Trust me, you'd rather me watch Downton.

On my sick day (and over the weekend while Mr. S was working), I watched some of season 2 of Downton Abbey. Love the costumes, love the dialogue, love the imperfect characters, love the recaps that this other Jenny blogger used to do (note: often lewd, always funny).

After immersing myself in a few hours of early 1900s, WWI English countryside and manor-life, I found it a bit hard to disembark from the fantasy.

And Mr. S found himself being scolded for this "decorum" (i.e. slurping his spaghetti).

He rightly saw the turn in manners and verbosity as a direct manifestation of my love for all things Grantham and Crawley. Saying thusly ('round a mouthful of noodles), "You aren't allowed to watch Downton Abbey anymore."

Preposterous!

If I talked like the other shows/movies I liked, he'd have to deal with:

Steel Magnolias-talk

If you dontta stop slurppin' that spaghetti, momma's gonna hog tie you to Miss 'Ouisa after she's had bottle of Wild Turkey.

Golden Girls-talk

Back in St. Olaf, if you got caught chewing with your mouth open, they'd make you eat hot herring for a week. The only thing worse than cold herring is hot herring.



Always Sunny-talk

The next time you hover over that bowl like a *od-*amn trash vac, I'll shove your face in those noodles til you drown. You're giving me visions of drowning you. Like Frank trying to grab a greased watermelon in the community pool.


The last one might be a stretch, but you get the idea.

My advice to you is to let sleeping dogs lie. Specifically, Pharaoh, the yellow lab who lives at Downton.

Financial Infidelity (I've written this post 3 times now).

ohmyword Ijustwroteawholepostandlostitbyclosingthewindow.

hrumpf.

Ok, well I was excited to share this post with you because it stemmed from a question from my friend B.Lill about when one crosses the line of financial infidelity and, alas, all of my good musings are awash and I am apissed.

Let me try to catch you up on the highlights:

Yes, financial infidelity is real and damaging. No, I don't believe I am financially unfaithful, especially according to this survey/article.

Mr. S and I both came into our marriage debt-free and money conscious. We save a ton of money (my entire salary!) to afford a nice down payment on a house in 2013, survive on one budget (no DINK problem here!) and bought our used car outright (heck no to car payments!).

Not us. Picture via.

Being financially stable is like a passion of ours. Here are some easy ways we avoid financial infidelity and stay on track with our goals:

Consider your expenses. It may benefit you to decide on a spending limit that you can be within and not have to share the deets of your purchase. Like, say, $200. Or say $50 (cause our bank, Chase, emails Mr. S if any purchase is over $50... oftentimes before I even sign the receipt...)

Mr. S and I are allotted the same amount each month to spend as we choose. An allowance, if you will. We can choose to spend less than our budget and roll that amount to the next month for bigger purchases or if we over-spend, we have to watch ourselves the following month as our debt to our group budget roles. I am lucky that we get equal amounts as I make half of what he makes. We think that although I bring in less money, my role in the relationship is just as important and therefore I shouldn't be restricted. Blah blah blah, I have it good.

We also keep all of our transactions public to one another by using the same checking account/credit card account and tracking it all with Mint.com [note to self: write another post about Mint.com and it's benefits/downfalls]. The only transactions we keep private would be ones on our personal cards. We each have a personal credit card that we use for buying each other gifts or for when we are buying things that are only for ourselves. We still report the cost of the credit card bill to Mint, but we keep the details of the purchases mum.

Now, some people cannot have a secret credit card. It may sound silly, but if the swipe of the credit card is too easy for you and you've been in the debt-doghouse before, consider limiting yourself to gift-buying with cash-only. If you are at a risk for financial infidelity by having a secret card, then don't get one. Cash is discrete but an ATM withdrawal is still immediately traceable. That way you only spend what you have and you wont ruin the joy of giving a gift by going into the poor house over it.

Some tricky situations arise when extra income comes through. Raises should be considered part of your joint income and should be applied to joint things - whether fun stuff like vacations or necessities like groceries or paying down debt. And yes, your debt is now a joint expense!


Bonuses and money made from side jobs (as long as the side job is not considered part of your necessary, monthly income) can be dealt with by the earner. Yes, you can keep all the money for yourself, but don't forget that while you were out fixing that old lady's computer for $40/hr, someone was at home doing your laundry, feeding your cats and making you brown bag lunches for the week! [Not that that's a real scenario...]

I have started to write this post 3 times now. If it's unclear on any point, please let me know. Also, if I missed something or you disagree, leave a comment below!

Listen, Learn, Speak Out: SOPA, Congressmen and AT&T

What is SOPA? (A biased article to explain and the actual bill.)

What do you think about it? Tell your congressman. Wikipedia can help you decide who that is.

Even Google got in on this.

In other news: I had a great time in Tucson with my husband and 'rents. I came back to a butt-load of work (at which I am happily chipping away) and the lights don't work in my interior office. I'd send you an iPhone pic, but AT&T sucks and I can't email them to myself. If you have AT&T and want to tell them to help you out with service, data coverage, fewer dropped calls then get this app and let them know when and where you experience trouble. If you live in Chicago, we've heard through the grapevine that data service should improve by April of this year.

Common Sense on a Blogroll Wednesday: Shout Outs for Makin' It Rain Pennies

Do you hate fun, creativity and the internet? Then you are probably the company for which I work. They just blocked Pinterest. Get ready for some terrible stock photos via the internet on this blog instead of fun inspirations from P--terest. (It hurts too much to say its name.)

Do you love fun, creativity, individuals (not people, people in general are terrible, individuals can be great), reading, blogging, fun (yes, 2x) and the internet? Then maybe Pay a Blogger Day (Nov 29th) is for you.

No, I'm not asking you to pay me. Not anytime soon anyway!

I blog because I like it and its good practice and a resume builder for me. I spend no money to make my blog (unless you count the money I spend on the things of which I take pictures- drinks and toys for children), so I need no money from it. To be honest, I was sorta scared to ask for sponsors or hock my blog on other sites. I just want to love it and not be worried about tying it to a PayPal account.

But if you are looking to put a few dollars in the caps of some virtual street performers, you can do so through Flattr. What a neat concept.

And who could you flatter? How about some of my favorites who are NOT making a living from their blogs, but who probably could if they had the right support:

Waiting for Sunday

Newlyweds on a Budget

Sense and Stilettos

None of these people asked me to share their links. I just like their blogs (for content, relatability and honesty) and they're not famous people (as far as I know).

There are tons of good blogs out there, but some are just on the cusp of fame! Who are you loving that is an up-and-comer? I'd love to add them to my blogroll.



Mo Money Mo Power Mo Pie

If money is power and time is money wouldn't you think the unemployed would hold a LOT of the power?

Wrong.

Money IS power. However fortunate or unfortunate that is.

Think about how you spend your money. (Or see my pie charts here.) But seriously, think about how you spend.

The money you spend votes more than any marks you make in a ballot box.

Like Gavin Degraw's new song? Buy it instead of pirating it.

Think Kanye is an ignorant racist? Pirate instead of buy. (I wouldn't really encourage pirating... or would I?)

Think Southwest is a fair airline? Fly with them instead of giving your business to United leave-you-for-dead-in-a-foreign-country Airlines even if UA gives you points on your credit card.

Think kids in 3rd World Countries shouldn't be put to work at age 5 to making your clothes to support their families? Do like my friends at Retell Retail do and buy used, local, fair trade, organic and/or conflict free.

Think a politician is out of line? Don't feed into their sensation by not watching their debates.

Think before you buy and make every dollar count. Policy isn't made because some big wigs in Washington had their tin-man hearts removed. It's made because we ask for it. We vote for it. We want our cake and we want to eat it too. Educate yourself and make informed decisions. Nothing in this world is free; always look for the total cost of your decision.

Drink pairings? Whatever goes with humble pie. Or a candy-tini made with frangelico, buttershots, amaretto, captain morgan, root beer smirnoff (100 proof - get it), homemade whipped cream from the shaker to top and a butterscotch sucker to garnish. Trust me, you only need one.

This one isn't mine, but mine looked sorta like this. Via Pinterest.com.

Tipsy Tuesday: J.Mill's Take on the Mrs. Lilien's 7 Persuasions of the Extraordinarily Successful

Pretty awesome list of how to be awesome from Mrs. Lilien (blogger I just found today via Fancy Schmantzy's blog roll). Boom goes the name dropping and the shout-outs. I know Mitzi of Fancy Schmantzy personally. I have no idea if the Mrs. is even a woman. Here we go.

I decided to do my own list of 7 Persuasions Of Awesomeness. Here's the J.Mill version:

1) The Mrs. says: Bedeck to Impress.

J.Mill says: Dress to the 9's, yes. Dare to upstage. Think: "Can I get away with wearing jeans?" But then add a blazer. Avoid wearing panty hose unless it's cold. Panty hose will cut-you-in-half. I have the oddly mishapen waistline to prove it.

2) The Mrs. says: Begin with High Stakes in Mind.

J.Mill says: Under promise, over deliver. If you set the bar low, then people will appreciate your follow-through. Get a pat on the back just for waking up in the morning whenever possible.

via

"Hiiii-ya!" She gets a pat (or did that sound like a chop) on the back for waking up, fo sho.

3) The Mrs. says: Put Leisure First

J.Mill says: Can't argue there. Just make sure you define leisure in your own specially-tailored way. I, for instance, find shopping to be stressful, not leisurely. I'm more of a stare-out-the-window type of relaxer. Speaking of relaxers, muscle-putty-pills work for leisure-inducing too! Or at least they make shopping tollerable. You may walk out of a downtown Chi-town Target with nothing on your list, but at least you walk out of Target (as opposed to running, screaming out of Target).

4) The Mrs. says: Think Chin-chin. (cocktails)

J.Mill says: Can't argue with this one either. But to deviate from the Mrs., I suggest that you go more daring with your drink dates. Don't drink with friends. Drink with a bartender. Drink with Facebook. Drink with a good book. Drinking alone, once considered sad, now (or maybe not yet) is considered brave! One mojito down and I was de-friending half of my facebook friends. I didn't even KNOW these people. Try it. Purge your FB, your closet, your fridge with a glass of Malbec in hand and see how productive you are!

via awesome

5) The Mrs. says: Accessorize with Abandon

J.Mill says: Take only one piece of advice from Suzie Orman and only wear like 3 pieces of jewelry over and over again. Invest in some dime-store plastic pearls and wear them 'til the cows come home and crush'em. (If your cows are crushing your pearls, learn your lesson and pick your pearls up off of the floor/barn.)

via



6) The Mrs. says: Make Marveling Merry (rando acts of kindness)

J.Mill says: I just try not to scowl at the people who play their music too loudly through headphones. Random acts of kindness might be out of reach for me. (J/K... I do nice things)

(That's not me, btw. That's a random child. Get it. Random?)
7) The Mrs. says: Capitalize on Conviviality

J.Mill says: I don't believe conviviality is a word. Woopsie daisy. It is. It means to have a good ol' time with folks. I suppose I can stand behind that. That, or invite people over and then hide in the bathroom with a 6 pack and some kebobs.

Nom nom.



Untagged photos are via pinterest.com

Common Sense on a Roll Wednesday: Be Sloppy, Be Thin

As I struggled to eat my zucchini bread for breakfast this morning (thanks neighbor/landlord/friend!), I dropped numberous crumbs and even one whole bite on the floor.

And I dropped a whole bite yesterday too.

I guess that's the expected casualty of eating a baked good with a fork out of a ziplock bag while typing with one hand.

At first I swore at myself, but then I thought, "Hey, on the bright side, its one less bite in my mouth and one less bite making my pants tighter." Silver lining, I tell ya.

So cheers to your mulititaskers. You eat-on-the-run workers. You just plain sloppy kids (I think that's why my husband's so thin). Raise your glass and wear a bib!

I Have a Beverage Problem

When my long-time friends and I reconvened in central Indiana this past weekend, I often found that wine-related humor was directed at me. I guess I deserve that. (Shout out to M, S, S and R!) I really do love beverages. I order two drinks at restaurants (usually one of them water) and have 2 thermoses and one tumbler at my desk right now.

It doesn't matter if its alcoholic or caffinated, I just like drinks. In fact, I made an awesome milkshake/smoothie (where's the difference there?) this past weekend involving a frozen banana and Nutella. I even got decaf at a S-bux this weekend just to have something to sip in the car. Nothing like a warm drink, a longer car ride and a phone call home.

Anyhoo. I found this blog and love its transparent consciousness (read: he's honest and random). Oh, and he's funny.

So here's what he says about beverage ettiquette when attending a social gathering. And in honor of my book club meeting this week to discuss Unbroken, I vow to abide by the last point on the "Do's" list. Although I doubt we'll be borning :)

Photo and funnies via.

Book photo via.

Tipsy Tuesday: Cha-ching and Womp-womp.

It's Wednesday. I know. Let's just deal with it.

I did have a tipsy Tuesday, though, over a bottle of white wine with S. The wine last night was quite in-line with this wallet-friendly post in that it was:

a) cheap to begin with;
b) on sale;
c) bought in bulk because it came with a reusable wine-carrier (think reusable grocery bag but with dividers to make carrying 6 bottles must less noisy);
and
d) we drank white instead of red because we turned off our AC for the past few days to try and cut back on our energy bill and it was too HOT to drink anything that wasn't chilled.


Turning Leaf. The Pinot Grigio (I think it was) was good.

We also had fish sticks, a Bertolli insta-meal and chips & guac for dinner. That has nothing to do with anything except that meal planning has become a liberated adventure in our house. Themes and consistency be damned.

So let's talk budgeting.

I used to just do some quick rounding math in my head when I was single to try and budget myself. $50 here on a dress for work - justifiable. $25 here on cover and a drink at a bar - gulp *for the drink and the price tag. $7 for lunch with a friend once in a while - necessary to keep up on my ignored social life. I didn't know where all of my money was going exactly, but I wasn't breaking the bank. I didn't have debt (praise Je-sus) and I was building some small savings. So who cared?

My future self, that's who.

Turns out it is wickedly hard to keep track of money and investments when you add another person to the moola-mix. But regardless of how many people are in your financial household, no post-college person should be without a working budget. I mean a real one. Not a mental one that you compile while in line at H&M.

Tools:
There are some great tools for keeping your budget transparent and on track. Our parents had to balance a checkbook and keep bank statements. Our lives are easier with online banking and budget tools like Quicken and free budget tools like Mint.com. (We use Mint and LOVE it. Easy to use, safe and free!)

Set up:
Be honest with yourself and your tools (be it Mint, your checkbook, your online banking or your significant other. Did I just say your significant other is a tool? Hey-o!). You'll have to set up budgets and be real about it. If you "need" to spend $200 a month on clothes, put it in the budget. If you want to get serious about your debt and will choose to skip a meal once a month so you can make that happen, put it in the budget! (I have a friend who skips a meal once a month to make ends meet. That's dedication!)

Keep with it:
Track your progress. Make appointments to talk to your financial players (the bank, your family, your budgeting tools) and adjust spending, income and investments to reflect what you can do. Take pride in your growing bank account. Remind yourself that you brown-bag your lunch so you can afford the ski trip in March. Live within your means and find joy/peace/existence in that. Hell, make the ski resort your computer background.

Reward and reprimand yourself:
Did you do well this month? Have a latte. Did you compulsively wander the aisles of Target and end up with a cartful of "not in the budget"? Cut back next month, sell some of your stuff on Craigslist or try and pick up some extra hours at work. Make sure you hold yourself accountable to your actions. When you reward yourself, you are less likely to fumble when you feel weak (this works for diets too!).

Here's to some good company in the budget blog-o-world (Not to be confused with the Blago world. Another zing, I'm on fire! Fives!).

Newlyweds on a Budget
The Budget Babe on fashion
Etsy for the budget friendly and socially minded ~swoon!
Broke and Healthy on food and fitness

Happy hump day. S and I are off to Jazzin' at the Shedd with BLill. Budget friendly because we get the aquarium AND the fireworks AND time with B.a.M. :)

Ten Tips Tuesday: Must Read Shout Outs and Breaking Rules

So I give shout outs a lot. Maybe I'm lazy with my own thoughts. Maybe you should just follow/read/do as I say. I'm feeling bossy today. And my bossiness is letting me call this a "Common Sense on a Blogroll Wednesday" post too because I am including a portion of my blogroll! Broken rule #1.

Here are some internet must-reads with which I have some things in common and therefore feel charged with spreading the word. It might go along with my desire to have all my to be friends be friends with each other.

First of all, the person who got me into blogging (and my best friend, Google Reader) and spur me on to keep blogging:

1) Maddison
2) Makenzie
3) Amy and her husband.
4) Becca
5) B.Lill (love the pen-name)

And then there are the surprising amount of wonderful Jen/Jenny/Jennifer bloggers out there: (or as my brother would call me/address my mail: JenJenJennyJen)

5) Jen at MadeByGirl
6) Jenny at MFAMB ohmywordshejustkillsme (warning, adult language... hilarious adult language).
7) And hilarious author Jen, who, I think, got in my head and named her blog after my childhood invention of a new country called "Jennyslavia".

And then there are those who live in Chicago, like me (some of the previous fall in this category too and therefore intrigue me more):

8) Malori
9) Sara

And then there are those with whom I have a sense of humor in common:

10) Cake Wrecks
11) Natalie Dee



And yes, that was 11 tips. Broken rule #2!

Photo via

Common Sense on a Blogroll Wednesday: Bitches Be Crazy

Noteable notes from the blogroll:

Milk may help with PMS.

The aforementioned point may help the dairy industry.

The dairy industry gave us this website.

This website is funny.

Humor helps cure bad moods.

PMS is a bad mood that lasts for a week and makes you mad/depressed/fat/sad/apathetic/hypersensitive/overreactive all at the same time.

So... transitivly, even if milk does nothing chemically for PMS, at least the website will help PMS sufferers (both first and second hand) feel less like punching a wall.

I found this website and photo from this blog.

Common Sense on a Blogroll Wednesday: If One Can't Say Anything Nice...

... Then one should go sit by Jenny of MFAMB blog.

She. Is. My. Blogcrush.

Funny, blonde and sassy. Love it. And her written slang is so on-point that I breeze right through the "err-body"s and the overuse of ellipses as if I were thinking her thoughts at the same time. She's vulgar. She's expressive. And she watches TV so I don't have to!

Oh and her name's Jenny. Wouldn't we make a cute, albeit redundant, couple!?

Thoughts for Thursday: Even Bad Attention is Attention

I know a lot of good Jen/Jenny/Jennifer bloggers out there. [holla!]

Here's something for your mind's mouth to chew on

Not that I have an opinion on what is being called the "Trial of the Century", but I do hold an opinion that if you are paying attention to something with your words, you are voting for its survival as a topic.

Even bad attention is attention.

Ten Tips Tuesday: Haters (don't) Hate

I'm a double-bloggin' on Emily Henderson today (both my personal blog and this lil ditty.)

Emily suggested on her blog that we open our minds to wicker (which I personally already like). But then she also asked what other things we initially disliked but should keep our minds open to... what we said we'd never come around to but have maybe ended up liking.

Have you ever said "no" or "I don't like ___" to:

1) Leggings or Jeggings. I used to think they were a cop-out, but then I tried 'em. Now I'm a bah-leeevah.

2) Olives, black licorice, cilantro. I've once said no to all of them. But now I like each of them.

3) Primary colors. I know that I love secondary colors (teal, purple, orange, green, etc.) but yesterday I caught myself wearing a navy skirt, yellow sweater and red necklace...

4) The smell of coffee. Growing up I think I didn't like it because it meant that I had to get up for school soon. Now I would buy coffee perfume if they make it.

I don't care if it's mens perfume. I sometimes wear S's cologne and he's all like "mmm, what's that smell?" in a good way :)

5) The song Clumsy by Fergie. I remember saying that I disliked that song in college but then I found myself youtubing the song. I'm not a huge fan of the song currently, but it did capture my attention for a while.

6) The Harry Potter Series. I denied them in high school but then one of my very literary friends recommended them and I got to book 4 (which was all they had at the time) before wandering away. I am putting my foot down with Twilight though.

7) Democrats. I used to consider myself a Republican. I now consider myself post-partisan. Like a party should tell you what to believe...

8) The color pink. I used to be worried that it would make me too girly. I think pink is freshly transcendent now. You can quote me on that, yes sir!

via etsy.com

9) Beer. Now I love it in all kindas rich brews. My first dark-beer love? New Castle.

via

10) Going to church. I used to fight my parents every week to not go and now I feel cleansed when I do go. I listen to sermons online or do reading on my own to make up for the times I can't be there. I can't imagine my life without my church community. (Not that you need to attend a church to have a Godly community.)

[Disclaimer: I had a family emergency this week that caused this blog post to go up late. I was 1/2 way through when I had to leave work and go to the hospital. Everyone's gonna be alright and thanks for your prayers.]

Common Sense on a Blogroll Wednesday: It's not a Wedding Proposal, It's a Marriage Proposal

A cute NY blog called Cup of Jo featured this article on a special marriage proposal. Problem? She called it a wedding proposal.

Pleeeze, people. Marriage and weddings do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. People can have a marriage without a wedding and, sadly, people can have a wedding without ever really participating in a marriage.

I Googled the difference between a marriage and a wedding. Top rated answer on Yahoo answers (funny that I Google and got Yahoo...) was: a wedding lasts a day and a marriage lasts a lifetime.

Well put.



I wish them a happy marriage.

Ten Tips Tuesday: 10 Fun Ways to Spruce Up Your Mature Decor (and a Few Rhymes!)

Yes, "mature decor" rhymes. Just love it with me, folks.

I know I've struggled with growing up when it comes to decor. When I moved I had to leave my pastel lace curtains behind and have thrown out some bright red, self-made collages because that's what adults do. We buy stuffy, rigid, beige, clean-lined art/pillows/rugs/linens. Gag.

We can be adults AND have fun decor. Oh yes we CAN!

(Note: There's nothing wrong with beige. I like beige. I just like other colors too.)

My lovely neighbors (Hi: B, J and H!) have included my husband and I in their living room re-vamp (i.e. We get to come see the finished product and they welcome our 2 cents!) and they've inspired me to look for patterns, colors and themes in home decorating that push the limit and really give pizazz to a room.

1) Pick a bright color. Mature patterns can be fun in brighter colors.


2) Pick a wild pattern. For those of you that say animal prints are for street walkers (does anyone say that? you know you picture it... leather skirt, faux fur coat, strappy stilettos... or maybe that's just Ke$ha.), I give you: Zebra. In a rich brown, zebra is warm and natural enough to be both inviting and mature. You know, the kind of inviting and mature that says "come here and take a load off" not "come hither and for $50 I'll..." you get the idea.

via

3)Get along with neon.

Used sparingly and over a backdrop of neutrals, a shade or two of one neon color can be fun put put-together.
via Pinterest

4) Personalize. You don't need to have your name on your door to keep your little brother out anymore. Your home will start a get-to-know-us conversation for you.

Monogram wallpaper found here.

5) DIY.
This was the song that my husband and I walked down the aisle to after we said "I do" and I've coveted this simple slab-n-paint since I first saw it. Also
via Pinterest.

6) Metallic adds color AND texture.

via

7) Be ironic. Glass next to iron next to wood next to pastel cutouts of animals.
via
Make your style what YOU like. And when you're at a thrift store and you ask yourself, "Do I need this ceramic horse?" Answer, "Yes."

8) Which brings me to thrift stores. No picture needed. Go at the end of a weekend after people have cleaned out their junk and stay hydrated. Furniture that no longer fits your mature lifestyle can be recycled there and sometimes you have find a gem to clean up, refinish or paint and make your own. Thrift stores are worth the sift!

9) Fake it. If you are just starting to cycle out your college collage for some adult art (that sound dirty... where's my head this morning!?), then sometimes big pieces can be out of the budget. Cluster smaller prints together to take up the wall space of a larger piece.

via

10) Dress it up. Save on basic linens by purchasing white or a solid colors instead of patterns or chic designer sets, but splurge on accent pillows or a nice duvet to draw interest. If you like the ease of bed-in-a-bag sets, mix it up by buying your own accent pillows or a contrasting bed skirt. Putting nice dressing on a basic bed can make it look upgraded.

And don't be afraid of purple :) via


Anyone have any suggestions on how to merge styles when you get married/move in together? I hear Secrets from a Stylist on HGTV advises on this, although I've never seen it. Anyone seen and love the show?

Advice: Don't take yourself too seriously...

... and if you're a pop star, make sure to have some Glee kids/Kenny G/Hanson in your music video.



Neither Rebecca Black nor Katy Perry take themselves seriously in this video and it's a HIT :)

Common Sense on a Blogroll Wednesday: Coffee

Well it appears I can only bring myself to blog once a week. In my defense I've had a busy work life and busy weekends. This weekend I hope to finish my thank you notes and get some R&R in and maybe run a few miles to work off the fish and chips I had for lunch yesterday. I'd like to thank my new company for giving me lunch yesterday at Haymarket because those fish and chips were darn worth it!

Back to business.

I'm sure you've all heard that using a cell phone could kill you. It, apparently, has the same carcinogenic power as drinking coffee. Sooo deadly!

I'd like to call upon a coffee blog to help me stand up for our rich AM jolt.

1. It protects your heart:Moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than noncoffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee’s antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, making it the biggest source of antioxidants in American diets. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries. Immediately after drinking it, coffee raises your blood pressure and heart rate, but over the long term, it actually may lower blood pressure as coffee’s antioxidants activate nitric acid, widening blood vessels.

2. It diverts diabetes: Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies. Other studies have shown that caffeine can blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost, so if you do drink several cups a day, try mixing in decaf occasionally.

3. Your liver loves it: OK, so the research here is limited, but it looks like the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake reduced liver cancer risk by 43 percent. Again, it’s those antioxidants—chlorogenic and caffeic acids—and caffeine that might prevent liver inflammation and inhibit cancer cells.

4. It boosts your brain power: Drinking between 1 and 5 cups a day (admittedly a big range) may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease, studies suggest. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.

5. It helps your headaches: And not just the withdrawal headaches caused by skipping your daily dose of caffeine! Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine—about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee—provides relief from headaches, including migraines. Exactly how caffeine relieves headaches isn’t clear. But scientists do know that caffeine boosts the activity of brain cells, causing surrounding blood vessels to constrict. One theory is that this constriction helps to relieve the pressure that causes the pain, says Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director of the Headache Clinic at the University of Vermont Medical School.

So go ahead, drink up and live long!

Well there you have it, folks. [My advice - afterall, I do claim this is an advice blog] I dare you order a venti skim milk latte and then talk to your grandma on the phone for an hour. I. dare. you.

Wednesday's Common Sense on a Blog Roll: Wedding Common Sense

I know, I know. I've neglected you. I've missed some important blog dates and I'm sure that all of my adoring fans have left me for other sarcastic blogs in my vein of thought. Le sigh.

I have a good excuse! I got married on Friday to, well, a boy and then took a few days off after an open house and baby baptism to recoup and try and sleep through the night. We're still working on all of those fronts.

Today's common sense inspiration comes to us via The Offbeat Bride Blog.

The Offbeat Bride has given us some brill common sense when it comes to pulling off a wedding. Some tips that I can add are:

- Pick people to help you execute ideas that are self-starters and don't need a lot of hand-holding (Thanks to my independent peeps: Mekey, Bebe, Emily, Chelsey, Kay, my mom, my mom-in-law, etc...)

- Take a few days off around your wedding. I know, this act means you are succumbing to the ridiculousness of weddings and letting them dictate your time (or lack thereof), but why not take an extra day to get your nails done and pamper yourself... or run around like a chicken with your head cut off trying to do some last minute gift wrapping or pillow sham shopping... your choice.

- Take no one's advice. Everyone has an opinion. Screw 'em (yes, that includes me... but don't screw me... I'm married...). Someone's "must have" is another person's "can't afford" so tell everyone to take a hike and do it your way. Or your parents way. Or your inlaws way. Cause really, some weddings are more about the families than the bride and groom anyway.


They had a ring BEAR!

Check out The Offbeat Bride for some hope when it comes to wedding b-sh*t. I love this blog because they are wedding-centered without being traditional (all the time anyway), closed-minded, expected or downright crazy. Weddings can be wonderful or they can be... well, nevermind.

Oh, and did I mention they swear?

I Put Things Here That Inspire Me. Artists I admire. Articles I don't.

I remember when I first saw Mona Lisa Smile. The costumes, the issues, the art, the lipstick! *Sigh.

The story follows a teacher and her close circle of students as they work through an academic year together - clashing and accepting and changing and accepting again.

I remember that Ms. Watson, Julia Roberts character, had a wall in her office that she pinned articles, art, photos and things to. Sorta like a literal pinterest. She said that she put things there that inspired her - either in agreement or not.

My blogs have been my own inspiration wall. Blogs have allowed anyone - even me - to be a writer and be heard. My personal blog is titled after a quote from an inspiration teacher I once had: "If you are going to write so that no one can understand you, you might as well go write yourself to death in a corner." I know he was refining my grammar and reigning in my early creative difference to make sure I had a solid foundation before I deviated to Jackson Pollock-like writing.

So the advice here? Just do. We live in a wonderful world where people can be athletes in local races, artists on sidewalks, musicians in subways, politicians in the PTA and writers in blogs. Don't accept "I can't" or "No one will notice". I'll tell you that I have about 4 readers and I am thankful for them all (Anna, Abby, Seth... Mom?).

Thank you for supporting me and let me know how I can support YOU!