Fill in the Blanks Friday

It's Friday and I felt like it was a good time to fill in some blanks.  Join Lauren at the little things we do if you want to fill in some blanks too!

1. When it comes to holiday shopping, I haven't even started.  I got my maternity time confused and went two weeks without a paycheck so I couldn't afford to buy anything.  And I mean nothing.  I got paid yesterday (thank goodness) and I went to make coffee this morning and we have no creamer and I went to make oatmeal and we have no milk.  Yikes!  So, we are doing ALL our shopping this weekend...
2. A few things on my Christmas list are new running shoes, a few new running shirts, and a few new pieces of clothes.  That's about it.  I don't really have too much on my list because I haven't really thought much about what I want.   Oh well - it's all about baby Evan now anyway, isn't it!
3. An intangible gift I'd like to receive is a peaceful ten hour car ride up to Vermont with the baby.  Yup, I really hope he behaves and doesn't scream the entire time.  Only time will tell!
4. My Christmas will be spent with my parents, sister, and her boyfriend.  I can't wait to see them and have Evan spend some time with them.  Plus my sister will be there and she's never met Evan so I'm so excited for her to finally meet him.  I can't WAIT to head up there!
5. My most favorite Christmas gift I ever received was....  Hmm, hard to narrow it down.  When I was little I remember being super excited to get Mall Madness.  Then one year I got a yoga retreat to Costa Rica.  I've gotten a lot of good presents in my lifetime, but the best things are spending the holidays with people I love. 
6. The best thing about the holidays is the holiday spirit.  I can't help be super happy during the holiday season.  I love my little tree at work, I love buying gifts for people, I love sending out holiday cards, I love stuffing stockings, I love all the parties and food, and I love heading up to Vermont.  I also love snow, so please snow a TON while I'm in Vermont.  I would appreciate it!

Have you finished your holiday shopping yet?

Are you sending out cards this year?
I feel like a lot of people I know have decided not to do cards this year and it makes me sad.  It is so fun getting cards in the mail and keeping in touch with people outside of Facebook.  Oh well - I refuse to give it up!

Fill in the Blanks Friday

It's about time I did another Fill in the Blanks Friday.  Are you breathing a sigh of relief that I'm not posting another baby post!  I guess the baby takes up my entire life these days so it's hard to think of things to post that don't have something to do with Maple Baby.  And well, I love him to pieces.  But it's time for a little Fill in the Blanks Friday with Lauren at the little things we do.

1. One thing I plan on doing to relax this weekend is going for a walk.  I'm not sure that that is relaxing these days though because I'm always worried that Maple Baby is going to have a breakdown.  Pretty much nothing is relaxing these days except nursing.  Why nursing?  Because Maple Baby loves to eat so I know that when it's feeding time, he's gonna be really happy.
   
2. A big pet peeve of mine is the fact that they have put so many commercials on FIOS Video on Demand.  I know, I know - my biggest pet peeve is related to TV.  However, I watch a lot of TV these days and I really get annoyed that when I'm trying to watch a VOD show there are so many commercials in it and you aren't allowed to fast forward. 
   
3. I am really loving my maternity leave.  I love spending every minute with Maple Baby, not having to get up at 4:45am for work (although I get up at a similar time to nurse), and spending more time with my husband. 
   
4. The rain is here for the day.  It actually poured and poured last night (I was up feeding Evan) and this morning but for now it has stopped.  It's suppose to continue raining all day though.  It's cozy being at home, watching the rain, and reading a book (ok, so I'm not doing that - I'm watching TV).
   
5. My favorite girly indulgence is trying on wedding dresses.  Ok, so I only did it once but it was so fun. 
   
   
6. A song I always get stuck in my head is If You're Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands.  One of Evan's toys has the music to that song so I find myself singing it all the time.  Before that, I had that Whistle song in my head all the time.  I find that song completely inappropriate but so catchy.
   
7. The best cure for stress is a good run.  I haven't been running in forever and I am hoping to get my first run in today.  We'll see if I can find time it between nursing Evan and avoiding the pouring rain.  I'm sure I can't go far but I am craving the sound of my feet hitting the pavement.

I guess that's it folks.  I can't believe it's Friday already.  The days fly by and I feel like I blink and it's Friday again.  Have a great weekend!!

Fill in the Blanks Friday

I love filling in the blanks!   If you want to fill in some blanks, visit Lauren over at the little things we do and link up!

1. Over this Labor Day weekend I will be waiting for Maple Baby to show up, walking with friends, going to church, hitting up Sunday brunch, and cooking Honduran enchiladas with my former bus friend (she's still my friend, she just doesn't ride the commuter bus anymore...).  Sounds like a good weekend to me!

2. With the political debates going on right now, my current thoughts are not concerned with them.  I have pretty strong political leanings and I already know which candidate I'm going to vote for so I don't really pay attention to the debates.  I like to read the results of the debates and the synapses of both convention speeches, etc., but I don't actually watch them.  I don't watch any TV to be honest.  And I don't particularly trust what politicians say when they are running for office - you never know what they truly believe until they are voted in.

3. Today is my last day in the office.  I am actually sad.  It is so weird to think that I won't be back here until December.  I will definitely miss my work friends and the interactions and the fun times we have.  Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to spending time with my newborn and all that, but it will definitely feel weird when I leave today.  Crazy!  I am still working from home next week, but that is a much different scenario - no 4:45am alarm clock, no 1.5 hour bus ride to work, no 2 hour bus ride home, no 12 hour days, etc.  Did I mention it feels weird????

4. The best thing I've cooked recently was crepes?  I haven't really cooked too many fantastic items during my pregnancy because I haven't been too hungry or too motivated.  I have started cooking crepes for hubs in the morning though and they turn out pretty tasty.  I made fried rice last night but it didn't turn out so tasty.  I can't think of anything amazing that I've cooked recently...maybe after baby comes?  Probably not!

5. The last thing I bought was baby-related, I'm sure.  Probably a diaper.  Oh wait, I know.  The last thing I bought was a subscription to The Honest Company Household Essentials Bundle.  The Honest Company makes diapers and organic, chemical-free household products (like detergent, hand soap, sunscreen, bug spray, surface cleaner, shampoo, etc.) and I have been wanted to subscribe to their service for a while.  I got the free sample in the mail and I love the stuff.  We won't use the diapers, but I am happy to have found a good company that makes safe household products.

6. The best movie I saw this summer was nothing.  I didn't see a single movie all summer.  The last movie I saw was Hunger Games (which was awesome), but it wasn't during the summer.  I love the movies but we just haven't had time to go.  Or money.  I doubt we'll have much time after Maple Baby comes either.

7. The best book I read this summer was nothing.  Yikes!  I didn't watch movies and I didn't read - what did I do????  I read some baby books but I sure wouldn't list them as "best books" or anything.  I am currently reading Jasmine Nights by Julia Gregson, which is good, but I 'm not even half-way done.  And now that school has started I'm not sure how much reading I'll get in.  We'll see.


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What good movies or books have you seen/read this summer?

What are your Labor Day plans??  BBQ?  Last pool visit?  Beach?

What is your favorite dish to cook?

Fill in the Blanks Friday!!!

I haven't done Fill in the Blanks Friday is so long!  I missed it so I decided to participate again.  If you want to join up, visit Lauren at the little things we do and link up.  It's super fun!  And enjoy my blanks!

1. The best thing to do on a hot day is eat lots of watermelon, run through sprinklers, and drink smoothies.  I love hot days and don't mind sweating, as long as I'm not trying to look "professional" or "sexy".  I don't mind just sitting in the shade on a super hot day and enjoying the heat.  I know, I'm crazy!

2. The best place to be on a hot day is somewhere with lots of shade and drinks.  I remember as a kid we went to Pompeii in Italy and it was super hot and we were surrounded by stone structures and stone streets and NO FOOD/DRINK stands.  It was so hot and miserable.  I like to sit in the shade and drink cold drinks.  A nice park or my balcony or something of that nature.  The woods are a nice place to be too.

3. The best thing to eat on a hot day is watermelon!  As I said above - watermelon and smoothies are so yummy on hot days.  Fresh strawberries too.  When I lived in Honduras they always had hot soup when it was really hot - which made you sweat a ton more but then you felt cool afterwards.  For some reason I love BBQ foods when it's super hot too - hamburgers, mac and cheese, potato salad, etc.

4. Hot days are the best.  I love the heat.  People think I'm crazy but I'd much rather be hot than cold.  I don't really mind hot days as long as I don't have to be doing something.  For example, if A/C didn't exist then trying to work in an office building when it was 100* out would NOT be fun.  Nor would  school.  However, if I am just lazying around, a hot day doesn't bother me.

5. My go-to uniform on a warm summer day is a loose-fitting summer dress or a skirt.  Of course, since getting pregnant my thighs like to rub together so dresses and skirts are NOT comfortable without some sort of shorts action going on underneath (does anyone else have this problem???).  If I'm at home then I love a nice soft pair of cotton shorts and a loose-fitting tank top.  I don't leave the house in those types of clothes though!

6. The scent that reminds me of summer is that thick scent of humidity in the woods.  It's hard to describe, but here in Maryland it is SUPER humid and there is a special way that the woods smell when it's super hot and humid.  When I walk the dog through the paths in the neighborhood that head into the woods, that smell always reminds me of summer.

7. My favorite thing about summer are the long days.  I love that the evenings are light for so long.  I also love summer-time activities like golfing, picnicking, BBQs, walks in the park, movies outside, lakeside concerts, etc.  I used to love being off during the summer but now that I have a job and I'm not in school, I don't get to enjoy that aspect of summer anymore!

There you have it!!  

Hope you have a wonderful Friday!!!