Author Archives: Emily

I Hate Being A Grown Up

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Hello there!  I didn’t bring a computer to the Outer Banks so I tried to set up a few posts before I left.  Today I’m going to complain…

Do you know about Jenna Marbles yet?  This part isn’t the complaint, I adore Jenna Marbles; her “How To Trick People Into Thinking You’re Good Looking” video is still one of the funniest things I’ve seen on YouTube.  Recently she posted a funny video about all of the things she hates about being a grown up.  Warning – grown up language ahead.

I agree!  I think everyone hates those things.  The video got me thinking about what else I hate about “being a grown up.”  <– I’m not quite sure I’m there yet!

The # 1 thing I dislike about being an adult is having to worry about money.  Adam and I are ridiculously fortunate that a combination of savings and several loans allows us to live very comfortably, but I still worry about money all of the time.  I know that I’m incredibly lucky and can more than afford everything I need, but sometimes I do think about the things that I want.  Making adult decisions about money can suck.

Here are some ways I’m grown up about $ –

  • I held a part-time job throughout all of high school and college and I put most of my tips/pay checks into savings.
  • We’ve never skimped on health/car/apartment insurance.
  • I set up dermatologist and gynecologist appointments for this summer instead of a pedicure or manicure.
  • I haven’t bought makeup in years (my mom keeps me in lip gloss and mascara via my Christmas stocking) but I do wear good quality, high spf face lotion.

Here are some ways I’m not at all grown up about $ –

  • We have basically emptied our savings.  That includes the money in the savings account I’ve had since I was 10 that I always imagined myself doing something very exciting with.
  • I haven’t had a job (not including my short stints of tele-fundraising) in 3 years.
  • We don’t have retirement funds.
  • Even though we clearly can’t afford it, all I can think about some days is getting Webster a Miriam (aka a tan, girl Frenchie).

I am very thankful for the lifestyle I currently have, but I do think about the things I’ll buy when I have more money (foundation!  makeup brushes!  clothing from J.Crew!).  A lot of what I say to Adam starts with “when you’re a doctor…”

Please note – this post is very tongue in check; I do know how lucky I am!

What are some of the ways that you are grown up (or not so grown up) about money?

Out Of Office Message

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All of the important stuff is packed, I’m good to go!

Right now we are on a plane to the Outer Banks.  I didn’t pack a computer so I won’t be blogging until we get back.  If you’re curious about what we are up to in the meantime, follow me on Twitter or on Instagram (I’m “emilywax” on both).

Have a great weekend!

Soup and Sandwiches

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It’s almost 11, I haven’t showered, and our house-sitter gets here at 4am tomorrow.  Whoops?

My retainers are killing my mouth so today was pretty boring.  I hope I feel better enough in the next 24 hours that I can enjoy some salt water taffy this weekend.

I overslept and missed my cool-weather window this morning and had to workout at the gym.  Instead of being annoyed about the trip I made it into an experience.  Leisurely walk to get coffee, sip on my walk to school, then gym it.  The coffee came from 7-11.

Half French vanilla coffee (unsweetened) and half vanilla bean cappuccino (sweet).  Delicious!

My workout was good too.  I did 10 sets of 2 minutes running/3 minutes walking on the treadmill.  50 minutes and 3.9 miles.  Plus a quick session of stretching and strength moves.

Lunch was a cold slice of cheese pizza.

I got some really good news while I was at school and almost had ice cream to celebrate but something about being in a bathing suit in 24 hours made it less appealing 😉

Wonder of wonders, I got my packing done in the afternoon.

Usually I wait until the middle of the night so this felt like a huge accomplishment.

Dinner made use of this Rothschild Roasted Red Pepper & Onion Dip.

For two, I mixed the 3.75 oz jar with 4 oz of shredded sharp cheddar and a big dollop of Miracle Whip.  I spread my mock pimento cheese on 4 slices of whole grain bread and then pan-fried our sandwiches in a bit of butter.

With bowls of Imagine Light in Sodium Creamy Garden Tomato Soup.

We dipped our grilled cheeses into the soup.

Growing up in the Caribbean, this was a meal combination I’ve actually never had before!

Aching mouth or not, I knew that my day was far too light in fruits and veggies so I made us after-dinner smoothies.

Silk Vanilla Almond Milk, chocolate whey protein powder, and frozen raspberries and spinach.

It tasted about as good as it looked (i.e. not very) but it was an easy way to get in some nutrients.

I should probably get to bed!

Window Shopping Wednesday

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I am not much of a shopper, much to my mother’s chagrin. The woman can spend days at the mall, while I start to feel itchy after just a few hours. It’s not that I’m not materialistic, I totally am, it’s just that the thought of adding more stuff to my life makes it hard to breathe. But I like the idea of things. So I’m an avid window shopper. I browse catalogs I’ll never buy from and hold my breathe when I pass the window at J.Crew. So while I’m stuck at school on Wednesdays, I thought we could have some fun via blog. Let’s window shop!

Here’s what I’m wanting this week –

1.  Deborah Lippmann’s 3D Holographic Nail Lacquer in Ray of Light

I love this shade of blue!  Normally it would be a little too electric for me but the sparkle somehow makes it more approachable.  And I like that it’s got sparkle instead of glitter.

2.  Lucia Wild Ginger & Fresh Figs Soap from Burke Decor

This handmade soap comes in such a chic bottle.  I feel like I never see fig as a bath product scent.

3.  Pinnacle Vodka in Key Lime Whipped

The Pinnacle flavors are basically genius; marshmallow! red hot! cookie dough?!?  But key lime pie is my favorite dessert so I think I’d like it the best.  You could make a wicked drink with this, key lime juice, and club soda.

4.  The Vanessa Sleeveless Tank from the Sundance Catalog

An item of clothing that is ruched and wrapped?  Jackpot!  I think this would be cute for work under a blazer or it could work with shorts for a casual look.  Grey (shown) is my favorite but the pink does have a ballerina feel to it.

5.  The Tulle Lace Layered Tank Dress from Fred Flare

I know I’ve shown similar items in the past but who can help but be obsessed with lace dresses?  And I think this one is my favorite to date!  I like that this is cream instead of white and tailored but not too tight.  If I owned blue heels I’d wear them with this dress!

Do you like flavored vodkas?  Which is the craziest flavor you’ve tried?

Baby Back, Baby Back, Baby Back

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Yesterday we got our baby back!

It was exciting and eventful.  Webster gets carsick but we figured he would be good for running a few errands in the car after we picked him up from boarding.  Nope!  As we pulled up to our final stop he projectile vomited all over the laundry Adam had in the backseat.

I hopped out and walked him the rest of the way and he felt fine by the time we got home.  He wasn’t too keen on the bath that followed though.

He is adorably pitiful when wet!

Yesterday brought another homecoming as well.

Uggggggh!  I’m back in retainers full-time for the next 9 weeks.  It’s going to suck, but at the end I should be officially done with day-time wearing.  I didn’t blog yesterday because I was eating mushy things (plus lots of pizza!).

I kept breakfast soft today too.

Coffee with Silk Vanilla Almond Milk.

And berry banana soft serf.

I food-processed 1 large frozen banana with 1/2 cup each fresh blueberries and raspberries.  It was perfectly tart and sweet.

I was online while I ate.  I randomly freaked out about room availability for a conference I’m attending in October and booked a motel.  Between pricing, checking distances, and coordinating with friends it took up my whole morning.

I did squeeze in a “something is better than nothing” workout.  20 minutes on the elliptical at level 8 random.

Do I look professional?

The afternoon was spent on interviews for both school and job things.  Cross your fingers for me please?

I scheduled my appointments with room to spare so I killed time in between at The Spot with a large cold-pressed coffee with skim milk.

For today, this was one coffee too many; I’ve felt sick to my stomach ever since.

We are leaving for vacation on Thursday so I had to buy a few travel-sized items this evening.  Then I came home to an easy dinner.

Roasted green beans.

I used frozen instead of fresh this time and these weren’t very good.  I ended up having to add a side of french dressing (unphotographed) for dipping.

Plus cold pizza, x2.

Pro tip- Pizza Hut has really good deals on Monday nights.  Yesterday we spent $25 on four cheese pizzas.  I put them in the fridge to cool and then portioned slices into freezer baggies (wrapped in foil for extra protection).  Now we are stocked up on cheap frozen meals.  I also bought tons of fresh berries on super-sale that are waiting to be bagged.

How often do you buy food with intent to freeze it for later?  Any items that you think freeze great/not so well?

The Last Three Days

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The last three days have been great. Summer school is over! I’m a senior! (again!) We went to Ohio! Yep, I wasn’t blogging because the summer of weekend fun has officially begun. Let’s back up to Friday morning first.

I stayed up late on Thursday (Adam was studying and I was doing nothing) so waking up was rough. Somehow I did manage to get out of bed and make it to the gym. And then I did strength training! I walked on the treadmill for 7 minutes to warm up and then spent 30 minutes rotating though a cycle of strength machines plus stretch moves on the mat.

Since I actually did weights work it seemed like the perfect time for the Honey Core Power protein drink I bought on sale.

It was fine, not great, but 26 grams of protein in a few minutes is nothing to sneeze at.

To celebrate our last day, our teacher brought in garden chili.

I had a bowl topped with cheddar,

and another glass of lemon sweet tea.

When the day was over a few friends and I celebrated on our own. First we grabbed the dog,

and then we walked to Dolci,

for bourbon cinnamon gelato.

Eeeeee, this tasted so good! The cinnamon was pretty subdued and it had the best texture, almost airy.

Then Adam and I were in the car for weekend #1 of summer fun.

I packed us leftovers for dinner.

Buffalo Chicken Baked Pasta.

We both agreed that this dish is one of best things I make.

Saturday morning I managed to sleep until 11:30 …on the living room floor …while people screamed at the top of their lungs playing Battleship! Tired much?

For lunch I did my best to pick and choose a meal from McDonald’s.

Two packs of apple slices,

and a fruit and yogurt parfait.

Plus a (mini) S’more Monster Cookie for dessert.

I thing I like these cookies even better when they are regular sized.

We spent the afternoon at our niece’s dance recital. There were kids of all ages, including a class of three-year olds twirling around in giant tutus. And now my ovaries hurt!

Dinner was re-dic-u-lous.

Salad with honey mustard dressing.

French fries. With butter for the …

Crab legs!

All you could eat. Apparently I could eat five clusters. And then I was very, very full.

Though not too full for candy at the movies a few hours later.

We saw Prometheus and I do not recommend it. The “Alien” nerds on all of the forums were right, the characters are dumb and I didn’t care what happened to them.

The parents made us all breakfast this morning before we had to hit the road. I had a glass of skim milk,

and a pancake (with butter and syrup) and fresh fruit.

The opposite of fresh, Adam and I snacked on this cookies and cream Chex Mix on the road.

I ate ~2 serving’s worth.

We had to stop at the mall on the way home to get the husband new sandals so we got froyo too.

I got a tiny bit of tart yogurt with tons of fruit and popping boba.

We we’ve been home about an hour and I’ve already eaten two of the Hawaiian rolls that Adam brought home.

Clearly it’s time to rustle up dinner!  See ya tomorrow.

Peanut Butter Cheddar Pupsicles

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This post has gone to the dogs!

Calm down, Cheech, I know you’re hungry.

Hey, over here!

There we go.

My dog, like all dogs, loves peanut butter.  My dog also, like all German dogs, gets hot quickly in warm weather.  These factors mean that he is a big fan of Purina’s Frosty Paws frozen dog treats.  He gleeked out over them but my wallet wasn’t as excited; those things aren’t cheap.  And because dachshunds are prone to back troubles with weight gain the large serving size means he can only have them as an occasional treat.  Plus, Webster is not a one-note dog, he likes cheese too!

Since I love the dog almost as much as he loves peanut butter, I set out to make a treat that works for both us.

These Pupsicles are full of protein from his favorites – cheese and peanut butter – and made with low-fat yogurt that is good for his tummy.  They are cheap and easy to make and the smaller size means I can treat him more often, which makes us both happy.

Peanut Butter Cheddar Pupsicles; yields 20 frozen treats

  • 4 oz sharp white cheddar
  • 2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  1. Cut the cheese into fourths and use a food processor to crumble it.  (You can probably make these in the blender, just shred your cheese first.)
  2. Add yogurt and peanut butter to the bowl and process until well-combined.
  3. Spoon the mixture into clean ice-cube trays and freeze until solid.

Note – I based this recipe off of similar ones that I know have been vetted (ha!) by the AKC.  Please ask your vet what foods are appropriate for the breed before giving your dog any new foods.

Summer Weekend Excitement

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Tomorrow’s the last day of summer school!  It’s also the weekend, as well as the start of 8 weekends in a row of fun/important things.  Starting with this weekend –

  1. We are driving to Ohio to see our niece in a dance recital and stay in Adam’s brother’s new house.
  2. We are flying to the Outer Banks for a vacation with my in-laws.
  3. I’m going on a wine tour with a group of friends.
  4. The Italian Festival is happening.
  5. Adam is taking a really big, important exam.  (And then I celebrate my 27th birthday a few days later.)
  6. My parents are coming to visit.
  7. I’ll be in Ohio visiting my grandma with my parents.
  8. We will be celebrating the 1-year anniversary of Webster’s Buyday.

It’s going to be an amazing summer!  I just have to get through one more day of school first.  I can’t really complain about today though, as we did two fun things.

Early things.  I had to be at my friend’s apartment to carpool at 7:30.  I tried to make a smoothie for an easy breakfast but it didn’t quite work out.

I blended 1.5 cups Silk Vanilla Almond Milk, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, and 1.5 cups frozen strawberries.  Sounds good right?  Not even close.  The texture was there but the smoothie just tasted like watered down milk.  I ended up throwing it out after a few sips.

We started early because our class was taking a tour of the Clinton Bailey Farmers’ Market.

Our next fun activity took us to the kitchen lab.  We practice quantity cooking and made ourselves lunch!

There were more than two dishes but this was all that appealed to me.  Pasta with garlic and spinach,

and a really amazing salad with strawberries, blue cheese, and candied pecans.

Plus sweet tea with lemon and orange to drink.

One group made several batches of cookies and there’s no ac so it was boiling in that kitchen.

When I got home in the afternoon I made myself a glorious snack.

A sliced Gala with 2 heaping Tbsp melted Biscoff Spread.

I shared a few bites of apple with the dog but the only one licking the Biscoff bowl was me!

I tried to take Webster on a walk/run but the husband was at home so it didn’t work.  I adore that dog but sometimes his obsession with the husband is a drag.  If we walk him together he’s perfect.  If Adam is at school and I walk him he’s perfect.  But if Adam is at home and the dog knows Adam is at home, if I try to walk him he sits and tugs as we head away from the house and pulls me off of my feet when we head back.  Ugh.

I got so irritated with the dog the I ended up dropping him back home and going off angrily for a run.  A run-run.

1 mile-ish running + 3 minutes walking + 1 mile-ish running.  2.4 miles and 24:30 minutes.

I am pretty damn proud of maintaining a 10 minute mile pace in spite of the walking, but I am so not ready for run-running.  This basically killed me.  I need to stick with my run/walking plan for a while longer (and more consistently!).

Afterward I walked a bit more.. to the Co-op for a Blue Monkey Coconut Water.

I was soaked by the end of my run and this seemed like the best way to rehydrate.  Plus it was tasty.

Adam and I split a mango.

I’ve officially decided that mangos make my “top three” list for favorite fruits.  I also like cookie dough.

I took 2 – 3 cookies’ worth of nibbles while baking tonight.  I’m making Mini (aka regular cookie-sized) S’mores Monster Cookies.  Not the best dinner, but it worked; I got plenty of veggies at lunch.

Any excitement on your agenda for the summer?