a day of love

What did you do for Valentine's Day yesterday?  We had a pretty low key, typical Saturday...Mike worked.  I went to the gym & grocery shopped.  Mike and I don't really do presents anymore except for each other's birthday but when he came home at lunch, he tossed me an envelope and inside the envelope was a silicon wedding ring.  How romantic, huh?  :)

Back story - Mike bought a silicon wedding ring for himself a few months ago to wear to work.  He has a tungsten wedding band, which is incredibly durable but also heavy and probably a little dangerous to wear as a law enforcement officer so he got the silicon ring so it could be cut off easily, if necessary.  It's all the rage amongst his law enforcement friends.  I've been talking about getting myself one so I could wear it during activities like hiking, biking, rafting, & camping because I do not wear my wedding ring when I do stuff like that.  Hence the reason he got me the silicon ring.  It looks like this one except it's pink.  The heart is so cute.

While Mike was at work I made some chocolate covered strawberries.  I had never done it before and thought it would be super complicated but it was actually the easiest thing ever and they turned out great.  I just melted chocolate chips with a little grape seed oil(per other recipes, this is what makes them shiny) in the microwave in 20 second intervals until they were melted, washed & dried the strawberries, then dipped the strawberries in the chocolate, then put them in the fridge to harden.  They were very tasty!

I made shrimp enchiladas for dinner and we watched Hall Pass.  Have you seen that movie?  It cracks me up - there are definitely some laugh out loud moments.

Aside from the silicon wedding ring and the chocolate covered strawberries, it was a normal Saturday for us.

What did you do?  Was your day filled with love? ;)

it's time for me to take a Facebook break

I just deactivated my Facebook account!  This obviously doesn't need an announcement to the world and most people won't even notice but as I got to thinking about the reasons I'm taking a break from Facebook, it seemed like it could be an 'interesting' blog post and maybe some of you can relate.

Why I like Facebook:

- Since I live far away from my family and close friends, it's a great way to connect me with those people instead of making a million phones calls each month. (but let's be honest, I would never make those phone calls each month...I can barely manage calling my Mom and Dad each month)

- For the most part, I really love seeing peoples updates, their travels, their kids, their life changes, etc.

- I follow a bunch of fitness groups and fitness people so I do enjoy seeing those updates and that fitness information.

Why I'm taking a Facebook(known as 'fb' from here out) break:

(for the record, I know I'm guilty of some of this also!)

- At this point, I've restricted my fb posts/pictures so much that probably about 90% of my "friends" cannot see anything I post.

- I've adjusted my "News Feed" so much that I don't see many of the updates from the "friends."  My feed is mostly close friends or fitness related.

- I hate all the political posts on fb.  I realize fb is a tool for political and social movement but frankly I go to fb for the fun and motivational stuff.  I'm not interested in hearing why you do or don't support gun control, etc. And honestly, it can sometimes make me change my opinion about you. (not that you care about my opinion but nonetheless.)

- On a similar note, I'm so sick of the judgmental and passive aggressive comments.  I'm not a parent but it must be maddening for parents because there are so many judgmental comments made about parenting styles.  Good grief, can't we lift each other up and support all ways of parenting instead of telling someone they are doing it wrong?  Fitness posts also get a lot of rude comments.  It's amazing how people hide behind their social media accounts.  Whatever happened to "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it at all?"  Man, people can be darn right vicious on social media.
- I love seeing pictures of your vacation or your family pictures but if you post 150 pictures on your vacation, you have lost me.  Sorry - I'm not going to look through that many pictures.  I don't even spend that much time going through my own pictures.

- Unless we are truly "friends," I'm probably not going to accept your friend request.  I receive a lot of requests from co-workers and I generally do not accept them or I put you on my Restricted list so you cannot see anything I post.  Sorry but it's true!  Find me on LinkedIn if you want to connect.  

- We are in a world of over-sharing and I go through those phases occasionally too(I mean, I have a public blog for goodness sake) but I do get annoyed when people WAY over share.  Some things are just meant to be kept to yourself. (trust me, I've done this too!)

- I hate that I feel an obligation to check fb every day, multiple times per day.  

- Most of my fitness stuff can be found in blogs or on instagram(instagram is a lot easier to control what you see) so I really don't need fb for the fitness stuff.  (Yes, I plan to keep insta for now)

- I don't enjoy seeing "news" from family and friends via fb.  If it's important enough, then I can call, email, or text to let people know and vice versa.

- It irks me when I miss a post from a friend and that friend makes a comment like, "didn't you see that on fb?"  Ugh!  Are you relying on fb to share information with me?

- Hurt feelings have occurred by things that have been posted on fb.  I never want to hurt someone's feelings by something I do or don't post of fb.

Ultimately, fb is just not fun for me anymore so I think it's time to take a break.  I may come back to fb but I'm going to give it a break for now.  I never thought I could get rid of our DVR and we did that over a year ago(and shocker...I haven't really missed it) so I feel like I can manage living without fb. :)

Can you relate?  Are you pro-fb or anti-fb?  Or somewhere in between?

beautiful new garden beds

Spring is just around the corner... :)
Mike was exploring various plans for new raised garden beds for our garden area back in October.  On Saturday in October, I woke up, he said he took the day off, he had found some garden bed plans online, and we were going to go to the gym and then Home Depot for supplies.  Ummm...ok, sounds good to me.  So off we went!  For the record, I love when Mike takes a day off on Saturday or Sunday!

As I picked up dog poo in the back yard(which is gross & takes forever) and cleaned out the plants from our garden this year, he was in the driveway making my garden beds.  I couldn't believe how fast they came together.  I did have to make two additional trips to Lowe's(Lowe's is closer than Home Depot) because Mike needed a few items, which you can probably imagine I was thrilled about.

Story time - I sort of hate going to Lowe's or Home Depot by myself...it causes me some anxiety because the stores are very overwhelming.  Luckily, Mike found the items he needed online so I could just go into the store, show the picture to someone, and they took me right to the location.  Also - in my experience, Home Depot has much better customer service than Lowe's.  Mike and I were in Home Depot for 5 minutes and we were asked by 5 different people if we needed help.  Also, there was an employee in practically every other aisle so it was easy to find assistance.  I had to hunt someone down in Lowe's and then he acted as though he was inconvenienced by me asking him to show me where two items were.  Nothing irritates me more than people in customer service who act annoyed by customers...that.is.your.job!  Quit being annoyed by your customers!

Here are the pictures of the garden beds - aren't they spectacular?  I wish we had a bigger yard so I could have more garden beds.  Next project will be to make a compost bin of some sort...hopefully!

Before

One done!

All done!  They are filled with dirt now in case you were wondering.

lovely holidays

How were your holidays?

Ours were lovely and spent with my side of the family in NE.  We were able to see all my immediate family, a good portion of my extended family on my Dad's side, & some of our best friends.  We had a lot of fun, lots of laughs, enjoyed delicious food, & endured ridiculously cold temperatures.  ;)  It's always hard to say goodbye but it's very nice to be home again...although the temps have been cold in NM too.  I like our "rotation" for the holidays (Mike's family one year, my family the next year, then stay in Santa Fe the next year, repeat).  I hear so many stressful stories from friends about having a billion different Christmas celebrations to go to each year...it's so nice not to have to split our time between both of our families every year.

Although enjoyable, it's always slightly stressful and a little exhausting being in Nebraska.  I try so hard to fit as much in and see as many people as I can but that can wear on me and my health.  I ended up getting a cold a few days before we left but I'm hoping it's on the mend.  Something about sleeping in your own bed makes you start feeling better immediately! :)

My company gave us Jan. 1st and 2nd off so I'm in the middle of enjoying a nice long weekend!  I was in Nebraska for about 2 1/2 weeks so it's nice to finding a normal routine again.  I menu planned yesterday for the week and plan to do some more unpacking today.  I've been binge watching some Downton Abbey today too..a pretty mello day I guess.

Hope your holidays were full of love and fun!  Happy 2015!

my skin care journey (part 3)

If you want to read part 1 and part 2 of my skin care journey, click here and here.

I shared my history and my current skin care routine so now I'd like to share my experiencing going to the skin care clinic and my first impressions of Retin A.

Although I had just started using some new skin care(2 days before my appointment), my ultimate goal was to get recommendations on skin care products and discuss the possibility of Retin A.  I have a few co-workers that use Retin A and swear by it.  When I arrived, I started filling out my paperwork and I had to sign a bunch of different papers about the effects of filler injections.  I only tell you this because I thought it was kind of funny because I don't have any intention of using fillers.  :)

They call me back, we chat about my concerns, and discuss what products I've been using.  She then used a skin scanner(similar to this) to analyze my skin.  We reviewed and discussed my pictures, then discussed recommendations.  Wow - these pictures are eye opening.  It analyzes and grades your skin against others in your age group.  She recommended I try a small dosage of Retin A and she also recommended the Clear & Brilliant laser treatment.

I purchased the Retin A and then wanted to do a little research on the laser treatment first.  Not to mention, the laser treatment is not "cheap"(by my standards anyway) so I definitely was not going to make a decision to schedule an appointment right then.

My first impressions of Retin A:
Oddly enough, my skin was actually pretty clear when I went to the skin care clinic.  I didn't have any blemishes.  I read about different experiences with Retin A and started it the next evening.  Everyone is different so you have to follow your doctors recommendations but I started with a .025% formula and it is put on in the evening.  I wash my face & tone it, wait 20-30 minutes then apply Retin A(avoiding areas close to the eyes, corners of nose and mouth), then wait another 15 minutes and apply moisturizer.  In the morning, I wash my face, tone it, then apply my moisturizer with SPF...SPF is crucial when using Retin A(products I currently use can be found here).  I'm grateful I work from home because I don't have to apply makeup everyday.  In the first week, my face was peeling and itchy feeling.  I didn't have a breakout(which I had read happens to people sometimes in the first few days...your skin gets worse before it gets better) so I am grateful for that.  I did realize early on the importance of moisturizing.  By the end of week 2, my skin pretty much normalized except for a few flaky spots.  I find I have to dab a little moisturizer on after applying foundation to lessen the flakiness.  I probably would have increased my usage to every night except I had to stop the Retin A to prepare for the laser treatment.

So what about that Clear & Brilliant laser treatment?
I ended up deciding to go for it.  I went to the web(where all reliable info is kept :)), learned about the procedure, read a few testimonials(preferably unbiased testimonials), and I decided to try it.  Pain associated with the treatment was a concern for me because I basically have no tolerance for pain.  Supposedly there is little pain but I'll let you know if I agreed in the next post.  The thing that probably tipped me over the edge was that my skin care clinic was having a sale on single laser treatments in November.  If you decided you wanted to buy a package, you could apply what you paid for the single treatment toward the total cost of the package.

In part 4, I'll describe my Clear & Brilliant laser treatment experience and any new impressions of Retin A.

Lesson of skin care journey part 3:  No major lesson this time other than don't forget to wear SPF and drink lots of water to hydrate your skin.  :)

Just checking in: Are you protecting your skin from the sun?  Do you sense a theme here?

weekend shopping

I went a little crazy with some shopping this weekend.  Am I the only one?

Mike has been out of town for week but he splurged with online shopping too so I wasn't the only one.  
 
Here's what I bought online and my justification, because it always feels better when you have justification ~> :)

• 4 swimsuits - Mike and I are going on a 14 day warm weather cruise in the near future and I have been eyeing a few suits on at Victoria's Secret.  Ok - 4 swimsuits is probably unnecessary but I wanted choices so I could return as necessary. (bonus: free shipping & a free tote bag w/ my purchase)
• iPod nano - Mike and I got new phones recently and it's too big to wear on my arm when working out now so I decided to purchase an iPod nano.  #firstworldproblems :) (bonus: $25 iTunes gift card with purchase)
• 3 Firedaughter Clothing shirts - Ok, so I have no justification other than I love  LOVE Firedaughter Clothing and it was on sale.  The sales sucked me in this year.  Since I live in comfy clothes or workout clothes, her tops add a little extra "style."
• A gift - can't tell you what it is but it was for someone special. (bonus: it was $15 off)
• A gift - can't tell you, but again, it's for someone special. (bonus: it was $20 off & free shipping)

Ok - that doesn't seem to bad, right?  Well...then I ventured away from the computer and visited TJ Maxx, Target, & Kohl's yesterday.  I did it more out of boredom because Mike is out of town and I was sick of crocheting but I found things I couldn't live without. (obviously untrue but I like to dramatize stories)

• TJ Maxx - bought two shirts...well, just because.  I love the sale sections of TJ Maxx.  A few weeks ago, I bought a summer dress in clearance for $5.  It will also be going on the cruise with me.  I swear that NOW is the time to buy summer stuff.
• Target - I spent a lot of time at Target and I ended up with the movie White Christmas.  I need to invest in some more Christmas movies...let's see Grinch(the Jim Carey version), Elf, The Holiday, The Christmas Story, The Santa Clause, & the cartoon classics(Rudolph, Frosty, & Grinch Stole Christmas) are all on my list.
• Kohl's - This is another place that usually has some good clearance and sales items...it takes time to dig through everything but I can usually find some good deals.  This time I found another summer dress for $6.80(regular price was $68<~that's 90% off folks).  They also had 40% off of toys so I got a few toys for some little kids I want to buy for.

Gotta love the hubs - after describing everything I purchased and the "deals" I got, he said "That's cool!"  Thank you for your support lover.

Am I the only one that succumbed to the deals and steals of the shopping weekend?  What'd you get?  Are you an online shopper or an in person shopper?

my skin care journey (part 2)

If you missed part 1, you can read it here.

As you know from the last post, I found this blogger write about skin care she was using so I wanted to give some of it a try.  Although, I'm not doing everything she does, I did purchase a few of the products.
* Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Facewash ~ I really love this cleanser.  It's gentle, foams up nicely, feels good on my skin, & smells lovely.
* Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel ~ I apply this after I cleanse and it also feels good and seems really gentle.
* Grape Seed Oil ~ I was very hesitant to use an oil as a moisturizer but I have been using this occasionally in the evening.  I use the Derma E product(discussed below) on other nights.
* Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream for Normal/Oily Skin ~ I love this and have been using it every morning.  It feel really moisturizing and has sun protection in it.  When my sample size of Derma E runs out, I may try the nighttime formula of this Boots No7 product.

A few things I'm doing different than the other blogger:
* I don't wear makeup every day so I haven't been using coconut oil for makeup removal.  I did receive a product called Cailyn Dizzolv'It Makeup Melt Cleansing Balm in a recent Birchbox.  It has the consistency of coconut oil and I rub it all over my face when I need to remove makeup and then use the Pacifica Facewash.
* I have a few eye creams but I've been using the Anew Rejuvenate 24 Hour Eye Moisturizer by Avon.  It has a night formula and a day formula with SPF.
* For the nights I use Retin A, I have been apply the Derma E Hydrating Night Creme.  I also received this in a Birchbox and it's just really luxurious, moisturizing, & smells lovely.
* I don't use the oatmeal she suggested so I wash my face morning and night with the Pacifica Facewash.
* I also still occasionally use my face wipes if it's a late night or I can't muster up the energy to do my face routine.  It's quick and easy and I say, although they aren't perfect, it's better than sleeping on a dirty face.  I use the Simple Cleansing Face Wipes brand.

I have made a huge point of doing my face routine in the evening and morning these days.  I've only missed one 'washing' in the past 2 weeks.  I don't shower every morning since I work from home(ok, sometimes I don't even shower every day - don't judge!) but I have been doing my face/neck cleansing routine every morning and night.  Honestly, it really doesn't take that long and I think I'm already seeing the benefits.

About 2 days after I started using these products, I went to a local skin care clinic for my skin care analysis where I came away with Retin A and a few other recommendations.  I'll talk about my visit and my experience with Retin A so far in my next post.

Lesson of skin care journey part 2:  Try different products until you find the products that work for you.  I've been using the above for only 2 weeks and I really like them and how they make my skin feel.  Ask me in another month and I may have a different opinion. :) Everyone's skin is different.

Just checking in: Are you protecting your skin from the sun?  I hope so!  I'm even trying to get my husband to apply an SPF moisturizer every morning.

my skin care journey (part 1)

Although, this is far from a 'beauty' blog, I thought I'd chronicle my skin care journey and some recent happenings around the topic.  Let's start from the beginning(I promise I'll keep this semi-short):

I had pretty bad acne in high school.  It was the cystic acne and a lot of black heads.  At the end of high school and as I went into college, I started Accutane.  It worked really well.(aside from a side effect of depression - ugh!)  There have actually been recent studies published about the depression side effects of Accutane.  Anyway - I would still have some pretty bad cystic acne episodes but I'd get that shot directly into the cyst(is it a cortisone shot?) and it would go away in a few days.

I used Proactive for awhile which also worked really well.  As I left college, I do not remember having really bad acne issues.  As I started to get older, anti-aging was higher on my list of priorities for my skin so I started using a more gentle cleanser(less drying than proactive).  Now that I live in New Mexico, the dry air is real people...got to keep everything extra moisturized living here.  I used an Anew skin care program by Avon for a number of years and really liked it.  My Mom actually sells Avon in case you're in the market for any products...go here if you need anything.

In the last 1.5 years or so, my skin care has been pretty random.  I have basically just been using what I have.  Also in the last 1.5 years, I have started to get breakouts...usually hormonally driven I would say.  I don't really get the cystic acne anymore but I do get the annoying white heads.  It's hard to resist popping them!  I started using the revised version of Proactive which helped with the breakouts but is really drying.  I can really only use it occasionally and would definitely not be able to use it morning and night because I would dry out and my skin would shrivel up.

In the last three months or so, I've been looking for a more natural and organic products to use on my body, hair, etc.  I do believe that many products we use have carcinogens so I've wanted to start swapping out many of the skin products I've used.(I'm not perfect but I figure swapping out some products is better than none)  I came across this blog post and decided I wanted to try some of the products she mentions.  If it works for her, maybe it would work for me.  Last week, I also decided to visit a local skin care clinic to get a free "skin care analysis."  It is very eye opening when they review the pictures they take of your skin with you and they rank you with thousands of other people in your age group.  I even found out I have melasma on my forehead.  They even removed a "thing"(no clue what she called it) that I have had at the edge of my eye brow for years.  Yay!

I left there with a .02% formula of Retin A and a recommendation to try a Clear & Brilliant laser treatment.

Lesson of skin care journey part 1:  Start taking care of your skin as early as possible, stop tanning in tanning beds, & protect yourself against the sun.  Although, I've "promoted" this the last few years,  I believe more than ever that paler is better.  I'm proud to be the palest gal on the beach these days!  :)

In the next posts, I'll talk more about the products I'm now using, my visit to the skin care clinic, my experience with Retin A so far, & more on the laser treatment recommendation.

I don't mean to rub it in but...

Today my husband cooked breakfast, lunch, & is cooking dinner as we speak.  It is expected that Mike plan and prepare dinner on Monday & Tuesday and I have dinner Wednesday-Sunday.  The past few weeks he's also been cooking breakfast and today he cooked lunch.
Although I wish Mike had Saturday and Sunday's off like a "normal" person, it's nice not to have to think about dinner preparation on Monday's and Tuesday's, especially Monday's.  There's always a silver lining(Mike cooking for me) to a situation you don't love(Mike working Saturday's & Sunday's), isn't there? :)  All I want on Monday is to have a productive day at work so the last thing I want to do is think about dinner.

We all should count our blessings, right?  Mike is a pretty swell hubby!  He does things for me that he knows will make me happy.  Honestly, it make me feel really special that he goes out of his way to do little things for me that he knows I'll appreciate.

cartwheel

I may be late to the game on this but have you heard of the Cartwheel app for Target?

I've seen that Walmart savings catcher app advertised on TV.  The one where you scan your Walmart receipt and if the app finds a cheaper advertised price at a different store, you get a credit for the difference to spend at Walmart.  I thought it was a cool idea and then my sister posted on Facebook that she used it and has some true savings.

Well - I don't shop at Walmart so it was not an app that I could use.

Then I was reading a blog the other day and the writer is a saver...she's very frugal.  She mentioned that she saved money at Target with her Cartwheel app.  What?!?!?  I do shop at Target so I researched the app asap.  Basically, it's an app that has various coupons, you add coupons to your list of coupons(I think you can add 10 coupons to start), then you just scan the app at checkout and it applies all your coupons.  The other cool feature is that you can scan your items with your phone in the store prior to purchase and it will tell you if there is a coupon available.  Mike and I went to Target the other day and I tried it out.  I scanned each of the items we we planning to purchase and one came up as having a coupon(our milk).  I think Mike was a little annoyed that I had to scan each of our purchases with my phone but I find great pleasure in using coupons and saving a little money so it was worth it to me.

So, I've saved a total of 18 cents with the app so far.  :)  Hey, 18 cents is 18 cents people!

In other news, Mike took the day off yesterday and made me new raised garden beds.  Yay!  They are absolutely beautiful!  They aren't totally installed yet but I love them so far.  I'll post pictures once they are done.

actually, it's Kiiirrrrsten

I've struggled my entire life with people pronouncing my name incorrectly.  Generally, I don't care that much especially if I'm meeting someone new.  I'm sure I say my name fast so they may hear Kristen or Kiersten.  Depending on the crowd, I usually emphasize the Kiirrrr part.  I also realize the spelling of my name can lead to a couple different pronunciations so I get it. 

There are a couple situation that can wear on me occasionally:

1) We are friends and you still call me be a different name.  By saying my name wrong constantly, it almost feels like you are indirectly trying to tell me I'm pronouncing my own name wrong.  Do you really not know how to pronounce it after I've corrected you numerous times?  I'm relatively certain I know how to pronounce my own name.

2) Spelling my name wrong in emails when the correct spelling is right in front of you.  This generally happens more at work.  I realize people are not doing it on purpose but my name is right there in front of you so all you have to do is copy the name. 

For the record, it's Kiiirrrsten.  It's ok if you slip up and say the wrong name occasionally or occasionally spell it wrong in an email(frankly, sometimes I even type the 'r' before the 'i' in emails) but maybe we should all take extra care and an extra second to listen to or read/write names properly.

missing my favorites

Usually around the time I've finalized my plans for a trip back to Nebraska, I start missing my Nebraska people A LOT!  I remember when we first moved away from Nebraska thinking to myself, "Well I'm going to miss my friends but I'm sure I'll find new friends to replace those relationships I'm leaving behind."  I hope you see all the issues with that thought process but that's truly what I thought.

Well, that actually doesn't happen and now I realize I don't want or need that to happen.  Let's take "family" first...well, I knew I would never replace my family but I definitely value and appreciate the time I have with my family.  I hate to brag but I have a pretty amazing family and I truly enjoy hanging out with them.  No really, I could go back to NE and only see my family and be content because they are my best friends!  We laugh, we cry, we argue but they are amazing.

Moving onto non-family friends - I have a few incredible one's in Nebraska that should not and will never be replaced.  When I moved away from Nebraska, I did eventually realize that there are some friendships could not be maintained due to proximity...and that's ok!  I slowly drifted away from those friends(or became more like acquaintances and that's also ok).  But I have a few friends that I tear up when I think about because I miss them so much.  Even being 13 hours away, they are always there for me.  We have so much fun when we're together!  I never feel judged by them and they accept everything about me...the good, the bad, & the ugly.  They make me feel like I'm a valuable friend and I hope I make them feel the same.

So - I'm over the thought process of "finding new friends to replace those relationships."  I have some lovely friends here in NM but, by design, those relationships really can't ever be the same as my NE faves. What I mean "by design" is that my local relationships don't have the history, haven't seen how I've changed and grown as a person, haven't experienced any of my milestone's as a teen/young adult...new friendships and relationships have to start from square one and build from there...so we're building and that's cool!

Ugh - but I sure do miss my Nebraska people!!  Can't wait to see you all soon.

support your National parks!

In early September, we took a trip to Moab, UT for a mountain bike trip on the White Rim trail.  You may recall that we did a similar trip in March of 2013 and you can refresh your memory by this post if you'd like.  I made it the entire 80'ish miles...and not to brag but Mike didn't even finish the last mile(which is a huge & long incline out of the canyon).  In his defense, he was having major knee issues but still, I felt like a rock star for making it the entire way!  I teared up at the end when I finished that last climb.

We drove up Sunday and spent Sunday afternoon in Arches National Park.  It was quite hot and I was astonished at how ill-prepared people were.  A 16 oz bottle of water isn't going to cut it folks.

Delicate Arch

 Windows Arch

 Double Arch

 And we descended into a rainy canyon(Canyonlands National Park) on Monday morning.

 Snack break - there were many, many snack breaks.

 The views are breath-taking!

 Suited up for a little rain.

 I mean...can you even stand this view - it's just incredible!

 We climbed down into a slot canyon from the trail and relaxed in the shade for a bit.

 Support your national parks...they are pretty amazing!

 Our tent, our view the first night!  After 3 nights of setting up and tearing down camp, I was about done with that task.  We have some incredible sleeping pads so our sleep wasn't too bad.

 God's creation.  Just spectacular!

 Mike was usually in front of me so I never got a lot of pictures of him riding - this was the last day when his knee was shot so it was more my pace. (for the record, his knee is back to normal)

 We took a break and hiked up to a historic Native American grainery.(on the left side of pic)  Again - spectacular!

That little blue dot is me climbing and climbing and climbing.  There are about 4-5 major climbs.  They are relatively short-lived but they are intense.  My tactic was to ride as far as could up the climb until I basically fell over or starting sliding, then I'd walk to spot I could get back on my bike, ride as far as I could and repeat until I collapsed at the top of the climb.

A fantastic trip!  I could do this trip every year and be happy.  It's painful at times but the rewards of scenery and accomplishment are priceless!

a week and a half later

Well, a week and a half later and I'm blogging about how my hubs and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary.  Awww - isn't that sweet? :)
In all honesty, both us would agree that it feels like much longer than 5 years. (in a good way, of course...I think) ;)  We have had a lot of adjusting over the past years and have had to rely on each other a lot with all the changes we've gone through.  Let me do a quick re-cap of our relationship for you:
1) We met on September 11th, 2004 in the Bricktop bar in Lincoln after a Nebraska football game.  I remember the exact shirt I wore, although I do not have that shirt anymore.
2) We went on our first date the next evening at Heidelbergs north.  I think it was just a few drinks and a lot of talking...a lot of talking by me, of course.  If you know Mike, he can be a pretty quiet person.
3) We broke up for about 4 months in early 2006(I think).  You can ask anyone that was close to me at the time...it was pretty devastating for me.  I assume Mike would agree that it was devastating. :)
4) Mike left for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center(FLETC) for 6 months in May 2008.
5) We got engaged on 8-8-2008 on a beach on Amelia Island, FL while I was visiting him at FLETC.  He picked out the ring(there's a funny story about the ring that maybe I'll tell at a later date) and I had no idea it was coming but both my parents did.
6) We moved to Laurel, MD in October 2008.
7) We got married September 18, 2009 in Ocean City, MD on the beach.
8) We moved to Santa Fe, NM in September 2010.
9) We celebrated 5 years of wedded craziness bliss on September 18, 2014.

Let me tell you - moving twice to places you know no one is scary and it forces you to lean on one another more than anything.  I think it's really helped us get closer in our relationship because you only have each other.  You do everything together, you make friends together, etc.

What are my words of wisdom as a wife of 5 years?
* Do things together and learn to love similar things.  Honestly, there are many things I'd never be "into" if it wasn't for Mike.  I'll try just about anything one time.  Cross country skiing though, once was definitely enough - I don't ever foresee myself doing that again.
* Be on the same page with money and spending.  Mike and I keep separate accounts and contribute a percent of our salary to our joint account each month.  This works for us and we've never ever had an argument about money and it gives us both a sense of "independence" with some of our money.
* Laugh together every darn day...like belly laughs laughing!
* Kiss each other like you mean it!
* I'm slowly learning that things aren't always equal and fair.  We've evolved into me cooking dinner 5 nights a week and Mike cooking two nights a week.  I would argue I do dishes more often but he could argue he does the laundry and all the vacuuming.  Things aren't always equal and fair but there is "give" on both sides.
* Pick your battles.  Does it matter that I cook more meals than him?  Nope.  Does it matter that he travels a lot for his job?  Yes!  So that is battle I'm going to "fight" and discuss with him.
* Speak to each other respectfully and enthusiastically.  Don't answer the phone with "What!?!"  Don't act like you're annoyed of him/her.
* Last but not least - after you've cooked dinner and he says it's good but he goes to the cupboard to get the Garlic Salt, that generally means the recipe is not a keeper.  (this is an ongoing joke we have)

I think this picture sums up our entire relationship pretty well.  I'm usually the 'Woohoo' and he's the 'It's cool.'  We even each other out pretty well.  He talks me off the ledge sometimes and I provide the energy for him sometimes.

Whew - longest post ever...

To celebrate our 5 years of marriage together, I made a mediocre dinner on Sept. 18th.  I tried to healthivise macaroni and cheese and it wasn't the greatest.(speaking of garlic salt...)  Then we both had the 19th off and hung out together all day.  We had a fabulous dinner at Papadeaux's in Albuquerque and then attended Wicked, the musical.  Wicked was incredible!  Then Mike took off the 20th and we did a scenic railroad trip on the Cumbres and Toltec railroad...it was a long day but train ride and scenery was incredibly beautiful!  Our celebration was lovely!

Leadership Santa Fe

Over the past 4 months or so, I've felt a little discouraged from a career perspective.  Although I enjoy my job, I've had a few "career-related" doors shut in my face over the past few months and let's be honest, no one likes to have a door shut on them.
Over the past month, things have taken a bit of a positive turn.  I was able to work from the Nebraska office, which is always rejuvenating, but the positivity continued with an email I received while I was on vacation last week.
I had applied for a program called Leadership Santa Fe a couple months ago but the program was full so I was put on a waiting list in case a spot opened up.  Unfortunately, the timing of not getting into the program was at the peak of 'doors being shut in my face' so I threw myself a pity party and decided I'd try again next year.  WELL...guess what...a spot opened up and I'm in!  Yay!

I'm excited to learn more about Santa Fe, be more involved in the community, meet new friends, network with local businesses, and hopefully come away with a sense on if and where I can utilize any of "my skills" in the community.

a milestone

My student loans are paid off.  Whew!  It feels like I'm officially an adult now.  :)  For those counting, I graduated college back in December 2002 so you can do the math on how long I've been paying them off.  And a bigger milestone - we are debt free(except for our house so I guess we're debt almost-free).  Again...I'm feeling like a grown-up now.

Joking aside, it does feel good to pay things off.  I always feel like I've lost a few pounds each time something is paid off.  My student loans, however, have been the item that I've paid on the longest so I feel it's quite a milestone.

My tips for managing your hard-earned cash ~>

• If you put it on a credit card, make sure you have the money to pay it off right away or within a few months.  People who put things are credit cards and only pay the minimum are crazy...you do realize you'll basically never get it paid off, right?  And probably will pay double, triple, to quadruple what the original price is.  Mike and I put everything on a credit card(for the cash back bonus) and pay it off every month.
• Have a direct transfer set up to your savings account.  I transfer money twice a month into my savings account and then I don't touch my savings.  
• Speaking of savings, make sure you have at minimum 6 months to 1 year of living expenses in case you come across hard times.  This may be $20,000, $40,000, or $100,000 depending on the person/couple but make sure you are making strides to get that amount save or already have that amount saved.  Frankly, it just gives you piece of mind and allows you to not think about or stress about money.
• Have a retirement savings plan.  Both Mike and I invest in our company retirement...I'm not sure if we have a perfect retirement 'plan' right now(other than travel the world) but we both have significant investments going toward retirement.
• Spread out bigger expenses, if possible.  For example...Mike and I travel fairly often and we are always looking at splitting up travel expenses when we can.  We're taking a Panama Canal cruise in early 2015 and we've already purchased our plane tickets but haven't booked the cruise or any excursions.  It's nice to spread out the expenses so we aren't paying for every piece of our trip at one time.
• I would say a budget is something you should have but honestly, we don't have a budget that we write down.  I suppose we keep an outline of our budget in our heads and know where we're spending money but we don't have anything written down. 
• If you're tight on money, don't buy stupid stuff. (skip the Starbucks, skip the candy, skip the eating out, skip the 12-pack of beer or pop, do you really need that shirt, etc)  When I had my house in Nebraska, things were pretty tight for me.  I would walk around stores and shop but would resist buying anything because things were tight, I knew they were tight, & I knew I had to adjust my spending habits. 
• It's ok to splurge on big purchases occasionally but make sure you have a plan for how you will pay it off and how long.  If you buy a car or a motorcycle(ahem...Mike!), don't just pay the minimum.  Always pay more than the minimum if you can ~ if it's $15 extra bucks or $500 extra bucks, I recommend always paying a little more.  It'll pay it down faster and it always makes me feel proud of myself.
• If you have multiple loans or credit card debt, then pay down the debt with the highest interest rate.  One of the reasons my student loans took the longest was because there have been other debt's with a higher interest rate.  Once those were paid off, I started putting $1,200 a month toward my student loans and they were paid off fairly quickly after that.

Those are the tips that work for us.  

So - I'm growing up folks.  My college student loans are paid off at age 33...here's to the next chapter!  :)

my list of books on hold at the library

Does this tell you anything?  Can you tell I need a little inspiration and motivation?
Have you read any of these books?  What did you think?  Do books motivate you?
I started reading I shouldn't be telling you this... but I never finished because I had to return it to the library because it was late.  Ooopsies!  I enjoyed what I read and felt like a lot of it was applicable to me.  I'm looking forward to finishing.

Here's to many hours at Starbucks or on my back porch reading all these books!

P.S. The Intuitive Eating is kind of random and obviously doesn't really fit the theme of the other books.  It's a book I've heard good things about and thought, "hey, if I'm going to the library, I may as well throw that one in too."

P.P.S.  Did you know that the Santa Fe Public Library doesn't have late fees?  Isn't that crazy?  So if you have a late book, you get a bunch of emails "reminding" you that your book is overdue but you're never charged a fee.  The first time I had a book overdue, I walked it into the library and informed the employee that I needed to pay the late fees and the lady looked at me like I was crazy and said, "What do you mean by late fees?"  I slowly walked out of the library...I thought I was being punked or something.  Turns out, it wasn't a joke, there are not late fees.  Sweet!

how to train your husband

Did I get your attention from that title?  Ok, this certainly isn't a tutorial on how to train your husband but Mike and I had a funny situation happen the other day.

We go to the gym in the morning around the same time but he usually arrives around 30 minutes after me.  As I'm leaving, I usually go over to say bye and give him a smooch.  On this particular day, I just didn't feel too well so when I went to tell Mike goodbye, I mentioned that I didn't feel good.  Nothing is more irritating to me then a 'none response' and that is exactly what Mike did.  He just sort of looked at me and gave this half nod of acknowledgement.  I repeated that I wasn't feeling well thinking he didn't hear me and he gave me the same response.  Semi-jokingly, I rolled my eyes at him and left the gym.
Fast forward to that evening and I again, semi-jokingly said..."when I say I don't feel well, try saying something like Sorry to hear that babe or I hope you feel better."  We both laughed about it and he said something like, "how about when you want me to respond a specific way, you say I'm going to tell you I don't feel good and I would like you to tell me Sorry."  Ok, a semi-valid point actually.

Based on my experience (and the experience of many of my female friends), I have always been an advocate of telling your hubs/boyfriend exactly what you need from him.  I, personally, think it's ridiculous to give these weird, subliminal clues to your husband on how you want him to respond to you but don't actually tell him what you need.  Ladies - If you want your husband to ask how your day way, then tell him you want him to do that.  Ladies - If you want your husband to hug/hold you when you are feeling down(and not be Mr. Fix It), then tell him.  In my experience, it works quite well and men are generally pretty responsive to what you ask of him.  I'm not trying to insult a man's ability to read between the lines & play this guessing game women like to play because I know there are some men out there that probably play that game well.  Mike and I don't play that game very well so this is what works for us after 9 1/2 years together.

I remember getting into a discussion argument with Mike before we were married because he never asked me how my day was.  I asked him everyday so clearly he should know that he should ask me the same thing. (<~please tell me you know this assumption is ridiculous)  Honestly, since this discussion, I think Mike has asked me how my day was every day since.  Around that same time, I remember being at a friends house for dinner and Mike asked me how my day was.  Later on, a friend came up to me and said that she thought it was so nice that Mike asked how my day was.  Haha - I just giggled.

Does this process seem superficial?  Maybe a little bit at first because you know he's just asking how your day is because you told him too...but it actually evolves into something more meaningful and you start to learn a lot about each other.  :)

When I have friends tell me, "My husband/boyfriend doesn't do this or say that and it makes me so mad."  My first question is "Does he know you want him to do that or say that to you?"  In my experience, it really is that simple and so much less stressful and emotional then the guess why I'm upset game.

What do you think?  Does this work for you?  Do you tackle this issue a different way?

a memory

As Spring is upon us in New Mexico and we've been having the front door open more often, I keep thinking of a weather related memory from my younger days.

I went to a one room country school through 6th grade.  After I moved out of Nebraska and this fact came up in conversation, most were fascinated by the concept of attending a one room school house like I did.  Yup - I did and I would argue that half the attendees, at one point or another, were related to me(sister, brother, cousins).  It was so normal for me but I now realize how odd it probably does sound to people that did not grow up in that environment.

Anyway...back to spring and grade school.  I remember that we never wanted to wear our coats at recess so we got one time a day(I believe we could only call one a day because there was a cost) to call some weather hotline and if it was 60 degrees or higher than we could go out to recess with no coats on.

I generally don't have the best memory so someone...sister, cousin...can correct me if it was a different temperature.  So if my memory of 60 degrees is accurate, I can't help but think of these spring NM temps we are having and think, "60 degrees?"  Although it's beautiful, I think I've developed into a wimp...It's very unlikely I would leave my house now in 60 degree weather without a sweatshirt or light coat on.

Am I wimp or are kids just that tough??

(Added Bonus ~ so on that whole 'Kirsten's memory' issue...it's amazing what other's remember about our days growing up.  My friend Jen tells me things that happened in high school and I have no clue what she is talking about.  Does she have an abnormal memory by remembering such details or do I have the abnormal memory of not being able to remember such details?  Hmmmm...I wonder?!)

interesting facts above my love bug

And I don't mean Mike, I mean my adorable love bug Stuart...my cute little 6 year old shih tzu named Stuart ~>

1) When he wants attention, he will crawl right up into your lap and 'paw' at your face until you give him some attention.

2) He can sit upright on his butt with his front paws up(sort of like a prairie dog) for extended amounts of time.  Another ploy to get attention.

3) When I leave the house & Mike is still home(so Stuart is not put in his crate), he'll "attack" my ankles as I'm walking out the door.  After I shut the door, he'll run back to the table or couch and if I have any article of clothing out, he'll rip it off the back of the chair.(he doesn't really rip it but he'll violently pull it down onto the ground)

4) He sleeps in our bedroom at night, usually on our bed at our feet.  We usually have a fan and a humidifier running to drown out any noises so he doesn't yap in the middle of the night.  As you can imagine...middle-of-the-night-yapping is Mike's favorite way to wake up.  (yeah right!)

5) A few years ago at Christmas at my Mom's, we had an appetizer-type meal spread out on the dining table.(we were in the living room and the food was left by itself on the dining table)  Stuart made his way onto the dining table, not once but twice, and grabbed a chicken wing right before I was able to capture him.  This is what we call the 'naughty Stuart.'  It was funny at the time(at least to me & Mike) and it still cracks me up thinking about it.  For the record, we don't "allow" Stuart on our kitchen table...he was just naughty enough to figure it out that night at my Mom's.

6) He's deathly scared of clippers.  So much so that I cut his hair myself with scissors.  And you wondered why his haircut is always just a tiny bit uneven.  :)

7) He has destroyed two of Mike's leather belts and 'injured' a pair of Mike's boots.  Stuart actually doesn't chew on much aside from dog toys but sometimes he gets a hankering for leather apparently.  I felt bad about the first belt but I say the 2nd belt is Mike's fault because he left it where Stu could get it.  Obviously, Mike disagrees with this.

8) Stuart rules the roost and makes the rules.  If he wants something from Boulevard or Ranger, they will give it to him.

9) The house is generally pretty quiet during the day when I'm working but somehow Stuart knows when Mike is home because he'll start barking at the door 5-10 seconds before Mike even touches the door.  Then chaos ensues until Stuart gets his attention from Mike.

10) I cannot stand when people let their dog sit on their lap as they are driving a car.  It totally freaks me out and I feel it's so unsafe for not only the driver but also for me as a fellow driver.  Anyway, I had to train Stuart to stay off my lap and in the passenger seat or back seat when he was younger and now he doesn't even attempt it unless we are home and parked in the garage.  Amazing what you can train stubborn dogs to do.  :)

11) When we are staying with at my Mom's, Stuart will chase my Mom's dog Molly around the house to try to hump her.  Molly usually snaps/fights back.  No means no Stuart!!

12) I adopted Stuart from the humane society and was close to taking him back because he was so impossible in the beginning.  I mean SO IMPOSSIBLE that it put me in tears a few times.  One reason why he now sleeps in our bed...he would bark all.night.long from his crate when I first got him.

13) If it's warm outside(I wouldn't even go as far as saying hot outside) and we go on walks, when he's had enough, he's been known to sit down and not go any further.  I literally have to pick him up and carry him until he's ready to walk again.  Ridiculous! (but I guess he has me trained well, huh?)

I have definitely become a dog person as I've gotten older.  Dogs are a pain in the butt sometimes but can also shower you with all the love you need.  And I won't even get into their sense of loyalty.  I would honestly have more dogs if Mike would let me, if we lived in a bigger place with more land, & if it wasn't so expensive for someone to 'handle' them when we are on vacation.  Much to Mike's dismay, shih tzu's(and many small dogs) live long lives so I think Stuart will be around with his antics for many more years.  Yay for Kirsten!