So What Wednesday's

So its been a while.. about a two and a half months to be exact..

Blogging was such a big part of my life for nearly 3 years, and then I got out of the habit of blogging.  I have been wanting to pick back up, however I was struggling about where to begin again?

And then I realized that I need to figure out a way to make blogging back into my routine and that people most likely don't care what I blog about first during my short hiatus but just as long as I get back into it!

So if you have asked me over the past few months where my blog has been, thank you!! I appreciate you "missing it" because it made me realize that this is totally worth starting again.

And I couldn't think of a better way to start than with Shannon's "so what Wednesday's"...

So without further adieu...

... I was at the pool for nearly an hour this past weekend before I realized my top was on upside down! whoops!

... I'm addicted to pinterest and instagram follow me @ lindseyhance
... I decided to go blonde for the summer, and since then, I have been told I look like Britney Spears... I haven't heard that since I was 18

...I have started the 300 crunch/core challenge 3 times now... I'm trying to finally finish it this time around

... I'm counting down the days until vacation...I need a break from work, and just a time to relax and be with my family on the lake!

... I also realize that the 300 crunches doesn't do much good if I made these tonight {for a trial run for Friday's work potluck}

Source: allrecipes.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

... I think that I have accomplished a small hurdle this week because I am cooking at home Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Its hard with softball 3 nights a week and working at the course still.

... I stayed up WAY past my bed time to watch the Teen Mom premier last night.

Head on over to Shannon's blog and play along for for what you are saying "so what to".

 

True Story.. this happened!

Last week I played babysitter for a day for my Goddaughter Molly {2} and her brother Domingo {11 mos}.

I was beyond thrilled to have both kids, at my house all day,

planned out different activities to do, inside and out,

thought we could go to the park

enjoy some fresh air, ect.

I will admit I was a little worried watching both kids, for the first time, by myself for 8 hours.

Thats a LONG day without having a child proof house and not a ton of toys laying around.

Well little did I know by 9am that the lack of toys and non-childproofed house would be the least of my worries.

For some reason, I didn't think to stock up on Diet Coke before the kids arrived.

And if you know me... I need one every morning, it is my version of coffee.

Katie, the kid's mom, dropped them off around 7:45 and by 8:00am, Domingo had wet himself clear through his diaper and all over his outfit! Ugh! So i looked in the diaper bag and all that he had to put on was a thermal long sleeve onesie.. Sorry bud!

I thought that I would continue on the day and not focus on my diet coke, and just wait for Justin to come home for lunch but I decided by 9am that this was not going to be a possible task.

So I did what any responsible babysitter would do.

I told Molly that we were going on a walk, and she proceeded to put on her fleece jacket AND hat {mind you it was probably close to 60* at tho time.. but she is in the terrible twos and I have learned to pick my battles wisely} and poor Dom had on his onesie with no pants.. and I looked like a hot mess myself with my hair on top of my head, no make up and a tee shirt and jeans...

I put both kids in the wagon, covered Dom's and inevitably Molly's legs too {homegirl was not going to get cold on this short wagon ride} and I took them to Drug Mart to get my Diet Coke.

The entire walk up there the kids were laughing and clapping - I'm pretty sure they enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the thought of finally having my morning Diet Coke.

We got to the store, and I was once again perplexed about how I was going to carry them through the store.. and I just opted to keep both kids in the wagon, while maneuvering around the aisles... I'm sure we were a sight to see.. but you know... at the end of the day... we all had fun!

And thats all that matters!

welcome to the world donovan

There is nothing more exciting than getting a text message that an expectant friend, has delivered their child early..

Last Tuesday, this little bundle of joy was delivered to the proud parents Ashley and Jason

Donovan Michael

4lbs 13oz

I was able to get over to meet this little guy earlier this week, and I didn't want to put him down.

He has grown to 5lbs but there is nothing sweeter than holding a new born,

especially one this teeny tiny!

He is absolutely previous, a perfect little peanut. I can't wait to see the little man again!!!

Customer Service Done Right

I bought a Groupon for a DSLR camera class thru around this time last year

{without even having my camera yet}

{i know.. i know!}

After I got my camera, the courses that were being offered here in Columbus did not work with my schedule, and in fear of my Groupon expiring, I contacted Chimpsy, the company who I bought the Groupon through, and they did not want me to lose out on my money, and said they would work with me to get a scheduled class.

I finally found a time in December of last year that worked with my schedule.

I was SO excited to go to the class.

I was excited to no longer be scared of my camera, to learn how to take it out of manual and to learn some of the other settings.

Unfortunately the course did not live up to the expectations that I had hoped it would.

I left feeling defeated, as if the instructor didn't care, and he even made the comment, "you will learn all of this today with me, but in all likelihood you will always just keep your camera on automatic".... umm no, that's not why I'm here, I want to learn about my camera, and learn how to use it.

So I did something that is completely out of the norm for me.

I wrote a note to the company saying how disappointed I was with the instructors service and how I expected so much more after the great customer service I had received up until that point.

They wrote back apologizing for the horrible experience, and offered me a DSLR1 and DSLR2.

They said one of the best instructors they have is in Indianapolis and if I could get there from Columbus that it would definitely be worth my while.

Once again, I went into this class with high expectations. And I will tell you that it certainly didn't disappoint. The instructor was Chris Whonsetler, and he was so patient with the class, he made sure we understood what the different settings were for, different angles that work for different pictures, why and what the brain looks at when looking at a picture.

I left the class feeling rejuvenated about my camera.

I just appreciate Chimpsy for making my horrible experience right, and making sure that I was satisfied at the end of the course. I wrote to the company as soon as I got home on Sunday evening from Indianapolis and told them THANK YOU!

Its just nice to know when a company makes a mistake they are willing to make it right for you.

Routine...

Hi there...

Remember me? The once faithful blogger about my life, paired with a few good recipes and occasional upload from Pinterest?

Well I'm back!

I am a creature of habit.

I like a good routine, and when my routine gets out of whack, so does my normalcy.

So when I started working 10-12 hour days the last few weeks

I quickly reverted back to the Lindsey from 3 years ago

The one who didn't blog and the one who didn't work out

I realized this weekend that I do not want to fall back victim to that lifestyle again, so I vowed to myself this week that I will

* spend more time with Justin *

* get back into the gym 4-5 days a week*

*not stay in the office past 6pm*

*start blogging again*

So without further adieu, I thought I could do a quick recap since the last blog post and what has been going on in my life...

because while the ol' blog might have been on a hiatus, luckily my life was anything but that!

Our family took our annual trip to Holiday Valley

We had a limited amount of snow when we arrived, but we still got by and had a blast like always

I celebrated my 29th birthday

with the best family and friends a girl could ask for

added colorful new items to my spring/summer wardrobe

celebrated the wonderful life of my great grandma

hung out with 2 of my favorite little munchkins

became addicted to Snyder Pretzel Bites: Hot Buffalo Wing flavor

Made sweet treats for my co-workers

took up a new obsession of painting my nails

and took a road trip to Indy {a 6 hr roundtrip drive in a day} for a camera class

oh yea... and I have fallen victim to this sweet little game as well!

are you playing? Let me know your user name and we can start a game!

So now that you are all caught up on my life over the past few weeks...

what have you been up to? What have I missed in the social media world???

I've missed you all, and can't wait to get back into a routine again!

Thank YOU!

Thank you SO much for all the kind words that were left on my post yesterday about my grandma, every comment meant so much to me and it made me even more proud to be her great granddaughter.

As I sat and read each of the comments that were left on my blog, through the welling up of tears in my eyes, I realized that every comment that was left, and every person who read my post is the reason that I blog.

Before yesterday if someone would have asked me why I blogged, I would say it was for my great grandma and grandma in florida so they can keep up with what I am doing here in Ohio.

But after yesterday, I realized there was more than just that...

Blogging is a community, one that I belong to,

and one that i LOVE!

While I have never met most of you who read my blog

and we have only corresponded via emails, gchat, twitter, or a text

I felt so much support yesterday from those of you who I have met through blogging.

I have found that the blogging community is one of the most supportive, encouraging and uplifting outlets that I have ever been a part of.

I have played on a golf team in high school, participated in plenty of committees through school, work and the community, joined a sorority in college and somehow I feel some of the most genuine support through my blog.

Its as if through blogging I have my own circle of friends, and a place where I feel as if people take you for who you are at face value and people who accept you for who you are, which is something that I appreciate more than I typically put into words.

I am aware that I am not the worlds best writer. Heck I probably don't use punctuation where I should, and I have run-on sentences more often than not, and when in doubt whether something should be a period or a comma, I normally insert a simple "..." and go about my typing, {and I'm fully aware that Mom you are reading this and I will have a simple writing lesson at the next Sunday dinner} but the fact of the matter is, some of you, most of you can look past that in my blogging, and you still continue to read it.

And I thank you for that.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this community, and thank you for the support you have given me during the last few days, when I feel as if I have needed it the most.

Every little comment meant the world to me, and I appreciate it more than you know!

Heaven received a new angel today...

my great grandma went to be with my great grandpa this afternoon.

She has been battling pancreatic cancer for the last few months

and she is one of the strongest people I have ever met.

I am so fortunate to have known my grandma for 28 years of my life

during her 95 years here on earth

{she was SO mad that I made her sit in her walker for my sisters wedding while I wheeled her up to the reception.. she was even more mad that the photographer captured a picture! but i am SO thankful he did!!!}

when I look back over my fondest memories these are a few that come to mind:

making my t-shirt quilt together the summer after I graduated college

her love for Texas Roadhouse

her always giving me a "peace out" when i left, rather than a wave good-bye

her love for The Bachelor and Dancing With The Stars

my phone conversations with her on my drives home from the office

her constantly giving me a hard time if I hadn't post on my blog for a while

always tapping her on the top of her head regardless if she had just gotten her hair done

her always telling me that "life is not fair, and I can't retire yet"

{myself, my great grandma, my mom, sister and grandma at Alli's wedding shower this fall}

she is the person that have always bragged about with her ability to use a computer and not be afraid of it when she is 95 years old

her ability was not just limited to a game of solitaire {which she happened to LOVE}, but also getting on Facebook, reading my blog, and previously used to chat with her sister every day at 8am through AIM.

so when people tell me they are too old to use a computer, I tell them about my grandma!

I will miss the little memories most about my great grandma

but so fortunate to have so many fun and wonderful ones that I have.

she was one of the most independent and stubborn person I have ever met

but I truly believe she is part of the reason I am such an independent person myself

She was a first born female, along with my grandma, my mother and myself

It always drove my sister crazy when we wanted to get a picture of the 4 first born generations.. and then we would always follow it up with all the girls and include my sister

I think my sister said it best when she said, I prayed to Grandpa last night telling him he better be ready because Grandma was about to join him again!

Her presence will be greatly missed but her memories will live on forever.

Rest in peace Grandma!

I love you!!

Friday Funnies Vol 2

Because at the end of the week... we all need a reason to laugh!

TGIF!

Source: theberry.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: thatswhatthatmeans.tumblr.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: i.imgur.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: someecards.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: maskcara.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: 9gag.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: imgfave.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: imgfave.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

So What Wednesdays...

So What ...

if we went to On the Border on Monday night {i had a craving for chips and salsa, and Jaci had one for guacamole}... so we both ordered, and Jaci's guac was made table side.... and when the waitress placed the bowl of guac on the table, we all dug in with the biggest chip we could find.. and quickly we realized it was THE WORST guac we had ever tasted... we ended up asking for more cilantro, more limes, adding some of Justin's beer, and salsa and making it ourselves.. still with all that added it was okay....needless to say, if you are craving good guacamole your best bet is to go to Chipotle!

if I wear my hair in a poof about 95% of the time... I was courageous last hair cut and got cute with bangs.... well I should have known my Italian self couldn't keep my hands away from my face and bangs throughout the day... if I wear them down, it ends up being a big greasy mess by the end of the day

if I had the day off of Monday and the entire day was spent returning previous purchases and shopping!

if on Monday I purchased a pair of nude shoes thanks to AP talking up Payless and the fact they were $8.99 on twitter and on her blog.. to only land myself in the ghetto of Columbus. When I got there my shoes were $16.99 unless I participated in the b1g1 1/2 sale... so they got me hook line and sinker... i found another pair of suede red round toe wedges that were cute... took them up to the register and checked out. While sitting at a stop light I realized I had just paid $38 for 2 pairs of shoes at payless that I didn't really need. So I continued driving in the hood... and found another payless within 5 minutes of the last store and promptly returned both pairs.

if I'm writing this at my kitchen table and I should have been out the door 5 minutes ago... I mean work can wait? right?

Happy Wednesday Lovies!!!

Road Trip to Indy

This past weekend Kush and I loaded up 2.0 and headed west on I-70 to Indy to visit Aly.

It all worked out perfectly because Indy is about to host the Super Bowl next week, so they have turned downtown into Super Bowl Village. It was so much fun to walk around being tourists.

Since Indianapolis is known for Indy Car racing... they had one for every NFL team

After we had finished with being tourists for the day, we went home and got ready for dinner at Cooper's Hawk Winery.

While waiting on our table for 60-90 minutes we decided to have a mini photo shoot

{because thats what normal people do while they wait on their table - right?!}

By the time we were seated at dinner, we were starving and everything on the menu looked divine.

I chose blackened bacon wrapped scallops served with cilantro lime rice and grilled pineapple.

HOLY AMAZING!

I told Aly I might be back tomorrow for dinner, it was SO good!

It was such a fun weekend!

Thank you Aly for hosting.... I had so much fun!

Make Me A Meal Monday: Shrimp Tacos

I am always looking for new and exciting recipes, and I found this one on pinterest from Real Simple.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 large cloves garlic minced

4 limes cut into quarters

kosher salt

8 6" tortillas

2-3 cups of finely shredded cabbage

bottled tomatillo salsa

Heat grill to medium high.

Mix milk, sour cream, cumin and and mayo together. Set aside.

The recipe says to melt the butter, and add garlic. Brush shrimp with the mixture

{I made these a second time, and just brushed them lightly with olive oil and some grill seasoning.. which is a much healthier way to go about it anyway... I don't think the butter and garlic added too much flavor}

Cut limes into quarters

Place the shrimp and limes both on the grill at the same time, until the shrimp are opaque and the limes are brown.

Remove shrimp and limes from grill and lightly salt the shrimp

Grill the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side and place in a brown paper bag to keep warm

Assemble your tacos with shrimp, cream sauce, tomatillo salsa, and fresh lime juice.

Enjoy!!!

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Friday Funnies

Only because I'm lacking creativity in the post department...

I figured I would leave you with a few Friday Funnies

Source: fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net via Lindsey on Pinterest

I think I have laughed about this one with everyone I know... oh poor Janelle, Keiffer and Barbara... I wish they didn't entertain me as much as they do!

Source: blahbethany.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: badideatshirts.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

I honestly feel like a rockstar when all socks come out with a match!

Source: imgfave.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: scrapshare.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

I know for a fact that you are singing the song right now in your head as you are looking at this little hamster! ha!

Source: google.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Lindsey on Pinterest

i TOTALLY believe this!

Source: thirtyhandmadedays.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: polyvore.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: celebs.icanhascheezburger.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Source: someecards.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Happy Friday Pretties!