My Blog Has Moved!

Big changes around here over the weekend. I have moved my blog over to Wordpress and have my very own domain name now! I am working to get my Bloglovin followers changed over but I dont think my blogger followers will change so easily. If you would still like to follow me, hop on over to my new page!

www.lifebynadinelynn.com

Five

When I think Five...two things pop in my head. The restaurant Five in Birmingham that I am currently boycotting because they no longer have their Shrimp Queso that I am obsessed with and the band Five. Please don't even pretend like you didn't get your dancing groove on when you heard "When the Lights Go Out" or my favorite "Slam Dunk Da Funk."

Five bad boys with the power to rock you
Blowing your mind so you gotta get into
Five, whatcha waiting four if you wanna
Three (three)
Two (two)
One let's do it

 

Do  you remember they featured that song in the movie Smart House. I loved that movie! That house was awesome, until shit started to get weird. Maybe I don't want my house to be a huge computer.

 

Anywho, it is Friday, and on Fridays we link up with Joy for the Friday Five! Speaking of Joy, she just announced that her and her Mr are having a girl!!! I couldn't be more excited for them.

1. Halloween is just around the corner. While I hate all things scary, gory and freaky....I do love two classic Halloween movies.

 

 

So all you weirdos have fun watching scary movies and peeing your pants at haunted houses. I will be over here keeping it Disney and sleeping at night.

2. Pumpkin cookies with cream cheese chips. Holy yum. Not only were they delicious, but they made my house smell like fall heaven when they were cooking. Go ahead and splurge, they are only around for the season! (They are Pillsbury brake and bake kind.)

3. Mac - Seriously. Look at those ears. He is starting to look homeless again. Time to cut his hair!

4. It is hard to believe, but I have officially been a resident of the South for 15 years, AKA half my life! My family moved to Georgia in October of 1998. Let the fact that 1998 was 15 years ago sink in. Feeling old yet?

5. We have been making tacos a lot lately. What do you like to serve with yours? I use extra lean ground beef, black beans, sour cream, Mexican blend cheese, jalapeños, taco bell mild sauce and a soft flour wrap. I serve it with my Spanish Brown Rice. Devine.

If I Ruled the World

Have you ever sat and thought about what would happen if you ruled the world? I don't know why, but I was thinking about this the other day as I was sitting on the interstate, in traffic of course!

If I ruled the world...

We would have 4 day work weeks. Welcome to the weekend, Friday!

There would be separate lanes for 18-wheelers and regular cars. I have had too many close calls to count and I don't want my obituary to read "Death by 18-wheeler." Just because you drive a big ass truck, doesn't mean you don't have to look before you change lanes!

The government wouldn't shut down because they cant get along.

People would stop playing the "race card" because people are people no matter the color of skin.

Holidays would become days to celebrate and spend time with family again. I love Black Friday like no other, but employees shouldn't have to work on Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter. Whatever happened to old traditions?

The guilty would be properly punished. None of this get off on good behavior bullshit. Eye for an eye, bitches. Speaking of an eye for an eye......Animal cruelty would be treated much like an eye for an eye.

All doggies and kitties would have homes. There would be no kill shelters.

Everyone would have a job. I am all for government assistance when someone loses a job. However, you eventually need to go back to work! No one should have a free ride at the expensive of others that work hard. Nothing pisses me off more than people that cheat the system.

Speaking of the system. If you are on government assistance, you shouldn't be eating better than someone who isn't! You should get vouchers for only necessities like bread, milk, eggs, etc. You shouldn't be able to purchase sodas, candy, and other garbage. Also, you should be given drug tests and if you test positive for something, you loose your assistance. AND if you are asking for money then you cant afford alcohol or cigarettes. Period.

There would be no cancer. Sometimes I feel like with all the technology and treatments out there....someone is holding back to make money on pharmaceuticals or something. I would make sure that a cure is found and all the research and money put towards it is being used properly.

Stupidity and ignorance would be punishable. (haha)

Starbucks would cost less. $5 for a PSL. It is ridiculous!!!! (Even if I do indulge now and then.)

Medical and dental bills wouldn't be so outrageous!  I wouldn't allow doctors to be persuaded by drug companies to prescribe their medicine over another that might be better for that patient just because they are getting kick backs.

Restaurants would have to start serving real food. None of this pink mystery meat and overly processed garbage.

Restaurants would also have a section for 21 and up to sit. I cant stand listening to kids screaming and running around in a nice restaurant while I am trying to enjoy my food and company.

All school systems would be good. Just because you live in a certain area doesn't mean you don't deserve the finest education if you are willing to work for it.

Everyone would be required to work in either the service industry or retail at some point in their life to appreciate how to act like a human in public and treat others with respect.

There would be no parking fees. Anywhere. That is just stupid.

All of my favorite shows would come back from the 80's and 90's.

Gas prices would go down.

There would never be an monopoly in a certain type of market. (That means you cable and internet companies.)

And that is just a few things I would change!

Hold On

There are some topics that aren't spoken of much. There are certain events that happen in your life and you tend to bury them deep down because they hurt to think about.

The other day I was listening to Spotify on my way home from work. I was driving along down a back road, watching the sunset and a song came on that reminded me of someone. The song was "Hold On" by Good Charlotte and it reminds me of one of my best friends from high school, MG.

During the fall semester of my sophomore year of high school, my family relocated to Georgia. I had to leave all my friends behind and it was hard. It seemed as though I was just adjusting to the new school that I had started at just the year before, and here I was having to do it all over again. I went from going to an incredibly small high school in the middle of no where Missouri to a VERY large high school in metro-Atlanta.

I had a lot of trouble my sophomore year. Adjusting to the move was difficult. Making new friends was difficult. Trying to keep in touch with the friends I moved away from and missing them like crazy. One day I came home from school and my friend MG called me and said that she had ran away from home and was traveling down to GA with her boyfriend and to be expecting her to drop by. I knew she had a lot going on in her life. She seemed depressed and she was dating someone much older than she and they were on and off. I couldn't believe that she was coming to see me.

I battled very hard about what the right thing to do was in this situation. Do I call MG's mom and tell her? Do I keep my friends secret because that is what friends are supposed to do? I turned to my parents, as I knew what the right thing was and I was trying to figure out how to do it without betraying her and running her off. My parents worked with MG's mom and played it cool. When they arrived in GA we took MG and her bf to dinner and her parents magically showed up there. My parents took the blame for calling. It seemed like her and her parents made up and they all left back to Missouri together.

Things were normal for a little while. Then I got sick. So very sick. I was in and out of the hospital with pneumonia. Taking tons of sick days from school. I was a mess. Also, my grandmother was not doing so well at the time and my mom left to take care of her some that spring. I wasn't allowed to see her because I was sick and we didn't want her to get sick. It was hard on me.

One day when I came home from school, the phone rang and I overheard my mom. She got very quiet and gave her condolences and walked outside to finish the conversation. Deep down I knew what this was about.

When my mom came back inside she called me downstairs. She told me that she had just gotten off the phone with MG's family and that MG had taken her own life. That her mom found her hanging in the basement when she had gotten home from work. Her funeral was to be later that week, and that she wishes she could send me but I just wasn't healthy enough to travel.

At first I was angry. Why would she do something like this? Then I was sad. My best friend is gone and I wasn't able to help her. Why didn't she call to talk to me. Was her life so bad that she felt like she had to end it? I heard many rumors from others that knew her that she might have been pregnant with her bf's baby. That they were on and off and it upset her. That people were mean to her at school. There were tons of rumors. But that is all that they were to me, just rumors.

Even though I missed the funeral, MG's mom sent me a package the following week. It had her funeral program in it, a few pictures of us together from her room...and a letter thanking me for being such a good friend to her daughter.

MG was the nicest person to me at that school. When my parents decided to move into a new school district the week before my first day of high school I was so mad and scared and upset. MG came up to me after freshmen orientation and said, "You look nervous but don't be. We are all new here this year and its going to be ok." She found me the first day of class and invited me into her circle of friends with open arms, no questions asked. How could someone who once did that, take their own life?

My parents were very concerned about me. I had a really rough year, and now my best friend was gone. They called the school and let the guidance counselor know what was going on in my life. They wanted her to talk to me privately to see if I was ok. I got called out in first period English class and when I found out why I was there I was furious. I told the counselor that there was nothing to talk about. MG was gone and I was dealing with it. She said that she was always there to talk to, and asked me about other things in my life instead. She said that it was getting close to the end of my sophomore year and asked me about my plans for what I wanted to do after high school. She asked what I thought about Collins Hill since it was my first year there. Just general questions.

When I got home, I told my mom that I was ok and not to call the school anymore. That I was embarrassed I got called out of class to go see the counselor. My mom said she just wanted to be sure that I was ok and wanted to hear it from someone else because I wouldn't talk about what happened at home. That she couldn't bear to lose me the way that MG's parents lost her. I couldn't be mad at her anymore for that.

I am just so thankful that my mom could tell that I was upset and holding things in to myself. While it would never be in my nature to do something like that, you just never know. If you ever think that someone might be contemplating suicide, or even showing signs of depression....talk to them. Or call someone who can talk to them. Nothing is ever that bad. You could save a life.

This world, this world is cold
But you don't, you don't have to go
You're feeling sad you're feeling lonely
And no one seems to care
You're mother's gone and your father hits you
This pain you cannot bare

But we all bleed the same way as you do
We all have the same things to go through

Hold on... if you feel like letting go
Hold on... it gets better than you know

Your days you say they're way too long
And your nights you can't sleep at all (hold on)
And you're not sure what you're waiting for
But you don't want to no more
And you're not sure what you're looking for but you don't want to no more

But we all bleed the same way as you do
And we all have the same things to go through

Hold on... if you feel like letting go
Hold on... it gets better than you know

Don't stop looking you're one step closer
Don't stop searching it's not over... hold on

What are you looking for?
What are you waiting for?
Do you know what you're doing to me?
Go ahead... what are you waiting for?

Hold on... if you feel like letting go
Hold on... it gets better than you know

Don't stop looking you're one step closer
Don't stop searching it's not over...

Hold on... if you feel like letting go
Hold on... it gets better than you know... hold on

 

 

 

Dr. Scholl's® For Her Active Series® Review

I received the “Dr. Scholl's® For Her Active Series®” complimentary from Influenster last week and I have been trying them out during my morning work outs. All of the opinions in this post are my own.

 

 

I am going to be very honest here. The Nike shoes that are shown in these pictures are the most uncomfortable pair of work out shoes that I have ever owned. I took some birthday money well over a year ago and purchased them at the Nike Outlet near my house. Even on clearance these shoes were almost $90 so I thought that they had to be good.

 

During my morning workouts, my feet were  KILLING me. The balls of my feet hurt when I do jumping jacks, jump rope, or other activities that have impact. I already have knee problems, and my Nikes don't help with that either! Plus, the arch in my foot is pretty high and there is zero arch support in these shoes.

Now that I have placed the Dr Scholl's Active Series inserts in my shoes, I have noticed a change. The balls of my feet don't really hurt from impact anymore. I noticed that there is a softness and support under my heels. And my arches? They are getting some much needed support these days.

 

 

While my knees still ache, it is no longer because of my shoes. It is because I have bad knees. I can come to terms with that when my feet are killing me too! I feel like I can get a better work out now that I am not focused on my foot pain.

 

 

If you have a lot of money invested in your athletic shoes, and they aren't living up to their price, you should really give the Active Series a try! They provide support and comfort that my shoes were lacking. Plus, an added bonus? They look pretty cool too!

 

Let me give you the DL on the product. Your foot is subject to shock 2-3 times you body weight with every step you take. The Active Series Insoles reduce shock by 40%. The insoles also help prevent and relieve the pain from shin splints, runner's knee and plantar fasciitis. You can see in the photo above that there is triple zone protection for the ball, arch and heel.  And no worries, they also help reduce foot odor with Sweatmax technology. We could all use some of that!

 

Don't take my word for it, go check them out for yourself! Here is the link.

 

Fruit Dip AKA Amazing

Today I want to share with you a great and super easy fruit dip recipe! A friend of my sister-in-law made this for a football party a few weeks ago and I cant get enough of it! I am not even one that usually likes fruit dips, I don't find them necessary. I do now! I didn't get the exact recipe from her, I just asked what was in it and sort of went with it. No measuring required.

The combination of the sweetness of the fruits with a little tart from the lemon flavor in this dip is a party for your mouth. Trust me.

What you need:

2 boxes of sugar free, lemon flavored J-E-L-L-O (gotta sing it like the commercials!)
1 can of pineapples (the juice for the dip, the pineapple chunks to dip, I try to buy no sugar added but they didnt have any this time when I went t0 the store)
1 tub of lite or fat free cool whip (I used Lite)

What you do:

Mix it all together.

And as if it couldn't get simpler than that...you can dump the jello mix and a little pineapple juice in the cool whip container and mix it right in there. It has a lid and everything for storage! We are fancy here in Alabama.

For the pineapple juice, I don't measure, I just kind of dump a little in there. If I had to guess, it would probably be about a little less than half a can worth of pineapple juice. You don't want the juice to weigh down the dip too much or make it too liquidly.

Check out this texture! Amazing!

I like to serve it with grapes, strawberries and the pineapples that were in the can.

It lasts in the refrigerator for a few days, so you can have a healthy snack all week!

Even though it only takes a few seconds to throw together, Mac likes to pretend like he was ignored for an eternity. So dramatic. (And lazy. He is our watch dog laying down with his head resting between the poles. Honestly. It must be exhausting being so darn cute.)

I also have a new favorite sweet snack. Chocolate rice cakes with just a little smear of peanut butter. Yum yum yum! You need to try this. You are welcome.

Linking up with Jessica and Ashley for Taste of Tuesday.

Weekend Shenanigans

Well hey there. I am one of the unlucky ones that has to work today. Personally I think that presidents day is an under-rated holiday and it should be observed by all. I personally would like to take the day to reflect on all the amazing presidents that we have had in the past....and count down the days until the next election where we can once again have a decent president. Oh, little morning rant? My bad. 

Friday - After work we just came home and relaxed. We ordered pizza and had beer out on our deck. Wonderful.   

Saturday is a day of football in the wonderful state of Alabama. What better way to start that day, then a nice hardy lunch at Red Robbin. Obviously my cheat meal for the weekend! I got the whiskey bbq burger.

We watched the GA vs Mizzou game at lunch and I was sad that they were taken down. Too many hurt players. After we left there, we headed over to my sister-in-law's to watch the FL vs LSWho game and of course the Alabama vs Kentucky game. Roll Tide!

Sunday - I slacked around for a little while in the morning and watched Enchanted. Because it is awesome. Duh! Then we headed out in search of some shelves for our game room downstairs. We found some, but realized last night when we went to put them together that they are the wrong color. They had displayed an expresso wood and when we got home we discovered what was in all the boxes was some funky medium colored hideous wood. Those will be going back!!!

We also went to Bargain Hunt to get Chris a few things for his new office space. They changed building locations this weekend. I found this years Christmas shirt while I was there! For $2.99, I couldn't pass it up!

Speaking of shirts. Check out what I ordered from Etsy. We all know how much I love my Puggle, Gracie. And Harry Potter has become a new obsession of mine. Can't beat a shirt that combines them both!

Chris worked really hard this weekend to get our gaming center properly hooked up. Every single one of these systems has the correct wires, a place for it to be working all the time, and all the controllers found and organized. 

So to celebrate, I played some Nintendo 64 Mickey racing. I find it a little harder than Mario Kart!

Last night we did our grocery shopping, I made an amazing fruit dip to snack on this week that I will be sharing with you tomorrow and we caught up with the new episodes of Vampire Diaries and The Originals. 

I hope that everyone has a great week!!