– My productivity ranges from ‘do all the things’ to ‘do none of the things.’ I cleaned the house one day and the next I did nothing except finish a book. I also went to a doctor’s appointment, so I’m counting that as productivity. The other day, I rolled all of baby girl’s onesies and pajamas to save space. Now we can actually see all of them, which is a positive.

– I currently have eight books to read on my NetGalley shelf, because I’ve been requesting a lot. I have no idea what amount is normal, but I am actually reading them, so I don’t feel too bad. I also have a few library books checked out, but at least my addiction is free.

– I went to the Verizon store this week, because I installed the iOS 10 update and it pushed my already-full phone to its storage limit. I have so little space remaining and have had my phone a couple years now. I even have all my photos stored elsewhere, and I still have no space. I ended up ordering a new iPhone, because they gave me a lot more credit back for my old phone than if I had switched brands.

So my phone should arrive sometime in November, yippee. Now all I need is a sweet new case – I’d love to find a Disney one. I went with the black this time since I currently have gold so I’m not sure how the clear cases would work out.

(source)

– While I was at Verizon, one of the employees checked my cable/internet service that I have through them to see if it was updated enough. It wasn’t – I’m on a super-old plan, and apparently my router was ancient. I haven’t messed with our cable plan since we moved here.

So, he ordered us a new router and upgraded our internet speed and our bill also went down, which was nice. I had to finally sign up for the 2-year agreement, but supposedly military can cancel if we were to get orders to somewhere else, so I figured I’ll deal with that when it comes. I wouldn’t mind kicking cable since I rarely watch it, but Greg watches it for sports and movies, and now our bill is not too outrageous.

– Baby name picking is hard, but we have had one picked out for a while that we both really like. I know someone on my Facebook named their baby the same first name, but since I don’t really see them in person and haven’t talked to them in years, I don’t think I necessarily need to tell them our plans.

I’ve had to get over some baby name hurdles, and I decided that if it’s a name we love, go for it. I know that I want my baby to have a ‘unique’ name, but it’s unlikely that any name I pick will not be used by anyone else. I’d rather go with what we feel we love.

I’m linking up with Kristin and Joey today for Stuff & Things.

When I read Jenn’s post, it reminded me of all the silly reasons I’ve unfollowed blogs. Since I first started reading and blogging a few years ago, I have a better idea of what I’ll actually read now. I used to follow all kinds of huge blogs, but nobody has time for that. Here are some reasons I unfollowed, with a bonus appearance by my cats.

1. The blogger mentioned how they casually stole something from a shop.
When I read Jenn’s post, this was one of the first reasons that popped into my head. It was the most bizarre to me. If stealing things is so normal to someone, and they don’t see it as a problem, I’m not sure I could feel comfortable with them.

2. Every other post is a giveaway.
I have never won a giveaway on a blog post and it can be time-consuming to enter. All I end up with is following a ton of blogs I’ll never read! On the other hand, if it’s a special giveaway posted on a blog I regularly read, I’m likely to enter and check out the other contributors because they might be something I’d like to read.

3. They posted photos of animals they hunted.
If people want to hunt, that is their choice. I am a vegetarian, so obviously it’s not for me, but they are free to make their own decisions. Having multiple bloody animal photos show up on my feed is not really what I’m into, though. I have hidden people’s posts on Facebook for the same reason. I have some very Southern cousins who like to post that stuff and I am quick to make them hidden.

4. There are lots of religious posts.
Many bloggers I follow are religious and I am in no way upset by their views. When it’s mentioned in posts, it can help explain where you are coming from and your thought process. I don’t read religious-centered blogs, though, so I may quietly step away if every post is heavy with it.

5. They never replied to my comments.
I think this is a big one. If I comment multiple times and get no response back, I will assume you aren’t into being friends and that is totally okay. But I’m not going to put a bunch of effort into following a blog if I can’t connect with that person.

6. There are too many posts about “How to…”
It’s a personal preference, but I like reading blogs to see what other people are up to and for personal stories/advice. I don’t want to read blogging tutorials or tips about beauty/hair/etc in every post. I love personal recommendations, but I don’t want to be sold things.

7. I can’t afford their shopping habits.
A $500 handbag is not in my budget, so I avoid high-priced fashion blogs. Link me to some good Old Navy deals and the rare steal at Nordstrom.

I don’t unfollow a ton of blogs, and I’m happy with my feed as it is. My tastes have changed since I first started blogging, so I expect it to change as I go on.

What are some reasons you’ve unfollowed?

– Wawa subs are one of the greatest things on this planet.

– After Saturday, my baby will not be the size of an otter anymore, but she’ll always be a wiggly otter to me and I can’t wait to see what her next animal size on my app is.

– I took this photo to document that this is the longest my nails will ever be, naturally. Cheers to pre-natal vitamins. My right hand has suffered some nail casualties the past couple days, but they’ll grow back. They take a little more damage than my left.

– I’m totally fine with nail polish on my toenails, but nail polish on my fingers has been weirding me out the last few months. I’m not sure if it’s a pregnancy thing or if this is just my life now. Nail polish-free and happy.

– I really, really want dog shoes. I keep telling myself I don’t NEED dog shoes, but guys…the dogs.

 – One good thing about summer is that sometimes you get free veggies. I love that people grow their own vegetables, because it means they start handing them out like candy if they have extra. My coworker gave me a bag full and I am so appreciative of anyone who grows and gifts veggies.

– I slept in an extra hour yesterday because I had a doctor’s appointment and the extra hour is amazing. 6:30 AM never felt so good.

– Although we haven’t decided officially on a baby name, yet, baby does have many nicknames. My mom refers to her as the Ninja Beast, which I couldn’t agree with more.

– I told the medical receptionist that any time for next visit was fine, because my last day of work is August 7th. She asked me if it was because my doctor put me on leave, and I said nope. This was decided by me. I’ve been working in a temporary status, so I had a little wiggle room as to when I could leave. This way, Greg and I will both be off for a little bit before baby. Her due date is September 24th, although you never know when she’ll actually appear.

– I started using this moisturizer and I really like it. It’s kind of weird at first, because it uses zinc as the sunscreen so it goes on a little thick, but it evens out easily and my skin has actually looked brighter and smoother. It also makes me feel better about having daily sun protection from this intense heat, lately.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

P.S. I also did a minor update to my sidebar and added a favorite posts page, so if you notice anything wonky let me know. That goes for anything on my blog, anytime!

It’s okay to not follow the plan.

This is hard for me to follow, and I’m still struggling with it; I like to know what’s going to happen before it happens. But if that was always the case, life would be extremely boring. It’s impossible to know everything ahead of time, even though sometimes I wish I could.

I’m probably overthinking it.

And when I say probably, I mean definitely, because I overthink everything. I’ve got to put down the notepad and the 12,000 internet tabs I’ve got open, and go outside or talk to someone. They may have a fresh view on it that I haven’t thought of yet. Or the answer is so obvious, it’s staring me right in the face and they are thinking, “Duh.”

I’m a grown ass lady, and I can do what I want.

There’s no one to tell me what I can’t do, now that I live with only my husband, myself, and two sweet kitty cats. If I want to sing to my cats and drive wherever I want to travel one day, I get to decide that.

You don’t have to be successful at all the things.

Pick a thing or two and try being successful at it. If that means you don’t do another thing, that’s okay.

Travel is fun and adventure is necessary, but enjoy the habits of being home.

There is hardly any better feeling than coming home after a long trip. It makes me appreciate everything I missed while I was gone. Every day cat snuggles and watching Netflix should not be under-appreciated.

What worked for other people may not work for me.

I often cannot stop myself from wondering what would happen if I did exactly what another person did, but no one person follows exactly the same path. Also, what makes me happy is not going to make another person happy.

First, you dye your hair; then, you quit your job.

I tend to build up pressure very quickly, although not that often. When I became unhappy at work, it happened so fast, I didn’t see it coming. One day, I didn’t like my hair color, and the next day I couldn’t stand coming to work. Really, what I think I was concerned about was feeling stuck in the same place at work, so I was looking for changes I could make elsewhere. Next time, I will look for warning signs and hopefully be more aware of how I’m feeling at work and what I can do to change it.

It’s not nearly as big a deal as I think it is.

Relax and stop freaking out, because no one else thinks it’s that big a deal. Go look at something else for a moment and relax.

I am looking forward to being a part of whatever my little family has in store for us next year.

I hope you’ve had a good year and am wishing you a happy New Year!

1. Make plans for how to survive Thanksgiving vegan-style.

This weekend was simultaneously fantastic and slightly embarrassing. Y’all don’t even know how ladylike I am. Please allow me to explain.

We went to the Oddball Comedy Festival in Camden, NJ, and it was freaking awesome. We saw Louis C.K., Sarah Silverman, and a bunch of other comedians that were really good.

We got there at the start time on the tickets, but we still had a couple hours till the actual show started, so we got some crab fries and watched the host do a pre-show.

If you come to Maryland / the East Coast area and get nothing else, you have to get some Chickie and Pete’s crab fries. They are the crack of all french fries. And if you are an omnivore / cheese eater like my husband, you can also dip them in crazy delicious cheese sauce.

Then I got a little daring and thought, “I’m gonna have a beer, too, why not? It’s Saturday night, let’s get a little wild.”

But the real trouble started when, after ordering my Redd’s Apple Ale, the bartender asked me if I wanted “the big one.” Yes, of course I do. Are you questioning my beverage capacities?

Did I mention I hardly ever drink? So I’m kind of a lightweight, but I don’t want to believe I’m a lightweight.

So, naturally, after my mega size ale, I was having a GREAT time.

The magic was flowing, so I decided to have another.

By that time, the show was halfway through and it was dark outside. After drinking the second one like it was Dr. Pepper, Greg asked me if I wanted one more. Hello, dumb question! Drunk Jess always wants one more.

After the third one (I told you I’m a lightweight), things still seemed up, but, little to my limited knowledge, were quickly rolling downhill. I decided laying on the grass seemed much more comfortable (we were on the lawn, no seats).

Louis C.K. came on as the headlining and final act, and I could no longer watch the screen without seeing double of him. So I tried one eyeball, but quickly gave up on that, and decided to enjoy his act while resting my eyes.

After Louis finished, the show ended, so everyone around us got up and started walking toward the exit. Greg stood up, offering me a hand, as I sat up and stared ponderously around us. As I sat there, I realized that there was no way I could coordinate walking and I suddenly also realized I didn’t feel quite right.

And that’s when I puked on the Susquehanna Bank Center lawn.

I felt so bad. I was also worried that everyone was watching, but a lot of people were already moving away from us. At least I was wearing pants. And I felt much better.

Greg took us to the car and drove me home, where I proceeded to shower and curl up in bed.

So, anyway, yes, I was THAT girl at the festival. But I survived, and to be honest, I had a fantastic time.

Have you ever done anything embarrassing while drinking?

I saw this post at Angie’s site, My So-Called Chaos, today, and thought I would join in with some facts about me.

1. I really love Raisin Bran Crunch. Sometimes I get crazy cravings for it; I think I may have eaten too much Raisin Bran as a kid, and it’s become part of my bloodstream, and I have to recharge every now and then.

2. My boyfriend never had a family pet. I find that really weird, since I’ve ALWAYS had pets.

3. Speaking of which, once we brought Boba Fett home, I realized he would be lonely when we were at work, so I had to convince G that we needed to adopt another kitten. It took a LOT of convincing, and I’m not saying there weren’t a few tears. I’m emotional.

4. I once threw up all over a copy of Breaking Dawn. That pretty much summarizes my feelings on Twilight. Twilight fans, we are just on different sides and we will have to live with it. The part I feel bad about is that I also threw up on my cat at the same time. It was a rough day for both of us.

5. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I know a lot of people don’t eat it, and I always start babbling to them about how they should try it and it’s the best meal ever and haven’t they even heard of pancakes???

6. I love Doctor Who. It comes back this Saturday; I’m so excited!!

7. I also love scary movies. Just know that I will probably be huddled in the corner of the couch, with a clawlike grip on someone’s arm, and plugging my ears with my free hand.

8. I’ve lived in seven different states, mostly in the South. Now I live in Delaware, and I love being this close to Philadelphia; it always has something fun going on and we get to try yummy restaurants. Only minus is parking!! $15?? I could buy a pair of jeans from Forever 21 for that.

BONUS FACT! Sometimes we dress our cat up like a cat burrito.

#1 Cats

Hi, I’m Boba, and I’m ridiculously adorable and fluffy. Don’t try to cuddle me, though, because I will probably just eat your hair and/or any strings or string-like objects hanging from your body.

#2 Food

Chipotle!!! Now that I’m on board the Chipotle train, I never want to get off. I want some again right now just looking at it. I have even taking to making my own, home-made versions, but going out is still a treat.

#3 Annoying Your Pets

Target’s Christmas stuff has come out, and I found these fantastic outfits for a total of $7. Guess who gets to dress up for Christmas this year?? I CAN’T WAIT TO ANNOY MY CATS.

# 4 Body Butter

I was in Target looking for body lotion the other day (because the Aveeno bottle I bought is dumb & and only spits out a pea-drop size at a time). While I’m going down the aisles, I am accosted by a kind-of-British woman, who I at first thought was merely an obstacle in my path of lotion-shopping. I make eye contact with Greg as a sign of ‘help me,’ and he makes eye contact back which clearly states ‘you’re on your own.’

The woman goes on to talk about the Boots line of cosmetics, and I have a million thoughts going through my mind, like, ‘Who are you? Do you work here? Why is Target placing kind-of-British ladies in the aisles?’

Then she brings out the samples. I love samples. I’ll sample anything. No lie, today at Trader Joe’s, I sampled chocolate swirled cheese, and I didn’t regret it. So, I try the sample of one of the body butters and it feels AMAZING; I decided to buy the coconut and try it out. It feels SO nice; it leaves me with super soft hands, and I haven’t had itchy legs yet, even though the weather’s been dry. It also doesn’t smell too coconut-y; it has shea butter and cocoa butter and smells like a mix of the three.

#5 It’s the weekend

Time to relax, loosen up, look like a lizard, whatever you want.

G has informed me he doesn’t care if I spill his name on my blog, so I can call his real-birth-baby-given name, Greg. So, he sent me a text the other day telling me he had a weird dream.

Let me fill you in beforehand that spiders are a pretty big deal to me. There have been several incidents of spiders descending from the ceiling right behind me..lurking…casting malevolent glances at me.

I also once screamed as I opened my car window to drop off mail and a spider ran in. It was running, spiders can run. Anyway, I screamed and flew across to the passenger side of my car, and had to chase it out from the outside, as I was alone.

Anyway, he sends me this text…

 

Long story short, not only am I afraid of regular spiders – now I am afraid of taco-sized spiders that will multiply like starfish the more you try to kill them.

Sometimes I like to do things to people that they don’t know about. For example, when my boyfriend calls me, this picture shows up on my phone:

 

Michael Scott, one of my favorite characters ever.

In other news, I’m really on board for some pecan pie this winter. Or right now. Sometimes we make dinner and I think I should take a picture of it. Except that’s usually after I’ve already devoured most of it, at which point I think, “We’ve gone too far.” I have been seriously craving some pie lately.. note for this weekend – PIE.