Saving $$$

Have you heard of LivingSocial?  Up until a few weeks ago I hadn't and I'm glad that I found them!  (Or maybe I've been living under a rock and everyone's heard of them!)

Here's how it works (quoted from LivingSocial):

LivingSocial offers one fantastic deal every day with discounts of up to 90% at local restaurants, bars, spas, theaters, and more. 

the daily deal:  Each day, we send you one deeply discounted deal to use at local businesses.  Sign up to get our daily email.

click to buy:  Purchase our daily deals with one easy click.  you will receive your deal the next business day.  It's that simple!

share for a free deal:  After you buy the deal, you'll get a unique link to share.  If three people buy the deal using your link then your deal is free.

Here's today's deals:  http://livingsocial.com/cities

You can sign up for a daily email and they will send you the deal of the day each day.

So, what have I bought?

A One-Hour On-Location Photo Shoot with $50 to spend on prints.  Given that I didn't get as many Wedding photos that I liked as I had hoped to, I was really hoping to get some sort of 'anniversary shoot' done.  This seemed like a great option.  I haven't setup my appointment yet, I will be doing that sometime soon (after our anniversary trip this weekend).  Afterward, I'll post a review and let you all know how it goes.

Has anyone else used LivingSocial?  Did you have a good experience or bad one?  Have you found any other sites that are similar?  (I just signed up for Groupon) 

Happy Friday!

I'm so glad it's Friday!  My parents are here and I can't wait to spend the weekend with them.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  I love reading so I thought I'd participate in Fill in the Blank about books!

1.  My favorite book growing up was To Kill A Mocking Bird

2.  The funniest book I've ever read was I have no idea, maybe Confessions of a Shop-a-holic, I thought it was quite funny when I read it for the first time (a couple of years ago)

3.  The one book that has truly changed my life is one that I just finished reading, 'The Help'.  It really was an eye opener to what life was really like during those times.

4.  If you're looking for a real "tear jerker" you should probably read 'The Wedding' or 'The Notebook'.  I read them at work during my lunch hour and couldn't stop crying!

5.  If I could meet any author living or dead I would want to meet would probably be Harper Lee or Jane Austen or Kathryn Stockett.

6.  The next book on my "to read" list is 'Heart of the Matter' by Emily Griffin.  It's coming out in a few days and I'm looking forward to it.

7.  If I was snowed into  remote cabin in the woods and could only choose three books to bring with me I'd bring either the Shop-a-holic series or Emily Griffin's series.


I am looking for other book recommendations, so if you have any, let me know!

Hi if you're stopping by from New Friend Friday!

A perspective on friends

The other day, I found out that my best friend M, that lives in CA, is coming to NC the weekend of my Birthday and I am beyond thrilled (one more thing to adding to my hurry up and get here list).  I am so excited that she's going to come to our home and visit us, it's a first.  It got me thinking about friendships and traveling.  I'll give you a little background at first. 

I come from a small city in Upstate NY (like really far - I can see Canada - Upstate) and moved to Western NY for college.  I kept up with my best friend from high school throughout college as she was only 20 minutes away, but it wasn't the easiest friendship to keep up with.  In the later years, I went to visit her at her school more frequently, and I became friends with some of her friends (girls) as well.  I don't want to go into what happened, so I'll call it somewhat of a falling out ensued, and put more strain on my relationship with my high school friend.  

Most of my friends at my college were boys (except for M).  (Side note:  M and I had numerous discussions about how hard it was to meet 'girls' at our school to be friends.  We sometimes felt like the two most 'normal' girls in our classes.  This might sound weird to you but in our major we were 2 of the 6 girls in a class of 125 that graduated together, so we were surrounded by few girls to begin with.)

Following graduation KC and I moved to NC, M moved to CA and the others stayed in the North East (NE).  The guys I hung out with scattered and I only stayed friends with one.  That one guy has since moved and fallen off of the face of the planet.  I talked with most of the girls every 1-2 months.  Lately it's dwindled down to less (and sometimes just an email).  M and I talk(ed) as frequently as possible, sometimes weekly, sometimes, monthly, depends on the situation, what's going on in our lives, but nothing has changed in our friendship over the years (heck we went 3 years without seeing one another after graduation).  The frequency does not impact us at all and that is something I continue to cherish. 

With M's impending visit, it got me thinking:  What happened to my (other) old friends?  Why is it so hard to meet new (local) friends?  When did friendships change?  

I feel like getting married really changed things for our (mostly single) friends here.  When we were just dating it wasn't a big deal but being married we don't see things the same way as them anymore.  We have different goals and ideas.  I find it hard to make new friends sometimes, I don't have that out-going personality, but that's for another post.  The other girls graduated as well, got jobs and some are married themselves.  Everyone has a different life now.

I've lived here for a couple of years and our visitors have been limited to family, 1 college friend, local friends and now M.  I was really shocked when I realized this.  First, I got upset that people didn't visit, or make the effort to see us.  I can't say that we 100% go visit them but every time we are in the NE we make and effort to connect with them on some level.  Then I realized that me being upset is really not justified, it's simply me being selfish.  We all have (different) lives to live and vacations to take and things to do.  Friendships change and evolve over time.  

I used this quote in my senior profile for my high school yearbook and I think it puts things into perspective:

“We all take different paths in life,
  but no matter where we go,
  we take a little of each other everywhere.”

~ Tim McGraw

This really puts things into perspective for me.  At some point in my life I knew someone and somewhere down the road our paths diverged, and it's probably nothing either of us did.  But I will always carry those friendships with me.  There are pieces of those times that made me who I am today.  I will still do whatever I can to make it work and do whatever I can to see these people and continue a relationship with them.  If they need something, then I am there however I can be.  If they return later on then, that's a gift to me. 
 

"A friend is a gift you give yourself."

~Robert Louis Stevenson

For now, I'll give my current friendships my all.  Do whatever I can to make them ever-lasting and appreciate every last one of them. 

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had friendships that change over the course of time.  Were you surprised at how friendships changed after high school? college? marriage?

Hurry up and get here already

There's so much going on in the next month or so that I feel like I'm sitting around waiting for the days to get here and things to happen.  Maybe if I get it our of my system it won't feel so far away!

1.  Heart of the Matter comes out in 7 days and I really need something new to read!  

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2.  Mom and Dad are driving down today and tomorrow to move my sister out of our house and into her apartment.  I haven't seen them since Christmas!

3.  Tuesday is two-fer Tuesday at Coldstone!  Buy 1 Kids (Ice Cream + 1 Mix-in) and get 1 free.  So we get 2 ice creams for $2.39!!  We've made it a ritual to go with another couple every week.  Who can pass up on that offer!

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4.  There are lots of movies coming out in May that I'm looking forward to seeing.

 

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5.  Our first anniversary is less than 2 weeks away and I can't wait to go on vacation with KC to Savannah to celebrate.  I need to plan what we're going to do and where we should try to eat.

6.  In June we're going to NYC for another short trip.  While there we will see my cousin and her husband, hopefully take in a NYY game at the new stadium, a Broadway show and I'm not sure what else (any suggestions?).

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7.  I've made it through 2 weeks of my 10K training only 5 more to go. I just want to be able to run the whole thing already!

8.  I won VIP tickets to see 'The Color Purple' at a local performing arts center at the end of May and I'm really excited to go!

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9.  My Birthday is less than a month away so 2 things.  I'm fearing up for a free burrito, free ice cream and free burger.  Plus, for the first time I actually want something (ok 2 things) for my birthday.  I usually have no clue when people ask me what I want!

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10. I will be running in the Komen Race for the Cure in June (about 1 week after my 10K) and I'm really looking forward to it!  (I just wish the other people would join my team and that I had the personality to solicit ppl for donations better)

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For now I will sit back and patiently wait for things to happen and enjoy today.  What are you looking forward to?  Have a great day!

Jack & Jill Shower Inspiration #2

If you remember back to this post, I'm planning a Jack & Jill shower for some friends who are getting married in October.  Since our summer is filling up quickly, I'm trying to do some planning early.  We've finally set a date of early August.


The new Summer Mini for Stampin' Up has arrived and it gave me another great idea that I am really excited about.  A Hawaiian Luau themed shower.  When I saw pages 26 & 27 of the catalog I was immediately inspired.  That, with the birthday party that I read about Running from the Law throwing for her husband, I was inspired to give it a try!


The beautiful Designer Series Paper and Tropical Party stamp set will help to create some cute invitations.

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Also the matching party favor boxes and the same stamp set will be great for some favors!  I think the boxes would be cute with some flip flop or flower shaped chocolates or cookies!

 

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This SU Designer Printed Album would make a great scrapbook for the couple to add pictures from the shower to and even for the guests to sign!

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Party City to the rescue again for the other supplies!
(All image below from Source)


For the yard, how about some strings of Round Lantern Lights to hang on the trees and some Tiki Torches strewn throughout the yard.

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We'll decorate the tables with some coconut bowl candle holders and maybe some table skirts.

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I'm still looking for game suggestions and prizes will probably be some little liquor bottles or something similar but doesn't pineapple bowling sound like fun for a kids (or neighborhood) Luau party?!?!

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We've definitely got some music options to choose from if we can't come up with some on our own.

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And plenty of tableware options as well.

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The decoration choices are endless! I would like to make sure that it doesn't look like everything was just purchased and put up (I hate strongly dislike the word 'tacky' but that's what comes to mind as to what I'm avoiding).  Nothing too loud or anything that screams 'Kid!' but something that is fun and 'classy' (this word seems kinda silly to describe a Luau) at the same time!


Now I'd need to figure out a menu.  The Pig Roast idea wouldn't sit well with some of the attendees so we're going to pass on that.


Googling provided me with a few ideas:

• Ham and Glazed Pineapple Snacks
• Bacon Wrapped Pineapple
• Macadamia Nut Crusted Chicken
• Pineapple Chicken kabobs
• Hawaiian Lemonade 

There were lots of other ideas here as well!


Have you ever thrown a Luau themed party?  Any other suggestions?  Any other Jack & Jill shower theme suggestions?