"Not Me" Monday

Not Me Monday was created by MckMama -- It's an opportunity to get a little therapy for all those things you would never do, but did :) Click here for all the rules.


I did not get suckered into making grilled cheese sandwiches at 10pm on Sunday night for Joey and his friends and not even make one for me. This did not make me feel somewhat like a short order cook at a diner.

I did not accidentally get clocked in the nose Saturday morning by Joey as he was getting dressed. This was not because he was conducting an obscene dance move that I felt necessary to reach in and smack him for right as he was swinging his arms up in this fine move.

Saturday did not see me suddenly become a very, very active and vocal fan of Pop Warner football at the game my niece was cheering at. This was not because it was 95 degrees out and her team was about to tie it up in the last 3 minutes of the game which meant we would go into overtime. I did not start praying, crossing my fingers and casting magic spells that they would get the extra point because I did not want to spend another half hour in the sweltering heat. I also did not cheer like we had just won the Superbowl when they did score the extra point. Nope, not me.

I did not simply sweep dirt into the corners of my house this weekend and Windex my floors because I still have no idea where my dustpan and mop are. I would never take such a lackadaisical approach to house cleaning.

My dog did not escape out the front window again. My husband and I did not figure out after almost a month in the house that there is nothing electrically wrong with the flood lights in the back yard as we had long suspected and that it could not have been something as simple as burned out light bulbs. We would never be that dense and overlook such a simple solution.

And as always, one for the hubby. He did not get schooled by a bunch of 12 year olds on Saturday at Austyn’s birthday party and is not feeling his age now. His loving wife would also not be laughing at him every time he moans and groans.

Just saying

After my lovely sister implied that I am not country enough due to my temporary weekday moratorium on Sweet Tea I felt the need to post this.



I'm just saying its only a weekday thing. It's not like I would swear off sweet tea completely! (I also had BACON for breakfast. mmmmm)

Stay tuned for Not Me Monday tomorrow. I promise I managed some real doozies this past week!

How about an IV drip of caffeine?

You know how some people can be just a bit too healthy? They take a regimen of 56 different pills, steam everything and don’t add salt to any meal. Yea, I’m not one of those people.

Generally, I eat pretty well. I’m not a huge fan of junk food per say. If I eat like crap for two or three days in a row my body lets me know. I get tired, irritable, I feel sick and I start craving salad and broccoli and oh Brussels sprouts. (Warning: Do not ever let me loose at a Farmer’s Market – I am like a kid in a candy store. I will buy vegetables I have no idea how to cook simply to have them in my fridge!) So then I go on a health kick for a few weeks.



One of my greatest faults is that I LOVE to grocery shop. I was excited beyond belief to fill the pantry up in our new house. I go and buy groceries at lunch and plan out what new and exciting things I’ll be making for dinner. I Google recipes all the time. In the past week, I’ve made my first ever Peach Pie and Chicken Pot Pie. The week before it was black bean enchiladas. I have a binder full of recipes that I peruse like it’s a Tiffany’s catalog. I may be a foodie in disguise.



It’s not all high end in my world though. My favorite dinner ever – TACO NIGHT!!!!! I do not wait for Joey to be ready when it’s TACO NIGHT – I dive into that baby like it’s my last meal and hopefully there will be something left over for him once I’m finished. If not – tough cookies baby – you should’ve been quicker!



This entire food obsession is nothing though compared to the Sweet Tea addiction we have in our household though! (Note: If you live in the South it is not Iced Tea; any true Southerner knows it is simply Sweet Tea. The ice is implied and if you wanted Hot Tea – that needs to be specified; not vice versa) We were going through a gallon or more of Sweet Tea in our house a day. That’s a cup and a half of Sugar a day or about a 5 lb bag a week. Then I started noticing things, like how I kept waking up during the night. Repeatedly. I needed coffee to get me going in the morning more often than usual. I was fading by 2pm each day.


I had an epiphany then. I was addicted to the Sweet Tea. This wasn’t just a passing fancy either. I was into it hardcore – much worse than my simple Foodie addiction. I craved the stuff and if I couldn’t have it I was substituting with Dr. Pepper or Cherry Coke. I knew it was going to catch up to me – I just didn’t think it would be so soon. Once the headaches started to hit I knew it was time to make a clean break.

So now I’m on the path to being a health nut. I swore off the Sweet Tea during the week. It’s water through most of the day except for an iced green tea at lunch and one at dinner. (Yes – I know that green tea has caffeine too. I’m making progress here people. Don’t judge! Pfft.) I manage to make Joey his coffee in the mornings and not get any myself. That caffeine is sneaky though – it almost convinced me I needed a delicious Vanilla Iced Coffee this morning but a traffic jam and an accident up ahead rerouted me around the Mickey D’s that would have led to me downfall. This caffeine addiction I can kick.


Maybe next I’ll work on my BACON addiction. (Ha! Yeah right!)

Sorry Excuse for a New Yorker

I was born here-



and I lived here –



until I was almost 9.

Yep – Brooklyn, NY. So you would think that I was a pretty hardcore city girl right? You know bright lights, big city. Shopping fashion – the whole nine yards.

Oh wait – when I was 9 we moved here –






Ormond By The Sea, a one stop light kind of town. We spent most of our time at the beach or riding our bikes, so even then I started to lose a little of that city girl vibe, but I was from NY so I didn’t want to give it up completely.

That plan was working out pretty well for me up until the age of 13 – when I met one of my true loves – country music. Faith, Tim, Garth, George, and Brooks and Dunn all led to the downfall of this formerly city girl. I could blame it on my sister meeting Shane next – I mean how country is tubing down the Itchetucknee Springs.

In college I was able to reclaim some of that city girl. I was living in Orlando, going to shows and clubs all the time, and I dated someone who lived in Philly for awhile. I even thought I wanted to move away to a big city after I graduated.

I have a confession to make now. It was all an act. It took meeting him –



For me to realize it.

The hubby is from Mississippi. He says things like Reckon and yunder. He’s all about fried chicken, hunting, fishing, four wheeling, dipping and don’t mess with my spit cup.

I can’t claim to be anywhere close to his level on the country scale. There are things he says and does that just leave me scratching my head. I do know this though – I will take riding around in his truck with “My Big Green Tractor” blaring, the dog in the back, fishing poles strapped to the top and not a care in the world over the hustle and bustle of a city any day. I’ll take camping in a tent and four wheeling with my family over a 5 star hotel and a guided tour.

I’ve realized where you are from does not make you who you are. I don’t mind being a sorry excuse for a New Yorker because I know that I am still a devoted wife, caring friend, little sister and loving daughter. Maybe I’ll write a country song about it….

"Not Me" Monday

Not Me Monday was created by MckMama -- It's an opportunity to get a little therapy for all those things you would never do, but did :) Click here for all the rules.

I did not indulge in a Food Network watch-a-thon for most of the day yesterday while working on some bakery market research for work. I do not secretly wish Paula Deen was my grandmother so I could have her come cook for me whenever. I also did not do this while eating a lunchable as that would just be blasphemous to poor Paula.

We did not stay up way too late both Saturday and Sunday due to our new movie night tradition. I did not rewatch Walk the Line for the 947,621 time because I just don’t think that movie can never get old. I also did not once again consider dying my hair the same color as Reese Witherspoon’s in the movie even though it is almost exactly my hair color now.

I did not sit on the couch in the air conditioning most of the day yesterday while Joey and his mom built this –


for the bunny. My excuse was not that I was doing the work mentioned above and thus I could not help with the condo. I would never be so selfish.

I did not go grocery shopping and to Walmart this weekend and still forget to but laundry detergent. That would never happen to me because I make lists for everything and remember to get each item I need. I am also not down to my last roll of paper towels due to this.

My GINORMOUS dog did not squeeze himself out a window this big |-| by popping the screen out and go roam around the neighborhood while Joey and I were out at breakfast. The cat did not stay inside the house the entire time and take joy in the fact that the dog had flown the coop. The dog did not just come sauntering up the sidewalk casually a minute after we came home as if he hadn’t done a thing and then pass out in his crate for the rest of the day. His crate is also not being held together by cable ties because he has not managed to bend, twist and break the metal on it.

Rituals

I'm one of those people that really loves traditions/rituals. I come from a family that is HUGE on them. As I mentioned before my parents came over from Poland and we still held on to many of the traditions they had over there. Our Christmas Eve dinner is about 13 courses and served in a particular order, we bless Easter Baskets on Holy Saturday and so many more things that are true to the old country. While all those traditions are so dear to me I truly think the ones you establish within your families yourself are the most meaningful.

I remember when I was a child going to the library every Saturday with my parents - they would let us pick out anything we wanted and however many. I once cleared out the Brooklyn Public Library of every Berenstein Bears book they had. My dad had the joy of carrying all of those back for me! (I was 5 and they were heavy!) After the library we would always head to Carvel. I would get a Chocolate Chocolate Chip cone (always a cone - to this day) and then only eat half of it. Simple treats but they stuck with me until today.

Joey and I recently started our own simple ritual that we both have grown to love. When we moved into our new house we decided not to take our couches with us. They were in pretty awful shape and there was a couch and chair left behind by the previous owners at the new house. (In a lovely 70's palm tree print) I've thrown some fabric over the furniture until we buy our dream set and we were alright. Until it came time to watch a movie on our new TV. This couch was not made for snuggling. It fits one person semi-comfortably.

Solution - we grabbed all our extra blankets and made a pallet on the floor. The dog curled up at our feet and we had our own little mini date. Ever since then every time we go to watch a movie one of us grabs the blankets and starts making that pallet. These dates don't cost us a thing - we watch a movie off the free on demand channel and we already had the blankets. The important thing is that its our own tradition - I have a feeling even after we get the new furniture, you'll still find us stretched out on the floor watching the movie of the week.

What are some of your favorite rituals or traditions with your family?

Come on Over

Note: I apologize in advance for the quality of these photos. They were all taken with my cell phone so deal! :) I promise my entire house does not really look green! Better pictures will eventually show up!

I am not a makeup wearing kind of girl. I'm more of your wash and wear variety which is why about every six months I end up with this -


Yep - that would be PINK EYE. In me, its caused by not washing my makeup off. Stupid, I know but if you never wear it you forget to wash it off. So that meant no work for me yesterday. As luck would have it my primary doctor was also out sick yesterday so I had to trudge to the next town over to The Little Clinic but I also managed to get my tetanus booster at the same time so at least I got my money's worth!

So since I was stuck at home all day I figured it was time to give you all the grand tour of our new home. First the outside view -


Then there's the living room...

There is still alot of this left to do.


But our bedroom looks pretty good right?



Until you notice this -


and this...

and that we are using these for nightstands


because our dresser and nightstands are in my sister's garage.

We finally have our own bathroom



My favorite part of the kitchen is this -

Many thanks to Joey's parents for buying it for us as a housewarming gift.

I also love having an actual dining area -


and one of these -

Blue keeps losing his tennis ball under here


when he isn't living in here because of this.


We have an actual office/tattoo room now.

It's so nice having a second one of these.



Devin has his own room now too.





But our favorite part of the house is -

Hope you enjoyed the mini tour. I'll make sure to have better pictures soon.