I Must Confess...

• I actually kind of like doing dishes. Don't tell Josh. What I hate is putting away clean dishes. I swear, if he would just keep the drying rack empty, I would happily wash dishes all day long.
• I recently switched my day off (I work four 10-hour days) from Friday to Wednesday. While I have dreaded giving up my long weekends, I think I might like having a break in the middle of the week. I switched it so I could attend church on Wednesday nights, which I'm very excited about!
• Seeing as how I am off today, I have been super lazy. Monday I was off for MLK and was productive. Today, I slept until 9, and have yet to do anything remotely productive.
• I saw Mark Wahlberg's new movie Contraband with a friend on Sunday, not because we had any interest in the storyline, but because Marky Mark was in it. It was a bit way too intense for me. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and my heart was racing! 
• I keep swearing I 'm going to start eating a healthy breakfast before work, and then I don't. I usually don't eat anything. I know this is horrible for me, but the thought of food in the morning makes me nauseous. Sometimes I can choke down a granola bar but that's about it. 
• Now, because it is cold and rainy and that's as good of an excuse as any, I am going to turn on the TV, watch trashy reality shows, and take a nap.

Why I Hate Target

Just kidding, I love Target. A whole lot. Maybe a little too much.

I saw this on Pinterest and laughed, because it's so entirely accurate. I get excited when I have a reason to go to Target. Yesterday my reason was that I was almost out of saline solution for my contacts, and Target has the best deals on saline. The part about them having great prices is true (a two pack for $3.69!) but I may or may not have half a bottle of saline left.

So if I spent $3.69 on saline, I would like to know how exactly my total at Target was nearly $50 dollars. Whaaaaat?? And that was after I forced myself to put down the adorable sandals I have been eying for 4 months that were on clearance for 50% off! I did, however, purchase some really cute Florida Gator onesies for the cutest little boy I know.

That's it. I'm staying out of Target.

...at least until I'm running low on saline again!

Gator Toes & Kangaroo Bites

My brother is in town this weekend for a business conference. He generously hauled up our "new" couch that we inherited from my aunt & uncle (Thanks, guys!) Last night we went to dinner and since he had a friend with him, the obvious choice was Clark's Fish Camp. If you're a Jacksonville native, you've probably visited this rustic restaurant on the creek. If you're not from around here or you just haven't been--you're missing out!

Highlights of Clark's:

• They host the largest private taxidermy collection in America, which is displayed throughout the dining areas. I'm talking lions, tigers, giraffes, and a multitude of other animals--some of which I couldn't even identify. (I'm pretty we spotted at least one honey badger though!)
• Their menu boasts everything from Southern basics like fried shrimp and grits to exotic selections including llama, python and kangaroo.
• A recently added large aquarium features a 5 foot alligator named Lilly.
• Beautiful location on Julington Creek--when the weather is nice you can sit outside and enjoy the view.

Clark's is always my choice when I have friends visiting from out of town, and it never fails to please.

Last night we started with BBQ Chargrilled Gator Toes:

You can see I was a little skeptical, but they actually were pretty good. Just like chicken. Even better when dipped in the accompanying Toe Jam sauce!

Next we sampled fried Kangaroo. I don't know how I feel about eating kangaroo, but it was delicious! I'm usually not a huge fan of "gamey" meat. I'll eat venison but it's not my favorite. The kangaroo was impressively good though! Next time, we plan to try the llama, python and antelope.

For dinner we stuck to more commonplace choices. I had delicious coconut shrimp, while Josh, of course, chose the largest steak on the menu:

Yes, folks, he finished it all. And ate his black eyed peas and macaroni and cheese, too. My husband is impressive.

If you're looking for good food and a good time, I highly recommend Clark's Fish Camp. It's always an adventure!

Love & Respect

A few years ago, when Josh & I had first started dating, my mom gave me the book Love and Respect as a Christmas present. We had been together not quite six months, but we both knew by then it was going someplace serious. And I think my mom knew too, which is why she gave me a book for married couples.
 As I do with most books, I started to read it almost immediately. And as I do with most nonfiction books, I got distracted a few chapters in and it got forgotten on the bookshelf.

The book's main theme is pretty self explanatory- that wives desperately need to know their husbands love them, and husbands desperately need to know that their wives respect them.

Well, duh.

When I first read the book, as I said, Josh and I were just dating. Many of the points addressed in the book didn't necessarily apply to us, because we were still in the "honeymoon" phase.

Look how cute we were!

Fast forward a few years later, and we are quickly approaching our second wedding anniverary. While I will say our second year has been significantly easier than the first, we still have our moments where we want to strangle each other. And at the end of many of our fights battles disagreements, I am left feeling like we're going in circles.

Not long ago I picked up the book again to see what advice it would offer. This time around, I am proud to say I made it all the way through the entire book, and loved it.

One of the things that struck me the most was how often I, as a wife, fail to show my husband that I respect him. I'm really good at showing him I love him, because that's what comes naturally to me. But so often, especially when I am frustrated, I don't act like I respect him. I make sarcastic comments and roll my eyes and let the little things bug me. Then, because he feels disrespected, he is not particularly loving towards me, and the cycle continues. This handy infographic explains it better than I ever could:

I'm not doing a great job of explaining this, but trust me, when I read the book, a light bulb went off in my head. I've been trying to be more aware of how I speak to Josh, and to make it obvious how much I do respect him.

If you're married, or in a serious relationship, I can't recommend this book enough!

Now, your turn... what books have positively affected your relationships? Please share!

Happy Friday!

1.   The last thing I ate was  a bagel and cream cheese that I stole from our school's kitchen. 

2.   The last song I listened to was...I'm trying to remember what the last song was on the radio in the car. I think it was "Good Morning" by Mandisa. It's a little cheesy but a fun morning song!

3.  Using the letters in my name I can spell (Jennifer) fine, fern, rife, fee, nee...

4.  If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick It would have to be blue, because there are so many shades of blue. And if you look at my color-coded closet, I have more blue than anything else (even though I didn't plan it that way!)

5.  If you were to look in my bag right now you'd find Some mail, wallet, empty ziploc, a random piece of gum, 5 or more lip balms/glosses, pen, calendar, camera cord, headphones, coupons, and a bunch of random receipts I need to trash.

6.  When I finish filling in the blanks I'm going to go check on our teachers and make sure all the classrooms are in ratio.

7.  My all time favorite song to dance to is I don't know...the only time I really dance is at weddings with good friends and a few glasses of wine. Then I'll dance to whatever the DJ plays! 

 

Happy Friday!

Not My Cup of Tea

Every so often, I'm at the grocery store, see a new fun flavor of hot tea, and decide I'm going to be a tea drinker. Or I walk by the tea store in the mall, and try a free sample, and wonder why I don't drink hot tea regularly. I think it would be lovely to drink a cup of hot tea every night before bed. A lovely little nighttime ritual to end the day.

In reality, the only time I actually drink tea is when I am sick. To me, being sick = drinking hot tea. Whenever I was sick, my mom made me tea with honey and lemon. (She also made me a bed on the couch and brought me a cup of Gatorade with a straw in it and gave me my medicine like clockwork. Hey Mom, I am sick, do you want to come visit and take care of me?)

My point is, I always have these situations that sound great in my head, but in real life they don't turn out to be so great.

...Such as a taking a bubble bath. I always think a bubble bath with a glass of wine and a good book sounds delightful. I get hot after five minutes, I'm uncomfortable because our bathtub is roughly the size of a shoebox, and I can't read without getting the book wet.

...Such as going to the beach. I love the beach--in theory. I grew up close to one of America's Top 10 best beaches:

  

I always think the beach is so much fun. Then I get there, and I'm over it after ten minutes. It's hot, the sand makes me itchy, there's too many people, and there's too many creatures to worry about. One time my friends and I saw a huge shark in the water at the beach. Okay, it turned out to be a manatee, but still. You just never know.

...Such as baking intricate desserts. I find amazing recipes online (partly in thanks to my Pinterest addiction)

and decide to make them. By the time I put the first batch of whatever it is in the oven, I have flour all over the kitchen, I'm nauseous from taste-testing too much batter, and the prospect of cleaning up my mess makes me vow to never do it again. Until the next time I find a recipe for peanut butter brownies and decide they have to be made immediately.

I wish my plans turned out as fantastic as they sound in my head!

{Insert Crazy Laughter}

I had a really funny dream last night. Hysterical-laughing-out-loud funny.

You want to hear my dream, right?

You want me to tell you all the hilarious details?

...Me too. Except I have no idea what I dreamed about!

Me: (sitting straight up in bed): HAhaHAhAHaHAHAhahaHAHaHA!
Josh: (awoken from deep slumber): What? What are you laughing about?
Me: (still sleeping) HAHahAhAHAhAHAHAHA!
Josh: (getting annoyed) WHAT are you laughing at?
Me: (slightly awake now): What? *promptly fall back asleep*

I have no memory of said laughter. When I woke up, I was sitting up in bed, and Josh was yelling at me. I have no idea what I thought was so funny. I wish I did, though, because it was apparently really funny.

This isn't the first time I've woken Josh up with my middle of the night antics.
He loves to tell the story of when he woke up to find me standing across the room next to his dresser.
I still have no idea what I was doing there.
Several other times I've woken him up with my ramblings, only to have no idea what I said or what I was talking about.

So, there you go. Proof that I am crazy!

I'm linking up to E, Myself & I's Midweek Confessions...it was such fun last week so I'm doing it again!