Odd Socks

I have a new facebook game that I have become addicted to in the last week or two --- Odd Socks.

It is the silliest game ever!

You have a clothes line with socks hanging off of it.  You try to make pairs.  You have to make a certain number of pairs of certain socks to level up.  You can also make sets of 4 socks.  If you don't need a sock, you can throw it in your trash can (which holds up to 5 socks).  Your friends can then take socks out of your trash to make pairs.

I have added a bajillion new friends to help me play this silly game.

I am currently on level 33/50.  This is after only a week or two.  I hope they add new levels soon...I am going to need them!

Oh, and the game is currently down.  I think they have more players than they can handle.  I am going through withdrawal!

Aloha Friday #30 - Dinner / Fun Follow Friday

Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday. Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog . Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the Mr. Linky there if you are participating.

We are always struggling to come up with dinner ideas around here that everyone likes.  (I am a really picky eater).  So my question this week is:  What is your favorite dinner?

If I had my way, I would probably eat some kind of white fish most nights and pizza or pasta the rest of the time.

I am also participating in Fun Follow Friday hosted by Simply Stacie and My Wee View

Betty Crocker Gift Pack and $25 Gift Card To Safeway - WINNER

Congratulations to the winner of the Betty Crocker Gift Pack and $25 Gift Card To Safeway

Claire said... 77

I want to try the Fabulous Fruit Bars!

kaleidoscopequeen at xxx dot com

January 23, 2011 2:14 AM 

Winners has been notified and has 24 hours to get back to me with their name, addresses and phone number.

Congrats again :)

Droid X

2011 is a year of new things for me.  Watching new movies, playing new games (Bingo) and finally getting a smart phone -- the Droid X.

I have had it for about 2 weeks now and I love it.  It's like a mini computer!  It does almost everything my laptop does.  I have had to have a lot of help doing things like getting my twitter and email on it, but I'm a pro at installing and deleting apps LOL

Do any of you have a smart phone?  If so, are there any apps you recommend?

Hunter

I posted pictures of my dog, Hunter, when we first got him in November.  I haven't posted any since though.

It's been 2 months.  We have lots of issues to work on still.  Some have gotten a lot better though.

One thing that he is almost cured of is going on the furniture.  He used to go on the couches and beds daily.  Now he only goes on my bed when I am in a different room (maybe once a week at most).  He is also a lot better at riding in the car!  He used to try to ride in my lap, now he is happy to just be in the front seat.  Leash training has gone okay.  He doesn't pull 100% of the time now LOL

He still runs out the front door if we leave it open for more than one second.  He still barks uncontrollably at things every so often.  And he is still barky at people who come over.

Any doggie tips would be greatly appreciated :)

Longest day ever

I didn't sleep well at all last night.  I had to wake up early this morning to clean the house.  Then I had to go to work...we had a staff meeting after work.  Then I came home and got ready for a wedding.  Then I went to the wedding for hours and hours LOL

Now I am exhausted.  Today is the first day of this month/year that I am not doing a "cool" blog post.  Back to normal tomorrow!

Saturday 9 - #9

I haven't done this for a really long time and thought I would give it a shot!  Saturday 9 blog posts 9 questions each week, sometimes with a theme and sometimes without.

Saturday 9: My Woman From Tokyo

1. Have you ever been to Japan? If not would you like to travel there?  I have never been and would love to go.  I am half-Japanese so it is a side of my culture that I have barely explored.

2. Have you ever played a game that required removal of clothing?  I'm pretty sure I haven't.  I feel like there were always a lot of jokes about strip poker but it never even came close to happening.

3. Have you ever dated one of your best friends?  Dated???  Not exactly.  But I would advise ever getting involved with one of your best friends.  It always becomes awkward eventually!

4. Have you ever kissed someone you didn't know?  I kissed someone once who I had only known on the internet for a few months.  But he was an old friend of one of my good friends.

5. What is your secret guaranteed weeping movie?  Pretty much any movie that is emotional in some way makes me cry.

6. What feature are you most insecure about?  Is weight a feature?  If not, is height?  One of those two!

7. What do you miss most about being young?  I'm only 27...I like to still think of myself as young!  I do miss not having a care in the world though!

8. Who is the most annoying musical artist EVER?  This is tough to answer.  I like artists that many find annoying like Ke$ha and Katy Perry.  So I hate to say it because she is so young, but I might have to go with Miley Cyrus.  She's a cute actress on her show, but her singing voice is not great and seems to be getting worse.  And it's like no one notices!

9. Have you ever applied for a job that was an internet hoax, asking for credit history and your social security number? Noooooooo way.  I have never even applied for a job on the internet that wasn't Borders, Blockbuster, or a company like them.

Betty Crocker Gift Pack and $25 Gift Card To Safeway!

Thanks to MyBlogSpark, I received a package of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix, Glad storage containers, and a $25 Safeway GC.

One of my favorite things to do during the December holidays is to make plates of cookies to give to my friends and family.  I love making cookies from scratch, but I also love starting from a mix and doctoring it up into something special!  I normally put everything on plates and hope they don't spill.  The Gladware containers are perfect for that.  They are large and hold a lot of cookies, and airtight so they don't get stale!

Another fun thing I would like to try eventually is a cookie exchange!  It's a great excuse to get your friends together and to get to try many different treats without having to cook them all!  Bakesweetmemories.com is a great website to check out for tips on how to host a cookie exchange party or to find awesome recipes!

Would you like to try some sugar cookies or host a cookie exchange?  Thanks to the folks at MyBlogSpark, one lucky winner will receive the same Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix, Glad storage containers, and $25 Safeway GC that I did!

For your first (and mandatory) entry into this contest, comment with which recipe you would like to try from Bakesweetmemories.com. Please make sure to leave your email address in your comments.

To earn extra entries you can (please leave a comment for each additional entry):

1) Become a follower of my blog or let me know if you already follow (you must follow publicly, I have to be able to see you) (2 entries)

2) Become an email subscriber of my blog or let me know if you already subscribe (2 entries)

3) Blog about this contest (and comment with the url)

4) Mention this giveaway on facebook with a link to this post (comment with your facebook name) 

5) Add my button to your sidebar (and comment with the url) (2 entries)

6) Follow my Becca's Contest List blog (2 entries)

7) Follow me on twitter and tweet about the contest using "RT @sbshortie Win Betty Crocker Gift Pack! http://beccasbackyard.blogspot.com/2011/01/betty-crocker-gift-pack-and-25-gift.html" (comment with your twitter name and the url of your tweet)

8) Become my friend on Facebook (click here and comment with your facebook name)

9) Join the online dominoes league that I host (for free) on Eliters.  Play in at least one tournament.  Comment with your username.  (10 entries)

This contest is open to anyone with a US  mailing address that is 18+. Contest ends Tuesday, Jan 25th at 11:59 pm pacific time. Winner will be picked and notified by email shortly after.

Safeway, Betty Crocker, and Glad provided you with the gift card, information, and prize pack through MyBlogSpark

American Idol

I am going into this season with caution.  I don't know how the show will be without Paula, without Simon, without Ellen and without Kara.  Too much change!  But Stephen Tyler and J. Lo are huge celebrities so worth a shot!

Robbie Rosen from New Jersey was the first one I loved!  He's such a cute kid and his story is so sweet.

Melinda Ademi from Kosovo was the next person who I absolutely loved.  She was amazing!

Travis Orlando might have been my favorite boy.  His breathing was a bit funny but that's easily fixed I think.  His second song was way better than his first one!

J. Lo is too big of a softie, but the girls normally are!  The judges got along well and were fun.  I think this season will be alright!

Tomorrow night...New Orleans!

Silly Haiku Wednesday - #14

So I missed last week, but I'm getting right back on track!

The basics:

Haiku is simple! It is 3 non-rhyming lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively (a great way to use your fingers!)

This week’s theme is: Deception

Lying is the worst

You can't take back your false words

Trust is ev'rything

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners

I was super excited to receive this next Chicken Soup book that I am giving away because as I get healthier, I would like to start running.  I am not sure there is any better exercise for the average person to help them get in shape and toned than to run!

When runners aren't running, they are talking about running, planning their next run, shopping for running. This book contains 101 stories from runners, telling their stories to other runners about. running — how it has changed their lives, their bodies, and their spirits. Runners will love these inspirational stories of fellow runners challenging themselves, recovering from injuries, and staying motivated. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners also includes amazing stories of marathons, camaraderie, and the natural high that comes from this popular sport. It holds plenty of stories for triathletes too, covering swimming and cycling.

The book is divided into 10 sections, including Starting Out, Family Ties, Fortitude, Moving on to Triathlons, and more.  Taking a Leap of Faith caught my eye because of the title.  Like the person in the story, I just need to take the leap and start!  Nowhere to Go is a hilarious story about a man who has to pee and literally has nowhere he can go.  The Broken Toe is a story about a man who runs a marathon with a broken toe.  All I can say is wow!

I am pleased to offer a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners - 101 Inspirational Stories of Energy, Endurance, and Endorphins  to 3 winners.

For your first (and mandatory) entry into this contest, become a follower of my blog or let me know if you already follow (you must follow publicly, I have to be able to see you). Please make sure to leave your email address in your comments.

To earn extra entries you can (please leave a comment for each additional entry):

1) Comment with another Chicken Soup book you are interested in.

2) Become an email subscriber of my blog or let me know if you already subscribe (2 entries)

3) Blog about this contest (and comment with the url)

4) Mention this giveaway on facebook with a link to this post (comment with your facebook name) 

5) Add my button to your sidebar (and comment with the url) (2 entries)

6) Follow my Becca's Contest List blog (2 entries)

7) Follow me on twitter and tweet about the contest using "RT @sbshortie Win Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners! http://beccasbackyard.blogspot.com/2011/01/chicken-soup-for-soul-runners.html" (comment with your twitter name and the url of your tweet)

8) Become my friend on Facebook (click here and comment with your facebook name)

9) Join the online dominoes league that I host (for free) on Eliters.  Play in at least one tournament.  Comment with your username.  (10 entries)

This contest is open to anyone with a US or Canadian mailing address that is 18+. Contest ends Sunday, Jan 30th at 11:59 pm pacific time. Winner will be picked and notified by email shortly after.

I was sent a copy of the book to review and the company is sending out the books to the winners.  All opinions are honest and my own.

Mellow Yellow Monday - #3

This is my third time participating in the Mellow Yellow Monday meme.
  All you have to do is post a picture you have rights to with a lot or a little yellow.

As I have kind of shared, I am trying to get healthier this year.  The best way for me to keep track of what I am eating and how much exercise I am doing is in a hand-written notebook of some kind.  I normally just grab whatever is around when I decide to start recording and use it.  This is the book I found for this year :)

Blog Gems - #1

I am looking for some new memes to try out, to maybe help me be better about blogging every single day.  I found an awesome one today called Blog Gems - Air Your Archives and is hosted at The King and Eye.

The point of the meme is to link up to an old blog post that would otherwise be forgotten.  There is a theme each week.  The theme this week is "an event in your life".

I hope I followed the prompt correctly.  I linked back to when I first got my geckos.  They were so small and sickly.  You can see the post here.

Here are a few current pictures to see how much they have changed.

Dale on the side of his log 

Chip in the corner of the tank - look at the vibrant colors!

Chip hiding under that little log

Dale up on his log.  Notice how vibrant his colors are also.

Six Word Saturday - #19

Show my Face blog hosts Six Word Saturday each week. I love this meme, because it is so simple yet can tell so much

Here's what you do: Describe your life (or something) in just six words.

Change of plans, not visiting grandparents.

We were supposed to go visit my grandparents this weekend, but plans got changed.  We are also trying to make plans for 2 weeks from now that keep getting changed.  Don't people like plans?????

Aloha Friday #29 - Sleeping

Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday. Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog . Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the Mr. Linky there if you are participating.

As I was trying to get comfortable in bed last night, I came up with my question for this week.  How do you sleep?  Do you lay on your side, back, stomach, other???  What do you do with your arms?

I probably sleep on my right side 90% of the time and on my stomach the other 10% of the time.  I am incapable of sleeping on my other side or on my back.  I have to have my hands in a certain way by my face on my side and laying flat on my stomach.  If I am on my side, I have to be holding a stuffed animal (or a rolled up shirt if I forget an animal).  If I try to sleep any other way nothing happens.  I really want to know if other people are as particular as me or if I am just really weird!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Pretty Woman

With all of my TV shows on winter break, I decided to record a few movies I never got around to watching.  The first one I watched was Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  Peter, played by Jason Segel gets dumped by his famous girlfriend Sarah, played by Kristen Bell.  He goes to Hawaii to get over her, only to find out they are staying at the same hotel!  The movie is all about how they keep running into each other in Hawaii and the new people they hook up with.  It was a light-hearted movie and very fun.  I would highly recommend it to any person around my age (mid 20s) or younger.

I also recorded an old classic, Pretty Woman.  My friends and family didn't introduce me to movies like this when I was younger, so I've had to catch up as an adult.  Pretty Woman is about a hooker named Vivian (played by Julia Roberts) and the businessman Edward (played by Richard Gere) who picks her up and becomes involved with her.  Since I'm sure everyone on earth besides me has seen this, I don't think I will be spoiling the plot by saying it is 1/2 about her transformation from hooker to classy woman and 1/2 about how they fall in love.  It was a super sweet movie and I think everyone should watch it if they haven't already!

I have more movies lined up, so I'm sure I will be blogging about them soon.

Bingo!

I finally got to do something I have been waiting to do for a long time -- play bingo in a bingo hall!  It was advertised as Buddy night.  Register with a buddy and you both win!  So we got our $20 together and were prepared for the advertised 20 games.  My friend didn't understand why I was so worried about getting there, because apparently he had seen the hall pretty empty before.

We got there at about 10 minutes to start time and it was packed!  The huge hall was filled with people.  It was really overwhelming.  But we found our way over to the cashier and got in line.  When it was our turn, we were lost again.  The lady asked a ton of questions and we had no idea what to answer.  We each paid $20 for the bingo cards, another $1.50 for a dauber (a tube with a sponge on the end to color the squares that are called), and paid $1 for something called a sock hop (I think that was the name).

We looked around for 2 seats together, and sat down by the most normal looking people we could find.  They could obviously tell we were confused, because they immediately began trying to help us.  4 different people started talking to us, and one woman grabbed my cards and started pulling them all apart.  Ack...what was she doing??????  Finally, she handed them back to me in piles.  Another person explained that one set was for warm-ups, two were for regular play (1 set was worth twice as much as the other set if you won) and the last set was for the cool down or whatever it was called.  So much for 12 games LOL  And to add to the confusion, they had bonus games every few games.

So we played all of the regular games, some of the bonus games, ate some food, met new people and looked at our clocks when it was all over --- 4 and a half hours later!!!!!!  What an insane night of bingo!

I can't wait to do it again :)

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Dad Winners

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Black Swan

A friend of mine asked me to go see Black Swan tonight.  I had heard mixed reviews, but I am pretty willing to see any movie at least once.  I hadn't seen a preview, so I only knew two things about it.  It was about ballet, and Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis have some girl action together.

The movie started off really slow, as I am not that into ballet.  But as the plot thickened and Natalie Portman got crazier, I was very sucked into it.  She is such a great actress and always plays her roles so well.  Mila Kunis did an amazing job as well.  If you like ballet, you should definitely see this movie.  If you are easily offended, this movie might not be for you.  Overall, it was good and worth the $6.25 it cost to get in.

I, Alex Cross, While My Sister Sleeps, 1022 Evergreen Place (#13, 14, 15)

3 books by 3 amazing authors!  How can you pick a favorite between James Patterson, Barbara Delinsky, and Debbie Macomber?  Their writing styles are so different that there is no way to compare.

I just finished I, Alex Cross recently so it is still very fresh in my mind.  A member of Alex's family is killed.  Even tho it is someone he hasn't seen in 20 years, he is instantly drawn into the case.  It turns out she was involved in something very dark, and very bad.  And someone very rich and powerful was most likely responsible for her death.  The ending will SHOCK you!  I have no idea how James Patterson comes up with his stories, but they are crazy!

Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove novels are something I wait for all year.  I can't wait til around September of each year when a new one comes out!  The latest one was called 1022 Evergreen Place.  Each book title is the address of a character from the book series.  This book mostly revolved around Mary Jo Wyse.  She is a sweet woman with a little baby who is falling in love with her neighbor, Mack McAfee.  Together, they find some letters between lovers written during World War II and try to find out who they belonged to.  There are too many characters to name, but they have small parts in this book also!  It was a great read and I can't wait for the next book, which will focus on Bruce and Rachel Peyton of 1105 Yakima Street.

I could not put down While My Sister Sleeps.  "There were days when Molly Snow loved her sister, but this wasn't one."  That is the first line of the book.  It describes me pretty perfectly LOL.  From the first line, I was hooked!  The story is about the Snow family.  They own a plant nursery or something like that.  Robin is a professional runner.  Molly basically runs the family business and supports her sister's career.  After Robin has a heart attack and goes into a coma, Molly discovers many things about her sister and her sister's life that are just unbelievable.  I had to keep flipping the page to find out what was going to happen to Robin.  A truly great read!

Six Word Saturday - #18

Show my Face blog hosts Six Word Saturday each week. I love this meme, because it is so simple yet can tell so much

Here's what you do: Describe your life (or something) in just six words.

Going dress shopping today, need luck!

I am going to two weddings in the next month.  Ideally, I would love to find two dresses, but one would be fine as well.  Oh, and I dislike wearing dresses.  I am a jeans and t-shirt girl!

SUGAR

If it has chocolate, I like it.  If it is most cookies, brownies, cakes, etc, I like them.  Candy bars, yes please.  Chocolate milk - I'll take two glasses!  After lunch, I eat dessert.  After dinner, I eat dessert.  Sometimes when I want a late night snack, I eat more dessert!  Keep in mind I never eat a whole candy bar or a whole pie or anything, but I eat a lot of sugar!

Every so often, I decide I want to lose some weight.  A few years ago I lost about 25 pounds and was looking pretty good, so I know I can do it pretty easily.

New Year's Day was the day I decided I wanted to try to cut out sugar.  That day after lunch, I gave in and had a Hershey's kiss.  By dinner time, it was a bit better and I only had a mint.  Somehow, by the next day, I felt a lot better.  Since the first day, I have had 1 small thing some days, and no dessert other days.  I'm amazed at how easy it was to cut back my sugar intake so drastically.

But crunchy snacks like chips and crackers...don't get me started on those LOL

Update on the Earring Resolution

I literally have nothing to talk about.  A crappy thing happened yesterday but I don't want to talk about it!

But today, I managed to put on two different earrings.  I was at work for hours before I noticed!  Eek!

The Other Daughter and Summer on Blossom Street (#12 and 13)

One of my resolutions last year was to read more books.  I accomplished that goal!  Unfortunately, I failed at the blogging side of things.  So now, I am going to write some reviews over the next few days or weeks of all of the books I read last year (there were more than 11, and my sidebar will be updated to reflect that).

Since I don't remember what order I read in anymore, we'll call these #12 and #13.

I just finished "The Other Daughter" by Lisa Gardner on the 30th or 31st.  It was an amazing book, and only took me a few days to read.  It revolves around a woman around my age named Melanie Stokes.  She was adopted by a rich family who took really good care of her.  And then a reporter shows up and tells her about everything he dug up on her past.  The book gets really intense from there.  The cast of characters is really well described.  I felt like I knew each and every one of them.  I was happy when they were happy, but felt their pain also.  I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but I never saw the ending coming!  Very well written!

"Summer on Blossom Street" by Debbie Macomber was a must read for me.  I love Debbie Macomber and the Blossom Street series is 1 of my 2 favorite series by her.  The book revolves around a few key characters.  Lydia Goetz owns a yarn shops and always offers fun classes.  She is married to a man named Brad and her sister Margaret also works at the yarn shop.  Phoebe Rylander was new this book and had just broken up with her fiancee.  Bryan "Hutch" Hutchinson is also a new character.  He and his family own a chocolate company and he is very stressed over his job.  Alix Turner is a regular.  She used to be troubled but now works at a bakery and is married to a youth pastor.  Anne Marie Roche owns a bookshop and has an adopted daughter named Ellen.  While there are some other characters in the book, these are the main ones.  It's so sweet to see how much knitting does for these people.  These books make me wonder if people from small towns really are that nice and close!  It sounds so amazing!  This series is great because you don't have to read it from the beginning to understand what is going on.  I did though! hehe

Silly Haiku Wednesday - #13

I only did 2 Haikus last year...eek!  Not good!  Here goes for 2011!

The basics:
Haiku is simple! It is 3 non-rhyming lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively (a great way to use your fingers!)

This week’s theme is: Resolutions

Thinking about goals

Want to be nicer always
Going well so far

Goal number two is
To wear earrings more often
Two out of four, eh

The Queen's Meme - #1

Mimi of The Queen's Meme hosts this fun meme each Tuesday.  I am trying some new memes out and like the questions this week, so here I go.

"Welcome to the Queen's Meme #66. We're all about ones today in the year of the ones. Do the math."

1. What were you doing at 1:11 am on 1/11/11? I think I was sitting on Steve's futon/couch under a heavy blanket because he lives in his unfinished garage and it is freezing in there!  If not, I was in the warm house with his sister.

2. Did you watch the New Year's Eve hoopla on television at midnight or did you make your own hoopla?  I watched the hoopla on TV at 9:00 pacific time with my mom, then went to Steve's.  At his house, 4 of us went outside right after midnight to yell.  It was fun!

3. I know this is a tired meme question and really should be retired, but can you tell us just ONE of your New Year's resolutions?  I want to wear earrings every day.  So far I pass because I ALWAYS wear earrings in my 2nd and 3rd holes.  I want to extend it to my 1st hole though.

4. What was the one greatest lesson you learned in 2010.  To only be facebook friends with people who won't use your facebook to try to get you fired from work!

5. Can you recall a news story from 2010 that affected you greatly and/or personally?  It was pretty big news across the world when a boy from Santa Barbara was hit and killed by a drunk driver somewhere near his college (Brown).  I blogged about it a lot.  It's been almost a year now, I can't believe it!

6. If you could have just one thing in 2011, what would it be?  I'd like to have the winning lottery numbers!  It was 290 mil yesterday and is 330 mil now.  Do you know what I could do with that kind of money???

7. Pick an age: 20 or 11. Which one was best for you and why?  Definitely 20.  At 20 I had just moved back home and couldn't be happier.  I had two jobs that I loved and made all kinds of new friends.  At 11 I had just switched schools for the 2nd time in 2 years.  Never a good thing for a kid.

SB Axxess Year 2 #2

I finally used my Santa Barbara Axxess card on something other than food!  The nail place that I go to, Ocean Nails and Spa, accepts Axxess!  The deal there is save 20% the first time, and 10% after.  I have acrylic/gel nails so any discount is greatly appreciated!  I only save a few dollars each time, but it adds up when you have to go every 2 weeks!

The guy there who does my nails is great!  He does a fast and efficient job, and has yet to cut me!  Everywhere else I have gone I have always gotten tons of cuts.  They have a large selection of polishes and are able to do tons of nail art also!

Below are a few pics of some of my manicures (and yes, I like my nails really short!) if you're interested LOL

 Pretty blue

Really pretty purple...but only in the sun!