New Years Day

On New Years Day our friends invited us to see the Rose Parade Post Parade!

After the Rose Parade is over, all of the floats park along a street in Pasadena for all of the people who didn't want to brave the parade crowds!

It was amazing to see all of the floats up close and smell all of the flowers!

We parked our car and took a shuttle to the main drag.

It is seriously amazing how much work goes in to these floats!

They are constructed by volunteers who collectively spend 18 million labor hours building them!

Some take an entire year to make and can cost anywhere from $50,000-$150,000!

What is great about the floats is that they must be made from only organic materials!

I loved the Trader Joe's Float!
Can you tell what it is??

On the right is a coffee/espresso maker, in the middle are cheese graters, on top of the cheese graters is a cook book, on the left is a potato masher and a blender and the wheel on the outside of the boat is made of spatulas & spoons!

How cool is that?!

Loved this one too!
The world landmarks!

And of course, the LAX Float was spectacular!

We couldn't pass up taking a picture in front of the trolley car!

And we loved these bears!
The golfing bear and the football player!

Dr. Seuss is my all time favorite, so of course I loved the signs!

We got to see this float in action!

I really liked the Organ Donor float with all of the hearts!

There were marines & other service members with their dogs at the parade as well!
I loved the tagline - Canines with Courage

I have always wanted to go to the Rose Parade!
But I think it would be hard to get there in the morning and also to see all of the floats from street level.
So this was the next best thing and I am soo glad we were able to go!

And it was pretty cheap too!
It was $3 ea for the shuttle and $10 ea to get in the gate!
Not a bad way to celebrate the first day of 2013!

NYE 2012-2013!

Our New Years Eve was awesome!

We had fondue, like last year, but this year Rich and I were joined by the most awesome company!

Our friends moved on Friday, so we had one last WhoooRahhh before they headed out!
It was so much fun!
I mean, who doesn't like to play with their food??

We kissed and toasted champagne to bring in the New Year!
It was great!

Group Shot!
Thank goodness for the gorilla pod!

I hope you all had a fun & safe New Years Eve Celebration!

LA AGD JC Holiday Party

Over the weekend the LA AGD Junior Circle had a holiday party where we had an Ornament White Elephant Gift Exchange and a Cookie Swap!

On Saturday, of my favorite friends and I got together to bake for the cookie swap!

Check it out on the Food Blog!

We had a great time eating, chatting and playing games!

Ornament Exchange

Of course we all got each other Squirrel ornaments - I mean it would be a grave mistake if a Squirrel was not given as an ornament gift!

And I got another Red, Buff & Green ornament to go along with it!

All of the Squirrel Ornaments under the tree!

(Yes, there are 4 of the same ornament in different colors!

Thank you World Market for all of your Squirrel decorations!)

The group that participated in the ornament swap!

We had a great turn out!

It was such a wonderful day full of laughter and girl time!

It was absolutely much needed!! 

A Game for 2

Good Morning and Happy Sunday!

I am so happy that I don't have to work tomorrow - this three day weekend is much needed!

Last night, Rich and I heated up some left overs, had a beer and watched Cheers (duh!)

When we were finished with dinner and cleaning up, Rich went over to our little game stash and was looking through to see if we had anything fun to play.

He pulls out Uno and tells me he doesn't know how to play...

Um...what?!

So of course we played a hand of Uno and sadly we were quickly board

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We then pulled out a game that I have had for a long time, that isn't my favorite: Mad Gab. It wasn't Rich's favorite either, so we only played for a few minutes and put that game right back where it belonged...hidden away, deep in our game box :-)

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So we pulled out a deck of cards and played a few card games, Gin, Speed, Texas Holdem, Black Jack - unfortunately most card games are only fun if you are betting, and we weren't...maybe we need to invest in some poker chips?

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Then we pulled out my all time favorite friends game Loaded Questions and since there was only two of us, we just read the cards and answered the questions - some serious, some not so serious

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We had a great time aside from the fact that we only have fun games for larger groups of people...

Now here is where the blogging world comes in...

We need help!!

Do you know of any games that are fun in a group and fun to play for two???

Even card games that you know?? 

I will look up the directions :-)

I was thinking that maybe we should invest in a Scrabble board and maybe Cribbage 

(I remember I loved that game when I was a kid!)

Rich's birthday is coming up on Friday and I would love to have something fun wrapped for him by then!

What do you think??

Check out my giveaway!

Halloween Week Day 7

 Day 7. Halloween rituals. What do you do every year? What are you doing this year?

I am sad to say that I don't really have any traditions...

In the past, I have spent it with my family.

Trick or Treating with my brothers.

Celebrating like a kid, with the adults.

Visiting pumpkin patches

Eating a lot of 'bad for me' food

Smiling

Having a blast!

Happy Sunday and I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

A Day in the life: Customer Service - Volume 3

At the end of each call I have to ask if the customer would like to give a free trial to any friends of family members.

Here are a number of responses that I have gotten:

Me: "Before I let you go, do you have any friends or family who would enjoy a free trial of our newspaper?"

Customer: "Nope, they are all dead."

Me: "Okay....Thanks and have a great rest of your day"

*How do you respond to this nicely & appropriately??

{and another version of this response:

Me: "Before I let you go, do you have any friends or family who would enjoy a free trial of our newspaper?"

Customer: "No, they are all dead."

Me: "Okay....Thanks and have a great rest of your day"

Customer: <insert laughing man> "I am so funny! I was totally kidding..."

Me: <insert me laughing uncomfortably> "You would be surprised, I have actually gotten that response seriously"

Customer: "Really?!"

Me: "Yes! Now....if you were me, how would you respond?"

Customer: "I think that you handled it well, what do you say?"

Me: "Exactly!"

*I mean seriously...How do you respond to this nicely & appropriately??

~~~

Me: "Before I let you go, do you have any friends or family who would enjoy a free trial of our newspaper?"

Customer: "Sure {insert name and address of nephew}"

Me: "Great, thank you!"

Customer: "You know, my nephew, he is single and fairly attractive...?"

Me: "Oh, thank you, but I'm taken...But thanks for thinking of me"

*Ha! I am getting dates through this job?! Who knew?!

Giants v Dodgers

Last week we went to the Giants vs Dodger Game.

I had a tough time because I would have been a Giants fan because I am from the Bay Area but I was at the Dodger stadium sitting with only Dodger fans...and, well, we also got Dodger hats with UCLA colors at the gate!

Our friend has been a season ticket holder and knows all of the security guards! So, we got to sit in an empty box right behind 1st base! It was awesome!!

I have definitely never been that close before!!

We also got some tickets to go into the club house for free food...

Rich chomping away :-)

We had a blast!!

BEARD!

After the Giants Lost....

We had a lot of fun!

Beetle Orange!

How many of you play the beetle game?

You know, the car game where you punch everyone in the car and scream out the beetle color before anyone else does?

So I love this game!

I love it because I have made it into my own unique nice game!

I am not a violent person, not in the slightest, and I am relatively mild tempered.

I made up a beetle game that you all should try!

There are 2 versions.

Version 1: With your honey

When you see a beetle, call it out, be the first in the car. 

Now, the reason you want to be the first to call it is because the person who didn't call the beetle must kiss you and give you a compliment. 

{ie. you are beautiful.... you have the best kisses... you are so great at spotting beetles :-) etc}

Repeat

Version 2: With your friends

See above

Minus the kiss :-)

Oh and there are 2 rules...

Rule 1: Assess the situation...if the driving situations are dangerous, save the kisses for when you are in a safer spot

Rule 2: No calling the same beetle twice! No exceptions!

Tada!

It is a very uplifting game and it definitely gets everyone involved!

I mean, who really wants to get punched while driving!?

We all would rather get sweet smooches!

Have a great day!

And enjoy playing my version of the Beetle Game!

Bachelorette/Shower Weekend

This weekend could not have gone any better...

...well, okay, that's a lie, I wish that all of the bridesmaids were there, but sometimes you can't have it all, can you?

Anyways, I will leave out the frustrating morning and focus on the great weekend that I had!

I got ready on Saturday at my house in a haste. Miss Laura picked me up and drove me to the meeting place.

We all compiled into 2 cars and we got on the road to Napa.

that's me!!

We went to lunch at this cute and delicious Italian restaurant and then I was treated to a Swedish Massage that turned into more of a deep tissue beat up...ha!

at lunch

 Anyways...after my massage, we went to to Plump Jack Winery and did some wine tasting! They have some tasty wine! After we tasted their wines, we headed up to a little terrace and brought more wine and I opened a few x-rated gifts ;-P

the gals!

drinking some tasty wine!

Love this one!!

my beautiful Christine!

Friend!

on the little patio!

a beautiful day!

We spent a while up there chatting and enjoying the beautiful sunshine!

Around 5:30, we headed back to the East Bay and waited at my house. A friend of mine came in and my mom offered to pick her up from the airport. At this point, it was just me and the BMs and my friend from our new home. We headed to dinner at this Mexican place in Melissa's hometown.

We went back to Melissa's house and hung around and talked. It was very nice and relaxing. Melissa showed us a video of Sweeter when he was on their Elementary School's TV station. It was adorable. He makes all of the same facial expressions! It was hilarious!!

We got ready for bed and talked a bit more and then went to sleep. We were all exhausted from drinking wine all day and being out in the sun.

On Sunday morning I woke up and I had a little bit of Friend time! It was lovely!

She went down to help set up for the shower and I stayed upstairs and got ready for the day because my mom was picking me up and taking me to lunch while the girls got everything ready and set up.

My mom picked me up and we went to a winery for lunch. I had the most wonderful lunch with her! We cried a bit :-) It was so sweet! I am so lucky to have such a wonderful mom!!

my beautiful mom!

At 2, we headed over to the shower and we started everything! It was a blast! We took lots of pictures, had tea and mimosas and opened lots of presents! Sweeter and I scored some good loot!

the shower

We played 2 games. The first game was like a talk show. My Christine had emailed Sweeter and bunch of questions and he had to answer them. Then she asked me the questions and I had to answer them how I thought Sweeter would have.

i.e. What was the moment that you knew you were in love with La Tache?

and I had to guess how he had answered.

It was so romantic :-)

she won the hat contest...obviously! :-)

And the second game was MadLibs! It was hilarious! I'll have to type it up and post it!

And of course, Miss Laura was writing down everything that I was saying as I was opening gifts and then read them aloud as what I will say to Sweeter on our wedding night! Oh my gosh, it was hilarious! I haven't laughed that hard in a while!! I think it didn't help that his mom and grandparents were in the room...haha! It was hilarious!!

the gals!

I love this picture!

all my girls...minus 1

once my little, always my little!

my alpha gams!

all of the ladies!

Awe, Liz!

the R&L cookie and my bow/ribbon bouquet!

best wishes to the soon to be mrs! Love this!!

There was a lot of delicious tea time foods and lots of great company! The weather was beautiful and I am so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life!

us with our Mommas!

I have been thinking a lot recently about the people that I chose to spend my time with. Every woman that I have created a friendship with is unique in her own way and is special to me in her own way. I have been so blessed to have such amazing people that have been so supportive and always on my side.