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Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

What I'm Loving Wednesday...

I'm loving several things on this fine Wednesday...



I'm loving this new perfume I bought a couple of weeks ago, on sale for $15 dollars at ULTA! Its called Pink Sugar and it smells divine!



I'm loving that I just found out that I can watch 4 seasons of "Hey Arnold" on Netflix Instant Play...this makes me, oh so excited!


I'm loving that I get to start my second job next week!

I'm loving these movies I just saw...



I'm loving that Pay Day is in two days!


I'm loving that this movie comes out in exactly 50 days!!!!!!!


And finally, I'm loving that my bff Beth is home after a year a half....its about time.



And yes, I do realize that most of those things had to do with watching movies or TV, but whatever. Once I start my second job, I wont have time for all of that so Im going to enjoy it while I can.

I hope y'all have something to love on this Wednesday!
Also you can link up here to join in on the fun!
See ya!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Simple Satisfying Pleasures

So I have already done a post like this before but I found this site/blog and every single one of these made me smile so Im posting them here and changing up a couple of them.  These are just a few.  To write all of life's simple pleasures would take forever so here are a few to make you smile.

Sleeping In on a Rainy Day – As the rain beats lightly against the window, you nestle your head deeper into your pillow.  The sound is soothing and your bed feels like a sanctuary.  There is no place you would rather be.

Finding Money You Didn’t Know You Had – You reach into your pocket and find a $20 bill from the last time you wore these jeans.  You aren’t rich, but you are richer than you were a second earlier.

Making Brief Eye Contact with Someone of the Opposite Sex – You pass him on the street or in the subway.  He glances up at you momentarily, making direct eye contact in a way that seems to communicate a subtle curiosity.  For a split second it makes you think… and then it’s gone.

Receiving a Real Letter or Package via Snail Mail – E-mail has become the primary source of written communication.  Most snail mail these days is junk mail.  When you check the mail and find a real letter or package from someone you know, excitement overtakes you as you tear into this rare gift.

Making the Yellow Light - It’s one of the most common simple pleasures, the act of beating the pack.  As you blaze through the yellow light you glance in your rearview to see all the cars behind you stopping at the red light.  Yes!  Beat Ya!



Telling a Funny or Interesting, True Story - One of the most enticing roles you lead in life is that of the storyteller.  You love to share stories, especially those that will captivate your audience with deep curiosity and humor.  There are few things more satisfying than telling a true story that others enjoy listening to.
Seeing a Friend Stumble Over Himself – As you walk across the street with your friend, he fails to accurately address the curb on the other side.  He trips and stumbles around momentarily before regaining his footing, then swiftly attempts to play it off like nothing happened.  This is usually me though.

Hearing the Right Song at the Right Moment - It doesn’t matter what the setting is, hearing the right song for that moment is one of those simple pleasures in life that instantly lifts your spirits. You could be driving home from work, hanging out at a bar with friends, or jogging. When the right song rattles your ear drums the entire meaning of life seems crystal clear.

The First Sip of a Beverage When You’re Thirsty – You just finished mowing the lawn or taking a long jog.  The only thing on your mind is an ice-cold glass of water.  When you are really, really thirsty, that first sip of any liquid beverage is sheer bliss.



Saying the Same Thing Simultaneously – There is a moment of silence.  Then all of the sudden you and your friend blurt out the same exact set of words simultaneously.  This rare occurrence is something to smile about.

The Pull-Through Parking Spot – You pull into a parking spot and are delighted to see the availability of the parking spot immediately in front of you.  You pull through to the spot in front so that when you return to the car you can drive forward out of the parking spot.  Why?  Because driving backwards is a pain in the butt.

Realizing You Have More Time to Sleep – Something abruptly awakens you and you think it’s time to get up.  Then you squint over at your alarm clock and realize you still have 2 more hours to sleep.  A warm euphoric feeling shoots though your body as you glide gracefully back to your dreams.

People Watching – Sitting there on your bench you can see people in every direction.  Tall people, small people, thin and plump.  Blond, brunette, and redhead alike.  Each of them has a different stride and a unique expression.  As you drift from body to body you are mesmerized by what you see.

Putting On Clothes Straight from the Dryer – As soon as the dryer buzzes, you pull out your clothes and put them on.  They feel soothingly warm on your skin and emit a fresh-scented aroma into the air.  A sentiment of ease comes over you as you head out to conquer the day.

A Familiar Smell – You just pulled into your parent’s driveway and opened the car door.  You haven’t been home in a long while.  You smell familiarity in the air, the scent of a large pine tree in the neighbor’s yard.  As you head through the front door, more familiar smells consume your senses.  Gosh, it feels good to be home…

The Feeling You Get When Your Idea Works – You have been struggling to resolve a complex problem all day and you just can’t seem to get it right.  Filled with frustration, you decide to exercise one last idea before calling it a night.  You’ve had many ideas before that failed miserably… but this time it works.

Fresh, Clean Bed Sheets – You yank at the corner of the bedspread to create just enough space to slide your body under the freshly cleaned sheets.  The sheets feel cool to the touch.  Everything seems so clean, like nobody has ever slept in this bed before.



A Beautiful View – As the car veers around the side of the mountain you gaze out the passenger window.  It’s a clear, sunny day and you can see the entire valley below filled with wild flowers and bright green vegetation.  The scenery reminds you of something you once saw in National Geographic.  But here it is live, right before your eyes.

Reminiscing About Old Times with Your Closest Friends – Pink Floyd once said “the memories of a man in his old age are the deeds of a man in his prime”.  There is no simple pleasure more satisfying than recounting the greatest moments of your life with your closest friends who lived these moments alongside you.




Receiving an Unexpected Compliment – It’s been an average day.  Nothing really great has happened, but nothing terrible occurred either.  This monotonous day has put you in a dreary mood.  Unexpectedly, an older, attractive lady taps you on the shoulder, calls you “handsome” and says she loves your shirt.  The day just got a whole lot better.

Having a Good Laugh – Laughter is the greatest cure of all.  Life is extraordinary in the moments when you are laughing so hard you can barely breathe.  These moments of deep laughter are divine in the sense that they cleanse your mood and set your mind on a positive track.

The Feeling After a Healthy Workout - It’s a giddy feeling of self accomplishment; the one true activity that actually makes you feel better and look better simultaneously. When you walk out the front door of the gym you are on top of the world.

The Celebration in the Instant Something Makes Sense – Even now that it has explained to you for the third time, you just don’t understand how it works.  Everyone else seems to understand but you.  Then out of the blue the dots connect in your mind.  You finally get it, and it feels great!

Relaxing Outdoors on a Sunny Day – As you relax sprawled out in a lawn chair, the sun warms your skin and a light breeze keeps the temperature comfortable.  Birds are chirping merrily in the trees behind you.  You are at complete peace with the environment.

Holding Hands with Someone You Love – Every time she grabs your hand you are overcome with an awareness of how much she means to you.  Holding hands is sensual and physically intimate, yet subtle.  There are few people you allow to hold your hand, so when it happens you can be sure that the moment is special.



Playing in the Water – Water marvels people of all ages.  From jumping in puddles as a child, to doing cannon balls in the pool as an adolescent, to hanging with friends in the jacuzzi as adults... water is enjoyable.

Making Someone Smile – You notice that your colleague has been under a great deal of stress with meeting a deadline, so you take it upon yourself to complete one of her indirect responsibilities for her.   As soon as she realizes what you did, she comes into your office with a big smile on her face.  “Thank you”, she says.  You just hit two birds with one stone, because making her smile just made your day.



Finishing What You Started – You just finished up a big project you’ve been working on for the last few months, or maybe you just finished your first marathon… Either way, you finalized what you set out to accomplish.  The feeling of self accomplishment you get when you finish what you started is by far one of the most rewarding simple pleasures life has to offer.


These sure do make me appreciate the little things in life :-)

Friday, December 17, 2010

101 in 1001

So this week in Ecuador has been sort of uneventful.  We had several visitors and it was two of the girls' last week so me and Amber only went to LAS twice this week! Crazy right?!  So I had plenty of time this week to make this list.  The list is of 101 things I want to accomplish in 1001 days.  Im gonna post this somewhere on my blog to remind me and so that I can cross things off. So here goes...


  1. Lose all weight
  2. Go on a cruise
  3. Leave the country at least once
  4. Go to Beth's homecoming in Cali (April 2011)
  5. Buy Mom and Dad a Kindle
  6. Save money for college
  7. Go to D.C.
  8. Volunteer more
  9. Save money for Lasik 
  10. Join WW
  11. Limit eating out to twice a week
  12. Only 2 cokes a week
  13. Sponsor and SVP child
  14. Get a credit card and build credit
  15. Pay Mom and Dad back for Ecuador
  16. Run another 5K
  17. Go to Cedar Point, OH
  18. Graduate from college with degree
  19. Watch 26 movies I've never seen starting with each letter of the alphabet
  20. Answer the "50 Questions that will free your mind"
  21. Complete a 365 day photo challenge
  22. Pay for the person behind me at a drive thru
  23. Come back to Ecuador at least for a visit
  24. Read at least 50 books that aren't for school
  25. Go on a road trip with friends
  26. See Harry Potter #7, 2nd half, at midnight
  27. Learn to play the piano better
  28. Skydive
  29. Save more money than I spend
  30. Host a mystery party
  31. Host a holiday party
  32. Go to the movies at least once a month
  33. Do "Couch to 10K"
  34. Cook at least one new thing once a month
  35. Limit sweets to once a week
  36. Learn to play the guitar
  37. Blog at least 4 times a week
  38. Complete an 1000 piece puzzle
  39. Go to a Josh Groban concert
  40. Try Geocaching
  41. Go to a concert at least 2 times a year
  42. Go to Warped Tour at least one summer
  43. Write a list of 101 things that make me happy
  44. Ride a roller coaster in 2011, 2012, 2013
  45. Save money to go to Greece and Ireland after 1001 days
  46. Play muggle Quidditch
  47. Write missionaries more (Beth, Virg, Heather)
  48. Make a quilt out of my t-shirts that I don't wear anymore
  49. Send Beth a package filled with wonderful things
  50. Go to General Conference at the Conference Center
  51. Take Mom out to dinner
  52. Take Dad out to dinner
  53. Always tell my parents I love them
  54. Get a least a 3.8 every semester
  55. Buy an expensive dress when I lose all my weight
  56. Make a photo book for Ecuador
  57. Make a budget
  58. Go to a showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show
  59. Go White Water Rafting again
  60. Floss every day
  61. Take my makeup off before bed
  62. Save $5 for every task completed
  63. Donate $5 for every task not completed
  64. Learn to French Braid
  65. Read all of Jane Austen's novels
  66. Go Paintballing
  67. Visit Nashville
  68. Get an iPhone
  69. Give 5 "I saw this and thought of you" gifts
  70. Answer 5000 Question Survey
  71. Go to a Book Signing
  72. Do "Race for a Cure"
  73. Read Book of Mormon again
  74. Send a secret to Post Secret
  75. Fit into smaller jeans by end of year 2011
  76. Work at a summer camp
  77. Get a facial
  78. Finish a book of Sudoku puzzles
  79. Ask 20 friends to suggest one book and read them all
  80. Do a 101 snapshots challenge
  81. See All Time Low live
  82. Find out my blood type
  83. Read the entire Chronicles of Narnia
  84. Visit my older sister and my nieces
  85. Take a pic of these completed tasks and make a collage
  86. Get new bedding for apt for later
  87. Get new glasses
  88. Do karaoke
  89. Put my favorite/inspirational quote on something for decor
  90. Float down the Ichetucknee River with my family
  91. Learn to drive a stick shift
  92. Spend a day at the spa
  93. Volunteer in a Soup Kitchen
  94. Sing at an old persons home
  95. Have a monthly board game night
  96. Go to the Iron Bowl
  97. Participate in Operation Beautiful
  98. Witness a flash mob
  99. 100 strangers photo challenge
  100. Make a patchwork quilt
  101. Read 20 of the "1001 books to read before you die"
So thats it.  Thats my list. I don't think its completely out of reach...do you? Thanks for coming! Ill try and post more pics soon! Love you and cant wait to see you!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

So much has happened...

So, like the title says, so much has happened since I last wrote, and I am sorry that I haven't been able to write, I don't have access to a computer very often down here, so when I get the chance I write.  Also since there have only five of us for about two weeks, we are struggling.  Usually we go to bed at nine o'clock every night because we are exhausted!  Tomorrow we go down to four volunteers, which should be way interesting... But anyways, since I last wrote, we have been to Otavolo, we saw Harry Potter 7, and we had Thanksgiving, all of which have been eventful.

Otavolo is the biggest outdoor market in South America and we got to go! It was so sweet too! There were so many stands selling so many things, it was ridiculous.  I really cant explain to you in words how wonderful it was so I'm just gonna show you in pictures.



Cool huh?  We spent all kinds of money there, but luckily we got our Christmas shopping done!  Another place we went while down there was called The Pie Shop.  Let me just tell you, I have tasted heaven, and if all of heaven is that great, then I don't know what I'm doing here.  They have awesome sandwiches, but its sure not called the pie shop because of their sandwiches.  We tried their apple and chocolate pies.  The apple was good, but the chocolate was.... well there isn't a good enough word to describe the chocolate pie.  Just Heaven.  In my whole life, I have never and probably never will have another pie that tastes as good as that one.  I would come back to Ecuador just to have some of that pie...oh and to see my babies, that probably should be reversed, but thats how good it was.

Us enjoying the pie.
Another thing that we did, we saw Harry Potter 7, and...It.Was.Awesome. Need I say more?  Ok I will, I laughed, I cried, I was scared and I was happy.  For the most part, I cant wait til the last half comes out! The only thing is, I don't want it to end! Aaah! What will I do with myself?!  I cant' believe that ten years have come and gone that the first movie came out and I saw it with my mom and my cousin, when I was eleven years old, the night it came out and then again the next day.  Incredible.

The last thing I have to write about is Thanksgiving and how we celebrated here in Ecuador.  As you may know, Ecuadorians don't celebrate Thanksgiving, I believe only Americans and Canadians celebrate it, but don't you fret, we had an American Thanksgiving with our Ecuadorian family.  The Chicaizas cooked the turkey and it was off the chain! It was so good! We also indulged in, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, homemade rolls, a green salad, pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll, and apple pie.  We didn't eat until about eight o'clock that night because we still went to work in the orphanages even though it was Thanksgiving, but that was why it was so rewarding in the end.  Also, you should be impressed because I HOMEMADE the pie crusts, my mom doesn't even do that, even though I assure you she can because my mom can make anything delicious, just ask my dad.  Now I wouldn't have resorted to this, had they sold them at the Supermaxi, but they don't, so I made them with my own two hands.  They turned out delectable!  I wish I had a pic to show you, but I don't, sorry.  That was my thanksgiving in Ecuador, it was awesome.  I missed my family in the states like a fat kid misses cake.  It was my first thanksgiving not at home with my fam, so it was hard but Im so glad I was here in Ecuador, because I still got to be with people I love, my babies. 

Well I have to go, but stay tuned til next time, when I will be writing about the bull fight I will be attending tomorrow and another field trip.  I Love Yall! Chao!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Ecuador and the Jonas Brothers








Yes.  I have seen The Jonas Brothers.  THEY WERE AWESOME!  There were so many people there too.  We were so amazed that that many Ecuadorians like The Jonas Brothers.  They even would sing along in ENGLISH.  We had so much fun.  We made shirts that said We Love Jonas Bros with a sweet techniques that I learned from my sister.  We jumped around and sang all night long and people kept staring at us but as my friend likes to say, "Were white, we can get away with anything."  So it was ok that we looked white because were gringas.  Since we paid $35 bucks for our tickets and not $100, we had to stand on the ground in the back, so we didn't get great pics, but since I have a super sweet camera I had a great zoom and I was able to take multiple shots at once (Thank you Dad for always finding the best electronics before letting us spend our money on them, or your money for that matter).  So in the end I did get some pretty sweet pics.  Basically we had an unforgettable night :)

Last Friday we went to Teleferiqo, which is basically just a place you can ride gondolas up a huge mountain and see the view of the city from way up high and it was breathtaking, literally.  When we got up there and had to hike some more and all of us were about dying by the time we finished especially being in 9,200 feet altitude.  Talk about ridiculous. Man. It was worth it though.  Take a look.






































So until next time...Chao!  I miss you all so very much but I am having the time of my life.  Love you!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Things that make Ecuador, Ecuador

So not much has happened since I last wrote, since that was only two days ago but I still have some things to tell you that I have not mentioned yet, that need to be written.  I will put up more pics too.  So there are so many cool things about Ecuador and then there are some things that could be...altered...a bit.  So here we go.
    
    This is a view of Ecuador from the top of the Basilica
    
  1. I eat RICE EVERY DAY.  After this trip, I dont know that I will ever be able to eat it again, unless it is with Beef Tips or Swiss Steak, and that is it.
  2. DVD's are $1.50.  Best day of my life when I found this out, ok maybe not the best, but it was pretty close.
  3. They have Pan (Bread) stores on every corner and you can get fresh bread whenever you want!  They also sell cokes and other stuff there too, but they are called pan stores.
  4. Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way here. Run like Forrest Gump when you are crossing the street.
  5. The Ice Cream here ROCKS. Enough said.
  6.  You cant flush toilet paper down the toilet here, you have to put it in the trash, after its been used...SICK.  Apparently their plumbing cant handle it.
  7. Dont drink the water unless you wanna catch a parasite like my friend Katie who has one and she has named him Henry.
  8. Coke doesnt taste the same, but people drink it like its their last day alive.
  9. The driving/traffic/drivers here are insane!  They cut people off all the time, they honk, and I dont think they believe in blind spots.  It is actually quite scary.
  10. The American places to eat here are the following: Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa Johns, Sbarro, Taco Bell, McDonalds, Burger King and KFC.  Random right? Definitely. If only Chick Fil A would go international...
  11. Taxi drivers love to rip Americans aka Gringas off. 
  12. The mountains are A-mazing.
  13. Dont smile at the men, they get the wrong idea...
  14. Walmarts dont exist here. Instead they have the Supermaxi and the Megamaxi.  Basically a regular walmart and then a superwalmart.
  15. At parties youre supposed to go around to every person and personally tell them that you have arrived and usually you exchange a cheek to cheek embrace.  Personally, I would just rather announce myself right when I walk in the door, takes much less time and effort and reduces the amount of germs passed around...Also at parties, there is no sitting around when the music is going, YOU HAVE TO BE DANCING. No questions asked.
  16. When you are stopped at a red light, there is usually someone trying to sell something to every car.  Anything from gum to toilet paper.  Also at red lights there is sometimes entertainment at the front of the line usually a man juggling sticks that are on fire and they are way good.  I havent seen one dropped yet.  Oh but after they finish their show, they do want money...
  17. The people here dress like its 40 degrees when really its like 70 or 75...
  18. They use dollar coins, and 50 cent coins like no other, they would rather have those than paper.  Oh and alot of places dont take twenty dollar bills, they only like small change, so you better have those on hand or you're out of luck, they only problem with this is that the ATM's give us twenties...brilliant right?
  19. IF there are American food products in the store, they are WAY expensive.  For example, a jar of JIF peanut butter is around six or seven dollars...not cool.  A six pack of twix minis? 7 bucks! Really? However, a bottle of water? 25 cents. Now thats what Im talking about.
  20. Bargaining is EVERYTHING.
Well that is all I have gathered at this point in time about the culture here.  Its way different than the US but its pretty cool. The kids are doing great.  Two of the girls that I have become pretty close with are leaving this week and thats pretty sad because they are awesome. 


So there are some other sites that we go to each week but they are only a once or twice a week, as opposed to LAS that we go to everyday.  We have special kids boys and special kids girls.  At the two different sites there are four kids.  Four boys and four girls.  They all have a handicap of some sort but they are the sweetest.  The boys are: Enrique, he cant talk very well but is so sweet and he eats extremely fast.  Pablo, doesnt talk very well, he just likes to laugh and he loves picking up things. Carlos can talk he just doesnt like too and he likes to flick people, its not hard or anything, its just a bad habit he picked up and he flicks everyone, even strangers. Edison is the last one and he is the most normal one, he can speak well and everything, he just had a bad childhood so he isnt completely normal but he is awesome.


The girls are: Mariella, who is blind and cant walk and is also mentally handicapped.  She is so sweet though. Maria just has a mental handicap, we arent exactly sure what, but she loves to talk and eat and be a girl.  She LOVES men too, everytime she sees a man, she yells, HOLA! COMO TE LLAMAS? (Hey, what is your name?!)  She likes to play damsel in distress too. Tereisa is mostly deaf so she uses sign language alot but can fend for herself pretty well. Jessica is the last one and she is only eleven, and we dont know exaclty what happened to her either, although we do know that she was born normal but her parents abused her so much when she was a child that she is just permanently damaged.  She used to not be able to walk but we have got her walking and she doesnt talk really, she just looks around, she is the cutest thing though. All of them make me smile. 

I am talking about this one because I was just assigned to be their site leaders as soon as the site leader now leaves which is soon, so Im just going through training right now, but that means I will be with them every week, and help them and do activities with them so I am excited for that!

Unfortunately, I dont have any pics of the girls yet but Im working on it! Well this is all I have time to write right now but there will be more pictures to come and more interesting facts and field trips that I cannot wait to write about! Love you!