping.  Nice way to relax the shoppers, HEB Plus!  We also had to pick up the turkey and a few other things for tomorrow.  The morning is going to be crazy busy but I will still tune into the Macy's Parade.  After all, Christmas can't start until Santa appears at the end of the parade.

Today started off much better than yesterday morning did.  The sound of the alarm at 5:30 wasn't as traumatic as the day before thank goodness but it was still just as unwelcomed.  You see, despite the fact it wasn't even remotely cold yesterday, the Sheriff and I decided it was time to put the comforter in the duvet cover on the bed since the cover was freshly washed.  That meant it was slightly warm (stuffy) in our room last night.  Stuffiness and my sinuses do not play well together coupled with the fact we had a freeze warning in Austin less than a week ago and it is now 80 degrees.  I woke up feeling less than 100% but it wasn't until I was half way down the toll road to work that it hit me...I am sick.  I am talking itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, congestion, the whole 9 yards.  And of course, my beloved ClaritinD was in the medicine cabinet at home.  So I suffered through the first half of the day getting progressively w...

I know by the way I woke up this morning that is would be a rough day.  Apparently I was sleeping hard this morning when my alarm went off.  I guess I was thinking it was still the weekend because I sat up and yelled, "Oh crap!  It's Monday."  Don't know how I didn't wake the Sheriff up.  Needless to say, I didn't want to get out of bed.  But I got a move on and headed to work like normal.  Thanks to the short week, work was just as busy as I expected.  Fortunately, the Sheriff was off today so he was able to start some of the preparations for the big day on Thursday.  Most of the cleaning and laundry have been done.  Tomorrow we will be hitting the store to get the last minute stuff we need for the meal.  I am hoping to avoid the crowds that I am sure will be at the store on Wednesday.  Besides, I have to pick up the turkey from Popeye's Wednesday.  I just hope the plan I have mapped out in my head works.  We will be...

I feel like I am running out of things to say.  I know this week has probably been pretty lacking in the blog department and for that I am sorry.  I am not making any promises about the upcoming week.  For a short work week, it is going to be crazy busy.  We are coming up on month end so there is a lot to be done to prepare for that.  Also, I have Thanksgiving and all the preparation that will go into that as well.  I am sure I will be wiped out by the time Friday rolls around.  You can forget about me hitting the stores at 4 AM on Black Friday.  There is nothing I want bad enough to be out that time of the morning trying to score a deal.  (Plus, the Sheriff will be working so I have to stay home with Kiddo.)  I will consider some of the online deals that I am sure will be offered.  Those are much more my speed.  I also won't let anything pull me away from the big game that will be happening Friday afternoon.  It is no sec...

Not much to say this evening.  It was a rough day where my lack of patience and temper got the best of me.  I decided it was best to lay low because of that.  I ended up pulling out my sewing box and working on some old cross stitch patterns that I had.  I was given a sewing machine a couple of years ago and I have never used it.  I would really like to learn how to sew more.  I haven't tried to do any sewing in a long time.  It was something that I regularly did with my aunt and grandmother.  I am probably better at it than I realize but I know I have much more to learn.  I don't think I would ever be one to make my own clothes or anything but it would still be a nice skill to have.  I also used to crochet but I haven't even touched my needle in years.  I might just have to go get some yarn to see if I can remember how to do it.  Now my thumb hurts from sewing all day.  I forgot how relaxing it could be and how wrapped up...

I got some much needed girl time with my best friend today.  We have been planning it and looking forward to it for weeks.  Since we don't work together anymore, Steph and I don't get to see each other as often as we would like.  So we made plans to head to East Side Cafe for lunch then over to the Palmer Events Center for the Austin Junior League's Christmas Affair.  The Christmas Affair was crowded as usual  but I was able to score some cute Alabama items to add to my collection.  I have been debating going back down there tomorrow to do some more shopping but I know I probably don't need to.  My body is still recovering from the craziness of the Thanksgiving Pot Luck at work and walking around the events center all afternoon didn't really help that much.  As it stands right now, I am looking at hitting the bed as soon as I hit post on this entry and staying that way until the Sheriff comes home from work in the morning.  This weekend shoul...

Yep, exhausted...that would be me this evening.  We had our Thanksgiving pot luck at work today and I spent most of my day helping setup, putting food out, and cleaning up.  To say I am worn out would be an understatement.  Because of that, you aren't going to get much of a blog from me tonight.  I am sitting here waiting for the Alabama massacre of Georgia State to end so I can head to bed.  At 63-7 with 6 minutes left, I would say we pretty well have this one in the bag.  Now we just have the Iron Bowl to look forward to next week to wrap up our regular season and then an undetermined bowl game.  Here's hoping work flies by quickly tomorrow.  I am looking forward to a low key weekend.

With Thanksgiving only a week away, I had the thought that I should talk about some things in my life that I am grateful for.  Of course I have a wonderful family, a good job, and great friends and those are all things I am grateful for.  But I was thinking along a different line this morning.  I was laying in bed shivering a little bit thanks to the cold (ok...cool) snap that has hit Central Texas and the fact that I forgot to turn the heater on before I went to bed.  I always sleep with the ceiling fan on because I need air circulating so I don't get stopped up.  Well, the fan was making me cold but I didn't want to get out of bed until I warmed up a bit.  That is where my handy dandy ceiling fan remote makes my life better.  I am extremely grateful to whomever thought up the brilliant idea of a remote controlled ceiling fan.  That is one of the greatest inventions ever.  The other thing I realized I was grateful for was the snooze button. ...