To Resign?

Well, it's official--I am no longer an employee of EdgeRock. After three and a half amazing years, I've decided to part ways with an amazing company. I have learned so much about myself while working there and I could not have succeeded without all of the help from my colleagues. I've also made some great, and lasting, friendships that I will cherish forever. It was an extremely hard decision that came with many sleepless nights, but I am breathing a little easier now. Leaving was one of the hardest (if not the hardest) decisions of my life and I am truly going to miss it.


Only time will tell if it was a good idea, but I'm excited for some new adventures with some new friends! 


Thank you again, EdgeRock. It was a pleasure working with you and I look forward to seeing you all in the near future!

To Go Outside in the Cold?

Woke up and had a hard time crawling out of bed... With it reading a balmy 21 degrees, I thought I'd post a few more of my winter weather, cold-fighting tricks.

The Third Piece

1. Vaseline: Best product ever. Great for cuticles, cheeks (dab a tiny bit on the cheeks before heading out in the blistery winds), and lips. At night I'll also put some on sensitive spots that tend to dry out to prevent the splotches
2. Hand Cream: I love Vaseline’s ntensive Rescue and Neutrogena's Hand Cream (Norwegian Formula) for the winter. I keep it on my desk to keep my hands from drying out all winter
3. Chapstick: I use them all: Blistex, Carmex, Smith’s Rosebud Salve, and the trusty Chapstick—no one likes chapped lips
4. Hair: Moroccanoil is one of my all-time favorites. It keeps my fine, straight hair shiny and smooth, and break-free. Dab a little bit after the shower and tangles glide right out too; plus I've noticed less split ends. If your hair is still super staticky, I'd recommend running a dryer sheet over it
5. The Third Piece: a winter essential for me are knits, hats, scarves, headbands, gloves. This is a local Boston company with super-soft, hand-knit pieces. I love them because the yarn is high-quality and doesn't leave me scratching my neck or forehead! 

Stay warm!!

To Buy a Clarisonic Brush?

With this first official snowfall in Boston comes the first stretch of dry, cold weather… FUN! While I personally love winter and a fresh coat of snow, my skin HATES it. First the summer glow begins to fade and my bright blue, Norwegian veins show up (I also find these veins fascinating, but sometimes it’s a bit sickly looking). Then my skins gets little dry patches, nothing major, a little around the eyes, a spot around the mouth, etc. And then it’s real winter and that’s when I have to start paying attention. 

[Side note: I never used to have issues with dry skin, eczema, pimples… Just ask my parents. Then throw in a real job with a little stress and I’ve got them all. None of them are terrible, but one little red spot is really apparent in the winter on my pasty, porcelain skin. And for me, one spot is too many and I stress over it]

So, recently, I started trying to pay attention to my skin. As all the blogs say, at 23 things begin to go downhill and I’m two years into that slippery slope. I’ve already started using moisturizer (Cetaphil Cream), but never really cared about washing my face before bed, or removing makeup. Here I am though, $150.00 later with a brand new skincare product, and I must say I am in LOVE. 

Clarisonic Mia 2 in Amethyst

I bought a Clarisonic from Sephora. And I hate to admit I bought it because the blogs told me to (I made sure I bought it with a 60 Day Guarantee in case I wanted to return it), but I did. What I hate to admit more, is that I LOVE it! My skin is SO soft and hasn’t been nearly as dry. I still have breakouts and the random patch of dry skin, but I’m going to say that’s user error—I don’t use it every day. To fix these patches, I dab on a little of my eczema cream, Elidel, prescribed by my dermatologist. 

Clarisonic Mia 2 in Amethyst

But back to the Clarisonic—The whole process takes about a minute and a half. Usually, I give my face a quick rinse, throw some soap on the scrubber, and follow the directions. First I do the forehead, followed by the chin and nose, before moving on to each cheek. For the forehead and chin it’s 20 seconds and each cheek is 10—quick, painless, and easy. Once my face is dry, I apply a little lotion and go about my routine. I’ve used it both at night and in the morning and have noticed two differences. If I use it at night, my face is noticeably more moisturized in the morning than it was the night before or if I don’t use it. If I use it in the morning, my makeup goes on a lot smoother, and I don’t need as much.

Overall, I really enjoy the product. It’s like a bigger electric toothbrush and as I mentioned before, I love that too. My skin looks brighter and is smoother to the touch. Was it worth the $150.00? I’m going to say yes. If I had hated it, I would have returned it. It’s at least something good to try out if you’re having any problems with your skin (might want to ask a dermatologist first though).

To Christmas Shop Early?

‘Tis the season for gift buying! This time of year always gets me into a panic. I’m terrible at buying gifts for people on time. Even my three year old nephew was braced for a late birthday gift. It’s not that I forget, it’s that when the time comes, I never know what to buy people. Usually I stumble across something a couple of weeks (or months, sorry sister) later. Then, I buy the gift, wrap it up, and give it with a big apology!

C Wonder Stationary

This year for Christmas, I decided to try something new. I started my Christmas shopping a while ago for my friends. As I was browsing some of my favorite sites, I came across some awesome gift ideas. Now it’s Cyber Monday and half of the stuff is on sale. I figured, why not share some great gift ideas with my readers! And friends, you may have a hint or two as to what’s coming your way J

C Wonder Monogram Plate

C. Wonder Stationary: Personally, I love a good note card. I buy them all the time, but always forget to send them. These are adorable, fun little animals. 
 C. Wonder Monogram Plate: For the entertainer. Who doesn’t love a good monogrammed plate? They come in lots of letters and fun patterns!  
Capri Blue Candles:  To make my home smell fresh and inviting, I always light a candle or two. Capri Blue Candles are my favorite. They burn for days (I accidentally left one on while I was away for 72 hours... Whoops) and smell amazingly.

  C. Wonder Stencil Initial Letter Cuff: As my friends can attest, I love a good

C. Wonder Stencil Initial Cuff

stack-able bracelet. I believe that fun jewelry can elevate any outfit (even Uggs and Leggings). A nice gold with a simple cutout letter, perfect for any friend—and today the whole site is 40% off! 

Jo Jo Loves You Blings in Mint

Jo Jo Loves You Blings: These are my GO TO earrings. I own about 20 pairs and have four more colors added to the Christmas list this year. I LOVE both the Blings and the Mini Blings. Plus, it’s a local Boston designer; what’s not to love!  

Jenna Sue Custom Maps: Custom maps are the perfect gift for anyone with bare walls. Last year I got my brother and his girlfriend two for their new house. One with each of their childhood address.

Now I’m not done with my Christmas shopping so if you have any other ideas, feel free to share them in the comments!

To Use Hydrogen Peroxide?

Now, don't be too alarmed, I didn't take the bottle to my hair and go platinum (I haven always wanted to try that out though). This is a post about a frugal way to whiten teeth. I have always been pretty obsessed with my teeth and ensuring they are straight and white. Luckily, I only had to deal with braces for a year growing up, but I am one of those kids who STILL uses her retainer--weird I know. I also use Crest White Strips, Crest Whitening toothpaste, and chew whitening gum. Who knows if the toothpaste and gum really work, but I stick to it.

Recently I stumbled across a blog, Hello Giggles, where they mentioned this technique. I thought about it and it made sense since the active ingredient in a lot of these "whitening" toothpastes are Hydrogen Peroxide. I also figured it was safe since people used it back in the day. Searching in my medicine drawer, yes I have a drawer, I found a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide. I also opened the fridge and found a bottle of water.

I emptied the bottle about 3/4 and poured in a 1/4 of a bottle of HP so the water bottle was now half full--look at that optimism right there. Then, I took a swig and swooshed it around while I washed my face with my new Clarisonic Mia 2 (another post on that later). After about a minute, I spit it out and went on with my day. 

Now, my comments:
1. The stuff doesn't taste great. It's not horrible, but it doesn't leave you with a fresh minty taste. 
2. It definitely fizzes in your mouth and gets to be a thick, bubbly consistency. I got past that too. 

The Results: 
Bright, pearly whites! I have definitely noticed an improvement and have only done the rinse a couple times a week. My friends and family have also commented on how white my teeth are... SUCCESS! 

If you're looking for something to brighten your smile on the cheap before the holidays, I recommend this trick! It's quick, painless and easy enough. You can pick up a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from CVS (mine's in a brown bottle) and mix up the solution before you head out for that holiday party!

**Caution, I'm not a dentist so if your teeth fall out, not my fault. Check first!

To Take a Break?

Whoops! Apparently I took a long hiatus from blogging. I can't say it was intentional, but I have had quite a bit going on. Luckily, that means lots to blog about!! Surgery, recuperation, travel, family, friends, and adventures... I'll get to those now that I'm back to blogging--it helps that I got my computer fixed too! 

To Go to NASCAR?

One of my life-long goals, it’s a long and varied list, is to travel to all 50 states. At 25, I’m well on my way, but still have much of the Western half to visit. Now, people will ask, what do you consider visiting? For me, it’s more than just driving through. That might be because for three years I drove from Massachusetts to Tennessee twice a year and don’t really count all of the states Henrietta drove through as places I visited.

I’ve decided that in order for a location to count, I have to do some sort of activity there. It could be as simple as eating a meal there, but it must be in a restaurant, beyond the highway exit options. However, most of the time, it’s more extensive. Personally I’ve spent a lot of time at sporting events in other states, which is a BLAST. You get to experience local culture and exciting events!

So far I’ve made it through 28 states and have been to a game (or major event) in a third of them. I’ve been to a road race, a PGA golf tourney, a couple of baseball games, and a couple of football games. A few weekends ago I even hit up a NASCAR event in Charlotte, NC. Can I just say HOW MUCH FUN I HAD?!

I must say, when traveling, company makes all of the difference. I went with an awesome couple and now two of my favorite people. I met them at a friend's wedding in the summer and we became fast friends... Probably for our mutual weirdness. Danielle and Steve were amazing hosts and kept me quite entertained the entire time.

Going into it, I knew it would be fun, but I didn’t think it would be as exciting as it was. Obviously tailgating was a blast. Met about 30 different people over the course of the day. We made a few friends with our Stump game—if you haven’t played, you should definitely check it out: http://www.worldstump.com/rules.html. Then we meandered over to the main event and listened to the Goo Goo Dolls show, followed by the tight-rope walker who walked over the Grand Canyon. This was all leading up to the main event.

I didn’t realize quite how loud it got, nor how big the tracks are. Charlotte Motor Speedway is a 1.5 mile track and has a capacity of 140,000 spectators (Gillette Stadium is 68,756 for comparison). As soon as the drivers started their engines, the noise began to reverberate throughout the stadium. Then the scent of gasoline hit. I was getting amped.

We were seated right before the finish line and the cars all lined up. It wasn’t until their second lap, that the volume maxed out. I don’t even have anything to compare it to. The noise was so much greater than a concert and I could actually feel the vibrations… It was amazing. We only stayed through lap 179 of 330 before calling it a night, but I can’t wait to experience another NASCAR event. Next time we will be hitting up Loudon, NH. 

To Jump on the Quinoa Train?

This week I decided I would actually cook for myself. Normally I say this,  buy some veggies--broccoli, asparagus, green beans-- and then forget halfway through the week that I have them. Sometimes I eat them before they go back, but quite frequently I have to toss them. This week, I decided to stick to my plan! I even invited a couple of girls over last night so that I would have to feed them a real meal... 

On Monday I decided I wanted to make stuffed peppers. If you know me, this is completely out of left field. I'm not really adventurous when it comes to food. I'll pick chicken nuggets over anything with mushrooms any day. Well, I got even more adventurous and decided to use quinoa since I really don't care for rice either. This is where I let the experimentation begin. 

Monday after work, I strolled over to Whole Foods and picked up food for the week. I made Lemon Chicken that night with a side of steamed spinach (another thing I would not usually eat). And the rest of the ingredients for what I thought, and read a little about on the internet, went into a stuffed pepper. 

**You'll soon figure out, I'm not one for recipes, so here is a ballpark of what went in them

Stuffed Peppers
-3 Bell peppers, one yellow, two red
-Box of pre-washed quinoa (only used a cup, then cooked like it said to on the box... it was my first time and super easy)
-Md sized can of crushed tomatoes (drained slightly... they don't drain well apparently)
- Garlic
-Purple Onion
-Left over spinach
-1/2 lb ground turkey breast
-1 turkey sausage, herb I think
-Half a taco seasoning packet
-Sprinkle of black pepper
-Sprinkle of chilli powder
-Sprinkle of taco cheese

So I sauteed the garlic and onion then added the turkeys with a little EVOO. Once that was cooked I added the tomatoes and let it simmer for a hot minute.  I remembered to put in a couple of pieces of the yellow pepper and the spinach. then I tossed in the seasonings *I didn't add salt because the sodium in the taco packet was more than enough. While this was hanging on the stove, I cut the stuff out of the peppers and tossed them in a dish in the oven--my colleague Molly recommended it so I wouldn't have to keep in the oven as long. I took them out about 5 minutes later and filled them with the mixture I'd created, topped with the cheese, and threw them in the oven for 20 minutes.

By this time, the girls had arrived and had poured glasses of Vinho Verde. If you haven't tried it, I recommend it. Our bottle was $6.99 and quite delicious. It was a little surprising because it fizzed slightly, but it's not too sweet. It was a great pairing with dinner, and by that I mean it tasted good. I won't attempt to be a wine connoisseur here.

We sat at my little nook discussing the plans for the week and our ideas for Halloween... More to come on that later. Soon the kitchen smelled amazing and we scarfed down the peppers (didn't even take a picture). 

Overall, I would recommend trying these out. I have the leftover stuffing for lunch today and it's phenom. Warmed it in the micro and put it with some romaine and pineapple. Maybe not the quickest recipe, but delicious and pretty healthy! I can't wait to use peppers as a cooking vessel more often! Ohhh and I really like quinoa... Texture is different, but not off putting. I'll be adding this to more recipes for sure. Happy I jump aboard!

To Add a Tangelo? Continued

Well, the tangelo chicken was kind of boring. There was some citrus flavor, but not much. Mainly just garlic, pepper, and thyme. I'd eat it again, but it definitely needs some work. I'm wondering if I score or pound the chicken first if that would help infuse the flavor more...  At least it wasn't dry, flavorless chicken. 

Either way, added it to my salad today and will enjoy some protein at lunch.

To Add a Tangelo?

This morning I decided it was a good idea to take an extra-long shower because I was feeling a little lethargic and wasn’t ready to face my closet and the rest of the day. Well, that put me quite behind schedule. My alarm went off at 7:03; I hopped in the shower and didn’t emerge until 7:28. Normally, I am out the door by 7:43 at the LATEST to make sure I’m at the office before 8 AM.

I had about 15 minutes to dry off, get dressed, brush my hair, and put on makeup. Unfortunately, I also decided last night to buy some Chicken filets at Whole Foods to use for my dinner tonight, but didn’t get to marinade them. I knew if I didn’t put them in something this morning, I wouldn’t eat them tonight because who wants plain chicken. If not tonight, then I’d probably end up freezing them or tossing them before taking off for St. Louis tomorrow. Fortunately, I got ready in record time and was able toss them into a marinade.

[Side note: I bought two, one for dinner, and one for tomorrow’s lunch over a bed of mixed greens and cucumber.]

Now normally, I’d do like lemon, salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil; however, my lemon looked like an 80 year-old lady who uses baby oil as tanning lotion on the beach—shriveled. I decided it was a good idea to substitute a tangelo for the lemon… I also built this herb garden for my living room and the plant lady suggested Lemon Thyme for it (apparently good for drinks, chicken, and fish?). Remembering I had some, I threw in a couple of sprigs of that.

I feel like it’s going to be a pretty decent dish, but only time will tell. I’ll let you know this evening!