my birthday is in less than a month. i wish for a puppy.

**brief summary: i am no longer employed. it felt great to work, earn money, interact with people and be busy, but in the end it was NOT worth the pay, the time, the demands of the position, etc (lots of other cons, but like i said, brief summary...)

 since leaving that job, our home has returned to its lovely state of cleanliness and yummy smells. there is fresh produce in the refrigerator, dinner is being cooked and we have clean clothes.  in the month that i was working, things took a bit of a tumble around here.  jared has been fairly vocal about how much better life has been since i quit (aka- less tired, less grumpy, less high strung beckie).  

and it's not like we need the extra money. 

we only live in one of the countries most expensive zip codes, with a 9.5% sales tax, $5 a gallon gas, two older cars, and a billion other bills we kinda didn't realize we'd have...and...i like nice things... but who needs money. ok. we do. so yes, i am eagerly seeking a better fit for my employment and excited to help contribute more.

no job means i am back to an aimless and boring existence.  and worse- jared is out of town for an entire week on his annual "gentleman's pheasant hunt".  in his absence, i have reconnected with my former love/hate relationship with jillian.

i love this yoga dvd.  i have loved yoga for years and my dedication to the lifestyle has been spotty but i love how quickly my body gets back in the mode. this video is traditional yoga/pilates with cardio.  so yes, it is definitely a more westernized version of the practice, but it gets the job done and my spine is already feeling fluid again.

it is also a good idea that i incorporate a bit more exercise into my daily routine.  because i think that i am getting fat. this past weekend was one of the best since we have lived here and we ate a lot.  two of jared's old roommates and best friends, zac and shane, came to LA for a few days and it was everything we hoped it would be.  when i was dating jared, i was also somewhat dating his whole apartment. when those boys get together there is more joy amongst them than a pack of unicorns.  jared had been working SO hard to get everything in order at work, church and home before leaving on his hunting trip.  having the boys stay with us was another reward for his diligence.  friends in town is also a good time for us to explore more things in the city.  but we do have our favorites...where we take EVERYONE.  

(sorry, most of you are on my fbook or instagram too, so these pictures are repeats...)

there was 800 degrees pizza, diddy riese, hollywood, the temple, rodeo drive, celeb houses, croquet, the beach, and late nights of sharing giggles and feelings.

(i thought that was a cute outfit, until i saw this picture and realized i look like a 7 year old. and zac stole jared's glasses...his eyes aren't naturally more squinty than mine.  shane and zac matched on purpose.)

and when we go to the pier, we must get our bacon cheese dogs. grilled, buttery bun, fake cheddar cheese, a giant hotdog wrapped in bacon. AMAZING. how did i ever do that vegetarian life?  thanks to spud and katie for actually being the ones to introduce us to the glorious caloric monstrosity. 

we also had a little history lesson when we went and saw Argo.

ben affleck has yet to let me down as a movie director.  it was outstanding and from what i read, pretty accurate.  we had seen Looper a couple of weeks ago and i assumed that it would be my favorite film until the holidays (when les mis and great gatsby premiere!) but Argo is now on my list. i happen to love alan arkin and john goodman, especially together.  that duo combined with gritty historical controversy, a strong sense of patriotism and mr. affleck make for a completely enjoyable and justifiable reason to sit for 2 hours.

one of our last adventures was going to lunch at a russian restaurant in hollywood.  it was AUTHENTIC russian food.  luckily, jared was able to speak with impressive fluency. one reason that i liked him when we first met was that he wasn't one of those guys who was constantly referring to his mission.  he was so humble about the whole experience. he loved his mission, he served faithfully, and would love to go back, but he has never felt the need to broadcast it.  the food at this restaurant was amazing, jared was able to enjoy his some of his favorites, speak russian with ease, and teach all of us more about the culture and share some his experiences.

but all good things must come to an end.  within 36 hours, all three boys were gone.  and now i am home, watching way too many episodes of vampire diaries and laughing/crying my eyes out to this book:

which reminds me that i really need a dog. these "mr. husband outta town" days wouldn't be so bad if i had a puppy to run around and cuddle with. 

is it only 10:30 in the morning? i am already starving.

as you know, the past couple of months, i have been trying to expand my culinary skills. true to beckiestyle, i do not like to follow recipes. i like to be guided by recipes and then add my own flair, tweaks, and love. sometimes it works out marvelously, other times...we would be better off fasting.

yesterday i tried a new crockpot soup. i rarely use my slow cooker, even though there are so many great recipes for it, i just never need to make that much food at a time. this time it was a victory. a few people wanted the recipe and stuff, so here it is:

32 oz frozen hashbrowns

42 oz chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

pepper

1 package cream cheese (cannot be the low-fat kind because it will not melt correctly)

6-8 hours on high

i originally got the recipe from here. it seemed simple enough and we had red potatoes left over from earlier in the week and i had an 8lb ham to use up.  (mama always put ham or bacon in her potato soup and it made it sooooo much more yummy!!!).  

i put the hashbrowns, chicken broth, pepper, chopped red potatoes and cream of chicken soup into the crockpot. at about 3 hours in, i added the chunks of ham. and an hour before you are ready to serve, add the cream cheese. so it was pretty much the same but i did not add the onions (original recipe calls for 1/2 c), i added a little garlic, the potatoes (definitely recommend you add some...it just makes it better) and ham and it was some of the best potato soup that i have ever had. i cannot wait until it is 11:30 and i can go heat some up for lunchtime. 

i am not trying to be one of those braggy cooking people, i just was so excited about how easy, inexpensive and surprisingly delicious this was, that i had to share.

besides eating yummy soup, it was a fairly relaxing weekend. watched some friends in their intramural team games, went to dinner, made breakfast with the ward, watched some movies, snuggled and just hung out. it was really nice.

oh we also went to the matt costa concert.  now i know that i already said this to some people...but i felt bad for him. it was probably his worst audience ever. they set him up in the wilk with a $10 sound system and 300 zoobies. as jared said, it literally felt like EFY. it was like matt costa had been assigned community service and had to come to byu. it was real bad. felt awful for him. but it was still fun to go and his music is really good. but it is amazing how much the crowd affects the entire show...

ps i filed my taxes and i get.... wait for it.. $35 back! shopping spree???? :/

sometimes we are gross...

last night after a nice 2 hour workout, we were starving. we decided to go to mcdonalds for a snack (naturally, work out and then go get fast food?!). i rarely ever go there, let alone really ever get fast food. but like i said, it was just a snack.

have you ever tried these? they are so good. cheaper than jamba and healthier. in fact, on the way home from our very first date, we stopped at a drive through and ordered these.

besides, after an hour of cardio, a cold smoothie sure does hit the spot (and luckily, they are small enough that there isn't enough lactose to hurt my tummy. fab.).

while jared was outside picking a redbox movie, i went in to order our smoothies and that was all we were going to get. but then i saw a sign for these:

McDonalds finally has a small chicken nugget type option on the value menu! the regular is $2 and we shared one. they were surprisingly good as well.

so if you are in a gross mood and want fast food or find yourself forced into a drive through situation, i recommend you give these a try. 

i have small dreams.

at first i thought that i had a rather boring weekend. but looking back, i realize that it was actually a pretty good one. friday night i had a couple social obligations... well i came home from work at 5 and fell asleep until 9. oops. but it did feel really good to catch up on sleep. i cannot remember the last time that i wasn't just a little bit tired. jared was understanding and let me have my nap and then we went to the gym. i have never been one to work out with other people.  but it was actually pretty enjoyable.  saturday morning we met up and went to yoga, then made a healthy breakfast and took care of our errands, homework, cleaning, etc. later that night, i accompanied the boys to the car show. 

i loved seeing the old cars. and they were pristine. but i have to admit, the new cars were pretty darn nice. some were pretty interesting... and some (the bottom right) cost more than the average american home. why not, right? motivation for higher education. but the truth was...out of all those cars ranging from the ford focus to the maserati, my dream car was still,

that sweedish beauty. safe and pretty. powerful and understated. i loved it.

[segue here]

once upon a time i used to work out a lot. and i mean a lot. at least 2 hours a day and sometimes twice or three times or day. or i would just wear gym clothes constantly and run or use weights around my house, pilates bands, yoga balls, you name it. i loved it. but it was a little ridiculous. i wasn't trying to attain anything. i wasn't training for anything. yet i would blow off socializing to go the gym. i would end dates early so i could get to the gym. i would show up to dinner in gym clothes (...ok i still do that) i would watch the basketball games the gym instead of on the big screen with my friends. once...i even watched general conference on a treadmill.

but then i just kinda stopped. i don't know why. but out of nowhere, i just completely dropped it. i continued to run and do yoga of  course but i became totally complacent about all of it, yet complained about my body.

sooo... i have started going back to the gym, running regularly, practicing yoga daily and eating healthier. and i have felt so much better. i sleep so hard. i wake up well rested and happier. i can feel my muscles getting stronger and my plushies less plushy.  plus it has been good bonding time for me and the guy.  

but there is one problem.

i am trying to eat healthier and he continues to eat like a 17 year old boy. and let's just say there are 2 pies there for a reason... i tend to give in.  i am all about snacks and treats. i don't believe in depriving myself of things. just moderation and balancing out calories with exercise.  vale sent this picture to me the other day

that is me in a 18 oz water bottle right there.

but anyway, jared is trying to eat healthier, i am trying to buy and cook better. in the meantime, when we aren't flirtatiously bickering over our treat binges or attempting to work those off at the gym,  lookie what came in the mail:

keeping it old school and simple.

you know it is going to be a good day when...

you are driving to work, showered, hair washed, matching outfit and actually not yawning.

on this drive you see that the average gas price is down to $2.95 (yes, this is a HUGE deal).

then your friend sends a text to inform you that upon your suggestion, he went and purchased one of the most bamf lamps ever.

a vigilante display at its best. who doesn't love the macmanus brothers. and what says merry christmas like a firefight.

and then upon arriving at work, your boss calls to say that he is bringing hot drinks.

and look at the spill stopper that came on my hot cocoa.

that's right. a nice holiday one...with vixen. how fitting. bawhaha, not. but still, had to giggle. and their hot cocoa is fantastic and they use all eco friendly, thermal paper cups and soy milk. thank you. 

and tonight vale and i are having a festive baking evening, probably watching elf again, and avoiding the cold.

but i would like to say, that last night i finally went for a jog and did yoga... and i am feeling like a limber champ. you have no idea how couch potatoish i have become the past couple months. well maybe you do if you have seen me...i am a fatty. ok not fat, but plushy. well maybe not even plushy...but definitely NOT still in summer body mode. i am sure that tonight's baking will really help that...but it's christmas, jared has left me to my lonesome apartment, my married friends are doing married and family stuff, and i don't get to go home for 2 more days. sometimes i eat my feelings and sleep off my guilt. don't act like you've never done that...

"my mama always said

life was like a box of chocolates. you never know what you're gonna get".

well thank you mama gump.

this is the typical demise of a box of chocolates that comes my way,

a tiny piece gets broken off each one so that i can tell which ones i want to eat or not. orange cream, coconut cream, anything cream, see ya. caramels (which i now know are the milk covered square ones and i always take those asap) are mine mine mine.

BUT this is no longer going to be the case (at least not all the time).  one of the duties of my job being an executive assistant includes opening and distributing all of the daily mail.  as of late, this has included a various array of christmas (or shall we say holiday cards for the sake of political correctness...naaa screw that. manners and politics are toast anyway) cards and gifts.  

today we received a lovely box of chocolates.

this is what they looked like,

they were even the good kind. i am not a huge chocolate lover, but i had to admit, they smelled nice and looked appealing. however, they were ALL milk chocolate squares...thus poking a black hole into my caramel distinction theory.

well low and behold, we were not only given a box of goodies, but also a gift of brilliance.  the bottom of the box showed this:

there is a tiny design on top of each truffle...it looks like someone just drizzled the last drips of chocolate. but no. there is sheer genius behind that finishing touch.  each one is actually in a distinct shape to indicate what flavor is beneath the chocolate exterior!

no more of those crappy paper thingys that never make sense anyway.  this was so much prettier, less paper waste and stuff. utah has done something right. way to go.

yeah...i was that excited about it. but in my defense, so was b. i ran into his office to show him and usually 

when i shove my discoveries in people faces i get 1 of 2 looks.

1. the "seriously? how old are you? do you have no life? this excites you? you're kinda retarded huh? guess i should smile and pretend i care" look.

or

2. the "beckieee...this came out like 4 years ago.. where have you been? why are you excited about something that is so obvious... but again, you're kinda retarded so i guess i will smile and pretend i care" look.

this time, my show and tell was received with wide eyed agreement.

thank you and goodnight.

i hate malls.

bet that you never thought i would say that.
i live for my weekends. usually by friday, i am so burned out from everything earlier in the week, that all i want to do is eat a real meal and go to bed. it also means that j and i get to spend all day together. this weekend was super busy. friday night we went to the byu hockey game and it was a lot of fun. i will admit, the first hour or so i spent my time focusing on this:

having a smart phone is a blast. yesterday while j and i were waiting for interviews, we sat out in the foyer playing games together. when i was waiting in a long line at the store, i played solitaire. it is just great.

after the game we (the boys and me, what's new) went to the cocoa bean. the cocoa bean is actually a really great idea. this little place has all the yummy coffee/tea drinks, sans coffee/tea! and they are super yummy and appropriately priced. i tried out their pumpkin drink and it was chai tea (christmas in a cup) without anything questionable. just yumminess.

saturday after a very productive morning of cleaning, reading and homework, j and i went up to murray to go to the fashion place mall.  the new H&M , Crate and Barrel and this place,

had all just opened. a whole North Face store. even j who thinks that it is boring and overpriced was impressed and found things that he liked. the rest of the experience was a bit overwhelming. i have never been in a busier mall in my life. it was rude, pushy, loudness everywhere. we walked into j.crew which was significantly more open and lacking crowds and we both just let out a sigh of relief. but we were able to find two suits for j, so overall, it was a productive trip.

last night we made a really good dinner together again. i highly recommend 

gold'n plump chicken. they are prepackaged in their marinades and ready to be cooked or frozen right away. the 4 packs go on sale all the time at target. and they have a lot of different flavors. plus they are quality meats and have hardly any calories. 

we leave for vegas tomorrow and i can hardly concentrate. i want to get out of provo so badly. i would like to get out of utah permanently, but i will take a 5 day break for now. i have already downloaded the first 13 hours of Atlas Shrugged for us to listen to on the way down. we cannot wait to get out of here, be someplace warm, play with the kiddos and eat like fat people. mmmm. 

dindin.

 i wish that i would have taken pictures of last night's dinner. it was so good. i am not that great of a cook and i am not sharing this for praise, but because it was just so easy and delicious. 

j is a good man to keep around. he picked up the chicken before i got home from work and helped me cook and then did the dishes. lucky beckie. we made chicken wrapped asparagus.  

ingredients

* 3 large chicken breasts, pounded 

* 3 oz cream cheese (or more if you want it more creamy)

* 6 T sun dried tomato pesto (i love giada's from target)

* 15 stalks of asparagus

* olive oil

* rosemary

* all spice

Salt and Pepper

jared had a great time pounding the chicken. make sure that you use the mallet side, not the tenderizer side. then we lightly brushed the chicken in an olive oil, rosemary, all spice, s&p mixture. then we spread a mixture of the cream cheese and pesto on the chicken. next, we placed 5 stalks of asparagus in the middle.  and lastly, we rolled the chicken up around the asparagus and used cooking twine to hold it together.

we topped each roll with a little bit more pesto, put them in the oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. it came out perfectly. it was so yummy. 

i highly recommend trying this recipe. it was fun to throw spices together and try things and they look really pretty when you take them out of the oven (they say it's all about the presentation...). cooking for two is so much more fun. 

we ended the night seeing this movie, again.

it was in the dollar theatre and we had already seen it in the big kid theatre, but loved it so much, we went again. i also recommend it. i don't even watch ufc or really enjoy it, but the story overall and the acting, etc, soo good. j and i both love eating and movies....we are gonna get fat.

i am generally against

participating in anything for christmas (besides shopping) until after thanksgiving. i was thrilled when i saw this:

but i have officially caved and given into the holiday treats. it started with a bag of 

but last night it escalated to

i wanted a mirror so that i could get ready for the day in my own room. sharing the bathroom with one outlet, limited space and cranky morning people is just no bueno. jared was so sweet and jetted us off to target to get a mirror. when we walked by the christmas tree cakes we both got so excited at the exact same time. they are so gross but so wonderful. we may have bought more than one box.

we are sort of obsessed with this too

archer farms blueberry granola with flax.  i have been trying to get j in the habit of eating breakfast. he is a stubborn little stinker sometimes but this seems to be helping. 

but i am still holding off on the christmas music. for those that choose to participate in the festivities early, i say go for it. if it makes you happier and treat the people around you better- how bad can it be?

just remember to be thankful first. i love thanksgiving. i love eating until i cannot eat anymore. i love the autumness and family get togetherness of it. this year i will be celebrating in vegas... i am skeptical as to how autumny it will feel without any trees... boooo.

another week down.

it is already the weekend again!

this means only going to class 5 more times before the semester is over.

this means that i survived another week with less than 6 hours of sleep a night.

this means that we are one week closer to summertime!

and best of all....this is general conference weekend!

i love general conference. it is such an amazing blessing to have access to modern day revelation.  i love the prophets and the apostles and know that they deliver very personal, honest and loving messages from our Heavenly Father. i love that their words are applicable to my own life and questions every single time. we are so blessed.

growing up conference was a weekend of sitting indoors with the family and eating junk food. i did not grow up in a house of treats and snacks- so this was always a big deal. i try to do a little better (because now i eat treats on a regular basis...) and sunflower farmers market never lets me down.

i have stocked up on plenty of fruits, veggies and lots of addicting nuts and things to keep my mouth occupied.  but i am not a total crazy person- i have starbursts too.

and not only is it going to be a wonderfully uplifting weekend- it is a beautiful day! kinda gloomy but warm and breezy.  tennis anyone?!

spring time.

yesterday was the first day of the spring equinox for 2011.  and what a better way to welcome the beloved season than with cold, windy, rainy, gloomy weather??  i was sorely disappointed in mother nature's timing. but nonetheless, spring has come. and the greener, sunnier and happier days are well on their way!

yesterday we celebrated with an "indoor spring picnic".  it was amazing. we had a table full of add ins for chef salads (luckily half of our dinner group is vegetarian), pasta salad, treats (including a huge jar of cadbury mini eggs of course), deviled eggs, summer drinks, etc.  

ignore justin, he was just really getting excited to eat.

it was a splendid afternoon being stuffed on fresh, healthy salads, sweets from friends and good company.

yesterday's fun was just what i needed because it was the end of my spring break and i was not going anywhere fun this year. i was going to be in denver with my sisters and the babies, but things did not pan out. however, i managed to stay plenty occupied. 

my roommates (nicki and aubrei) from snow college came down to provo and we went on a group date...it was the first time that the trifecta has been back together in years and the best part- we picked up right where we were before. that is how good friendships work.

 i just love those women. they have both taught me so much and have been part of some of the best memories of my life. they were the first girls that i really ever became friends with.  it was an absolute treat to spend time with them.

the rest of the weekend was spent watching basketball, reading freakonomics (loved this book. just finished it and about to being supernomics- thank you literary buddy, andrew), the relief society birthday party and being rather lazy. the relaxation was exquisite (when we weren't hollering or stunned to silence over march madness upsets). 

this week it is back to work and school, that whole responsibility thing.  i am still undecided as to what classes to take but i have a little time left to figure that out. as of right now it is looking like physiology will be my main focus for the semester. 

i wish that i could have gone home to be with my sisters. i miss them a lot. but i will get back there again soon. and they could always come visit me... so for now i am leaching love off of my friends and just happy as can be.

i am excited for the spring season to make herself manifest through some greenery and sunshine...canyon bike rides, runs, walks, picnics, climbing - here i come.

remember when.

Tonight was awesome. But not just because I-1) had amazing food at Shoots or because 2) I was able to spend time with my favorite wardies at 3) Borders Books.

What really made the night was my spur of the moment outing with Vale. Tomorrow we are hosting a bridal shower for our friend and roommate Lauren.  We decided to go to the market for the supplies tonight as opposed to stressing about it in the morning.  Well, little Vale has a big problem.  She is addicted to $1 diet cokes at McDonalds. Well lookie at what we got while made the crucial stop:

bigger smiles happen when they are only $2.99.
Call us pathetic, but we were really so happy.  Carrying our little boxes out to the car induced a nostalgic warmth and excitement.  We felt like kids again with our cardboard happy meal boxes. Well, my mama rarely let us have McDonalds or fast food (because she was a good mommy), so it was always a big treat to get a happy meal (but we still had to get hi-c, no soda. good mommy). Now they use paper bags and while it probably produces significantly less waste, it just is not the same. Kids these days just didn't know what they missing out on...UNTIL NOW!  

smile.

only the best roommates relish in these moments with you.

We did get the "girl" kids meals and were again, absolutely gleeful upon opening our toys.  They were the typical, cheapo, made in china, pieces of plastic that we had in the 80's. awesome.

Aryan barbie dolls. they salute and everything. princess sparkle has new friends.

McDonalds has made a lot of improvements to their menu.  Especially by ways of making healthier foods more appealing.  But while the apple slices and yogurt are a great idea, no improvements surpass the original happy meal box.  Thank you Ronald McDonald for making mine and Vale's night.

Oh PS:  Lloyd is growing at a feverish pace and looking as chlorophyll filled and scrumptious as ever!

i miss you.

there are some things that i miss right now.

1. my dad. he is so sweet to me. and check him out- he's cool too. but he is far away right now, eating citrus flavored bananas and being a medical assistant to my mama :)

2. my little sister. she loves arrested development (i miss that show too) with me, she sings songs to me, she asks me for advice, she snuggles with me, she gets annoyed with me, we used to do everything together.  but now we are in different states and i miss her.  thank goodness for gchat.

3. summer hikes/runs/bike rides. some people think that it is gross to sweat...but i kinda like it. it usually means that i am working hard. and even better when i am out in the summer sun (i also miss those girls because they got married last summer).

4. my churassco palta. (this picture does not do Pantruca's justice) I am willing to go non vegetarian every now and then for a bite of ricardo and margarita's amazing sandwiches. maybe i will go tomorrow.

5. my joely friend. someone else moved into his room. i have seen the kid twice. and bless his heart, i am sure he is great, but he is no half hippie, geology loving, bff like joely. nstant messaging and texting is always there and it is better than nothing, but i still miss my friend (and i miss our camping trips). he just informed me that reno is full of hippie people and that i would fit in well...road trip?

i guess i will just need to plan a visit home, fly to fiji, drive to reno and wait for the summer. and for now i suppose that i will enjoy the good friends that i do have here and the fact that i have a car and don't have to walk in the cold and that i do have modern technology to keep me in contact with my family and friends. 

i am so excited.

i am so stinking excited.  why?  because i have a new plant.  and according to research, even i cannot kill this one.

yes i just got back from running and doing yoga...
His name is Lloyd (all things of intrinsic value deserve to be named). He is in the beginning stages of germination and well on his way to full, beautiful vegetation! See, I even know the proper stages of plant growth.  My implementation is a bit sketchy when it comes to aiding the process, but I am learning.  No really- I have a book and everything.

he is just so happy and snug in there.
Why I named this plant Lloyd, you ask?  And what kind of plant is he??  Well I will tell you.

When my little sister was about 5 years old, she came home from school with a styrofoam cup (it was before i was aware of how awful that stuff is, of course) filled with soil and grass seeds.  She took such good care of this little cup of grass and named him Harry.  When we moved to St. Louis, my parents not realizing how much Hillary loved Harry, made her plant him the Wisconsin woods before leaving.  She was devastated. Cried. Broken.  Harry is still a sore spot.  Well.... I am not growing grass per say, but I am growing Wheatgrass!!  And it just seemed insenstive to name him Harry (or even Harry II).  Seeing as how Lloyd has always been Harry's better half, it was only appropriate.

you cannot really seem them, but they are sprouting, big time!
My green thumb of a friend, Arthur, came over last night with Lloyd and taught me the ropes.  We have a juicer, I have google (in case something goes wrong...murphy's law is my life when it comes to plants...), and my body is ready for it's daily intake of wheatgrass shots. Feng Shui would require some plant life in your house, so now I have it. And it is much more economical than spending $4 a day at Jamba for the stuff. It is right at my ready for pennies a day and a free bonding experience with mother nature. sweet.

This is A's. Hopefully Lloyd will grow just as beautifully. 

so. excited.