Coupons!

Yes, I know I'm lame and somewhat of an old lady, but I absolutely LOVE coupons!

Today I went grocery shopping (like REAL grocery shopping) for the first time in probably about a month. Naturally, this meant I needed to buy LOTS of stuff. Considering the fact that I'm running on a pretty tight budget right now (the whole lack of income thing really stinks!), I decided to cut out some coupons to add to my collection before I left. Needless to say, between my Giant Eagle Advantage Card (if you shop there, get one!) and my coupons, I saved $22.61. That's almost enough to fill my gas tank (which I did upon leaving the store)! So for all of you who make fun of me and my old lady ways, maybe it's time you start clipping!

On a side note, I may or may not have looked like a cat lady checking out with FOUR bags of cat treats. What can I say? I missed my kitty while I was in West Virginia AND I had some expiring coupons!

You make it easier when life gets hard

I am excited to see this guy tomorrow for our first wedding together!

Thank you for always being there for me <3

Hello, Summer!

Summer classes have officially ended, which makes me happier than you could possibly know! I finally feel like my summer is actually starting, and I plan on making the most out of these next five weeks before I start classes again. Possible and definite plans for the rest of the summer include:

• Jenny's wedding
• Family vacation to West Virginia
• Celebrating Biz's Birthday!
• Celebrating Christopher's Birthday!
• Steph & Greg's Wedding
• Biz's Wedding
• Trip to Chicago (maybe I can check the Bean off my Bucket List!)
• Visit Kat at Ashland

Shaping up to be a busy five weeks, but I'm pretty excited about what is in store and pumped to use my new camera to document everything! Yay for summer! Jenny's wedding in 2 days and leaving for West Virginia immediately following the reception! Hoping to come back relaxed and TAN!!!

Something to Think About

So I was sitting in Applebees this afternoon, enjoying a drink with classmates before our last evening class, when we saw a minivan pull into the parking lot. The van was covered in what appeared to be bumper stickers about Jesus and Christianity. While I am a Christian, some of the statements on the stickers were a little too extreme for me, but to each his own. In my mind I was thinking that it was a little bit crazy that this van was plastered with so many stickers about Jesus, but at the same time realized how cool it was that in our country we have the freedom to display our beliefs and opinions on our car if we want, and these people were not afraid to do that!

That leads to what I saw next. The man, two women, and young boy who were in the van got out and started peeling the "stickers" off of the van. What I thought were stickers were actually just magnets that the owners could put on and remove whenever they pleased. This got me thinking about two things:

1. If you can drive around showing/telling the world your religious beliefs,
why is it that when you get to where you're going you need to remove
the proof of who you really are?

and

2. What could have possibly happened to these people's car that they
do not feel comfortable leaving the magnets on their car when it
is no longer in their sight?

While I don't know the answer to either of those questions, it got me thinking and got my friends and I talking about Christianity and what it really means to be a Christian. Anyway, just thought it was an interesting occurrence in my day that led to some actual intellectual stimulation--something I knew I wouldn't be getting in class that evening! Comment if you have any thoughts/opinions on what I experienced today!

Jess

New Obsession

PRETZEL M&Ms! Pretty sure I now have
a new obsession. Try them. You won't
be disappointed!

Furry Friends

So I just got home from a long seven hour day at school, only to be put in a much better mood by my four-legged friend the moment I stepped through the door. Now, I'm typically more of a dog person. I enjoy cuddling and I love the idea of someone being there to greet me at the door when I get home--typical dog behavior. However, I can't have a puppy in my apartment, so when my boyfriend's cat had kittens I decided I wanted one. I'm not sure if I just got a really weird cat or if it has something to do with the way I've "raised" her, but Bella is the best little kitty in the world! She greets me at the door when I get home, comes when I call her name (most of the time), cuddles with me every night, and definitely provides a lot of entertainment. She is pretty crazy and, at times, too busy to play with her boring old mom, but I love her to death and wouldn't have her any other way!

Bella relaxing at my parents' house

My parents, on the other hand, DO have a dog. Her name is Scout and she is about to turn 3. She is the best puppy! I always get excited to go visit my parents because I get to see her (and my parents, of course!). She gets extremely excited to see me--to the point that I worry her tail might fall off or carry her away like a helicopter. She sleeps with me when I stay at home and likes to cuddle on the couch. However, watch your bananas around her! This little puppy loves bananas and will sit in front of anyone eating them to make sure they give her a bite! She is also a bit crazy at times, but that's what makes having pets so fun!

This is Scout!

It's funny how two creatures who can't even talk can make your day and put a smile on your face. Now if only they could get along!

Bucket List

Tonight was my dreaded night class. This class, in particular, sort of makes me want to gouge my eyes out. Given the fact that I am leaving for my vacation to West Virginia on Saturday, I decided that making a packing list would be a wise use of my time.

A page later, I realized that it might take less time to make a list of the things I will not be packing (I tend to be one of those over-packers). Since that's not exactly useful, I came up with the bright idea of creating a "Bucket List," which has been on my Bucket List to do for quite awhile. So since I'm starting my new blog and all, I thought I would share it with all of you. So here we go:

My Bucket List:

1. Pet a koala in Australia
2. Go skydiving
3. Sit in floor seats at a Cavs game (yes, I'm still a fan!)
4. Have a picnic in Central Park
5. Sing the national anthem at a professional sports game (preferably the Cavs)
6. Go swimming with dolphins
7. Ride an elephant!
8. Completely finish writing a song
9. Make a scrapbook of college
10. Visit the Bean in Chicago (and take lots of fun pictures!)
    
11. Help Chris find his biological mom
12. Visit the Mall of America (without breaking the bank!)
13. Climb a volcano in Hawaii
14. Go swimming (slash floating) in the Dead Sea
15. Kiss Chris under the Eiffel Tower
16. Go to Times Square for New Years Eve
17. Visit Carlo's Bakery (you know, from Cake Boss!)
18. Go ice skating outside at Christmas-time
19. Camp out in the backyard
20. Do all of the touristy things in Hollywood
21. Spend a week with the girls in Vegas
22. Throw an anniversary party for my parents with my sister, Erin (shh, don't tell! And Mom, since I know you're reading this, pretend you don't know)
23. Learn how to cook some of my mom's specialties
24. Read the Bible all the way through

Some are more complicated than others, but I'd still like to do them all. I'm sure I will be adding to the list in the future, as well! Have a great Monday night!

Jess