You know “Dancer” and “Prancer”…

Dance, dance, dance…

Yes, this will eventually be a legitimate Travelin’ Thursday post. I promise. First, though, back to dance.

I love to dance at home, go out dancing, watch dance performances, movies with dance numbers… I love it all. Today I was introduced to the show, “so you think you can dance,” and I was immediately enthralled. The way people use dance to express emotions, stories, and passion blows my mind.

Enter today’s sudden chill in the air (although not unexpected in January in Minnesota, it has been unseasonably warm until now). Suddenly, watching the Christmas episode from season 2 of Glee (that’s the one queued up next and playing as I type) wasn’t good enough to transport me from the cold. Now comes the “travelin” part. Now, I’m picturing hula dancers in hawaii, sambas in Brazil, and one of my very favorites…

I got to see some really great flamenco shows of different varieties while living in Madrid. I have never taken formal flamenco classes, but I sure do like to stomp and prance around the house pretending! It is a very passionate dance, and this suits me to a T. As a kid, I took tap dance, ballet, and some more “modern” dance classes. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I also really enjoy just going with it and doing whatever the music inspires!

Have you taken any formal dance instruction or classes? Do you like to follow steps and choreography or just shake what your mama gave you?

Meri

Posted in Spain, travel, Travelin' Thursday | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

laughter is the best medicine

Today might be a Wordy Wednesday, but I can pretty much guarantee that you don’t want to hear any of my words about the day. I spent over an hour laboring over medical/ hospital bills only to get nowhere, it was cold and windy and damp outside, and the three kids I saw in a row this afternoon tried my patience beyond any day in my 4 and a half years at my job.

So, in the spirit of making myself feel better instead of drowning in a very lame pity party, I thought I’d share some of my favorite pinterest finds of late that qualify under “humor” (or as my board is called: “har har har.”) So enjoy!

Ohhh snap, the truth hurts on that one… and now for the finale, my personal fave:

Source: Uploaded by user via Meredith on Pinterest

Now work on your grammatical skills so you can save Grandma for crying out loud!

What do you do when you have a bad day? Do you have any tips other than laughter, loved ones, and a whiskey and a nap? Come to think of it, that sounds like enough…

Meri

 

 

 

 

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Clif-Hanger-On

If you didn’t catch it from the title, this Tasty Tuesday is going to sound like a broken record (if you’ve been hanging around Meri-Goes-Round long enough, anyway)…

Yes, that’s right, I’m going to harp on and on about Clif bars again…

You’ve heard me talk about Clif:

and Clif Jr.:

…so what could I possibly be blathering on about now? Well, of all of the Clif varieties (I’ve also tried the Clif crunchy bars that are similar to Nature Valley bars, and the Clif power energy smaller bars), the Clif Kids Z-bars are my favorite. Thus far, I had only tried Blueberry, Honey Graham, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Brownie, S’more, and Peanut Butter.

What did I see on my most recent Target bender, however?

Voila!

yessssss… a new flavor!

What’s the verdict? Well, on first taste, it was still cold from sitting in my car from an evening of errands, and tasted almost dried out and stale. Fail.

Second try? omigoodnesssssss. This beast might be the best one yet. I broke it into chunks and heated it in the microwave, and it was soo delicious. It has the oatmeal taste, it has a drizzle of yogurty frosting, and white chocolate chips (which usually I’m not crazy about, but they are really small and go well with the bars).

Clif bars? WINNING!

Go try these!

What’s your latest food find or new flavor of an old favorite? Do you eat bars as desserts? Completely off topic, is anyone else excited for the Golden Globes this weekend?

Meri

Posted in Tasty Tuesday | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

Part time grown-up

It was a lovely weekend, which must mean…

 

yep, its Monday again. I made a pact with man-go-round yesterday, though. Instead of the usual “countdown to friday” that tends to seep into my subconscious increasingly until that sweet TGIF moment, we decided to embrace every day for the wonderful things in it,  not wishing away a single awful Monday or Wednesday moment. (Well, maybe a moment, but not MANY moments…)

So, for this week’s list, I’ve decided to provide a fun reward for every “big girl task” I complete. As many things to look forward to as to cross off.

Now that I’m 27 its time to grow up list:

  • First: face the music and pay off every last hospital bill from last fall
  • Then: Do another fun craft project like this one: 

    holiday cards glued to (cereal box backs) pieces of cardboard and bound together to keep in order and look at
  • First: Try to decipher the world of investments and stocks. I’m told its high time I invested some of my pittance savings in order to avoid working until I”m 90 (should I be lucky enough to live that long…)
  • Then: meet up with a friend I haven’t seen for WAY too long for drinks or coffee
  • First: explore the world of creative/ writing position resumes for an internship I am looking into
  • Then: show off my story that was published in a magazine to the world! Print issues come out this week!
  • First: take my poor (dropped on concrete) smartphone to the phone doctor to get its touch screen hopefully revamped
  • Then: end the week with a fun bowling party! 
    ...but hopefully I don't end up like this...

    source 

Do you invest any of your money? Do you avoid paying confusing bills? What do you “have to do” or “get to do” this week?

Wish me luck!

Meri

Posted in crafts, lists, Make my list Monday, parties | Tagged , , , , , , | 42 Comments

Project 2012- Week 1

It’s been one whole week since the onset of “Project 2012,” and I thought it was time for an update!

...the pink star is for Bowie...

So as you can (maybe) see, we’ve done pretty well for ourselves in Tech, Food, Health/Body and Love/Relationship Looks like we need some more work on the rest though! Here’s a quick breakdown:

Tech/Photo/Web: man-go-round taught me how to make a GIF, and then I made an animation posted to youtube with my new tablet; man-go-round set up our TV antennae upstairs for better reception but managed that it is controlled by our x-box controller downstairs. (huh? I know… I just know I like how it works!)

Health/Body:took a winter walk together; gave each other head massages with this new gadget:

heaven...

Knowledge/ Learning: Read an article from Psychology today about all of the different types of mushrooms and uses/ benefits of different kinds. Mmmmm…

Service: Took a load of stuff to Goodwill (feels so much better…)

Love/Relationship: Man-go-round left me a note to tell me something he appreciated me doing around the house, I walked to visit him at work on Friday and brought him treats.

Play: Had a Sunday morning dance party in honor of David Bowie’s birthday to “Modern Love.”

Food: Made a head of cauliflower together, and tried each other’s “way” of seasoning it, tried this new beer together:

So I guess this next week, we had better focus more on culture, new places, social life, arts and crafts, and spirituality!

What areas of your life do you find easy to focus on? How do you keep your life or relationship well-rounded? Any other good ideas for the service or spirituality part?

Meri

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Hairy Situation

Howdy Y’all! Happy Friday!

For today’s Feature Friday/ Friday Feature, I’m pleased to present my latest acquisition from today’s $84 “essentials only” trip to Target:

I promise I don’t secretly work for them, but HAVE YOU GUYS TRIED THIS CRAP?!

I went home over Christmas and my lovely sister had supplied my parents’ house with “house shampoo/conditioner” for when any of us kids visits and uses the upstairs shower. My hair had not seen a day this great since about 2003 after I used this stuff, including after I go to the salon! I must admit I think my Christmas Day hair (a day which will live in my heart and memory forever as “the great hair day of 2011” might have been supplemented by my parents water softener as well, but I’m determined to have great hair again some day soon.

I look forward to the day my store brand shampoo runs out and I get to bust these babies open!

Do you buy specific shampoo and hair products or buy whatever is on sale (within reason)? Have you ever tried Organix? Do you use Moroccan Oil in your hair or on your skin? Do you relish a great hair day like me?

Meri

Posted in Feature Friday | Tagged , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Something Old, Something New, Something Really Fun to Do!

Good Evenin’

I think we’re all in a pretty good mood… 4% because today is Travelin’ Thursday, and 95% because tomorrow is Friday! What’s the other 1%? I don’t know. Magic.

Tonight, I thought I would share some of the research I’ve been doing about our upcoming trip to Arizona. Although there are lots of fun things we’ve done in the past, there is always something new to try!

Brand Spanking New Attractions:

  • Tucson: Tohono Chul Park
  • Phoenix Zoo
  • Mogollon Rim 
  • source
  • Horse back riding. Not that you can’t do this in Minnesota, but it sounds more fun in the southwest… Perhaps in Papago Park (see below) after the Phoenix Zoo! (see above).
  • Picacho Peak State Park. It sounds a little like Pikachu, after all…
  • Tempe: Well, for longer than just lunch this time. Perhaps to Tempe Town Lake?
  • Kartchner Caverns. Spooooky!
  • Hot air balloon ride. Its a pipe dream.
  • Bisbee. I know nothing about it, just that I like to say the name
  • Colorado River. It just sounds epic, like the Oregon Trail game…
  • Papago Park/ Hole in the Rock. It was closed last time from too much dilly dallying. Not next time though! I’ll be PREPARED!

Tried and True Attractions:

  • Desert Botanical Gardens
  • Camelback Mountain (without maiming myself this time)
  • Sedona/ Oak Creek Always a crowd pleaser 
  • Heard Museum. Because we barely scratched the surface.
  • Grand Canyon. This is, however, a trip in itself
  • Jerome. A city falling off the side of a mountain? I might have to go back to make sure its still standing!
  • Hiking the White Tank Mountains. Because its a damn tradition by now.

Once was enough:

  • Downtown Scottsdale. Not for me- too many Hummers and the like.
  • Piestewa Peak. Although I’m not averse to EVER going back, it will have to be on a much less crowded day.
  • Montezuma’s Castle/ Montezuma’s Well. They were both awesome, but might be overkill to visit twice.
  • Carefree/ Cave Creek. Too much fake western charm and commerce, not enough to actually DO.

Have you visited any of these places? Any tips from Arizonans or Arizona visitors out there? Do you like to do new things if you make a repeat trip somewhere or do you like to revisit old favorites?

Meri

Posted in Travelin' Thursday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

silver (screen) foxes…

No, I’m not posting about Anderson Cooper!

I am, however, dedicating a Wordy Wednesday to all things sexy on TV! A couple of days ago I was professing my adoration for a lot of new (and a few returning) TV shows. One of my lovely readers commented that the Sheriff on Once Upon a Time (who I had mentioned my raging crush on tasteful adoration for) was referred to at work as “Hipster Hottie Sheriff.”

I laughed out loud at this, and then vowed to pay tribute to some of the hottest dudes on TV this fall. Some are from shows that were quickly cancelled (Charlie’s Angels, Pan Am), others are new hits, and some are returning shows. Here they are!

…and for those of you wondering who the hell these people are,  a cheat sheet!

  • Sheriff/Huntsman (Once Upon a Time)
  •  source
  • Liam (90210)/ Teddy (90210)

Who is your favorite TV hottie? Do you ever leave a TV show on just because you like the man candy? (I’m not ashamed…)

Meri

Posted in television, Wordy Wednesday | Tagged , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Choc Talk

Hi all! Happy Tasty Tuesday!

Eeep! In a fiendish, PMS driven frenzy, I finished off Man-go-round’s Christmas m&ms before he ever got a single one. As we left our house to run some errands, I scanned my quick mental files for “chocolate fix,” to see what I could come up with.

Luckily, I had already bought a bag of m&ms as “reserve” earlier today, so my head was fairly clear. But as I wandered down the aisles at Lunds, I got to thinking. Not all chocolate is created equally. I think, though we may not all agree on what the best chocolate is, we can at LEAST agree that some are better than others.

And this is my blog, so tonight you’re going to hear which kinds of chocolate I like! So which “choc”s walk the walk, and which merely talk the talk? A list!

Talk the Talk Choc (a.k.a. not my cup of tea)

  • chocolate cake. Yep, sorry. I had to start off with a controversial one. I actively dislike chocolate cake. That includes red velvet, yes even though it is pretty, it’s chocolate…
  • malted chocolate/ chocolate shakes/chocolate ice cream. Well, I don’t like shakes at all, but I can’t stand the whoppery taste of malted milk balls or malt cups or chocolate milkshakes.
  • Reese’s PB cups. While Reese’s Pieces are on my favorite list, I have a sensory issue with the blob of peanut butter “stuff” in Reese’s cups. I’ll eat them, but I have to be desperate for chocolate. Sometimes I just eat the chocolate from around the PB.
  • Dove promises. Do they still make these? They taste good enough, but the cheesy messages leave a bad taste in my mouth…
  • white chocolate. Barf.

Walk the Walk Choc (the cure for all that ails you)

  • chocolate chips. The holy grail. I prefer them kept in the fridge or freezer. Tollhouse Semi sweet is best (I’m just going to assume I prefer these because of momma’s pantry growing up).
  • m&ms. In order, the hierarchy is (favorite to least favorite): plain, almond, coconut, dark chocolate, peanut butter, peanut, pretzel. I’ve tried a few other wacky limited time offer kinds, but this is my general list.
  • brownies. Even the bad ones are so good… so good. I always end up with a tummyache because I eat 17 of them.
  • chocolate pudding. Only the instant or pudding cup varieties though, not the kind with the skin. blech.
  • straight up. dark chocolate bars from plain Hershey’s to fancy schmancy sea salt and chili powder goat cheese chocolate. When all else fails, a square or two of plain old chocolate mainlined into my aorta fixes all of life’s little traumas.

What about you chocoholics? What is your favorite medium for chocolate? Any kinds of chocolate you detest? Have I offended anyone with my abhorrence of chocolate cake?

Choc on!

Meri

Posted in lists, Tasty Tuesday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments

Me Likey!

It’s a brand new year, a brand new start, a brand new Bachelor… (yes, its on right now, and I don’t know why I’m watching it, to be honest. Usually my guilty pleasures tilt more “Next Top Model/Project Runway” than “The Bachelor/ Celebrity Wife Swap”)

But back to a brand new year. Why not also join a brand new party, the “5 Things I’m Loving Right Now” party started at Chesterrific? Especially since it goes along with my regular Monday theme of “Make my List Mondays…”

So what do I like?

1. My new Wacom Bamboo Create tablet: In just over a week, I’ve been painting, sketching, graphing maps, drawing out animated stories to post on youtube, and sketching out obnoxious pictures to send to man-go-round and loved ones. I haven’t even created any “serious” graphics yet, and already it is so worth it! THANK YOU MOM AND DAD!

2. New earrings! Between my birthday and Christmas, I seriously scored this season. Wanna see the goods? Of course you do!

3. Catching up on TV shows like 2 Broke Girls. I’ve been watching this one on the CBS website, and it makes me laugh pretty much nonstop. Keep it coming! Other ones I’ve been watching in online marathons are Once upon a Time, The Ringer, and Hart of Dixie.

4. The weather we’ve been having! Good grief- January before any snow in Minnesota? Regular temps in the 40s for Minnesota winter? Safe winter driving in Minnesota? WHAT IS GOING ON? If it continues, I don’t need to know, I’ll just keep enjoying it…

5. Short hair. I got my hair cut quite a bit shorter at the end of October, and boy do I wish I had hacked more of it off sooner. I have this thick, ridiculously fast growing hair, and if I don’t manage it and keep it short it swallows me alive! So everyone go out and get a bob cut, NOW!

What have you been loving lately? Join up your own post with Maegan!

Meri

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Posted in lists, Make my list Monday, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments