Fun Friday 11/30/2012

Welcome to the last Friday in November!  How did that happen?!

1) I had an appointment with the Orthodontist this week.  After having my wisdom teeth removed over the summer it  was decided my jaw needed realigning from the movements the wisdom teeth had caused.  Lucky for me I do not have to have conventional metal braces (we hope)!  I am a candidate for Invisalign.  For those of you who do not know what that is, it is basically a form of clear braces that come in the form of trays which are molded to your teeth.  You change them out every two weeks and with each new set your teeth begin to move into their proper place. My treatment is estimated to take about 12 months.  I will be almost done in time for the wedding and I can simply pass on wearing them the day of our wedding, easy as that (we hope)!  I should get my first set of trays in two to three weeks so we'll see how it goes.

2) Since I had the stomach virus last Friday I have an aversion to all foods and drinks Thanksgiving related. That being said, I have not had coffee in a week now.  I know I enjoy coffee but I can not get beyond the mental block just yet to drink it.

3) Lucky for me I came across this tea when I was at Trader Joe's.  It is so good. I've been drinking at least two cups a day. I love it.



4) I also tried these this week:



Our water has a tendency to turn our whites yellow so when I got a coupon for these pods I though I'd give them a shot.  They actually work really well.  I have a new favorite white long sleeve that Marley slapped her muddy paw on last week and after washing it with this pod (in addition to our usual detergent) you can't even tell there was a spot. My shirt is so white!

5) Speaking of Marley, she got her stitches out this week and now she doesn't even seem like a puppy.  She is as tall as Maya now and only about 10lbs shy of weighing the same too.  She's also lost three teeth this week, which kind of freaks me out especially when she tries to eat them.  All of this at only 6 months old. Oy!

6) This week I celebrated my 2nd anniversary with National University.  Two years ago I started this job with no idea what I was getting into.  The only thing I was sure of was that it was completely different from what I was doing in banking and different was what I needed.  I have never regretted that decision, even if I do drive over 100 miles a day to be there.

7) I enjoy what I do, work with people I really like and I still come home to this beautiful place.



8) And last but not least, another one of my favorite Christmas tunes by a very talented group:

http://youtu.be/NY4J8yBf6vg

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  We will be getting our tree and decoration for Christmas...oh and I'll be doing a tone of homework.

 

We met Bethel

Happy mid-week to all!

On Monday I talked about how excited we were that our officiant picked us and I wanted to explain what I was talking about.

When I initially thought about having to find someone to perform our ceremony I felt pretty nervous.  Getting married is a pretty big deal and I felt pretty nervous about having a stranger partake in such an important part of our lives.......and then we met Bethel.

The short of it, Bethel is amazing.

The long of it:

She too does not want to be  a stranger at your wedding.  She wants to take the time to get to know you as individuals and as a couple so that when the big day comes, she is a friend partaking in the celebration.  When we met with Bethel for the first time last week we talked for over an hour about everything: Aaron and I, herself, her travels and her business.

Bethel only marries couples she feels comfortable with.  That being said,  if she feels you are not the right fit for her she wont perform your ceremony.  This could seem harsh to some but for us it made us feel special.  For someone to be so passionate about what they do that they would turn down business to protect their credibility says a lot.

Over the next eleven months Aaron and I will be working with Bethel to create a meaningful ceremony for the big day that is unique to us.  I can't wait for this, I am really really excited about it.

And now to spread some holiday cheer, my favorite Christmas song:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiSqct-Ei80&w=560&h=315]

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Holiday Vacation

Hello there! I appologize for my absence on Friday, I'll get to that in a bit.

So I was technically on vacation from last Tuesday at 12:30 until this morning. It was really nice to have time at home, running wedding errands, getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday and getting my teeth cleaned!

On Wednesday Aaron and I met with both our Officiant and Photogrpaher. Our Officiant's name is Bethel and she is awesome! I am so excited she chose (I'll talk more on this later in the week) us as a couple she'd like to marry and celebrate.

Our Photogrpher is Andy King and he too, is amazing. He is incredibly energetic and really an artist. He's also a crack-up. I was laughing the entire time we were with him and Aaron was even joking around with him too.

Then there was Thanksgiving. I don't know what I was thinking when I thought I would be able to photograph the day and host. I was totally wrong but still managed to snap a few random shots. We had 16 people here total and about 11 different dishes. Everything was so delicious and it was really neat to have both of our families at our home for the holiday.

 The 1/4 Cup

 The dough that eventually became rolls that broke the 1/4 cup

Beverages for alL

Our cute nieces playing together. Rylin really enjoyed "baby" aka Ashlyn. It was really cute

I then spent Friday and Saturday sick with a stomach virus, the darn thing knocked out over half of the family! Lucky for me Aaron did not get it and he was an amazing care taker. In sickness and in health right? I am a very lucky girl.

Then on Sunday I SAID YES TO THE DRESS! Yep, I have a wedding dress and I love it.

I hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and I'm happy to be well and writing to you all again. See you Wednesday!

Thankful

In honor of tomorrow being Thanksgiving I'd like to mention a few things I am thankful for!

 Obtained from Pinterest, Original Source Unavailable :(

I am thankful for my family.  I'm thankful that I have siblings I'm close with and parents who love us and raised us well.  They kept us in contact with our cousins, aunts and uncles and never let us go without the necessities. I'm also thankful to have had my grandparents in my life for so long. Although two have now passed, I still have two alive and all of them played active roles in our lives growing up, something not all kids have especially at my age.

I am thankful for my in-laws to be.  You hear these stories about how people don't like their in-laws but that is not the case here.  I remember the first time I met them; I went to Aaron's Mom and Dad's house for a Charger game and dinner.  From the moment I stepped foot in the door I felt at home.  Everyone was so welcoming, even little Ryder who had just turned two at the time. They are an extension of the family I was born into and for that I feel incredibly fortunate.

I am thankful for my health, for my amazing doctors at Sharp who have been working to get the Asthma that I have had since I was eight under control and for my maxillofacial surgeon and incredible dentist who worked with my doctors at Sharp to tackle my sinus troubles.

I am thankful for my job and the wonderful people I share my office with.  To have a job in this economy is one thing but to have a job doing something you enjoy while working with people you like is really a bonus. Not to mention the fact that they also pay for my education.

And finally, I'm thankful for Aaron and for what we have together, for his patience and go-with-the-flow attitude. I'm thankful for our home and our "girls".  For the adventures we've been on and the life changes we've shared and grown from.

I hope you all have a most wonderful Thanksgiving (or regular Thursday if you don't celebrate).  What are you Thankful for?

Doomsday Preppers and Weekend Recap

Happy Monday! Today is technically my Thursday and I only work a half day tomorrow, score!

Does anyone watch the National Geographic show Doomsday Preppers?  For those of you who have never heard of it, this is a show about people who prepare for the end of civilization.  It totally freaks me out.  I will not watch that show.....ever.

And now onto the more lighthearted weekend recap.

I had a pretty busy day Saturday and since Marley just had surgery on Thursday my Mom was nice enough to come babysit her for me so I could run some errands.

On the list:  A cut and color at HautePINKstudio by Brelin.  I love it and promise to share a photo soon. A trip to PetSmart for a bigger water dish and new Nylabones for the girls. Target for some cleaning supplies and a few other necessities and then to TJ Max for a roll pan.

The grocery store was on the list too but I saved that for late in the evening because everywhere was just too crowded!

Waiting to go grocery shopping meant that Aaron went with me, not a usual occurrence.  It was nice to have company plus Aaron loves a good deal, and by good deal I mean buy two boxes of cereal for a free cereal bowl.  See Below (plus a sneak peak of our almost finished backsplash!):



This also hopped into our cart:

We rarely drink soy milk because of its estrogen content and we can't drink cow's milk because of dairy allergies, so the lesser of two egg nog evils it is!  And this is delicious!

Top the shopping trip off by saving $60 on our bill through the coupons Aaron cut and our Albertsons card and I'd call it a success.

I then spent Sunday at home cleaning and getting ready to host Thanksgiving for the first time.  I am so excited for this!  We'll have my family, Aaron's family, and even one of my Aunts and Uncles here with our cousin. I just can't wait, it's going to be awesome!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend too!  Now for your listening (or procrastinating at work) pleasure, another band I enjoy.

http://youtu.be/ADP65wbBUpc

Fun Friday 11/16/2012

Happy Friday!

1) So here I sit on the floor trying to type this post with my left hand, watch Grey's Anatomy, and comfort miss Marley (who was spayed yesterday).  This could take a while!


2) Marley's current stats: 5 months old, fully vaccinated, spayed and 42 lbs! Our old vet said they would not spay her until she was 6 months old.  Thank goodness I found a new vet who would do it at 5 months because after her surgery they said she was about to go into heat. Oy!

3) I realize I'm a crazy pet parent but our girls are the only children we have for now and I treat them as such.  When we brought Marley home from surgery we tried to keep Maya outside while Marley got settled.  Marley would not lay down until Maya was in the house, she then went straight to bed. Maya checked her out for a while and then snuggled in to keep a close eye on her.  They are so sweet and I love them.

4) This is how Marley's prescription was written (who is Katie Beucus?).  A little premature on their part but kind of neat to see it in print even though it wont be real for 343 more days.



5) Earlier this week when I said I was doing crock pot meals I apparently meant that Aaron would be doing crock pot meals.  He put them together everyday before work so they were ready when we came home and they were delicious.

6) We booked our DJ...... and our Photographer! Checking those big things off the list early!

7) Confession: I miss the olympics.  I miss the sense of unity that accompanies the events and I miss listening to my brother and Aaron commentate in what I would describe as a language all their own.

8) This time next week it will be socially acceptable to listen to christmas music ALL day long!

9) I got a few of these in the mail this week, aren't they just so cute!



10) Aaron is installing the backsplash!  Our kitchen is finally coming together and we love it!



11) Aside from a haircut last month, I have not had my hair done since May.  I'm very excited to visit my friend/sister-in-law at the salon tomorrow and make a few changes to the mop on my head!

I hope you each have a wonderful weekend, Thanksgiving is almost here!

Something Old and Something Borrowed

Hi there, Happy Wednesday!

Today's post addresses the "Something Old & Something Borrowed" elements I'll have on the day of our wedding from the following wedding tradition of:

"Something Olde, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, A Sixpence in your Shoe"

Although this tradition is common amongst weddings when I look back at the weddings I have attended not only did I not know what the bride's something "old, new, borrowed or blue" was, but I did not know the significance of their pieces (if they had them) either.  Maybe it is not customary to share such details but the two elements I'm going to tell you about today are pretty special and I think are worth sharing.

Something Old:

My something old is actually from my Papa (my Mom's Dad) who passed away when I was 2 1/2.  There is a hankie in our family that my grandfather had the day he married my grandmother.  That hankie has since been used as an element in almost all the grandkids' weddings since.  My Aunt now has the hankie and has offered it to me for use in our wedding.  The thought of having something so special with me that has been used as an element in so many important weddings in our family gives me goosebumps.  I'm so excited!

Something Borrowed:

My something borrowed comes to me from my sister-in-law Stephanie.  I will be borrowing her veil and am very excited about this too!  As most of you who read this know, our family is pretty close, so to have something like this from my sister-in-law who I consider another "sister" is going to be really neat!

Now onto your YouTube video of the day; meet Sophia Grace & Rosie.  These girls guest star on the Ellen show and I love them, they are hilarious and absolutely adorable! Enjoy, see you Friday!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP-PF4nKb0I&w=560&h=315]

What We're Eating This Week

Happy Monday Everyone!  Today we're talking about meal planning.  I'm going to preface this with telling you all that I really do not enjoy meal planning or grocery shopping.  However, there is nothing worse than coming home from a long day at work and having to ask yourself, "what's for dinner", picking something, and then realizing you do not have what you need to cook what you want (which makes for one cranky Katie).  This is where meal planning comes in handy and makes grocery shopping more enjoyable!

Since Fall has finally arrived here in Southern California......well for this week anyway, I am going to do 4 days of crock pot meals.  I love being able to use a crock pot, minimal mess is involved so clean up is easy.  Who wouldn't love that?!

Last Christmas my Aunt got me this awesome cookbook:



So, to make life even easier (not to be read as a week of afterwork laziness) I have selected 4 dinners from this book that I can fix and forget about this week.

On the menu:

Easy-Does It Spaghetti

Cream Cooker Chicken

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Taco Bake

And here is a cheerful little tune for your Monday: Hold On  By The Gospel Whiskey Runners

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofI_wFNvdAA&w=420&h=315]

What are you having for dinner this week?  See you all on Wednesday!

Welcome!

Hello family and friends who are like family!  Welcome to my new blog, The Babbling Brunette.  Many of the blogs that I read have some sort of “theme”, mine does not.  As the tag line suggests the blog will feature “a dash of this and a cup of that”; in less flowery terms it will be somewhat of a mishmash.

Since I’m Katie Beucus in the making (crazy), there will probably be posts about the wedding planning process in addition to my adventures in the kitchen, the projects we do around our new home and “our girls”, Maya and Marley.  Initially I’ll be working on three posts a week which will post Monday/Wednesday/Friday.  You can access these posts through the link that will show on Facebook or you can follow me from the blog itself (bottom right) and access them right from your e-mail! Now for your regularly scheduled programing, happy Friday!

1) Apparently someone is going to be huge.  Can you guess who is who?

Maya in Red and Marley in Purple[/caption]

2) And apparently that same someone thinks that it is acceptable to jump on the bed....ahem.....Marley.....and also likes zucchini:

3) Does anyone shop at the Gap Outlet?  I have a coupon via e-mail for 40% off your entire purchase valid this weekend only.  If you anticipate going there this weekend or would make a special trip because you have a 40% off coupon, either leave your email address in the comment below or message it to me on Facebook and I'll share my coupon with you!

4) And here are two songs that have been stuck in my head this week from bands I like. You're welcome.

Change by Churchill

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUuX4h9XgYk&w=560&h=315]

Feel Again by OneRepublic

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tMKO_9SD1Y&w=560&h=315]

5) Last but not least, a disturbing thought on competitive eating.  The last world hot dog eating champ consumed 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes.  We have children and families who go without meals all over our country and here you are shoving 68 hot dogs down your throat in ten minutes as a sport?! Wow.

Happy Friday to you all!  I hope you all enjoyed the first post ever from The Babbling Brunette, I'll be back on Monday!