Mini-Vacation in Minneapolis

Hello blogland! Did ya miss me? I hope everyone really enjoyed their Valentine's Day and President's Day weekend!  We had a nice little trip to Minneapolis with lot's of shopping, sightseeing and *eek* eating. Yes...there was cheesecake. There was movie theater popcorn. There were nachos. I didn't even try to hold back. But we'll get to that in a minute.

I'm gonna break this trip down into three posts: First, what we did away from the Mall of America, then everything Mall related...and finally I'll post about all my goodies I came home with. Here we go!

Day One

Our first stop in Minneapolis was The Cheesecake Factory. How is it that I've been to this place twice in the two months I've supposedly been dieting? Somehow that just doesn't add up. *haha* I had my usual Banana Cream and Jeremy got brave and tried his very first piece of cheesecake EVER. He got a peanut butter/candy/chocolate/somethin' or other flavor. He said it was "ok," but didn't like the parts of it that had "too much cheesecake" in it. Silly boy! I just don't know what's wrong with him!  The nice folks sitting next to us offered to take our picture when they saw I had my camera with me. 

From there we drove to REI which was nearby. Ever since we went camping in the Fall of 2007, we've loved REI. They've got way more than just camping stuff and we both love their clothes. I didn't find anything this time but Jeremy got a couple of shirts. 

Next it was off to their LSS (that's "Local Scrapbook Store," meaning not a chain store like Archiver's.) We had found this store's address online...but look what we saw when we arrived! They were having a HUGE sale!!!

Every.Single.Thing. in the store was on sale! What a treat. And my heart literally skipped a beat when I got inside and saw THIS SIGN:

If you're not a scrapbooker, this doesn't mean anything to you. (Actually, you could be a scrapbooker and this still might not mean anything to you. *haha*) Fancy Pants is an awesome scrapbook company that makes some of the neatest stuff out there. They're quickly climbing to the top of my favorite companies list. I know, now you're really wanting to see what I got. But you're gonna have to wait till tomorrow! :)

By then it was time to check into our hotel. We stayed at The Crowne Plaza in Bloomington, which is basically Minneapolis but just right outside I guess. What an exciting surprise! Since we booked it through Priceline.com, we weren't sure exactly what to expect. But when we got there we found out we had gotten a HECK of a deal! It was such a nice hotel! 

Silly hubby + our rental car & the hotel

The slick, glowing check-in counter

The lobby, bar and cool firepit

Beyond just the normal shampoo and soap bars, we had these goodies sitting on our bed when we arrived: an eyemask, earplugs, lavender linen spray and a relaxation CD.

We decided to head downtown that evening and take a look at their "Skyway." Basically, they've got indoor walkways that connect the entire area so you never have to walk out in the cold. (Oh, did I mention it was really, really cold there? Yeah. BRR!) 

Well everything downtown looked really cool, but much to our disappointment everything was closed! At 6pm on a Saturday night! VALENTINE'S DAY, for Pete's sake! So we walked around in the empty hallways for a while and then decided to call it a night. Dinner was at Boston Market, one of my favorite places on earth. We used to have them here but they're long gone. :( Yeah, I could've eaten healthy there but I had, had, HAD to have the mac&cheese. It was downright heavenly. :)

Day Two

Well as you probably remember, I had every intention of working out while we were on vacation. And I'm psyched to tell you that I DID! Let me tell ya, God really blessed me with that gym. Every worry I'd had beforehand was provided for!

What if they have crappy machines? 

Far from it! In fact, the elliptical machines they had were the same kind I use at my gym, except an upgraded version! And they had TV's attached, too. Spiffy!

How am I gonna get enough water?

I drink A LOT of water in my daily life, especially when I'm working out. So I was a little worried as to where I was going to find all the H20 I needed. Lo & behold, they had a neato water cooler right there in the gym. Thank you Lord!

So I got in a whole hour. It was kinda exhilarating!  At first I was alone, but by the time I was done, every machine was being used, as well as the weight set. It was exciting, all of us there in pursuit of our fitness goals together. :) I even pushed my way through some terrible indigestion, which I'm sure I owed to all the naughty crap I'd eaten the day before. :^/

Guess what's located right across the street from the Mall Of America? Our beloved IKEA! :)  So we went there for breakfast and to take a quick peek around. Little did we know, they were offering FREE breakfast all weekend in honor of the holidays! That drew an unbelievable crowd. I've never seen an IKEA that busy! What's funny is that the breakfast is normally still only 99¢, so why was everyone so downright excited about getting it free? *haha* 

While walking around the store we spotted a display room that had paired OUR couch with OUR rug. I took that as validation that it must look good together. *haha* (It's not our exact couch...we have the version without the sectional attachment. But it's definitely cousins with this couch.)

To be continued...

Mall of America fun!

Valentine's Day Vacay!

For those of you that have lost track of time, as I have, we leave tomorrow morning for our Valentine's weekend trip! It still hasn't really sunk in...being that the entire idea was rather spontaneous. But today I've got a bunch of stuff to do in preparation, including packing and dropping my poor, unsuspecting doggies off at the kennel.  But before that, I plan on taking them on a nice, long walk to try and make it up to them. Think that will work? Probably not, but it will make ME feel better.

I'm really excited about this weekend! I've been looking at some different Minneapolis websites and happily discovered that there are other things to do there besides just the Mall of America. (Although the Mall of America should never be referred to as "just" anything. It's HUUUUGE!!!) And yesterday, look what arrived in my e-mail inbox:

What's that? Archiver's is having a SALE this weekend? And what just happens to be located inside the MOA? *bwah-hahahaha* (The "bwah" makes that an evil laugh, in case you were unaware.) I also found another scrapbook store in the general vicinity that Jeremy has promised we'll track down. Hooray!

I was looking at our hotel's website the other day and found out they have a gym. Now, I've never, ever considered working out on vacation before. In fact I've thought in the past that people must be nuts to use those hotel gyms. *haha* But I know I'll be taking in quite a few extra calories this weekend so I've decided to FORCE myself to workout each day we're there. I'm bringing workout clothes & shoes and everything. Wish me luck! 

Obviously, I didn't start my "Flashback Friday" idea today. And I also won't be able to do my random question thing on Sunday. How 'bout I start that next week? :) 

Extreme Makeover: Sarah edition

I am in desperate need of a hair makeover.  I haven't done anything with it (except trim it occasionally) for over a year. No color, no style, no nothing. It seems like whenever we have had the extra money that I could have invested in a hairdo, I've decided to spend it on something else. I'm starting to feel a little frumpy and blah, though, and I know it's time for a change. But I really have no idea WHAT to do with it.  

I've been very, very Marilyn Monroe blonde before, but I don't want to go back to something that needs that kind of upkeep (since obviously I'm not great about getting myself to a salon.) My hair is normally about shoulder length (although it's gotten quite a bit longer than that, now). I've always wanted to do something kinda short and spunky, but I'm afraid it will make my face look fat. I've considered bangs since I seem to have a never ending amount of hair growth at the front of my scalp *grrr*, but I just don't know. What to do? What to do?

So I found this site called Taaz.It's one of those things where you upload a photo of yourself and so you can see what different hairstyles would look like on you.  Let me tell you, more than anything else it scared me to death to get my hair cut! So many UNFLATTERING styles out there! Yikes! In the end I just started playing around and having fun with it. Ok, here's my starting photo:

Me, with my hair pulled back, on Super Bowl Sunday (Livvie took this picture, btw. Impressive, yes?)

First, let's try one of these short styles on for size:

Um, oh my. See what I mean about a fat face? Maybe it's just me. I actually do like that color, though.

Now let's try some bangs:

And a really, really unnatural color. Eek! (But actually, I don't mind this cut. It could work.)

So did I mention you can also play around with virtual makeup and stuff? It's FUN! And you can change your eye color. So let's see what I would have looked like with my sister's (and her beautiful children's) signature "ice blue" eyes:

Um, a little scary. Almost "undead." Fair skin + ice blue eyes = nah-so-purdy. :(

Ok, here I am sportin' my best 70's news anchor/30 year old Mommy 'do:

It's so sexy and you know it.

So by now you're ready to really see what this baby can do, right? Ok, let's take the whole darn package: eyelashes, foundation, blush, lipstick,flowing blonde locks, teeth whitening. This is really gonna be GOOD! 

Ooooh! Can we say Texas Pageant Queen?? Holy false eyelashes, Batman! 

In conclusion: If you are looking for a serious way to discover your best new look...don't try this. BUT, if you have too much time on your hands and are looking for a way to make yourself giggle all alone in an empty room? This is a winner. 

(P.S. I think it would be an absolute blast if all of YOU played with this online toy and shared/blogged your results! It's really, super easy to do.)

It's my house and I'll decorate how I want to!

Jeremy and I were in the kitchen department at Target the other day. He was looking for a meat thermometer (because we had pork chops in our cart and the last 10 times he's made pork chops he wished he had one, since we can never tell if they're done or not). As he looked, I wandered across the aisle to the miscellaneous gadget area and immediately let out a squeal when I discovered these: 

It's a skunk scrubber!

It's a blue whale ice cream scoop!

It's a tou-can opener! AAAH!!!

There's an entire collection of these things! I was totally lovin' them. "Jeremy! Why didn't they have these when we got married?!?!?" You laugh, but I SO would have registered for these.  It would have been awesome, too, because everyone shopping for our wedding would have done a double take. "What, they REALLY want this pair of scissors that looks like a woodpecker? REALLY? Are these people old enough to get married?" *haha* 

Anyone who knows me (or has seen my house) knows that I am not one to shy away from the bright, cute and kitcshy. I don't know what it says about me, but I love to be surrounded by things that are colorful and fun. My tastes are far from traditional when it comes to decorating. And I am SO fortunate that I married a guy who "gets" that. (No he's not as into the cutesie stuff...but he tolerates it. *haha*)

I remember that at one point in my teens, I started to think about how I'd want to decorate my own house. I'd look around at other people's houses and displays at furniture stores...and while they were beautiful, I just wasn't drawn to anything I saw. I almost felt guilty, like "well this is how you're supposed to decorate, so don't fight it." But I really couldn't picture myself in a house full of "normal" furniture" and "normal" decorations.

Then Jeremy came along...and he felt the SAME WAY! He didn't like "normal" either! It took me a while to really embrace it, though. It wasn't until we discovered an IKEA catalog in all of its colorful, retro/modern glory that I realized I really could have my unique style and live around it too. :)  What an amazing revelation!  And the rest is history...now we have a house full of IKEA merchandise and walls painted in colors that give some people headaches. AND I DON'T CARE! It's my house and I LOOOOVE it! (Well, I don't really loooove it...there are still a lot of improvements to be made. But I like it a whole lot. *haha*) 

"Weight" just a minute!

*singing* "It's just another weigh-in Monday! I wish it was Sunday! Cause that's my fun-day." :)

But what am I whining about? Today is a GREAT weigh-in day! Because today, my purdy new scale is telling me I've lost 2 pounds! Woohoo!!! That brings my overall total since I started in January to 9 pounds. (Plus I kept off 5 of the pounds I lost when I was sick all December, but I've decided not to count those since I didn't WORK for them, y'know? They were a "gift." *haha*)  

I have bad news about my body fat percentage, though. The other day Jeremy calculated his own percentage on the scale and we were comparing our numbers. Mine was lower than his, so of course I felt inclined to gloat a little. Just a little. "Women's body fat is supposed to be higher than a man's...we just carry more fat, y'know, in "those" places. Blah blah blah, mine is lower than yours, so I rock." Then he retorted with something like, "Well your number is only lower because you're taller than me." Indeed. This is a fact we shlink around, though, and try to ignore. He doesn't bring it up and I certainly don't rub it in his face, but I AM taller. ;) Everyone knows it. 

So then he pulls me into the bathroom and makes me stand back to back with him in front of the mirror. I insisted that because of the shape and SIZE of my immense head, the results of this test were bound to be skewed. :) So then he makes me stand up against the door jam, like a growing child, and makes a mark above my head. And then I do the same for him. When he pulled out the tape measurer, we were both in for a surprise. 

I've been telling people for YEARS that I'm 5'6". For YEARS! Come to find out, I'm barely 5'5"! *haha* And Jeremy was indignantly sure that he was 5'5" but in reality he's right at 5'4". And this meant that we had entered the wrong proportions into our smart li'l scale, so our body fat was measured wrong. So we were arguing about it for nothing. And we're both shorter and fatter than we thought. *hahaha* Oh well. Such is life.

On the diet front, this morning I made the most AMAZING pancakes! Pancakes, you say? Pancakes aren't for DIETS! Well, my friend, you are mistaken. Because these pancakes were made with Fiber One's pancake mix! (I'm beginning to think FiberOne is destined to take over the entire diet market...even more so than Special K! It's insane how many products they make.) 

As you can see, this mix has fiber, whole grain, calcium, blah blah blah. Plus you get three pancakes for 180 calories.  And they're so delicious! Light and fluffy, simply scrumptious. If I were a better pancake-flipper, they would have been pretty too, I'm sure. But I can never seem to get them turned over without them skidding across the pan, leaving little batter entrails splattered all over. Which doesn't make for a pretty pancake. 

I was so excited about eating them that I forgot to take a picture before my first bite, sorry. :) 

Ok, here's one from the other side which was still in-tact. *haha*

Now, you may be thinking, "Sarah, this looks like a complete rerun of the waffle breakfast." But I assure you it was a completely different taste experience. :)  

The boys got to enjoy one of the cast-offs that got a little too done. They enjoyed it and wanted more, see?

Sadly, there was a casualty in my kitchen this morning. I don't know if any of you do this, but I often get the burners on my stove mixed up, turning on the wrong one. Normally it's not a problem because my stovetop is cleared. But today an unsuspecting oven mitt met it's untimely doom. And my kitchen still smells like burnt cotton.

It's a Storm of BRAINS!

(Get it? Get it? *hahaha*)

I've noticed that my blog has become a little 1-dimensional as of late. I'm really trying to focus on my diet and exercise routine, and that's reflecting in my blog. Which some of you probably don't mind...in fact I think that's the main reason some of you are reading my blog at all. But for the rest of you, it might become slightly mundane. So I've been trying to think of ways to shake things up around here, and possible stretch my writing legs as well. 

One idea, which I absolutely LOVE, is Memory Monday, which I found at this gal's cute blog. On Memory Monday, she posts a picture of herself as a child and then includes some random reflections, stories or memories from her youth. What a FUN idea this is! Now, I can't do this on Mondays because I've already resolved to weigh-in on Mondays, so that day is reserved. *haha* But I was thinking of, and tell me how totally clever this is, Flashback FRIDAY!! I know, I know. Pure genius. Someone should hire me to name things. Seriously. Do you like that idea? Would you enjoy seeing pictures of me with big bangs and chubby cheeks? (Note: That description fits any picture taken of me from age 3 - 14. *hahaha*)  

I have another idea as well. I was in my scrapbook room the other day, rearranging some of my shelves and ran across a book that I've had for a few years but have never actually used. It's called "The Journaler's Handbook." 

I remember being SO excited about this when I first got it. Basically, it's filled with questions meant to prompt stories or journaling for your scrapbook pages. I loved looking through it, reading the questions and having all these memories come flooding back to me. But then I started to get overwhelmed at the thought of making scrapbook pages for all of these endless memories and I didn't know where to begin. So, in true overwhelmed-Sarah fashion, I never did anything with it! :( 

But I thought it would be a great thing to do here on my blog! I could randomly pick a question or group of questions and answer them here, thus killing two birds with one stone: I'd satisfy the need to add variety to my blog AND I would be documenting these thoughts and memories. Heck, I could even print them out and put them in a binder. If I threw a sticker or two on it I could call it a scrapbook! *haha*  I don't know what day I'd do this on....probably Sunday since I usually have extra time to kill since Jeremy's finishing homework. I'll have to come up with a catchy name for it, too. (Can't think of anything right now...Flashback Friday must have really drained all my creativity. *hehe*)

Please let me know what you think! If these ideas sound boring to ya'll, there's no point in messing with it since YOU are the ones that read this silly thing!! If you don't like them, what would be more interesting to you? Or maybe you like things just the way they are. Whatever the case, I'd appreciate the feedback! 

Hope you're all enjoying this loverly Sunday afternoon. I was sad at first, because I thought it was cold outside. But then I opened the door and realized it's just overcast but the temperature really is quite mild. I love it! Makes me think of Fall. (I know that's the wrong season, but I like it anyway.)

Cake Wrecks

I love "Ace of Cakes" on the Food Network! They seem like the coolest group of people. Duff (the owner and head chef) has the greatest laugh and laid-back personality; he always makes me smile. The talent these guys possess never fails to amaze me. Every single cake they make is AMAZING!! I would love to work there, but alas, they'd never let me. Because for one thing, I'm not nearly cool or quirky enough to fit in with their crew. But mainly they wouldn't hire me because I would turn out cakes that look like this:

Cake Wrecks

Have you ever seen this website? I discovered it the other day and it had me (literally) LAUGHING OUT LOUD!!! Basically it's a collection of "professional" cakes that are absolute botches. Some of them have ridiculous misspellings, some are the result of a miscommunication between baker and customer...and some are just poorly, tragically decorated. Go, you simply must! You will not regret it. Absolutely HILARIOUS! The cakes aren't the only funny thing...the writing is witty and sarcastic and sure to make you smile! Check it out! (Here's another favorite of mine! You won't believe!)