7 Quick Takes {12}

1. In 15, count them, 15 days, I will be setting sail on a boat more glorious than the Titanic. Icebergs not included, praise the lord. The amount of fun and sun and food to be had is about to get crazy. Don't be surprised if I return as an unrecognizable tanned whale of a human being.

Before cruise Julie

After cruise Julie

2. Today's my brother Joe's birthday. He's 25, which is a big deal considering almost seven years ago we thought he might not live another hour, much less long enough to see another birthday. Someday I will get around to writing his story but for now you can watch a video about him on youtube. Happy Birthday little brother that doesn't read my blog so he will never see this!

3. In my quest to be a little healthier (who am I kidding? did you see yesterday's post?) I've decided to quit drinking pop. I'm already hating life. Please explain to me how that sugary sweet little can of carbonated heaven can sink it's extra sharp nails into my taste buds and make me want to drown myself in corn syrup. Why is this so hard?!!! 

4. All my dreams have come true! Sophia Grace is going to be in a movie! Why has this taken so long?? If you don't know who Sophia Grace is you should google her and watch every single video she is in 1000 times. NOW. I just want to "honey I shrunk the kids" this girl and put her in my pocket. 

Girl after my heart right there. 

5. Do normal people get excited about going grocery shopping or is it just me? I had to stop into the store last night to pick up some puppy food (how does he eat SO MUCH?!) and I just wanted to buy ALL THE THINGS! All the pretty packaging and salty, sweet, and savory things just calling my name. Sale things anyway. I eat too much to not shop the sales. My store had so many good sales and I just wanted to buy them all and spend zero dollars. I'm convinced I was 500lbs in a previous life (again, see yesterday's post). Lets hope those pounds stay in that life. 

6. I think I'm sick. My DVR arrived on Wednesday and I installed it Wednesday night. Pretty sure the Dish customer service guy wanted to kiss my feet because I was nice to him. I've been there buddy. (Side Note: Don't be mean to CS people. They hate their job more than you hate them.) Anywho...it's Friday and I have yet to record a show. Ummm...wtf. I did use the pause feature so I guess I'm not a total DVR failure.  

7. To my mom. Since I know you read this, this is your warning. If you ever want to see them again, you should probably hide the new Milky Way bites that you have front row center in your freezer. And that doesn't mean putting them in the garage freezer. I know your hiding place and you need new ones. Also, I have no self control. You're welcome in advance. #fatkid

Linking up with Conversion Diaries:)

Love ya like a fat kid loves cake my little blog readers!

If You Really Knew Me

You'd know that I occasionally open a can of chocolate frosting just so I can eat it from a spoon. Or a bag of chocolate chips.

You'd know I'm almost always cold. The people I work with laugh at me because I always have on a hoodie. 

You'd know that I make lists constantly. It helps me sleep at night because I know I won't forget anything since it's written down.

You'd know I'm jealous of large families and wish I could have more siblings. Love the two I've got though.

You'd know my husband is the one and only guy I have ever dated or kissed. Sounds a little crazy, I know, but I think I just got lucky.

You'd know I am the laziest person in the world when it comes to taking off chipped nail polish. 3 weeks right now.

Embarrassing..

You'd know I rarely wear make up. I'm talking maybe a few times a month. 

You'd know I'm super indecisive and always terrified of making the wrong choices. 

You'd know I prefer tennis shoes to any other type of shoe. Ever. 

You'd know I despise waking up early for any reason besides vacations or black friday shopping.

You'd know I have an obsession with pretty paper and design products. Notecards, notebooks, pretty books, gift bags, tags. Anything really. I have stacks and drawers full of it. 

You'd know I wish I was a fitness junkie but love my junk foods too much.

You'd know that I'm the first person emailed at work when somebody brings in food. Surprised? 

You'd know that I have a huge fear of failure and it causes me to never take chances. Trying to work on this though. 

You'd know that while I like to go out, I'm definitely a homebody. 

You'd know I have surprised myself by still posting to this blog several months later!

Do you know me? What else do people need to know about me?

How to be more productive

I've figured out how to make your life more productive and I'm sharing the secret!

Start a blog. 

Yep, that's all you have to do. (Well you have to write in it too, obviously.)

Seriously, since I have started blogging, my life has gotten way more productive. Everytime I see, do, or think something, I think to myself, "hmm, I wonder if this would make a good blog post?" or "wow, this would make a good blog post." 

Is that pathetic? Is that what all bloggers do? As I've said, I'm new to the blog world, but I can't help but think that I'm not the only one thinking these thoughts. 

I also don't think I'm the only one that does things around my house or in my life so that I have good blogging material. Honestly, if I wasn't productive my life blog would look something like this. 

Woke up.

Went to work.

Came home.

Watched tv Downton Abbey.

Went to bed. 

As wonderful a blog as that would make, I like to think that my 3 readers deserve a little more. 

So now that blogging has entered my life... 

I craft.

Here

I bake. 

Here

Sometimes decorate or DIY some type of upcycled randomness. 

Here

I look for bargains. 

Here

I garden. 

Here

I clean. 

This room is in the process of being cleaned/organized. Here

I organize. (See above)

And, I document. (See above)

That's right, I take pictures of anything and everything that I'm doing, eating, visiting. Then, when I'm inspired to post, I have some lovely little photos to go right around with the writings. 

I would like to point out that I did (and still do) all the things listed above before blogging. And, I don't just do those things because I have a blog. However, I do some of the items more frequently than I use to. I don't procrastinate nearly as much and I get excited about doing some of the items that I might otherwise dread. Overall, blogging has, so far, been a positive influence in my life and I hope the productiveness continues. 

Since my husband benefits from some of the items above, I would say that he enjoys my productive blog life as well:) 

xoxo,

Julie

Blueberry Lemon Cookies

Well as I posted on Friday, I was in the mood to bake something. So that's just what I did. I made it home in time to take a little one hour siesta, because I was draggin', and my husband wouldn't be home for awhile still. 

I woke up with an even stronger urge to bake so my husband walked in the door to Betty Crocker mixing up a batch of Blueberry Lemon Cookies! I'm so domestic. Not. 

In true wife fashion I managed to ask my husband to fix my broken garbage disposal since I was going crazy without it. Apparently I broke it by dropping a pop tab in it? No idea how that happened, but I guess it's good to know that if my hands ever getting mangled I just need to drop a pop tab down the drain to stop it. 

My cookie making was obviously interrupted approximately 5 times while I helped "fix" the disposal. Let me tell you, no matter how clean you think the inside of the disposal is, it's not. It's actually DISGUSTING. So much for that baking soda/vinegar mix from earlier in the week. 

Well, I finally managed to finish the cookies after washing my hands 27,000 times.  I thought they turned out DELISH! 

Here's the recipe that I adapted to these...

Cookies

2 cups blueberries (mine were some I got a few months ago and threw in the freezer, they freeze beautifully)

3/4 cup crisco

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 zested lemon

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (all I had was sea salt, worked fine)

1/2 cup milk

Preheat your oven to (about) 375°F.

Mix Crisco and white and brown sugars together.

Add zested lemon and eggs to Crisco/sugar mixture and beat well.

Before the beating.

Slowly add in dry ingredients and milk. (I had to add in a little more flour because I thought they were way too runny. I would probably not add the milk the next time.)

Gently fold in the blueberries. 

I added LOTS of blueberries. 

Drop the cookie dough onto cookie sheets by the spoonful. (I swear by airbake pans and would never use anything else for cookies)

Ignore this awful photo. 

Bake for 10 minutes or until they look right. They will not turn brown on the top, mine didn't anyway. 

These have the glaze described below. 

Let cool.

Devour. Or...

Glaze

I added a little drizzled glaze (I'm sure that's the scientific baking term for it anyway) that was super easy.

1. Pour some powdered sugar into a bowl.
2. Add lemon juice squeezed from zested lemon.
3. Stir. 
4. Add more powdered sugar or lemon juice until it's a nice runny consistency that can easily drizzle. You can also use milk if you run out of lemon juice. 

Stuff your face because they are basically healthy with all that fruit;) They taste like summer and have more of a cakey texture than cookie. It's all good!

Realize that your husband doesn't like blueberries so he isn't a fan of cookies with blueberries. News to me unless he thought they were gross, but I assure you they are not. He is just picky. 

Next time I will probably mix half of the batter with blueberries and the other half with raspberries or strawberries so he will eat them since he loves lemon. 

Enjoy! 

Linking up with Give Me the Goods:)