Afternoon Treat

Today was one of those days and I needed a little afternoon pick-me-up. I was in luck because this week Starbucks is having a Frappuccino Happy Hour from 3-5pm, where all Frappuccinos are half price. I picked me up a Decaf Caramal Frappuccino and am in heaven sipping away on ever since. Yummm. I would upload a picture of me and my frap, but I forgot my phone (told you it was one of those days) so this generic one will have to do. You better hurry though because the happy hour ends May 15th!

Review: Cakepops

Yesterday while on a quick break from work, my co-worker Amy and I took a nice little stroll over to Starbucks. While I was waiting to place my drink order, I noticed they had some new little treats, all bite-sized and looking delicious. Recently, Starbucks rolled out a new line of food items called Starbucks Petites, which are all bite sized treats that all are under 200 calories and under $2.

It wasn't until about a month ago that I had ever heard of cakepops, but ever since then the term seems to be popping up everywhere! Cakepops are basically cake batter balled up and then covered in icing. They are then decorated in a variety of cute and colorful ways, making them a fun little bite-sized treat. 

Starbucks offered 3 different flavors - Birthday Cake, Tiramisu, and Rocky Road. Not wanting to chance it, I asked the barista what his favorite flavor was and went with that - Rocky Road:

Overall, I thought it was definitely delicious, similar to a brownie but more cake-like. I was expecting the frosting to be a bit firmer so was initally surprised by how soft and mashable the entire thing was. Overall, it was a nice combination of being delicious but not too rich or sweet. You can get them at your local Starbucks, or try to make them yourself (http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/how-to-make-cake-pops-078637 and http://www.bakerella.com/category/pops-bites/cake-pops/).

Hair Fun

Last night, I was feeling inventive so I decided to try and make the Heidi braid with my hair:

My hair is definitely long enough to achieve the look, but my hair is layered, making the ends not have enough space to braid the rest. This, combined with my hair not being extremely long, made the overlapping part extra tricky, resulting in this:

If I had someone else there to help me it would have looked better. Here's what it's supposed to look like:

Photo from: http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/

And apparently, it's also the style this season to do the Heidi Braid with a ribbon braided into it:

Photo from: http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/

Spotted - What Not to Wear

I am by no means a fashionista, but while at lunch the other day, I spotted a girl walking down the street with who I assume was her boyfriend. The two were matching - his shirt was plaid and her purse was the exact same plaid design. Not sure if this was on accident but it was way too matchy-matchy for me. Couples dressing alike is not acceptable in everyday wear.

Tip of the Day

For all the ladies out there - here's what NOT to do:

Source -> http://socialhype.com/lifestyle/2127-15-of-the-worst-mistakes-women-make-trying-%20to-look-attractive-infogaphic.html

Finance Tip - Overheard Edition

Saturday afternoon I was on the bus making my way up Wisconsin Ave, when I overheard a girl talking on the phone. The bus was very crowded, I was standing next to her, and she was talking loudly. She was talking to who I assume was her mother, and she wanted her mom to try and get her a credit card again since she now had a job and was 21. She wanted this credit card so she could "make the minimum payments" and not have to pay back the full amount to her mother each month.

There were so many things wrong with this conversation. First of all, a credit card does not equal free money. By not paying off her balance each month, she is paying somewhere been 20 - 25% interest on all of her purchases. This means $100 for a pair of shoes turns into $120. Also, by making only the minimum payments each month on your credit card, this means that you are carrying over the balance month to month, meaning you are paying interest on the carry-over. Let's say you have a credit card bill of $500, and you make the minimum payment of $10. The next month, you spend $400, but the $490 that you didn't pay off the previous month rolls over. Then, you have to pay 20% interest of the new total ($1090) * 20% + $1090 = $1308. Now your $1,100 in purchases has turned into $1,308. See how quickly it escalates.

Seeing that she was so young, this is a crucial stage for her to learn proper money management. Mistakes she makes now will effect her future - they run a credit report (usually) when you apply for a lease to rent an apartment, they sometimes run a credit report when you apply for a job, your credit score will come into play if you want to take out a loan (maybe for school or a house), and if your score is high, then your rate will be high, and you will end up owing more than someone with a better score.

The moral of the story is - pay off your credit card in full every month (or make more than the minimum payment at the very least). And don't have loud personal phone conversations on the bus if you don't want others listening and then blogging about your life.

Bathroom Protocol

Today I was in the bathroom fixing my hair when 2 co-workers of mine walked in. One walked to one of the many open regular stalls while the other one walked passed about 6 open stalls before settling on the handicap stall. Personally, I am not a fan of the handicap stall, unless I'm travelling with my suitcase or changing my clothes, because I think there is just an awkward amount of space in there - too much. I also usually use the stall closest to the door solely because just that - it's closest. The co-worker who chose the handicap stall isn't large by any means, she's on the shorter and skinnier side of average. So I really don't see why you would by-pass all the regular, open stalls to walk all the way to the end of the bathroom just to use the handicap one, which is the exact same as all the other stalls but just twice as large.

Also, once my friend in college said she walked out of the handicap stall and there was a legit handicap person waiting to use it. Are handicap stalls that same as handicap parking spaces where you can't use them unless you actually are handicap? Or you can use them all you want, but are just there in case a handicap person needs to use it? Just wondering what the proper protocol is.

Tuesday Tip

When we were in New York, the boyfriend and I popped into Crumbs Bakery to get a quick snack while we took refuge from the rain. Since Crumbs Bakery has opened up in DC (I know of one that opened up downtown by Metro Center, and another one is opening up very soon in Clarendon), I've heard great things about it but hadn't yet tried it. Seeing as I wasn't very hungry, the boyfriend decided to get a Black and White Cookie, and given the size of the cookie, I said I would just have a few bites of his cookie. After taking just one bite of the cookie, I couldn't stop eating it. After I devoured way more than half of the cookie, I went back for another one for us to split, and I also got some tea (pictured). The tea was insanely hot when I first got it, but that was my only complaint. It was amazing and delicious, but more importantly had this super fancy lid where there's a piece that slides over the whole for drinking, which might have accounted for the hotness. Basically, you have to go to Crumbs Bakery if you've never been before. But don't be mad at me when you can't stop eating all their food there.

Healthy (Somewhat) Cooking

In my quest to eat healthier, and thanks to my sister letting me borrow the car, I'm off to the grocery store tonight! I don't know what it is but I'm bad at grocery shopping. I either come home and feel like I have nothing to eat, or I buy all this food and then throw away half of it before I have a chance to eat it. So I spent the past hour at work trying to come up with food to make this week and a grocery list. Here is what is on my dinner list for the week:

- Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken (healthy edition)
- Coconut Chicken Strips (trying a new recipe)
- Steak and Baked Potato with Asparagus (my classic go-to)
- Baked Potato Soup (also a new recipe)
- Chicken and Cheese Enchilada (haven't made this in years)

For lunches I plan on having either leftovers from dinner, salami and ham sandwiches, or going out to eat. Hope this goes well, updates to follow.

Tip of the Day

Looking for a gift for a special someone, especially someone who has it all - you should get them the Senz Umbrella. They boldly bill it "the best umbrella in the world".


The unusual shape (shorter in the front and wider on the sides, with an extended "tail" in the back), provides better coverage for couples sharing, and can withstand winds of up to 100km/hr. All this for the low, low price of only $78.

For more information click here.

Just What Those Needed

Have you ever been eating a Skittles and wondering what they were missing? Did you ever think "these Skittles would be so much better with some sugar on them!" Well you are in lucky because the geniuses over at the Wrigley Company (I had to look that up, had no idea they made Skittles), did that just that. Introducing new Skittles Fizzl'd Furits.

They taste similar to sour Skittles, but with more of a rotting your teeth of feeling. Also, the traditional Skittles flavors are replaced by Berry Punch, Melon Berry, Raspberry, Strawberry, and Wild Cherry.

On a side tangent, what exactly is the difference between Cherry and Wild Cherry? Is this all just a marketing ploy to make it seem cooler than it is?

Personally, I didn't see anything wrong with the original Skittles and would prefer those any day to these sugar-coated "fizzle in your mouth" candies.

Trick Play

So sneaky - check out this video of the slowest and sneakiest quarter back sneak by middle schoolers

Thursday Tip

Want to re-decorate? Need a gift for someone special? Looking for some original art work? You are in luck because I am selling some of my art work (in an attempt to de-clutter my life aka my room). Email me at me.meeshell @ gmail dot com and here is the link to the paintings available.

Big (And Expensive) Oops

I just bought a brand new iPhone 4 on Thursday evening. Saturday evening I left my phone in a cab. Oops. The phone has not been recovered. Luckily I bought the phone on my American Express Blue card, and they refunded me the full purchase amount. Unluckily the phone costs $599 to replace (original purchase was $199). After work tonight, I'm going to the Apple Store to buy a replacement phone. I'm hoping that they will super nice to me and give me lots of discounts. If not, I'm going to turn on the tears and hope that works (they will most likely come regardless). Also, you should get MobileMe (Apple already offered to waive the fee for me when I purchase my new phone) because if I had purchased MobileMe originally, they could have (potentially) recovered my phone for me. You live and learn I guess. Just wish my lessons didn't come with a $599 price tag.

A Whole New Me

Yesterday I had quite an exciting day. First I went to the eye doctor and finally upgraded from my 2 week contacts to Night and Day, which means I can wear them for 30 straight day and nights without changing them. Last night, as I was going to bed, I didn't have my glasses on and it felt so liberating. And this morning, when I woke up and could actually read the clock, it was amazing. I've heard people who have had Lasik say how wonderful it is to just wake up and be able to see, but I can't describe to you just how wonderful it is! I also got new glasses (frames and lenses) and new computer glasses lenses. My prescription hasn't changed at all, but my astigmatism is back, so they are adding that in.

I also got an iPhone yesterday, and already love it. I had to switch from my beloved Verizon to AT&T but so far I have no complaints. It seems the battery doesn't last more than a day (or maybe I've just been on it too much), but other than it's really fun. I've never had a phone with Wi-Fi on it before, so it's big leap for me from a regular old phone to iPhone. I'm having lots of fun downloading apps, and looking forward to no longer being bored on bus rides.

Complaint of the Day

I have come to find that the cabs in DC suck. In the middle of the day, especially downtown, cabbies will cut across 3 lanes of traffic the second your arm goes up. But at 2am, you have to beg them to take you home. Here is a typical weekend night: After having 10 cabs roll right on by you, one finally stops. The driver will roll their window down approximately one inch in order to ask "where you going" and unless you give them a satisfactory answer, they drive off. If you are lucky enough to have them actually agree to take you (you would think they were paying you by the attitude), then don't even think about trying to go to more than 1 location. Even though this actually works out better for the cabbie, they do not seem to understand the logic behind it. And then when you are finally able to reach your destination, they seem to think that you are dumb enough not to notice the fact that there are extra fees added on (they are supposed to charge $1 for every passenger after the 1st one, but they usually just add $1 for every person in the cab, and sometimes even add on 50 cents on just for fun).

Is it asking for too much for cabs to have their lights on if they are in service and lights off if they are out service? For them to just pull over and not play 20 questions about where you are headed to and just take you? For them to just charge you the amount that you should be charged? For them not to drive like maniacs on the road trying to get you to said destination? For them to arrive promptly when you call and request a cab? Apparently that is asking too much.

I will say that the system seems to have improved since the days of the zones, when one day your cab ride was $8 and then next day it was $14. Sigh, at least it's improving, right?

Tuesday Tip

I recently discovered this fun site called Global Genie where you can view via Google Maps Street View random places around the world. Just click 'teleport' and you will instantly be in another world.

Tuesday Tip

For those Washingtonians out there - check out TBD - the site keeps you up to date with the latest happenings around the DC metro area - news, blogs, events, etc. Check it out!

Rainy Days and Mondays

Weekend Recap: Friday night me and the boyfriend ended up staying in and chilling. I believe the original idea was to Redbox it, but then for whatever reason we didn't, and ended up with us just watching TV.

Saturday started off early with the boyfriend waking up at 7am to go play flag football (I had good intentions the night before to go, but 7am came by way too early and didn't end up happening). Upon his return home, we met up with his co-worker who drove us to his company picnic at a park on the Potomac. The picnic was fun (despite the bees attacking me), the food was delicious, and the kids games were surprisingly very entertaining. That evening, we were supposed to meet-up on the Georgetown Waterfront with my friend Jesica who is leaving for a work trip to Afghanistan for a late dinner. The boyfriend had seen a jacket at H&M that he wanted to get earlier in the week, and since we had time to kill, we decided to head down to Georgetown early to check it out. We nextbused it to find that the next bus was coming in 1 minute so we took off running for the bus stop to catch it just in time. Right about this time is when things went down hill.

We arrived at H&M only to find that they didn't have the jacket there - on a separate note, that location is 3 stories and only 1/2 of 1 floor has men's clothing, poor guys, they get totally gypped. We hit up a few more shops before they started to close, and then boyfriend started to get really tried and not feel well. I suggested we go to Starbucks, since my mom had sent me a gift card earlier, and we got our drinks and people watched. Then we decided to walk around the waterfront for a bit, and while sitting there looking at the boats, boyfriend said he was feeling very ill. We had about 30 minutes until the dinner reservations, so I said just hold out until then, and then you can head home, to which he agreed. After about 15 minutes boyfriend said he couldn't make it any longer and had to go home then. After putting him in a cab, I sat by the waterfront alone and decided to call my mom to entertain me until other dinner guests arrived. Thank goodness for Jason (who is not habitually late like the rest of group) who showed up a bit early so we were able to catch up.

Dinner was fun - good friends and good food and nice to catch up with everyone. After dinner, there was much debate as to where to go out afterwards. After lots of standing around, I too started not feeling great and decided to head back to the boyfriend's to check up on him. After arriving there, I suddenly started not feeling well either, and was up until 3am sick.

We still have no idea what made us so sick. At first we both thought it was the food from the picnic, but after figuring out no one else was sick, the only other thing we could come up with was the Potomac River (we wandered down to the shore and touched the water and found a shell which we took with us). We both made it out to soccer games the next afternoon though, so it wasn't a total loss of a weekend.

On a completely unrelated note, have you tried a Reese's Stick yet? I had one today and they are quite addicting - takes like a Kit Kat with peanut butter added and less wafer.

Today is Monday which means another soccer game.

Thursday Tip

So I'm not good at math in my head (despite the fact that my job is in Finance), but I know enough to know this isn't right: