The Busy Girl Heads to Georgia

"Southern Girls are as sweet as Peaches"

I stated the other night that I wanted to focus on Scheduling this week -- but my life goes to show that even with a good schedule, some things are foreseen. 

I started off this week excited for some quiet weeks at home after being gone 23 days in December, but boy was I wrong.

Something came up at work and right now I am writing this sitting at home after spending 36 hours traveling to Georgia, being in Georgia and coming home from Georgia.  Just another example of the Busy Girl’s crazy beautiful life.

I am exhausted.  But I owe you a blog so here you go.

My Calendar pre-trip.  Look how quiet my week is!

On Monday my boss asked me if I could go to Atlanta, being a Southern girl I take any chance to get away from these Yanks so I was thrilled, the thing is that I was going to leave Wednesday morning and return Thursday night.

Phew.  I’m exhausted just thinking about it again. 

Let me give you a brief recap of my week:

Monday I found out I was going to Georgia.  I worked all day, went to dinner with Greg and was in bed by 8.  Wow, I’m such a party animal.

Tuesday was a double wammy work day.  I was in the office by 7:40 and worked till 5 ish.  Then, I went to my server job till 11 pm.  At this point I realized that I had not packed so I went home, packed my suitcase and showered and went to bed.

For anyone else out there who was “blessed” with curly hair you know that showering and going to bed means a lot of work for your hair in the morning.  I was prepared for this but wasn’t  sure which State I would be doing this in.

Wednesday morning I was up at 4:30, out of the door by 5 and Greg drove me to the airport.  I had a 6:45 am flight and that involved an hour layover in Charlotte with my final destination being Atlanta.  Therefore, I woke up in Virginia, ate breakfast in Charlotte and did my hair in Atlanta at 10:30 am.  Talk about a BUSY morning.

I DID end up straightening my hair in the ATL airport.  If I had a dime for the amount of strange looks I received I would be able to retire.  It was just another punch line in my joke of a life.  Oh God, your such a funny guy.

I even took a picture!

Yes, I got sooo many strange looks!

Wednesday was busy working and I didn’t make it to my airport till 5:20 which after being up at 4 -- that was a long day.

But I ended it with a PUB sub and sweet tea.  This removed southern girl was thrilled to just be in Publix.  If you live in the south enjoy Publix!

I was in bed by 9 and got a good night sleep.  Oh, it was beautiful.

Thursday was another world wind day.  Another layover.  And finally home.

My life just goes to show that even good planning doesn’t work.

But I came home to Greg and some beautiful flowers.  Love him!

Love him!

Thanks for playing Dear Diary with me and I promise I’ll write a post on scheduling.  Once I find time to fit it in my schedule.

Xo,

Busy Girl

Blogging

Ugh.  Okay, after reading over my past couple blogs I realized that I am straying from my original topics!  Thanks for letting me share parts of my life with you but I promise this week to focus on SCHEDULING.  And share my secrets on how I maintain 2 jobs, extracurricular activities and a relationship (wooo I get tired just thinking about it).  Well get excited about this week and I look forward to y'all following my blog more!  Thanks for your support so far and I wish y'all have a great week!

LOVE!
The Busy Girl!

Birthdays, Work and D.C.

Another crazy weekend in the life of this busy girl.

As I stated in my post The Two Job Two Step I worked Friday night.  I made good money so it made it all worth it!

But Friday wasn’t a normal night . . . It SNOWED!  Well more or less iced.  It was kind-of scary to drive in for this Florida girl.

I love EVERY time it snows, but it is ALWAYS a scary experience for me.

Saturday started another busy day.  Greg’s grandmother was throwing him a birthday party for his family.  As my mother raised me -- you never show up to a party empty -- handed I started cooking  I offered to make Spinach Balls and Southern Breeze Punch.   That meant I had to get-up early to cook.

Working till 2 am after then getting to bed around 3 am makes waking up a very PAINFUL experience Saturday morning. 

After cooking Saturday morning Greg and I headed over to his Grandparent’s house for his party.  I had not seen his family since Thanksgiving so it was nice to catch up.

Notice I'm the adult that got stuck at the kid table . . . Not cool!

My punch and Spinach Balls were a HIT!

I had to leave the shin-dig early to make it to another night of work L.

Saturdays tend to be slow at work and where I wish I was somewhere else.  I’m not going to lie it’s always difficult to work when you’d rather be doing something else.  But again, I toughed through it and made some MONEY!

Sundays are probably my favorite day of the week!  Because it means NO WORK!

I teach Sunday School on Sundays and love going into the classroom and sharing the good news of God with the students.  Problem is, after working till 2 am it’s not that much fun.  But every week I leave knowing that I got to do God’s work for these children.

Sunday afternoon I went to see my cousin who was in town for the Right to Life March.  It is amazing how far people travel to fight for the un-born that they don’t even know.  Show’s how passionate people are over the unfortunate case of Roe vs. Wade.

I do NOT want this blog to be a political blog since I deal with politics on a regular bases but I did want to briefly cover this important issue.  Now moving on . . .

We met my cousin, Andrew, in D.C. then headed to Fudruckers in Chinatown for lunch.  Probably the most expensive burger ever!  But I had fun and it was nice to see part of my AMAZING family!

My cousin served in the Right to Life Mass and I came home and watched him on T.V.!

So now it’s Sunday night and I’m homing closing up a world-wind weekend.  Maybe this Busy Girl will get next weekend off.  Hahaha Highly unlikely!       

XO Good week!

The Two Job Two Step

"The key to any dance is learning the steps"

My life is a constant game of juggling.  

The key to juggling is to not let anything to close together and to concentrate on the ball about to hit your face while keeping your eye on the other ones.  Friday was just a reminder of how important my juggling act is in my life right now.

As I stated, I work two jobs.  One is a desk job 9-5 and 5 days a week.  My other is a bar job that I work Friday and Saturday nights till 2 am and occasionally on Tuesdays.  Since I work for a Not-for-profit I like to think that I:

                “Save the world by day and get it drunk at night.”

I know, I know your in the presence of a modern day super hero. 

Friday’s are a lot on me and I know.  I work 8 am to 2 am straight.  I don’t tell you this for a sympathy card because that is not what I’m looking for.  I tell you this to let you know that it is doable!  If you need to have your ends meet and don’t want to have to go crawling to the Bank of Mommy and Daddy to pay your bills as a 20 something year-old, all the hard work you do now when your body can take it will be worth it.

Sometimes I worry that’ll I look back on 22 and think wow I didn’t have enough fun.  But in all truth I don’t look back on College and wish that I was drunk more, or went to that Kappa Sigma Social on my only night off from work.  I look now and think wow I spent a lot of money or I shouldn’t have lived in that expensive apartment for 2 years and lived at home.

So my hopes are in 5 to 6 years when all my college loans are paid off and I’m starting a family I can look back to 22 and think “I’m really glad I busted my butt then, instead of having to pay $400 a month on college loans and day care.”

Ok I’m done with my deep thoughts (rant) -- Now back to yesterday.

So at my 9 to 5, I was trying to leave by 4:30 so I would be able to stop by my house before the bar job.

 But at 4 o’clock I realized that I wanted to go a different way with the copy that I wrote that was due before Close of Business.

I am a true perfectionist and wanted to impress my boss with my writing skills.  Therefore, this copy had to be perfect.

But as the time kept creeping I knew that I wasn’t going to be done by 4:30 to leave.

I texted the head waitress to let her know my dilemma.

The key to having a part time job and a full time job is having a job that understands that you have other commitments.  Therefore when scenarios like yesterday happen they are understand and just expect you to be there when you can.

Luckily I was only 4 minutess late to the bar job.  But yesterday was a reminder on how good your scheduling and planning must be.

I know not an exciting story but a moment where I realized how hectic my life can be.

Well this Busy Girl is on her way to a party.  I’ll update you later!

Any suggestions on how you handle multiple commitments (work) at the same time?

Barefoot Blue Jean Night

Cooking, Cowgirl Boots and TimeTogether

Wohoo -- It’s Thursday!  Which means 2 more days of work till the weekend!  Now I love my job but there is just something about Saturdays and Sundays that make me so happy!

But before I get started on the weekend, let me recap you on the past couple of days. 

First I would like to dedicate this post to my little sister, Melissa.  Not only is she AMAZING, but she was the first person to read my blog! 

I miss her so much!  She lives in Sunny Florida while I’m stuck trying to figure out how to get ice off of my car every morning . . . I’m not sure how this is fair?

On Tuesday, Greg and I had the Easy Crockpot Fajitas for lunch.  They were AMAZING.  So good, I even had them Wednesday for lunch.

Tuesday night was a rare occasion for me, because I did not have to work at my bar job.  Therefore me and the girls got together for a long-overdue GIRLS Night Out. 

**Disclaimer:  Me going out EVER (even on weekends) is as rare as a solar eclipse.  

I hate to admit this but I have been slacking on my nights out with the girls for the past 2 months.   I am a true believer that whether you’re single, in a relationship or married -- making time for your girl friends and a night out is important and fun.  And a lot cheaper than therapy.

We started the night with Dinner and Drinks at Ruby Tuesdays. 

After that we headed over to a Country Bar in Alexandria. 

Due to the fact that none of us know how to line dance it was DEFINETLY an interesting experience and a little scary at first.  Line Dancers seem to know the dance to EVERY song.  It’s kind of crazy and cool at the same time.

If you’re interested in ever learning how to line Dance or just want a change of scenery I suggest you check out your local Country Bar.  Many of them offer Customer Appreciation nights with free lessons and no cover.  Perfect for anyone trying not to spend too much cash but needs a night out on the town.

After Girls night and a CRAZY busy weekend I was ready for a quiet night with Greg.

All week I had a craving for lasagna but REALLY wanted a meatless dish, therefore Greg and I decided that a Vegetarian Lasagna would be the right choice.

Greg and I spent all night cooking this delicious meal!  He was so much help with the meal and the blog post.  I am so lucky to have a guy that supports me with every crazy idea I have.

Greg is  the best in the kitchen and sometimes I think he is a better cook than me.  

When we first started dating he would make me steak, shrimp and chicken all the time!  Anything I wanted.  I was actually scared to cook for Greg at first because he was such a good cook.

But as our relationship grew I knew I could bring some more to the table (literally).

Now Greg and I ALWAYS cook together.  He loves to grill so he tends to handle the meat and I do the side dishes and the rest of the preparing.

I suggest every couple should cook together.  You get new ideas when working together and it’s fun.   Also, if both y’all like or know how to cook -- if the other one is sick or has an off night you can cook for each other without getting stuck with carry-out or frozen pizza. 

Well, it’s still Thursday and I am still looking forward to the weekend although I know that it will be far from relaxing.   I guess that’s what makes this one crazy beautiful life!

What do you like to do with other?  Line Dance?  Cook?  Give me some ideas on new things to try!

Recipe: Vegeterian Lasagna

Because Bathing Suit Season is Never to Far Away:

After our bad-foods-leftover-binge over the past several days, Greg and I were looking for something other than meat to sink our teeth in too.

All week I have had a hankering for something Italian so I decided that tonight we would have a Vegetarian Lasagna feast.    

Growing up in a HUGE Italian family I know that the key to any Italian dish is the people you share it with and the wine you drink. 

My mom and her siblings along with Grandma and Grandpa, Nanny and Papa.  You think this is big you should see photos of all the cousins!

Well I’m on my first glass of Pinot Grigio and Greg’s on his second shot of Jack so here’s our Vegetarian Lasagna recipe to share with you!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. box of Lasagne

Sauce:

14 oz. can of Chunky Crushed Tomatoes

14 oz. of Tomato Sauce (We used Greg’s homemade sauce -- don’t worry we’ll share the recipe with you later)

2 Tbsp. of Olive oil

A splash of White Wine (Yeah, I said I was drinking)

1 medium sized Green Pepper

1 medium Onion

¾ lb. of Broccoli

1lb. of Fresh Spinach

7 cloves of Garlic

¼  cup of fresh basil

Oregano - (2) 6” stalks of freshly picked Oregano or 3 teaspoons of dry

** DO NOT SUBSTITUTUE ANY FRESH VEGETABLES WITH FROZEN . . . You’ll regret it

Ricotta Cheese Mix:

1 32 oz. Container of Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

2 Eggs

½ Cup of Parmesan Cheese

½ cup of Mozzarella Cheese

A Pinch of Oregano

A Pinch of Basil

Directions:

1.       Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees.

Sauce:

2.       Cut up Bell Peppers, Onions, Garlic and Broccoli

3.       Drizzle Olive Oil and White Wine into a Cast Iron Pan on MEDIUM heat.   Add Garlic and Onion and cook on medium for a 2 minutes.

4.       Add Peppers to Pan and stir constantly for 3 minutes.

5.       Add the Crushed Tomatoes and Tomato sauce to the pan.  Stir on occasion for 3 minutes .

6.       Add Broccoli to the sauce and stir to combine all ingredients. 

Ricotta Cheese:

7.       In a separate bowl add -- Ricotta Cheese, Eggs, Basil, Parmesan and Mozzarella.  (I like to leave a little Mozzarella and Parmesan on the side to add to the top at the end.

8.       Stir until all ingredients are blended thorughly.

The Meal:

9.       Cook Lasagne according to packaging (7-8 min hard boil), add a little olive oil and stir frequently to avoid sticking.

10.   Coat bottom of a 9x13 Casserole dish with a light layer of sauce.

11.   Lay down 3 to 4 pieces of Lasagne to cover the bottom of the dish

12.   Top with a 1/3 of the Ricotta Mix.  (I like to sprinkle more Mozzarella because I love cheese!)

                                                        Told you I was Drinking. Hehehe!

13.   Add a layer of Fresh Spinach.

14.   Top with 3 to 4 more pieces of Lasagne to cover the Ricotta and Spinach.

15.   Add the rest of the Ricotta.

16.   Layer with Fresh Spinach.

17.   Add about half of the Sauce that is left in the pan on top of the Spinach and Ricotta.  (Make sure to really cover the Spinach!)

18.   Add 3 to 4 more Lasagne to cover the pan.

19.   Add 1 cup of Spinach (Or more) to the pan with the sauce.  Stir to combine all ingredients.

20.   Add the Sauce to on top of the Lasagne.

21.    Lightly sprinkle a layer of cheese on to the top of the Lasagne

22.   Cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until top is golden.

Enjoy!  Greg and I both loved it and ate almost half the pan.  Definitely have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

                                      You can tell which plate is Greg's and which is mine!

 

The VERDICT:

Greg and I both loved it.  Which says a lot for him since he is strictly a Carnivore.   The only thing I would do differently is add more spices to the cheese since  it tasted a little Bland for me.


Printable Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe can be found Here!

Do you have any suggestions on other meals?  What makes the perfect Lasagna for you?

Easy Crockpot Fajitas

Tuesdays are our busy day.  Urban Farmer always works his everyday job then goes and works at a bar afterwards.  I on the other hand, work at my job then go to work at my “pay my loan” job.

Since Tuesdays are busy, it's a perfect night for a Crockpot dinner.

The Urban Farmer’s birthday left us with LOTS and LOTS of pulled chicken, so after 3 lunches and 3 dinners of chicken we are DONE.  We froze the remianing Chicken for a "Rainy day" and are both ready to try something new!

Therefore today we are having Beef Fajitas.

The Ingredients include:

·         A pound of beef ( I used Beef stew cuts but any thinly cut steak would do)

·         2 bell peppers (I'm trying one yellow and one green)

·         1 small onion

·         A pack of taco seasoning (I used El Paso brand)

·         ¾ cup of water

·         2 cloves of garlic (to taste)

·         A pinch of Rosemary and Thyme

The recipe said that it would take 6 to 7 hours to cook on low.  The Urban Farmer and I work 15 minutes from my apartment so meeting for lunch there  as opposed to spending money to go out to eat.

Therefore, inorder to have a 12 o'clock lunch the Crockpot had to be turned on at around 5 in the morning.  Since I had no interest at getting up at 5 am to cut up the vegetables and prepare the meal, I prepared everything the night before.

I set my alarm for 5 am (ugh) got up, put the Crockpot on, then went back to bed.

I put the Crockpot on low and when I came home at noon my apartment was filled with the decadent smell of Fajitas.

To go along with the Fajitas I got Wheat tortillas, Reduced Fat Cheese and a lime (to taste).

The total cost of the meal was under $14.  Perfect for any budget.

Critic's Review:

Greg and I both enjoyed the Fajitas.  We both love rice with our Mexican food so we both regretted not making any to go along with the meal.  It ended up being a quick, tasty and easy lunch.  We stated that we both would be making these again.  I think next time we'll have to try Chicken. Mmmmmmm!

The Urban Farmer and I had enough to eat it for at least one lunch and one dinner.   If you’re cooking for one, then you have at least two meals of Fajitas.  You could also put the meat, onions and peppers on a bed of lettuce for a Mexican Salad or cook up some Eggs and have a Breakfast Fajita.

Enjoy!

Urban Farmer's Birthday -- Party Hosting

The Urban Farmer’s birthday was this past weekend, so it was time to Celebrate!

In all truth I have been planning for the Urban Farmer’s birthday since back in June and was really excited that the day had finally come.

We decided to celebrate the Urban Farmer's birthday that we would have some people over to his house.  This would party marked the first get together that I had ever had to plan by myself.  I was nervous and excited all at the same time.

Earlier this month, the Urban Farmer and I attended a party for his friend John’s 30^th Birthday.  The party was wonderful and they actually served some of the same food that Greg and I had already planned to have at his.  The party that they threw was great and gave me a lot of great ideas for the party.

Greg and I served the following at his party:

·         Pulled pork

·         Pulled Chicken

·         Salad

·         Mac and Cheese

·         Coleslaw

·         Veggie Tray

·         Cheese tray

·         Rolls

·         And Cake

Everything was homemade and delicious.  The Home-style Mac and Cheese that I made was amazing, not healthy, but definitely delicious.  (I’ll share the recipe next time I cook it).

Greg and I both admitted the next day that we did not eat a lot of food since we were so busy entertaining and having fun.  But everyone who ate gave us some great compliments!

The cake though was the highlight of the party preparations for me.  After seeing a garden cake online I decided that that was what I had to make.

Starting on our first date I heard about Greg’s Garden.  He loves to garden and I swear he likes some of his plants more than me.  Therefore, his cake was to be a garden.

                                                          Sorry for the messy background.

The cake was a hit and everyone seemed to enjoy the cake.

I knew that I needed the basics for the party, cups, plates and napkins.  We knew we were going to have 20+ people at the party so we needed lots of the basics. 

Being on a budget,  I had to keep everything within a limit.  I looked at plates and cups at Party City, Target and other stores.  Finding that I would have had to pay $9 for 18 plates I decided to Check out BJ's. 

BJ's was GREAT!  I got bulk cups, plates, crackers, chesse and all the things that any good party would need.  It was affordable but also left me with enough Solo Cups and paper plates for like 3 more parties -- hmm I'm thinking a Mardi Gras party.

The party ended up with about 30 people and was a mix of Greg’s friends, his family and my family.

Greg’s band Old Rag Mountain Remedy played and everyone jammed out till after 2 am.  It was a great time for everyone involved and I even learned to play the guitar -- well a note.

The party was a success!  And Greg loved his cake.  It was a nice weekend and party and gave me the chance to prime some of my hosting skills. 

Sadly, the party ended with Greg and I passed out on the couch while everyone headed out at 3 AM.

Somethings will just never change.

New Year, New Me

Ok, so we're like 16 days into the New Year and I have yet to start my blog. Ugh, another epic fail.


But in all fairness I have been busy.


I started 2012 off by heading up to the New Jersey area for a week for work. Due to the fact I had not been to Jersey in ten years it was very interesting, and involved a lot of sightseeing.

                                                              My Hotel in Ashbury Park, NJ

After returning to Virginia I began planning Greg’s 30^th birthday.  It involved a lot of preparing and cooking but turned out to be a major success where Greg got to spend his birthday with the people he loves. 

                                                       Greg with his Birthday Cake I made him.
                                                                                  He loves to Garden.

Therefore, it’s been a VERY busy 2 weeks.

But I was determined to start this blog and am determined to follow it through. 

Through this blog I want to share my life where I balance a full time job, a part time job (I like to call it my college loans job), a relationship, family and life as it comes. 

In my blog I plan to share the following:

1.    Recipes -- I love to cook, but for many 20 something’s straight out of college, balancing a busy schedule, trying to eat well and stay within a budget can be complicated.   Being a year graduated from college I hope to share some healthy recipes with y’all that will fit into everyone schedule and budget.

2.    Relationship advice -- As I said, “I’ve kissed A LOT of toads.”  I have met the love of my life and enjoy everything that we share together.  I hope to share some of our adventures with you along with some of our secrets to an equal and fun relationship

3.    Home -- Okay, as every other 20 something out of college that does not have mommy and daddy paying their bills (yup not that lucky), I live in a semi-nice apartment outside of the city.  Lucky for me (and unlucky for Greg) my boyfriend owns a gorgeous townhome out in Centreville.  My goal for this year is to take his bachelor pad and turn it in to a home.  I will share my triumphs -- and fails -- at redecorating a home.

4.    Keeping a schedule- trying to keep work and life balanced is a difficult task for anyone.  I will share with you some of my tricks of the tradce and look forward to receiving your advice on how to stay organized and balance life, a schedule and your finances. 

5.    Adventures -- Between my job and my boyfriend I am always out on an adventure, whether it be exploring D.C. or the local country side, or watching the sun set on the Pacific Ocean, I am always doing something new.  I plan to share the places I go, the things I see, and the places I eat.

6.    Working out -- When moving to D.C. I began to make working out a part of my life.  Now that its starting to get warm again I plan to be better about this and incorporating it in to my daily life.  I will share with you my training, my goals and hopefully help to get more people up and moving.

7.    Life as we know it -- Every day is a new adventure for everyone.  I appreciate you letting me share my adventures with you.  I hope that together we can experience 2012 together.

2012 has already started out busy and I look forward to it being a fun and exciting year that you would be so kind to let me share with you!