Life as B knows it

Movie recap: Harry Potter

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:37:00 -0400

So Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was basically the best movie ever. Throw in pre-Harry Potter trivia, 3D glasses, and some of my favorite people, and you have the greatest movie in history. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit. Or… maybe not. The movie definitely exceeded my expectations and it was the first ever full-length feature film I had seen in 3D. Which was AMAZING. Though I can’t help but nit-pick the differences between the movies and books, it kept me on the edge of my seat and a tissue close in hand. Which came in super handy since I was teary (aka sobbing) the majority of the movie. Think full out war movie where characters are dying left and right that you’ve invested basically a decade getting to know. Intense.

But as happy as I am that I’ve seen the movie, I think my coworkers may be even happier. Today was the first day in well over a week where they didn’t hear me talk non stop about Harry Potter (and by that I mean it was only like a 10 minute recap as soon as I walked in the door). But at least they’ve been humored by one of my obsessions.

So, now I just need to decide when I’ll be watching this movie again. In the theatres of course. And 3D is the only way to go. Though I may wait for the crowds to die down a bit. Luckily Rachel feels the exact same way, so I won’t have to go by myself. Which I totally would do. And now here’s hoping that Hogwarts a History, A History of Magic, or some other school book becomes available to Muggles in the near future. And at least there’s always Pottermore.

Yeah, you know life as B knows it, HP edition. Aaaaand obsession rambling over.

Park Mobile

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:09:24 -0400

I’ve been really excited about trying out Park Mobile (http://us.parkmobile.com/) to pay for parking at meters in DC. I finally downloaded the app today and easily purchased 2 hours worth of parking. It’s definitely quick and convenient, BUT they have a service charge. And it’s not just a penny or two, it’s 32 cents. Which I realize isn’t that much, but it adds up quickly. And why would I want to waste almost 9 whole minutes worth in service fees?! So for now thanks, but no thanks. I think I’ll stick with quarters. But it will be nice to have a back up on those days when my coinage supply is slim to none.

Snape, Snape, Severus Snape…cannot wait to see the how his...

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:31:48 -0400

Snape, Snape, Severus Snape…cannot wait to see the how his story is portrayed in Deathly Hallows Part 2! This is going to be ah.maze.ing!

And spoiler alert for those who have been under a rock for over a decade and never read the books or seen the movies.

Newest Obsession - Scoutmob

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 23:09:00 -0400

Okay. So I’m legit obsessed with Scoutmob. First - they give you free coupons for places in DC (and other cities, too). And you know how much I love coupons! Second - it’s similar to groupon and living social, but you don’t have to pay for it until you actually use it. Third - they seem to really want to learn all about DC land in order to discover the perfect finds. And when you think it couldn’t get any better than that, just wait!

It’s clear from my fbook, twitter, and random conversations with friends that I’m one of their biggest fans (aka one of the 25 top shares so far in DC)! So much so that I got an email yesterday from the head honcho of Scoutmob himself and he’s sending me a free big tee!!! Plus I’m gonna get the 411 on their upcoming launch parties this summer. A free big tee plus parties! Oh Scoutmob, I’m so excited that you’ve expanded to our fare city!!!

Want to learn more about this cool company? Click on my link http://bit.ly/lxAvl5 (it gets me extra cool points) to get the deets on the latest happenings. And p.s. download the scoutmob app - which has the deals PLUS fun facts about DC.

Cannot wait for frozen butterbeer deliciousness tonight! Thanks...

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 09:51:00 -0400

Cannot wait for frozen butterbeer deliciousness tonight!

Thanks Food Network, for this recipe! But I’ll be serving it frozen like in HP land.

Ingredients

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup butterscotch topping

2 tablespoons whipped butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups vanilla cream soda

Directions

Combine condensed milk, butterscotch topping, and butter in a glass heatproof measuring cup. Heat in microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir until butter has melted and incorporated into mixture. Meanwhile heat cream soda in another heatproof measuring cup for 1 minute 30 seconds.

Divide butterscotch mixture between 2 (10 to 12-ounce) mugs. Fill mugs with heated cream soda and stir thoroughly. Serve garnished with an old-fashioned butterscotch candy stick.

Just a few mere fears

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:45:25 -0400

Fear. There are only 4 measly little letters in the word, but it sure packs a mean punch!

My friends Merriam and Webster describe fear as an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. Strong emotion is right! Though I wish my fears were only brought on by actual danger. Usually it’s just me being chicken.

There are quite a number of things in this world that scare me. I hate that feeling when your stomach is tied in knots or you feel like you can barely breathe or your heart is beating a million times a minute or when it’s all happening at the same time! But then there’s that feeling you get when you overcome your fear — a rush of adrenaline, a sense of accomplishment, and it kind of makes it all worth it. Well, at least most of the time.

Like Ron Weasley, spiders have been a long time fear of mine. I’m not sure when this fear started. Unlike Ron, my brother never turned “my teddy bear into a great big filthy spider” and there isn’t any one thing that I recall triggering this fear. Unfortunately, it seems that I have this “spidey sense” for detecting these creepy creatures. Sometimes I wish I could just be oblivious to their existence, but alas, no such luck. In my younger days, each spider sighting would be immediately followed by a scream and then quickly followed by a yell for someone to come and eliminate the danger. However, over the years, I’ve been able to somewhat conquer this fear. Don’t get me wrong, the fear’s still there, but I’ve at least moved past the screaming and yelling, and I’m able to solve the problem all by my lonesome!

Though there are definitely those silly fears that I have yet faced. In elementary school (okay, okay, I was in 6th grade) my grandmother and her bf at the time took me to see the movie Jurassic Park. Bad idea. I think I made it through the first scene and then forced myself to fall asleep in Mamoo’s lap. I had nightmare’s for weeks, or was it months? Seriously, the parents thought I may need counseling. Though the nightmares of being attacked by dinosaurs have long since passed, I still have never seen that movie (though I have ridden the ride at Universal Studios and survived!). I keep thinking that one day, just maybe, I’ll actually sit down and watch the entire movie, or at least past the first scene. Though I may need to call in reinforcements to watch it with me, just in cases…

Back in April I was…let’s say roped for lack of a better word, into going to a CrossFit free class to see what Dan’s and Tuck’s non-stop CF talk was all about. And since my first class (or probably even before) CF has definitely been a fear factor in my life. Since my very first free class, CF has definitely scared me. Jumping up onto a 20 inch box, the thought of doing pull-ups and real push-ups, and lifting barbells — I mean come on, how is that not scary?!? My prior free weight training basically consists of lifting 25 lb dumbells max. And by max I mean the majority of the time it’s 5 lb or 10 lb weights. Needless to say, after my first free class, I spent basically the next week with ice packs close by my side (or more appropriately on my quads and hamstrings). Though for some crazy reason, even with all my post-workout pain, I kept going to free classes. And my ice packs (and pkgs of frozen broccoli) quickly became and remained for a number of weeks, my best friends.

After close to 2 months of free classes at basically every CF gym in NOVA, I signed up for elements - the classes you take to learn the basics. There were 8 classes total (though I happily missed one while the ‘rents were in town) over the course of 4 weeks. Gradually after each class, my CF fears vanished a little bit. That is until I started going to workouts of the day (WODs) after 4 classes. Currently my WOD total stands at 3. And before each class, the fear and the nerves are in overdrive. Seriously – it takes all the courage I can muster up to talk myself into changing into the workout gear and making the quick drive to my CF box (that CrossFit speak for gym). Yesterday I finished my final Elements class for CrossFit. So basically this means I start doing the WODs full time. Which also means that I’m going to be a nervous wreck before every class for the foreseeable future. Here’s hoping that one day soon my CFfears will become an all too distant memory. In the meantime, I’ll keep attempting to tackle this fear, one WOD at a time.

Yep, that’s life as B knows it.

This venn diagram is so hilariously true! Thank you someecards...

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:47:19 -0400

This venn diagram is so hilariously true! Thank you someecards for bringing laughter to my day!

Super Double Coupons

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 23:56:00 -0400

Yeah — so I was definitely that person tonight who held up the check out line because one of my deals at Harris Teeter didn’t ring up properly. But I can’t help it if my carton of HT lite neopolitan ice cream (which was suppose to be free) wasn’t discounted correctly! And I realize it’s only $2.50, but I just couldn’t pass up getting it for free! I know, I’m ridiculous.

But luckily the guy behind me didn’t seem too cranky about it. And when the cashier said I saved nearly $40 (originaly total was $94) he replied - “wow, what email list are you on?” So, thank you dear Harris Teeter for doubling all of my coupons tonight. You sure know how to make a not so good day much better!

So there you have it. That’s life as B knows it, at least for tonight.

Yeah, have definitely watched this a few times already. Glad I...

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:01:20 -0400

Yeah, have definitely watched this a few times already. Glad I have something to look forward to after July 15th!

Quick - hurry to CVS

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:56:46 -0400

Srsly, they have some great deals going on right now!

Kashi cereal (one of my latest obsession) is only 2 for $6. And for the first 2 you buy, you get $1 back in extra bucks. This also includes other Kashi products like the snack bars.

12 pk cans of coke are 5/$13 and 2 liters are 79 cents each.

And they have a lots of candy on sale. But I think the sale ends on Saturday, so you better act now.

Florida Fun! My childhood best friend and I reverted back to our...

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:29:23 -0400

Hogwarts - my school of choice

Ro, B, & the Hogwarts Express Conductor

Hogsmeade!

And they mean every flavor.

Minnie and Ro

Minnie and B

Mandy, B, James, and Kel

B and James

Kate, Brett, and Kel

Mandy, Daulton, and Charlie

Florida Fun!

My childhood best friend and I reverted back to our youth over Memorial Day weekend and met in Orlando. Another obsession of mine is Harry Potter. Obsessed as in there may be concern over how many times I’ve read the books, my knowledge of minute details of the character’s lives, and how I can spout out random HP facts at will. So you better believe that when Ro came up with the brilliant idea to visit Orlando, I had one thing on my mind (in addition to my excitement of a getaway with Ro!): The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! It is Amaz.ing. As in I have sent in my application to Hogwarts and am waiting anxiously by the window for the owl post to arrive with my letter of acceptance. We also continued our walk down childhood lane by going to a Disney character breakfast. Complete with pictures with Minnie Mouse. Isn’t she adorable?!? And what vacation isn’t complete without some major R&R! I can assure you, there was plenty of that!

A couple of weekends later, it was college reunion time! I met James in Alabama and we drove down to Kelly, Brett, and Kate’s home in Pensacola. Mandy, Charlie, and Daulton drove down, too! We spent much of the day Saturday at the beach and then enjoyed a delicious seafood style dinner that night. Can’t wait for our next get-together —- where we’ll likely have 3 additional attendees. Yep, that’s right - Kel, Mandy, and James all have babes on the way. So to sum it up (and for a laugh), it was me, three pregnant women, two husbands (we missed you Ben!), a 2 yr old, and a 1 yr old. So great having the fab4 back together and seeing the fams! Can’t wait for our next reunion!

Happy Father’s Day!

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 20:36:00 -0400

Dad and B

Papa and little B

Papa J, Mamoo, and itty B

John, Grace, and B

Happy Father’s Day!

Fathers here, gone, to come, & above all

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 20:25:00 -0400

Here…

Dad

Sometimes I forget just how luckily I am to have such an amazing Dad. There are many times when I wonder, how has he put up with me all these years?!? I know he has many a story of just how difficult I could (and I’m sure still can) be. Yet that never stopped the countless sacrifices he’s made, life lessons he’s taught, and the love he’s shown. And most importantly, he and my mom shared the commitment to take me to church every Sunday and Wednesday and show me what it means to live for Christ.

Mornings are my least favorite part of each day, so Dad took on the role of my alarm clock in junior high and high school. He’d holler up the stairs and even make me come to the top because he knew otherwise I’d fall right back to sleep. And he often packed my lunch before school, which usually consisted of a PB&J sandwich, lays potato chips, fun fruit snacks, and a coke. He also took me to school almost everyday before I started driving. And I still remember having to listen to Paul Harvey’s the rest of the story every morning!

Growing up, whenever I was sick, he took on the role of “Dr. Harden”, identifying whatever was plaguing me and determining the best cure. For any visit to the pediatrician, 99% of the time she would write a prescription for his recommended medication. In college when I had a tonsillectomy, he stayed home and took care of me (which says a lot since I’m not the best patient) and even bought me another magna-doodle after I wore the first one out with all my note writing. That’s right – I used a magna-doodle to communication for over a week! A week! I know it’s hard to imagine that it’s even possible I went a whole week without uttering a word! And he’s still the first person I call when I’m feeling sick so he can “prescribe” the best treatment.

I could talk for days about how he taught me to work hard in school and how glad I am that he expected me to always do my best. And I’m still learning invaluable lessons from him. Seeing how he selflessly puts other before himself, and the comfort and steadfastness he maintains during hard times is inspiring. I am so grateful to have in my life and as my Dad.

Papa

Papa is another father who has been such an important part of my life. During my younger days, when I was a terror, he’d tell everyone, “just wait she’ll turn out to be the sweetest one of the bunch.” And every time I go home, it never fails to come up in conversation. He just smiles proudly saying, “see I told you she’d turn out to be the sweetest one of the bunch.” I am so glad that Mom so often took me and my brother to see my grandparents and for the close connection I have with them.

Papa is one of the hardest working men I’ve ever met. He didn’t start with much, but he worked hard for everything he had and didn’t take things for granted. He proudly served our country in WWII and after accepting Christ, committed his life to the ministry, serving as pastor for several churches and retiring after many years of service to the Southern Baptist Convention. At 91 years old, he still goes for a walk every day, reads his Bible daily, and has basically no wrinkles! I am so thankful for the example he set for my mom and the values he instilled in her.

Gone…

Papa J

Though my time with Papa J was all too brief, I know that he was dedicated to his family, had the best sense of humor, loved the Saints, and loved being a grandfather. I am so thankful for his impact on my Dad’s life, mine, and those he knew and loved.

To come…

John

I see so many similarities between my brother John and our Dad. I already know how much he’s going to love and cherish his daughter. I’m excited to see his journey with Grace into parenthood and looking forward to next year when he gets to celebrate his first father’s day.

Above all…

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my Heavenly Father. His impact in my life is above all else and I am so thankful for the father figures in my life and the many others who have shared His love with me.

On this Father’s Day I am so very thankful and blessed to have such amazing fathers in my life.

And that’s just a little bit of life as B knows it.

Obsessed much?

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:11:00 -0400

Obsession: a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling; broadly : compelling motivation (according to my good friends Merriam and Webster).

I don’t like to think of my obsessions as an unreasonable idea or feeling or even as disturbing, but more times than not, I’m sure any normal person (if that really exists) would classify them as such. And it seems there’s always a new fascination popping up in my life. Some last for only days while others last for years; however, many I hope last only hours, while others I hope last a lifetime.

Most of my current obsessions can probably easily be identified by the few people on twitter who follow me and actually read my tweets. Speaking of which, twitter should definitely be added to my list of addictions.

Aunthood. I am super obsessed with becoming an Aunt. And it’s happening in just a little over four months! I’m secretly hoping she’ll come a little early so we can be birthday buddies.

Cereal. Kashi cereal to be specific. I am addicted to Kashi cereal. Excluding dinners out with friends, I feel like I’ve eaten it for dinner every night for the past few weeks. I think I’m turning into my grandfather Papa. Basically every night for dinner, he has his bowl of cornflakes. Every. Night. Sometimes he might mix it up and add some banana or raisins on top, but he’s going to have those cornflakes. While cornflakes may be Papa’s vice, mine is Kashi. It’s sooooo good. And with all the protein it has in it (which is a lot for cereal), I just push all the carbs it has out of my head. And currently it’s on sale at Harris Teeter! Which brings me to my next obsession…

Couponing. I’ll admit that I’m traditionally one of those brand conscious shoppers. But I’ve reached the point where I don’t really care if I have my Dove shampoo or Crest toothpaste or the Nabisco Triscuits. Finding the best deals, getting the CVS extra bucks, seeing how many coupons I can use, and how much money I can save - that’s the name of my game. It’s such a rush! And I’ll admit that I only subscribe to the Washington Post on Sundays for the coupon inserts (which comes on Saturday) and I think I’ve only actually read the paper once. I always have good intentions, but it almost always ends up going straight into the recycle bin. Though to ease my thought of this being a persistent disturbing preoccupation, I praise myself for saving so much cash. Which is good since my next obsession definitely isn’t classified as cheap…

CrossFit. This definitely stretches towards the top of the list as a latest fascination. I’ve started speaking in this new language, watching those motivating CF YouTube videos, buying jump ropes, practicing the moves at home, and talking seemingly non-stop about my Elements intro classes. Seriously. I’m not kidding. Yes, I’ve become one of those annoying people who talks non-stop about my latest fitness craze. Thankfully there are CrossFitters I can gush to about every class who just let me go on and on and who are excited about it (or at least pretend to be).

Time will only tell if Tumblr becomes my newest persistent disturbing preoccupation.

So that’s life as B knows it.

Sometimes I like to pretend I’m a kid…

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:08:00 -0400

Sometimes I like to pretend I’m a kid…