Pack it up!

That's right, Vibrant Husband and I are packing up and headed on our very first trip to... are you ready??


LAS VEGAS, BABY!!!


That's right, Sin City!  Okay, well, we're not so much sinners as we are virgins.  But we're going!

Woohoo, right?  Right??

Well, our flight is supposed to leave tomorrow morning, but since the City of Brotherly Love has recently turned into the City of Snow (ew), we might be a bit delayed.  That wouldn't be such a big deal if I were, you know, packed and stuff.  Of course not.  Why would I do anything in advance?  Nope.  I'm trying to finish laundry, the suitcases are MIA, and I'm still trying to decide what I want to wear on the flight (you know, comfortable, not too hot, not too cold, and still cute).  Oy.

Actually, at this moment in time, the only things packed are the camera, the iBook, the iPad, iPods, and hand held video games (what can I say, Mr. Vibrant and I are electronic-oholics).  Nonetheless, they are packed and ready to go!  However, I can't take all the credit.  My good friend Christy over at Domestic Princess got an iPad (or cPad in her case) this Christmas, too.  Except she is awesome and already has hers all figured out!  She even wrote this whole post about the cPad and the great accessories for it.

Since Christy is so awesome and shared her iPad finds, I was able to snag the same case which was delivered today (hallelujah).  I also got this sweet headphone splitter so we can watch movies together while we're stuck in the airport delayed on the plane.  So although Mr. Vibrant and I might be naked in Vegas (people do that there, right?), at least our gadgets will be safe and sound!

Now let's hope I come back rich!!  Hey, a girl can dream! ;)

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Happy 2011!

Holy hiatus, Batman!  Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year!  Did I miss anything!?

First and foremost, I am sorry for this extended vacation my blog has taken.  Lucky for all of my readers (hello?  I still have readers, right??), one of my resolutions is to take better care of my blog.  Let's take a better look at my resolutions for this new year, shall we?

-Be better -  Period.  I want to be better at everything.  A better wife, student, employee, friend, family member, BLOGGER, everything.  If I'm not trying to be better then I'm stagnant, and I don't want to be stagnant.
-Build up our savings - Mr. Vibrant and I have been working for a long time to create a better life for ourselves.  Starting this year, we are putting away a certain amount of each paycheck to our savings account.  Before the new year, we put automatic savings plans into effect to pay ourselves first.  Can't wait to see the money start adding up!  In addition to saving more money, we are also trying to spend less.  That means going out to eat less and being more frugal with our funds.  Hopefully you all will see these changes as I begin implementing new recipes and ideas for fun nights in!
-Enjoy life - With my past birthday gone, it seems like my life is flying by lately.  I want to slow down and enjoy it.  I only have one of each day, I want to cherish the moments I have instead of worrying about what's next.  Mr. Vibrant and I get to see each other very infrequently, I want to soak up what we have together in this time where it's just the two of us.

ALSO - I have put a lot of thought into this and I have decided that there are going to be some changes to this blog this year.  I originally thought that I would separate my personal life from this blog, but honestly, it's so difficult.  In lieu of that decision, A Vibrant Life will now be more involved in all aspects of my life including Mr. Vibrant and my journey to have a baby.

Trying to conceive (TTC) has taken a huge new and exciting role in Mr. Vibrant and my life and since my last post, there have been few other things I've wanted to post about.  Hopefully I will now be able to be a much better blogger this year!

What resolutions are you trying to meet this year?  What would you like to see on my blog (other than new posts)?

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10-29-08

Wednesday, October 29, 2008 - a day that Mr. Vibrant and I will never forget.

While I assume that most people don't forget their wedding day, I also assume that most plan the day in advance.  That's probably because you have to wait 3 days after getting your marriage license (at least in my state) to be able to get married!  However, that's not how Mr. & Mrs. Vibrant do things.  Ohhh no, we do it all wrong whenever possible!

Our wedding day started with Mr. Vibrant getting laid off from his job, peaked with our nuptuals at the Justice of the Peace, and culminated with the Phillies winning the World Series - a truly exhausting, emotional, STRESSFUL day.  Even though our 'wedding' was not what we had planned, it was truly the best day of my life.  Mr. Vibrant and I have faced a lot in our 2 short years of marriage, however we are stronger and closer and happier than we've ever been.

Since I know that he reads this blog, I just want to say: I love you more today than ever before.  You have been the most amazing husband and partner to me and I can't wait to see what our 3rd year of marriage brings!

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Missing in Action (Photo Heavy!)

Holy hiatus, batman!  Well, obviously I haven't hit my goal of being able to post daily yet.  In my absence, however, I was able to finish my largest and most time-consuming project ever.

Some of my followers may know that my sister gave birth to my beautiful niece in late August, and I was asked to paint her jungle theme nursery.  Although it wasn't a full mural, I painted it to my pregnant (read: particular) sister's desires and I finally have the pictures to share!

I went to my sister's almost every day after work for a few hours to get it done, and it was a TON of work!  I am just glad that it's finally finished (HALLELUJAH!), and that my favorite little peanut will be able to enjoy it.  I can't wait until she's old enough for us to play in her bright, fun nursery!

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I Think I'm Turning into a Hoarder...

...a MASCARA hoarder, that is!

While I was getting ready for work this morning, I went to pull out my mascara and wasn't sure whether it was new or old.  Why would I wonder this?  Because apparently I don't know how to throw my old mascara away.  I have 3, yes THREE, of the same mascara in my makeup bag.  Once I feel like one is running out, I go buy a new one, open it, and start using it.  All while leaving the old one with my makeup, because it MIGHT still have some in it.  I mean, what if I need emergency mascara one day?  (Yes, I truly imagine cases where EMERGENCY MASCARA is relevant.)

On top of all of that, I am starting to notice that I have a mascara addiction.  Not only do I have an inability to throw old mascara away, I fall for every mascara advertisement and scheme.  I swear that every time I go into Target I am lured to the cosmetics aisle looking for new mascara.  As of this morning, I had 8 different tubes of mascara (11 tubes total) in my makeup bag.  EIGHT DIFFERENT MASCARAS.  And if that's not bad enough, I have another 2 tubes in my purse.  That is 13 tubes of mascara!  Let's take a moment to bask in the insanity of that...

My name is Vibrant Wife and I have a problem.

Since thinking about cleaning out my mascara collection gives me anxiety, I think I'll just share my (current) favorites:

L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara - This is the mascara I have 3 of, simply because I cannot live without it!  I love how it coats my lashes and makes them look thick and defined.  It is the first mascara I use every day, though it tends to make my lashes a bit clumpy, so I have to use a brush or second mascara.

Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Mascara - After I apply the L'Oreal Collagen mascara, I go over my lashes with this.  While the Volume Collagen is good for volumizing lashes, I find the Volum' Express helps to separate and lengthen lashes, making my eyes look wide and awake (which I typically need!)

Lancome Definicils Mascara - This mascara stays in my purse all the time for touchups or days where I'm running behind and need to do my mascara on the run.  I love the way it elongates and coats my lashes, but the price tag is a little steep for mascara.  I go back and forth on whether or not it's worth the money, so I only purchase it when it runs out.  If you have the money to spend, though, this is a great buy!

Now you know the secret of my mascara addiction!  Which beauty products can't you live without?  Do you hoard cosmetics, too?

Photo Credits:

L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara, $5.04 - Target.com

Maybelline Volum' Express the Falsies Mascara, $6.29 - Target.com

Lancome Definicils Mascara, $24.50 - Lancome-USA.com

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Family Emergency

Although I haven't been able to meet my eventual goal of blogging every day, I do feel as though I owe my few, but nonetheless important, followers an explanation of my recent absence.  I've done a lot of thinking of whether or not I should address this issue here, and I've come to the conclusion that it is important for me to shed light on something that has severely affected my life.

The past week has proved to be much more difficult than I thought could be possible.  Last Monday I found out that my grandmother, who had been ill, was in the hospital and was going to be put on hospice care to die at home.  By Tuesday morning, however, she was unresponsive, and the prognosis was grim.  Rather than the few weeks I thought I was to have left with her, the hospital staff was unsure as to whether or not she'd ever wake again.  Although she was responsive for a few hours Wednesday morning, I missed the window, and spent hours Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday after work by her bedside.  She passed away Thursday evening, me still at her side.

While this is a very difficult post for me to write, I feel compelled to share the story of my beautiful and vivacious grandmother, who fought an outstanding battle with a brutal disease.  My grandmother, who truly deserves the title vibrant, was diagnosed with the most cruel and savage diseases I have ever witnessed: ALS.

ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.  To explain the disease as simply as possible, the motor neurons that carry messages from the brain to the muscles die, thus inhibiting voluntary muscle movement and nourishment, which causes the muscles to waste away.  A person with ALS with begin to have muscle weakness, and eventually lose the ability to move limbs, speak, swallow, and breathe - all while leaving the brain intact.  Essentially an ALS patient will be a fully cognitive brain stuck in a body that does not work.

In my grandmother's case, she had lost most of her muscle strength, almost all ability to speak, and had a feeding tube inserted so that she could still get nourishment.  However, her weakening digestive system was causing her to inhale her feeds (aspirate), which causes fluid buildup in the lungs and is very serious.  Due to the amount of aspirations she had in the last month, the decision was made to put her on hospice with no more feeds, since she did not want to end up on a ventilator.

Needless to say, I am brokenhearted by her passing.  She was my confidant, my kindred spirit, and my friend.  I miss her dearly, but can't help to be thankful to know that now she is healthy and happy and whole once again.  I encourage all of you to read up on ALS, and even if you cannot make a donation at this time, spread the word about this devastating disease.  There is no known cause or cure.  The disease is so difficult to diagnose that you are required to get a second opinion before a diagnosis is secured.  Once diagnosed, most people live a maximum of 3-5 years, and the only treatment available may lengthen an ALS patient's life up to 6 months.

Please click here to learn more about ALS.  If you'd like to donate to ALS research, you can do so here.

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Book Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy

"In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts.  The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games.  But Katniss has been close to dead before - and survival, for her, is second nature,  Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender.  But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love."

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I have to admit that when I first heard about The Hunger Games, I was less than interested.  As my boss explained the sci-fi novel taking place where North America once was, I could barely feign interest.  So, when she loaned me the series on audiobook (without my asking), I knew I was going to have to at least try to listen to it.  Much to my surprise, not only did the series exceed my admittedly low expectations, but I was completely hooked!  I listened to the audiobooks non-stop, and was so sad to finally finish Mockingjay, the last installment of the trilogy.

Unfortunately for me the audiobooks weren't mine to listen to repeatedly, and I must admit that I prefer reading a book over listening to an audiobook (although, that's not possible while commuting to and from work).  Obviously, I had to buy the trilogy - the sooner the better.  Lucky for me, Amazon.com had the trilogy boxset in hardback for less than the cost of the three books individually!  I ordered it immediately, and now I am the proud owner of:

Amazon.com's version of The Hunger Games Trilogy comes as a boxset with hardback binding.

The Hunger Games Trilogy includes: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay - which were released in 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively.  I can't wait to start (re-)reading!

Have you read The Hunger Games series?  What did you think?  What book(s) recently exceeded your expectations?

Photo Credit:

The Hunger Games Trilogy, $27.94 - Amazon.com

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