World According to Shia

Dear Blog, I can't believe this is my one and only post for 2016.  I would say I promise to visit you more next year but I hate to make promises I might not keep.  I can't believe I started this in 2009. Does anyone even read anything over 160 characters anymore? Dear 2016, This year has been an adventure.  There were some good times and some bad times.  We lost some amazing people on the journey, but their memories will live on forever.   Dear Vegetarians, When this posts I will be at 369 days being meat free!  For the most part, it was easy and fun.  There were some hard times like when I kept having dreams about ham sandwiches and Chick-fil-a chicken nuggets. I am proud to be a member of the no meat club and I look forward to another year of eating meat free.  I have definitely grown to love foods I would have never eaten in the past. Dear Vices,   Since I started my vegetarianism technically in 2015 (December...

Happy Valentine's Day!   I hope you all have a lovely V Day tomorrow!!  

How long do we think it will take me to stop writing 2014?

So every year we all try to start off the new year with vowing to fix everything we deem wrong in our lives. It's human nature I suppose to fear the calendar flip.  I often have to stop myself from feeling that New Year bandwagon guilt and the looming birthday.  Let's face it folks ... January is a difficult month.  I've always said that it kinda stinks that I have to start off the new year getting older (well on the 27th) but to heck with all that Negative Nancy ... it's like a band aid - rip it off and start the new year.   2013 was definitely a year of changes for me.  First wedding anniversary and walking away from the legal world for good.  (well hopefully for good - fingers crossed Shia here gets into one of the 9 programs she is applying for this July)  Changes do come with costs and can be scary in the beginning.  Everyone around me was pretty supportive but I have seemed to fall out of touch with some people that possibly don't u...

Today I'm leaving early for Paul and I to head to the beach. How is your first day of Spring starting off?

My once upon a time ...  became happily ever after ... Happy Valentine's Day to my Wonderful Husband!! {giggles...first time V Day with an actual card category ... HUSBAND!} I hope you all are having a special Valentine's Day today!

So we made it!  The Mayan calendar might have not have had high hopes for 2013 but it's finally here! So let's talk about Resolutions ... I really hate making them! It always seems kinda lame in my book ... like pick all the things I hate about me and vow to change them and then have a breakdown when I realize come January 27th that I have done NONE of them.  Also, I hate starting the new year out with Resolutions and a Birthday (said January 27th breakdown).  It's just like YEAH I got it ... I am getting OLDER and I SUCK!  Okay so enough of my complaining!  Here is what I vow to do ... 1) I need to read other peeps blogs.  I am like the world's worst at the moment.  I've barely been putting effort into mine let alone browsing others.   2) Get back to my old blogging self - it's hard to explain but I know what I mean so nuff said! 3) Be more organized.  I feel like this is kinda cliche like almost all...

So last time Friday the 13th rolled around I had some bad luck with car issues and spent most of the day at the VW dealership and I didn't even realize it was Friday the 13th until someone pointed it out.  I'm not superstitious so I don't really get wrapped up in the whole bad luck...doomsday bit. So what about you?  Having any bad luck today??

Well today is one of those special days when the whole country is off for the day...yet I am sitting at work.  Good times right! Well I guess the silver lining is ... I won't have to fight traffic on my way home tonight! I am sooooo sleepy today...hopefully this coffee kicks in soon! Well to all of you at work (which is probably just me) and to all of you off today....

So it's that time of year again ... to focus on all the "bad" and wage war against it.   About 45% of adults make a new year's resolution and only about 75% of those adults make it past the first week.  The six month mark drops to 46%. At this time of the year, I try to stay away from the obvious cliche resolutions...blah blah blah.   (UNLESS YOURS IS TO QUIT SMOKING!!!  DO THAT PUH-LEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)  I do try to think of something that I need to work on ...I mean it is a resolution.   For example, one year I made a resolution to wear my seat belt.  In my early 20s I never did (plus it was BEFORE cars beeped until you put it on) and I was actually proud when the seat belt man light burned out on my car.  I know I know...Shia is much too wise to not wear one now.  This is my point, I was doing something reckless and dangerous to myself EVERY time I drove so I resolved to fix it and I did.  So this year, I think my ...

The NY Times states that the 7 to 10 pound weight gain over the holidays is an exaggeration.  Some surveys even state that on average people gain about 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  However, new studies show that most people only gain one pound over the holiday season but the kicker is that they never lose that one pound. I'm not a big fan of holiday food.  I don't care that much about turkey or ham...I don't eat mashed potatoes, casseroles, etc.  I can pretty much do without any holiday food.   HOWEVER , give me some holiday desserts and I surrender to the temptation.  I think I ate about 4 cookies last night alone...sigh.  I did turn down pie...lol.  So I do have SOME self control. So how much food did you eat over the holidays? What's your holiday weakness?

So we all seem to get things that are less than desirable. What should we do with it? 1) Return it ~ if you can return it for something useful...go for it! Stores are less likely to ask for a receipt right after the holidays,  so you'll probably get store credit to swap for something else sometimes you can get a gift card but it's still store credit. 2) Re-gift it?  This is a slippery slope...if it's truly a "bad" gift why do that to someone else?  But if it is just something that you don't personally like but someone else might...go for it! Just be careful of who you re-gift it to...you wouldn't want the  original gift giver to find out and their feelings get hurt. 3) Give to Charity!  Don't throw it away!  Give it to charity. Sometimes I think this is also a slippery slope ~ what just because you have nothing you should get something  crappy?  Something better than nothing?  Sigh!  I ...

and to All a Good Night! I hope you all are having a very Merry Christmas!

I painted my own nails and...they look good okay decent!! Plus matches they my ring...LOL This is my attempt at holiday wear... some how it always manages to be blue white & silver.... hmmm....wonder why?

I was invited to participate in a Secret Santa by Only a Flight Away . Click on the link above and check it out and sign up! You never know...I could be your Secret Santa =)

So I am in charge of making the desserts for our family Thanksgiving feast.  I'm making.... Pumpkin Pie of course...it's like a Thanksgiving staple! Pumpkin Cheesecake It is super yummy! and.... Chocolate Dream Whip Pie There is nothing better on this Earth...lol. What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?

I can't believe that I am talking about Christmas shopping in the BEGINNING of November.  I am normally that person that waits until the last minute but I guess all you lovely bloggers have inspired me to get my booty in gear.  So yesterday I started with my niece Marissa who is 5 yrs old.  She really loves Hello Kitty and jamming out to the radio so I thought...get her a Hello Kitty Radio!!  So I bought this from Toys R Us... {$29.99} {12.99} Also last year I wanted to get her some girly bath stuff since she really likes Victoria Secret Body Spray but I thought this is more age appropriate...lol {Free Gift w/ $30 + Purchase} The best part...ordered and paid online and the store emailed me when it was ready to be picked up!!  Which is awesome for folks like me with no kids....I can't say that Toys R Us or Babies R Us are my favorite stores to shop in so it's awesome to just be able to run in and out. So one niece down, two more to shop for....any ideas on...