Nerdy Thirty
So, I’ve officially left my 20s behind me and I’m a 30 year old woman now. The age that I’ve looked forward to for so long! I’ve finally celebrated with some of my best and oldest friends, as well as newer and equally awesome friends. I’ve got lots to look forward to, including the Color Me Rad 5K and my husband’s birthday (he’s slowly catching up, but I’ll be a cougar according to him until next year.) I am incredibly excited to start this next decade of my life. Here’s to many more!
Karaoke
Photo Booth Fun
I Married Jigsaw
It’s a shame my husband can’t work Howl-O-Scream. His behavior is pretty regular, but this time was more involved than usual. I was yelling at him and he was replying this way, that’s why it seems disjointed.
Jigsaw’s Messages, Part 1
Jigsaw’s Messages, Part 2
Gettin’ Fit
So one of my perpetual resolutions/goals is to be healthier. Eat healthier, work out, drink water, that sort of thing. I go in and out of it, having joined a gym last year to get ready for my Hawaiian honeymoon. Once I got back, I got busy with Howl O Scream and now I’m going about once a month.
This is still better from the first time I joined a gym, as that gym was more expensive and I didn’t go at all after a while. 
But with my husband’s obsession with the latest gaming systems came a silver lining. You see, the Xbox One comes with the Kinect. Which you use to play “games” like Zumba World Party. Which was on sale a few weeks back for $29.99. Which I was able to buy with an Amazon gift card I received for Christmas. It was serendipity!
Zumba World Party
Again, my husband’s obsession led to him making sure he has an Xbox Live Gold Membership (or something like that), which gives me access to Xbox Fitness. Here, there are many different workouts from different fitness programs and trainers, including Jillian Michaels. And our SmartTV gives me access to other workouts as well! I plan on trying yoga there.
Basically, I’m probably going to need to cancel my gym membership.
I’m also working on what I eat. I’ve stopped drinking Coca Cola altogether — getting past the initial caffeine withdrawal is the hard part. Next, I want to stop drinking soda altogether and begin drinking the amount of water I’m supposed to. My friend had this water bottle, so I got one, too. Makes it much easier to know what I need to drink. Just makes me wish the restrooms were closer to my office.
Water Bottle – Holds your 8 glasses a day!
I’ve also been eating more salmon and making breakfast sandwiches with wheat bread. Daily breakfast is another high priority item for me, as it can help my metabolism get started for the day. I’m sure it’ll take a while for me to see the results of my work, but I sure to feel better after dancing in my living room to Zumba! (As well as glad no one is taping me, for a Puerto Rican, I sometimes really can’t dance.) Even if it’s slowly, I’ll surely get there.
Islander on Ice Skates
Some of you may have noticed by now that I’m from an island. Puerto Rico, to be exact. We enjoy warm weather year round, no white Christmases, much less ice skating.
You’d think the same would go for Florida, but no, they put a real ice rink in our downtown park. I met up with a friend for her birthday this past weekend and to enjoy a few laps around ice/slush/puddles/ice.
Look ma, I’m skating!
I was hoping it would be quite similar to roller blading, and in some ways it was — except for roller blades having brakes and not being capable of slicing your fingers off. There were many a small child around being children, so that made me quite uneasy. At one point, a little girl tried to swerve around me and fell. I screamed in my head as I slowly maneuvered past her “Don’t cut her with your skate!!”
I didn’t, thank goodness.
The rink was a bit small, so going in circles got a little old, but I was able to catch up with the many, many (seriously, she’s been to so many places) adventures of a friend I hadn’t seen in almost a year. That makes for a good Saturday night.
Ice skating? No, just ice standing.
No Longer a Newlywed
A year ago today, in front of friends and family, I made a promise to a man. I promised him I’d try to learn to cook (working on it), I promised not to spoil anything on The Walking Dead for him (haven’t), I promised to go to HHN and laugh at him (and he also laughed at me) and I promised not to ask for our future children to be named Dora and Diego (never said anything about middle names.)
And now, here we are, officially no longer newlyweds, and I am so grateful to have found him and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to spend the rest of my life with him.
Lou (usually referred to as Handy Manny in this blog) and I weren’t star crossed lovers or high school sweethearts. In fact, when we first met working together at the dealership, we very much so felt (or acted) like the other had cooties and we fought like we did with our cousins. So we were like cousins.
Until we weren’t. One Christmas, God (or whatever higher power you want, or none at all, whatever) saw fit to tell us, “Seriously, guys, stop fooling yourselves.” And since then, it’s been one fun adventure after the other, with hopefully many, many more to come.
Our time together has been far from perfect, but it has been thrilling and fun and full of laughter and love. We have learned to negotiate and compromise with each other (LBR, that’s still generally means what I want.) We have learned how we each communicate so we can really hear each other (over gun blasts in Call of Duty.) We’ve mastered the art of leaving any disagreements in the house or in the car (because it doesn’t belong anywhere else and no one else cares.)
I wake up every morning and I’m excited he’s there. When he balters with me, it makes me smile (and laugh) like an idiot. I’m sometimes still surprised that he loves me as much as I love him (and that he puts up with me and has for close to 3 years now.) I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with this man, so here’s to the first of many, many, many, many fun and exciting years together. Lou, I love you more than I can say. Thank you for being the love of my life.
And for being pretty. It helps.
Small Business Saturday
Support small businesses! Shop Small!
Today is small business Saturday, so I’d like to take a moment to use this platform to introduce some small businesses I’m rather fond of, starting with my own.
S & G Crafts makes fun fabric flip flops that make great stocking stuffers! I’m a Florida girl, so I’m in flip flops at least 11 months out of the year, and the fabric straps are much more comfortable than typical rubber straps that rub on your foot and can burn you if left out in the sun. Check out my shop with some available options, or contact me for custom designs! http://www.etsy.com/shop/SnGCrafts
Bunting and Banners was started by a bride after she enjoyed DIYing her own wedding. She created custom bunting banners for weddings, holidays, baby showers and birthday parties — and probably more! She also creates wedding decor customized to your theme. Her shop with some of her beautiful creations can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BuntingandBanners
Vintage Box 1947 provided me with my purple birdcage veil for my wedding, and she has so many beautiful vintage style accessories available. If you’re having an offbeat wedding, or just generally like to accessorize stylishly, be sure to check out her store! A few Black Friday sales are currently in effect! http://www.vintagebox1947.com
Carole’s Wedding Whimsy has a lot of unique, whimsical decor for weddings and other events. After being the wedding planner for her own and her daughter’s wedding, Carole began creating and repurposing fun pieces that will fit your mod, rustic or shabby chic wedding! http://www.etsy.com/shop/CarolesWeddingWhimsy
Petals By Claire was started by a bride who wanted a custom bouquet that she could keep forever. Her beautiful creations can be made to order, fitting the colors, style and budget of your wedding. She also creates other floral accessories for weddings, from boutonnieres for the guys to flower girl crowns and more! http://www.etsy.com/shop/PetalsByClaire
And there are a LOT more wonderful small shops that I love, but I can’t make this go on forever. If you’d like to check out some of my other favorite shops (from home decor to bath products to clothes and acessories), you can check all those out here: http://www.etsy.com/people/thereenski/favorites?type=shops
I hope you’ll support your local economy by shopping small today. Me? I’m off to my favorite family owned pizza place that makes the best pizza in town. 🙂
Have You Checked Out Singles and Pairs?
Since this blog is more about me and my quest to finish the list (and a few existential crises), I thought I’d steer you over to another blog that I contribute to – Singles and Pairs!
Singles and Pairs
Singles and Pairs is a lifestyle blog for singles and twosomes in the “pre-children” stage of life. Several authors contribute on a variety of topics — from crafts for the home, reviews of books, restaurants, and services, and just about every day life. Be sure to check it out, comment and share with your friends!
Our society doesn’t know anything about marriage
A little more on marriage that I generally agree with.
Oh, there are certainly some individuals, some couples, that possess immense wisdom and knowledge on the subject; wisdom and knowledge earned from years of experience, crafted with an intuition and maturity that few achieve and fewer even attempt to achieve. Some people in our society know something about marriage. My parents know plenty about it. They’ve been married for over 30 years, they’ve had six kids; they’ve seen the ups and downs, they’ve withstood every challenge and obstacle that the world can present. Their marriage is real, their love is real, and it’s an inspiration to me and my wife. There are some in my parents’ camp, but our society as a whole? No.
No, it doesn’t know a thing about marriage.
Just look at what we’ve done to the institution. Look at the sorry state of the sacrament. Consider how frivolously and arrogantly many of us flutter in and…
View original post 1,128 more words
Marriage Isn’t For You
Great thoughts on marriage, especially as we approach our first anniversary…
Having been married only a year and a half, I’ve recently come to the conclusion that marriage isn’t for me.
Now before you start making assumptions, keep reading.
I met my wife in high school when we were 15 years old. We were friends for ten years until…until we decided no longer wanted to be just friends. 🙂 I strongly recommend that best friends fall in love. Good times will be had by all.
Nevertheless, falling in love with my best friend did not prevent me from having certain fears and anxieties about getting married. The nearer Kim and I approached the decision to marry, the more I was filled with a paralyzing fear. Was I ready? Was I making the right choice? Was Kim the right person to marry? Would she make me happy?
Then, one fateful night, I shared these thoughts and concerns with my dad.
Perhaps each…
View original post 594 more words
Thirty Is Not a Dirty Word
Here I sit, about three and a half months from my 30th birthday. I’m somewhat unconventional in that this is not only a birthday I’m looking forward to, but one I’ve been anticipating since my teens.
Don’t get me wrong, I remember the days of only being 110 pounds and being able to line dance circles around the “posers” at the Dallas Bull. I remember nights that lasted until the morning and mornings that I didn’t quite make it out of bed. I would still love to wear pajamas everywhere, but I’ll have to wait for it to be socially acceptable.
So I’ve always disliked the idea that life ends at 30. I think part of why I’ve looked forward to hitting this milestone is the feeling that I’ll finally be a grown up. Being an only child, I think I’ve always been closest to my parents, and I still want to be like them. And to me, they’ve always been grown ups, something not well defined by anything other than their ages. Sure, they were once in their 20s, but I only knew of their life around 30 and that life was pretty amazing to my little eyes.
Yes, I would have liked to have started a family by now, but someone took to long to profess his love, so we’re a bit behind. So my life could have “started” before 30. Still, it was worth the wait and will be worth “delays” to go on this and many other amazing adventures with my husband. And so many other friends of mine are just getting started — one is finishing her PhD, another enjoying weekly concerts and going on cruises for her job. If ever it was a fantastic time to be staring 30 square in the eye, it’s now.
I may never get the American dream I grew up chasing. I may not surpass my parents accomplishments on paper. But I have never been happier or note optimism about the challenges and rewards that lie ahead of me.
I feel like my life is just getting ready to begin. The grown up responsibilities are a weird kind of stressful fun; standing on my own two feet and showing my parents that they did good is a fantastic feeling.
No Dirty Thirty for me. Just It’s About Time Thirty.
Reenie Keen is Dead and Gone 