Suzy Salad

I ate a salad for dinner tonight! And drank a large (times two!) glass of water with it.

I know what you're thinking. Is that really blog worthy news, Lauren?

Yes. It is. I am quite proud of myself for choosing this healthy option over the frozen pizza that practically jumped into my arms when I opened the freezer tonight.

I have someone to thank for inspiring me to eat healthy this evening. A good friend of mine joined the blog realm recently. Much like Jesse and I, Suzy is using her blog to write about a special day that is fast approaching for her as well. Interestingly enough, her big day happens to be on the same exact day as ours. Her best friend is getting married on August 27th (Who can blame her? That day pretty much rocks!) and Suzy will be acting as maid of honor. Much like me, Suz wants to feel fit and fabulous when that day arrives, and every subsequent day thereafter as well. As long as I have known this girl she has been an inspiration to me when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. Like most of us, she has had her struggles, but she always gets back on that healthy horse and keeps riding. She is just getting her blog started so be sure to go check it out. And leave her a little blog love while you're there. Ie: Leave a girl a comment, yo!

Suzy and I hanging out at Stella's. This picture was taken the month prior to
me meeting my future husband.

In an effort to spread the healthy eating I thought I'd share with you what I gobbled up tonight. Here's hoping I don't find that box of white cheddar Cheezits in a few hours and perform a disappearing act on them. Pray for me.

Best salad EVA!

OK. I will be the first to admit that I am no photographer. And the Blackberry camera does this salad no justice. Please just take my word for it--it was GRRREAT! I started by filling the bowl with Dole's Italian Blend salad mix. I love lettuce in a bag. So easy peasy. I then added a small amount of cheese (a big step for me is limiting my cheese intake-love me some cheesy goodness), half of an avocado chopped up (super food!), one hard boiled egg (if you're super lazy you can buy them all boiled up and peeled in a bag at Trader Joes--no word yet if Aldi has them), and a hearty helping of grape tomatoes (YUM-O!). I then tried my darndest to top the salad with as little Ranch as possible. And it was even Lite Ranch to boot. Bonus!

Question time--

What did you have for dinner tonight? Did you read Suzy's blog? Are you going to try what she made? Any bets on if I will have my face fully submerged in the Cheezit box later tonight?

And finally, probably the all time best text message that I have received in a long time. Mom don't hate me for sharing this. You just sent it to me mid-blog so I couldn't resist.

MOM: R U watching Bethenny? She is always pumping.

BEST DAUGHTER IN THE WORLD (that's me, btw. It's how she has me in her phone, or at least that's how I imagine she has me in her phone): Fist or breast?

MOM: Breasts...large ones. :)

BEST DAUGHTER IN THE WORLD (again, this is me): Wow. Did you friend her on FB? Her and I are FB friends. You should friend her.  

I am still waiting for a response. However, I am glad she sent me that text about Bethenny Ever After. Love that girl and I completely forgot her show premiered tonight. Bethenny, you just made my Monday nights twelve times better. Thanks for being my renewed breast friend.

Update: I completely forgot to show some linkin' love to another person who has inspired me in my salad eating kick. I have been following this fellow blogger ever since I read the guest blog she wrote for our wedding photographer. She is a fun, quirky gal, and I always get a kick out of her posts. Back at the beginning on the year she wrote her resolutions and one of them was to eat 300 salads in 2011. I haven't been keeping track of mine but such a fun concept, eh? A virtual high five to The Candace for being another salad-spiration sister.  

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Suzy Salad

Late Night Top Ten (tm)

Almost every night before Lauren and I drift into our respective slumbers, I am persuaded by a mystical power to dial up 04 on the DirecTV remote. Something always brings me to Letterman's Top Ten List on the Columbia Broadcasting Station. I'm really not even that big of a Dave fan, but I end up there almost every damned night.

"Uhhhh, ya got any gum?"

David generally gets me to chuckle at only 1 or 2 of his ten quips, but I must subconsciously deem it worthy of watching since I keep coming back.

It's hard to pinpoint when exactly it happened, but our society has fallen increasingly more in love with "best of" lists....be it a top 10, top 50 or top 100, whathaveyou. Hell, as I currently type this I'm watching the top 10 NFL Draft steals of all time. Dan Marino is only number 5 by the way (sorry Jungle).

I think Lauren was even watching something the other day about the top 20 celebrity diets (or something of that ilk). John Candy just barely missed the cut with his onion ring-Yoohoo diet.

Do you think he would still be alive if his name were
Steve Broccoli instead?

Since I need a reference point as to when I think this list madness began, I have decided it was the "Top 20 Beavis and Butthead" countdown of 1996. I still think it's a damn shame that they only rated the "Burger World" episode as the 7th best of all time. Disgusting effort MTV.

"Hey Beavis, let's get some nachos dude"

I'm sure at this point there is a list show about the best list shows out there. My guess is that it would be hosted by Malcolm Jamal Warner. I'm not sure why, just call it a hunch.

In honor of our obsession with lists and the approaching month, I bring you the Top 10 things to look forward to this March:

10. Retiring the snow shovels until next winter (April snow doesn't stick)

9.   Road conditions improve (Old ladies generally kick it up to 50 MPH from the standard 20 MPH during winter months)

"Damn the torpedoes, I'm comin' through!!"

8.  Longer Days (You mean I no longer have to go to work in the dark and then drive home in the dark too? That is mint!)

7.  Spring Training in baseball (Sorry Kansas City, your team still sucks)

6.  Sandals become acceptable to wear (or in my case they are year-round)

5.  Birds in the morning (Who doesn't enjoy hearing the Kookaburras in the morning when you wake up? Oh, I'm being told that the only exist in Australia. My bad)

Are you kidding me with this thing?

4.  Eating a hot dog outside (Ok, this is something that you probably can do year-round as well, but March is the first month in which you don't look like a jerk doing so)

3.  St Patty's Day (21+ only please)

"Do I get any beer with this foam?"

2.  Rolling down the windows while driving (Since gas looks to be on its way to being 5 clams per gallon soon, this may be suspended until further notice)

1.  Seeing grass, lots of it (I told Lauren I really couldn't visualize the wedding as "closely approaching" until I start seeing grass instead of the white stuff---and soon it will be nigh) ◦

Late Night Top Ten (tm)

Let's Get Physical

I recently made a bold statement on my Facebook wall. I want to lose weight. I think I have in the upwards of 500 of friends. So lets say all of my Facebook friends read that status (doubtful, as I am sure around half of them hide my random status updates on their feed). That means that I just made a huge (like my butt) confession to a crap load of people. Yikes. I will fully admit, there is nothing worse than a person who complains of a lack of energy, about being out of shape, or feeling all around gross...and then does nothing about it. And my self deprecating sense of humor doesn't help. I love making myself the butt of my own jokes. However, despite poking fun at myself, I still usually feel pretty good about myself. Do I still get down? Of course I do, doesn't everybody? Well maybe Brooklyn Decker doesn't. But I am sure almost everyone can say that they've had those days where they take up residence in Pittyville. I had one of those days yesterday.

It all started innocently enough when my mom left a sweet comment on this Facebook picture of me.

Disclaimer: This is not a recent picture. It's coming up on three years old. I have fond memories from the day that this picture was taken. It was taken while we were all down at our cabin. Unfortunately, the summer as a whole was not one for the books, though. I was 25 that summer and not in the best place in my life. I was caught up on and dating a complete douche lord, who was also dating his ex-girlfriend at the same time. And no, it wasn't like it was in the 60's. There was no peace, love, and harmony with this scene. It was just plain stupid. Love triangles are lame. And gross. And a huge time sucker. I won't go into a lot of details of it because quite frankly he doesn't deserve the energy it would take me to write about him. But suffice it to say, he is definitely history. Done-zo. Gone out the door with the rest of the trash. Funny enough, the ex-girlfriend isn't. I actually found out she is really cool and I consider her a friend of mine to this day. Interesting how that works, eh?

But anyway. Where was I? Oh yeah. So my mom comments on this picture and tells me it's one of the cutest picture she has seen of me. She is obviously not taking in account my baby pictures. Oh wait. Maybe she was. I wasn't the cutest of babies. But I know without a doubt that she didn't mean it like this but her comment kind of stung. It made me long for the days when I had that hot bod. Minus the crazy relationship drama and poor choices (doh!). It was then that I made that bold statement. I declared it Operation: Lauren Gets This Body Back Time. And then I posted the above picture for good measure. Why? Because I needed to remind myself that I looked hot. I never seem to want to accept the fact that I have hotness potential. Well that picture is proof that there are those rare occasions when the stars are aligned just so and hotness happens. I needed that reminder. 

Shortly after posting the picture attached to the declaration, I had a stream of sweet comments from friends pour in. And as anyone who has a Facebook knows, getting comments on your posts makes you get warm fuzzies. Or maybe that is just me. Those comments were a genuine reminder to me of all the amazing people that I have in my life. I want to share a few of the comments with you. One, so you can be jealous of all my amazing friends. And two, so I could take an opportunity to give a shout out to each of them. I was just kidding on that first part. I bet your friends are almost as cool as mine.

My cousin Nicole, who writes her own blog that chronicles her recent weight loss and goals was the first to comment: Yes, you can do it! Just set your mind to it! Let me know if you have any questions.. I'm not an expert or anything but since the 1st of the year, I've lost just under 20lbs and Nick has lost just over 30lbs. Its work, but so worth it!

What an inspiration you and Nick are to me. I am so proud of both of you for achieving your goals. I enjoy reading your blog and will definitely be turning to you as I venture on this fit and fabulous journey.

Amanda, one of my fellow nanny friends wrote to me: I would love to be your work out/healthy eating buddy! I, too, need to lose weight!

Yes, yes, and YES! Seriously, one of the best aspects of my job (and there are many mind you) is that I can turn a leisurely stroll with Ainsley around the Minneapolis lakes into a calorie cutting workout. I'd love for you to join me on as many of them as possible.

Crystal, one of my besties in high school said: Zumba is awesome and a lot of fun!

I have heard a lot about this Zumba business. I remember my friend, Suzy signing up for it through community ed a few years ago. I could very easily be considered the least coordinated person on the face of this planet. Seriously, it's bad. I dance like Elaine from Seinfeld. And that's on a good day. Another friend of mine, Stephanie (she is also the aforementioned Queen of Aldi) is a Zumba instructor and has nothing but good things to say about it. I might have to look into it. I WILL look into this. I am always looking for new material when I am making fun of myself. Total bonus if I could shed a few poundies in the process.

And then there was this comment. This one was probably one of the sweetest and nicest things someone could offer me. My cousin, Leah wrote the following: Hey hun! I saw your recent post about wanting to be sexified for your wedding...well I personally hate diets and would rather workout. I printed off a daily schedule for training for my half marathon and I truly stuck to it because it was always on my daily to-do list. I know running isn't your favorite, but if you wanted a schedule for training for a 5K or I could create a daily schedule for you too...obviously you can do other things besides running (just giving you an example!) You will have days of rest too, so don't think you have to do something every day! Let me know if you want anything and if you need any help with the wedding details! Love ya!

Now how amazingly sweet is that? I was Leah's personal attendant for her wedding last summer. We're switching roles just a day shy of an exact year later. This time I get to play the bride role and she is my personal attendant. And it looks to me that she just volunteered herself to be my personal trainer as well (SCORE!). I am so game for this. My exact response to her was: Leah, that would be sooo wonderful. I can't even begin to tell you how touched I was to read this. Jesse and I actually want to run a 5K together before we tie the knot in August (a day before your one year anniversary!!). I am a "fan" of The Couch To 5K page on FB. Its so easy to skim past it and forget its there, though. I think I seriously need someone to get in my head and help me through the process. As far as wedding planning itself, things are going pretty well. I feel like we're at a bit of a stand still. The weather is still too cold to start digging in and getting things started on the farm. But when that day comes I know my parents and I will appreciate any help you can offer. Its definitely not expected but if you're up for a road trip then we'd love to have you up for a weekend. My mom will make sure you get fed. ;) No pressure of course. Being my bridal boot camp coach would definitely be the best gift you can give me! Love you too!

And finally, my Aunt Marly responds: Where do I sign up? I am sure there are plenty of us who could use the boost to get in better shape. Maybe we can all give each other encouragement. GO LAUREN! By the way, I think we must have had many of the same bad experiences in our late teens/early 20's. You should have talked to me, I could have saved you some heartache. Look at us now though, we learned and found really great guys in the end.

I couldn't agree with you more on every aspect of what you wrote, Marlys. So, so true. I am sure I am not the first person to think of it (nor will I be the last) but I'd love to use each other for encouragement as we strive to live healthier lives. It's really easy to get lazy. Especially in the winter. I am so glad it's almost over. I feel good things will be happening this spring.

And speaking of spring...I have decided to give myself until that fateful day to get things lined up for this new page I am about turn. It's really more about the mental prep than anything, trying to get myself on board for it all. I might also try to squeeze a few cute pairs of yoga pants out of the prep as well. And maybe some new tank tops. What's better than the first day of spring? The day that embodies everything that is new and fresh (unless you live in Minnesota--add two months then). It's time for a fresh start. I really don't want this choice to be all about the wedding either. Sure, I'd love to look smokin' hot in my dress come August 27th. Ie: I want Jesse to have to bend over and pick up his jaw off the ground when he sees me (va va voom!). But it really is so much more than that. It's about living a healthier lifestyle every day. Can you tell I just watched Biggest Loser last night? I don't watch that show faithfully, but man, I tell ya, I feel so inspired (and slightly dehydrated due to tears streaming my down my face) after watching that program. Simply amazing.

So who is in? Who wants to join me in quest to live a healthier life? I am open to all comments and suggestions. I have never been one to follow the rigidity of a diet. I love me some food. Especially dips. And sour cream. And cheeeeeese. Oh, and Mexican cuisine. I am definitely going to need some help in those areas.

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Let's Get Physical

VOTE FOR BOBO!!!!

OK, so it's shameless plug time. Our dog, Bowie is in the Star Tribune Cutest Canine contest. We'd love to see him win. Who wouldn't, right? Please click on the above link to vote for him. If you notice you will see that it wasn't me who registered his pictures. Not even kidding. It was all Jesse who did this. You do have register your email address but it doesn't take too long. Voting started today at 10am and will go until tomorow (Wednesday) at 9am. If you're the obsessive type (ahem, like me) you can vote up to once an hour. Let me know if you voted for him! Next time I see you I will give you a high five and a hug. And yes, we do know that there are dogs on this contest that are a tad cuter than Bobo. He kinda has a face only a mother could love. Oh well. Vote for him anyway. We have also decided that if he wins the big prize we will donate half of it ($500) to a dog shelter/rescue in St. Paul. So the money won't just be going toward Bobo's college fund but to other dogs desperately in need of a home as well. That was Bobo's idea as he himself is a rescue. Also, feel free to send this along to anyone else you know that has a heart for animals and/or their silly owners.

If you aren't completely sold on his cuteness please check out this link for more pictures of him and his sister in all their naughty splendor. ◦

VOTE FOR BOBO!!!!

Aldi Love

Editors note: Apparently my evil twin has submitted a guest blog here. You'll have to check it out. But read this one first. Same subject matter, but my evil twin is waaaaaaay funnier than I. The best part is that I had no idea it was posted until after I posted this blog.

I wanted to share an excerpt from my most recent diary entry Facebook status update:

“We’re at Aldi. I was a little put off by having to pay a quarter for my grocery cart…but when I walked in and saw the prices I thought I had died and gone to grocery heaven. I might need to blog about this.”

Are you ready? Get set. BLOG! 

I think I can safely say that out of all the grocery stores I have visited in my 27.5 years, I now have Aldi love in the world for this new found place (yes, I think I am funny, thank you for asking). I am pretty cheap when it comes to buying groceries. I can't help it. That's just how God made me. I am pretty sure that God made Aldi just for me then. This place full of great deals and steals. And if you're not afraid of buying generic then I think this place might be worth checking out. We have been in dire need of groceries for a while now. I did my best of making use of what we had but we figured it was finally time to bite the bullet this weekend and stock up on some of the essentials. After catching up on a mountainous pile of bills we realized we didn’t have quite as much ching in our grocery budget that we originally anticipated. Sadly, steaks and lobster will have to wait until next month. We had heard about Aldi before. A few of our friends have sung her low price praises so we figured today was no better time than any to make the two mile trek to the other side of Minnetonka to give her a little looksee.

For those of you who have an Aldi by you, consider yourself fortunate. For those of you who shop at one, consider yourself smart. In fact, consider yourself a genius. This place is great. As you read in my Facebook status, you do have to pay a quarter to receive a cart. Good news is that you get said quarter back if you can muster up the energy to return it at the end of your shopping trip. Not too hard, right? You should also come armed with your own grocery bags. Aldi provides bags but you have to pay for them. I know most grocery stores offer a variety of reusable grocery bags for purchase, and most people have gotten into the green lifestyle habit of bringing them back to use for future grocery trips. We have several of them as well. Unfortunately, we rarely never remember to bring them with. I like this concept, even if I was foiled by it the first time. It gives you all the more incentive to reuse, reduce, and recycle. Just call me Captain Planet.

Speaking of bags, Aldi doesn’t bag your groceries. Some might find this to be a negative but I actually like it. You see, I am a bit of a bag boy micro manager. I watch the poor pimply pups who bag my groceries like a hawk. And it drives me up a crazy wall when they fill my bags too heavy. It’s almost as if there is a contest at Target to see who can fill the bags the fullest. And my bag boy always seems to be the winner. I even made up a little rhyme about it. Doing my own bagging eliminates the nagging. That's right, now the only person who is going to hear me nag is that guy that asked me to marry him. And I am slowly but surely breaking him of his bad bagging habits. Please don't judge me. It's called a pet peeve. We all got them. And my wimpy arms hate carrying ridiculously heavy bags up to our third floor apartment. No. Thank. You.

Of course, there are a few downsides to Aldi. Things can be relatively hard to find, and there aren't a lot of associates around to help you in your search. The store is on the smaller side but I still found myself aimlessly wandering around. I can deal with that and I am sure it will be easier to navigate the more I go back. Also, most of the food is not of the healthiest variety. We're not the best at healthy eating but we're trying to get better. The main thing we are trying to eliminate is going out to eat so much. Baby steps. Baby step one: buy more groceries and eat at home. Baby step two: Create more healthy dishes to eat at home. We're getting there. That being said, I will probably continue to buy the bulk of my produce at Target, Lunds, or Byerlys. I can be a bit of a veggie snob and the stuff at Aldi didn't look too fresh.

Don't just take my word for it, though. I decided to take it to the Facebook streets and respond to some of the comments on my status update. It appears as if I am not the only Aldi lover out there.

Lindsey, my kickball comrade: "Some of their stuff tastes like crap, but the prices are a deal."

Good point, Linds. We know we took several risks when we purchased generic items that we've never eaten before. What can I say, we like to live life on the edge. Most generic foods boast that they taste just like the name brand. Sometimes they do. And then sometimes they definitely DO NOT. Case in point: White Cheddar Cheezits. Any generic wannabe I have tried has paled in comparison to the original. But as far as the things we bought at Aldi, it's only been a day so I can't report on everything. However, I just got done making some delicious pancakes for Jesse and I. Two thumbs up for Aldi pancake mix. It even called for a teaspoon of vanilla extract to be added to the mix. Thankfully I had some from my Christmas cookie making binge. I think that little addition made the pancakes taste lots better. Nom, nom, nom.

The KBW (and one of the anonymous comment leavers on this blog): "A cashier at Walmart told me the Aldi fried chicken was the bomb (her words, not mine) and better than the Banquet Chicken I was wasting my money on (my words, not hers)."

Ka'la, thank you for clarifying that it was not you that used the phrase, "the bomb". I would have judged you harshly for that. My questions for you are as follows: Have you gone to Aldi and purchased their fried chicken? Was it bomb-like? And finally, will you please use your name when you leave comments on our blog? I thank you.

Stephanie, an avid Zumba instructor AND Facebook friend writes: "I LOVE LOVE LOVE Aldi!!!!!!"

Something tells me you love Aldi, Stephanie. Got any Aldi secrets for us? Any Aldi products we should steer clear of? Any must haves? Bestow your Aldi wisdom upon us.

My Aunt Marly writes: "It won't take you long to figure which items are worth it and which are definitely not! The wine is surprisingly good. Overall it is a pretty good savings and you do get your quarter back. You did, didn't you?"

Wine? Did I hear someone say wine? I don't remember seeing wine at our Aldi. You wine lovin' North Carolina residents must have a more tricked out Aldi than us. I hope they have a suggestion box because I am definitely going to be suggesting the wine addition. And yes, I got my quarter back. Whew.

Ashley, one of my besties, and mother to my Godson: "You get the quarter back.......I was upset my first time too until I realized you get it back....only me!!!!"

I can just see you getting bent over having to pay a quarter for a cart. I guess you're thriftiness is rubbing off on me, though because I was a bit miffed too. Glad we both got them back. Do you remember where you spent yours? Mine went towards the purchase of Diet Coke as soon as I left Aldi. Aldi does not have Diet Coke. They do have fake Diet Coke but I am definitely NOT buying it. Sounds like rubbish to me.

Andrea, my cousin and one of the best friends of My Best Friends' Cousin's Wedding wins the award for funniest comment on my status: "This janitor I worked with was so excited when the Rochester one opened. I tried to share in his excitement and said " oh, yeah is that the dented can store!" He literally went ape on me in my office...I was really scared...I later found out he has some mental health issues."

I read this comment first thing this morning and did a true, all out LOL thinking of this happening to you. Hey, don't patronize the Aldi lover with talk of dented cans. I hope you learned your lesson. Also, this is something completely off the Aldi subject matter....but did you know that both of our fathers are visiting the Pawn Star guys at Treasure Island today? I just got off the phone with my mom and she told me that they braved the elements and drove to Red Wing to meet the guys. As my dad would say, "What a bunch of yay-whos!"

And finally, Donna had a very valid comment/question: "Do they have any organic produce or products?"

Good question, Donna. I decided to consult the Google gods on this one. I kind of already knew this but my research confirmed that Aldi is not really known for the healthy food options. However, I did learn that they are owned by the same company that owns Trader Joes. Interesting. And a bit ironic, no? I suggest maybe hitting up TJ's for your organic produce? Just make sure you eat it fast. My TJ produce never stays fresh much longer than 48 hours. Also, did I hear that you've cut sugar out of your diet completely? You've clearly become unhinged. You crazy, girl! Just kidding. Good for you. I think that is awesome (and crazy).

And in closing, I am currently in the process of working on a few recipe blogs to share with you all. I am slowly but surely building my kitchen confidence. The good news is that (so far) there have been zero complaints from Jesse. Just this past Friday we hung out with Jesse's cousin and his girlfriend. They made us a delicious lasagna dinner, and allowed us to make complete fools of ourselves playing their XBox Kinnect (Jesse is still sore from the boxing). We loved Kendra's lasagna so much that I attempted making my own rendition of it yesterday. The recipe includes a jar of alfredo sause. And copious amounts of cheese. Now quit drooling all over our blog. I will share the recipe soon so you can make it yourself. Not guaranteed healthy but definitely guaranteed delicious.

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Aldi Love

Guest Blogger: Asian Invasion

This is obviously a picture
of Margret Cho, but her
and Jaime look pretty much
the same. Plus, Jaime is the
Mutt Lange blogger. You
know she exists but there is
maybe one actual photo of
her circulating the interwebs.

After many threats and extortion attempts, I have decided to succumb to Lauren's demands and be a "guest blogger" on Phat Farm Wedding.  I mean, with her huge following, I figured this was a way to get my blogging out there and get noticed.  On a national level.

I wasn't at all sure of what to write about, but then I read one of Jesse's latest blog entries, and I was instantly inspired.

I like Jesse.  I just met him last week, and I completely understood why he and Lo are together.  He's laid back and clearly defers to her madness.  She talks a mile a minute, looks to him occasionally for a nod of agreement, but continues on unfettered.  They obviously balance each other out and are a good match.  Plus, he seems indifferent to her huge feet and puffy down jacket.  (Did I mention when I met Jesse, they were in the store that I work?  The store that is in the epicenter of haute couture shopping and suburban entitlement?  And that our kick ass bride came in looking very crunchy granola?  No make-up, Ugg boots, "practical" winter jacket made especially for hearty Minnesota winters?...so rebellious!)

But, I digress...

So, I really started to, you know, like Jesse, when he, in the midst of his Superbowl blog round-up, mentioned...wait.for.it...ROBERT SMITH.  ROBERT SMITH OF THE CURE.  I am going to ignore the fact that it was in the same sentence as the words Christina Aguilera.  

To understand how monumental this is, we have to go back to 1985.  I was an angst-ridden pubescent spending a lot of time writing weird poetry in my room.  I was madly in love with a boy in a band.  He introduced me to what was then considered alternative music.  I became obsessed with "the Head on the Door" by the Cure.  And then the Cure released a double cd complete with a ton of b-sides.  I am not being at all facetious when I say that listening to the haunting melodies of the Cure and acting all Goth pretty much got me through high school.  To top it off, I saw them live, at the old Met Center.  Jesse, you know of what I speak.

Then, the Cure released a song called "Just Like Heaven", which had the eternally romantic lyric, "you, lost and lonely, you soft and only, you, just like heaven" and a little bit of me died inside knowing Robert wasn't singing it to me.  I really hope this slammin' piece of poetry shows up somewhere on August 27, 2011, but I fear we will all just be subjected to Billy Joel.

So there you have it.  Jesse and I are forever bonded.  I love that he referenced the Cure.  I mean, who talks about the Cure nowadays?  And the next time I am invited to Chateau Jerle for pizza rolls and Scrabble, you can bet the Cure will be playing in the background, if only to make Apple and Bowie howl at Robert Smith's extremely high wailing.  (Note to Mariah Carey:  Bob did it first, and he did it better.)

Jaime lives in Edina, Minnesota with her husband, Scot; tweenage daughter, Hadley; and "baby" (who is almost three), Kylee. Her eldest daughter, Avery, lives out east where she is attending Cornell College University. When Jaime isn't blogging you can find her stalking people inconspicuously on Facebook, working part time at PBK, and reminiscing the good ol' days in Dodge Center. To read more of Jaime's musings check out her blog.  ◦

Guest Blogger: Asian Invasion

My Funny Valentine

Tonight's blog is a joint effort. Lauren started it and Jesse finished it. There are also two other blogs we'd like you to check out if you're feeling so inclined.

Jesse and I have a stalker. She started a blog shortly after we did and pretty much responds to everything in our blog by writing a blog of her own. And then she comments anonymously on our blog. It's kinda weird. But she is funny so we let it slide. I have mentioned her before and she even has her own tab across the top of OBFFW. Please check out My Best Friends' Cousin'sWedding.

Also, my mom blogged today. Something about National Mother of the Bride Blog Day? It's very sweet and it gives you a little insight into her role in the wedding. If I haven't mentioned this before, my parents are the greatest ever. Really, truly, they are.

Now. For our blog.

Jesse and I decided to get a head start on St. Valentine's Day by celebrating the lovefest holiday today instead of tomorrow. We had nothing on the calendar, which never seems to happen, so we took complete advantage of it and went on a little pre-VD excursion. It made the day all the more enjoyable with temps in the mid 40s, very unseasonably warm in these here parts during the month of February. Here's hoping that the snow gets the memo and makes like a banana and splits. For good. I don't know 'bout chu but I am so over it.

My one and only request for the afternoon was that we eat at Little Tijuana in the Eat Street district of Minneapolis. Nothing else needed to happen other than that. Jesse is convinced that I could eat Mexican cuisine every day of the week. He is right. I could. And I couldn't wait to step foot inside the doors of Little Tijuana and devour a heaping plate of their enchiladas. Please note that Jesse is completely and 100% anti-Minneapolis. Asking him to go anywhere in that city is like pulling teeth. Definitely outside his comfort zone and not high on his priority list of things he likes to do. He avoids uptown and downtown Minneapolis at all costs. Interestingly enough, the only time he isn't annoyed while in the city is when he is going to either, A) Target Center or, B) Target Field. Yeah, obviously someone has a case of selective Minneapolis anxiety. Or the only cure for it is the presence of a Minnesota sports team? But I digress. We made our way into the city (it's an easy jaunt as we're only a few miles west of the city in Minnetonka) and found our way to Eat Street with minimal issues. I maneuvered my way out of the passenger side, leaped over a bank of snow, and ran across the street to my favorite Mexican establishment. I asked Jesse to take a picture of me in front of Little T to document this momentous occasion. It also may have been taken so that I could send it to Cathy and make her jealous of our whereabouts.



Say CHEESE ENCHILADAS!



And then I turned around and walked toward the entrance of heaven Little Tijuana. It was then that I came face to face with this sign in the window:

I sent Cathy this picture instead of the one above. Pretty sure
it made her day as she seems to relish in my misfortune.

Um, closed for remodeling to serve me better? Excuse me but how exactly is that serving me better??? What happened to remodeling and serving your customers at the same time? It's called multi-tasking, Little Tijuana. You should try it some time. If you're reading this, Little Tijuana...I am only kidding. I am sure you didn't want to close your restaurant. I hope you open back up soon! I am following you on Facebook and I will be one of the first in line when you do!!! But seriously, I was so hungry for these enchiladas by this point that I would have risked getting a little sawdust in my meal just for the chance to eat there. But Little T did not hear my cries. There would be no romantic dinner at my favorite Eat Street joint.



(Insert sad face here)



I was not pleased. I pouted. I whined. Jesse pretended he didn't know me (what's new, right?). But then I remembered that we were on Eat Street. Surely there was another eatery we could dine at. It probably wouldn't hold a candle to Little Tijuana but I was hungry. And remember who Jesse likens me to when I don't get fed?

Lay off me I'm starving!

My heart and stomach were set on Mexican so I ran ahead of Jesse peering into each restaurant window in search of good eats. We finally came upon a place by the name of Poncho Villa. Sounds Mexicany enough, right? When we got in there we were two of five patrons in the restaurant. It didn't seem promising but we decided to eat there anyway. They sat us in an adjacent part of the main dining area, away from the other three guests. They could obviously tell we were two young lovers in search of a quiet and romantic pre-Valentine dinner.



So if I smile does that mean you'll quit taking my picture?

Or I went and stole this hat off the wall when no one was looking so we could have an impromptu photo shoot. Jesse loves when I do stuff like this. As I am sure you can tell by the forced smile on his face in this picture.

But anywhoo...the food was alright. Definitely no Little Tijuana, though. That's OK. Guess we just need to go back there when they have their big grand re-opening.

We then took off for our next adventure. We didn't really know where we were going, but just kind of drove around Minneapolis, eventually landing in Saint Louis Park. It was there that I made Jesse stop at Ax-Man. He was surprised that I even knew what it was. Of course I do. I love that place.

Y'all better ax(man) somebody.

(This is where Jesse started writing tonight's blog...Lauren got sick of being creative) 

Ax Man is most certainly not a place a hoarder such as Lauren should be shopping. Axman has everything from quarter-inch springs to "Number 1" foam fingers supporting Michael Dukakis' 1988 presidential run. It really is hell on wheels. We managed to spend 20 fish there...which at .36 cents per item is equivalent to a $800 Target trip. Lauren also almost had a seizure when the 3-foot high, foam-rubber cigarette butt began talking noise to her specifically....only for us to find out it was rigged with a speaker and camera hook up attached to the front counter attendant's desk. He waits on unsuspecting passers-by and lets 'em have it. Very Candid Camera-esqe, not unlike the gold dudes in San Francisco that look like statues and scare the bejeezus out of you when they pop out of the shrubbery.

From there we went home to check out the Trader Joe's. Joe looked to have the same store look and visiting patrons as the last time we were there. Lauren needed to acquire some lotion for a DIY project which I still do not completely understand. Out of the corner of my bored eye I spotted the section of flowers. I figured since we were doing the "day-early Valentine's" bit, it was a perfect time to offer a purchase. And since Lauren was there with me, she could pick out her own flowers. This would spare me the embarrassment of accidentally getting her a venus fly trap. 

Shhhh.....don't tell her I financed these and she'll need to give
 them back if I miss my first payment.

Our final stop was Ultimate Electronics. For those of you that aren't familiar, it is basically Circuit City light. And you guessed it, just like Circuit City, it also is going out of business. We decided to see if the "going out of business sale" was as good as advertised. Per usual, it was not even close. Not sure how long it will take them to liquidate all of that 10% off merchandise, but I'd bet dollars to donuts that most of that stuff will still be on the shelves long after Justin Beibler (sp?) is named the Czar of Canada.

The conclusion of our day was spent at our most humble home. We enjoyed the weather while it lasted (Lauren shoveled our teeny patio and caught some rays), we destroyed a Red Baron pizza (cut by our most favorite Ax-Man purchase--a mini baseball bat with a pizza cutter attached to the top of it--yes, we're quite easily amused) and at some point between 10 PM (me) and midnight (Lauren), we'll fall asleep and get ready for good ol' Monday. All I request is no more 0 degree or below days from now until the wedding. Is that really too much to ax?

I would've hit better than .264 last year if I would have known it was a pizza cutter too.

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My Funny Valentine

Organize this, yo!

Truth be told I haven't felt entirely put together with planning our wedding. In fact, I am no where near feeling put together. I have a bunch of great ideas (pony rides, anyone?) for the big day bouncing around in my head but I don't ever sit down to organize them. So they just bobble around in my head, eventually being pushed out by the next big idea, only to be forgotten forever. Thankfully my lovely mother (this a link to her blog...and yes, her most recent post is a slideshow of the PROFESSIONAL pictures she had taken of their german short hair puppy) has been doing a splendid job of keeping most of the things in order for us (hi mom, thanks mom, love ya mom). I am sure it's no surprise then when I say that my home, much like my mind is one giant ball of clutter as well. So in an effort to gain some control over our lives and the next several months of impending chaos, Jesse and I started tackling some of the mess in our lives. We started with our dining area. We don't usually eat at our dining room table. We have made the important choice to wait until we're married to do that. Until then it provides us with a "catch all" for all of our crap valuables. This next picture is hands down the most horrifyingly embarrassing thing I have ever revealed on this blog. But it's me. And I am real. And I can be very messy. And to all you bloggers who blog about your cutesy little houses with your perfect everything. Don't judge me too harshly. I really do love reading your blogs. But I totally covet you. I am completely envious of how quaint everything appears. Seriously, does your house ever get messy? If not then let it be known that if you ever invited me to your house I'd probably walk into your neatest room and then promptly ruffle some stuff up. And then you'd probably kick me out, right? Oops. But anyway...without further ado, (cringe...shutter...) I give you the before picture of our dining room table:



Knock, knock.
Who's there?
A&E's Hoarders.
A&E's Hoarder's who...oh crap.

 Pretty gross, eh? Yeah. I am officially e-barrassed. And I just made that word up. At least I think I did?

E-barrassed, an adjective: To feel or show embarrassment over something you posted on the interwebs.

Yikes. But guess what? We tackled that hot mess of a table this past weekend. We said, "Hey hot mess of a table! You don't own us! We own YOU and we're gonna throw you out like the yesterday's news that you are" (said in the way a Jerry Springer guest would talk). And then we kicked it's messy butt. Thankfully we also recently acquired a garbage can with a lid so we no longer have to keep it on the table where naughty puppies can't access it. A little side note about our new trash can: While it is quite nice looking with it's stainless steel shell (sans grimy fingerprints), it is complete crap when it comes to durability and functionality. But I won it at Jesse's holiday work party (weird, I know) so thankfully we didn't spend a dime on it. We're currently taking suggestions on a new one so if you have the perfect trash can please send them our way (comment on our blog. Lauren loooves comments). Until then we will continue to use the freebie crappy excuse for a garbage can and continue to cuss like sailors every time we take our garbage out (if we had a swear jar it would overfloweth with coins). But where was I? Oh yeah, here is the big reveal post clean sweep. And this was taken today, with that beautiful sun shining through our patio door, and seven days after we cleaned it. There seems to be a small pile forming on the table again, but we're keeping it under control quite nicely. Be proud of us, please. Your pride in us is what sustains our existence. 



I spy a cute dog. And a clean dining area.

And once again, after looking at this picture I realize how amazingly thrifty I am (patting myself on the back). So, for the four of you who actually read this far into a post not written by Jesse, is a run down of what I spent and where I got the following items:

Entertainment center: FREE!! It was a hand me down from the first family I nannied for. And it is currently up for grabs. We have gotten our use out of it but no longer need it (although it may or may not be where we shoved some of the clutter from the dining room table), and we want someone else to enjoy it. It's really heavy. Bring a truck and Jesse will gladly help you move it on out. It's really nice. Solid oak maybe? Anyway, just take it. We're so over it.

White chair and blue pillow: Goodwill, baby! I think it was around $20 or so? But it was brand new(ish) with plastic on parts of it still so I think it's a swell deal. This is a link to the chair on target.com and if you click on it you will see if retails for $169.99 (holla at your girl!). I know white isn't ideal for most people but it has held up quite nicely with us and it works great for those people with white shedding dogs. The pillow came from Goodwill as well for less than $5.

End Table and faux-potted plant adorning it: The end table came from my mom. I still have to find out where she got that. And then the pot and greens arranged in it are from my days in the floral business. The discount was definitely one of the perks of the gig, but as we approach Valentines Day I am reminded of the pains of that job. But I probably paid $10 for that stuff. Like I said, the discount was awesome!

Rita Hayworth framed picture: I bought that at a garage sale near 50th and Lyndale in Minneapolis for three buckeroos. I have had it for almost four years. It has definitely seen better days but it's still special to me so I can't part with it. It's a reminder of my first year in the cities when I moved into an apartment in ghetto Richfield. Just a small town girl and her little dog....

Trio of frames (hosts to three of our engagement photos taken by the ever so sweet Sara Nilsson of Sweden, who will be here in six months, and this alone makes me the happiest bride-to-be ever...hi Sara, thank you for being the coolest blog stalker!): TJ Maxx is where these bad boys came from and they were the most expensive things in the picture. Total cost was $26.98. I bought two of them for $9.99 each, and then found the last one a few weeks ago after it was clearanced out for $7.

Dining room table: This too came from the aforementioned nanny family (same gracious family that are allowing their three precious daughters to star in our wedding this summer). And if I am not mistaken it used to dwell in San Fransisco for a short while. Sure glad something in our house got to go there. It's high on my list of places I'd like to visit. Jesse should take me there for Valentines day, don't you think?

Tablecloth: This was purchased at a Goodwill when I lived in Georgia for like five minutes. I think it cost around $2 or so??

Dining Chair (there are four of them total): I pulled these guys out of the barn this past summer. They were pretty gross and muddy, but I warshed them down real good and now they provide us with extra seating when company comes over. Wonder if my mom will want them back this summer when we have to provide seating for our 300 400 500 wedding guests?

Cute puppy: You obviously can't put a price tag on this little peanut, but she too came from my blink-or-you'll-miss-it stint in Georgia. While she is quite compact, it was a bit more difficult transferring her sassy puppyness home. She's our little southern belle, and can be quite high maintenance. But we love her to pieces nonetheless.

So. There you have it. Total cost of our humble little dining room area is $66.98. Anyone want to hit up some garage sales with me this summer? Perhaps we can hit up Goodwill too? Tuesdays is senior citizen day and it ain't nothin' to me to whiz by granny in my qwest for a bargain. Or if we can't beat 'em we can join 'em. Who's down for dressing up like a senior citizen so we can score the 25% discount? I have some fake IDs.

Alright. I am done. This blog is now over. And I am truly sorry there is no way you'll ever be able to get back the five minutes it took you to read this. If it took you significantly longer than that to read......well, Hooked On Phonics worked for me. ◦

Organize this, yo!

If the shoes fit....BUY THEM!

After mentioning my semi-unhealthy obsession with Goodwill in last night's blog, I found myself waking up this morning with a strong desire to pay them a little visit. Wednesdays are my half days so I took advantage of the opportunity and turned my down time into hammer time bargain hunting time. I wasted zero seconds in scampering off to my favorite thrift store.

Let me start off by saying that it isn't always good deals and steals. It can be very hit or miss with me at the good ol' Goodwillski. Some days I find nothing. Other days I find things I think I really need because of their low price, only to leave them sitting in a bag untouched for(pretty much)ever. And then sometimes their prices are so ridiculously overpriced that even if I like something I don't even consider putting it in my cart. Well OK, I think about putting it in my cart but I usually just end up wanting to scream at Goodwill, "Get over yourself, Goodwill!" But then there are days like today. Today I hit the Goodwill mother load. It. Was. Awesome.

I brought home quite a few pretties and goodies. I won't bore you with all the details, as one of the purchases was a scrubby sponge to use for doing dishes (it was only 49 cents!!). I will just share my very best buys.

Feast your eyes on these bad boys.




 They've never been worn. Mint in box. Minus the box.
PS-I got that tablecloth at a Goodwill too.

 Aren't they cute? You're darn tootin', they're cute! And guess what makes them even more cute?

I paid $10.97. FOR ALL OF THEM!

Hells to the yeah.

Let me tell you something about my feet. Something that makes the above feat (don't make me point out that pun, please) even more fabulous. My feet are grossly ginormous. Fun and random Lauren fact: By the time I was eleven I wore an eleven. Thank the good Lord above they stopped growing at that point. Why ever I tried to shove said feet into a chunky pair of Doc Martens in the 90s I will never know. Ugh. As anyone with large hooves knows, finding shoes can be a pain in the big (like my feet) bum. So...to come in contact with not one, not two, but THREE pairs of fashionable flats is a huge (like my feet) deal. And to find all three of them and pay less than ELEVEN (like my feet size) dollars is pure genius. I am even contemplating wearing the middle pair on my wedding day. Don't you think a pair of yellow ruffle peep toe flats would look great? Yeah, me too.

And see what I just did there? I wrote a blog about shoe bargains and I somehow tied it back into the wedding. It's only fitting, this being our wedding blog and all.

My favorite buy of the day. And they might be making an appearance on 8.27 too.
IF they can pass the comfort test. 

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If the shoes fit....BUY THEM!

Puppy Parade

I interrupt this wedding blog to bring you breaking puppy news.

These two puppies are very naughty. But they are also very cute. And as we always say, cute trumps naughty in our home. Both of these cute and naughty pooches got baths on Sunday. Bobo has the awful habit of doing #1 on his sister when he is outside doing his business. It's quite unfortunate for Apple. Obviously. She never sees it coming. Poor girl. Definitely not what she signed up for when we I brought home a brother for her. Since their baths they have been running around our apartment sans their collar and harness. I think they feel like they have a new leash on life (funny, no?). Also, after some hardcore organizing and rearranging this weekend (high five to Lauren and Jesse for being proactive and productive puppy parents) the naked puppies found a new favorite perch. How cute are they? If you haven't gotten enough of their cuteness then please rest assured knowing that there are several more pictures for your viewing pleasure. Ridiculously enough, these spazzoids have their own tab on our blog. Feel free to check out more snapshots of them HERE.

Thankfully naughty puppies do rest on rare occasions.

 Emphasis on rare. 

One more thing. A little something I noticed and am quite pleased with...all of the non-living items in these two pictures were bought either off Craigslist, picked up from Goodwill, or handed down from my mom. Yes, I bought those pillows at Goodwill. Don't look at me that way. It's called disinfectant spray, people. And the chair came from there too. The couch is our infamous Craigslist couch (AKA Jungle's bed on the weekends). And then the cute little table in the first picture came from the best mom in the world. My guess is that prior to being bestowed upon me it came from a second hand store of sorts, or possibly a garage sale. That's how we roll. I love me some Goodwilling. It totally rocks my bargaining boat. Too bad we can't register for gifts there.

PS--We're getting married in 200 days!

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Puppy Parade

An Anti-packer Post

By: Jesse

Last night, for those of you who are oblivious to all goings on other than your own lives, was the Super Bowl of the United States of America. Super Bowl XLV to be exact. This makes me feel a bit aged as I have vivid memories all the way back to Super Bowl XX, when the Bears Super Bowl Shuffled all over the Patriots' candy-asses 46-10. So if we do the math, that's XXV years of Super Bowls that I have memories of.



Lauren just called this the truffle shuffle. Wrong 80's shuffle, my dear.



Lauren and I ventured over the hills and through the woods to our friends' estate in greater White Bear Lake, Minnesota. By the way, has anyone noticed that you cannot own or operate a business in White Bear Lake without "White Bear" being in the front of your business name? I believe it is actually illegal to run a Joe's Barber Shop or Dave's Rhinoplasty in White Bear Lake. It's has to be "White Bear Bowl", or "White Bear Tattoo Removal", or "White Bear Dick's Saloon." Our timing actually turned out pretty well. We arrived just in time to see Christina Aguilera butcher our national anthem. I don't know if there was an online vote or anything, but I would've personally voted for Robert Smith from The Cure to belt out the tune instead. The food was abundant and the beer was plentiful. Lauren made her world famous Buffalo Chicken Dip. If you ask real nice she might even share the recipe with you. However, you need to be told that we have both had freaky dreams after we ate that stuff. Lauren woke up this morning telling me about a dream that included a dead person having rigamortis, and one other time after eating it I dreamt of Bobo giving birth to six identical Bobo puppies.

Dreaming of Bobo puppies. Post buffalo chicken dip consumption.

Once we had full plates, we dispersed as the high school football players would from the Mathletes at lunch time. Boys downstairs where they could break wind and throw around cuss words like they were cheap frisbees, and girls upstairs where they could, A. Play with the baby, B. Talk about upcoming/re-live past weddings, and C. Brew bathtub gin and stir it with a boat oar. Okay, I made up the last one. 

I actually did accomplish some wedding stuff myself, which should give me bonus points while done during the Super Bowl. (Note to my beautiful, blushing bride: this means I shouldn't have to step one Adidas sandaled foot inside Crate and Barrel for at least another four weeks.) I axed my boy Stein to join the ol' wedding party. He reluctantly accepted. Actually he said he was in for sure. I believe his exact words were, "I pretty much figured that I was in it." I guess he can say that since we've known each other for 26 years.

As for the actual game itself…I refuse to dignify any packer fans (that's right, lower cased "p" at all times) by reviewing any of the vile action on the field. Disgusting effort, Pittsburgh. You should be ashamed losing to those cheap beer drinkin, mis-cut mullet haircutted, rusty snow machine driving, un-branched family tree having, cut-off piss-pant Zubaz wearing Wisconsinites. Booooooooo! Here's to hoping another dark period emerges for that green team like it had from about 1970 until 1991 (crossing fingers). The halftime show was atrocious. The commercials were bland. The game result was abysmal. But the company we kept was top notch. Good times had by all. Lauren and I actually got home in pretty good time considering it can take up to 45 minutes for that drive home. Thanks for driving, dear. We had enough time to get ready for bed and even watch a little bit of the Puppy Bowl VII. Finally, a bowl game worth watching. I think Bowser the cocker spaniel was the MVP, but don't hold me to that as I was drifting asleep at the time so my memory may not be completely clear. Last thing I remember hearing was Lauren laughing as the ref declared, “Puppy foul, unnecessary ruf ruf ruffness on the field.”

By the way, whatever happened to the Bud Bowl?

Bottle neck to neck.

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An Anti-packer Post