Ten on Tuesday

These are starting to get fun! Hope you enjoy!

1. How do you take your coffee on an average day? How do you like your coffee if you’re spluging?
Coffee at work is with 1 Splenda, 1 Sweet N Low and one creamer. If I am at starbucks - Triple, Grande, Sugar Free Vanilla, Non-Fat, 2 Sweet N Lows, at 140 degrees, latte. I know I'm picky.

2. What is your genre of books to read?
I've tried different things - but my favorite are sappy strong female stories.

3. Where do you want to retire, if you could go anywhere?
Out of the country would best. The kids could all get scholarships and go away to school and David and I could move to some place wonderful, like Spain or Costa Rica.

4. The 17-year-old you is told to write a 10-minute speech. What topic would you have picked?
Some provocative. I enjoyed pushing my limits and make some people feel uncomfortable with my work.

5. What word describes you best?
Tired.

6. What is the next “event” that you are looking forward to? (ex.: vacation, moving, date, job change, etc)
David and I are in the process of buying a house. If things go well we can be closing this month. That would be something wonderful!

7. Do you like to discuss controversial topics or do you prefer to avoid those types of conversations?
I love controversial topics, because I tend to hang out with people that just talk and keep their cool on the subject. Those happen to be some of the best conversations I have ever had and has really helped me learn more about my friends.

8. Would you rather add 4 free hours to each day, or add 1 extra day to the week?
I would enjoy 4 extra free hours a day. That would be so great to be able to enjoy more time with my hubby.

9. If you created a sports team; what would your colors and mascot be?
The Unicorns!! And the colors would be the colors of the rainbow!! Hooray!

10. If you had to be a teacher, what subject would you teach?
Child Education. It just so happens to be the subject that I know most about- honestly I do. I don't know how many times i have explained why or how is the best way to handle situations with growth development of a child.

Game Nights

How I love Game Nights... let me count the ways! Last Sunday we had a terrific game night. David and I cleaned the house on Saturday so all we had to worry about on Sunday was actually having food prepared. David had decided he wanted to do Grilled Chicken Salads for Game Night Dinner. I was a little worried of how it was actually going to turn out - but it was one of the best salads I have ever had. We had 2 different types of lettuce. Lots of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, chopped up turkey bacon, cheese and croutons. We had 3 different types of salad dressing and let me tell you, it was so DEEE-LIC-IOUS!!!! Once we stuffed ourselves with green food, we started game night. Pata brought the game Chutes and Ladders. It was so great to be able to see a bunch of 20- somethings (except David, he's 30) have such a fun time with Chutes and Ladders. We tried as hard as we could to play with logic and play with the intellecutal side of your brain- but it's hard when the only way you can move forward is to spin a higher number than a lower number - yea I know, Rocket Science! So we played this delightful game and had a great time doing so. We then decided to play a game of Apples to Apples which I have explained about before. It's a super fun game and finished just in time for Pata to head out and watch her show True Blood. So we packed up the games and had a movie night. We have been planning this movie/game/dinner night all week.

David was insistent to have me watch Labyrinth. I was a little taken back in the beginning of the movie- not sure what to think of it. But the puppets and David Bowie was hands down amazing! It was such a fun movie and thanks to David singing me many songs from that movie, I was actually able to keep up with my friends sing in the back ground. So that was our game night. We had such a lovely time and I''m sure there will be many more!

Moonshine

Wow! It's almost been a week! I swear, I don't know where the time went. I have honestly been very distracted and busy- and I mostly blog at work since there isn't much to do recently, so now I have tried to find some time and something to actually talk about.
On Saturday, David and I went to go visit our family and hang out for a few hours. On the way back I realized we didn't have much planned to do that night. So we got home and David cleaned the kitchen, and I cleaned the living room and finished a load of laundry. Right when I had finished cleaning, I laid down on the couch to rest up and my friend Moses gave me a call. He is so amazingly awesome! I love him to death- so much he is the only person that can convince me to walk 10 miles in one day. I hasn't seen him in a while since he was out of town - so I was really excited to get to hang out with him and get my head on straight. So David and I met him at a cute little bar names Stompin' Grounds. It's a great little place off of Congress, they serve coffee, pizza pie and drinks. I think we had 2 drinks and lots of conversation when Moses suggested we go up to his loft, which was upstairs. I had always wanted to see Moses' place since it is amazing and he has some of the coolest things with the greatest stories behind them.
Then Moses tells us he brought back some Moonshine from Georgia when he went to visit family. I had tried it before, but David and I decided to have a drink of it. It was mixed with orange juice and tasted very pure and tasty. Before you call the cops on me- it is not illegal for me to drink it. It is however to distill and distribute. So we had a great night of conversation and enjoyed some moonshine. Well David's little brother and his wife, Ben and Ashley, came in to town and got to meet my friend Moses as well. Ashley was a tad tired from working all day and coming up to Austin. I was pretty sure she wanted to make a night in - but after she had half a glass of moonshine and orange juice - she was like the energizer bunny. So we decided to join Moses and his trip to downtown. We went to 3 different dance clubs! We would walk in one - go find a place to dance and just sing at the top of our lungs. We actually all went upstairs to the balcony and Ashley and I danced it up! David and Ben thought it would be better to find out where the lasers where coming from that you could see on the dance floor.

So once we decided to leave downtown we stopped at a fun pizza place called Home Slice. I personally enjoy Hoboken Pie better- but if you are traveling down Congress- you should try a slice of Home Slice!
So in all honesty, I didn't go to bed til 3:30 am- and it has been a while since that has happened. But I think it really did need to happen. I had a fantastic time with my husband and family and the best friend in the whole world, Moses. I've been trying to distract myself and stay stress free recently. Moses really helped me see what is important and what I should focus on. And if for one night it was a glass of moonshine and a dance party- I will gladly accept that.

Ten on Tuesday

Trying out the Ten on Tuesday again, hope you enjoy!

For each of the following 10 categories, tell us which brand/product you use and why.

1. Cell Phone
My husband works for AT&T. I work for AT&T. We both enjoy technology. So I think it is safe to say we are very picky about our phones. This pretty little number is my new phone. HTC Aria. I love this phone. It is the greatest phone I have ever have. And if someone really thinks that their iPhone4 is better than the Aria, then I invite you to come test it out next to mine. My phone will blow yours out of the water.

2. Email
Anything Gmail. David owns the domain - moosebite.com. Reason being because he was watching Monty Python and during the rolling of credits there was a joke about a moose biting one of their sisters. I don't get it either- but we now have moosebite.com. I also have balentinephoto.com. And a gmail account. And one yahoo account that I haven't used since I was single.

3. Toothpaste
I only use Colgate. It honestly is really hard to find a a toothpaste company that does not animal test. I know Crest does and has continued. And I know Colgate does, but only as a last option of testing when all other tests have failed. It still makes me uncomfortable but sometimes I feel it is the best that I can get since I don't want to brush my teeth with soap and need to prevent my cavities.

4. Car
We're Americans. We love American cars and we both drive a Dodge. I know everyone has their own view of what they prefer in a vehicle- but for me it is the honest fact that I want to love my car and I want to look good in it. David has a Dodge Hemi Ram and I have a Dodge Charger (no hemi yet). If things go as planned- like they normally do, I should have a Hemi in about 2 years.

5. Writing Utensil

A keyboard. I sit at a computer all day long. When I go home, I do try to avoid my laptop but I can't ignore it - I still use my keyboard. If you were looking for a more specific answer in regard to what I use to write - I would say a sharpie. I love sharpies. They are so much fun and can have so much done with them.

6. Lotion
For Body - I use Dove, lotion and soap. I love dove. It is so smooth and feels so clean and just makes me feel pretty. For my face I use Olay. Lotion and soap, and I have noticed a huge difference and am loving my complexion.

7. Interior Paint
I am very picky about colors. It has to blend just right, it has to have a nice texture and will be under much scrutiny from myself until I decide whether or not it is appropriate to go on the wall. When you are painting a room- you are giving it a personality and your home a theme. If you can't figure that much out- then you should hire a decorator.

8. Soda/Drink
I don't drink soda. I drink juice and water. A lot more water than anything else. But if I am feeling down and need a pick me up- nothing can put a smile on my face like a sparkling water with a nice squeeze of lime. And if I can get a bendy straw and a little pink umbrella- then I am in heaven.

9. Laundry Detergent
I love Tide. I just switched to Tide Cold Water. For Softener, I have to have Downy. It makes everything so soft and I love when I put down new sheets. With dryer sheets, I have switched to Snuggle. I am thinking about checking out Mrs. Meyers - I love their smells and am still looking for the dog shampoo from Mrs. Meyers too!

10. Medicine
I honestly am not that picky about what type of medicine I get. I know David loves Excedrin - which is too strong for me, and I prefer Tylenol all the way. Their cold, cough, flu, throat, ect... always helps take care of me. So I guess I am a little picky in regard to what I place in body, but I hate to take medicine and try to avoid it at all cost, so I would rather it actually work,

My Dad is old(er).

On Sunday, July 18th - my dad turned 50. If you asked me 6 years ago about turning 50- I would have said "OMG! that is, like, so crazy old." But now that I am half his age, plus one, I do not think that 50 is old any more. I now view 50 as older. So now my dad is older, and I'm super happy for him. I think he's done a pretty good job getting to 50. His daughter is all grown up and married off. He doesn't have to pay for me any more since my husband does a good job about that. His son is about to go and become a man and grow up (move out of the house). And he has a wonderful wife that nags him just enough to not be annoying and buys him cool stuff. All in all- I personally think that is a pretty good job and a great place to be at 50.

So what do you do for a man that is in a great place in his life and has everything he needs? My mom found the perfect answer. She surprised him by getting him a Hot Air Balloon ride. I know, I am jealous too. She has been planning this for such a long time and saving her pennies like a good wife, to get him this big gift. So the day before his birthday he got to open his present that clued him in on this wonderful flight. The only problem was that Balloon rides are not cheap. So my mom could only afford to let him go by himself. I just kept wishing that my mom would be able to go with him. So, the next morning they woke up before the sun did, and drove down to San Marcos. They showed up right on time and for some reason, two other people that planned to join this 6 person flight- didn't show up - so guess who got to ride in that balloon for free? Yep, my mom! And only she would get in trouble for using her phone for texting when the balloon got low enough to reach cell service.

Now the directions I was given, was to meet my dad at 7.30 when he landed- but for some reason my mom wouldn't answer her phone. ( I didn't know she was on the balloon) So my Uncle Hector called me to fill me in. I had to drive down 35 to San Marcos and all of a sudden I look to the left and see the Balloon. We had to chase it down to the field it was going to land in. At one point their balloon went right over me while I was honking my horn to get their attention. The best part of this whole thing was to see how big of a smile my dad had. It was like he had this energy inside that I have never seen. He was actually giddy! My mom was a little shaken up but was happy to be on the ground and have cell service. It was such a fun morning and continued through out the day.

So we went to the ceremony where my parents were certified in flying in a balloon. They thanked the Hot Air Balloon 'Gods' and we were on our way back to San Antonio. We got to see my grandparents and show them pictures of my parent's adventure. Then it was off to my Dad's birthday lunch. I of course got lost along the way and tried to stay in a happy mood. (I forgot to tell you that I am sunburned and am not happy that I have pain no matter which way I move. You know that color of a lobster when it's cooked? I look like that.) I got to see so many wonderful people that have been part of my dad's life and been around for me growing up - and you know what? They were more concerned of how David is doing that me! Can you believe that! Everyone loves him and wants to know about David- what am I? Chopped Liver? -Anyway, after I remember that my birthday has already passed, and it's my Dad's wonderful day, I had a delicious margarita and enjoyed my time with my family.

So like I was saying before, I think that my dad has done a great job getting to the big 5-0. As I sat at that table with all of his friends, I realized that he did this 'living life' thing right. He has great friends that he has kept with him through so many years. New friends that have come along the way. He's chosen his battles and focused on what is important in life. He has a wife and 2 children that love him very much and he's good about paying his taxes. So that really is the American Dream in my eyes. I don't know if he saw his life headed to where he is now, but I know that if I can be where he is in 24 years, I would know that I did everything just right.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Loves You!!!!

My name is Elizabeth, and I like ice.

I have had an obsession with ice for quite a while. My mom would tell me about how she would just eat ice while she was pregnant with me. I don't remember when I found it necessary to start eating ice, but I have finally acknowledged that I have a problem. I really really like ice. And not just any time of ice. I'm usually just satisfied with our ice machine in our fridge. When ever I happen to get a glass- I fill the cup up to the top with ice and then put the water in. Because, after drinking that big glass of tasty water, I will then sit and eat all of the ice. I can go through 5-8 glasses a night, just going back and forth. David is wonderful since he pauses whatever we are watching since he knows I will be back within a minute.

But I have taken my addiction to a new level. I have started paying for ice. And not just any type of ice - Sonic Ice! I learned about this amazing crunchy soft ice from sonic while living in Austin. For some reason I thought I would have to actually order a drink- then I would get a big cup of tea and be forced to drink it fast so I could get to the ice. Then I realized - I could probably just order the ice on it's own. So I asked how much a Route 44 cup of ice would be. 49 cents! Can you believe that! Just 49 cents! And I am happy to pay that.

So now I go just about everyday. Who am I kidding- I go every day. Sometimes I go 2 times a day. I can't help it. That big red straw and that soft ice- I have to have it! So it's obviously become an addiction that can not be beat. I decided to give David a head's up and let him know that when we decide to start a family he can expect to make trips to Sonic for me and buy cups of ice every day since I will be demanding it while I sit on the couch complaining about fat fingers and feet. Don't worry for him, he's already started researching ice machines that will satisfy my addiction and a proper way to finance for it.
So there you have it, thanks for listening, I feel a lot better. Like a big iceberg has been lifted off of me. I'm not ashamed and I don't think I need help. I'm happy with staying at the first step of facing my addiction, and I proudly state, hold my sonic cup held up high, that my name is Elizabeth, and I am addicted to ice.

Ten on Tuesday

I forgot how hard it really is to keep up with a blog and have something to write about. So I went on a magical trip through the blog world and found this thing called Ten on Tuesday. I don't know who any of these people are that participate in it, but thought I would give them a chance and try it out. So here we are... Ten on Tuesday!

1. What is the worst movie you have ever seen?Two Words- Mariah Carey.

It was horrible. If you are kidnapped and forced to watch this as punishment, just stare at the ceiling and sing 99 beers on the wall in your head. It's the only way to save you.

2. Do you have a favorite Disney/Pixar film?

That's a very hard question- but the movie that I will love with all of my heart til the day I die is... Cinderella.

"Cinderella! Cinderella! Night and Day - It's Cinderella!"

A fun side note - The voice for Cinderella died on my birthday this year. Her name was Ilene Woods and now that I am typing this out- I'm not really seeing this as a fun fact anymore.

3. Do you have a favorite movie from the 80′s?

Ummm... what movie isn't my favorite from the 80's!! Hand's down in love with Molly Ringwald. But if I had to pick one that I could watch over and over again and not get tired of it....Most likely Sixteen Candles. It was light, funny and easily quotable.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING, HOT STUFF!"

4. Are there any movies you saw more than once in the theater?

No. I find the cinema a complete waste of money and a way for corporations to push money to be spent on pointless things. Why watch a movie in a cold cinema with strangers, when we can download illegally and watch on our HD projector? I choose projector.

5. What is one city/area of the US (or country you live if you do not live in the US) that you have not seen but would like to see?

I have always wanted to visit Seattle. I want to eat some seafood, have some coffee and yell out "Yogurt Guys" to the Yuppies at the Market.

6. What are your favorite toppings on an Ice Cream Sundae?

I am on a diet. Please do not bring up the idea of Ice Cream or candy or chocolate. Thank you.

7. How many proms did you go to? What color was your prom dress? If you went to muliple proms, what color was your favorite prom dress?

I think I went to 3. The first one was Senior Party and I had a cute dark blue dress. The Second was Senior Party and I have this gorgeous Jessica McClintock. And the Last one was my actual Senior Prom. I took my friend Chris since he was home schooled. It was theme prom "Couples Throughout Time" - super lame.. anyway I had this beautiful Southern Belle Ballgown (I was in love with Gone with the Wind) and Chris wore a costume for George Washington. It didn't make sense but it was still fun.

8. Is there a sport or extra-curricular activity that you didn’t get to try as a child that you wish you would have? (e.g. gymnastics, piano lessons, ballet, etc.)

I took Piano lessons when I was younger. I was actually pretty good at it, but I didn't want to perform- and my teacher wouldn't let me just do piano lessons without participating in the recital. So I quit. I just wanted to play music- not show off. And I did Dance lessons. I wish I started that sooner. And I wish that I started Hula Hooping sooner. That has changed my world!

9. How many silblings do you have? Are you the oldest, middle, or youngest?

I have 1 wonderfully annoying little brother. He's younger than me- so I will wait until the maturity and realizations start dropping in- but until then, I enjoy his company since he lives in San Antonio.

10. Do you feel like you fit in with your age group? Or do you feel younger/older than your age group?

Growing up, I have always had people guess my age older than I really am. It's something I take proud in. I believe I am an old soul, and my grandmother, Annie, said it best that I am probably on my 6th or 7th life. I honestly really enjoy having those other lives under my belt.

Watermelon Cake

For 4th of July we decided it would be best to be in town since I had to work early that following morning and wanted to make sure I got enough sleep to avoid any grumpiness. We were invited to our friend's place, Charles and Jessica, and got to join in on their 4th of July fun! They had a house full of BBQ and people and we had an amazing time.

I always work hard to make delicious treats and enjoy when I make something super fun. My mom had ordered me a subscription to Woman's Day magazine, and I really have enjoyed the great ideas for life, health and food. One article focused on this amazing cake, Watermelon cake.

Well, I held on to that magazine for a while since I knew I would one day make that cake. And 4th of July seemed to be the best attempt for that. I threw on my apron, got my flour ready and made the best Watermelon Cake I have ever seen. Well not really- the one in the article looks better- but I think I did a fantastic job!

So if you want to give it a try, I decided to share the recipe! Just be aware that you will use all of the red dye just to get that color right! And I would suggest chocolate covered coffee beans would be better for the seeds. (**And don't make fun of my cake! I wouldn't care if you did since it was fabulicious!**)

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 box (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix
• 1 box (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1⁄3 cup oil
• 3 1⁄2 cans (16 oz each) vanilla frosting
• Red, orange, leaf green, yellow and black gel or paste food color
• Chocolate-covered raisins (Raisinets)
• You’ll also need: pastry bag, coupler, petal decorating tip 101S or 101 or basketweave tip 44 or 47

Recipe Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Coat two 9-in. round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with wax paper; coat with spray. 2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour evenly into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. 3. Cool in pans on wire rack 15 minutes; invert cakes onto rack, remove paper and cool completely. 4. Tint one can frosting red-orange. Using leaf green, yellow and a bit of black, tint one can frosting pale green. Remove 1/2 cup pale green frosting to a pastry bag fitted with decorating tip. Using more leaf green and black food color, tint remaining pale green frosting until it turns dark green. 5. Stack cake layers on a cutting board; cut crosswise in half. Set one piece aside. 6. For large melon slice: Sandwich 3 cake layer halves with 1/3 cup white frosting between each (invert top layer so flat side is up). For small melon wedges: Cut reserved piece of cake into 3 wedges. Frost slice and wedges with a thin layer of remaining white frosting. 7. Frost rounded edges of cakes with dark green frosting. Using flat slide of decorating tip, pipe pale green frosting along edge of dark green frosting on sides and top. Pipe squiggly lines onto sides over dark green frosting. With spatula, smear pale green lines to create the look of watermelon skin. 8. Reserve 1/2 cup red-orange frosting. With remaining red-orange frosting, frost top and straight sides of cakes, leaving about 1/2-in. border of white frosting. Cut chocolate-covered raisins in half lengthwise. Place cut-side up into red-orange frosting for pits. Refrigerate several hours or overnight to set. 9. Remove large melon slice to serving tray, standing it on rounded edge. Frost back side of cake with reserved red-orange frosting; decorate with additional chocolate-covered raisins. Place small wedges on tray with large slice. (To serve large cake, place it back onto a flat side before cutting into slices.)

America's Got Talent

A few posts ago I spoke about this amazing band called Arc Attack. I'm sure if you scroll down a bit you should be able to find it. Anyway, they are a little something of amazing and David and I have tried to follow and support them as much as we can. I found out recently that they had gotten on this show called "America's Got Talent."

David and I don't like shows like American Idol - mainly because we think it's crap and I have a moral issue with the main fact of the try-out episode's. I have heard and read that they will build these "bad singers" up as much as they can to make them believe they are amazing singers, and let them be humiliated by some grumpy old people behind the judge's panel. Anyway... we usually don't like judging shows, but when I decided to watch an episode, David and I got really into it. Soon enough we caught ourselves recording this show, and we honestly look forward to watching whenever it comes on. We Love this Show!!

So Arc Attack went on because they are awesome and they get sent to Las Vegas to compete in the 2nd round. David and I watched the 2 night show and the 1st night- they found out that they don't even have to try-out they are automatically going to the 3rd round in Hollywood! Hooray!

So we are very excited to cheer on our favorite scientist, Arc Attack! So be sure to watch NBC next Tuesday at 8 central and vote for ARC ATTACK!

I'm Back!

After many phone calls and emails from my mother, I have decided it's time to pick this back up. Well hello there blog world. It's been a while- and I promise it wasn't you, it was me. I got too busy. So here you go blog world - I'm going to try to catch you up....

Here's what you missed...

David and I like to meet up with friends and go to 'Dinner Night' where we have a pot luck meal and everyone brings something- and it is all so good! For the first time, I made a tiramisu cake. David made his delicious Lasagna. Mmmmm - makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

That was a good time.

Another post I would have posted if I was blogging would have been about my adventure with my friend Pata to Hobby Lobby. I call her Pata and she calls me Bear. (It's a long story) So we went to Hobby Lobby on a rainy day with nothing to do - and we had a blast!

Did you see that? I was a queen for a day!

Next adventure landed me downtown with my old friend Kelly. It was our first time to 6th street together so I thought I would make it memorable. I bought a over-sized afro wig for a friend's Big Dirty 30 party and have worked very hard to keep it in good condition. So we all head to downtown with my crazy self. I swear, I love to wear that afro. I think I was in Black Panthers in my previous life. It just fits me so well!

Oh - and before I forget from the cold months around - It was Mardi Gras and Copland and Johnny got beads. They really liked that so much! We tried to teach them how to respect themselves - but they just really didn't care. They wanted those Mardi Gras Beads!

Oh yeah... and we threw a surprise birthday party for our friend Sean. We got him cookie cake and a pinata and toys and balloons!

... And David and I went on a trip to Houston. We got to go see the Astros play! It was super fun to go with David to his 1st baseball game ever! Can you believe that!! First game ever!

And wouldn't you know it! When we still kiss we still see fireworks!

The last thing on the list of what we have been able to do is throw a benefit for our friend Bryan. He had a nasty fall while on vacation and has worked so hard to get back in working condition. He is actually coming back to work this week and we are very excited to welcome him back! David and I were able to put together 2 great events! The first was at Plucker's where we got the place to donate 20% of food sales. We ended up getting a nice amount. Then we threw a larger party at a local bar with lots of prizes. We raised so much and were so happy to help out Bryan and his wife Amy with all of their medical bills. It was a great thing to be able to work with my husband and get something so amazing done.

So that is what the Balentine household has been up to. I'm sure if I ever talk with you - you probably already know about everything that we have done. But just to cover everything at once and not make 8 posts, I thought I could be efficient and kill 2 birds with 1 stone. I promise this time I will start to keep people in the loop and continue with my blog. If I fall off the bandwagon and stop - just complain to my mom and I am sure I will hear something about it soon!

Thanks for stopping by! See you around next time!