It's the Fourth of July!

Happy Independence Day Week!

Me with fireworks, showing off the Unicorn Fountain.

Please enjoy these videos from our fireworks show last weekend:

How do you celebrate the 4th of July? Be safe, and don't eat too many hot dogs!

My Second Quarter Inventory of New Items Purchased

The year is zooming by; we're already halfway through! Financially speaking, that is.
Last week I made my second quarter payment for 2012 to the IRS, which means it's time once again to take inventory of the new items I purchased during my year of nothing new (you can review my Q1 inventory here).

Hey, why were there only 2 months between Q1 and Q2?

Anyway, here's the skinny:

New items* I have purchased as of the closing of Q2 2012 are:

• TOMS shoes
• Sunglasses
• Necklace

At first glance it seems I was a bit more frivolous this quarter, even though I bought fewer things and spent less money.

TOMS in action. Kind of.

TOMS are definitely not sturdy walking shoes, but they are incredibly gentle on my little toes (meaning the pinky toes... I'm not trying to be cute here), where other shoes almost without exception rub me to the point of blisters. So I'm actually able to wear them for more than 20 minutes, which I think makes them well worth the money and the cheat. I might even buy another pair! These ones were also on clearance, so bonus.

A sunny day at DCA.

My new sunglasses are way better than the last pair; I don't know how I put up with those for so long. I'll probably still look at darker ones next time I'm at the eye doctor, but these were a legitimate and much-needed start.

My new peacock necklace.

Ok, you got me. The necklace was frivolous. Not only was it frivolous, it was from Disney. The horror! But I really liked it, and I was having a terrible day. And sometimes you just have to say, what the heck.

What do you think about that?

*Material items only; does not include expendable supplies.

Mental Health Day

My employment status has been the source of a lot of stress for the past two years.

It still is.

That's all I can say right now.

In the meantime, please enjoy this terrible drawing of a dress design:

 Maybe someday I'll be able to show you the finished thing.

Breaking the Rules: A Lesson in Eye Health

You may have noticed I am very pale.

Oh, no?

Here is a picture of me literally glowing:

Guess which one is me.

Satisfied?

It was only recently that I realized it's not just my skin that is lacking pigment, but my eyes as well. In fact, they apparently have little to no melanin in them at all. So not only is my skin very sensitive to the sun, but I find myself squinting constantly when I'm outside, even with UV 400 sunglasses on.

A Perfect Storm of Irregular Expenses

Is it just me, or does it seem like everything you never have to buy runs out at the same time?

Well, in that case, I guess technically you don't never need to buy them.

And yes, that sentence is grammatically correct.

You know what I mean - the expendable things that you only have to buy once in a while and rarely run out of. Like sugar, shampoo, and vacuum bags. 

In the past month, I have run out of the following things:

One Small Victory

Remember when I gave up Peppermint Patties for Lent?

A better question is, remember why?

How I Made Some Old Jeans New(ish)

I know I allowed myself a pair or two of new jeans this year, but I never got around to buying any.

Somehow it still seems wrong, at least until I feel like I'm at a size I can live with.

In the meantime, I have to either buy used or work with what I've got, which is proving to be more annoying than I thought as my weight fluctuates.

At the moment, none of the pants I own are fitting properly. I'm smaller than I was a year ago, but larger than I was 6 months ago, and the one pair of "in between" jeans I was wearing suddenly grew a grease spot on my way to work one day.

How embarrassing.

I do, however, have one pair of pants that fit me really well at the moment, except for one thing -
the length.

Almost every pair of pants I own is too long, and I just wear them anyway. For some reason, probably because I spent a little extra dough on them (although never full price, of course!), I had these Joe's hemmed.

Well, the seamstress shortened them a little too much, and since then I've been self-conscious about the length. Plus they are flared, which is not really on trend at the moment. Put the two together, and what have you got?

How To Make The Best Taco Meat Ever (and lose weight doing it)

Sometimes when I'm low on groceries and feeling adventurous (and, let's face it, lazy), I try to cook dinner from only what's left in the kitchen. This helps me to use up food I have been meaning to finish, and to postpone going to the store for at least another day.

One of my favorite things to eat ever was concocted this way.

And now I will graciously share the recipe with you:

Why I Don't Drink Soda on a Regular Basis (and you shouldn't either)

I went to the movies with some friends recently - something I don't do very often.
Mostly because I am frugal (which is different than being cheap; read a supporting article here).

I don't see the point in spending $15+ to risk my view being blocked, a baby crying, or someone sneezing on the back of my neck.

It's happened.

The last movie I saw in the theater was The Muppets - which was also a fluke, because I had free passes, and still do. I guess even when it's free I'm not that keen on going.

I think the last movie I saw before that was Julie and Julia. That's a better indication.

Anyway, a friend was visiting from out of town, and another friend had a Groupon for 2 movie tickets, popcorn, and a drink for $15.

Of course, that was only for the two of them. 

A First Quarter Inventory of New Items Purchased

When I mailed in my 1040-ES a couple of weeks ago, it got me thinking about the first quarter of my year of nothing new, and how it really has changed the way I think about things. I am no longer interested in going to the mall, or scouring the ads to find out what is on sale. Now I have to actually plan a special trip to Target every once in a while instead of counting on a weekly visit.

But these last few months have not been without new material items, as you know.

New items* I have purchased as of the closing of Q1 2012 are:

• 5 pairs of tights
• Seam gauge
• Pin cushion and pins
• Pattern transfer wheel
• Dress pattern
• Earrings
• Strapless bra
• Assets

It all fits in one photo

That's it! Seriously.

Compare that with an abbreviated list of the used items I have acquired since the new year:

• Kenmore sewing machine, with 1 yr. warranty
• Revere Ware copper bottom skillet
• 4 books
• Leather boots
• Vintage cashmere cardigan
• 3 pairs of jeans
• 2 skirts
• Several shirts...

...and all for a fraction of the price they would have cost new!
So far I don't feel like I've really missed out on anything, but we'll see how quarters 2-4 go!

How are your resolutions going?

*Material items only; does not include expendable supplies.

Fig Newtons Now Called Newtons

original article

 Is this news?

original article

Apparently so.

That is all.

Nothing New, Black Tie Edition Part 3: No, I'm not an actual failure

I told you about the dress I rented, and the other things I paid (or didn't pay) for, for my evening out at the Theas. But I left you hanging with this little teaser:

Anything look familiar? I'll give you a hint.

Reason #2 Why I Hate My Apartment

I came home last night to this posted by the mailboxes at my building:

Really, you couldn't be more specific than that? Just a few hours, sometime during the day?

Thank you for defining "a few," though, that was very helpful.

Furthermore, there was only one of these this time, and it was posted in the front entry, which is not a guaranteed viewing place since most of the assigned parking is in the back.

I decided to chance it by taking my regularly-scheduled shower this morning, hoping that the lack of specificity meant the water would be turned off sometime in the middle of the day when most some people are at work.

Having to rinse off in the piddly leftovers from my hot water tank at 7:30am told me otherwise.

At least the water was warm?

Nothing New, Black Tie Edition Part 2: Other Accoutrements of Fanciness

When we left off, I had just finished telling you about my dress.

But we all know a dress alone does not an outfit make. Let's start from the ground up:

Nothing New, Black Tie Edition Part 1: The Dress

I told you about my complete and utter failure mature decision to give up making myself a dress to wear to my awards dinner last Saturday, but I didn't tell you about what I was going to do instead.

Enter Rent the Runway:

What, you can't tell what that means? It's basically like a Netflix for dresses and accessories:

(click to enlarge)

Perfect for someone who, perhaps, isn't buying anything new for a year.

Peppermint Patties: Gateway Drug?

For Lent this year I gave up Peppermint Patties.

I know, this sounds silly compared with last year,* but my PP consumption was getting out of control (not to be confused with PP).

I started getting them regularly because they’re delicious, obviously. And they're relatively low in PointsPlus Values. I’d take 3 (one serving) to work, usually have one after lunch, and then 2 left to either snack on during the day or have on the way home.

Not terrible. 

Then I started eating 2-3 after dinner.

Also not terrible. 

Then I started bringing the bag into the living room with me after dinner and eating a few more (…and a few more). Then I started going through an entire bag over the course of a weekend.  

Terrible!

I am not a failure ...right?

Guys, I have given up. Remember this?

I took that a few weeks ago. That was when things were going well.

Habit Heroes Down for the Count

Did you hear about this?

An exhibit at Disney World's Epcot center, designed to "convey a positive message about healthy lifestyles in a fun and empowering way," was recently closed for redesign.

The exhibit, called Habit Heroes, was attacked for being insensitive, and for portraying overweight people as lazy and lacking will-power. Critics argued that obesity is a much more complex issue.

You can read about it here.

I can see both sides. Of course we do not want to teach our children to see all overweight people as villains. But I do think that teaching our children to do more physical activities, eat more healthy foods, and recognize that gaining weight can be directly related to our habits is a good thing.

But maybe start by evaluating the nutritional value of the different lunch options available at the park? Or perhaps opening more rides like the Huff and Puff at Knott's Berry Farm?

Disney is set to redesign the exhibit, hopefully the new version will still have poignancy without offending the masses.

What do you think? Should Disney have taken down the exhibit? Should they have put it up in the first place? What's the best way to provide constructive commentary on destructive lifestyles?

Back to Reality...

It’s been a rough couple of weeks.

I was writing to you about how terrible work was going, and how I had only clocked a mere total of 6 hours in one week. I was about to hit publish when I received a text message from my dad telling me my cousin had died.

It suddenly seemed trite to post about how bored I was at work.

Rory had been battling melanoma (yes, skin cancer) that spread internally (yes, it can do that).  

It's kind of the worst.

Check Yourself

 

My First Moral Dilemma (No, not ever)

Only for this year, and only regarding my New Year’s Resolution.

Something popped up in my Facebook news feed yesterday that got me a little excited:

I’m sure you’re wondering what exactly this means.

One Reason Why I Hate My Apartment:The Laundry Room Drama Unfolds

I came home last night to this piece of work shoved in my screen door:

Dear Tenants:

There have been some strange activities taking place in and around the laundry room. People who do not live in our building have been seen coming and going from there, and doing laundry does not seem to be their activity.

To discourage this activity, the laundry room will have shorter hours of operation and will even be closed at times. I am sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause.

In addition to restricting the laundry room, I would appreciate you being aware of any strange activity that you see in this area and report it to me, or even the police if you think it necessary.

Please call me with any questions, concerns, or comments.

Thank you,
[Property Manager]

Uhhh... what?

It Is My Birthday: Financial vs. Physical Health

Probably my favorite birthday episode of The Office is the "Lecture Circuit" episode (S5:E16) where Dwight and Jim have to throw together a belated party for Kelly without the help of the Party Planning Committee.

Jim: Why have you chosen brown and grey balloons?
Dwight: They match the carpet.
Jim: What is that? It is your birthday... period.
Dwight: Just stating a fact.
Jim: Not even an exclamation point?
Dwight: This is more professional. It's not like she discovered a cure for cancer!
Jim: I can't believe how bad this looks.

Although Kelly is slightly horrified at what they come up with, I would tend to agree with Dwight. I'm not big on making a big deal of my birthday, and have been plotting which probably-fake-but-still-semi-plausible age to give if anyone at work somehow found out it was my birthday... and then asked how old I was (I know, it sounds a little silly once I see it spelled out... Renata and I came up with 38, if you're wondering).

I won't get to see anyone's reaction today, however, because I am currently sitting at home sick.

My Nothing New Debut!

Renata and I went out for my almost-birthday brunch yesterday (thanks, Renata!!), and I realized it was my first day out this year, and possibly ever, wearing nothing that was purchased new!
Minus the underthings.

Of course I had to have her snap a picture on her phone.

Check me out:

One Reason Why I Hate My Apartment

Really, just one??

If you know me, you know I hate where I am currently living. This is due to the surrounding company more than anything else. Case in point:

I just got home from work about 20 minutes ago. I thought, this would be a good night to do some laundry. It's really piling up, I've got a friend coming to stay with me this weekend, and another one moving in with me next week. (Uhhhh.. we can get to that later...)

So I went to the laundry room to see if there was a machine available. The door was locked. No problem, I said to myself, I will go get my laundry room key and open the door. But hey, I don't hear a machine running, so that's great! I can probably do two loads at once!

I went back with my key in hand. I stuck it in the door and turned the knob. Nothing.

What?

My Year-Round Fail-Safe Gift-Buying Guide, Part 2

If you'll recall, I previously gave you my fail-proof guidelines for purchasing gifts.

As promised, here are the four items I gave as Christmas gifts this year, and why they were excellent choices:

The Practical/Sentimental

For: Carly 

What it was: Mickey Mouse bag clips

Cost: $4.46 (with Annual Pass-holder discount)

Why it was a good gift: Carly needed bag clips. As I was strolling through the World of Disney store at Downtown Disney, I stumbled upon these. Hey, Carly needs bag clips, I thought, and these have Mickey Mouse on them! And who doesn't love Mickey when he's actually being practical for once? She was excited, trust me. 

Nothing New

Happy New Year to you all! I hope that 2012 finds everyone healthy, happy, and prosperous.

Ok, back to my usual cynical outlook on life: Who cares? January 1^st is no different than May 1^st or July 17^th. It’s just another passing day on the calendar. The only difference is you need a new calendar in order to get to it.

Nonetheless, I do usually make some kind of resolution for the new year. One year I gave up soda. One year I gave up meat. One year I gave up chocolate, one year ice cream. I was stellar at each of these commitments, and I am not lying when I say I made it through the entire year successfully each time, and usually continued on past midnight New Year’s Eve. (I still don’t really drink soda, though I would not refuse it on a special occasion, and am anticipating a glass of ginger ale as I sit here waiting to board a flight back to LA.)

Although I did, per usual, go a bit overboard with the holiday treats this year, something else has been weighing on me lately (pun not intended).