[Gurlee]Girl Friday

It's Friday which means I'm linking up with Vicki and Tara for another edition of:

This week I picked a nice springy color.  I chose Dim Sum Plum by OPI. 

I topped it off with Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle.  This stuff is amazing.  It doesn't dry as fast as I'd like, but it makes my polish last for days.  Love it.

Now on to some randomness:

• Looking forward to celebrating my dad's and niece's birthday tomorrow with a trip to Outback Steakhouse.  I might even get my absolute favorite dessert, which I dedicated an entire post to, the Oreos Cookies N'Cream Waffles.  Heaven.
• Looking forward to trying out a new gym tomorrow.  I bought a Groupon for a 2-month membership to check it out.  Hopefully it will be a good fit for me.  I'm looking to add some additions to my weekly workouts, maybe a Zumba or yoga class, and possibly just some cardio.
• I need to get my butt in gear and start buying some Easter stuff.  I have no idea what the kids want this year.  I have a few things, but they would certainly be disappointed. 
• I ordered another pair of glasses this week.  I think I will have 6 pair now (not including sunglasses). 
• I'm so happy I grabbed a Meijer Diet Cream Soda to bring to work with me today.  It's like having dessert.  Love that stuff.
• Took the kids to see The Hunger Games on Tuesday.  My 10-year old daughter thought it was good.  My 7-year old son loved it.  He cracked me up because he said "Mom, I thought the movie was going to be about a game where they eat lots of food, but it wasn't!" 
• Our final weigh-in in my Biggest Loser Competition is this Sunday.  It appears that either I or GTuck will be the winner.  I'm hoping it's me.  Just to have bragging rights.  So wish me luck!!!!!!!

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!!!!!!!!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Linking with Jamie over at This Kind of Love for:

These are highlights from my U.P. (Marquette / Ishpeming) weekend trip!

I'm loving all of the amazing food I indulged in.  And yes, I ate EVERYTHING shown! 

This is seriously THE BEST pizza I have ever had. 

The crust and sauce are unique and amazing. 

VIA

Best GARLIC BREAD I've ever had!  Hands down.



The Pancakes were bigger than my head!

The Swedish Bread did not ddisappoint either!

I'm loving the awesome Yooper gift shop we visited - TWICE!

I'm loving my BEAUTIFUL State of Michigan!  Who knew we had this kind of beauty here?   

It was a little hike to the top - but it was so worth it.  Besides, it helped me justify "cheating" a little bit on my diet. 

Sometimes and Always

Sometimes I forget if I paid the bills for the week.
Always check and normally have forgotten at least one!  Oops

Sometimes eating healthy is challenging.
Always know if I get off track, I just need to start fresh the next day.

Sometimes I get dressed and wear clothes that are too big for me, because they are comfy.
Always know that I should wear the right size, because I feel so much better about myself when they actually fit.

Sometimes I get annoyed with the people at work that send me every phone call they don't know how to answer.
Always should be flattered that people think I'm actually the "go-to" person to handle these calls.

No go over and check out Megan at Mackey Madness to see some of the other link-ups!

Review Monday - The Hunger Games

The day I had been counting down too had arrived. I had my I-max ticket purchased (weeks in advance) and impatiently waited all day. From previous experiences at opening night movies, I knew we would have to get there early to get decent seats. I called to find out what time seating would begin and was told at 10:15pm, so my idea was to show up around 9:30pm to get in line. The theater does a fantastic job of keeping people in line and not letting people rush the doors, etc., so I figured we’d be ok. We arrived at 9:30pm on the dot and when we walked in, they had just opened the doors to our theater. My heart sank. I envisioned walking in and only getting front row seats, which would kill me. Luckily, we got the exact row we had talked about, and at this point there were about 100 people in the theater. I’m guessing it holds about 400.



Settling in for the next 2-1/2 hours, I of course played games on my phone, but also enjoyed people watching. There were quite a few people dressed as characters, with Effie being the most popular choice. There was a dad there dressed as Haymitch and his daughter was dressed as Prim. First I thought this was wacky, but then I figured, if my kids wanted me to dress up with them, then heck yeah I do it. It was awesome.


I quickly ordered my large Diet Coke and Large Popcorn (larges because you get free refills). The theater really filled up, however, being told it was “sold out” I expected it to be full – it wasn’t. The theater had 7 screens open! It was super busy in the lobby, concessions, bathrooms, etc., but the excitement just filled the air. I loved every minute of it.



Me with my Popcorn and Sno Caps!!!

 At 11:45pm I got my Frozen Coke and made one last bathroom stop.  The  crew came in at midnight to make announcements about taping it, pictures, blah, blah, blah. Then the previews started – I swear there must have been 7 different previews to sit through! Everyone was going crazy and groaning every time a new trailer started. It was comical.


FINALLY, the movie started. For the next 2 hours and 22 minutes I was mesmerized.


Did it meet my expectations? Yes


Did it deviate from the book? Yes, but not too much that it ruined the premise.


Did I LOVE it? Yes, although there were differences, the main element I was hoping for is that it would capture the feelings of the characters (fear, terror, hopelessness, etc.), and I believe it did. I cried, I laughed, I was anxious, I was shocked and finally I was relieved.


Were there things I didn’t like? Yeah


- Some of the acting (Gayle, kids from other Districts) was really bad


- How Katniss gets the Mocking Jay pin bothers me too.


- I don’t think they gave enough information to the Katniss and Gayle relationship. Maybe they will in the next movie – which is tentatively scheduled for release in November 2013.


- Really, I could pick apart small things that might bother me, however, the movie is not the book. The book lets you use your imagination to picture people, places and events using the descriptions the author uses. A movie doesn’t let you do that – it’s ONE interpretation of it.


Things I loved the most?


- Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss) Woody Harrelson (Haymitch), Stanley Tucci (Caeser) and Lenny Kravitz (Cinna) were all amazing in their roles.


- The opening scene of the Game was exactly like I pictured it. The cornucopia was a different color, but still very much like I imagined. I anticipated a graphic scene and it was. PERFECTION


I want to point out that I had a 7-hour road trip immediately after watching the movie (2:30am) with GTuck and Chrissy, and we discussed this movie for a LONG time. Maybe too long. The more we talked about it and compared it to the book, we were all finding little things that differed or things we thought should be different. But in the end, we all agreed that we really enjoyed it.


I plan on seeing it again. I think it will be more enjoyable not looking for things to disappoint me or critique. I just want to sit back and enjoy it. My daughter wants to see it (10 years old), and although I’m not sure if she’ll like it, I think it’s an age-appropriate film for her to see.

 Overall, my rating is Loved It. It’s a definite must see. Whether you’ve read the books or not, the movie will not disappoint.


Did you see it? If you did, did you like it? If you haven't, do you plan on seeing it?

I Have A Date Tonight

There will be Popcorn, Sno Caps, Frozen Coke and....

This GurleeGirrl is READY! 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Linking up with Jamie at This Kind of Love.

 

I'm Loving ....

....this awesome WEATHER!  This is Michigan - and it's March - so even when it dips to the 50's this weekend, I'll still be loving it.

...that tomorrow night, I will be sitting in the theater watching The Hunger Games!!!  I am ready.  Hope I'm as excited when I walk out too.

...that this little cartoon made me laugh - out loud.  It's always the clothes I wear that make me look fat... right???

...that while grocery shopping at Meijers, I found a shirt almost identical to this beauty, which came with a built-in tank, for $19.99.  I bought it in black and cream.  Unfortunately, after trying it on, I don't look as hot as this girl does, but hey, I'm working on it.

...which brings me to here, there is about 1-1/2 weeks left in my weight loss competition, and I'm currently in 1st place.  However, my lead isn't large enough for me to feel secure, so I must be hardcore to win!  I'm so proud of us all though - we've lost a combined weight of over 60 lbs!

...and one final laugh...

 

 

Spring Sweets Blog Swap Reveal

I was excited to participate in the Spring Sweets Blog Swap hosted by Casey of Stress Case and Shellsea of Heartfelt Happenings. First, it's a welcome to Spring and second, who doesn't love getting candy?!?!?!

I was excited when I was partnered up with one of the hosts, Casey.  She actually had 2 partners, but lucky for her, we are both named Heather!

After exchanging a few emails, we learned a little bit about each other.  Her blog totally reflects what a sweet, outgoing, funny and loving girl she is. 

When I received my package, I was happy that the kids weren't around.  They would have totally tried to steal all of it!  Here's what I got:

YES!! That's right - I scored Dark Chocolate!  A LOT OF DARK CHOCOLATE!  Two new awesome spring-colored nail polishes that Ash and I can't wait to use, and cute egg paper. 

I want to thank Casey for her thoughtful gift, and to her and Shellsea for hosting this "Sweet" swap!  Now, go and check out Casey's blog to see what I sent her.

[Gurlee]Girrl Friday

It's Friday - WOOOOO HOOOOOO!! I'm so ready for the weekend and excited to be linking up with Vicki and Tara for another edition of:

This week I went crazy and did my nails twice this week! Can you believe it?  I was excited to try my two new "Hunger Game" Capitol Colours:

I love all three of these polishes!  Can't wait to try some more from the collection!
Now on to some Friday Randomness:

• First, I want to wish Chrissy a Happy 25th Birthday!!!!!  I was pleased to be a part of her surprise birthday celebration (which occurred at midnight last night) and got to eat DQ Ice Cream Cake!! Nik and I orchestrated the surprise and pulled it off without her having a clue.  Love when I can actually keep my big mouth shut!  It was also nice meeting and making some new friends!

Shantanu, Aarti, Arun, Nik & The Birthday Girl

• I am looking forward to continuing Chrissy's birthday festivities this evening by playing some Whirlyball with a few of our friends.  Just hope I don't get too bruised up!  It's a brutal game!
• I absolutely loved that I got to spend some extra time with the kiddos this week, yesterday bowling with Ashley and today "Breakfast and Books" with Colton.  Love that they both still want mom around.  And to top of the fun, we are attending the "Fun Fest" at Ash's school tonight.  Love it.
• It looks like the weather will be in the 70's for the whole weekend!! That means I'm going to go hiking again this weekend.
• This GurleeGirrl will be enjoying some corned beef and cabbage this weekend, compliments of my wonderful mom.

I hope everyone has a SAFE and wonderful weekend, and hopefully one of you will drink some green beer for me!

        

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Today I had the pleasure of chapperoning my daughter's 5th Grade gym class on a field trip to the bowling alley!  It was right up my alley! (haha)

Anyhoo, my babygirl made her momma very proud! She had the highest score out of her group with a whopping 61.  They even made the kids figure out their scores manually!  I doubted most of the adults there knew what to do.  It looks like they did a pretty good job.

Let me tell you, I was about to climb out of my skin watching these girls throw ball after ball into the gutter.  It appears kids really do not know how to bowl these days.  Oh well - I'm just glad I was able to share the experience with her.  She loved it.  I loved watching. 

Here she is in action - her only strike of the game - and I captured it! YAY Ashley!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Happy Hump Day!! And I must say, for a Wednesday, it's a beautiful day!  We are hitting a high of 73 degrees today!!

I'm linking up with Jamie for:

• I'm loving the new Doritos Locos Taco Supreme!  I jumped on the bandwagon and headed for the border - Taco Bell - and this taco is AMAZING and at just 200 calories, totally justifiable!  Get there and get one!

• I'm loving this dress I picked up at H&M this week.  Better yet, I'm loving the price of $17.95! 

• I'm loving my baby Malibu.  My precious girl "escaped" out of the garage door and took off running.  Luckily she only made it to the neighbors house - thank God they have dogs that pee everywhere - because she stopped dead in her tracks to smell around, which allowed me to scoop her up before she got too far.  I was so scared. 

• I'm loving my new cheap ($10) sunglasses I bought at Parisian this weekend.  They are pink, purple and fabulous!

• I'm loving that I get to hit the golf course tonight for the first time this season.  I get to use my new pink golf balls and glove!

Now I want to know, What Are You Loving today?

Sometims and Always

Sometimes I think I give myself plenty of time in the morning to get ready.
Always end up rushing, because I spend too much time picking out my clothes. 


Sometimes I Google my "symptoms" and try to self diagnose my problem.
Always end up thinking I'm going to die!  Then I don't.  I'm learning.


Sometimes I wait until the end of the day to wash my dirty lunch dishes, and I debate NOT doing them because it's almost time to go home.
Always end up washing them - I HATE having dirty dishes.

Sometimes I know I should fill my gas tank before it's empty.
Always wait till the gas light comes on and I am coasting to the gas station!


Sometimes after I fill my gas tank ($75.00 later), I think I should buy a more fuel-efficient vehicle.
Always decide no way because I love my black Jeep Cherokee!

Now go check out Megan's blog and see what other people are saying Sometimes & Always too!

Thumbs Up Monday

Happy Monday to everyone!!! I had an awesome weekend - weather was beyond nice - and I'm ready to kick off another wonderful week with Thumbs Up Monday!

To get us started we have Chrissy and Nik.  They are giving Double Thumbs today!

Chrissy is giving a thumb up to Taylor Kitsch (a.k.a. Tim Riggens / John Carter) and for our upcoming Whirlyball game we have scheduled for her birthday this week!  ** I agree 100% with her choices too! **

Nik is giving a thumb up to the Pistons beating the Lakers last week and for the artichoke dip at the Sports Locker Bar & Grill.

I'm gonna finish it up this week by giving a Thumb Up to me! I am so proud of myself for taking 2nd Place (out of 18) in our Biggest Loser Competition at work. I lost 19.5 lbs. in 8 weeks. I won $108 - so I plan on rewarding myself with something extra nice this week! I want to thank all of my family, friends and blog-friends for encouraging me to stay on track and for putting up with my craziness! My hard work paid off! 

[Gurlee]Girrl Friday

As usual, I am linking up with Vicki and Tara for this weeks:

This week Jenny Jenny let me borrow one of her colors and I love it!  It's called Meet Me On The Star Ferry by OPI.  I accented it with Luxe and Lush by China Glaze which just happens to be one of the Colours from the Capitol Collection for inspired by The Hunger Games.  This is definitely going to be a new favorite of mine.  The glitter are flecks of varying sizes and colors.  LOVE it.

Has anyone else gotten any of the Capitol Colours?  I bought a few of them.  Might have to buy some more!!  Which do you like?

And now on to some Friday randomness:

• I found a super cheap pair of prescription sunglasses.  They cost me under $17 shipped!  I hope I like them, but for that price I couldn't pass them up.

• VERY excited to go see super hottie Taylor Kitsch in John Carter this weekend.  Two hours of a shirtless Tim Riggens doesn't sound bad to me!

• It's getting closer to the release of The Hunger Games movie.  CAN NOT WAIT!

• The weatherman is reporting that we are going to hit 63 degrees this Sunday!  I will be taking full advantage of the weather by spending all day outside.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Movie Review Thursday - The Lorax

This past Movie Tuesday the babes requested that I take them to see The Lorax.  I was more than thrilled to oblige them.  I have been excited about seeing this movie for a while now.  I was happy the kids were excited too.

Luckily we made it to the $5 matinee.  The cost of a movie these days makes it very hard to take the family with.  On top of tickets, I have to buy both kids Frozen Cokes ($5.50 ea.), they split a Medium Popcorn ($6.00) and throw in a Medium Diet Coke for me, and my bill was over $20. INSANE!  However, I don’t take them that often, so when I do, I deal with it.  I also snuck in my own chocolate – so that shaved a few dollars off my bill.

There were a good number of people at this showing.  There were kids there from 1 to 60.  I never noticed any crazy kid outbursts, so the little ones must have enjoyed it too.

My kids (ages 7 and 10) were attentive and followed along with no problem.   The humor wasn’t over-their-heads, and I love when I see them laughing.  There was suspense, action, bad-guys chasing good guys, animals frolicking and eating marshmallows, musical numbers and even a little bit of romance.  It was an hour and half of pure family-friendly fun. 

The kids loved it and so did I.  Afterwards I asked them what the message of the movie was and my 7-year old said “Don’t cut down all of the trees.”  He is a sharp one – LOL.  I’m just glad he got something out of it. 

Rating: Loved It (Very Good)

I defintely would recommend it, with or without kiddos.

The Once-ler:  Unless someone like you, cares a whole awful lot, nothing's going to get better.  It's not.