6 things you should know about me

1. Is this how you imagined your life would be?

Pretty much, yes. I imagined being married to this stud since our first date. I imagined being done with school and working at a full time job. What I didn't imagine was the lack of desire for children (being real here), the status of "paralegal" at my age, or being an annual Disneyland pass holder.

2. If money were no question, I would purchase...

A house. A nice house. And a couple new cars. Nissan Juke, anyone?? I would also buy my way into being part owner of the $10 shoe store. Just for the discounts...Obvsly

3. What's your drink of choice when out with girlfriends?

Dr. Pepper, easy ice. Mr. Pibb will sometimes suffice.

4. What do you love about yourself?

I love that I know how to manage time, that I am efficient and productive and non-procrastinating. I love my long, full eye lashes, my small feet, and nicely shaped ears. I love my blondness and that I can laugh at myself for it. And I love that I can play the piano well, and teach well too. I love my creativeness and my eye for detail.

5. Name one good deed you did that went unseen.

I'm not really sure what the definition of "unseen" is, but not too long ago I paid for the car behind me's food in the In 'N Out drive through. Lots of happy feelings afterward. I should do that again. Other than that, I love to send little notes via real live mail to people all the time. Every once in a while someone will come back and tell me that my note is something they really needed that day. If you can make that big a difference by doing something so small and un-time consuming, more of it should be done. For sure.

6. What hobbies do you have that you don't mention on your blog?

Letsbehonest, I'm not sure what I've mentioned here and what I haven't. But...My hobbies include: Sudoku, playing and teaching piano, garage saling, scouring Amazon, blog stalking, hanging out with MRudd, doing nails, making lists, furniture re-do projects, doodling and going to baseball games.

There you have it. Now I tag all ya'll!!

ten things tuesday

1. I am a complusive list maker. And I dream (seriously folks) about getting things on my list(s) done. You should see my desk. And my purse. And my phone. And my Kindle. And my fridge. And the inside of my head for that matter. I even make lists of lists to make. Lists on lists on lists on lists. Srsly.

2. I hate the word peek. Like “take a peek.” Hate it. Peep isn’t much better.

3. i get super cold super easy. I keep a sweater in my car and at work. And I sleep with our huge duvet year round….In addition to my flat sheet. Michael Rudd on the other hand...We have three fans in our bedroom and that boy still overheats!

4. I change my phone case as often as I go to church, meaning it’s a weekly thing. Right now I’m sporting a hot pink floral number.

5. I go garage saling every Saturday morning. I also have two McDonald’s hash browns and a large Dr. Pepper for breakfast every Saturday morning. And I don’t even feel bad about it.

6. I love love love chocolate milk. Like, addiction status. I have at least two cups a day, but most days there’s three. One in the morning with (sometimes for) breakfast, one when I get home, and one just before brushing my teeth and climbing into bed. Oh, and Nesquick powder all the way. None of this syrup or pre-made business.

7. I forget my leftover lunch slash all other food at work like every day. It’s a problem. Sometimes a moldy one. Gross.

8. I am the world’s pickiest eater. And if I’m not the pickiest, I’m definitely in the top five. Just ask my poor husband. This chick doesn’t like anything.

9. When MRudd was on his mission, we sent a bucket list back and forth. It has things like “Go to Harry Potter World” and “Ride in a hot air balloon” written on it. We need to revisit that little gem and cross some things off!

10. Before graduating from ASU, I would get asked “So what are you going to do once you graduate??” My response, every time, was “I’m going to watch TV.” And I was serious! I had watched next to zero TV that entire four years (with the exception of Biggest Loser) and I was ready for some down time away from textbooks and writing papers. MRudd was (and is) thrilled. The kid loves shows and movies. Since graduation, we have watched all four seasons of Community (hilarious, btw) and Whodunnit. Last night, I watched my very first episode of Friends. If MRudd was thrilled before, he’s even more thrilled now. He loves that show so much that he owns all ten seasons on DVD. I, on the other hand, had never before seen an episode. Here goes nothin...Ten seasons of nothin...

ten things tuesday

1. I hate cold water. Except when brushing my teeth. Cold water is the only way to go for that activity. Give me something warmer for drinking, swimming, showering, washing my hands, etc.

2. I recently discovered instant jello and it’s one-ingredient-five-minutes-to-make awesomeness. I recommend oreo and vanilla flavors. Holy freak delicious.

3. A while back, we upgraded our queen size bed for a king. We’ve picked out our bedding (this fancy little number) and everything, but I have yet to purchase it because bedding is hecka expensive! I mean you got the sheets and the duvet insert thing and the duvet cover...Sheesh! I think it’s bugging MRudd a tad...He confronted me on Sunday with a, “So like have you ordered our bedding yet?” No, Michael Rudd, I have not. $$$$$$$

4. I teach piano. I love teaching piano. I know...You’re probably thinking, “Yeah, along with the 500 other young Mormon women who live within a mile of you!” So what if lots of people teach. It’s fun, it’s using my talents, it’s rewarding, it’s lucrative, it’s a side job that doesn’t require obnoxious amounts of time...I say whoever decides to teach piano, or anything they’re good at for that matter, is pretty dang smart! I’ve taught for eight years. The least amount of students I’ve ever had was four (when I first started) and the most students I ever had at one time was 18 (my senior year of high school). It was awesome, but obviously, I didn’t have that kind of time available my first year of college. No way Jose. Right now I’ve got 15! Super fun.

5. I love Sudoku. A couple weekends ago, we planned a date night with our bmfs that revolved around my need for a book full of sudoku puzzles. I went for one. I walked out with four. And a book about Disneyland, because hello, I need that in my life. Srsly.

6. Yesterday, whilst flipping through the radio stations on my way to work, I definitely chose One Direction over Taylor Swift. I’m a die hard T-Swift fan (leave 20 minutes early the morning her newest album is released so that I can buy it from Target (deluxe edition, hello?!) on my way to work even though I won’t even have time to listen to it until after work), but what can I say? Sometimes One Direction just has that one thing. And sometimes that one thing is just a tad more than T-Swift can offer. It happens.

7. Most people hate cleaning out the holes where their wisdom teeth used to be in the weeks post wisdom teeth removal, but I love it. Not even going to lie, it irritates me when nothing comes out and I get super excited when I do get a little something to flush out of there. Gross, maybe, but to each his own, okay? So...cool.

8. I love Harry Potter. No, I am obsessed with Harry Potter. I even took (and got an A in, mind you) a Harry Potter class at ASU that counted toward my degree. Srsly. And it was bomb. MRudd has this game on his phone called Heads Up Charades! (think mix between charades and Catch Phrase). They recently updated with a Harry Potter category. If you want to see something impressive, watch me blow those HP questions out of the water. But seriously. And this morning, as soon as I opened my eyes, the HP theme song started playing in my head. So that was awesome.

9. Almost every single piece of furniture in our house was thrifted in some way, shape, or form. We came to this realization last night. Glad my husband’s okay with that one...

10. It took me all day to come up with this list. Apparently I should get to know myself some more.

Please note: Although this post is entitles "Ten Things Tuesday," don't expect one of these bad boys every Tuesday. But coming up with this list was fun, so we'll see where it goes.

the $10 shoe store {yes, you read that right}

***Disclaimer: This post is informative in nature. The author does not assume responsibility for any damage done after viewing the content herein, whether it be to the bank account of the reader or in relationships with anyone of the husband type.***

And yes, that disclaimer is going to be needed. Again.

Let me let you in on a sweet little secret of mine which I refer to as the $10 shoe store. I have bad habit of nonchalantly mentioning this place, but not giving any further detail...It's time I share the wealth. Which there may be none of as soon as you hear about this place...

MRudd came over as I was screen-shotting this image from their website, as soon after realizing what I was looking at, got a worried look on his face. I quickly relieved him by saying, "Don't worry, I'm not shopping, just screen-shotting so I can share my secret." He then let out a big sigh of relief and walked away only after I exited out of that window. See what I mean by the necessity of having that disclaimer??

Anyway. I'm going to give you a few facts about this place, and that's all you need to know.

• Wholesale Fashion Shoes. It's in Phoenix. 4041 E. Thomas Rd. to be exact. And yes, that is one of the few addresses I have memorized.
• Every pair of shoes is $10.88. They carry all sorts of boots (in their very own boot room, might I add), too, but those aren't always $10.88. The most expensive pair of boots I've ever seen was $24.88.
• They get new inventory every week. Every. Single. Week. Ladies. (I'm hearing, "Danger up ahead" from the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland going off in my head right now).
• You can sign up for their weekly email in the store. The email comes on Wednesday (sometimes Tuesday night!). Highlight of the week, people. Not even joking. Definitely recommend that...just sayin...I've been known to literally gasp out loud, "The shoe email!" when it shows up in my inbox. It's like Christmas. On a weekly basis. And what's not to love about that?
• They say the put their new inventory out on Wednesday, therefore Wednesdays are madness down there. However, they actually put it out on Monday. So Monday is the day to go. But that little tidbit is ONLY between you and me. No telling that one, mkay? :D
• The music they choose to play is awful, definitely my least favorite part of the whole experience. Too much for my innocent soft virgin ears. I've learned to tune it out, though, but you should still be warned anyway!
• The workers are a bunch of young kids that like to goof off and flirt with one another, but they are very helpful and super nice. I utilize them as much as I can or need to, because you know, sometimes you don't want to hunch over and dig through stacks of boxes to find your size all the while trying to keep your bag from falling off your shoulder and not take up the entire (small) aisle and you need someone to help you out a little. Or you can't reach that top shelf for the life of you because you're just too dang short and you need the super tall kid to do it for you. Or you can't seem to carry four yes boxes around and try on other shoes at the same time and you need the girl at the front to hold your treasures for you til you're done combing over the store once. Or twice. Or three times. Just to make sure you didn't miss anything, you know? I know. Use the workers. They make the shopping experience much better and can save you quite a bit of time! And sore armage.
• These shoes aren't crappy shoes! I have found Steve Maddens there (not too often, but a few different times!), Forever 21 shoes, Soda brand, and lots of others that department stores in the mall carry. I've purchased a few pairs at WFS that I later saw another store (Kohl's, JCP, Rainbow) for $25-$30. Holler. This isn't to say I've had some shoes fall apart on me. My summer sandals that I bought last summer are starting to break at the end of this summer. But hello! I've worn the life out of those suckers! So that's to be expected. No other complaints from me though!
• They're ahead of the trends and have tons to choose from, but sometimes (raretimes) it's hit and miss. I've walked out of there a few times with (literally, and I'm pretty sure this is my record) seven new pairs (shoe addict anyone??) and other times (seldomtimes) walked out with nothing.
• They have all types of shoes. Flats, sandals, wedges, heels, boots, tennies, everything! And you're going to see some super weird pairs from time to time too.
• They also carry handbags, wallets, and jewelry. I just go for the shoes.

And that, ladies, is all I think you need to know. It's worth the drive, the crappy music, the sometimes crowds, and the high school employees because $10 shoes?? Who can pass that up?!

daily deal sites

***Disclaimer: This post is informative in nature. The author does not assume responsibility for any damage done after viewing the content herein, whether it be to the bank account of the reader or in relationships with anyone of the husband type.***

Let's talk about the awesomeness that is daily deal sites. I have several that I get emails for every day, and seriously...they have the cutest things. Like all the time. Jewelry, address stamps, washi tape, picture frames, maxi skirts, hair accessories, wall vinyl, photo backdrops, blankets, and more and more and more. Not only is it beneficial when I buy something, because hello, it's mine now, but also when I don't buy something that I really really really just want. Do you know what kind of self control that takes?! Lots, and it's good practice.

I have purchased several things from the following sites...Some I like better than others, but the good thing is their deals change every day! Some have several deals a day, some only have one. Anywho, there's a lot, so brace yourself! Also, yourewelcomeimsorry.

a side of peaches | http://www.asideofpeaches.com/

 

belle chic | https://www.bellechic.com/join

brickyard buffalo | http://brickyardbuffalo.com/deals/

groopdealz | https://www.groopdealz.com/

p.s. i adore you | http://www.psiadoreyou.com/

pick your plum | http://pickyourplum.com/

rubee lane | http://www.rubeelane.com/deal/subscription

sassy steals | http://www.sassysteals.com/

simple addiction | http://www.simpleaddiction.com/

the bungalow boutique | http://bbdailydeals.com/

the plaid barn | http://www.theplaidbarn.com/

very jane| http://veryjane.com/

zulily | http://www.zulily.com/

I was going to write a little blurb about each one, but let's face it. There's too many. Ain't nobody got time for that.

10 days

Last week was momentous. I completed my last assignment and test of my college career. Big deal, right? That was Monday, and I was on a high, let me tell you. Such a high that I had completely forgotten about the awful week-long exhaustion that comes after every single semester. And let me tell you, this was the worst bout of that yet. I was loving the feeling of having zero responsibilities in the schoolwork department, but I had zero energy to do something with my new found spare time, hardly any oompf to relish that relief. Like I said, this happens every semester, but this round was by far the worst. We went to bed early (we're talking 9:00pm here folks) every night. Wednesday night I was so beat that I went to bed at 7:30! Who does that?! As soon as my head hit the pillow every night, I was out like a light. I would sleep like a rock all night long, and then when my alarm would go off, I couldn't get up! MRudd gets up and leaves for work by 6:00am, and I usually get up when he leaves. I'm proud of how productive I am with that extra hour in the mornings, but last week it wasn't happening. I could hardly pull myself out of bed by 7:15 in order to rush through my morning routine and run out the door to make it to work by 8:00am. I showed up with wet hair every day because when you're running late and you still need to blow dry your hair...well....ain't nobody got time for that. I would then spend the entire day longing for my bed, completely exhausted and drained, even if it was only 10:00 in the morning. We're talking eyes-burning-can't-concentrate-long-enough-to-answer-simple-questions kind of exhausted. Every. Day. I zombied my way through the day and week. It was awful. I was even falling asleep in sacrament this past Sunday! Goodness. Obviously, this semester kicked my butt.

Monday morning came with it's 6:00am alarm, and boom, I was awake. Ready to go. Felt super energized and ready to tackle my long lists of to-dos. I was so with it that I was ten minutes early to work. Again, who does that? Same thing happened this morning, only today is my day off. 6:00am and BAM. Up and at 'em. Usually my day off consists of not much else more than schoolschoolschool. But today is different. Lacking on my lists of to-dos today is any form, type, or kind of schoolwork. And that feels AWESOME. It's 9:00am and I've already cleaned my house (including dusting everything in sight, organizing my dresser drawers, putting hung-to-dry laundry away, and cleaning all fans and light fixtures), gotten myself ready, listed some things on MesaConsign, eaten breakfast, and blogged. Basically, I'm awesome and I'm really feelin' it right now.

The moral of my story is that school does a number to you, at least it does to me. It's pretty uncool how it sucks up the majority of your life, leaving you with little to no spare time during the semester, and then the second the semester ends, it sucks the life out of you for at least a week. Not cool, school, not cool. But I made it through the wilderness and have only ten days til it's all over for good. What's up.

it's monday.

Three reasons why today rocks, even though it's a Monday.

1. The office is closed, which means I didn't have to get up before the sun did [literally], which means I got to  sleep my little self in a good three hours longer. I may regret that tomorrow morning when I'm not so lucky.

2. Our friends who are getting married next month are moving in upstairs. When we first moved into our little apartment after we were married, there was no one above us. That lasted about a month, and then all quiet-ness [and my sanity] went out the window. I had never done the apartment living thing before, and it drove me crazy that I could hear ever step those people took! I finally got used to it and two weeks later, they moved and we were back to being the upstair kind of neighborless. [Insert long story here] Mike and Marinda [who both served their missions with each other and MRudd] were looking for a place to live post marriage time in February, the pieces fell together and now they are going to be our neighbors. We love these two and can't wait to be all neighborly with them, so the sound of footsteps on my ceiling this morning has never been so welcomed.

3. I'm taking a seven week class online [again]. We were supposed to take the first exam last week, but something went wrong and the teacher postponed it to this week. This morning, I got an email from her saying she decided to cancel the exam and give everyone a free 40 points! Peeps, this has NEVER happened before EVER in my college career at blessed ASU. Seriously. And I would have never ever ever expected it from this teacher. Someone will be getting good ratings from yours truly on ratemyprofessor.com. For real.

And that, my friends, is why today is the most awesome Monday ever, all before 10:00am, and me even getting out of bed. That's what's up.