Wine and Love, V.11

Linking up with Nora today for another fun Wine and Love post.

W(h)ining About...

> Football games last weekend. Oh, man. Last weekend was not a good weekend for special teams now, was it? First, a crushing loss in the AFC Championship game where the Ravens kicker missed an incredibly easy field goal that would have tied the game. It sent the idiot Patriots to the playoffs and made my heart absolutely hurt for Kundiff, the kicker, because you know he was sick over missing that field goal. But nothing compared to the 49ers game. As you know, my brother is a HUGE fan of the 49ers. I mean, I think he still owns his child-sized Steve Young jersey from when he was a kid! Watching that game was so stressful with a heart-breaking end. But seriously? I never saw the Niners making it to the NFC Championship game, nor playing as well as they did. (Jim Harbaugh for Coach of the Year? I think so!)

> Work anxiety. I have no explanation for it, other than little things that happen that I let spiral into these big, huge spiraling thoughts that would make absolutely no sense to a normal person. Tomorrow, I’m planning on making an appointment with a doctor and see about getting a referral to a therapist. (Or should I just make an appointment with a doctor and a therapist? I don’t know how these things work...) In any event, the past few weeks have showed me that I desperately need to figure out what is going on and how to fix it.

> Sadness in my family. My family is going through a rough patch right now. I want to protect certain people’s privacy with everything that’s happening, but suffice it to say, January has not been a great month for us. Things seem to be on the track to healing, but any prayers you could shoot our way would be greatly appreciated.

Loving...

> Making big blog plans. I finally made the first step in the big process of moving my blog to self-hosted Wordpress which was contacting Wordpress and All Things Thesis Goddess, Doniree. It’s a big process of securing a domain, moving all my posts (I’m closing in on 500!) over to a new site, as well as buying Thesis and setting that up. It’s all too much for me so I’m happy to hand the reigns over to Doniree and her team. I find her rates to be super reasonable for all she’s going to do for me. If you’re looking for the switch to self-hosted Wordpress, highly recommend checking her out! The whole process won’t start until late February, but I’m so excited to get started!

> Bible study. I’m really, really loving my Bible study. I still have a problem with opening up in the small group portion of the night, but I am loving the Beth Moore videos. She has such a powerful testimony and this absolute joy when she talks about Jesus. This week’s lesson hit me really hard in the best way. Beth Moore has a way of really getting to the heart of the matter and cutting to the core of the Christian faith. She’s an incredible lady.

> Finishing the #twookclub January book. Spoiler alert: I loved this book. It wasn’t getting the best reviews of other people reading it, so I went into it expecting to be bored and annoyed by the female lead character. Instead? I found myself completely captivated by the character’s and ended the book with this utterly happy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I loved the writing, loved the characters, and cannot wait to discuss the novel with #twookclub. (Our chat is this Sunday at 9pm EST for anyone who wants to join in!)

What are you w(h)ining about or loving this week?

Wine and Love, V.10

It’s been a few weeks since I participated in the lovely Nora’s fun blog series, Wine and Love. It’s simple: share what’s making you happy and sad this week. If you post on your own blog, don’t forget to head over to Nora’s and link up!

Filling up my wine glass:

> Being forgetful. I had big plans last night to make homemade chocolate chip cookies to take in to work today. Unfortunately, I forgot chocolate chips and butter. It’s kind of impossible to make cookies (at least MY kind!) without both ingredients. Sorry, coworkers. No cookies for YOU! (I’m also very sad that I was not able to partake in spoonfuls of cookie dough yesterday. I may have been looking forward to that all day.)

> Being a crater face. This week has been a bad week for my face. I broke out in the worst way all around my chin and it has made me feel so self-conscious. I can barely stand to look in the mirror. I have a feeling the break-outs are a combination of stress, not washing my pillowcase enough, not washing my face, and letting Dutch kiss me too much. Whew! So, I’ve started washing my face again religiously (I use Cetaphil and it really works for me!) and Dutch and I have broken up. I want to buy a boatload of pillowcases to switch out every week (since it’s VERY hard to wash my sheets weekly due to having to use a laundry room and the washers/dryers being limited) and as for stress? Other than figuring out ways to better handle the stress I am dealing with, there’s not much else I can do with it. Luckily, the break-outs are calming down and not looking so disgusting anymore. ;)

> Wisdom teeth. Yesterday was the first day in a week that my upper right wisdom tooth hasn’t hurt. I’m twenty-four, I know I need to get them removed, but I’m hoping I can hold off the surgery until later in the summer. (Due to time off issues.) Usually, I just need one dose of Advil and the pain goes away but it’s definitely annoying. I’m hoping I turned a corner, though, and the pain will stay gone!

Filling up my love glass (oh, the cheese!):

> A great review. I had my 3-month review at my job last week, something I was having a lot of anxiety about. (Have you heard about the time I wasn’t told I was doing an awful job in an internship and just let go with no warning, no way to improve? No? See: anxiety.) I found out that I am not on the brink of being fired but that I am well-liked, a valuable team member, and someone they can count on and want to keep around! So be gone, anxiety! I have specific goals to work on, but I know without a doubt, I can go to either of my bosses with help on how to achieve them.

> Christmas shopping. This is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the year. I love seeing houses lit up and Christmas trees and wrapped presents greeting me every time I open the door. And I love buying Christmas presents. I tried to stick to a budget but it just didn’t happen. This is the only time I go a little overboard with presents and it’s just fun to find special gifts for those special people in your lives. (Also, I only buy for my mom, my brother, my sister-in-law, and my nephew.) I’m hoping to be completely finished with my shopping by this weekend, which is incredibly early for me. Heh.

> Vacation time. I have tomorrow off (which I will use for sleeping, catching up on Joy Council writing, and Christmas shopping. SO fun!). Next week, I have Friday off. The following week, I have Monday, Tuesday, and Friday off! How did I get so lucky? Unfortunately, once the third week of January hits, I will have no time to take off until my cruise in late May. So I’m enjoying it while I can!

What are your wines and loves for this week?

Wine and Love, V.9

Another Wine and Love installment for your Thursday. As always, hosted by the fabulous Nora.

W(h)ining about...

• Family drama. I have chosen not to get into the family drama happening in my life right now on my blog. While there is plenty I would like to say, I won’t because I’m not going to be accused of airing our dirty laundry on a public space. But there is drama and a lot of hurt. (And I just really hope my future husband has an awesome extended family.)
• Money, money, money. It’s hard being an adult, yo. I knew I would have a lot more on my plate once I got a full-time job so it’s not a shocker that I don’t have a lot of extra money to spend on clothes and make-up and fun stuff. Basically, when I get paid a portion goes to my mom for bills, $70 goes to a savings account for our upcoming cruise (to pay for my portion + excursions), and the rest goes to my own bills. Sometimes, it leaves me with less than $100 to pay around with, sometimes more. But it’s hard, because I really wanted to start saving money but it just isn’t happening. It’s all been a learning process, though, and I think I’m starting to see how to fit everything in. (Plus, only four more payments to my big credit card and then I’ll be DONE with that. That’s an extra $245 a month for moi.)
• A tough week, health-wise. This past week has just been tough, health-wise. It takes everything in me to either get up early to go for a run or go to the gym after a long day at work. There are baskets of bite-size candy all around the office and I’m back to wondering why it’s so hard for me to stick to a healthy eating plan while it seems to easy for others. I know I feel better when I eat better, but I’ve been hard-pressed to find many good-for-you meals and treats that fill me with excitement. And I like food a lot, so I need excitement.
• Friends who are hurting. One thing I love most about this blog is the friends I have made through it, but I desperately, desperately hate when my friends are hurting and I can’t be there, in person, for them. All I can do is offer them a place to talk and give them as much encouraging words as I can.

Loving...

• NaNoWriMo started! My first day went wonderfully, I wrote over 2,000 words. My second day? I decided to scrap the story I was writing and begin a new one. The one I’m writing now is flowing a lot better and just feels a lot better but I’m only at 1,077 words currently. I’m going to use the weekend to play catch-up and I’m aiming to be at 12,000 words by the time Monday rolls around. Eek!
• #twookclub. I think I mentioned #twookclub in my last Wine and Love series, but I can’t tell you how excited I am about the group. We’re at over 40 members currently on our Goodreads group and picked the book last weekend (The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard). The response has been overwhelming and amazing.
• Running. Running, you say? Under the love category? YES. Yesterday, I ran (very slowly) for 20 minutes straight and I don’t think I’ve ever run for that long without stopping before. It felt surprisingly easy and maybe a little fun? I didn’t focus on the time or how much farther I had to go, I just focused on making it through each song streaming through my ears. Before I knew it, my Couch-to-5K lady was telling me I only had one minute left and I sprinted to the end. It was an awesome feeling and I’m starting to feel more confident about the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving.
• Getting a new haircut! (Disregard my previous whine about money, ha!) I am overdue for a new haircut and I’m so excited to get my roots touched up and my hair in a style again. It’s been doing nothing for me for the past week so I’ve been wearing it up more often than not. I’ve decided to grow it out again and donate it to Locks of Love. My plan is to keep it long for my brother’s wedding in May and then cut it all off before I leave for my cruise (the following weekend). Here’s what I’m thinking about:

   

                

What are you wining and loving this week? Help me choose which picture to take: Mandy, Heidi, or Anne?

Wine and Love, V.8

Hosted by Nora!

Wine-ing about...
This could fall under the love category more than the wine category but my mom and I have been bombarded with fundraisers from work and my own nephew. (Yes, my three-year-old nephew is fundraising for his school.) Through all the fundraisers, we will receive one tin of chocolate-covered pretzels, one tin of Reese’s-like candies, a pack of Auntie Ann’s pretzels, and four tubs of cookie dough. Four. Tubs. Of. Cookie. Dough. I think I may as well kiss any end-of-year weight loss good-bye between that, the holidays, and my birthday.

I’m still not over Miami losing to Denver. I didn’t expect us to win. (At 0-5 before this game, you really stop believing in the W.) But we were up 15-0 with 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter. And yet we somehow managed to let Tim Tebow score two touchdowns, a two-point conversion, and take us into overtime. Which we lost, because Miami doesn’t play past the 4th quarter. (Overtime? Forget it!) Of course, we could have won if Miami could score a friggin touchdown. But they can’t and they lost and Mike Tirico called it the “Tebow game” on Monday Night Football. Right now, I’ll be happy to go 2-14. And that’s just sad.

Loving...

I’m really excited about the response to the Twitter book chat. The book suggestions were fantastic and I had the best time looking up what each and every one was about. I’m still not sure how I’m going to choose just FIVE for everyone to vote on, but keep your eye out for the poll tomorrow! (And you can still put in your suggestions - or second what others have suggested - if you want!)

I know I may be in the minority with this, but I am loving all the holiday decorations up in the stores. Yes, it’s only October but I only get this time for a couple months out of the year and I want as much time to enjoy it as possible. I went into Bath and Body Works on Friday and it was so wonderful to see all the holiday decorations and new holiday scents. Ahhhh! I had this happy little feeling in the pit of my belly the entire time I was there. Nothing compares to the holiday season, in my book.

I went two days without soda this week! This is my longest stretch without soda in a very long time. I am terribly addicted to it but I know how bad it is for me. I know quitting cold turkey doesn’t work for me, so I’ve worked on dropping how much I drink a day. I’ve been able to cut down to one a day over the past two months and now I’m looking at cutting one or two days a week where I don’t have any at all. I want to get to the point where I don’t depend on it, or need it. I think, more than anything, it’s more of a comfort for me than something I crave. (Surprisingly, I didn’t get a caffeine headache until 53 hours in, which is shocking for me, since it’s usually less than 24 hours in that I get them.)

What’s on your wine and love list this week?

Wine and Love, V.7

Hosted by the fabulous Walking With Nora. Link up at her blog!

Filling up my wine glass...

Stomach problems. My stomach felt funny all day yesterday, leading to a not-so-pleasant night. In an effort to not be too TMI, let’s just say I wanted to cry when I found out the Pepto-Bismol bottle in my bathroom had expired a year ago. My stomach still feels funny today, but I’m hoping this little bug will pass soon. It feels better if I don’t eat but I still have an appetite so it makes it hard not to eat.

Mom’s injury. My mom ran a 16-mile trail race on Saturday and sustained some minor injuries due to a fall around Mile 9. The left side of her ribs have hurt since race day and she couldn’t raise her left arm above her head for most of Saturday. We think she bruised her ribs, or at least that side of her body, because it just hurts when she lays on it (no breathing issues so we’re pretty positive she didn’t break anything). Her arm is feeling better, but is still a little sore. It’s slowed her down a little this week and she has a 15K coming up on Sunday. Say a little prayer she feels 100% for it, because it’s a tough course!

A jury summons. I received my first-ever jury summons in the mail yesterday. I always thought I would be excited for it, but I’m not. I’m a little nervous, but mostly just dreading it. The summons also comes two days before my 90 day probationary period is up at work. Lovely. (AND my job doesn’t pay for jury duty. So now I need to find out if I can get it postponed until I can take paid time off.)

Filling up my life with love...

A week of package deliveries! Yesterday, I received a new iPhone case and running armband (the current one I use is ripping apart from the seams. It’s also 2 years old so it was time for a new one, anyway). Today, my wristlet from Vera Bradley should arrive. And tomorrow, dun dun DUN, my iPhone arrives! Brand-new, sparkly, and beautiful. Can. Not. Wait. This week has felt like Christmas for me.

The Dolphins had a bye week. If you follow professional football, you should know the Miami Dolphins are, once again, the laughingstocks of the league. We’re 0-4 currently and we play the New York Jets (coming off 3 bad losses) on Monday night. It was really, really nice to have a week where my heart didn’t have to break as they give up yet another game.

Making birthday weekend plans. My birthday isn’t until the end of November, but I’m already trying to decide what to do. Last year, I did it up big with a weekend in Orlando and it was one of the best birthdays of my life. There is a part of me who wants to do it again, but another part that doesn’t want to shell out the money. We have passes to Aquatica and Sea World so the only expenses would be the hotel, food, and, of course, outlet shopping. (It’s a must when visiting Orlando!) Thinking about an Orlando trip fills me with so much excitement and happiness, but I wonder if I need to make a smarter financial decision.

Comments and messages. When I published yesterday’s post, I turned off comments because I was scared about the response. I was scared people would write off my worries as nothing major, that I was thinking too hard. But I turned them back on within 30 minutes and had to mentally prepare myself as I read each comment. I am so glad I did. Your comments and messages were amazing and solidified my decision to seek help and figure out how to control this fearful side of me. My fears aren’t irrational, but they are affecting my day-to-day life and that is not normal.

What are your wines and loves for this week?

iPhone users, what are your must-have apps?