Home Again - First Giveaway!

It feels really good to be home again, especially after being away for nearly a month. Everything is jumping right into full swing. My husband is back in school and has started work already, and I am frantically running errands and trying to get everything in order again. I am extremely grateful that I have not lined up a job yet, because somehow I am filling every single minute of my time. How does that happen so easily? It seems that no matter how hard you try to avoid exactly that, it still happens.

I want to share some great advice that I received when I was running my own successful business as a Mary Kay Consultant, going to school full-time, and working another job.

Instead of making a huge To-Do list that never seems to get done, every night plan your "6 Most Important Things" list for the next day. It helps you focus on the important things, rather than fill your time with the less important ones. Plus, you feel great when you actually accomplish your list!

I'm always looking for great tips on how to stay organized, be healthy, or be financially smart when life is busy! This little tip has helped me many times. Today my list read (in no particular order of importance): 1. Workout, 2. Redo My Resume, 3. Get organized with Credit Cards, 4. Take Chair to Grandma's House, 5. Buy Fertilizer and Bug Killer for my Flowers, and 6. Shop for New Bedding. That list is totally manageable, right!?

In celebration of the "going back to school" or "things are chaotic" season, I have decided to sponsor my very first giveaway. I have recently relaunched my Mary Kay business! In celebration--and because I love you and think you deserve to be pampered--I am going to giveaway a Mary Kay gift AND a 50% OFF Coupon to one of my followers. You can flip through the latest catalog here. Most of all, I just want to say thank you to everyone who reads this blog and bounces their thoughts around with me.

Do you want some awesome FREE product that will make you feel pampered?! This Giveaway will end on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009. I will select the winner using Random.org. Here is how you enter:

To qualify you must:
1. Follow my blog, comment for your first entry.
2. Leave a comment sharing some advice on "how to stay organized, be healthy, or be financially smart when life is busy!"

For additional entries comment again if:
3. You tweet/facebook about this giveaway (each day you get an extra entry!), please say:
"I just entered to win a Mary Kay gift on @newlyidentified's first #giveaway!! New Blogger=Great Odds! Enter here http://tinyurl.com/nd3r9g"
4. You become a fan on Facebook.
5. You favor me on Technorati.
6. You subscribe to my blog.

Time Traveler's Wife

I can't imagine what it would be like to have the love of your life slip in and out of your life all of the time, leaving you to just wait. When your husband is a "time traveler," that is exactly what happens. I went to see a matinee of The Time Traveler's Wife with my mother- and sisters-in-law Saturday. As you know, I love going to movies! It is very unusual that I have been able to go see so many recently (Julie & Julia a couple of weeks ago, and G.I. Joe with hubby earlier this week). When I saw the preview for this movie I was very intrigued and knew it was something I was interested in seeing. I hadn't read any of the reviews before I saw the movie, but now that I am looking at what Rotten Tomatoe's says I am shocked to see only a 36% rating. Obviously there are some people who didn't like the movie, but I actually really liked it. It brought all four of us girls to tears by the end, be sure to bring some kleenex! I would recommend this movie for two reasons: (1) the concept of "time traveling" is something every person has been interested in at one point in their lives; and (2) it teaches you some good life lessons-- you can't change the past, and knowing you will see your spouse again brings a lot of hope.

Time Traveler's Wife is based on a novel. The 1 hour 47 minute flick seemed a little long at one point, but I overall think the time was filled very well. Mostly it was filled well because of the different scenarios in which being a "time traveler" was both a blessing and a curse. It would show him traveling backward and even forward in time. I was really surprised at what happened when he traveled, unlike any other time traveling I've seen in movies his clothes would not travel with him! Therefore, you see a lot of butt in this movie.

The movie included a great life lesson showing that he could see people in his life (past and future), but never change what had happened or was meant to happen. That's just how life is! Don't get me wrong, I totally believe that you can make decisions every day that determine a lot of your future. However, I thought it was a little more believable knowing that this time traveler couldn't change things.

As much as I can't imagine having my husband slip in and out all of the time, it was really sweet seeing how she had so much hope knowing that she would see him again in only a matter of time. It made me think about life after death, I know that I will be with my husband again. This knowledge comes from my testimony that "families can be together forever," which I gain through my religion.

Ultimately, The Time Traveler's Wife is a great flick for the ladies. It lets your imagination wander as you see the "time traveling" experience. You will be uplifted (and probably a little teary) by the messages within the story. I hope that you enjoy the movie, too. When you see it, come back and tell me what you thought! If you have already seen it, I'd love to hear your opinion (even if you disagree)!

P.S. I have some good news, I have already lost 3 lbs since I wrote this post!

P.P.S. Shutterfly is offering 8x8 photobooks for FREE until 8/26/09,
promo code: SUMMERBOOK.

I Just Wanted to Feel Pretty

This morning I woke up and went to the bathroom, and brushed my teethe. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a scale. I thought to myself, "I haven't weighed myself in about a month I should see where I'm at." Over the last two weeks I have been really feeling like I was gaining weight. So I did it, I got on the scale and learned that I had gained 11 pounds in one month! Not only that, but the last time I weighed myself I had gained some weight. It was nothing to make me really concerned at the time, but now it adds up to about 18 pounds in about three months. Psh, whaaaaaaaat!?! I have never gained that much weight so quickly.

The last two weeks I have been working on a construction job. I know you're thinking, "But she has been pulling wallpaper off the walls, painting, pulling up carpet, and doing other active things during her long--sometimes 12 hour--work days." Yes, it's true I have been fairly active. However, what do construction guys eat throughout the day to keep their energy up? They eat cookies, and chocolate! Plus, on top of that I have been drinking Dr. Pepper way more than usual too. The last two weeks my sugar intake just got way out of control. It's like once I started I just couldn't stop! Oh that's not all though, we've also been staying in a hotel near the job site which means we eat out every meal! Ultimately, the whole situation is a lethal combination.

The sad news motivated me to pay closer attention, so I decided to start tracking my food on Livestrong again. I'm at my in-law's home for the weekend, we have a few days off of work. I knew that I needed to choose the non-sugar cereal, and watch portion size. I began frantically looking around the kitchen, "where in the world are the measuring cups?!" I finally just guessed what 1 cup was. That is supposed to fill me up? Then I went to get the milk, they only have 2% which adds some extra calories. I started pouring it into my bowl of cereal and some it spilled out so I had to go get a rag to clean up my mess. Overall, this fresh start with breakfast was starting to be a lot of work. That's just how it goes though, getting started on something new always takes a little more effort. At least cinnamon is a spice that boosts the metabolism, I was grateful to have it on my breakfast.

Needless to say, I was feeling really ugly this morning after all of that. Especially since I was wearing work clothes, little make-up, and dirty hair (from the construction site) all week. Here's a picture of me working (with hubby working behind me).

Today I just wanted to feel like I was still pretty. So I curled my hair, chose a cute outfit, and put a smile on my face.

I feel so much better now! Thank goodness for that, it gave me hope! I typically wouldn't announce something as embarrassing as my unusually dramatic weight gain on my blog. But I figured, I'm probably not the only one this has happened to. I've seen a couple of friends gain weight in their first year of marriage, however, most of my friends still look amazing. Besides that, when I tell you about it then I will kind of be accountable to you. I'm confident I can get the 11 off almost as fast as it came on, just by cutting out the cookies and Dr. Pepper. Hopefully I will have happy news to report back soon!

Do you think it's common to gain weight in your first year of marriage? How do you keep your weight in check?

Texting Typos

Have you ever sent a text without rereading it to check for errors, only to find later that you really messed up? Today I was texting my mother-in-law, she had just gotten a cortisone shot yesterday. I was asking how she was feeling and if she thought the shot would work. Suddenly I got a text back from her, asking if it was Ana Lee texting. I was thinking to myself, "of course it is, who else would it be?" Then I saw the text I had accidentally sent her. It said, "Do you think the sh*t will work?" NOT do you think the shOt will work?. Oh man, oh man! I never swear so it was a little shocking to my poor mother-in-law. She was completely understanding--and it could have been worse--but I was still embarrassed!

The funny thing is, this has happened to me a few times before! One time I was texting a guy to tell him I would be over in a "sec" and it turned into "sex." Geez! I sent texts to correct that so quickly!

Sometimes texting typos can be so awkward. Have you had any personal experiences with this kind of thing? Or am I the only moron that doesn't check before sending?

Sent from my iPhone

Julie & Julia

I went to see Julie & Julia with my mother this afternoon.  Going to movies is like a tradition in my family.  It's one of those things I can't miss out on when I come home to visit.  Mom picked the movie, I hadn't even seen the preview for it before we went.  But I was very happy with the selection.  It is not a chick flick that every girl would enjoy, but it will especially appeal to women that are wives, bloggers, or cooks.

As a married woman and college graduate who loves to blog, I could totally relate to some parts of the movie.  I loved how Julie's husband helped motivate her to write the blog.  He was so encouraging and proud of her for accomplishing her goal in addition to working full time and being a wife.  I could related to the process of her blog growth.  At first you just start writing for yourself to get things out there.  Then you start wondering if anyone is actually reading it.  Your first comment is super exciting and motivating.  Then you just keep going and it grows from there!  I love blogging, I love the blogging community and it made me happy watching her find happiness in it.  I also enjoyed the interactions between Julie and her husband, it reminded me somewhat of my marriage.  They were so adorable and loving.  At first he was very supportive, followed by being annoyed, and then he was loving again.  The movie was just easy to connect with.

However, I never expected a movie could be made about a blog.  I only think this one was successful is because it incorporated two true stories.  Julie, the blogger, was fun.  But the story of Julia Childs is really amazing, especially if you like to cook.  It is neat to learn her story, and I thought it was very cool she went to Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy.

Ultimately, Julie & Julie is a very fun feel-good movie.  It's not being added to my favorites list by any means.  But I enjoyed the laughs I got out of it, and the connections I felt.

Have you seen it?  Tell me what you think!  If you go and see it, come back and tell me what you think.  I'm really interested in your opinion.

Anticipation

My hubby called tonight very nervous and excited to ask me something.  After a pause, he asked me if he could spend half of our 1 Year Anniversary budget on an event (which is still undisclosed) that he is fully confident I would love.  His question then made me both nervous and excited!

Of course I was nervous because he was asking to use half of the money we were planning on spending.  That would leave only half for the potential hotel or dinner costs.  We only decided on our budget last week while driving home from our Moab, UT trip.  I initially expected the hotel to be the majority of our cost for our anniversary.

However, excitement rushed through me because I can't wait to have something to look forward to!  I started attempting to brainstorm with hubby weeks ago.  We will be celebrating our first year together in early November.  I know many people don't plan nearly that far in advanced, and that we still have plenty of time.  Nonetheless, half of the fun of great events is the planning and anticipation!  Remember anticipating things like your first date, graduating, going to college, and getting married?  Anticipation is a key ingredient to help keep things fun and exciting!

I think that sometimes we forget how important it is to give ourselves something to look forward to.  Life isn't always fun, it is frequently exhausting and sometimes overwhelming.  Having something to look forward to is motivating, and even helps relieve stress.  Even if you don't have anything coming up, existing special occasions aren't requirements for planning something.  Often simply planning in advanced is what makes the occasion special, because the excitement builds up.   It is so easy to neglect the "anticipation factor," especially because life is busy!  I think that making a point to continue dating even after getting married, and planning a few special things every now and then has a huge positive impact on relationships.  Knowing that my husband is thinking about our celebration three months out makes it feel extra special.  Thinking about going to a fun event is making my face light up.  My heart is beating faster because I can't wait to plan the rest of the details with him.  Ultimately, the anticipation of it all is making me feel closer to my hubby.  

Do you think anticipation helps things become more special, meaningful, or romantic?

The (Good) Little Things

The little things always add up after a while, even the good ones. Yesterday you learned about how the bad little things were affecting me, and today I want to tell you about the good ones. My husband is so romantic sometimes. For example: I love to travel and I had been dying to go on a mini-vaca, so for my birthday he planned a surprise road trip for me! He secretly plotted how he was going to get me out of work, pack my bags, sneak me out of town (I seriously didn't know until we started heading the "wrong direction" on the freeway), and all of the fun things to go with it. The fun things included a nice hotel in Vegas, accompanied by a fabulous birthday dinner and show. Then he surprised me again when the road trip continued down to California to see one of my best friends. I am still blown away that he planned that whole surprise trip a month in advance and I didn't even know until we were on it! Ok, so that is not a little thing...I know that! It's a big thing! I still have no idea what I am going to do for his October birthday (any tip is welcomed). But, the big romantic things my husband does are not what I wanted to talk about.

I want to talk about the little romantic things. My husband is in Seattle right now with his family, while I am here in Boise spending some time with my family until Saturday when I fly up to meet him. Last night as I was laying in bed, I received a text message informing me hubby had emailed me. So I checked my email and found this:

He had found the DoodleBuddy app on his iPhone and made me something special. My heart melted, I thought it was so great. I love the little things that make you feel important, special, and loved. I wanted him to feel the same way I did, so I downloaded the app and played around myself. This is what I send him (the picture is from when he proposed):


I am so grateful for the good little things in my marriage, and other relationships. What are some of the favorite little things in your life?