My 31st Birthday (also known as the best weekend ever!)

I didn't think I could top my Epic 30th Birthday Roller Disco party, but I sure as heckfire did!  It was definitely a bit more low-key than last year, but awesome just the same!

Friday night was pretty low-key, but lovely.  I had a night to myself at home, and I just enjoyed relaxing and snuggling with the kitty! 

Saturday morning I used a massage gift certificate that I'd bought through Groupon near the end of last year.  It was kind of the best way to start the day EVER! :)  

I then headed down to Castle Rock to see our old family friend Connie who was visiting from out of town.  I had breakfast with her and my mom - it was so nice to catch up! 

After that, I met up with my friend Korey at Chuck E Cheese's for her 34th b-day party.  It was kind of ridiculous, but kind of fun too.  I love how my friends can still be kids, even though we're all grown up now.

I headed home to get changed, and to get my booty to the Fillmore for the roller derby bout!  My team (the United States Pummeling Service) played the Pikes Peak Derby Dames (from Colorado Springs).  I didn't skate myself, but I did sing the National Anthem! 

  
Dave Wood got a photo of me in action (thanks, Dave!) - I was so nervous, but I tried really hard not to be!  John took a video of me in action... 
 


Pretty cool, huh!?  It was so amazing to get up in front of that many people and just sing my heart out!  Man - what a rush.  

The bout was great - USPS won by a good 200 points.  So it was definitely a blowout, but still fun to watch!  I started rooting for Pikes Peak near the end though - I would've loved to see them come back a bit.  They were fighting tooth & nail, so I gotta give them props! 

After the bout we headed to Goosetown for drinks and libations.  I had a bit too much to drink (of course - ugh), but still had a super fun time.  We headed to Rockbar for a minute, then John and I headed home. 

The next morning I had a bunch of friends over for brunch!  It was WONDERFUL - and totally kept within my Spending Fast guidelines.  I made a couple of casseroles, and everyone was gracious enough to bring food & drink to share.  I'm so glad we did it this way too, because more people could come, and we had tons of food!  SO awesome. 

    
OH and John gave me my birthday gift!  His aunt made this CUSTOM for me - isn't that awesome??  The silverware are garden markers, and I think they're just adorable.  I can't wait 'till we have the garden started and we can actually use them!  :)

Sean actually had a story about getting that shirt for free the night before when we were at Rockbar... it was pretty hilarious!  I guess he saved a guy's iPad from landing on the sticky, disgusting dance floor.  Way to go, Sean!

Meredith holding Nikki's little bundle of joy, Nico!  Isn't he just the cutest!?

My derby wife, Megan (below with the scowl - she's so silly) that I started this blog with, brought the Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch pictured above, and a 1/2 gallon of milk.  I gotta say, it was one of the best things I've ever had someone bring to a brunch!  LOL!

Me & Cat A Combs!  She rocked it at the bout the night before - she jammed a bunch of times, and did an amazing job!  She's such a rockstar. :)

John sure does love his Blackhawks...

Katy is in love with her juicer as much as I am - this is one of her concoctions!  It's apple, carrot, ginger juice - but she puts WAY too much ginger in it for my liking. ;)  She's a spicy gal, so she likes it spicy!

Daddy & baby.  Nico is so cute!!

Me and my birthday twin!!  Ryan and I have the same birthday - just 1 year apart.  We've known each other since High School, and we celebrate our birthdays together every year!  Pretty awesome.

I couldn't resist putting these pictures together... Bill is totally crazy about our kitty, Fudge.  So it's him & Fudge, and Me with Nico!  Haha!

It actually even got warm enough for us to take the party outside - how awesome is that?? It was like 65 degrees and sunny - SO beautiful.  We played frisbee, and the guys played bags.  It was great!

After doing a quick clean-up, John and I enjoyed some down time on the couch watching TV, and checking email.  I took a 15-minute nap, that was perfect!  Then I got a call from Korey (her b-day was at Chuck E Cheese's the day before) - she said they were going for a bike ride.  Of course, we had to join! 

We went to the park, we stopped and played on a swing set AND a see-saw - it was hilarious!  Kind of the best bike ride ever.  :)  We kept getting into giggle-fits. 

That night, my family took me out to dinner at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company!  I wanted to go there because I wanted CRAB LEGS like nothin' else!  And I sure did get what I wanted.  In case you're wondering - "hey, aren't you vegetarian?  Or vegan or something?" - well, I'm kind of all of that.  Technically I'm Pescitarian (a mostly vegetarian that eats fish), but I try to eat vegan at home as much as possible, I eat vegetarian all other times, and every now & then I enjoy some seafood.  I hope that clears things up a bit! 

I kinda love this picture of my parents with John.  Hilarious!

It was so wonderful to see Deb too - our family friend of many many years.  She's so hilarious - I love her!!  And Taryn's haircut looks absolutely adorable too.  She's making me want to cut my hair off! ;)
 

John had some fun with playing with his food! 

And I got my ridiculously delicious & buttery crab legs.  They were everything I hoped they would be!

After dinner, John and I came home and watched I Love You Phillip Morris.  I actually really enjoyed it!  It certainly wasn't what we expected - I didn't realize that it was based on a true story, and that Steven Russell had escaped from prison so many times.  Kind of crazy! 

Ewan McGregor was absolutely adorable, and I think they both did a great job of portraying a gay couple.  There's a scene where they're dancing in their cell when they're in prison together, and it's a really tender moment.  

It was sad, funny, and overall really fun.  Definitely check it out!   


All-in-all, my weekend was totally amazing.  I have the best people in my life, I swear.  :)  I felt so loved and special, and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.  Yay for another awesome birthday!!

Pizza Monkey Bread!

My birthday weekend was AWESOME and I can't wait to share my pics with all of you!  First thing's first though... Monkey Bread!! :) 
 
I had a few girls over the other night, and decided to try out a new appetizer I found through Pinterest.  It's Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread - and it turned out AMAZING!!  It was so totally delicious, and I'm definitely going to make it again.  The original recipe can be found here, but this is my vegetarian version, with a shortcut or two!  

Vegetarian "Pepperoni" Pizza Monkey Bread

1 tsp garlic powder (or garlic salt if using unsalted butter)
4 Tbsp butter (I used Earth Balance soy-free buttery spread)
2 lbs pizza dough (I used two packages of pre-made pizza dough - they were in the refrigerated section of the deli at the grocery store)
6 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (you'll need ~48 pieces.  I used Rice Mozzarella cheese - if you cut the block into 8 strips, then turn the slices and cut across 6 more times, you'll get 48 cubes exactly!  I know, I'm a total math whiz.)
48 slices of vegetarian pepperoni (Yves makes great veggie pepperoni - I used about 1 1/2 packages)
2-3 cups pizza sauce, warmed, for serving
----
1. Heat garlic powder and butter over low heat just until warmed. Remove from heat and let sit.

2. Use spray oil to coat the inside of a bundt pan (or other oven safe dish).

3. Pull off large marble-sized balls of dough and flatten. Top with a slice of pepperoni and a cube of mozzarella.

I found that the easiest way to do this was to roll up a bunch of balls of dough at a time, then smoosh the ball down with the slice of pepperoni, and top with the cheese cube.  This would be a great step to do with a helper, as it was definitely a bit tedious! 

4. Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread Wrap the dough around the pepperoni and cheese, pinching well to seal.

5. Place the balls side by side into the bundt pan.  After every 4-5 balls or so, use a cooking brush to dab the balls with the warmed garlic butter.  (be sure not to get the garlic butter on your hands - wet / buttery hands will make it difficult to get the pizza balls to seal). 

6. Repeat until all of the dough is used. (I layered everything up & stacked them around until I was out.  I think my balls were a little bigger than the original recipe described, but they still used up almost all of the pepperoni & cheese!)

7. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes, while preheating the oven to 400.

8. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the top is brown.

9. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.

10.Turn out upside-down onto a platter and serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Seriously guys, this was so crazy easy to make, it's kind of ridiculous.  And the girls LOVED it!  We totally couldn't get enough it was so yummy and melty and delish.  It does take a bit of prep time with making all of the little balls, but it was still fun, and the result was TOTALLY worth it. 

I will definitely be making this one again soon! 

31 things I've learned in 31 years...

Well gang, I turn 31 on Sunday.  Last year when I turned 30 I didn't really think much about it.  I just figured hey, it's another step in my life!  Whatevz!  But now that I've reached 31, I've realized that things are changing.  I'm becoming a different person.  Not in bad ways (at least I hope not!), but just growing, you know?  Growing more into myself.  So maybe it's not that I'm "different" than I was before - I'm just more "myself" than I've ever been before. 

I'm probably not making much sense right now.  But hey, I'm old. ;) 

Anyway, It's very real now that I'm in my 30's.  Maybe the whole time I still felt like a 20-something, and now that I've reached 30-something it's a bit of an awakening.  I feel in a good place though, and I'm excited about what my 30's may bring. 

Last year I told you about the 30 things I learned in 30 years.  This year, I decided to update the list completely.  So here goes! 

31 NEW things I’ve learned in 31 years

1.    Sometimes, you gotta compromise.  Whether you like it or not.

2.    Makeup is not essential.  But sometimes making a little effort to look better, makes me feel better.   

PS - you should totally check out this link for all of the photos - you can slide the bar across & see what the models look like before & after makeup!  Rad. :) 

3.    Yoga pants are the best things on the planet.  They’re as comfortable as pajama pants, and you can still leave your house without looking like a slob.

4.    Sometimes you have to suck it up and just go to the doctor.  Any doctor. ;) 

5.    I like jogging without music.  It’s nice to meditate on the silence.

6.    I hope that I’m never too old to wear pigtails.

7.    What I own is not who I am.

8.    There is a big difference between things I NEED and things I WANT.

9.    I need to have at least one morning a week that I can wake up when my body wants to (without an alarm).

10.    I still friggin’ love roller derby.

11.    Sometimes 1 beer is enough, but 2 glasses of wine is perfection.

12.    Snow, rain, ice, cloudy – they can all be beautiful days, it just depends on how you look at them.

13.    Life is as wonderful as you make it.

14.    Nothing feels better than a really good stretch.

15.    A hot bath and a glass of wine can easily turn a bad day around.  I absolutely LOVE that this is the image I found for this one - LOL!! 

16.    Travelling is going to be so much more fun when I can save up the money for it – instead of charging everything and being broke when I get back.

17.    It’s okay to say “no” to things.

18.    You can’t make everybody happy.  But you can certainly try.  
This is actually a direct line from the film "Happy Go Lucky", but I think it's a wonderful thought.  If you haven't seen it, you must!  

19.    Be respectful.  Be extra respectful to those you love.  Aretha knows what I'm talkin' about... 

20.    You don’t need an iPhone to be happy, productive, or complete.  I’m living proof.

21.    Tip well. It’ll make someone’s day.

22.    You can usually find something free to do in place of something that costs money – and you will probably have just as much fun doing it.

23.    Making popcorn on the stove is WAY more fun than in the microwave.  I could not stop giggling the first time the kernels started popping! 

24.    Say “good morning” to people on your jog, or on your way into work.  It’s nice to start the day with a friendly smile.

25.    Wear a helmet.  Your noggin’ is not just important to you, but to everyone you love!

26.    Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that you’re going to be late.  Don’t take it out on everyone around you.

27.    Remember how good it feels when someone shows you how much you are appreciated, and reciprocate.

28.    Reduce, reuse – THEN recycle.  In that order.

29.    When you get lost it’s just an opportunity to have an adventure.

30.    When you think positively, positive things happen.  When you think negatively, negative things happen.  Or at least you believe each is happening… so wouldn’t you rather the outcome be positive?

31.    Encouragement is a gift.  It’s wonderful to give and receive.

I'm so grateful for everything I've learned in my life, and I am excited about where the next year will take me (and how much more I will continue to learn).  Thanks to all of my friends and family - the love, encouragement, support, and happiness you've brought into my life fills my heart every day.  I love you!!

All photos found on www.weheartit.com, or on a Google image search.

Spending Fast Update - 2 months down, 10 to go!

Today ends Month #2 of my spending fast.  Woohoo!!  

Everyone has been so unbelievably supportive of my decision to do this, and I couldn't be more thrilled.  I was really worried about how people would accept it, but it turns out I'm not the only one trying to pinch  my pennies!  

What's even more thrilling?  As of today, only two months into my fast, I've payed down my debt by $2,229.40!!  WHOA!!  How awesome is THAT?? 

Since I'm being honest here, I'm going to tell you how much credit card debt I was in when I started this fast.  For some of you, it might seem astronomically large.  For others, you may look at it and say "hey, that's right around where I am too!".  And for other-others, you may think this number is ridiculously small.  No matter where you're coming from, I hope that sharing this will show you where I'm coming from, and maybe even motivate you to take the first step to becoming debt-free too.  

Starting debt as of 1/1/2012:  $13,168.04

Debt left as of 2/29/2012:  $10,938.64

That is so ridiculously exciting to me.  I still have a long way to go, but the number is shrinking.  And that keeps me going.  

As mentioned last month, I have been keeping a "spending tracker" to show where my money has NOT been going for the month of February.  Here is how I did!  

FEB
Date	Not buying	Approx $ not spent	Total $ Saved
2/1/12	Derby Dues	$50.00	$50.00
2/4/12	Martini & Infused Vodka shot (friends bought for CW Tickets)	$20.00	$70.00
2/4/12	Target (I wanted to buy at least $10 worth of more stuff there)	$10.00	$80.00
2/5/12	Chinese Food (I really really wanted to order take-out!)	$28.00	$108.00
2/12/12	Pizza (I got it for FREE but chose pick-up over delivery, and didn't get extras)	$10.00	$118.00
2/10/12	Karaoke night (probably would've bought at least 1 drink)	$6.00	$124.00
2/14/12	Valentine's Day Gift (made John gifts instead)	$20.00	$144.00
2/16/12	John B-day Gift (made John's gift / used a gift card for a small gift)	$20.00	$164.00
2/14/12	Valentine's Day Dinner (John & I made dinner at home instead)	$25.00	$189.00
2/18/12	Beer & Appetizers (after snowboarding) - I wanted to buy stuff	$15.00	$204.00
2/19/12	Beer or a Bloody Mary after snowboarding (I REALLY wanted a Bloody!)	$8.00	$212.00
2/19/12	Qdoba (I usually would buy something from there on my way back from mtns)	$10.00	$222.00
2/11/12	Ross (I passed by on a lazy day & would have gone in and bought something!)	$25.00	$247.00
2/22/12	Baniff Mountain Fest (invite from Grimes)	$15.00	$262.00
2/23/12	Meredith's Improv Show (she got me a comp ticket since she's so sweet!)	$8.00	$270.00
2/24/12	Happy Hour Drinks	$10.00	$280.00
2/25/12	Post-Bout Drinks	$12.00	$292.00
2/26/12	Bottle of wine (I almost stopped & got one!)	$10.00	$302.00
2/28/12	Bottle of wine (would've gotten one for Kat's b-day, but made cupcakes instead)	$10.00	$312.00
2/29/12	Lunch with Cat (we brought our lunches instead of going out)	$10.00	$322.00

I saved about $322 this month!  WOWZA!!  It really amazes me every time how those little things really add up.  

A couple of things I DID spend money on this month that I probably shouldn't have... I got a $2 coffee from Starbucks when I was driving home from the mountains.  I justified it a bit though because A) I didn't get a fancy coffee, and B) I was SO TIRED and pretty much nodding off at the wheel.  I figured with a 1 1/2 hour drive ahead of me, a $2 coffee was the safest bet. 

I spent $4 going halfsies on a bottle of wine with Megan.  I just didn't want her buying the whole bottle when I knew we'd both be drinking it.  Something tells me that buying wine is going to be the hardest thing to resist during this spending fast... even more than going out to eat & buying gifts!  Haha!

THANK YOU AGAIN to all of my friends and family for all the support and love.  I know I keep saying it, but I really can't say it enough.  You guys are awesome.  Thank you. :)