Just Say Julie

On his way out the door tonight, Chris apologized for having to work all weekend since that meant we couldn't do anything special for Valentine's Day. I'll admit I'm actually a little bummed about it this year. I'm not really sure why since we aren't normally ones to do anything big for Valentine's Day. I think Chris has had to work every Valentine's Day since we got together so we usually recognize the day but celebrate later. Besides I always hate how hard it is to go to a nice dinner that night because you either need a reservation or have to wait two hours. Our fancy Valentine's dinner is always the Heart Baker pizza from Papa Murphy's (I'm a sucker for a heart shaped pizza). So I don't understand my melancholy this year. I guess the holiday being on Saturday and knowing we could have taken the boys to the Y for Kids' Night makes me sad that we can't actually do anything. Instead we have a play date with a daycare friend and h...

It seems to be a common theme among my fellow bloggers that we are all having a hard time finding time to blog.  Fortunately, my friend, Ginger, is trying to do something about that.  First she put out a challenge to write on her blog more and invited us to join her. Then she decided to start her Bring Back the Words post prompts again. Yay! I love these since they give me something to write about instead of just writing about whatever comes to mind. So here we go with the first round of prompts. 1.) First day of school. I honestly don't remember anything significant about any of my first days of school. I guess that means nothing major happened so they don't stand out for me.  So I will talk about the boys. We are about a week and a half away from school starting here. Sean will be in fourth grade this year. And Jackson, well, he starts 3 year old PreK. He isn't changing classes at his daycare. They did that at the beginning of the summer so the kids could get used t...

Nobody tagged me, but it seems like all my pocket friends are doing this right now so I figured it was a good excuse to dust off the old blog and do a few updates. 1. What is your favorite kind of cheese? My current favorite would probably be Jarlsberg. We bought a giant block of it from Sam's and I will just stand in the kitchen and cut off chunks of it to munch on. 2. What are you excited about? My new job! I start in a couple of weeks and I am really excited that I won't have a long commute anymore so I can spend more time at home. 3. How did you celebrate your last birthday? I cannot for the life of me remember anything about my birthday last year. I can't even remember what Chris got me as a gift. I feel terrible but I have no idea. I guess that means we will have to have a big celebration this year. 4. What is on your bedside table? A lamp, a couple of books, my iPad, a picture of Maverick, the baby monitor, and all the remotes for our bedroom TV for certa...

Copied from one of the other Julies because she tagged everybody and since I am failing miserably at the blogging once a week thing. Do you have any strange phobias? I have a few actually. Sharp objects and hot objects, know...such as knifes and ovens, which makes cooking fun.  Also escalators thanks to witnessing a little girl fall down one when I was a child. Do you sleep with or without clothes on? Always with clothes on.  After all, what would you do if you need to quickly leave the house in the middle of the night. If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? Wishing I was back instead. Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band? I would have to go with Rascal Flatts even though I haven't downloaded any of their music in a while. Do you believe in karma? To extent.  I haven't definitely seen karma in action. Who is your celebrity crush?  Channing Tatum What’s a sound you hate; sound you love? Hate: Metal chairs scraping across a con...

I used to follow Lance Armstrong on twitter back when he was preparing for his last Tour de France. I would get so frustrated for him when the anti-doping officials would come knocking on his door on a daily basis.  I felt like he had proven himself time and time again that he wasn't doping.  And maybe at that time he wasn't.  But apparently my faith in him was misplaced.  I told Chris on numerous occasions that I didn't believe the stories to be true. You can imagine my disappointment when I heard that he was going to confess. Now I don't know much about the cycling world.  I still don't understand the time trials and how you can win without being in the lead or the first one to cross the finish line.  I don't get it.  But I knew a little of Lance's story from his years in the spotlight and it was neat to me that he lived in the Austin area.  I also had a lot of respect for the Livestrong Foundation and what it was working for.  I felt lik...

Instead of resolutions this year, I decided to make a list of things I would like to accomplish this year.  I figure this is a more tangible way to be able to see how well I've done this year. Actually attend The Blathering this year. Take Jackson to his first football game Buy a new rug for the living room. Read The Great Gatsby before seeing the movie. Get another tattoo as a tribute to Jackson. Take a trip that doesn't include visiting my parents. Pay off another credit card. (Maybe even two!) Go on at least 1 date a month with Chris. Spend more time outdoors with the boys. Make more time for myself. Replace the fence. Repair the driveway. Get the exterior of the house painted. Increase our charitable giving. Read 24 books. Blog at least once a week. Spend an entire weekend kid free. See Alabama play in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Run a 5k. Visit Chris's Grandmother. Visit my brother's family in Houston. Setup Savings Accounts for the boys. Keep mo...

This might be a bit of a "Ba humbug" post but there are a few gripes that I have and I just need to get them off my chest.  So...here we go: My radio station has switched over to Christmas music for the season.  The first week or so it was great. I  was in the best mood listening to the sounds of Christmas in my car on the way to work everyday.  And then, it got old.  I think I have heard the same Christmas songs sung 5 different ways daily for the past month.  OK...I'm over the Christmas music now.  Which leads me to my next gripe... Can't they just sing the blasted song?!?  Why must every artist feel the need to "make the song their own?"  It's just wrong.  Don't mess with my Christmas classics.  God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen to a pop beat...no...just no!  Stop the madness now and leave the Carols alone! Also, I hate that people feel the need to be PC at Christmas.  I get we all have different beliefs and celebrate di...

Christmas is just over a week away but you wouldn't know it by looking at my house.  The Christmas spirit is definitely lacking here which makes me sad.  There is always a delay on putting up the Christmas tree here because of it's location in the house but this year the toddler in the house has stopped me from putting up any decorations at all.  You see, the only location in my house that is (sort of) available for the Christmas tree is in front of the picture window in my kitchen that faces the street.  There is no other spot that doesn't contain furniture that can't easily be moved and stored in place of the tree for a couple of weeks.  Instead, I have to move the dog's bowls and mat from it's normal spot in front of the window to another less convenient location on the other side of the kitchen.  Plus the tree blocks access to the pantry which makes life all kinds of difficult. Throw the toddler into the mix and it's just a recipe for disast...

1. I put Jackson in overalls and a turtle neck this morning. If I thought I could get away with it, I would dress him like this every day because he looked so adorable. 2. I laugh every day when I turn onto the street my office is on and see the "End of Sidewalk" sign they never took down after pouring the sidewalk in front of the building across from our's 2 years ago. 3. I smile every time I see the little Christmas tree in my cubicle because its so festive and makes me happy. 4. I'm dreading putting up decorations at my own house because I just know Jackson is going to try to pull everything down. 5.  Why is it still November?  This early Thanksgiving is throwing me off.  I am ready for it to be December so it can completely feel like Christmas. 6.  Now that we know the F1 Race and a UT home game are scheduled for the same weekend next year, we are debating a vacation at that time.  I started researching Disney and now all I want to do is take that...

Apparently I forgot I had a blog or something which would explain my month long absence from my little spot on the internet. However, that is not the case and I just simply haven't had time to write nor much to write about. So I am cheating and using this list of questions I found in my Google Docs (or Drive as they now call it) to give me a kick in the pants to start writing again. After all, the holidays are upon us which always makes for good material. 1. Two TV Shows You Watch Every Week? Only 2? Um...OK, let's see which 2 should I select. How about 2 Broke Girls and How I Met Your Mother? Or would you prefer me to list Hart of Dixie or Grey's Anatomy or Revolution. I could continue. We watch too much TV. 2. Top Three Places On Your Must Visit List? Is it bad that the 3 places on my list are all places I have been before but love so much I want to go back? That being said my 3 places are New York City, Hawaii, and Disney World. 3. Current Favorite Decorat...

Several of my blogging friends post regularly reviews of the books they have read recently.  I wish I could do the same thing but that would be a very short list.  I set a goal for myself at the beginning of the year to read 24 books this year.  I thought this would be an easy goal to accomplish because it was only 2 books a month.  So far, I have read 6 books this year and only because I read 2 books in that glorious 36 hours I was sans baby last month.  Rather than reading 2 books a month, it has been more like a book every 2 months. Now I love to read but I have a hard time reading more than one book at a time, mostly because I get so absorbed in a book that I don't want to put it down.  I actually had a boyfriend in college get mad at me because we were on a trip and I wouldn't stop reading and pay attention to him.  He wasn't a reader so he didn't understand getting completely lost in the world of a book.  I am thrilled that Chris shares m...

I am on Twitter.  I blog. I have a Facebook page.  I live in a world of social media.  So it isn't surprising that I spend my share of time on Pinterest.  I'm not on it every day but I hop on at least once a week and pin ideas for recipes, cleaning tips, activities to do with Jackson, and anything else that tickles my fancy.  Chris just laughs at me when I start a sentence with, "I saw something on Pinterest the other day..."  However, he has been surprised at how well some of the ideas I have come up with from pins I have seen have worked.  There was cleaning the microwave by heating a bowl of vinegar in there.  There were the table decorations for Jackson's birthday party.  Now I am toying around with an idea on how to tackle Christmas presents for the boys and not kill our budget in the process. However, Pinterest has made me realize just how uncrafty I really am.  I see all these neat things on there that I would love to do and all...

Today is my birthday.  It is also Free Slurpee day.  I joked with Chris that I expected him to deliver a Slurpee to my office since it was my birthday and Free Slurpee day.  And since it's my birthday, I should get what I want, right? He did not agree.  Of course I know the reason why and that's because we tried to get a free Slurpee on my birthday last year.  I'm surprised I haven't told this story on here before.  I even went back to my archives to check so I didn't repeat myself but I guess I was so wrapped up in being pregnant that all other stories went out the window.  So here it goes. This time last year I was 9 months pregnant, 15 days away from my due date, in the middle of the hottest summer ever in Austin, Texas.  I had not yet diagnosed pre-eclampsia. I was basically miserable.  I told Chris that all I wanted for my birthday was tickets to see the final Harry Potter movie and a free Slurpee on my birthday.  So he ...

I figured a fitting follow up to my post on grocery shopping would to discuss how I handle menu planning.  I must say this is something I have had a hard time figuring out.  I don't think I ever planned a menu during the entirety of my first marriage.  I would just go to the store and buy things that could make up a meal with no real idea what I was going to make.  And then I would discover that I didn't have all the stuff I needed to make whatever meal I decided on so I would either run to the store again or scrap the meal all together. Honestly, I have only really heard about menu planning in the last couple of years because several of the bloggers I follow post their menu plans on their blogs.  Seeing these posts got me thinking.  So I decided to try my hand at menu planning.  I don't remember when I started exactly.  Some time before Jackson was born I think.  But I didn't really start being diligent about it till I went back to work f...

Yes, I'm writing a post about grocery shopping.  I've become one of *those* bloggers.  Sorry.  No, I am not going to tell you the right way to do it. I'm just going to talk about how I've been handling it recently and gripe about my frustrations with it. When I moved into my house, I quickly realized that there were 5 grocery options within a 5 mile radius of my house: 2 HEBs, 1 HEB Plus, 1 Randall's, and a Super Walmart.  Shortly thereafter, a Super Target (not included in that original count of 5) opened up within a reasonable distance.  Why someone needs that many options so close together, I will never know.  But that's what I have to work with.  I will say right that I never go to the 2 regular HEBs or the Super Walmart because they just aren't convenient.  Plus I have a strong dislike for grocery shopping at Walmart.  I have found that they have a heavy stock of one type of product but no variety to brands.  So I am goi...

It is February now which hopefully means the awfulness of January has passed and 2012 will start to brighten from here.  I have decided to take on a couple of challenges in February because...why not?  The first one is a continuation of last month's photo a day.  I found the list for this month on Fat Mum Slim's website  and, while I wasn't always great at posting my pictures, it was fun taking them.  Here is what we are working with this month: My second challenge for February is going to be the really hard one.   Jenny announced on Twitter at the beginning of this week that she and Kristie had decided not to do any spending on themselves for the entire month of February (it's a short month, right?).  I thought about it and decided I want in because I am trying to tighten our budget a bit anyway and I've already given up buying unneeded makeup for myself.  What's skipping a few more unnecessary purchases?  The first thing I...

I have been intending to write this post for several weeks because I have several new (to me) products I have tried recently and I wanted to share them with my lovely readers.  I also want to hear about any new stuff you have tried recently that you have loved or hated. First up is Erase Paste from Benefit Cosmetics.  I needed a new concealer once I found out Prescriptives had closed up shop and I had tossed my last tube of concealer. On a trip to Ulta, I saw this advertised as one of Allure Magazine's top picks so I figured I would try it and I am glad I did. This stuff works.  I don't look like the over tired mom I really am.  My only complaint is that it is a little too creamy for my liking but I think I just need to blend it a little better. Also from Benefit Cosmetics is Lemon Aid.  I have actually had this product for awhile but I forgot about it and just started using it again recently. I have really dark eye lids.  So dark that it c...

I am extremely easily annoyed these days.  It doesn't take much to get under my skin which makes me an unpleasant person to be around.  Knowing this, I've been keeping to myself a lot so I don't just completely go off on someone. I am also more emotional.  I almost cried in a meeting this week when one of the PMs welcomed me back to the office and commented that I looked thrilled to be there.  The comment didn't bother me because it was true.  It just re-emphasized how much I want to be home with Jackson.  And then I did it again the next day driving to work just because I really didn't want to go. The daycare situation is really stressing me out.  We have just over 2 weeks to find someone to watch Jackson while Chris and I are at work since our perfect in-home daycare fell through last week.  I am really not happy about this.  I never wanted to put my kids in daycare but I have no other options.  Nor do I have any idea how we are go...

I borrowed this from the fabulous Sarah Lena  since I accidentally deleted the post I started writing earlier today.  I intend to finish that post but this will have to do for now. A. Age: 34 B. Bed size: Queen which was fine for me and Maverick but Chris, Maverick, and I need a King. C. Chore that you hate: All of them but particularly cleaning the bathrooms especially the toilets with all the boys in my house. D. Dogs: Yes, Maverick, the fat beagle E. Essential start to your day: Now that I am back at work, I must have my coffee. F. Favorite color: Crimson red...is there any other color? G. Gold or Silver: I am more of a gold person but my wedding rings are white gold so I have been leaning towards silver since getting them nearly 2 years ago. H. Height: 5’2" on a good day if I stretch I. Instruments you play: I played alto clarinet in high school and I wasn't very good J. Job title: Financial Analyst K. Kids: Jackson - 2 months old; Sean (stepson) ...

I can't say that Easter Weekend was anything overly exciting in our household.  However, a couple of funny (or at least interesting to me) things happened that I thought I might share. I ran home after work on Friday before running errands and let Maverick out.  As I was getting ready to leave for my pedicure, I went outside to let the pup back in.  He was no where to be found.  My yard isn't that big and there is no where for him to hide except his dog house, even the gate was closed so I panicked.  Turns out he found a hole under our fence and had decided he needed a play date with the neighbor's 9 month old boxer puppy.  Good thing the two dogs get along well.  But still, it was nerve wracking until I realized where he was and got him back on my side of the fence.  The amusing part was watching him lay on his side to crawl back under the fence with the biggest grin on his face.  Fat doggy almost didn't make it back through the hole....