Meet and Greet Monday: Kendall Earl

Adequately summing up my youngest brother, Kendall, is just as difficult as accurately depicting Chance in a few hundred words was. One thing I can say, though, is what my grandma always says about him: Kendall's just Kendall. I know it's cliche, but there really is no one like Kendall. And Kendall is like no one else. But those of us who know and love Kendall wouldn't have it any other way.
It's hard to believe my baby brother is just days away from his twentieth birthday. I feel like he should still be my eight-year-old little brother. But when Kendall got his medical insurance cards in the mail a couple weeks ago, he realized he is, in fact, a grown up now. So I guess it's time I came to terms with that fact as well. In addition to being a real-life grown up , here are a few other things Kendall is:
1. an amazing athlete. Kendall is exceptional at any sport he plays, although his favorite is football. I lost my voice many times while cheering on #22 at Tipton high school football games.
2. too funny for words. No matter what he says or the way in which he says it, there are always many laughs when Kendall is around.
3. a very handsome dude. Don't believe me? See for yourself:

4. an animal lover. Besides myself, Kendall is one of very few people who can handle my crazy canine, Deuce, who's quite fond of his Uncle Kendall.
5. a midnight (and beyond) snacker. At any given hour of the night or early morning, one can find Kendall standing in front of the open refrigerator, or even keeping a watchful eye on the steak he has cooking away on the stove.
6. a mean Farkle player. Whenever I'm in Tipton, Mom always asks Kendall to play just one game of Farkle with us. "All right, one game," he will concede, usually grudgingly. But I think he secretly enjoys it more than he lets on.
7. the person I have to thank for my love of Frasier. Until a few years ago, I had never watched an episode of this absolutely hilarious show. I always skipped right over it when channel checking, assuming the jokes would be over my head and/or that it would be booooring. Oh, how wrong I was. Kendall just happened to mention the show one night, talking about how funny the dad and his dog were. So I decided to check it out the next time I came across it and have been hooked ever since. Thanks, lil brother.
8. the only person I know who never went through an awkward stage. Chance and I were always jealous because we had our share of awkward years. I won't go into much detail, but mine involved hideous glasses, a jerry curl, and acne. Kendall, however, has always been adorable or good looking. So unfair.
9. a history buff. Seriously, this kid (I mean grown man [he does have insurance cards, remember?]) watches the history channel for fun! His tastes in television, music, and movies are quite varied.
10. one of the two best brothers anyone could ask for. I'm a lucky sister.

I gave Kendall a hard time when we were younger, which was my job as a big sister. And I worked plenty of overtime. Now, though, I'm proud to say that Kendall and I are not just brother and sister; we're friends. Kendall shares both jokes and concerns with me, and I know he'll do anything for me as well.
I only get to see Kendall a handful of times a year now, which isn't nearly enough, but it's rare that we go more than a week without texting or Facebooking. I hope my baby brother knows how proud his lil/big sister is of him. He's a great young man, and I wouldn't trade him for the world...although, if you would have asked me when we were ten and six, I would have gladly exchanged him for ten bucks or a pack of Skittles.

Smoothie Queen

For the last two weeks, I have been in my kitchen faithfully...every morning. Out of the blue a couple weeks ago, I got a craving for a smoothie like you wouldn't believe. I literally went to bed excited about waking up so I could get one of the new smoothies from McDonald's in the morning. I hurried through my morning routine and left about five minutes early so I could hit up Mickey D's with the rest of the coffee drinkers and scarf-down-a-breakfast-burrito-on-the-way-to-workers. I ordered a McCafe strawberry banana smoothie. And boy was it delicious. As I sucked down my last drop, I already wanted another, but I knew shelling out three bucks for pureed fruit every morning would get pretty pricey. Then I had a light bulb moment. Duh! I can just buy the fruit myself and bring a smoothie to work for breakfast every day.
I immediately Googled "smoothie recipes" and was a bit overwhelmed with the possibilities available to me. But I decided to start simple and just stick with strawberry-banana. It was a brilliant plan, except for two things: I had neither a blender nor a way to transport my smoothies. But I was determined to start eating a healthy breakfast every day, so after work I bought a Magic Bullet knockoff blender and a plastic to-go cup (for $10 bucks!), along with all the fixin's I'd need for my nutritious liquid breakfasts: frozen berries, fresh bananas, apple juice, and a couple smoothies-in-a-bag, one from Jamba Juice and one from Yoplait. Since I have become quite the smoothie aficionado the last couple weeks, here are my reviews of the different types of smoothies I tried.

1. Yoplait: For this smoothie, you just add milk to the frozen fruit and yogurt pieces. This one tasted a bit chalky to me and was my least favorite. It was quite difficult to finish it all. I've still got half a bag of the mix left and don't plan on using it all.
2. Berry-banana: The first smoothie I tried without a packaged mix was a combination of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries with a banana and a cup of apple juice. This concoction was considerably tastier than the Yoplait fail, but the blackberries left too many seeds for me. I had a bit of a texture issue with this one. When I went with all strawberries and a banana, I liked the taste much better. This is the one I will have most often.
3. Orange Julius: That's right; I made my own Orange Julius. And let me tell you, it was bomb diggity. It tastes just like the delectable OJ you get at the mall. Unfortunately, this option isn't so healthy because it uses half a cup of sugar, equal parts powdered and granulated. But that's what makes it taste so good, so I'll probably limit myself to one a week and call it good. To make this smoothie, you combine 3 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup both powdered and granulated sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and ice and blend away. The smoothie is a pale orange color, frothy, and oh so delicious. It's significantly thinner than the other smoothies I've tried, but it's one of my favorites.
4. Jamba Juice: This one is my favorite by a wide margin. I mean, it's made by Jamba Juice. Of course it's sinfully delicious. I'm a predictable girl and got the strawberry-banana in this mix too, but this one tasted much better than the disappointing Yoplait smoothie. It was fresh and fruity with just the right amount of tang and a perfect texture. Unfortunately, at $2.50 a pop, I can't afford to buy one of these for every day of the week, so I'll have to treat myself once every two weeks, most likely.

And there you have it. If smoothies don't trigger your gag reflex and you're looking for a nutritious, filling, portable breakfast, smoothies are the way to go. Just avoid the Yoplait at all costs. If you've got plenty of money to spend on smoothies-in-a-bag, try Jamba Juice's. But if you're like me and don't, just throw a few strawberries (frozen or fresh), a banana, and some apple juice in a blender. You'll be sipping summer in a glass in no time.

That Thing Called Budgeting

My good friend Laura, over at http://www.beautywillsavetheworld-lmh.blogspot.com/, and I have had several conversations about money recently. We have actually set several budgeting goals and decided that this time (the New Year, after vacation, April, May, etc.) we were actually going to stick to our no-eating-out-or-spending-unnecessary-money vows. But there's always something out to get us, such as an irresistible weekly special at LD's or an event for which we need a new outfit, like, you know, the third Tuesday in April. Our good intentions of being diligent savers fall by the wayside at the mention of a sale.
This time, however, we mean business. I have let my checking account get dangerously and embarrassingly low, justifying my spending habits with excuses like, "I can just transfer money from savings" and "I'll replace it next paycheck," knowing that probably won't happen. Seeing a balance in the single digits hasn't happened yet, but I've come uncomfortably close.
Next month (because, let's face it, this month is shot already) I refuse to allow myself to be tempted by the thought of fast-food French fries and super cute sandals that will go perfectly with my new dress. I have potatoes on my counter and over thirty pairs of shoes in my closet. I will make a menu for every day, not just Monday through Friday. (If Randel wants to take me to Carl's Jr. to satisfy my fast-food craving [hint, hint], that's a whole other matter.)
I know my floundering finances are nothing anyone will get excited about, so I'll come clean and admit that I wrote this as a way to keep myself accountable. I have no self-control, but the thought of others judging me when I make a trip to McDonald's instead of making the Hamburger Helper that's on the menu will (hopefully) keep me from making a decision I will ultimately regret.
I'm excited about how much money I will save simply by making a menu and grocery list and sticking to them and by curbing my almost-daily shopping cravings.I plan to write about each successful kicked craving (to see how much progress I'm making), so you may be hearing from me quite a bit in June, when I start this whole budget thing. But until then, I guess I better shop 'til I drop!

Fake Cheese and an Omelet in a Bag

I have been quite the culinary adventurer this week. Be impressed, because most nights I'm too lazy to cook and end up having a bowl of cereal or McDonald's for dinner. But this week I made two pretty impressive dishes, if I do say so myself. The first was an omelet. I know you're probably thinking, What's so impressive about an omelet? Anyone can make a simple omelet. For some reason, I have never mastered the art of omelet making. Admittedly, I've only tried once or twice, but those failures were enough to deter me from ever trying again. Until last Sunday. But the real reason you should be thinking I'm super awesome is because this particular omelet was made in a Ziploc bag.
I know that sounds strange and probably gross. But I'm telling you, this recipe changed my life. The Ziploc-bag omelet is one of the easiest things I've ever made, and it was delicious. My grandma came across the recipe online and told me about it. I know you're dying to know how an omelet can be made in a Ziploc bag, so now I'll tell you how:
All you do is put all your desired omelet ingredients in the Ziploc bag (make sure it's a freezer bag so it will hold up to the boiling water you'll place it in). I just used eggs (well, duh), ham, and shredded cheese. Mash everything together and seal it. Then place the bag in boiling water. Next, you just boil the bag for 13 minutes. (If the water stops boiling when you put the bag in, don't start timing until it comes back up to a boil.) Finally, your Ziploc-bag omelet is ready to eat. Just open the bag and slide your omelet out. It's as easy as that.
The second new dish I tried out this week was my grandma's homemade mac and cheese. My mom and I actually made it to go along with our Easter dinner, but Mom was the expert for sure. My contribution was gathering ingredients and stirring. But there weren't many steps involved, so I figured I could duplicate this delicious cheesy concoction at home. And that's what I did the very next night.
My grandma's mac and cheese only calls for four ingredients: macaroni, milk, cheese, and cream of mushroom soup. That's right, cream of mushroom soup. Many people think it's weird that we put cream of mushroom soup in our mac and cheese, but I can't eat it any other way anymore. Seriously, even if you're just making Kraft mac and cheese, try it with cream of mushroom soup next time. Your life will be changed. But anyway, Grandma's recipe is super easy, so I won't be using the box stuff anymore. First, you just cook the pasta. I used about a cup of elbow macaroni, and that was plenty for just me. Once you've drained the pasta, just add some milk (eyeball it) and Kraft Singles. I myself was shocked that my grandma used pasteurized prepared cheese product in her mac and cheese, but it's creamy and delicious, so who am I to question her decision? Just add as many cheese slices as you want so that the mac and cheese is at your desired cheesiness. I added three slices, but you can never have too much cheese, right? Stir the pasta, milk, and cheese until the cheese melts. You could stop here, but you'd be missing the best part. Now add the cream of mushroom soup. (I added about half a can for the small amount I made.) Stir it all together and be prepared to die and go to heaven.
Looks like dinner for me just got a little more exciting than Mickey D's and Cap'n Crunch.

Meet and Greet Monday: Chance Brandon

The oldest of my younger brothers, Chance, gets the "meet and greet" spot this month. Describing Chance is almost impossible. There just aren't adequate words to convey who and what this unique brother of mine is, so I'll just start a list of what comes to mind when I think of him. Chance is:
1. a phenomenal basketball player
2. one of the funniest people I know (he and Kendall, my other brother, are pretty close to a tie in this department)
3. unable to sit still for longer than five minutes
4. a very good-looking guy (and knows it). See, here's proof:

5. incredibly random
6. a gentleman
7. a people person
8. one of the strongest people I know, both physically and mentally
9. Mr. Personality
10. one of the two best brothers anyone can ask for and one of my best friends.

Like all siblings, Chance and I didn't really get along when we were growing up. The only time we could stand each other was when we were united against Kendall. But when I moved an hour and a half away to attend college, our relationship changed almost immediately. We became more than siblings; we were friends...and still are.
Our conversations run the gamut from the hilarious to the serious. Chance and I talk about King of Queens (our favorite sitcom) and basketball, family and lost loves. We've called each other in the wee hours of the morning, when we just needed to talk or when Chance needed to know how to spell a word (which just happened last week).
On my way back to Tipton (my tiny hometown) every few weeks, I stop by and see Chance, usually at Lowe's, where he works. If I have to ask where he is, no matter who I ask, they always know who I'm talking about. Chance just has a way of making himself known. And if you know him, you can't help but love him.
Since I only get to see him every few weeks, texts, Facebook, and the occasional late-night phone call have to suffice between visits. I don't want to be the annoying older sister who's always checking up on her baby brother, so I refrain from texting or Facebooking him every day. But I hope he knows how much he means to me and that I'm incredibly proud of him and proud to be his sister.

Is It Friday Yet?

I could tell it was Monday from the minute I woke up to my blaring alarm clock. I vaguely remember accidentally hitting some button when I set the alarm last night, but nothing happened at the time, so I thought nothing of it. Apparently it was the volume button, and it was turned ALL the way up. Waking up to Britney Spears screaming in my ear was not the most pleasant way to start the week. After getting my heartbeat back to normal, I crawled out of bed and trudged groggily to the bathroom. While I was drying out my toothbrush holder (it had gross dried gunk in the bottom, so I rinsed it out with hot water), it flew out of my hand and shattered on the tile. Are you kidding me? I thought and set about cleaning up the bits of broken porcelain. By the time I had cleaned up the mess, I was running ten minutes later than usual. I wake up at the last possible minute, so I had my doubts about making it to work on time.
In addition to my bathroom butterfingers, my hair refused to cooperate. This is nothing unusual, but on this already-doomed Monday, my hair's stubbornness put me in a pretty foul mood. So it ended up in an unflattering bun/knot thing. But I had spent too much time attempting to coerce it into submission, so I was still running late. I pulled into the parking lot at work just two minutes after 7:00, though. As I was waiting for my computer to boot up and arranging my desk for the day, I realized I had forgotten to bring breakfast. So I had a difficult choice to make: whether or not to risk the Fiber One bar. Those cardboard-no-delicious-yes granola bars are deceiving. They do taste delicious, and nothing like cardboard. But if you've ever had one, you know what the fiber eventually does to you. I was famished, though, and knew I'd never make it till lunch without some calories in my system, so I went for it.
I experienced no side effects from the Fiber One bar and thought my Monday was turning around. Then came lunchtime. I ran to Walmart so I wouldn't have to go after work and picked up a new toothbrush holder. As I was placing my items on the checkout counter, my not-yet-paid-for toothbrush holder jumped out of my hands. Yep, another one. It bounced a couple times, and I thought, Oh good, this one's gonna make it. I was wrong. Another shattered toothbrush holder. I profusely apologized to the cashier, flushed with embarrassment and anger at these toothbrush holders that just would not stay in my hands today. I finally made it out of the store with an intact toothbrush holder and lots of chocolate.
After work I went to the Cox store to trade in my regular ol' cable box for a DVR. That's right, folks. I am now part of the modern world. I'm most excited about being able to rewind TV shows and the sports I watch. I can create my own replays now. When I got the fancy silver box home, my technology ineptitude slapped me in the face. I couldn't hook this box up to save my life. The boyfriend was at work and lives half an hour away anyway. Being the sweetheart he is, he was willing to come hook it up for me when he got off, but being the sweetheart I am, I didn't want to make him waste his gas just for my lack of general cable-box knowledge. Luckily, the bestie, Jennifer, and her husband were out and about and offered to stop by. In an embarrassingly (for me) short amount of time, Evan had it working. Just when he thought he was going to get to go home, I asked him to take a look at the flying saucer that had blown off my roof and landed in my driveway over the weekend. The flying saucer is actually an attic vent (or something), but it's large, metal, and looks completely foreign to me. Since I don't have a ladder, Evan climbed the fence and somehow made it onto the roof, while Jennifer, Reed (her adorable almost-one-year-old), and I sat outside and enjoyed the warm weather. Poor Evan was on the roof at least fifteen minutes, but he eventually fixed me up. If he hadn't fixed it for me, the next time it rained (whenever that may be), water would have leaked in and created a lovely water spot on my ceiling.
Although I started out with a case of the Mondays, a visit from my best friend and her wonderful little family quickly turned that around. Whether I need home repairs, baked goods, or just some girl time, I know I can count on Jennifer. (Evan and Reed are good for the home repairs [and baked goods even, believe it or not], but they tend to stay out of mine and Jennifer's girl time.)

Home Sweet Home

One year ago today I made one of the biggest decisions of my adult life: I bought a house. I had spent weeks looking at houses with my realtor, saving money like crazy, and stressing about whether or not this was the right decision for me. Should a twenty-three-year-old single girl really buy a house? I asked myself (and my friends and family) numerous times. After a couple minor panic attacks, I went through with it. One year later, I can honestly say that yes, this now twenty-four-year-old made the right decision. That said, today is mine and my house's one-year anniversary. To celebrate this special occasion, I will share with you a few things I learned in my first year of homeownership.

1. The definition of escrow: I had heard all about mortgages, homeowner's insurance, escrow, blah, blah blah. But did I have any idea what all these words meant? Not really. When I saw the breakdown of my mortgage payments for the first time, though, and realized a good chunk of my monthly payment was going to interest and escrow (and a small chunk, more like a crumb really, was going to principal), I figured I should find out. Apparently the money in my escrow account is what my mortgage company uses to pay my homeowner's insurance. I recently had to renew my homeowner's insurance, and I realized I really like this escrow thing. My mortgage company does the work for me. Anything that creates less work for me is A-ok in my book.
2. Shopping around for homeowner's insurance = no fun: A few weeks ago I got a non-renewal notice from my home insurance company. They informed me that they were reducing their business in areas most exposed to frequent and exposed weather. As evidenced by yesterday's outbreak of tornadoes and today's incredibly high winds, Oklahoma falls into that category. So essentially, they decided not to insure those people who just might need it. I began researching insurance companies and made the mistake of putting my phone number on the quote application. I was immediately inundated with phone calls from several different insurance companies. Luckily, my Sunday school teacher is an insurance agent and helped me out. He got me squared away, so if my house blows away today, I'm covered.
3. My dog is a great roommate: In college I lived with my best friend, Jennifer, and we had the time of our lives. But since she's married (and was with child at the time I bought my house), I figured living with her was out of the question. I didn't think I'd be able to live with another girl, and I wasn't so keen on living with a guy I didn't know, so I never even considered a human roommate. A little help with the bills would be nice, but I actually love living on my own, with only a canine for company. I can sing in the shower when I want...er I mean, if I were to ever do something so embarrassing, which I wouldn't, of course. Ahem, moving on. I can eat ice cream for dinner without fear of judgment (although I know Jennifer would never judge me for that; she'd join in). And I can do the 30-Day Shred without fear of some unsuspecting person walking in on me and being forever scarred...or getting blackmail material. Living on my own is really quite nice, except after watching Criminal Minds. But I know Deuce will scare away any potential burglars...either that or lick them to death.
4. You have to mow your yard: I didn't give that a single thought when I decided to buy a house. I knew I'd be responsible for repairs and home maintenance. I knew I needed to call all the utility companies and start new service. But never once did I think about the fact that I'd have a front and backyard to mow. I'm not entirely sure why this never crossed my mind, but I have a sneaking suspicion it may stem from the fact that I've never mowed a yard. I was actually always a bit scared to try for some reason. Something about an irrational fear of the lawn mower turning against me and cutting off my feet. But anyway. When my grass was about waist high (well, that's what it looked like in comparison to my neighbors' perfectly manicured lawns), I decided it was high time I did something about my unsightly yard, so I hired a lawn service. Yet another bill. Winter's only redeeming quality is the fact that I don't have to pay someone to cut my grass.
5. I can be the independent woman Destiny's Child sang about: I never thought I'd be okay with living alone. I never dreamed I'd actually enjoy it. I've always been a very dependent person. When I found myself single and in need of a new place to live, I was forced out of my comfort zone. And it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I had to learn to do things on my own. I had to learn to be on my own. And now, one year later, I am happier than I ever thought I would be.

The last 365 days have been days of learning and growth. I'm certainly not done learning and growing, but I've come a long way. I mean, I bought a freakin' house! I can do anything! Except mow a yard, apparently.