Sunday, November 18, 2012

I made my holiday card...did you?

Did you know if you make a purchase on Shutterfly and post it to your blog for others to see you can get $10 off your next order!!?? With a new baby around, $10 is great considering I use Shutterfly all of the time to print her pictures for her album. 

So have you ordered your holiday cards yet? I feel like I am behind, but maybe I am really ahead this year. I am already prepping myself to set up all of my Christmas decorations next Sunday. Can you believe it?!

What are your holiday traditions? Maybe this holiday the girls and I will think of something fun to post to get back on the blogging bandwagon. More to come!!
Stationery card
View the entire collection of cards.








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Monday, October 8, 2012

Cord Blood Donation...We Tried...

When I was going to my baby classes, I learned about donating cord blood to research. This was something that I was very interested in doing since if it isn't donated, it is just thrown away. So I looked into the information my instructor provided and signed up to donate my child's cord blood through the Dan Berger Cord Blood Program.

Dan Berger was a prominent Pittsburgh attorney, citizen, and humanitarian who was diagnosed with cancer. After many years of treatment and remission, Dan received a successful stem cell transplant to cure him of both the lymphoma and the leukemia that ensued. In July of 2006, Dan’s heart failed. It was in the course of his treatment that Dan and his wife, Carol, recognized the lifesaving impact of stem cells, and in particular, umbilical cord blood, which is rich in stem cells. The Berger family approached Magee-Womens Foundation to encourage a systematic collection of umbilical cord blood. With much hard work and dedication, Magee publicly unveiled The Dan Berger Cord Blood Program in October 2007.

Cord blood stem cells have been used to treat more than 40 diseases, including many cancers, and account for more than 8,000 transplants worldwide and offers hope to many families, like the Berger family.

So I had all my paperwork filled out, in my bag, ready to go when we went to the hospital. I told the nurses when we got there that this was something we wanted to do and they said OK. Except after an unsuccessful first try at delivering, we had to do an emergency c-section. So I was unaware after they stitched me back up that my cord blood wasn't donated. It was OK though because all that mattered to me was that my baby was healthy - and she is!

Funny thing is that we received a packet in the mail from the cord blood program thanking us for our donation and inside we found a cute little t-shirt. My husband decided to make it work for our situation.

Maybe with the next baby we will get to successfully donate. If you have had a child, did you donate? If you are planning on becoming a parent, is this something you have even thought about?

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Monday, September 24, 2012

Saltine crackers and chocolate chips? YUM!


 Hi everyone!

I know that you would prefer we not blog recipes but this one is just too delicious. I used to make it all of the time in college and found myself craving it last night. The ingredients sound super weird but I promise after your first piece you and your friends/family will be in the fridge for more! This recipe is quick and easy!

1 cup butter (no margarine allowed)
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan or a 12x17-inch cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the foil. If the crackers don’t line to the edge, break them in half to cover the pan. Melt the sugar and butter on the stove, heat and simmer uncovered until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. Bake for 5 or so minutes, until the toffee becomes bubbly. After removing the pan from the oven, let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt (you can throw in the over for a minute to soften quicker) and then spread them into an even layer. Refrigerate until hardened.  Break into pieces the size of your choice. Enjoy!







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Thursday, September 20, 2012

Call Me... Maybe?



Sales calls… I HATE sales calls. I HATE sales calls, especially when I am at work, and I have made it VERY clear that my company does not need your business.

For example, months ago (and I mean like March) I downloaded a white paper on social media… I do this a lot, especially if I see a paper on something that sparks my interest, and I download it, print it and save it to read for a rainy day.

Well, within minutes of me downloading this white paper, I have a sales person from the company blowing up my phone. I give them credit – as a marketing and sales person, this was a strategic move. At that point I told him I appreciated his call, but clearly had not read this informational document yet, so I didn’t have any questions. But, I guess I opened the can of worms when I told him to give me a couple weeks, and feel free to follow up later. And he did. Every week since March, I have received a phone call or email “checking in” to see if I have read the white paper yet.

Guess what, it’s September, and I STILL haven’t read your damn white paper. I also haven’t read the six others it is sitting with in a pile! Every week I tell you, “No I haven’t read the paper. I WILL CALL YOU WHEN I DO, if I have any questions.”

But like habitual insanity, I get a call… every.freaking.week. Sometimes more than once a week. In fact, this morning he called TWICE before 9 a.m. Holy shit dude! I am annoyed. In my email replies to him I have noted that I’m not sure my company even needs your service. I basically just downloaded the document for my own educational interest. In 7 months, if you have not yet successfully converted me to a client, you are probably not going to do so. It is probably best for you to focus your energy on prospects that have an interest in your product.

Sales calls are the worst. And I suppose in our personal lives, we have managed to weed them out with the option of Do Not Call Lists and getting rid of home phone numbers. But dear god, please leave me alone at work.  But that’s just it… how desperate is this sales guy that he is willing to follow up with me every week for 7 months? The art of sales have changed over the years, as we all know. Email campaigns, viral marketing… and truthfully my company does a lot of this too. But when do you call it quits and throw in the towel on a “prospect?” How much is too much? I would feel awful bothering someone this much. I actually wonder how he feels about his job.

Anyway, I guess what I am trying to say is that day in and day out we are being pushed to buy a product or service. At times so much so that we become numb or annoyed with the situation, which turns us off all together. But what if we are missing out on something awesome, just because we have been turned off by their approach? Sometimes, subtle is better. Less is more. A little goes a long way… etc. Think about it.
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Friday, September 14, 2012

The Fountain of Youth

I am a huge Bravo TV Network fan and I especially enjoy the Housewives shows. When I was watching Housewives of New York, the women received a quick lesson on face yoga. Listening to the explanation and benefits really peaked my interest. After doing some research it seems as though it is the latest craze. Exercising your face muscles tightens, tones and is said to combat signs of aging. Some of the poses look and feel really silly but supposedly have many benefits. So, is face yoga the new fountain of youth? If so, I can’t wait to dive in. I keep telling myself that I want to give these poses a try but I have yet to do so. I am still young, only 25 but I am always hearing the earlier you take care of yourself, the better. Unless you are not embarrassed easily, I suggest trying these poses in the comfort of your own home.

Many men and women would greatly benefit from these poses – supposedly you can even attend face yoga classes! BTW, if any of you ever hear of anything local, let me know and I will join you. These classes are great for those seeking to soften wrinkles, lines and creases that already exist and preventing new ones from forming. Of course since traditional yoga poses can help you look more youthful by stimulating anti-aging hormones, face yoga is generating a lot of buzz!

Here are a few face yoga poses to try, no I am not trying to make you do silly faces, these are actual poses.



Lion Face: Take a slow, steady inhale of breath and constrict every muscle in your body: your toes, buttocks, fists – everything! On a slow steady exhale, relax those muscles, stick out your tongue, widen your eyes and open your hands. Repeat three times. On the last repetition, try to hold the exhale pose for 30 to 60 seconds to really stretch your tongue. This is supposed to be a great exercise to release tension in the jaw – which is said to lead to wrinkles.




Inversion: Stand with your legs in a wide stance with toes pointed slightly inward. Bend forward until the crown of your head touches the mat. Gently rest your thumbs on your chin and place your fingers near your cheek. This is supposed to help your complexion.



Brow Smoother: Sit in any variation of the lotus position that you prefer and place your pointer fingers on the outer edges of your eyebrows. Then slowly and gently pull your eyebrows away from each other, and at the same time, close your eyelids. This is supposed to be like natural Botox.





Let me know if you notice any difference in your appearance, you can always search for other poses and try them as well!


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Thursday, September 13, 2012

My New Addition

New babies, new marriages...what is a single girl to do? Get a puppy, of course!!

A new 4-legged critter popped into my life a little more than a month ago. I wasn't looking to get a dog at that particular moment, let alone a puppy. But a cute, little black and white face captured my heart. Her name is Luna.

   
My life has definitely changed since getting her. I had my mom's dog almost all summer, but I knew she would eventually go home. She was also easy to take care of. A puppy is a whole new ball game. She needs more attention and I have yet to get a full night's sleep since getting her. 

She is still learning to master the whole potty training thing. She has good days and bad days. It is a process and I know she is getting better. She is teething so she loves to chew on everything - toys, furniture, me. But she plays with her toys and can keep herself occupied for a few minutes.

While taking care of a puppy can be exhausting, I absolutely adore her. She cuddles, gives kisses and happily greets everyone she sees. Even as I write this, she is sleeping on my lap. I am happy to have a dog of my own and join the ranks of my fellow doggie parent blogging buddies! Share This Post
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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

From Bachelorette to Working Wife


Welp, it’s over. A year and a half worth of planning, and it’s over. And honesty, I feel like I can breathe again. Bittersweet.

Do I ‘feel’ different ? Maybe a little. I’m just finally complete. It’s awesome, knowing you will be with someone forever. And who better to spend forever with than my best friend?

Love is a crazy thing… One day, you are playing mini golf as friends, and the next thing you know, you are so head-over-heels in love, they are all you think about every day. The kind of I-can’t-wait-for-this-work-day-to-end-to-see-you kind of love. I have this love. Not to say that the new, shiny ring around my finger validates what I feel in my heart, but as our minister said at the ceremony, it’s a symbol. We are complete. We don’t belong to each other, we belong with each other.

August 31, 2012, was and will always be one of the most memorable days of my life, filled with so much love and support from 300 friends and family.

Best.Day.Ever.

Perfection doesn’t even begin to describe it. Everything just fell into place. All my worrying, panic attacks, terrible dreams were for not. We pulled it off. We put together an amazing day to share with amazing people. And it was perfect.

Nick and I have been blessed with two of the most loving and supportive families. We have them to thank for being such incredible role models and providing us with prime examples of what true love is and should be.

30 years from now, I imagine my feelings will be no different. I am complete. I can breathe. I can take on the rest of my life with my best friend - new experiences and adventures to look forward to as husband and wife. (A week and a half later, I am certainly not used to the word Husband or being called Mrs. Irvine).


A new chapter… I am now a Working Wife!


ps - if you want to see some photos, visit Elizabeth Cayton Photography for a sneak peek! She will be adding more soon!
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Monday, September 10, 2012

Welcome my newest family member!


Yes, I fell off the blogging bandwagon for a bit, but for good cause. I had to welcome the newest addition to my family...my daughter! While I have promised myself to keep her "offline" we did have to post some Facebook pics so family and friends could see her. What are your thoughts about posting about your little ones online when they don't even have a clue?

I didn't even post on FB that I was pregnant. I felt that those who I spoke with and saw were informed and others that I didn't see or speak to didn't need to know. I had a couple people comment that they didn't even know I was pregnant...well noooo kidding! I actually thought it was quite funny.

But now that she is here, I may post some pics of her as she grows, but I want her to decide how she wants to be portrayed online, if she even wants to be online (besides the couple of pics I have already posted). By the time she is old enough to use FB, it probably will be old news and some other website will be what everyone uses.

So in between feedings, diapers and naps, I will try to continue to post on the blog. And I welcome all forms of Starbucks since I still can't drive :)

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Friday, September 7, 2012

Comfortably Numb



I was out a few weeks ago with my youngest buying school supplies. The usual colored pencils, binder, glue sticks, some groceries. We were at Target, so I'm certain I picked up some unnecessary something for myself, as per usual. We left. Four bags and over $100 later. Not atypical.

While pulling out of the parking lot, there was a bit of congestion at an intersection. A man, dressed all in white holding a sign, seemed to be the delay. As my car crawled closer, I could read the sign, "Father of four. Will work for food, clothing and school supplies." EVERY car was stopping to hand the man cash. He was crying. Overcome with the generosity of strangers. I stopped, handed him the cash I had (rare, as I never have cash in this plastic world). And said, "God bless you." He could barely mutter the phrase back to me he was so visibly moved. As I pulled away, and as I write this now, I was flooded with tears and emotions. Here is a man, putting all sense of pride aside to try his best to provide for his family in an immediate need. Selfish, living in a bubble that is the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA, I just spent triple digits on school supplies and other randomness.

As I drove home, I was ill. How can I be so needy? And not in the "I need food, water and shelter." But in the, "I need yoga clothes from lululemon and a new Coach purse. Oh, and I need my hair cut and colored." And, "I'm so annoyed that we can't (fill in the blank)." We have enough. More than enough. More than five families would need as far as food and clothing and all other wants and desires. At the beginning of summer, I actually joked that between the new clothes that were bought for my seven year old and the hand-me-downs he has gotten from his older brother and cousins, he could throw away his outfit at the end of each day and we would still have enough shorts and tees to wear.

I'm good about cleaning out the house and donating clothes, toys and household items to Goodwill. My husband and I make donations to charities that we support, as well as to almost anyone who approaches us for a good cause. We put money in coffers and try to help those in need. But is it enough? That day, it didn't feel like it.

I should have turned my car around and handed the man asking for goods for his family my bags of school supplies, in addition to the cash I gave him. I had waters for lunches, a dozen or so Lunchables and snacks. I could have done more. And it wouldn't have affected my bottom line at all. But I didn't. I cried all the way home. Thinking of his misfortune and how today, that could happen to anyone at anytime. Including my own family.

I hope he's found a job. I hope his children aren't hungry or being bullied at school for not having what everyone else has.

There are things I need. I need food. I need water. I need coffee. (OK, I actually don't need coffee, but it does make me a better wife and mother.) And I need my family. That is all. At the end of the day, the tag on my clothes, the price of my house or the cost of my adventures doesn't make me who I am. My kindness, caring and ability to help anyone who needs it does. My capacity to reach out to another soul searching for something that I can so easily provide is necessary. It isn't a religious thing, it is a human thing.

We all need a little less. To really think about what we want and what we need. To simplify in the greatest sense of the word. Stop making mountains out of molehills and do something. Anything. Nothing grand, just small and simple. If we all did that, imagine the difference it would make.  I imagine the difference that all of us who stopped that day made to that man and his family. If nothing else, restored his sense of hope and the promise of a future full of good will.

“The problem, often not discovered until late in life, is that when you look for things in life like love, meaning, motivation, it implies they are sitting behind a tree or under a rock. The most successful people in life recognize, that in life they create their own love, they manufacture their own meaning, they generate their own motivation. For me, I am driven by two main philosophies, know more today about the world than I knew yesterday. And lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you." ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson's

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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

50 Shades of Reality



Someone bugged me the other day about my Prelude to 50 post and asked where the actual 50 Shades of Grey post was. I finished the books, so it fell off my radar. My self-diagnosed ADD has a way of doing that. If it isn’t in front of me, happening right now, I tend to forget and move on. Unless it is on a list, in which case I will tend to it because I have to cross said item off. But I digress.

I read 50 Shades of Grey. Being a long-time lover of literature and classics and an avid reader, I avoid fan fiction. One, I pretend that my not-so-sophisticated self is better than mediocre writing.  That coming from someone who has never written nor published a book! Two, I prefer non-fiction to most any other type of writing. Three, and most truthfully, I don’t want to HAVE to read more than one of anything. One book, wrapped up by the end, all nice and neat.

With all of that being said, I read all three. I got sucked in. I actually took my time because I didn’t want the books to end! Though my husband benefited, ahem, from me reading the books, he also paid a price.

The books focus so much on the physical, just-met-you, wanna-do-everything-to-make-you-happy, crazy-in-love, can’t-keep-my-hands-or-mind-off-of-you, it makes the reader yearn for that again. The sweet email saying you miss them. The random flowers for no reason. The just-between-you-and-me comment or compliment. The I-have-to-be-next-to-you-always feeling. After 13 years, two babies, multiple degrees, houses and jobs, that goes away. And, in reading the books made me very, very sad.

Let me preface this with—my husband and I have a wonderful relationship. One that neither of us takes for granted. We work VERY hard at keeping things together, when, if you knew our personal situation and setbacks, would and have ruined many relationships. However, I still pined for that “just started dating” feeling again with him. I wanted some of that back. So I talked to him. We each tried a bit harder to hold hands, kiss each other for no reason, tell one another daily why we love each other. I even made a sign for our bathroom that said “I love you because….” and put it in a picture frame. Each day we would write back and forth in dry erase marker to one another what we loved.

I was a little less sad about what slowly changed throughout the last 13 years. Until I realized, and I guess I knew this, but never articulated it, even in my own mind, that what we have worked for and sacrificed for and built and created together is so much more awesome than merely having googly eyes for each other or not being able to keep our hands off of one another.

Mitt Romney’s wife recently said “We don’t have a storybook marriage, we have a real marriage.” True or not for them, it’s a good point. Story book relationships are just that, story book, made up, ficticious. Maybe this is why I typically read non-fiction. Reality is so much better than make believe!
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Friday, August 24, 2012

What I Want to Be When I Grow Up


I still don't exactly know what I want to be when I grow up. But I think I have made up my own job and would love for it to be a real career. Lately, I have been renewing my love for Pinterest - the site of all goodness. As I have pinning away at all kinds of ideas for decorating for the holidays, baking goodies or even storage organization tips, I figured that there must be some kind of profession out there that will allow me to be a professional Pinterest tester. Someone needs to double check the validity of all these good ideas.

Many of the things I pin come from blogs where the project was actually completed by someone who then wrote about it and it ended up on Pinterest. But I would be willing to try to recreate the things to see if it really is as easy or as good as what the posts say. Then I could give my stamp of approval on the pin so people know it is a trusted project - like verified accounts on Twitter. It makes perfect sense, at least in my mind. There could be a whole crew of people who test out pins as interests vary.

I also think this would help me getting in gear to actually complete some of the great projects I have pinned. I have been exploring my creative side this past year - learning how to knit, learning how to sew, etc. and Pinterest has only heightened that desire to be creative and do things myself to make the space around me more pretty. How people come up with some of these ideas is completely mind-boggling.

As summer is quickly turning into fall, I am hoping the colder months will bring more time to complete some of these projects. I started working on a 4th of July rag wreath in the spring it is still yet to be finished. Next year summer I will be able to use it. I purchased a wooden J to hang on a family picture wall earlier this summer that I want to paint and mod podge it with scrapbook paper. I have everything to do this simple project, but everything is in a bag in my spare bedroom, also known as the land of potential projects.

There is always a lot of enthusiasm when these ideas pop up. But when it comes time to complete them, life somehow gets in the way. I don't often have hours of free time to complete projects, but if it was my job I would gladly spend my time cutting, gluing, sewing and painting away.

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Thursday, August 23, 2012

The Time Has Come, Bitches!


The final countdown – we have reached it. The last few days as a “single lady.” Using the term loosely – because Nick and I have been together for eight years. I know I have talked about this before – the dreaded wedding dreams – the anything that can-go-wrong, will-go-wrong, and you WILL wake up from your sleep completely convinced it’s real kind of dreams.

It’s happening quite often to me. Maybe because we are only 8 days away at this point, and it’s all becoming so much more realistic… the wedding, not the marriage (the marriage is already real).

But I can’t believe it is here. The day we have been spending the last year and a half planning for is HERE. We are just about ready – sans the marriage certificate people forgot to remind us about. But that should be taken care of in the next day or two.

Maybe that is why I am having dreams about being so unprepared… there are little things that we need to wrap up.

I’m nervous, anxious, excited! So many emotions all rolled into one. I’m sure all brides feel this way about their wedding day, and when it arrives, it is completely amplified. I just hope I am not an evil bitch or a weeping mess next Friday.

But, this will be my last post as a “bachelorette.” I will soon be a “working wife,” and I will leave the single lady posts to Colleen and Kendal.

It’s awesome to be able to spend each day with these ladies of the blog, chatting, gossiping and getting ideas, and mostly SUPPORT related to marriage items.

I am happy to say they will all be present next Friday for the hitchin’ as well.

So there you have it – the final countdown. One more stressed out-not sleeping-anxiety filled week. I can do it!
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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Hope Solo - The American Dream

Many readers may be looking at this post thinking who is Hope Solo? But since the Olympics just happened, many of you may have a better idea of who she is.

Now do you know? She is the goalie for the US women's soccer team! Katie and I go back and forth on a constant basis about if she is hot or not (I think she is, Katie tends to disagree) but regardless, she is just on fire.

At 31, Hope has had my dream...playing soccer for a living. I wouldn't want to be a goalie by any means, but at least she gets to be outside, on a field, doing what she loves every day. Is that not the American dream?

How many of you are living the American dream? A husband/wife, a family, a dog, cat, and a house with a white picket fence and a nice backyard? Wait- is that really the American dream these days? I have watched enough House Hunters on HGTV to know that it isn't. I can't believe how many people could care less if they have grass to play in!!

So what is the American dream? We may all have a different outlook but I think we can all agree on one aspect. It is the freedom to do whatever we want, go where we want to go, be who we want to be. And as many times as I have said that it is impossible to be a child and say, "I want to be _____(insert profession) when I grow up" because guess what? The chances of you getting that job are slim to none. I was the, "I want to be a sports anchor when I grow up" child. And then I did go to college for radio and TV and guess what! I spent almost a year sending out DVD after DVD to tv station and didn't even get one call back. Talk about the American dream getting crushed. But as an American, I know I have the option to change my mind so here I am now, working my big girl job, with good people, just making it work. Hope gives me hope that maybe someday I'll be fully satisfied with my second choice of what I want to be when I grow up.

What did you want to be when you were little? Did you grow up to be that? Let me know because I am really interested to see how many of you followed through on your dreams.
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Monday, August 6, 2012

I Love My New Directv


If any of you know me, you know that I am always looking out for the best deals...where I can save but still get the most for my money. And this time it deals with my cable tv.

I have been going on and on and on for months now about how much I hated my previous cable provider, Comcast. I never received a bill that was the same price and always had to eagle eye everything on it. Of course, rates just went up for everyone and that was the final straw for me, especially considering my sister-in-law was able to get her bill lowered and I couldn't!

So my husband started to looking into other solutions - and trust me, we had done this before but nothing was comparing. But this time, we struck gold!

Directv was having a great 2 year special that we couldn't pass up so the hubby set it all up and I cancelled Comcast. Now let us remember that I have always been the one to call Comcast and bitch, get my bill changed and did everything for the account even though it was in my husband's name. They never said anything about it. It wasn't until after I cancelled Comcast that I needed my account number for something on their website. So I called the customer support line and would you believe they told me they couldn't give me my account number because I wasn't the owner of the account!? What retards because guess what...I was the one who CANCELLED your services in the first place. Morons.

So now we have Directv and love it. Although I don't get to watch it as much as I would like (or maybe not, but who knows) I am sure this winter I will be able to catch up and enjoy all 10000 channels that I get!

My suggestion is that if you have Comcast, seriously re-consider your options and look to see what else is available in your area. If Verizon Fios was available in my area, I may have considered it as well.
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Friday, August 3, 2012

My Free App Picks


 

There are now hundreds of thousands of apps available for your iPhone or iPod. I have never paid for an app because I find that some of the best ones are free! I thought I would share some of the ones I find most exciting. I welcome you all to list your favorite free apps too.
AutoRap
I have been having wayyyy too much fun with this app lately. I encourage all of you to download this, it will bring a smile to your face. AutoRap provides a variety of free beats to choose from where you can talk into the app and it turns your sentences into a song. You can truly test your real-life rapping capabilities. This app is really easy to use and it auto tunes your voice so it is absolutely hilarious if you put together funny sentences that rhyme. I did this with my niece and it makes me laugh every time I listen to it. The best thing about this app is that you can share your “rappertoire” with your friends via email, Facebook or Twitter.
All Recipes
This app is great as it allows you to get recipes on the go. You can find recipes by ingredient or spin for quick inspiration. When you find a recipe you like, you add it to your favorites so that it is right at your fingertips.
RedLaser Barcode Scanner
This is an app where you can scan or search for items to make sure you have all of the information including product details, ratings, reviews and price comparison. This is a great app if you want to save yourself some money while shopping for electronics and other items.
Shazam
Shazam is an app that is deceptively simple. All you have to do is hold your phone near a music source and wait while the app listens and tells you who the artist is and what the song is called. This app keeps a log of all the songs you Shazammed and you can even look at the YouTube videos, read the lyrics, find concert & tour information on the artist or delete the song altogether.
Instagram
You can take a photo, add a filter into it and upload it. This is now used by millions of people. You can upload and share your photos or browse other people’s albums.









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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Here We Go, Steelers! Here We Go!


Even though I born and raised in Ohio, I was a member of a Steelers-loving family. I was even brought home from the hospital in a Steelers sleeper. No pink frills for me!


The Steelers have the biggest female fan base in the NFL. And it is definitely obvious. They take care of this group of women. One of the ways they do this is by hosting events for women only. My mom and I went to Steeler's Women's Training Camp. It is a one day camp where we get to learn about football and also how to play football. This was the fourth time that we participated. Check out the video!


The drills are run by Steelers alumni and a couple of current players. This year, Kordell Stewart, Jeff Hartings, and Jason Gildon were the lucky alumni who dealt with over 300 women as they attempted to play football. Greg Warren and Shaun Suisham taught us about kicking and long snapping. And I happy to say that my group, Pink, was able to get the most field goals. I was not one who even came close to making it through the uprights. They definitely were not afraid to make us work.


But the fun part of the day was yet to come. We were VIPs on the field when the Steelers practiced. This is the exciting part! This was the first day they were in pads, so we got to see some football action.




The end of the day was quickly approaching, but not before we were able to get autographs from two current players. This year it was Emmanuel Sanders and Isaac Redman. They wait until the players are about to arrive to let us know who will actually be coming.


The whole day is exciting. You get to meet new people and cheer for the Steelers. And I can't wait to go next year!

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Monday, July 30, 2012

DVR - The Miracle Cure for Olympic Sleep Deprivation


Sleep deprivation – 16 days of sleep deprivation while these Olympics take place. For me (who can barely keep my eyes open past 9 p.m. most evenings) this two weeks of sporting events is going to be hell for my sleep pattern.

Much like my fellow-blogger, Colleen, I enjoy watching the Olympics – summer and winter. It’s amazing to see these athletes from around the world perform at the highest level of competition, and some of them are only teenagers! When I was 17, I sure as shit wasn’t preparing to fly to London! I was just hoping I didn’t wreck my parent’s car on a daily basis.

However, my patriotic support results in extreme tiredness the following day. I mean, you can literally watch Olympic sports 24-hours a day! Not to mention, the most popular and exciting sports they save until evening (to sucker you in). I try, I try REALLY hard to keep my eyes open to watch until the end, but it’s hard.

And for me, my favorite equestrian sports are aired at the ass-crack of dawn! I mean c’mon! There is no way I can be up at 5 a.m., to watch cross-country or show jumping. Thank goodness for DVR! Even though I’m sure I will fill the memory with all the riding events.

The Olympics are great. It is something you can talk to any stranger about during those two weeks, and you have something in common – probably sleep deprivation too.

In all honesty, thank God for the invention of DVR (that, and GPS). I have no idea what I did before that? So now, I can fall asleep at 9 p.m., and never miss a beat!

PS – I need to cancel my CNN updates during the Olympics. The ruin everything for me!
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Friday, July 27, 2012

I Am No Computer Wiz...

But somehow I managed to crash two hard drives on my work computer within let's say four months. Can you believe this? Luckily, all of the work I have done is saved on the network (except for two articles I wrote that I will just have to re-write...bummer).

So I call our help desk, they get me a new hard drive ordered and I should be getting my computer (the same one I have had, but just with a new hard drive) back today. How long do you think it is before I blow up this next hard drive?

Honestly, I am not lieing when I say that I am not a computer wiz. That would be my brother or my hubby. I enjoy technology, but don't ask me to re-build a computer from scratch. I don't even know where the hard drive is on my computer. All I know is that it would not start and I sat here for an hour waiting for the IT guys to stroll in to help me.

The computers we have at work at HPs. I am a Mac girl in all honesty. They are much more user friendly and I swear I have NEVER had an issue with my Mac since I have owned it (and actually Adam owned it before me and we got it when we were still dating, so it has to be at least 5-6 maybe 7 years old). It isn't slow, doesn't give me shitty error messages for no reason, and keeps me up to date with all of my updates (even though I ignore them half of the time it is persistent and forces me to do it eventually). Windows computers suck. I know this. I have never had good luck with them. Which is why when our worker at the distrib asked what kind of computer he would need for school I told him either get a Mac if you want it to last or get a shitty laptop because all you need is Word and it's going to be f'ed up in a couple years anyways.

So now we wait and see how long it takes until this new hard drive goes. Third time is a charm! Maybe then we'll talk about a whole new computer for me!

What kind of computer do you prefer?
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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Men and Their Complaints


On the radio a few weeks ago the hosts were discussing an article on eHarmony’s website about dating advice. The article is written by Grant Langston and is titled, “Men’s Ten Biggest Complaints About Women.”

I thought it was pretty interesting and funny because all of the complaints, in my opinion, are true – whether I want to openly admit it or not. When you read this you may swear up and down that you don’t do these things, but truth is, most/many of us do. I will be first to admit.

1. You want us to change, and then lose respect for us when we do.

The author gives an example of his friend who married someone who was in a band. The woman was a bit threatened by all of the attention her husband received and told him that she hated he was in a band and wish he’d just quit. When he quit the band she told her friends, “I’m a little less attracted to him because he quit the band, and just did what I asked. Now he just hangs out at home.”  This may be a very specific example but it can easily be related to things I have done in the past. For example, not liking a boyfriend’s job and complaining to him about it. When he quits, I complain that he is out of work.

2. You have a complicated set of double standards.

We like having an equal relationship and having say in things we do in relationships. But when our significant others take us out and ask what we’d like to do tonight we get angry that they haven’t taken charge of the situation and plan a nice evening out. The list could go on and on for examples of when us ladies do this. I hate to admit that I definitely have double standards.

3. You don’t understand and/or like our need for alone time.

I certainly don’t like it or understand it. We don’t understand why they don’t want to spend more time with us and why they want to do things on their own like play golf or go out with the guys.

4. You fixate on what we’re thinking, when you should be watching what we’re doing.

I don’t like the explanation although the author has a good point. He says, we ask “what are you thinking? And men say, “Nothing.” We assume it must be a lie and decide that the man isn’t willing to communicate with us. The author goes on to say that the problem is, this is the wrong question to ask. Men are action-oriented. We should watch what they are doing instead of asking. If the guy is coming home late every night, they aren’t happy at home. If they are not calling back even though they said “I love you”, they don’t love you.

5. You like to play coy.

We tend to play the “I don’t care game” with men. If we care, they want to know! The author says, “You think we like the chase? Perhaps. You think we like guessing whether we’re wasting our time? No.”

6. You have a tendency to be critical.

We really do tend to be critical at times. There is not much to say about this one, it is true, unfortunately.

7. You use your emotions as a weapon.

It is not that we mean to – well sometimes. But I know that we sometimes turn on the tears to get our way. Hey, if it works, why not?

8. You’re always looking down the road.

It is in our nature to do this. We tend to think about the next major step in life. Men tend to think much shorter term.

9. Your expectations are set by Hollywood and sky high.

We know that our man is not going to be like the George Clooney or Brad Pitt in the movie, but in our heart we want it. It is not our fault we have been fed a fantasy about romance and passion that only happens in the movies.

10. You see us as projects you can ‘fix.’

We meet a man, we like them, we date them, we marry them. Somewhere along the line we see the rough edges and want to round them off.


So, do you agree with these complaints? Are you guilty of all of them or only some? 


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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things



We all look to make like a little more entertaining, informative, exciting. Make things a little simpler, happier, meaningful. While human interaction is still #1--even in this high-tech, never-touch-the-ground, keep-on-moving, don't-stop world--online forums, blogs, etc. can elicit the same effect.

Some of my favs are:


Don Miller
Donald Miller is the author of many books and the creator of Storyline, a life-mapping process helping people organize and plan their lives like a story.


Goop
Goop is a digital media and e-commerce company founded by Gwyneth Paltrow.



TED
TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design.

The Pioneer Woman
Daily musings about Ree Drummond's long transition from spoiled city girl to domestic country wife.


Ring Around the Rosies
Jaima Schutt is a blogger that empowers other women to find simple, healthy living choices that create balance, health and harmony for their lives.








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Monday, July 23, 2012

London 2012




I don't know about you, but I LOVE the Olympics. It doesn't matter if it is summer or winter. I love them both!


This Friday the Opening Ceremony will herald in the 2012 Olympics in London. I will probably miss some of the Ceremony, but I will definitely have my DVR set to record it.

One of the great things about the Olympics is that you are exposed to sports you might not otherwise get to see. While I watch as much gymnastics, diving and swimming as I can, I will also watch the track and field events. Those are not something that I would normally watch if they are on TV.

This country is full of crazy sports-loving people who all cling tightly to their team of choice...myself included. (Check out my post for next week!) But the Olympics are an opportunity to cheer as a nation for athletes who aren't making millions of dollars and are on TV every week. And even if they are, if it weren't for the Olympics we would never see them compete. Let's be honest...how many of us tune into swimming events in between Olympic years to see how Michael Phelps is doing? I don't. But you better believe I will be watching him compete during the next several weeks.

The Olympics are fun and will consume much of NBC programming in the coming two weeks or so. But it is fun. And I am super excited! Go Team USA!!


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Friday, July 20, 2012

Prayers, Thoughts and Love


Fear… fear is something that is instilled in all of us – in some way, shape or form. You may be afraid of the dark, heights or simply the unknown. Even the strongest people we know are afraid of something. And, it is in those true moments of fear, we find out what we are really made of.

Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, families and those affected by last night’s shooting in Colorado. Never in a million years would one think that by attending a movie, they might not ever make it out of the theater. It seems like a safe place – a place where people with a similar interest join together for an hour or two and are entertained. But now, in one event, a movie theater will become a place of fear for many.

It’s ironic, that as a nation, we are all able to stand up and support one another in times of need. Perhaps that is the great thing about America – we find out what we are really made of.

When you sit down tonight, thank the stars above and send your prayers out to those who need it most. There is no sense living in fear – but we never know what tomorrow might bring.
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Thursday, July 19, 2012

Grill Crunchies


The other day as we were sitting at lunch at our "big girl" jobs, I took a bite of my turkey burger, which I grilled the previous night, and came up with a mouthful of yuck. I couldn't explain it! It was gritty, gross, tasted just like burnt ANYTHING! I took a look at my burger and discovered what I referred to as grill crunchies on my burger.

The girls I was with kind of laughed at my reaction. I didn't know what else to call this char-grilled mess on my burger besides grill crunchies. "Grill crunchies?" they asked. I don't know...it seemed fitting to me. But then I had to go over my already mayonaised, burger trying to pick off this grossness that I was not aware of the night before when I ate my burger.

Here is my explanation. 1) I know I should've scraped off the grill before I used it. But to be honest, I was so freaking hungry that I didn't even care. 2) I also know that I should've sprayed some grilling Pam on the racks prior to placing the meat on there. Again, too hungry. and 3) We really need new racks for our grill because not only do grill crunchies get scraped off of the racks, I also feel like the rack itself is falling apart.

Note to self for next time: Don't grill again. Typically the hubby does the grilling, I do the prep work in the house. Except he was too busy messing with a broken belt on the lawn mower to even realize it was 8:00 p.m. and we hadn't had dinner yet! But, if I must grill, I think I'll break out the handy-dandy George Forman because I know for certain that there won't be any grill crunchies on my burger then!

Disclaimer: That is not my burger in the picture. That one has nice lines of grill crunchies...mine were more like the grill exploded on my burger. Share This Post
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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

My Brazilian - Part 3


As promised, I am updating you all on my third laser treatment. So far I have been very pleased with my progress. I went to the beach and had not shaved for 3 weeks. This morning I finally shaved and the only thing is that my hair is growing back VERY fine and very slowly. I am still noticing patches of hair that are not growing back but they may be growing at a slower rate than the rest. Either way, so far so good. I cannot wait to see the progress after this third treatment. 

Like I mentioned earlier, I just got back from the beach and was a bit worried what my laser technician would have to say about it. People with darker skin are not good candidates for laser treatments. Darker skin tends to burn easier with a laser and the setting has to be a bit lower. Although my bikini area never saw the sun, my bikini line definitely did. I was very careful at the beach and put sunscreen in the entire area every day. It didn’t block out the sun completely though and of course I did get a tan on my bikini line. I was very worried what she would have to say.  
 
There was no hiding I just got back from the beach – I am super tan now. So I talked to her about it  and she had to turn down the setting a tiny bit due to my color but said I should be fine and will definitely still notice results. After I was done I noticed a bit of redness and bumps, which is normal. Although it was not as obvious last time.
All in all it was a great session. I decided that it really is not too bad at all - you just can’t get scared away after the first time. You have to push yourself to keep going and get through the slight sting from the laser. Now that is has been my third time, it is a breeze!



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Monday, July 16, 2012

Delegate, Delegate, Delegate


Truth...most of us suck at this. Our Type A, gotta do it all, do it all great, be everything to everyone, prohibits us from doing this. Why?

We all work with or know people who are good at it, great even! Who can think of or be given a task that they either do not know how to do, do not have the time or simply do not want to, so they delegate. And I guess if you have people that you can really rely on, this works. Oh, and if you can let go, just a little!

And, if you talk to those who delegate, they act as though it's the only way to be and let's them get more done. Others, who typically don't delegate, don't view it as delegation, but asking for help. And for most of us, asking for help = weakness.

Saying we don't want to do something is one thing, admitting that we do not know how is something totally different. So we Google, fake-it-til-we-make it, so we can carry on the facade that we can, and do, do it all.

I fall into the "I don't ask for help" camp. I don't delegate. I would rather rush around, do it my way, huff and puff that no one helps me, and then bitch. And then, if I mess it up or get it wrong or have to half-ass it, I can lay blame that I'm just too busy. Writing this out makes me realize that, yes, I am insane. How many of us do this, though? Bitches be cra-cra!

I'm the queen of this. I remind my husband all the time to do it at work so that he has more time for me and our boys. But I don't do it. I'm really bad about it. And I know, but I have yet to fix it.

So I need to let go of the reigns. Loosen my grip. Take a lesson from those who have made careers out of pushing the project onto someone else and finally, just ask for help. I mean, delegate ;-)



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Saturday, July 14, 2012

Why Me??



This week started off like any other normal week until I looked at my checking account.

I was checking to see if my rent check had been taken out when I noticed a suspicious charge. It was for $10.05. Nothing too significant, but I knew that I did not make that charge. I called the bank to let them know. They had been seeing a lot of these suspicious charges lately. My card was cancelled and I was told to monitor my account for the next couple of days. Thankfully, the amount taken from my checking account wasn't a lot of money and I was able to dispute the charge so the money would be put back.

Then, about an hour or so later, a friend of mine sent me a text message asking if I had sent her an email with a link in it. That would be a big NO! I checked my email and, lo and behold, I had a spam email in my inbox from myself. A little while later, my mom asked if I had sent her an email and I told her that my account had been hacked.

So off I went to change every password that I could think of.

I don't understand why people feel the need to do this to people. Granted, they want the money from mine and many other people's accounts. I am assuming that the same is true for people trying to get access to people's information through a virus or whatever is sent through spammy emails. But it is so violating. How often are we told to make sure that our passwords are safe so no one can get access to our information, whether it is a banking account or Facebook.

Since I am still waiting for my new card, I have no easy way to get money. I could go to the bank to write a check for them to cash, but what a hassle. So my little piece of advice from this whole experience is to change your passwords!
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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Say Cheese!


I am excited to announce that Nick and I finally took part in our engagement session last weekend! It’s been a work in progress and a small song and dance to set things up, but we did it, and despite the 119 deg day, we had a lot of fun.

My amazing photographer and cousin, Elizabeth Cayton, lives and works in North Carolina. And Nick and I are from Pittsburgh (obviously). So it took some planning to set up our engagement session. But here we are – Just a little over a month before the wedding (holy shit), and we got them done.

We were able to meet half way in Washington, DC – Nick’s sister lives there, my cousin’s brother lives there – and it’s about half way for both of us. Perfect plan!  Elizabeth got into town a few days before we did and scouted out some awesome locations in Old Town Alexandria. May I say, what a gorgeous town! Cobble stone streets, gardens, great homes, brick sidewalks – it really is out of a movie!

However, it was hot – damn hot. So hot we didn’t even take Chase to be in our photos as planned because he probably would have died from heat exhaustion. Really.  And as many of you know – I already live with and am marrying the sweatiest kid alive. This 119 deg day was sheer torture for him. I, who usually “glistens,” even soaked through my first shirt by the time we changed outfits. It was bad. It was hot. None the less, we grinned our way through, and had to photogenicly try to love each other, when neither one of us wanted to be touched.

My cousin is awesome, and got some great shots, a small preview of which can be found on her Facebook page that I linked to above. Who knew being a “model” for the day could be so much fun? I am really looking forward to her shooting our wedding – and because of our killer location, I can only imagine how awesome our pictures will be.

Thank you Elizabeth! It was so nice to spend time with you – you worked you magic and managed to make Nick and I look fresh as daisies when we all know we were baked potatoes!
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Wednesday, July 11, 2012

DMB Weekend!

As you can tell, we have all been crazy, super busy lately. We all know the stresses of work are catching up with us and the weather of summer is just flying by. I am not wishing summer away by any means and I hope that I would stay like this forever, but it can't. So instead of just letting time slip through my fingers again, I have many things planned for the next 4 or 5 weekends. Most of which are weddings of friends which should be a good time, but this coming weekend is the Dave Matthews Band concert.

I have been lucky enough to see DMB before in concert, just not in Pittsburgh. So this year, we are going! And by we, I don't mean my hubby and I...I mean his best friend and his wife. Here's the story...

About three years ago, my hubby, his friend and I were just chatting and a conversation about DMB started. My hubby, who is a fan of every single other kind of music, dislikes DMB and said he would never go to a concert. His friend, who you wouldn't think would like DMB said well then I'll take her! So the deal was made. Except the next year that DMB was in town, he got married that weekend!! And then I don't believe they were in town last year so this year was our opportunity.

The night before tickets went on sale we decided to go to the Saturday concert just because of work and what not. It will just be easier. Typically it seems like they sell out really fast for the Saturday concert but now lawn seat tickets are floating around like crazy for sale!

I can't wait for Saturday now and spending time with Adam's friend and his wife (who I just adore). We are that couple that always hangs out (puke, I know).

Are you going to the DMB concert too? Let me know if you are...maybe we can meet up! Also, do you happen to know if I am allowed to carry in a cooler of water at First Niagra Pavilion?
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Monday, July 9, 2012

Once in a Lifetime Experience!

As I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, I get to travel a lot for my “big girl” job.  Two weeks ago I was in one of my favorite cities…Seattle, WA.  This particular convention is one of the largest that I have to plan each year and it keeps me out of the ‘burgh for about eight days.  I really didn’t mind though because again, I love Seattle and as everyone back on the East Coast was boiling to death, the temperature in Seattle was a lovely 73 degrees.  Although it did sprinkle just about every day for at least 10 minutes, it was nicer than cooking to death.
Each year, the two VPs that I get to travel with always like to plan a special activity for the three of us to do.  This year I got to pick that activity and being that we were in the Pacific Northwest during June, there is only one thing I could think of to do…whale watching (June is the best time to see the transient Orca Whales).
Our Sea Plane
On our last day there, we bravely boarded a sea plane from Seattle heading towards Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands.  When we arrived at the dock to catch the plane, I have to admit that I was scared shitless!  It was so incredibly tiny and they needed to know each person’s weight.  This determined where you sat on the plane.  Not that I felt like it made much of a difference, there were only four seats on the plane and a seat for the pilot.  But I climbed up the ladder anyways and held on for dear life.  Before I knew it, we were in the air. 

The View from the Sea Plane
The view from the air was incredible.  There were so many islands (over 400) and we flew for about 45 minutes before we started making our descent into Friday Harbor.  Again, as we were coming in for our landing, I was scared to death but surprisingly, the landing was fantastic.  In fact it was so much better than landing in a normal plane.  We got off and started walking to wear we checked in for the whale watching boat.  As we were walking, we saw a sea lion.  He was cute and we found out that his name was pop-eye.  Why?  Well, he only had one eye and wasn’t able to hunt anymore so he hung out by the docks and was hand fed by a couple that owned a bait shop.  Just seeing this sea lion got me so excited and hopeful that we would be fortunate enough to see some whales.
Pop-Eye the Sea Lion
We had a couple of hours to kill before we boarded the whale watching boat so we got a few drinks and appetizers at this cute little restaurant on the water.  Then we boarded the boat and started heading north.  On the way we saw tons and tons of sea lions, American Bald Eagles and even rams on some of the islands.  The boat personnel were super knowledgeable and were able to answer all kinds of questions and give you interesting facts along the way.  Before I knew, we had been traveling about and a half and the captain was getting information over his radio that we were nearing the area where whales were being spotted.  Everyone on the boat stood up and kept their eyes peeled.  Next thing I knew…there they were.  A pod of about 10 Orca Whales just swimming along.  It was amazing and in the top five best things that have happened my life (to date)!  The boats stay a pretty good distance away from the whales but you could see them coming to surface and diving back down.  Next thing I knew, the captain of our boat throws the emergency break on and we come to an abrupt stop.  He comes dashing out of his cabin and starts yelling “one is coming towards us”.  All of a sudden you could see the water moving and out of nowhere, there was a massive whale…right there…in front of us!!!  The guides and the captain of the boat just couldn’t believe it.  It was the closest they had ever come to one and we were fortunate enough to be on the boat.  When I say it was amazing, magical, breath taking, moving, incredible, beautiful…I’m not exaggerating.  It was all of those things and more!

The "Big Guy"
After about four hours we headed back to Friday Harbor.  We boarded our sea plane and took the 45 minute flight back to Seattle.  None of us could stop talking about it for the rest of the night and it’s now been two weeks since I’ve been back and I still can’t stop talking about it or showing the photos.  If you ever get the opportunity or are looking for a unique vacation, head out to Seattle.  You won’t be disappointed.  It’s a fun city with lots going and beautiful scenery!
PS.  The photos are some of the photos that I was able to get on the journey.  The whale photo is the big guy that was right near our boat!
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