Highlights of the Week (#10)

I am a huge Harry Potter fan. seriously, huge. while I would like to watch all 8 movies back-to-back at some point, I'm not quite ready to do that yet. however, I did watch the last two movies (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1 and pt. 2) back-to-back one night this past week. and that was fun. as I was watching them I realized what a great job the filmmakers truly did. they took a massively detailed book and split it at just the right point. both movies pack an emotional punch and it just feels complete when you watch them. Harry Potter is a highlight for me always.

I started work (finally) on my applications for grad school. while they are time-consuming, as well as stressful, it was definitely a good feeling to get going on them. and while working on the essay/personal statement questions I realized what a good choice my chosen field is. it feels really right for me and I think my work and personal experiences over the last several years have been leading me to this decision. educational psychology for the win!

my mom came home from visiting my brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews on Friday...yay! after picking her up at the airport we stopped by our favorite cupcake place on the way home. seriously, this place makes the best cupcakes I've ever had. my personal favorites are the black and gold, and the white raspberry. for real though, they're all good. you just can't go wrong. we always get the minis and split them in half. this way we get to enjoy double the amount. I like them best with an ice cold glass of milk. sooooo good. 

do you have a favorite bakery/cupcakery?

Highlights of the Week (#9)

I have to say that this past week was probably one of the more relaxing ones I've had in awhile. in fact, there were a couple days I didn't even leave the house. ; ) I don't believe that'll be the case for my upcoming week. at any rate, let's get down to business and discuss my HotW:

1. met a friend at the movies to see People Like Us. I liked it. I absolutely love Elizabeth Banks and Chris Pine in pretty much anything they do so I had a feeling I would enjoy that movie. 

2. tried a new recipe using wonton wrappers. I made a version of these mini tacos. they were super yummy and incredibly easy. I think wonton wrappers might just be my new favorite thing to use in the kitchen. in fact, I'll be trying this recipe sometime in the next several days. I definitely think you should give this product a try. I promise it's worth it. 

3. my mom was having her house painted and yesterday I got to see the finished product. it looks soooo good. I love the colors she chose. it's pretty unbelievable how a fresh coat of paint can really make all the difference in the world. the house went from being a boring light beige, with even more boring off-white trim, to a beautiful blue with bright white trim and a cranberry front door. it looks super sharp. the front door color definitely has a richer tone once it's painted.

I plan on working on grad school applications this afternoon. although it's looking kind of stormy out right now so we'll see what happens. when it's rainy all I want to do is snuggle up on the couch and watch movies. 

have a good one!

Highlights of the Week (#8)

okay, so last week I told you I'd be seeing Magic Mike and that was sure to be a HotW. well, I'm sad to say it didn't make the cut. don't get me wrong...there were some really good moments in the movie (it's a Channing Tatum movie, 'nuf said). it just wasn't quite was I was expecting. at the end of the day, I'm glad I saw it but don't feel the need to watch it again. 

I did see a movie I loved this week though and The Amazing Spiderman was definitely worthwhile. I would highly recommend it. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have electric chemistry (obviously b/c they are dating in real life). and let's face it, most super-hero movies are just good fun. 

the 4th of July is always a great holiday and this year was no exception. the end. 

this week I was able to read quite a bit...yay! I love to read and am always adding to my "to read" list. I believe I'm currently around 150 books on my list. at any rate, right now I'm reading Joanne Fluke's tasty murders series. I like them because they're an easy read and she includes lots of yummy sounding recipes. if you're looking for a new author to try...check her out: Joanne Fluke...Murder She Baked

tomorrow I'll be getting up super early to take my mom to the airport. we're talking 4 a.m. here people. blech. thank goodness I can come home and go back to bed. anyway, she's super excited b/c she's going to visit my brother, sis-in-law, and two nephews. I am, of course, super jealous and wish I was going to but I'll just have to plan a trip at another time. :) and maybe not pick a flight that leaves so early in the morning!

happy living!

Highlights of the Week (#7)

wow. so another week has come to a close. and it's the first of July. complete. craziness. 

the weather has been just wacky all over the place the last couple weeks. I am so thankful for the modern convenience of A/C and hope everyone that is currently without power and suffering in these out-of-control temps remains safe and have their power return soon.

last weekend I fell down the stairs when I was getting ready to take the dogs outside for their final walk of the day. I sprained my ankle pretty severely. it was definitely not fun. but, I am thankful I was able to pack up the dogs and myself and head to my mom's for the rest of the week. she has a huge fenced-in backyard so being able to rest my ankle without having to walk the dogs 4 times a day was a big highlight for me. 

sadly today was my last day watching the "boys"...but I'll get to see them again soon. if you follow me on instagram (pendygal80), I hope you've enjoyed seeing pictures of the dogs these last 3 weeks. I just love them!

another highlight of this past week was making these. not only are they completely delicious, but they are a healthier alternative to the standard version. and because they are petite, they're just plain cute! you should try them. immediately.

I think the final highlight from this past week was working in the garage with my mom. see, the thing is, her garage is jam-packed full of stuff. there's no room for one car, let alone two. our goal this summer is to remedy that and at least clear out enough stuff to get her car in there. and I am happy to say we are slowly but surely starting to make some visible progress. I must admit, there is a lot of stuff in that garage that belongs to me and she is graciously storing it for me. she's a good mom. 

so there you have it. another interesting week in my world. I must say that this week is shaping up to be super busy. I'm going to see Magic Mike tomorrow and I'm uber excited! a couple years ago when I was in Las Vegas I saw the gorgeous men in Thunder from Down Under and every. single. time I see the preview for Magic Mike I relive my time at that show. so much fun! 

have fun!

Highlights of the Week (#6)

so let's see...the last couple weeks I've been pet/house-sitting for some friends of mine. they have three dogs and they are just the cutest, sweetest things. I love being able to hang out with them. I keep taking pictures of them and posting them to my instagram account. do you have instagram? I wasn't sure if I would like it but I'm finding I really do. come find me @ pendygal80 

I've also been trying new recipes with great success. so far I've enjoyed everything I've made. probably my favorite recipe I made recently was these orange rolls. they were great for breakfast and even better warmed up for dessert with a few dark chocolate chips. I froze about a dozen so I'll be able to enjoy them at a later date. because I sell Tastefully Simple I'm used to making things with relatively few ingredients. so I must admit I took a shortcut and used pre-made crescent rolls for the orange rolls. I mean, talk about a quick and easy, as well as tasty, treat to make for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert! you should give them a try!

Pretty Woman was on tv last night and I loved watching it. I haven't seen it in so long; I forgot what a classic it truly is. my favorite scene: when Richard Gere's character Edward takes Julia Roberts' character Vivian shopping. I mean, what fun would that be! 

and on that note, I think I'll take a nap and dream about being able to shop, shop, shop! have a good week!

Highlights of the Week (#5)

wow. so I haven't done a post in awhile. sorry about that. things have been crazy. my home-school teaching "year" ended a week ago and boy was I ready to be done. definitely time for a break. this past week I was staying at my aunt & uncle's house taking care of their precious cat Maddie. tomorrow I'll head to my friends' place for 3 weeks to take care of their three dogs. so...busy busy busy.

highlights for this past week: 

1. challenging myself to try new recipes and having them been deliciously successful!

2. hanging with friends at a "goodbye" party

3. celebrating my nephew Kayden's 10th (!!!) birthday today...much love today and always K-man!

enjoy your week friends!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I am thankful I got to spend time this Mother's Day with my mom, my grandma, and my aunt...they are three of the absolute best people I know. I definitely would not be who I am without them. Thanks Mom, Grandma, and Aunt Pat for being exactly who you are and for being such great influences in my life. Love today and always!