Friday Five - 5/30/14

This week's 5 are on the way...
but first, a follow up on last week's 5.  The triple cheeseburger from McDonalds...nothing special.  Oh well.  Now I can go back to healthier options :-)

And now...the new 5 for the week.











1. The Birthday Girls

Today is the birthday of two of my oldest and dearest friends.  They were co-matrons of honor in my wedding and we've been friends for about 18 years now...shit.  18 years (heck...this picture is 15 years old - how has all that time gone by already?  I still feel like that 15 year old girl most of the time...).  We've been through a lot and I love them like sisters.  Happy Birthday, Meg & Jen!

2. The Birthday Girls

Today is also the birthday of my beloved Alpha Gamma Delta.  And it's a big one - 110 years from the day our 11 founders - Marguerite Shepard, Estelle Shephard Beswick, Georgia Dickover, Jennie Titus Smith Morris, Ethel Brown Distin, Grace Mosher Harter, Edith MacConnell, Hickok, Mary Louise Snyder, Georgia Otis Chapman, Flora Knight Mayer, and (my favorite) Emily Helen Butterfield  sat in a room at Syracuse University and officially adopted our constitution and bylaws.  Alpha Gam was a huge part of my college experience and I am proud to live her purpose every day!

3. Employer Recognition
I'm a very un-confident person.  Especially in my job.  I'm always positive that whenever I'm called into someone's office or when someone says "hey do you have a few minutes to talk?" that I'm going to be scolded or fired or escorted off the premises.  When people do call me into their office or ask if I have time to talk, I always have a small panic attack because I know it's not going to be good.  Of course, it's always fine.  But that doesn't assuage my fears for the next time.  I'm still waiting for the day when they realize I don't actually do anything...I was happy I had gotten a promotion a few weeks before my maternity leave, because I was certain I would come back to no job due to them realizing I wasn't as valuable as they had once believed.  It's also been a pretty rough couple of weeks at work.  Many of our employees are leaving the company (high level managers, not just anyone) including my boss and my former boss - both of whom I am very close to.  Having those people who know what I do and my value to the company leave is SCARY.  What if their replacements don't like me?  Or see through me and finally discover I do not belong here?  I need a Xanax to deal with the anxiety...for real.  I have no reason to think any of this.  I do work hard.  I get shit done quickly and well and I know what I'm doing.  But regardless, I can't shake the fear.  Because of all that, it's nice to get some recognition and reiteration that my hard work doesn't go unnoticed - even by those who I don't work as closely with, and by my new bosses.  I got that recognition and validation this week in the form of a huge promotion.  It was so unexpected, but so awesome.  I'm still sad - I'm going to miss my friends - but it does give me some major peace of mind that I'll be OK without them.

4. Derek

Today also marks the return of Derek on Netflix.  The first season of this show was amazing - I can't wait for the second.  I've been catching quick clips on Ricky Gervais' facebook page and I know the second season will not disappoint.  Cue a weekend of binge watching (hopefully Chad can get Sunday off work so we can)!

5. The Return of SYTYCD

There's only been one episode so far this season, but it's looking like another great one!  I love this show.  I'm not a dancer, but I love dance.  One of my favorite things about this show is discovering new music, too.  My playlist grows exponentially each season when I hear new songs or different versions of songs I'd never heard before.  I think we grabbed 1 or 2 new songs in the season premiere alone (including Wake Me Up by Madilyn Bailey).  It's also nice having a favorite show that my dear husband doesn't make fun of me for liking (we have a lot of similar television tastes, but we also have a lot of different television tastes) - surprisingly, he likes this show just as much as I do - I love discussing different dances (we often disagree on what's good or not, but that's the beauty of the competition I guess) and who should win or go home.  I'm excited for another season of that :-)

One of those days...

I'm having one of those days...you know what I'm talking about.  The kind of day that you're just in a funk and not much can help.  The kind of day where you're on the verge of tears for reasons you can't really explain.  Today is one of those days.  The gloomy weather outside reflects my mood.  I can't tell you how much I want to go home and just hug my little guy, because I know he'll make my heart feel better.

Today is one of those days because it's just full of sad, sad news.  It started as soon as I woke up and checked facebook.  2 of my favorite high school teachers have been let go after nearly 20 years of service to the school.  It's deplorable really.  They were (are) two of the best teachers I've ever had, and I know among all alumni who knew them, the feeling is mutual.  They taught at Ladywood High School, an all-girls Catholic school in Michigan.  I only attended Ladywood during my freshman and sophomore years.  I don't have too many fond memories of my time there.  But my classes with "Ms. J" - Mrs Juanita Moore-Jefferies and Mr. Bob Bartone are among the good ones.

I only had 1, 1/2 year class with Mr. Bartone - Contemporary American History.  The class was good because the content was interesting - WWI to the present.  But the class was awesome because Mr. Bartone was the teacher.  He was this perpetually grumpy, beatles & pink floyd-loving, "damn the man", vietnam vet.  I remember this great lecture he did about Nixon swearing a lot and how the papers had to continuously insert the phrase "expletive deleted" into their quotes.  He had an orange construction barrel wearing a fez, just hanging out in the classroom.  He kept a Moon Pie tacked to the chalkboard.  He made the class interesting because he lived it and he shared his own stories.  We listened to Sgt. Pepper while taking our tests.  Honestly, one of the best classroom experiences I've ever had.

Ms. J was...I don't know what else to say but Ms. J was an angel.  Fitting, because she was the director of the Angelic Chorale.  People who couldn't sing a note took choir because they wanted a class with Ms. J.  After I left, she also took over the orchestra.  She loved music and she loved to help us make the best music we could.  It was a catholic school, so we sang a lot of hymns, but we got to sing them Sister Act style.  When I started choir at Ladywood, I loved singing.  I was ok - I had done choir in elementary and middle school and at church.  I had gotten solos and cantored.  But my teachers and directors always had the same direction for me - I had to sing out.  I was this meek, shy little singer who didn't know how to use my chest voice or project my head voice.  Enter Ms. J.  She got it out of me.  She found my voice.  She re-enforced my love for singing because she made me better.  And she didn't just help the girls who already knew how to sing.  I remember a senior during my freshman year, who got almost every solo, was the lead in the musicals, was just this awesome, awesome singer.  I wanted to be her.  Then she dropped the bomb.  When she joined choir her freshman year, she was completely tone deaf.  Couldn't sing a note.  Ms. J taught her how to sing and gave her such a beautiful gift.  And she wasn't just a great teacher.  She was a great person.  She loved all of us as if we were her own children.  Many students looked at her like another Mother.

The love and respect that their former students have for these two teachers is more than apparent today on facebook.  Posts on their walls, posts tagging them telling them what inspirations they've been, calls to action for alumni.  I hope they both know what an impact they've made on so many lives.  How lucky we've all been to have had them as teachers.  Thinking about them makes me happy, thinking of the future Ladywood students who won't get the same experience makes me really angry.  I hope those Felicians knew what they were getting into when they made this decision...

Then of course later this morning, the news broke that Dr. Maya Angelou had died.  What a loss for the whole world.  I have always heard about her and her writings and her life, but I've never actually read much of it myself.  I will say with absolute certainty that after today, I am buying and reading her book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings immediately.  I have been immersing myself in her poetry and quotes today and am feeling terrible that I didn't do this sooner.  What a smart, beautiful, profound, inspiring woman - someone we can all look up to and admire.  Rest In Peace, Phenomenal Woman.

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may tread me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you? 

Why are you beset with gloom? 

'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken? 

Bowed head and lowered eyes? 

Shoulders falling down like teardrops.

Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you? 

Don't you take it awful hard

'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines

Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you? 

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs? 

Out of the huts of history's shame

I rise

Up from a past that's rooted in pain

I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear

I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

  I rise. 

Dr. Maya Angelou

4/4/1928 - 5/28/2014

Momma & Miles Monday - Memorial Day

Today Miles and momma are enjoying our second day in a row with Chad home.  Yesterday, we went to the Potter Park Zoo - it was a great day, but it was hot - so we decided that today we would set up the pool that Miles got for his birthday.  He was unsure at first, but he ended up LOVING it.  We spent a couple of hours out in the sun, splashing in the water.

it's not Miles & Momma Monday without a silly #selfie!

the slide is neat, but the COOLEST thing about this pool is the QUIDDITCH hoops!

even our water-phobic puppy, Zuzu, joined the fun

Now lil man is taking a late nap and Chad and I are getting ready for dinner - my summer time favorite - shish kabobs on the grill.  We're also adding a little grilled watermelon, I'm so excited!

We're also not forgetting the reason that we get to enjoy this beautiful Monday together.  Today, I remember my two favorite veterans - Chester J. Kloss & Gerard P. Scanlon, my grandpa and grandfather.  They served their country during World War II and the Korean War (respectively).  Love and miss you both everyday!

Grandpa Chester "Chet" Kloss

Gerard "Jerry" Scanlon (Grandfather)

Friday 5 - May 23, 2014

The coolest things from the past week...at least for me. 

1. Danny Worth

Danny Worth is a position player for the Tigers.  For you non-baseball folk, that means he fills in wherever he's needed and he doesn't play everyday.  Generally we see him at short stop, but he could realistically fill in at any position in a pinch.  And yesterday we were in a pinch.  The day before we lost a brutal 13 inning, 5.5 hour game which used up a ton of our pitchers.  Yesterday we were down 9-2, we pulled our starter early in the 4th, and had even put in one of our starters to relieve because we were just out of relief pitchers. Well, the 9th inning comes around and we had no one to pitch.  Generally in this case, we would use one of our other position players - Donnie Kelly (my Tiger), but he was already playing.  So Danny Worth got the call to the bullpen for his major league pitching debut.  The stats guys said he hadn't pitched since High School.  Awesome.  This could get ugly.  The result was nothing short of awesome.  Turns out, Danny Worth has a mean knuckle ball.  After a fly out, he gave up one hit (because he abandoned the knuckle ball for 1 pitch), and struck out 2.  The guy who has never pitched major league baseball, probably hasn't really pitched in 10 years or more, who was throwing 69 mph pitches, threw better than every other guy we were paying to pitch that day.  I don't think I've ever been more excited about losing a game.

2. The Lansing Hooters Girls

Miles & his favorite girlfriend, Allison

Don't side eye me.  We love Hooters in our family.  There was a point where we were going weekly.  It was one of Miles' first restaurants - we took him at about a week old.  But we have been trying to eat at home more, so we hadn't been in awhile.  We finally went back this week and our experience put these awesome women on my list this week.  This Hooters was one of Miles' first restaurants - we took him at about a week old for the first time.  He has grown up with his "girlfriends" and they all LOVE him.  Since it had been a few months since we last went, Miles had grown up a lot and he was walking.  They were all so excited to see him.  They greeted us at the door or at our table with Hi Miles! (Yep, it's a first-name basis situation), they played with his blocks with him, they gave him hugs, and they clapped as he walked around the restaurant.  Hooters gets a bad wrap...but it's really one of the most family-friendly restaurants we go to.

3. Google+ Photo Stories

The latest update to Google+ rolled out this week and with it came some awesome new photo features, including GIF maker, grid maker, & movie maker.  But my favorite new thing is the new Auto-Awesome Photo Story.  This mashes up maps and photos and creates a sort of travel log of special trips.  Once the feature rolled out, I had 12 photo stories waiting for me, including one for our recent trip to Traverse City.  Once the photo story is made, you can go in and add captions to the photos to complete the experience for the viewer.  You can see my first photo story here.

4. Triple Cheese Burgers

I am a fat kid at heart. I love all things bad for you (I like some good things too, but candy and fast food make me so happy).  Right now, McDonald's has triple cheese burgers.  You don't understand how excited that made me when I found out.  Nevermind the fact that I've never had a triple cheese burger from McDonald's and in general, I don't even like McDonald's burgers (with the exception of their Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder).  I had no reason whatsoever to be excited about this - but. i. am.  That's about all the positive I can give at this point though, because when I ordered one for lunch today, I got a double by mistake (in their defense, I only paid for a double - I didn't pay close enough attention when asked to check my order on the screen).  It's a good thing I sprang for the large size meal though, otherwise, I might starve to death.  So this burger made the list without my ever having eaten it.  It better live up to expectations...that's all I have to say.

5. Melissa & Doug Animal Nesting Blocks

These are the only toy that will consistently cure a tantrum in our house.  He starts freaking out, I start stacking the blocks, crying over (for the time being...we sometimes have to repeat this process several times).  It's still amazing to me how much more he loves the simple toys over the fancy, battery-operated, light up, music-playing toys.  These are just wooden blocks with animals printed on them but he loves to stack them up and knock them over, or nest them together and pull them apart.  If you have a small child, you need these.  Get them here.

And that's this week's 5.

Until next time, stay Chelish!

My favorite Pins this week

A new fun thing to do when nothing very exciting has happened for me to write about.  Here are 5 of my favorite Pinterest Pins from this week.

1. Kids Car Garage

We got Miles' Cozy Coupe out recently and decided to store it outside next to our porch - it has a built in "parking spot" which is perfect.  Then it rained.  And it didn't stop raining for about 5 days.  When it was finally sunny again, his car was full of water and we couldn't use it.  This would have been perfect!  Will I ever actually build it?  Probably not.  But I can pretend.

2. Cute Baseball Stuff

I always pin adorable baseball themed stuff like this.  I want to decorate my entire house with it.  But, considering that we've been living in our house for over a year and still haven't even painted the walls...decorations are probably not coming any time soon either.  And I have more t-shirts than I know what to do with.  But I'm always up for more!  The cool thing about this one is that it comes from SpreadShirt, which allows you to put the design on any style/color shirt you want.  I love the wideneck sweatshirt they offer.

3. Watermelon Slushie

This watermelon slushie from Shugary Sweets looks a.may.zing.  I love lime everything - so this is perfect.  And it's such an easy recipe too.  It calls for frozen watermelon, lime juice, and water.  done.  They also suggest substituting Vodka to make a yummy adult beverage.  I'm thinking you could also sub Sprite for water and make a fun bubbly slushy.  Or Vodka and Sprite for a funner bubbly slushy! ;-)

4. Bird Watercolor Tattoo

I don't have any tattoos.  And as much as I want them, I don't think I will ever get any.  I change my tastes far too often to have something on my body permanently like that. But lately I've been seeing these "watercolor" tattoos and I absolutely love them.  I think if I ever did decide on a design, this is the style I would get.  Though I will say, I've wanted the same tattoo for almost 10 years now - a phoenix - but I could never find the 'right' one.  Maybe I'll look for watercolor phoenix tattoos next...then the only issue would be deciding where to get it.  Oh look what I found!

5. 20 Life-Changing Ways to Use Bobby Pins

I have no earthly idea how to use bobby pins (I have no earthly idea how to do a lot of things with my hair, frankly), so pins like this really help me.  It's pins like this one that I actually open up later, in the moment, and follow the instructions to try and better my existence. Next time I attempt bobby pin usage, you better believe this baby will be open on my phone.  This braid one is one of my favorites - flyaways and weird bumps are a major issue when i try to single french braid my hair (doubles are fine...it's just the single that seems to hate me), plus the pop of pink is extra cute.

For more of my pins, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Stay Chelish!

Lava Monster - Cousin Love

The other day Chad posted a vague statement on his G+ "Everybody knows 'don't touch the lava'"!  At the time, I had no idea what he was talking about.  I thought it was some movie or tv reference that I didn't understand.  It wasn't until he mentioned at dinner that I understood.  He was referring to a childhood game we all played - Don't Touch the Lava.  Think about it - you did, didn't you?
He made a good point - it was one of those games that you thought you made up on your own, but yet everyone you know played it too.

In our family it was called Lava Monster.  We played it in my grandma's basement.  The floor was the lava (but it didn't kill you...strange) and the couches were "safe".  One person was the Lava Monster and their goal was to stop you from moving from one end of the basement to the other.  If you used the floor (lava) to travel, you were fair game, but if you hopped from couch to couch, they couldn't touch you.  I guess, essentially, it was tag for a small, confined space.
I played a similar game in elementary school gym - Spiders and Flies.  The flies had to run from one end of the gym to the other without getting tagged by the spiders.  We are the spiders. We are the flies.  We're going to get you.  Let's see you try!  Wow.  I can't believe I just remembered that, since the last time I played it was 1995....

Anyway, back to lava monster - Did you play some variation of Don't Touch The Lava?  What were your rules?

Oh.  And I just found this. See? Chad was right.

Thinking back to it also makes me a little sad.  Growing up, my cousins were my best friends.  I had 12 cousins on my mom's side and 6 on my dad's.  Miles will only have cousins if my sister has kids, and she lives in Tennessee, so they won't get to just hang out like we did with our cousins growing up.  That makes me sad for him.

Sunshine, Mackenzie, Alissa, Elana, Andrea, Chad, Tara, Jacob, Samantha, Dominic, Ryan, Dylan, Jason, Joseph, Steven, Stefanie, Jackie, & Matt (and Caitlin who is not technically my cousin, but who is their cousin) - I love and miss you all so much.
And the new cousins that have joined us recently - Charles, Travis, Diana, Mike, Abbey, Cora, Avery, Bella, Joey, & Aidan (and soon-to-be baby Scanlon) - I love you like you were all my "real" cousins, too!

momma & miles monday

Its that time of week again.  When I bombard you with pictures of my ridiculously cute kid.  This was never supposed to be one of those mom blogs.  But I guess when you're crazy about your baby, its inevitable.

Today was gorgeous out, so we went and played outside for a little bit.  Grammy and Papa bought miles a little swing set last time they were here, so we've been trying to get outside and play with it as much as we can. They told me he loved swinging in the swing, but I haven't been able to get him to let go of me long enough to sit in it.  We'll keep trying.

After enough outside time, we came in to take our usual silly selfies for these posts and to watch the Tigers crush the Indians (obvs).

Stay Chelish, friends!

A Nice Little Sunday #throughglass

Chad was nice and let me sleep in until 9:30 this morning. He got up with Miles, gave him breakfast, and entertained him until I got up.  It was so nice, especially since we had each enjoyed a bottle of wine last night and I really needed the extra sleep to recover...hehehe.

We decided to check out the East  Lansing Street Fair today, but first we decided to go grocery shopping.

#throughglass

This guy is always super popular whenever we're out and about.  Today was no exception!

After we got the groceries home and put away, we headed back out.  We've been in the Lansing area for over 3 years now and had never been to this street fair - which is crazy because I love street fairs, craft shows, etc. The weather was finally warm and dry again, so it was a perfect day to go.

This was the most insane street fair I've ever attended.  Normally there is some sort of order to the booths and you can plan out how you're going to navigate them so you don't miss any.  This was definitely not like that.  I know we missed a lot, but we saw even more.  I was on a mission to find a Detroit Tigers lawn stake that I saw at every street fair I went to last year, but foolishly never bought - even though it was only $5.  Of course, they weren't here (or maybe they were hiding in one of those booths that we missed).  I saw more expensive versions, but they didn't look as nice as the one I wanted, so I passed it up.

When we were out of the most crowded areas, we let Miles walk around a little bit - he loves walking!

#throughglass

Chad and I were both wearing our Google Glass and we got stopped a lot.  Some people didn't know what they were and asked.  Others knew, and just asked how we liked them, do they work like they say, etc.  Chad offered demos to everyone and they were all very impressed.  A ton of people just stared as they walked by or whispered (loudly) to their friends "that's Google Glass!".  That's something I need to get used to - between my ultra-cute kid and Glass, I definitely don't blend in to the crowd anymore!

We saw some really neat street art as well...at first glance, you think someone just carelessly spilled something on the sidewalk.  But look closer and....

...it's really quite beautiful.

We stopped for lunch at Pita Pit, but they had no high chairs or booster seats.  So Miles had to put on his big boy pants and sit on a regular chair.  He did awesome!

I'm so excited for warmer weather that sticks around so we can have more family outings like this.  We had a great time!

This week I'm linking up with Social Media Sunday.  Be sure to check out the great blogs who are joining me and as always...Stay Chelish!