Just a Friend and Friends with Kids

Since I’m home, and my brother and sister-in-law were visiting this weekend, my mom, sister-in-law and I sat down to watch Friends with Kids for a girls’ night on Friday. I’m such a sucker for a good chick flick, and though we didn’t have any wine (my sister-in-law and brother are expecting! ), my dad did go on a chocolate run for us. (Adorable much? … I have the best dad ever.)

So, on to this story about friends, love, life, and the messy situations that you’re bound to incur when combining the three.

The bare bones of the plot: Jason (Adam Scott) and Julie (Jennifer Westfeldt) are the absolute best of friends; they’re two peas in a pod, but part of a small click that’s made up of an additional 2 couples, who are both married and soon into the film have children. Julie and Jason swear up and down that they’re not at all sexually attracted to each other, and that they’re still waiting for “their people.”

Julie feels like she’s running out of time to have a baby. Jason knows that he too would like a child, but wants to skip the whole marriage and divorce thing. How romantic, eh? So, they develop a plan to have a baby together, but keep their friendship strictly platonic, live separately, date other people, and promise each other that they’ll be 100% committed to raising the child, 50% of the time.

The film is everything you’d hope for in a romantic comedy. Westfeldt, who wrote and directed the film, covers up a love story with jokes about relationships, sex, and the roller coaster ride that is a marriage. I think most guys would enjoy it too, and will definitely suggest it next time my beau and I are bored on a Friday night.)

Watch a quick trailer here:

*Spoiler alert!* If you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want me to ruin if for you, go rent it! Come back when you’re ready to discuss.

At a turning point in the film, Julie starts to develop feelings for Jason. Shocker right? So anyway, though her current boyfriend is grade-A husband material, she confesses to Jason that she is deeply in love with him, and thinks of him and their child as her family. Jason responds by saying that his current girlfriend, played by Megan Fox (ugh… get her out of my face), is moving in with him. Shocked and hurt, Julie basically stops interacting with Jason at all, aside from being “mommy” to their son, Joe.

I’m sorry, but who can’t relate to Julie here? Well, no, not the plotting to have a baby with your best friend part, but the “I love you as a friend” part. Shitty.

Having played hockey “with the boys” from when I was 3 until I was about 15, I grew up being able to get along with boys very easily; I was just one of the guys. Well, that turned out to be a problem when I started wanting to be seen as a girl (geez, forget somebody’s girlfriend).

But, now that I have my prince, (I know… you’re gagging) I wish I could have just enjoyed the friendships with the guys I was “just a friend” to. I guess, though, there’s something to be said about living, loving and learning.

If you ask me (and if you don’t, I’ll just tell you), I think I’m a cooler, more fun girlfriend for having grown up with so many guy friends.

My advice to someone who’s “just a friend” is to be just that. Be his friend. Either he’ll come to his senses and you’ll have a happy Hollywood ending, or you’ll come to yours, and find a new guy that does think you’re a great friend, but sexy as hell too.

Men suck, girl power and Taylor Swift songs.

Have you seen Friends with Kids? What’d ya think? Which character can you most relate to?

Guess Who’s Back?!

Well, it’s about time y’all knew; David (my bf) and I are officially back from Florida!

Long story short, (I’ll spare you the details about how f’d up the whole situation was), we were both laid off from the same company, on the same day, at the same time, and stuck in Florida without jobs and without any savings. Whoops!

Surprisingly, though, the main thing on our minds was our families. We missed home, but we were willing to take on this new challenge, and give our Florida journey another year or two. We did our best to let go of anger and resentment, pick up the pieces, and move on from the promises that were made and lies that were told.

We actually both found new jobs in St. Pete fairly quickly. (Yeah… we’re awesome like that .) I was working as a wedding coordinator for Suncoast Weddings, and David became the new graphic designer at Welproma. However, even the combination of our paychecks wasn’t going to cover our bills, let alone the lifestyle we enjoy. So, we started to look at our situation like this:

Option 1) struggle in Florida alone, as cheese-less, Packer-less, Badger-less and snow-less beach bums. (I love snow; sorry ’bout it)

or

Option 2) start over back home, surrounded by family, friends and contacts from college.

We both enjoyed our new positions, but not more than we enjoy spending time with our families. We’ll miss, and are grateful for our short-term employers, but we obviously chose “Option 2.”

Our experience in Florida provided an involuntary opportunity to learn a few life lessons. (I suppose, though, that rarely do we choose to learn life lessons.)

First, take a chance. It took some balls to start such an adventure, and I’m still glad that we gave it a go. Second, if things don’t work out the way you’d planned, accept your new situation and move on. We rolled with the punches for a while, made the decision to come home, and couldn’t be more excited for our next adventure.

Our other important discoveries:

1. Family is our first priority.

2. Florida is for vacationing.

3. You find out who your friends are.

4. Get it in writing.

5. There’s no place like home. <3

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I also learned that I have allergies.

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What’s the most recent or most important life lesson that you’ve learned?

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Stanley Cup Commercials

I could go on and on about hockey, and why it’s the best sport in the world. It was my first love. When I was 3 years old, I asked for hockey gear for Christmas. Once I hit the ice, I fell in love. Besides being awesome, and mastering backwards skating before most of the boys my age, apparently I loved hockey so much that I would let my big brother shoot pucks at me in the driveway. (And my mom tells me that he wasn’t holding back! … probably why I didn’t become a goalie.)

So naturally, I sat down to watch Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight. In case you’re not following the series, it could be over soon; the LA Kings are killin’ it. Brodeur is a great goalie, but the whole Devils squad is getting outplayed. After winning tonight, the Kings are only one win away from a first-ever franchise win, and an off-season surely filled with all the glory that they deserve.

The following commercial was aired between the 2nd and 3rd period, and I wanted to share it with you. Whoever creates these commercials is a genius. They let non-hockey people see past the black eyes, cut lips and missing teeth, while evoking emotions from all hockey lovers that remind us of our glory days. Ugh… I love hockey, AND hockey boys! (And yes, they’ll always be boys. ) Enjoy!

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I can’t even imagine how true this is. Love it.

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Definitely my favorite. I get teary-eyed every time…

The next game is Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. Tune in, and you might see a bunch of men act like boys, a 35-pound trophy hoisted in the air like a feather and hear… well, no words.

A Quick Trip Down Memory Lane

It’s Sunday… we’re all bored, dreading the work week that’s getting closer and closer. Had a list of crap to finish by the end of the day in order to feel productive? Me too. But first… let’s procrastinate a little longer, and have a laugh while taking a quick trip down memory lane. C’mon, it’ll be fun.

Here’s what comes to mind when I match a “blast from the past” with each of my categories. Remember something else? Comment below!

Dress Up: Starter jackets

Maybe it was different for me, growing up a tomboy. But really… you weren’t cool if you weren’t wearing a Starter jacket. Eventually I got my brother’s hand-me-down Florida Panthers jacket… holes and all. Haha, I still loved it.

Deck Out: Scrunchies

…a must for your hair AND your wrist! Here’s a pic of my little sister rockin’ a scrunchie. It toootally matches her Toronto Maple Leafs hat, Southwest Eagles fleece and bell bottom jeans with gems at the bottom. You go girl. Seriously though, how frickin’ cute was she?

Top Off: Butterfly clips and baby blue eyeshadow

I mean, not cute. What else is there to say?

Eat Up: Cold Lunches

Thank God my daddy packed me a “cold lunch” every day. It literally wasn’t until high school when I started SOMETIMES eating hot lunch. And that was only on taco salad or pizza day. Ew… But anyway, here are some of the goodies I used to find in my lunch box, surrounded by little ice packs shaped like cars (yeah that’s how I roll).

Spruce Up: Pet nets

Oh, the way we used to decorate our rooms. And I definitely remember arranging my stuffties so that everyone could see (and breathe) … no butts were in any faces, just like the pic below.

Work Out: … Perhaps better labeled “Play”

Remember when you didn’t have to force yourself to work out? I mean between playing tag, pushing each other on the swing (who doesn’t love underducks?), running through the sprinkler, and riding your bike to the store that had grape soda in a vending machine outside, you definitely burned off your mac and cheese or PB&J by dinner time. And then, it was back outside to chase lightning bugs or shoot hoops by garage light.

Sing Out: 90′s Pop

We could talk about the obvious: ‘N Sync vs. Backstreet Boys, Britney vs. Christina and of course the reign of the SPICE Girls. But do you remember:

Sugar Ray, Barenaked Ladies, Counting Crows, Wallflowers, Seal, Boyz II Men, Will Smith, Quad City DJ’s, Los Del Rio (Macarena), TLC, Hanson, Blackstreet, Coolio, Alanis Morissette and Smash Mouth? And thank God for Celine Dion. Who else could have gotten us through Jack’s tragic death? Thanks to her, we knew that his heart would go on and on.

Live Well, Laugh Often & Love Hard: 90′s TV

Think of all the life lessons you learned while sitting in front of the boob tube. Live Well: Family is everything. My favorite fams? The Seavers from Growing Pains, the Camdens from Seventh Heaven and the Lawrence Brothers from Brotherly Love.  Laugh Often: I can’t lie, I still laugh during reruns of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Everybody Loves Raymond and Friends.
Love Hard: True love DOES exist. Just look at Cory and Topanga.

Yup… those were the good ol’ days.

What’s something that you miss from your childhood? Comment below!

Are You the New Girl?

Starting a new job is both exciting and nerve-wracking. If you’re lucky, the position you’re filling and the company you’re working for are both your preference. I think we’ve all had jobs or bosses that sucked… ugh, there’s nothing worse, is there?! After all, most of us spend at least 8 hours a day at work.

But even if you land your dream job at a company that you can’t wait to work for, you’ll still be the new kid. There’s always a learning curve. There will be technical things about your job that will take time to learn: how to file something, what information to enter for an order, how the files are organized on the server, etc. There will also be “cultural” things you’ll need to learn: what time everyone takes lunch, if people take breaks, whom people turn to for the company gossip, who has been around the longest, who is most respected, the language people use in certain situations, etc.

Believe me, I know how stressful a new job can be. In fact, I’m “the new girl” at Suncoast Weddings and Events in St. Pete Beach, FL. While it only took working at one wedding to understand the culture of the company, I’m still learning the ins and outs of how things are organized, the process of taking information and updating details to our server, etc. Even the easiest things can cause stress. For example, my boss was on “line 1,” and “line 2″ started ringing. I literally couldn’t figure out how to answer the phone. Luckily she hung up, and was able to take the second call. Talk about feeling incompetent!

I do give myself credit for not being afraid to ask questions, though. From taking college courses and from previous job experience, I know that I learn best by asking questions, writing things down and physically going through the steps of completing a task while someone explains how to do it.

So, the first couple of phone calls will be nerve-wracking, and the next few weddings might be stressful. But, I have a feeling (and my boss has told me ) that everything will become a habit fairly quickly, especially now that we’ve entered wedding season! Practice makes perfect, right?

Do new jobs stress you out? In the comments section below, share a story of something crazy that happened while you were a newbie!

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Steal her Style: Khloe Kardashian

I saw this picture on Celebrityfashionista.com, and just HAD to find similar items that fit my workin’ girl budget. With a super casual, super cute, striped long-sleeve tee, relaxed “distressed” jeans and a pair of fabulous wedge sandals, Khloe pulls off a sexy, sporty, NORMAL girl look perfectly. I can’t wait to steal her style!

Let’s start with my favorite part… shoes!!

BCBGeneration Makala $98

Fergie Indie Nude $79.95

GUESS Asila 2 $99

Seychelles Midas Touch $90

Now for some sporty stripes!

Hive & Honey Mini Stripe Tee $29.99

Laura Ashley Active Long Sleeve Shirt $10.95

C&C California Cut Out 3/4 Sleeve Top $84

Couple your stripes with some distressed, flirty jeans.

Artist Crop Jeans $49.50

Two Button Destroyed Capris $15 (yup!)

A place to put your lip gloss and cell phone? Gotcha covered.

Bueno Sand Washed Mini Bag from Target $19.99

Bueno Sand Washed Shoulder Bag from Target $34.99

And don’t forget your sunnies!

Rocawear $45

Converse Half Stack Tortoise $49.99

Combine one piece from each category and you’ll be ready to rock, celebrity style. Personally, I’m obsessed with the Laura Ashley Active Long Sleeve Shirt for 10 bucks, and the BCBGeneration Makalas. Might have to order those babies right now!

What’s your favorite piece?!

Friday Fashion Finds at Ross Dress for Less

It’s getting pretty toasty down here in the Sunshine State! Although we’re still technically celebrating Spring, for this Wisconsin girl, it sure does feel like the summer sun is in full effect.

With warming temps and more outside entertainment, my drabby winter wardrobe was in need of a big-time face lift. I was desperate for some pops of color and lightweight fabric to kick off the month of May.

After a disappointing visit to Kohl’s (I’m on a tight budget, and had a coupon for 30% off but didn’t see anything I liked), I popped in to Ross Dress for Less to take a quick shuffle through their racks… and racks… and racks of discounted pieces. Honestly, I was surprised by how many cute items I found! Take a look.

Colors!

1. red sleeveless BeBop dress with faux drawstring and pockets

2. cap sleeve multi-color belted city triangles dress with pockets

back view ↓

The crisscrossing of fabric creates a flirty keyhole.
See a tan towel ↓ where your back would show. Cute!

3. multi-color palm-leaf-patterned derek heart dress
with a cap sleeve, cutout in back and faux drawstring

4. sheer cobalt blue Mushka by Sienna Rose Inc. top with butterfly sleeve

5. sheer leopard print Black Rainn coverup with bishop sleeve and drawstring

drawstring at the waist

I will definitely keep Ross on my radar when I’m ready for some more closet updates. Each piece was under $20. Pretty hard to beat that, eh?!

Have you ever shopped at Ross Dress for Less? What’d ya think? Comment below!

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