The Help.... I'm 19 Weeks, And My Husband Bought a Deli, Stuff You Won't Find On Pinterest

Warning you now this is going to be a long post. So buckle up.

Here's A Break Down:

1.  The Help
2. 19 Weeks
3. Deli
4. Pinterest

Part 1:

The Help. Have you seen it? All I can say is wow! Red, Previous Co-Worker, and I went to see it at the theater a few weeks ago.

For the girl who has to go the bathroom five times in an hour this was a glued to your seat cross your legs type of movie. I went in being a little clueless not really sure what the movie was about but that I kept hearing it was good.

Well it wasn't just good it was GREAT. Seriously. Go see it. You won't be disappointed. And if you have the book, I need to borrow it. It has been added to the "must read" list. 

Part 2:

You know how you always hear those people with kids who count things oddly?

"How old is he," looking at baby.

"Oh he's 18 months."

******

Speaking with pregnant woman.... "How far along are you?"

"32 weeks"

I was the one who always wants to go, "come on people!" Your kid is a year and half old. And your 8 months pregnant!

Perhaps that is why I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around pregnancy in terms of weeks. Or perhaps it's my desire to be different. I understand that the little baby within is developing week by week and it's an exciting adventure that still shocks me at times...... 

Laying in bed with Marine watching TV:

Me, "We're going to be parents."

Yes, it still astounds me every day that we are in fact going to be parents. I still can't believe we are old enough to have kids. 

Anyway.... even though I am now 19 weeks along when someone asks I choose to rebel and answer "Almost 5 months". 

I wish I had more time to write about all the wonderful things like hormones (crazy woman typing here), body changes (I have boobs!), and randomness (wait I've always been random).

We find out Boy or Girl on October 20th. That is if we decide to find out at all. We are tossing the idea around. Part of me is so curious I want to know now! I mean pink or blue?!

Flowers, and polka dots....

Oh blue puppy dogs and cowboys.... 

Yes part of me really wants to know. 

But the other part wants to hear the doctor say, "IT'S A......." and be completely surprised. 

I never thought I would think like that. But now that the time is here Marine and I have seriously talked about being surprised. Will we be able to control ourselves and not find out? Probably not... but it's a thought.

We did do the old wives tale of the wedding ring on a string. Ever heard of it? You tie your wedding band to a piece of thread and have someone hold the end of the string with the ring completely still. If the ring swings back and forth it's a boy. If it swings in a circle it's a girl.  

Marine was already convinced we were having a boy. We tried the ring tale and it predicted a boy. 

We both would be happy with either but Marine swears that at the last ultrasound he saw "something" and he just knows it's a boy. Never-mind the doctor said it was to early to tell, Marine was convinced. 

The ring just backed up his already "I know" attitude. 

I lay on the floor watching the string. Marine's arm and hand were completely still when the ring started to slowly sway back and forth. I was for sure he had a part in so I made him do it two more times. Each time his grin got bigger and his "I told you so's" becoming more insistent. 

"Ok lets see how accurate it is." I said taking the ring. " Give me your wrist." 

I was told if you do the trick over someone's wrist who isn't pregnant it will predict what there future kid will be. 

"What are you doing?" Marine asks.

"Seeing if you will have a boy or girl!" I laugh.

"What?! I'm not pregnant!" He laughs.
"We are testing accuracy." I tell him steading the ring and sitting still. 

The ring doesn't move. For a minute it just hangs suspended frozen in the air until I give up. 

"See I told you it's a boy!!" Marine says triumphantly.

 Part 3:

Also in the past few weeks Marine has opened a deli. SURPRISE!!!

It happened kind of suddenly.... one day Marine, his step-dad, and step brother were talking about opening a deli and the next thing I know it was opening day!

Seriously it all sorta happened in less than a month.

Marine's Step-Dad's family owned a restaurant for years before selling out. So I know Step-Dad knows what goes into making a restaurant successful. But Marine? Marine is a hard worker and no one will ever say he's not. But he is also a go getter when he sees an opportunity to make money. 

I'm a worrier. 

I see us putting some of our savings in a deli, all the while thinking of the other things the money could go for. 

Marine see's the possible profit. I see the possible loss.

I see all the time spent there. Marine see's the future and the possible monetary gains. 

In the end I agree with him and realize that if something happens and it doesn't work out we will get the money we invested in it back from the sale of the equipment. It it goes great then hey that may be a little extra money each month!

I had told Marine that the Deli would be his thing and I would help out every once in awhile but that I was not the "restaurant type person". 

Real supportive wife, I know. I blame it partially on the hormones and partly because I like being able to decide spur of the moment what I want to do. Owning a restaurant is a 24/7 job. There is always something to be done. I'll admit I wasn't sure that Marine totally grasped that. 

Let me just state for the record.... any wife who thinks when her husband opens a business she can stay out it.... is well..... just as naive as me!! 

Somehow I became the marketer, web designer, and accountant for this new venture. I'm not complaining because I have actually enjoyed it. Not to mention I've worked with him there the past two weekends.

So far so good. And I have to admit I love the fresh baked bread, muffins and cookies!! All baked fresh daily! Chocolate Chocolate muffins are just plain sinful. 

We shall see what the future holds. So far this is week 2 of the Deli being open. May the future hold only good things!!!

Part 4:

Pinterest. Have you seen this site? I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS SITE! Much of my day at work is spent on the phone and on hold. This is a great site to browse while you wait. I have boards for Baby Ideas, Craft Ideas, Home Decor, Holidays, etc. 

A few examples: 

Photo Onto Canvas

Baby Decor Idea

Turn an old bath towel into a bath mat

Words For Thought

Recipes To Try

Holiday Ideas

The ideas are endless! 

Also I have gotten a few ideas for maternity pictures. I'm not one for showing bare skin. So I don't see myself as the naked, bare belly type in pictures. I mean I know there will be a bare belly picture, but I want some others that are more a little more my style. Here are a few ideas I found I really like: 

Check it out! Now I just have to find time to work on all the pinterest ideas I have pinned!

Expressing My Creative Side

I have always loved photography.

I can't paint. I can't draw (no matter how hard I try). But I can take pictures.

Taking pictures allows me to express my creative side. 

Normally I prefer to take pictures of places:

Or things in nature....

Or my animals...

Or inadament objects....

I also take lots of pictures when my friends and I go some place or have a get together ---- on more than one occasion Blondie has threatened me with death by camera strap. And poor Marine didn't know what he was getting himself into when he gave me a tri-pod!!

But anyway.....

I got my first hi-tec camera the Christmas of 2001. I was college freshman, a journalism major with dreams of working for National Geographic. Hey we all dream big, right?

A few weeks ago I took engagement pictures for Blondie as a favor. 

This weekend I got suckered into doing pictures for Hollywood; of her, her little boy, and her boyfriend. Anyone that does photography for a living..... especially child photography has my utmost respect!!!

After 2 hours with a three year old I was at my wits end. Don't get me wrong I love the kid... but in case you forgot he is also the one that left me scarred for life by this moment.

The pictures turned out quite good though if I say so myself. Here are just a few (non-faces of course):

In other posts I've been asked:

• What kind of camera do you use?

I use a Canon Rebel --- which I LOVE!!! I started out with the film version in 2001 but several years ago I upgraded to the digital version. Mine is a little older and only 8 mega-pixel, but it still works great!

Of course I have a long wish list of things I would love to have for this camera such as several new lenses, a snap on flash, etc. But all thats expensive..... So I stick with the few lenses I have and just make them work!

• What do you use to edit your photos?

I drool for a new version of Photoshop (which I will have to break down and buy soon for school) but thats expensive and if you know nothing else about me, you do know I'm a girl on a budget. With that said I use several things (sometimes all of them on one photo just to get it the way I want).

I use an antiqued version of Photoshop Elements -- seriously like 1990's version..... ok maybe not that old but early 2000's at least.

A great web based service that offers simple edits is photoshop.com and best of all it's FREE! Just upload your photo and go. This takes some time to learn to use if your not familiar with Photoshop. 

A few tips I learned the hard way..... upload the picture to "Photoshop Express Organizer" first before doing anything. In order to save the picture to your computer as a jpeg file I had to email it to myself after editing. Not really much trouble but does take some extra time. On my computer this program ran slow.... which can be a pain at times but maybe it's just my computer.

Another web based service is picnik.com -- this one has some features you can use for free but in order to have full editing access you can pay by the month or by the year. I started out using the free service and then I liked it so much I decided to try premium for a month. After that first month I was hooked and went ahead and joined for a year.

It's easy to use and you can get as technical as you want. If you just want simple they have all kinds of set filters you can use to alter you picture. Or you can manually make adjustments to achieve the look you want. It's great! And it's so easy anyone can use it!

Hope this answers those questions for those that asked!

How do you express your creative side?

"You don't take a photograph, you make it."
~ Ansel Adams ~

Selecting The Perfect Invitation

Yesterday after I left work I headed to the theater to meet my mom, Marine Mom, and Marine Sister to see a matinée ~ The Bounty Hunter.

A reporter trying to cover a story, mystery, intrigue, and a sexy guy = A great movie in my book. I ♥ it! Gerard Butler has got to be one of the hottest guys around. The eyes, the smile, the voice, the abs.... yeah he is pretty much the total package!

After the movie the four of us decided to grab a bite to eat. It is great that my mom and Marine's mom get a long so well. And it was fun going to do something with them and Marine Sis.

After diner we went to Michael's to look at Wedding Invitations. I had already found some that I liked but I thought I would let them see them before making a final decision.

I had already decided to go with "Do-It-Yourself" (DIY) Invitations in order to save money. I mean have you looked at wedding invitations? Ridiculous! I found some that I really, really, really liked but they were $2.50 a piece. I need at least 100 invitations so before tax that would be $250. That is a lot of money for a simple piece of paper.

And Marine and I have set a wedding budget of $5,000. Marine has bet that I will go over this amount. I on the other hand love a challenge and I love to win. So unbeknown-est to Marine I have set myself a new goal just to see how cheap I can possibly go to have a nice, yet simple wedding.

Because instead of putting money toward the wedding I would rather put it toward other things such as new furniture or fixing up the house. Also if I win the bet Marine has to buy me a new flash for my Cannon Rebel ($329 value ~ something I desperately want, but refuse to shell out the money to buy.). If he wins he gets to gloat for the rest of our lives that he was right.

So as you can clearly see I cannot let him win.

Michael's is great about coupons - and who doesn't love coupons? All you have to do is sign up for their mailing list. Last week was customer appreciation week, take 50% off any one regularly priced item. That knocked my invitations down to $19.99 box, 30 invitations per box.

Thursday night I bought only one box but that night made Marine Sister, Babbles, and another Girlfriend all sign up for Michael's mailing list in order to receive the coupons. Friday night coupons in hand we returned to Michael's and purchased three additional boxes of invitations.

Four boxes would give me a total of 120 invitations, plenty to cover the list and leave extras to place in the wedding scrapbook etc. These four boxes should have cost me $171.16 but thanks to my bargain shopping I was able to cut the final cost down to $85.56.

Very budget friendly!

Here is a picture of the invitations:

The picture is not very good, but you get the gist. They are ivory and black and have a white ribbon at the top. Instead of the white ribbon though I am going to use red. Since Marine is wanting to wear his dress blues our colors are going to be red and black..... because... well nothing else really looks good next to the uniform.

And for less than 100 dollars and I'm very excited about the invitations, which also include response cards and thank you notes.

I went ahead and purchased the matching guest book to. Which has blank pages just like I was wanting so that I can make it a photo guestbook.


All this for less than 100 bucks... I'd say I'm off to a good start on winning this bet!

Chandler: Did you do it on our invitations?

Ross: Not at the ones we sent out.

Chandler: So, just the ones you gave back to us and we had framed!

~ Friends ~

I Don't Care About Your Band ~ Winner!!

Ok thank you to those that entered my first contest!


To determine a winner I went to random.org and let them decide.....



Drum roll please.................

...............................................

..................................................

And the winner is Aurora from over at Confessions Of A Cocktail Napkin. Congrats Aurora!! Please leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you. To everyone else, thank you for reading and thank you for entering!!!

I Don't Care About Your Band

I've always known that I'm naive. And I have faced the fact that I had a very sheltered childhood.

But wow.

I never realized how naive I really was till I started reading I Don't Care about Your Band, in which Julie Klausner tells: "What I've learned from Indie Rockers, Trust Funders, Felons, Faux Sensitive Hipsters, and other guys I've dated."

She talks about growing up and her first experiences with Adult magazines - I think she was in Middle School.

I was at least 18 when I saw my first Play Boy up close and personal. My best guy friend/ big brother figure was 22. Me and some girl friends were over at his house, as I was most summer days. Long story short; he was at work, we found it, flipped thru it and shared some giggles.

She goes on to tell about the guys from over the years; The lessons she learned and funny stories that relate.

Some stories make you laugh out loud, others made me question my own life and ponder again just how sheltered and innocent I possibly am. And I'll be honest some of the stories were so disgusting they made me want to gag. But for some reason no matter what happened I couldn't put the book down and walk away. I had to know what happened next.

She talks about the guys we all date or want to date. For example: The musician -" Crushing on musicians is a phase most straight girls go through, and some never get over."

Yep, been there done that.

Developed a crush on a guy just because he could play the guitar and sing. Without the guitar.... yeah not so much. But when he would pick up that guitar and begin to play I couldn't help but become memorized. It was just so darn sexy!

Needless to say we went on a date.

Without the guitar.

And the attraction just wasn't there. He was nice, said and did all the right things - but it was obvious to me he would always remain in the friend box. At the time I thought - what a shame. I mean who doesn't want a guy to write her love songs and play them before going to bed.

So now for the exciting part---- Are you ready?

I'm doing my first giveaway!!!!

One lucky reader will receive a free (FREE) copy of Julie Klausner's book. And the rest of you..... yeah your going to have to go out and buy it. But believe me, you'll be glad you did.

SO to enter the giveaway you must leave a comment on this post. Easy enough.

And if you so choose I would like you to tell me about someone you dated that fit into a stereotype category. You know what I mean everyones done it! - The jock, the musician, the guy who's questioning their sexuality..... you get the picture. This is not a requirement to enter, but I would love to hear your stories!!

I will run the contest till April 1st. (also if your an anonymous blogger and win thats ok! All information can be kept anonymous - contact me at lifeofasinglegirl@gmail.com for more details)

Thanks everybody! Good luck!

Keeping In Touch

I'm an overachiever.

It's my Virgo nature.

I have signed up for every military news site, news letter, discussion group and anything Marine you can think of.

Seriously.

I have a problem.

And with the nasty rainy day outside, way to much time on my hands.

Yes, I am blogging at work. Don't judge me, you know you do it to!

I stumbled upon a Military version of 20something bloggers --- so of course I had to join!

Visit True Military Wives Confessions

Anybody else reading this a member? Add me as a friend! Please..... pretty please....

And yes I know I'm not yet a wife, but soon enough. Let's not get technical. lol

Thru my searches though I have found so much helpful information! And I realized that I am way ahead of the game here. Maybe its just me or maybe it's due to my anal searches but I seem to know about all kinds of good things that others seem not to be aware of. Now I can't take the credit for all of this.... I got to give Marine some props. Because lets face it he can be just as OCD as me. That's why we're perfect for each other!!

He told me about this little jewel called MotoMail.

Ever heard of it?

Chances are probably not.

Well let me tell you about it ( like how I'm sneaking in my Thursday review?!).

To quote the MotoMail slogan:

"Family and friends of deployed Marines in Afghanistan & Iraq can NOW send a letter to be downloaded, printed, and ready for delivery, usually within 24 hours.THE SERVICE IS FREE, PRIVATE and SECURE."

So instead of writing a letter and waiting weeks for it to arrive to your Marine you can login the MotoMail website, type your letter, and normally within 24 hours it will be printed and on its way. No stamps, no long waits.

Fast, simple, easy. ------ Wow kinda sounded like I was describing a few girls I went to High School with there for a minute. ------ *Shake of head* Anyway moving on....

I tried it Tuesday just to give it a shot, see how it worked. I typed my letter and pressed send. Wednesday morning I received an email saying my letter had been printed and was out for delivery.

Now it all depends on where Marine is as to when he will get it. But still pretty cool.

I will still send old fashioned snail mail of course. Because it's nice getting a letter that your loved one has actually hand written. But I think MotoMail is a great way to stay in touch and to pass on important information.

If you have friends or family deployed (and in the Marines) I recommend you give it a shot.

Communication is the key to a great relationship. No matter how far the distance.

Thursday Review ~ Reveal The Goddess In You

Just a reminder my Thursday Reviews are 100% my opinion ~ I am not

being paid nor do I receive any free merchandise for doing them (bummer! lol).

Have you ever asked yourself, "Did I shave my legs for this?"





I have asked myself this on more than one occasion. Perhaps even more than I can count!






For any guys reading this, I'm sorry. Your probably not interested. Check back next week. I will try to review a product that may be of interest to you.






I'm sure by now you see where this is going. Weather we like it or not we all shave our legs (well all women anyway) on a regular basis. And with the wrong razor this can be a painful, and dreaded part of the morning routine.



I myself prefer to Reveal The Goddess within and use the Gillette Venus line.






I have yet to be brave enough to try the ones with the built in gel that advertise you won't need to use shaving cream. I have sensitive skin and those just scream trouble to me, but maybe one day I will get brave and try them!



I prefer the Gillette Venus Tropical line - myself. Fun colors, easy to grip, glides smooth, and leaves legs feeling sensational.



A few months back in my trying "to be cheap and save money faze" (who am I kidding I'm still in that faze) I decided to try Schick Xtreme3 Comfort Plus. I had a $5 coupon so that made a pack of four less than $3. Sounded like a good deal.



Boy was I wrong! They left my leg cut, and dry feeling. Pus it was not as comfortable in my palm, but I could overlook that. After disposing of the first razor. I decided to stick with it. Maybe because I'm such a Venus girl I wasn't giving Schick a fair shot.

Razor 2 from the 4 pack was no better. I used it twice and disposed of it and returned to the store for a pack of Venus Tropicals and a promise I would not stray again.

Now when doing these reviews I will normally try to include a coupon or discount being offered for the product. But after searching online I wasn't able to find one for Gillette Venus..... Sorry.

But trust me they are sssoooo worth the money!

Monica, "We were just waxing our legs."

Chandler, "*Off*? "

~ FRIENDS ~

Introducing Thursday Review

I'm sure you've noticed the new look.... yeah. I'm not sure if I like it or not yet. I thought 3 columns would make things flow better and be more organized. Instead though I almost feel that it appears cluttered? What do you think?!


Another new feature ~ for those of you who may follow but don't like to leave comments this is for you ~ Reactions. At the bottom of every post there is a Reactions spot and 3 boxes to choose from. Check one. Let me know what you think.


Ok enough about that (but seriously let me know what you think).


Maybe I'm just in a new mood this week. Wanting to shake things up a bit, perhaps. Maybe it's the flu meds. But I have been tossing an idea around now for a few weeks. Most of the blogs I follow tend to have weekly, or at least regularly, topics they cover. I like this idea and would like to have a regular column. So I have decided to add Thursday Reviews to the randomness that is my life.


If you haven't noticed I review things all the time on here (check out Stuff I Love); books, movies, make-up ---- pretty much anything that amazes me at the moment and these reviews are also tucked nicely into a normal post. Now they will just have their own.


Really I'm an advertisers dream. A snappy commercial or ad and I'm hooked. I have to try it. I like trying new things (most of the time).


So welcome to the very first Thursday Review!


Aquafresh Iso-Active Whitening



As I made my way down the aisle at Wal-Mart I was just in search of toothpaste. I reach for my usual tube when this new product catches my eye. I don't know if it was the remembrance of the commercial or the sale sticker that made me reach for Aquafresh Iso-Active or maybe it was the unique canister that stood out from the competition --- either way I reached for it. I pick it up, I read the box. Even on sale it is $1.50 more than my usual brand (I know a $1.50 isn't much but I try to budget and $1.50 here and there adds up).


Impulsively I throw it into my buggy and quickly walk away before I can change my mind.


That night I go to brush my teeth before bed and must admit I have a little problem working the new, fancy, toothpaste contraption. But once that was overcome it was pure toothbrusing bliss. The gell foamed in my mouth, the appearance in the mirror seemed to scream rabies there was so much foam, I continued to brush. The taste was pleasing as well as the feel. I rinsed.............. wow...................... my teeth feel really clean............. fresh actually................ I run my tongue over my teeth again. Yes this new toothpaste definitely makes them feel cleaner. And it leaves a clean feeling taste behind as well. I like it.


This is my best new find. It's a little more pricey then some of the other toothpastes out there but I like it so much I doubt I will go back to my old paste any time soon. Right now Aquafresh is offering a coupon for it --- click here --- So with the Wal-Mart special and the coupon it is definitely worth a try.


So Thursday Review...... Love it or hate it?


Let me know.

Joey, "I don't get it. Why can't we use the same toothbrush? We use the same soap."

Chandler, "That's different. The toothbrush has been in my mouth."

Joey, "OK. But next time you're in the shower, think of the first place you're washing, and the last place I washed."

~ FRIENDS ~