A Trip to Target & an Award

So I went to Target the other evening after class for 5min... riiigghhtt. 5min quickly turned into an hour. But it was a very productive trip. I got some fun un-needed Christmas things. A t-shirt to torture my puppy with :) Plus, two new toys to buy my nieces love with. I can't decide if I am saving the bigger one for part of Anna's Christmas present....
In any event I took pictures so you can share in the fun!!!!
My 5yr old neice was a big fan of paint your own pottery + making a mess. Perfect combo! My sister did 'make your own t-shirts' with Anna the last time she babysat so I figured I needed to do a craft project with her too. I think I may need to go out and buy another kit though, cause after seeing this one for a couple days I really want to make my own dish and mug.... I miss being 5.

A Dora the Explorer bubble whistle. Apparently, my neice Bonnie loves bubbles but doesn't get the concept of blowing, she sucks the bubbles into her mouth..... I am thinking this may solve the problem. You load the back part of the whistle with the bubble solution and then just blow like a regular whistle... pretty nifty, right? I fear my sister may hate me after the next time I come over. There will be bubbles in the house plus another toy that makes noise. I do think I will need to buy another because I don't think Anna or Bonnie will be good sharers with this toy.I LOVE the dollar bins at Target. A cute jingle bell necklace for just a buck. I got 3! One for me, one for Anna, and one for Bonnie. My sister is seriously going to hate me.....
A T-Shirt for my puppy!!! I am not someone who constantly dresses up her dog (partially because she wouldn't let me) but I do like dressing her up for Halloween, parties, and Christmas. Blazer and I had a very long photo shoot with her modeling this shirt...

The 'pouty, emo, bangs in your face' pose.

Her 'ruler of the world' pose. She believes she is by the way...

She was not impressed with her mommy.

After this picture she ran outside to get away from Mommy's camera.

Well my big sister over at Diary of the Fanatic Foodie gave me an award! How sweet of her. Though, it should be noted that while she gave me an award she did also have to tease me about my blog. Just like a true big sister.So I am going to tag:

1. Anne-Toiresa at The Devil Wears Kelly Green
2. L,S,&M at The Daily Fax Email Blog I know they don't 'do' awards but it is a hysterically funny blog that everyone should read!
3. Ms. Crocodile at The Preppy Pink Crocodile

And I also have to list 5 addictions....
Here goes:

1. Starbuck's White Peppermint Mocha Latte (Heather, it also hurts me to not say venti, 140, skinny, wpm its in my DNA too...)
2. My UGGs. So warm and cuddly...
3. Cofee flavored ice cream
   
4. Argyle sweaters! Cute, preppy, and a lilttle nerdy.... perfection
5. Monogrammed stationary... I love it! I pretty much love anything with my monogram though. Call it the youngest child syndrome. I share nothing...

Thats all for now. I have to be at work in 9 hours... An 8 hour Saturday shift during the holiday season. Hopefully I won't kill any customers... Ciao for now!

Fast Food

So, I am not a food blog. That is my sister's domain. However, I do enjoy cooking from time to time and I know that when I have my own kitchen and family I will be a cooking mommy. How do I know that? Well, my mommy was a cooking mommy. My mom worked full time for as long as I can recall but she still served a full meal every night. She wasn't a kid food person either. My sister, brother, and I ate whatever my mom was making for her and my dad. That is why I was the odd kid who liked spinach and brussel sprouts. We didn't each chicken nuggets or fish-sticks as a regular part of our diet.Fish-sticks we were reserved for Friday nights during Lent when my mom was making a seafood pasta meal (something I have never been able to stomach.) Fast food was very rare. It was either a treat for getting a shot or used during a long road trip to NC, MA, or Kentucky.(my mom is a huge fan of a road trip, I have seen many caverns and been to many places where George Washington spent the night) In any event even though my mother often worked till 7pm and all three of us played sports we had a real meal consisting (always) of a starch, normally two veggies, and a protein. Dessert wasn't guaranteed and was often fresh fruit.
Why I am writing about this is because I attended a panel discussion that infuriated me. My college picks a community book every year that is built into many classes. This years book was Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. I loved this book. It is about the dark side of the fast food industry. It turns your stomach both on a food level and a marketing/employee relations level. In this panel discussion a young man argued that Fast Food is a necessary evil. No! A parent can serve their child healthy food. It may be harder for a parent to cook a real meal but parenting isn't supposed to be easy. Frozen veggies are just as expensive as fast food. I heard a man defending marketing to children. No! Marketing to me is one thing.I have the ability to see the comercial and logically say, "well, while that double cheeseburger looks delicious I know its loaded with calories and while those french fries look amazing I know they are deep fried in tallow (a beef by product) which isn't remotely heathly for me. A child cannot. I guess the point I am trying to make is that I know fast food is easy and tastes good. I get that. Some days I crave a cheeseburger, milkshake, and french fries. And once and while is fine. So long as the rest of the time you get excersise and eat healthy. But a lot of people don't. They see easy and yummy. But life isn't about the easy choices. It would be much easier to stay in bed and sleep in. To not spend time writing papers and studying for tests. But what are those choices doing to me in the long run? They are hurting me. Same as eating fast food on a regular basis. And when it comes to yummy. A salad is yummy. So is my Mom's soup. It is full of veggies and who grain pasta and lean beef. It is pretty healthy and beyond yummy. They make low sodium soups in containers you pop in the microwave for two minutes and while I am sure they are perfect they have to be better then whatever new burger is out on the market now.
Well, I am glad I got that out. I know this has nothing to do with shopping but I needed to rant for a moment.Thanks for listening.... err... reading... I'll get a shopping entry soon. Ciao for now!

My Christmas List

So I have to start with a story, my father sends a Christmas List detailing everything he wants for Christmas. This is a great idea! Picking out presents for parents is always a difficult thing and having a guide is a great thing, plus you are guaranteed to get a present that the receiver likes. So, a Christmas List is a great thing, however, my father sends his Christmas List out on December 24th.... Christmas Eve! I might dawdle a bit in doing my shopping but I am most definitely shopped, wrapped, and ready by the 24th.
So in the spirit of learning from one's parents this is my wish list for the holidays and beyond.....

1. The Dakota UGG slipper. So pretty, so comfy, so perfect! I have the tall boots from last Christmas and the short ones from my sister's Honeymoon in Australia, so, all I need are the flats and I have the whole collection. UGGs are the best shoe to wear on campus... it is like going to class in your slippers... Heaven!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. A brand new, monogrammed coffee tumbler! It is oh so cute from Miss Priss. I love the red and white damask print plus the boldness of the black monogram. Normally I only like the swirly, cursive, girly script but with this print I am in love with the block, diamond monogram. It is only $23 and for something you (or at least me, the coffee addict) would use every day it is totally worth it. Besides it would be very cute in a stocking filled me candy... perhaps Lindt truffles...
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. A pink towel wrap. I don't know if anyone else has this fear; but I am terrified that when I am walking from the bathroom to my bedroom my towel will come undone and I'll flash everyone... There have been nightmares... In any event this solves it all. It is lime green + pink, fluffy, and can be monogrammed. It is again from Miss Priss. I seriously love that store. In any event this is a great was to get from the bathroom to bedroom without giving anyone a cheap show :) Plus once you monogram it no one can steal it. Always a good thing.
   
   
   
   
   
4. I LOVE The Office. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, it. It is arguable the best show on Television at the moment. Well NBC has a t-shirt that captures one of my favorite moments thus far.
   Dwight: Very good! You have earned one Schrute Buck.
   Stanley: I don't want it.
   Dwight: Then you have been deducted 50 Schrute Bucks!
   Stanley: Make it 100.
   Dwight: We--- Don't you wanna earn Schrute Bucks?
   Stanley: No. In fact, I'll give you a billion Stanley Nickels if you never talk to me again.
   Dwight: What's the ratio of Stanley Nickels to Schrute Bucks?
   Stanley: The same as the ratio of unicorns to leprechauns.
   
   
   
   
5. I don't think I have ever mentioned what my major is, I am a Domestic Policy and Foreign Relations major. I rather like that this is my major.... I think it has a certain level of pretension to it that I like... or at least my mother says it sounds pretentious... I also LOVE to read... When my mom suggested that all of my books don't need to move with me when we move to my STB step-dads house I almost cried. I can't leave them behind... even my children's books they all have too much meaning. Lately though I have been on a political/cultural book kick. In the past year I have read both of Obama's book, Maureen Dowds "Are Men Necessary" (answer:yes), and "Fast Food Nation." However, it occured to me that I have never read my favorite presidents book. John F. Kennedy's "Profiles of Courage"... so on the list it goes...
   
   
6. Tickets to the Innaguration! Please, Santa! Please! I want to see it so badly. I know im going down (there are some serious beauties to living in Bawlmore, hon) but I want to be close enough to see something...
   
   
   
   Well that is all for now, I'm sure I will come up with some more as Christmas approaches... So you've seen my list, what is on yours? But more importantly, are you on Santas nice list or naughty list? Well I've got to go judge a debate tournament so Ciao for now!
   

I Still Exist I Swear

So I seemed to have disappeared, fear not my friends! I am still here and well... very well in fact.
Here is a quick run down of what I have been up to:

1. I voted for the very first time of my life. Let me just say I love that I turned 18 during an election year. Infact here is a picture of me just after I cast my ballot.
   Please excuse my appearence, it was 8am and I was exhausted. I am much prettier then my picture lets on... Plus it was a bad hair day... but I got to vote.
2. Ummm... My guy won!!!!! I am a huge Obama supporter. I am a big fan of his education policies, mainly the idea that if you give to your country your country will give to you and not just for military service. I am a huge supporter of our men and women in uniform but I believe our country needs more then military, it needs teachers, it needs people to build houses for the homeless, and it needs people for the peace corp. I want to go into Teach America for a couple years after college... But it was pretty excited... I may have called my republican father and possibly sung a song about Obama (but hes a huge republican... like he LOVES Bush.....) But as I have said before I would rather you vote for a republican then not do your civic duty...
3. I had a very fun family brunch this weekend for my mom and soon to be step sister's birthday. Some very, very yummy food made by me awesome mommy. Waffles, bacon, eggs, hash browns, and cake! I'm not going to lie I positioned myself right near the bacon because I have a 15 year old soon to be step nephew... 15 year old boys eat A LOT! Especially tall, sports playing 15yr old boys... My STB niece was riding their great dane who took it all in stride, unfortunately my camera was in my other bag so I didn't get to capture the moment on film.... As for presents my mom got a great gift, plane tickets to go to NC to see Neil Diamond in concert with my Aunt Kathy (the aunt I visited earlier this month) she was very excited. I got my mom a new skirt and my sister and I got our STB sister a brown courduroy dress with a pink cardigan to go over it, fun mommy clothes...
4. I got a 98% on my philosophy mid-term!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am soooo excited given that I am considering a double major in philosophy, which isn't actually pointless for me given that I want to go to law school, now I just have to convince my father of that.
5. I got a B on my english essay on the contamination of meat in American fast food with room to re-submit for a whole new grade! The only thing she said was that if I don't break up my 3 page paragraph she was failing me.... It is already done... don't worry...
6. I am getting ready to order my chocolate making supplies... every year we make chocolate lolly pops and candy with molds, but this year with the economy the way it is I decided that I am going to get cute bags and cute gift labels and give them as gifts to Aunts, teachers, co-workers, etc. I'm still gonna do normal gifts for nieces, close friends, etc but it will save me some money which I like!

One good website I have found is http://www.candylandcrafts.com/index.htm they have everything for every occasion... seriously..... And http://www.expressionery.com/index.aspx has a ton of cute gift stickers... I am trying to find something that is cute and festive but not Christmas exclusive...

Sorry for the long post... I'm procrastinating... I have an English essay on graphic novels due tomorrow as well as my revised fast food essay and I have an essay due on Thursday on Taiwanese Modern Art... fun.... Ciao for now!

Think, Research, and VOTE!!!!!

I can't believe I forgot to say this especially since I just wrote a post. As anyone who has met me for a mere second can tell you I am die hard into politics. This is the first election I get to vote in and I am super excited to exercise my duty as a citizen of this county. That's right its a duty. If you care about education, liberties, peace, our soldiers, you children, your grandma, gas prices, our environment, or you get out there and vote tomorrow!!! (if you did early voting thats cool too!) This election is so excited, we have two very different tickets running. Now I am very happy that in my first election I get to vote for someone I actually like rather then the lesser of two evils.

And if having a say in your government isn't incentive enough if you go into Starbucks tomorrow and tell them that you voted you get a FREE Starbucks coffee.

See you at the polls! Ciao for now!

There is a Reason Why We Develop New Technology

So for all who work in retail: Were you surprised that when you walked into your store on Saturday that it looked like Christmas had thrown up in there? I was. I walked in at noon on Saturday and everything was red and green and Santa and Mrs. Claus and Elves and Angles and Toy Soldiers and I could go on and on. So in any event I change into our new uniform shirt (don't even get me started on the uniform.. its awful... it involves all white tennis shoes) and hop onto the floor. So the day is going totally normally we are pretty busy for a Saturday lots of kids coming in and freaking out over all the new stuff. Which is, admittedly, pretty cute to see. Well later on that afternoon I walk out of the backroom after grabbing more shopping bags to be greeted by my manager telling me the registers are down. At first I thought she meant the credit card sliders or maybe even the credit card service all together, things I have dealt with before normally very early in the morning. No she meant all registers. We had to do handwritten receipts and calculate prices on our own. Which is a little difficult when you work in a store that puts things on sale but doesn't update the prices on the tag only on the SKUs. It was an interesting couple of hours dealing with all of it.
Later that evening I went out to dinner with my mom and her fiance and while we were out we ran into my soon to be step-sister and her husband enjoying a night away from their delightful kids (one of whom is responsible for my cold) and I was explaining to them why I was so exhausted and Matt, who worked in retail as a teenager, told me "I want you to know that that was the way we always did receipts in my day, so no complaining." My response of course was, "There is a reason why we develop new technology."
Luckily Sunday, while we were insanely busy, ran smoothly as far as technology. Though it took us a solid hour and a half to put the store back together and we still had to leave an apology note to the manager opening. Ehhhh... guess the holiday season really is here...

P.S. I have to share the worlds cutest story. I was talking to a little girl who turned three on Saturday and asked her what she was for Halloween (Snow White) and her mom told me that she picked up the routine pretty quickly except after the getting the candy her parents would ask her "Now, what do you say?" The little girl's response was "More please!!" I think her parents were looking for a 'Thanks.' But at least she was being polite and coming out of the mouth of a three year old that would have been freaking cute!

Well I get my English mid-term paper back tonight so wish me luck! Ciao for now!