What's the deal?

So, I know it has been way too long since my last post, which means I'm already slacking on my "summer to-do list". That being said, this past week was full of craziness that inevitably will cause further slacking in the to-do department...starting with Sunday night.

Last Sunday, the 26th, I was stoked to watch the season premiere of True Blood (one of my fav shows!) and then I proceeded to shower before bed after the awesome premiere episode. Let me just say, luke warm showers are not fun especially when they turn into cold ones. Yup, you guessed it, my water heater broke. Monday morning I did some research and made some phone calls and found out I was about to dish out a ton of cash to resolve this issue. So, after shedding a few tears, pulling out some major dough, and waiting on the plumber Monday afternoon I now have a brand new water heater.. and no money (which is the part that causes even more neglect to my "to-do list"). At least I'm clean though! ;)

Now I am seriously on the job search, not that I wasn't already, I just have a new found energy for the search at the moment. I applied for a position two weeks ago and found out on Wednesday I was chosen for an interview on Friday. I also passed a test for a full-time position within Sam, and sent that application in. Obviously, this would be my first choice job, since it is right down the hall from my current office, as well as it would not require as much training since I already know the computer system. On to Friday. I actually wasn't nervous at all leading up to this interview, just excited. Since this was for my #2 job choice, and I'm pretty positive about the #1, I just went in with the attitude of "let's just see what happens". And then 11:30 rolls around... I walk through the doors of this facility (I'm not going state where, so as not to offend anyone) and realize in about 2.5 seconds this is not the place for me. But, I've already been spotted and do not want to be extremely rude and walk out without saying anything, so I proceed to the interview. This building was old, and just felt dirty. Now, I realize not everyone shares in my distaste of cigarette smoke, however, this place REEKED of an ashtray. As I sit in the waiting area, before they even call me back to meet with anyone, I already have a pounding headache from the smoke. Annnnnd then the coughing starts. For those of you who do not know, I have asthma, which means other than just disliking smoke, it also makes me sick- literally. The two gentlemen call me back after about 5 minutes of waiting (again, with a pounding headache) and I proceed to initiate the shortest interview I have ever had. After they explain how the interview will go (about 1.5 minutes in) I ask if the position will be in the building we are in. The answer was obviously yes, therefore every question they asked was answered with as few words as possible and I had no further questions to add after they finished their part. I was basically out in about 8 minutes. Seriously, like I said the fastest interview ever. I highly doubt they'll call, but if they do, I will definitely be turning that one down. My #1 choice job will hopefully be interviewing in about a week, and I've had several recommendations from people within the building so I'm really excited about this one!

On to the 4th of July, which around here is kind of dull this year due to the lovely drought we're currently in. No. Fireworks. Makes. Me. Sad. I usually watch the fireworks with the seester, seester hubby and niece, so now I am at a loss as to what I'm going to do tomorrow night. I did have some major fun Saturday with Candy, Whit and some other peeps! We hit the pool for a few hours and then headed to Candy's house for a little bbq to celebrate the 4th and her hubby's finishing grad school. It was tons of fun just hanging out with everyone and eating good food. :)

Hope you are all having a great 4th of July weekend! Have fun, eat tons of good stuff, have some drinks, watch the fireworks, be safe and above all else, don't forget what this holiday is all about. Take some time to remember those who have served and are currently serving this great nation. I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for fighting for our freedom. Happy 4th of July!!

"Summertime, time to sit back and unwind."

Campus graduation was this last weekend, and let me just say these past two days have been completely boring. Candy and I cleaned the office yesterday and are now without one single thing to do at 9:30AM. Luckily, I brought my laptop so I can finally update this blog... I know, I've been bad about updating (except for posts about Love146- which is an amazing organization)!

As some of you know, I've been working on some craft projects recently, one of which is the butterfly mobile in an older post. I'm also making several other items and plan to start an Etsy page once I have more projects completed and pictures taken. Hopefully this will happen within the next two weeks or so. The first items will be mainly baby inspired, since I came up with this idea after making Amy's mobile and attending her awesome baby shower. Once I get going with some of the baby items, home decor will be added. I'm super pumped about this and can't wait to get this entire project off the ground! Hopefully you will all find something you like! ;)

Keeping in the theme of being bored at work, I've decided that I need to be productive this summer, and actually accomplish some goals. Essentially create a "summer to do list" of sorts. I was inspired to do this after reading a recent post by one of my favorite blogs, Fit Foodie Finds, when she completed a post recently regarding her goals for the year. I think this is an excellent idea to stay focused and also organized (hello, we all know I'm crazy OCD about being organized!). So, here are my goals/things to do over the summer:

1. Setup my Etsy page and other outlets for selling crafts by June 1st.

2. Continue making at least a few items per week after June 1st.

3. READ! .. I've been severely lacking in the book department lately. I LOVE reading, just haven't found anything I want to read in a while. Feel free to leave suggestions! ;)

4. Continue trying new, healthy recipes each week. I'm totally in love with my Perfect Oats and the variations I've been trying. (recipe courtesy of Lee over at Fit Foodie Finds)

5. Run 3-5 miles/day even after the Love146 Tread on Trafficking event is complete on June 30th.

6. Add more swimming days to the workout after HISD is out for summer (since I wont be picking up kiddies anymore).

7. Travel. This is a tough one since I'll be working with a tight budget, but I will definitely be visiting Dev in Dallas, and then heading to Austin at some point to see my Erin and hopefully Jonathan too. I'd really like to add some other inexpensive trips as well, like kayaking, fishing, relaxing at the beach, and hiking. The history nerd in me really wants to hit some nearby museums I've never been to as well. I'll gladly take suggestions and love to have people accompany me!

8. Find/try healthy restaurants in Houston with Jo and Melissa.

9. Run 200 miles and bike 200 miles in June/July. I'm pumped about this one and can't wait to start!

10. Blog more. I know, the posts have been few and far between lately. Hopefully, I will be able to take care of this goal quickly since I'll be posting about all my crafts. :)

11. Meet new people. This is a tricky one, since I live in a small town that is comprised mainly of young people (as in high school/college students). So, hopefully I can accomplish my travel goal and meet new people along the way!

I think this is a pretty good list to start with. Obviously, I reserve the right to add to the list if need be. ;)

I hope you all have an excellent summer and are able to accomplish any and all things you would like to do! This weather has been amazing and only pushes me to do more and more every day.

xoxo,

kris

Let's Get Started Treading!

As many of you know, I have joined the Love146 campaign and will participate in Tread on Trafficking this year - in FOUR days! That's right May 1st marks the kick off to Tread on Traffic. I have had several friends let's just say "pledge" to join the team, but as of yet have not. Okay guys, as much as I love to work out and LOVE my "me time" let's be honest here, team Texas Love146 needs some serious love! What am I saying? Don't make me stand alone, come join my wolf pack and help raise some money for some kids who really need it. I know not everyone enjoys running but the beauty of this is that you don't have to! Miles/hours can be logged through walking, running, swimming, biking, even dancing - that's right folks DANCING! The more creative you get with the miles the more fun you'll have doing it. Sooooo, CLICK HERE to join team Texas Love146! You wont regret it! ;)

Several people have voiced some questions which might be the reason some of you have yet to join team Texas Love146. The main question being "what's the entry fee?" - or some variation of that. Well, the answer is NOTHING! There is an option to make a donation in your name when you setup your page, but the key word there is optional. I would hope that we all make at least a small donation if we participate, but it's not mandatory, and definitely not required up front. For example, I skipped this option as well so I can see how much I raise and then make my own contribution at the end. Of course this is a personal decision.

Another question I've heard rather frequently is "Is the registration hard? Will it take a long time?" Again, the answer is NOPE! Registering for team Texas Love146 is easy peasy! Especially with the lovely link I provided you in the first paragraph. I spent about 45 minutes one afternoon going over the Love146 website, however, that was not simply registering. I basically read the entire site! A lot of you know, I'm kind of a nerd and wanted to read through the entire thing before (and again after) I committed to helping this cause. So, how long would it take a normal person to register? I say 10 minutes TOPS.

I've also been asked several times if you need to "have a child or be involved with children, ie. teachers etc.". I would have thought this to be obvious but alas we all see the world in different light. The answer is no, you do not need to be involved with children in anyway. Just have a heart and want the best for ALL children. Basically, you need to be a human being. As most people in my life know, my mother ran a home daycare so children have always been a part of my life. In college, I participated with March of Dimes and will probably always be involved in some children's charity or another.

I hope this clears up some questions and concerns you might have had regarding Tread on Trafficking. It's an amazing organization to help children that are abused in the worst ways imaginable. If you decide that joining team Texas Love146 isn't for you (believe me, I know not everyone enjoys working out!) please consider donating to my personal page. I know times are tough with the economy these days, but any little bit will help. Maybe just a couple bucks today and you pass on the Starbucks (or whatever brand you prefer) tomorrow!

For those amazing souls who want to make a per mile contribution, please send me an email and I will get you all set up on my log sheet. Annnnd for those of you who think the idea of a per mile donation is ludicrous, hear (read?) me out. Obviously, if you're filthy stinkin rich and want to contribute $5, $10, $20 a mile, BY ALL MEANS! But, for those normal folks out there like me, a $.10 or even $.5 a mile contribution would be awesome! I typically run 3-5 miles a day, 6 days a week. So we'll say 4/day for 8 weeks at $.10/mile = $22.40! What I'm saying is that a per mile donation isn't as scary as it sounds. PLUS, when people start contributing per mile it really pushes you to work out longer! :)

Again, PLEASE let me know if you have any questions! I'd rather be asked the same question a million times than have you forget the whole thing because you don't understand something.

Can't wait to get my Tread on with ya! ;)

xoxo,

Kris

Love146

For those of you who haven't received an email, read my facebook status, or saw my tweet, here's a quick post about Love146!

It's an awesome cause, dealing with child trafficking. Basically, you register and pledge to raise money to correspond with your workout. You track how many miles/hours you workout each day and awesome people can donate per mile or just a one time amount. It's pretty cool, you track it all on your own so if you like to workout alone, whether it be running, walking, biking, swimming, in/out of the gym, whatever! So, basically while you're keeping healthy and in shape, you're also helping raise money to help some kiddies who really need it.

After hearing (er, reading) about Love146 from one of my fav celebs through twitter, I sent a "feeler" email out to a few of you to see who would be interested in helping me create a team. Well, as most of you know I'm rather impatient. So, as I was perusing the website for more info, trying to wait nicely for your responses, I started checking out the registration page annnnnd went ahead and created a team. ;)

You can check out our team site here,http://Love146.kintera.org/tread/texaslove146 , I know, I say team site even though I'm the only member so far, BUT hopefully that will change as soon as all my awesome friends join!

For those of you who are not able to participate in the working out part, or just don't want to, you can go to my page and donate if you'd like! http://Love146.kintera.org/tread/kristig

Just remember, the actual working out (for Love146 anyway) doesn't begin until May 1st and goes through June 30th. For 8 weeks I'll be busting my hump to help some kiddies and it'll be helping me too! I'm very competitive so having a really amazing reason like this to workout extra hard/long is really motivating. Those of you who already workout could use my theory of letting this cause push you harder, and those who may not workout so much, could use this as a means to jump start a new routine. I figure as long as I'm going to be at the gym doing some sort of cardio anyway, there's no reason not to join Love146!

If you have any questions, let me know. I hope you will at least consider joining and/or donating to Love146!

xoxo,

Kris

Craft Hour

I know, I know, it has been quite a while since my last post; but I've been busy! ;)

What have I been busy doing, you may ask? Well, there's the obvious work, family, life, etc. However, last week was spent gathering material and working on a craft project. My friend, Amy, had a baby shower today and at first I was stumped as to what to give her and little Miss E. So, when looking for great gift ideas, what's a girl to do? Check out the Pottery Barn website of course! They have the cutest baby/kid stuff! I love the Pottery Barn look in general, but their children's items are just fabulous!

I found the perfect item, only to discover that it was backordered until JUNE. Did I mention the shower was today, March 27th? I'm no quitter though, so I kept perusing their website and found another item that I fell completely in love with! But alas, it was backordered as well. Have you realized how awesome Pottery Barn Kids is yet? This time however, I decided (along with some influencing from my friend Candy) to duplicate this amazing gift. If you can't tell from the pictures, it's a giant butterfly mobile. Knowing there was no way in hell I was going to cut out 50+ butterflies, we found (thanks to Candy) someone who owns a Cricut. If you have no idea what these awesome machines are, check them out here http://www.cricut.com/. Once we received the butterfly cutouts, it was just a matter of assembling everything together. A big thanks to Candy for assisting with this task!

The picture on the right was after stage one, it's basically just the butterflies hanging from the hoop. The picture on the left, was the completed mobile. Amy's nursery is gray and soft pink so I decided to use soft pink tulle to hang the mobile from the ceiling. The picture on the far right is the entire gift all wrapped up and ready to go. I felt kind of weird giving an entirely homemade gift at a baby shower, so I also bought two little outfits for Miss E (which turned out to both have butterflies on, totally not planned!). Candy had a black basket at her house, so I painted it white and wrapped it all up with more pink tulle. As many of you know, I absolutely hate pink! However, for this project it wasn't so bad, especially since pink wasn't the focal point, the mobile was.

I can honestly say, this mobile was the most fun baby shower gift I've ever done. I think it is going to look fabulous in Everleigh's room, I hope she and Amy both like it! :)

I also made a little something to send to another friend of mine who had her baby last week. Although, this gift is not near as big or extensive, it is equally special! I can't post pictures since it hasn't been mailed yet and I don't want Heather or Ryan to see Miss Ellie's gift before it arrives. I'm hoping to get one last thing for it this week and get it in the mail by the end of the week!

There could possibly be more crafty updates in the near future. I'm contemplating a few ideas and with a little inspiration from Amy and her craftiness we shall see what happens! Check out her awesome ideas/creations for sale over at http://thefingerprintsoflife.blogspot.com/.

Ps. I know the pictures are loaded on here in a rather haphazard way, I haven't quite got the hang of that yet. But you can still see them, so that's all that really matters. ;)

Six Degrees of Friendship

As I've previously mentioned, I love reading several of my favorite celeb's blogs. (#1 http://www.sophiabush.com/blog/ , #2 http://www.bjgofficial.com/) I highly recommend checking them out at some point. A few days ago I started reading GOOP (Gwyneth Paltrow's Blog) and happily discovered some great articles/ideas! You should definitely check it out over at http://goop.com/! After perusing the site for a while, I found an article about friendship. For those of you that have not (or will not) check out her blog, it's divided into several categories and then Gwynie poses a question/idea/theme and has guest editors/writers/friends/whoever respond. Most entries have several responses so it's pretty interesting to see the variation.

Now, on to the friendship article - which you can find here http://goop.com/newsletter/71/en/

As per her usual, there are several responses to the posed questions regarding old friends and growing apart. The next to last article is my favorite, because it basically hits the nail on the head. We all make friends throughout life based on varying circumstances. Whether they are childhood neighbors, that classmate you bonded with in junior high because you both felt out of place at that time, high school sports buddies, college roomies, party friends, or drinking buddies. They've carried us through the years and helped make us who we are today. Because let's face it, our friends influence us in ways that we may not even realize. But as we grow up and become real world adults (AH!), we all start taking different paths and sometimes those paths aren't going in the same direction. High school friends or college drinking buddies start to see that their plans (hopes, dreams, visions whatever you want to call them) are completely different from when they became friends 5, 10, 15 years ago. I'm sure some of you can pin point specific friends that fall into such categories, I know I can! I can also say that I no longer have a long time childhood friend, because things changed the second she became engaged and once married, that was it. I still have many great memories from our years of friendship, and remember them fondly.

We all think we wont/don't change, but let's face it we do. We have to change, the world would be an incredibly boring place if we didn't. But what to do with a friendship you've carried for so many years with amazing memories? Just let it go? The GOOP article addresses this. Several authors talk about possible solutions and how to approach the situation. I've never really sat down and talked to a friend about "divorcing" them (that childhood friend and I had more of a falling out over the situation than a parting of ways) but let me know if you have/will do it, I'd like to hear how it goes. In my other experiences with old friends, we've just sort of grown apart. We are no longer besties or bff's, we're not enemies, and don't hate each other either, but we're definitely not the friends we once were (I don't know if it's just me or if they realize it too).

I've always considered this to be "learning who your real friends are", but Gwyneth's GOOP article really got me thinking and evaluating all the friendships I currently have, and looking at each one and deciphering what kind of friendship it really is. I decided that I possess a couple of the greatest life-long friends a girl could as for and beyond that the rest are just friends, old and new, they may come and go, but the lifer's will always be there. No matter how long we go without talking or seeing each other, it's as if no time has passed. This self reflection into my friendships also taught me that I censor information when talking with different people. Now of course, we all do this. But, I personally have several friends who at various points in my life were considered in the "circle of trust" and would have never been censored from such important information! Alas, things change. I believe there are only 2 people still in that circle after 10 years, and I can say with no hesitation that those 2 will be there for the rest of my life.

I know to some this seems harsh or scary, but in reality it's just life and reading that article started me thinking, which led to some major evaluations. Hopefully this didn't bore you to death or upset you in creating your own reflections. I just thought there might be some of you that would like to journey through the friendship world with me (and all the other readers of GOOP who were swept into that article).

xoxo

kris

Hobbies

I've decided that I need to come up with some new hobbies. While being an avid sports enthusiast is something that I love and am very proud of, something new is still needed. Today I started a new, all be it small, craft project and it was so fun! I'm thinking that I may start doing random crafts just to see where it goes. I have something a little bigger/time consuming in mind to go along with part of today's project, however I cannot divulge the information just yet. If the bigger portion comes to light, it will be a gift and the receiver could possibly be reading this. (If you are, hehehe!) I really hope idea #2 will materialize! With Candy's assistance/supervision I think it will turn out fabulous!

Luckily, spring time is here and one of my previous hobbies can return to my life - bike riding! If it doesn't rain this weekend, Saturday will be my first ride since the fall. For that matter, I guess I can resurrect another old hobby and start golfing again. Since Candy moved to a golf course, it will actually be very convenient! ;)

This is a short post, just wanted to brainstorm some ideas for hobbies and also let you know that I didn't create this blog and then fall off the face of the planet. More to follow soon, promise!

xoxo,

kris