My Roots to Grow: Friend Makin' Mondays

Showing posts with label Friend Makin' Mondays. Show all posts

Monday, July 7, 2014

FMM: July 4th Weekend

1. Did you grill food this weekend? If so, what?

Personally, no. I cooked some veggie burgers inside, on the stovetop. But the people I spent the holiday with did grill up hot dogs and hamburgers.

2. Did you go to a parade?

Nope. No parade. Not sure if there was one where I was. I am guessing there probably was.

3. Fireworks? Did you go to a display or have your own fireworks?

We did both and it was awesome! We lit some sparklers and threw some of those popper things and then had our own display at home for all the kids ( and me, the biggest kid) and took a break about halfway through to go catch the local display (which was amazing) before wrapping up the night with more fireworks at home. It was AWESOME!

4. Did you have a special 4^th of July outfit?

Not really but I did try to be somewhat patriotic with a navy and white skirt, blue/white scarf and a white shirt. I was going to wear my red chucks but it was warm so I stuck with my sandals. No, I did not wear any funky hats or flag pins or anything like that. I’m boring, I know.

5. Who did you spend the 4^th of July with?

I spent the 4^th with E, his mom, both his sisters, his two BILs, his nieces and nephews and his BIL’s sister, her husband and their two boys. There were 14 of us in total. It was a ton of fun!

6. Did you stay home for the holiday weekend of did you go away?

A little of both. On Thursday after work we left Pensacola and drove about an hour east to where E’s mom lives. We spent Thursday night, Friday and most of Saturday there- with family. Then we headed back to P’cola Saturday evening and spent the rest of the weekend home relaxing and running errand and tackling house chores. Oh, and watching many episodes of House of Cards.

7. What is your favorite part of the 4^th of July holiday?

I love 4^th of July, it has always been one of my favorite holidays. There is something about summer time holidays that are just so relaxing. I think it is the lack of formality. I love just sitting outside, drinking a beer, eating BBQ foods, playing games, and just having a great time. But I think my most favorite part of this holiday is the fireworks. I LOVE fireworks! I am so happy that I was able to see the city display and have our own private display. Most years I miss out on fireworks and that always leaves me really sad. This year was perfect!

The beach was a close second...

8. Which holiday are you most looking forward to next?

Hmmmm, maybe Labor Day because it is a long weekend. But I am also looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. My parents are flying in from Philly and we are going to have a big holiday dinner with my family and E’s family. I am super excited for that. Especially because both moms are so similar, I think they are going to be fast friends J

How was your 4^th of July? Are you still on holiday or are you back to the grind today?

Love and hugs,

Dacia

xoxoxox

Monday, June 16, 2014

FMM: Sports Talk

1. Are you following the World Cup? If so, which team are you cheering for?

Yes, I am. Or at least trying to catch coverage whenever I can. I am rooting for Italy (sorry Sarah) and, of course, USA.

2. What is your favorite sport to watch either on TV or in person?

I love to watch pretty much anything, especially if it’s live. But I would have to say my two favorites would be hockey and baseball.

3. Which local team (regardless of sport) do you support?

Pensacola is a small town so we don’t have any major league teams but we do have a minor league (SPHL) hockey team, the Ice Flyers, and they are awesome. They just won back to back Presidents Cup (their version of the Stanley) and I was fortunate enough to be able to drive up to Columbus, GA with E to watch them win the cup. It was pretty awesome.

4. What is your favorite sport to play?

Although it has been awhile, I would have to say tennis is my favorite sport to play.

5. Were you ever in a sport team?

Yes, I did. I played tennis, basketball, softball and soccer (for a very short bit) and was also on the track and field team.

6. Have you ever traveled a long distance to see your team play?

Yes. Just this year I flew to Nashville to go to a Preds game, drove to Sarasota and Clearwater to see the Phillies in spring training, drove to Tampa for a Lightning game. I also attended two Ducks games in Anaheim, a Phillies game in Philadelphia, and (as I stated above) drove to Columbus, GA for an Ice Flyers game. I’ve also seen a Red Sox game in Toronto, a Phillies game at Dodger stadium and endured football games in Buffalo during the winter to name a few. Yeah, I love to watch live sports.

7. Do you have a favorite stadium/sport venue you have been to?

I really liked Fenway and the Tampa Bay Times Forum but my favorite stadium hands down is Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

8. What is your favorite food you associate with sporting events?

Soft pretzels. Nom! And before I was a vegan, hot dogs.

9. Do you have a favorite sporting song?

The Ice Flyers play Chelsea Dagger as their goal song (same as the Blackhawks) which I liked long before it became a hockey song. Also, my high school fight song. It will always be my favorite. It was so funny. I still remember it to this day.

10. Is there a sporting event you would like to go to in another country?

Sure, I would love to go to any sporting event abroad but if I had to pick one- the Tour. Even after all the bs with Lance and all the others, the drugs, the doping, all the scandal, I would still want to go and watch the Tour de France.

Happy Monday!

Love and hugs,

Dacia

Xoxoxoxo

Monday, June 2, 2014

FMM: Next!

1. What is the next movie you want to see?

I don’t really watch too many movies. At least not as many as I’d like to. I don’t really know of any movies I want to see right now. Maybe Chef? That looked good. Oh, and I know it’s not a movie but one thing I am really looking forward to is the new season of Orange is the New Black. I am watching it a second time so that E can get caught up and we can watch season 2 together. We are about halfway through and watch an episode whenever we have time. It’s fun having a show we can watch together.

2. What is the next book that you want to read?

Currently I am reading the new Emily Giffin novel The One and Only and it is terrible and predictable and I really am not loving it but I am about a third/halfway through and I just want to finish it and move on. Next up is either The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan (a recommendation from my best friend) or Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich (my guilty pleasure novels)- that all depends on when I finish the book I am currently reading.

3. What is the next trip/vacation you are going to take?

Tomorrow I am driving out to Orlando for a work conference. E will be joining me out there Thursday night and then we are heading to Tampa for the weekend. We are going to be touring Cigar City brewery, catching a Tampa Bay Rays game which is followed by a Weezer concert, hanging out with friends and snorkeling/swimming with manatees- it’s going to be awesome!

4. What is the next restaurant you want to try?

There is a new restaurant set to open sometime this summer in downtown Pensacola- Khon’s. It’s dubbed as Southeast Asian cuisine. The menu looks fantastic and talking with one of the owners he told me how they are really going to try and offer a lot of veg options to traditional non-veg dishes such as pho and bhan mi. I am super excited to try it out.

5. What is the next workout you are going to do?

T25- total body circuit. Tomorrow morning. First day of week 3!

6. What is the next task you are going to complete?

Not 100% sure what you would define as a task but I do have an eye exam this afternoon and I will be picking out new glasses. Does that count? Also, packing later tonight- that’s definitely a task.

7. What is the next hobby you want to try?

Well, I just took up gardening as my new hobby and I am still working at it. I have to start building the second raised garden bed as it will be time to plant soon. I think that my focus right now is just the gardening (and school, and work, and T25, and moving/traveling, and being a girlfriend) but the next hobby I would like to try (maybe sometime in September/October as the weather cools) would be home brewing. Is anyone really surprised by that?

8. What is the next big event you will attend?

Well, technically the next big event I will be attending is the work conference this week but I doubt you want to hear about that. So, I will instead tell you that the next big event I will attend (for fun) is Fitbloggin’! In just a little over 3 weeks I will be heading over to Savannah to attend my second Fitbloggin’ and I am beyond excited! I had just the most amazing time last year and I am so looking forward to this year’s conference.

9. What type of animal do you want as your next pet?

In a perfect world, I would have unlimited time, money and acreage and I would have both indoor pets (dogs for sure) and outdoor pets (alpaca, sheep, goats) but sadly that isn’t on the horizon any time soon. I would like to one day, maybe after I finish my doctorate and begin teaching, buy a lot of land and have a farm and a huge vegetable garden. That’s pretty much my end goal. And I get very excited when I pass by houses in Pensacola that have goats because that means I could do all of that and not have to head out to the country. For now, I will settle for my house with E and our little garden and maybe one day- a pet of our own.

10. What is the next topic you would like to see on FMM?

I am sure it has been done before but maybe a top ten of blogs/websites. Like favorite site for recipes, motivation, etc.

Monday, March 10, 2014

FMM: Vacations!

I just had to because I LURV this topic!

1) Where was the last place you went on vacation to?

Funny you asked, I just got home last night from a whirlwind trek around central Florida. E and I headed out to Sarasota and Clearwater to catch two Phillies games, St. Pete for dinner and beers, and Tampa for a Bolts game and a brewery. We left immediately after work Thursday and drove to Lake City. Woke up Friday morning, drove to Sarasota for the Phillies vs O’s baseball game, dinner and drinks in St. Pete then over to our hotel in Clearwater. Saturday we went to (the World Famous) Lenny’s restaurant, Bright House stadium for the Houston vs Phillies game, over to Tampa where we grabbed a quick bite, checked into our hotel and dashed across the street (literally) to the Tampa Bay Times Forum for the Bruins vs Lightning game. We headed back to Pensacola yesterday but not before stopping at Wawa, Cigar City Brewpub and Whole Foods! It was an AMAZING weekend!!! I cannot wait to do it again next year!

2) Do you have plans for a vacation this year?

On top of all the traveling I have already done this year, I have four more just planned between now and the end of June. I am heading to Anaheim for 8 days in April. It’s for work but I am making a vacation out of it by seeing a bunch of my bloggy and IRL friends, going to TWO NHL games, and of course some breweries. Then Atlanta in early May to see Arcade Fire and spend the weekend exploring, home to Philly for Memorial Day Weekend, and then FITBLOGGIN in Savannah the end of June. E and I have talked about some day trips, heading back to NOLA and spending the summer riding bikes and laying on the beach so I probably won’t be heading anywhere too far until the fall rolls around.

3) If money was no option, where would your dream vacation be?

This is a tough one. If it was just me- probably India. But if it was me and my significant other maybe someplace romantic (Paris)…or maybe someplace tropical (Fiji)…or maybe someplace with a great nightlife (Montreal). Ok, I guess if money was no object, honestly, I would pick a trip around the world. I would want to see it all J

4) What is your favorite vacation spot that you have visited?

This is another tough one. Maybe England/Scotland. I spent a few weeks over there and had just the absolute best time.

5) Have you ever had a staycation?

For Valentine’s Day E and I headed 8 miles away to the beach part of Pensacola Beach and spent the weekend riding bikes, eating out, and relaxing on the gulf. Best staycation EVER!

6) Are you a lie on the beach person or a go out and explore person?

Both. I am a lie on the beach during the day and go out and explore at night kind of person. I like to do both equally.

7) When you fly do you have a favorite airline?

This really depends on where I live. When I was in SA I always flew on American and now in Pensacola I prefer Delta. I do fly SW sometimes , mainly because of cost, but I would pick Delta over them most any day. I have always preferred United, AA, and Delta. I would prefer not to fly on US Air if I can help it.

8) Have you ever had a ‘vacation from hell’?

Not really an entire vacation but I have had parts of vacations that were just downright terrible. Mostly because of who I was traveling with. I don’t have that problem anymore.

9) Have you ever had an airline lose your luggage?

Yes, but not permanently. The few times this has happened I always got it back in less than 24 hours. Knock on wood that this is always the case.

10) Do you send postcards to friends and family when you go on vacation?

This is something I started doing last year when a college friend of mine asked me to send her some while I was at a work conference. Ironically, I just sent her some from Houston and spring training weekend today. From time to time I will send them to friends and family too. I like to think they enjoy receiving them. I sent one to E but it got lost in the mail. I am still kind of bummed about that.

Happy Monday friends!

Love,
Dacia

xoxoxo

Monday, February 24, 2014

FMM: Randomly Getting to Know You

If you’ve taken part in Friend Makin’ Monday (FMM) then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s questions on your own blog then add your link in the comments section over at: http://losingweightandhavingfun.com/ this way everyone over at Losing Weight and Having Fun can check out your responses. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to create your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts, too. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

Randomly Getting to Know You

1) Introduce yourself in under 10 words.

Beer drinking, tree hugging, slow running, cupcake loving, vegan :)

2) How did you find Friend Makin' Mondays?

When I first started blogging three years ago I was looking for support. I scoured the interwebs for other bloggers writing about weight loss and Kenlie's blog was one of, if not the, first one I found. I have been reading ever since. I don't always participate in FMM but I certainly enjoy reading the questions and responses every week!

3) Have you ever met any of your blog readers?

Yes! First of all my parents, bf, and close friends all read it so obviously I have met them. But in addition to them, I have met a bunch of fellow bloggers in my travels and at Fitbloggin'. It's pretty awesome!

4) How many states have you visited?

This is a tough one. Let's see; Maine, NH, VT, Mass, Conn, RI, NY, NJ, PA, DE, WV, VA, MD, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS (that's Mississippi, right?), LA, TX, AZ, CA, OR, WA, MN, IL, OH, TN, AR (Arkansas?), NV, CO, and KY. So, 33 states. Sorry middle U.S., I am more of a coastal girl ;)

5) What did you have for lunch yesterday?

E and I went out to lunch yesterday with his sister and 3 year old niece. We went to Ruby Tuesday. I had salad from the salad bar alongside my trio of side dishes; green beans, zucchini and a plain baked potato. It was pretty good. I ate it all :)

6) How many different places have you lived in?

I have lived in 9 states- PA, NJ, DE, MD, OH, FL, TX, WA, and CA- and in those 9 states I have lived in a bunch of different places/cities. I'll spare you the details. I have moved around quite a bit.

7) What's your favorite color?

I am not sure I have one true favorite. I really like red, blue and green. And yellow ;)

8) Do you have any pets?

I used to have two of the most amazing doggies; Ruby and Maggie. I was truly lucky to have had them for as long as I did. They were the best and I miss them every day :(

9) What would your ideal job be?

If I could swing it I would love to run an animal sanctuary for both pets and farm animals. Or possibly just become an organic farmer that also raises farm animals. Or I would want to own a bar in Philly. Any of those would work ;)

10) Do you have any tattoos?

Yes, I do. Nine of them, actually. This one is my favorite. It's not a great picture because you can't see the whole thing. The tattoo is a tree and it appears at a distance that the leaves are being blown off the branches but really they are birds, not leaves, flying away. The birds go all the way back towards my spine. I love it. It's very symbolic.

Trying my best to look tough...LOL!

Love and hugs,

Dacia

P.S. I have no idea what is up with the formatting of this post. I tried to fix it to no avail. Hopefully it is not too hard to read. Sorry.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Five Things Friday Mash-up

Today you get a hodgepodge of all the daily themes all compiled to make up a ‘Five Things Friday’ post…clever right?

#1 A question from this week’s Friend Makin’ Monday post

What is the last movie you watched? I was home from work two days this week fighting a cold (luckily I didn’t end up with the flu like my bf did) and so I spent a day watching only movies. I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty awesome. I watched four movies. FOUR! And they were all good and nothing at all alike so it was fun. I watched Don Jon (love, love, love me some JGL), the Butler, In a World, and the Spectacular Now. I really enjoyed them all but I think 'In a World' was my favorite. This says a lot about the movie since it’s pretty hard to beat anything with JGL in it.

#2 Transparent Tuesday

Authentically Emmie had a great post this week for #TransparentTuesday. It was the first time I had heard of that hashtag and liked the idea of writing something a little less filtered, a little more raw. I don’t ever want this blog to be a place where I come to air my dirty laundry or talk badly about others. But it should be a place where I can talk openly about my life and the issues I am dealing with. Right now there are two issues that are really weighing heavily on my mind; the soon to be loss of my doggies (they are ok, they just need to go to a new home. Not my decision. And yes, I am filled with sadness, hurt and unbridled anger over this) and the constant feeling of guilt that comes with losing my two best friends. It was difficult when Paul and I separated knowing I would have limited time with them. It was the hardest part of the whole divorce process, not being able to take them with me, not being able to cuddle with them every night and have them to pick up my spirits and help me through the transition. So, when I was informed that the dogs could no longer stay with Paul I was devastated. I still am devastated. After 6 and 8 years with them it is hard to imagine my life without my girls. They have been by my side through so much. I feel lost without them. I am not sure if the pain and guilt will ever go away. I am heartbroken. Without them, my life just isn’t the same.

The second issue is dealing with my past life, post-divorce. I made it through the separation and divorce pretty easily because it was the right thing for me. It was good to break away from that relationship and until the news (after the divorce was finalized) about the dogs, I had no anger or ill will towards Paul. I am still trying not to since I know it wasn’t easy for him to decide to get rid of our dogs. At least, that is what I hope to be true. But there are times when a memory comes to mind and I look back on that moment of my life wondering how I became that person I once was. How did I let myself get so far from the path, from my true self? Some times that realization of that person I was is hard to deal with. It makes me sad. It makes me angry. And if you know me, you know I am not the type of person to dwell over the past. I am a ‘learn from it and move on’ kind of girl. But lately, I just feel a bit defeated and deflated when I am hit by those memories. Luckily, I know better to dwell on these thoughts or feelings too long. Luckily, I know that I had to experience all of the life behind me to get where I am today. Luckily, everything I have endured has prepared me to finally reclaim the life I wanted, the person I once was. And that makes me happy. Knowing I am finally in a place where I can be myself and live this life and enjoy every moment of it without fear or shame is a really amazing thing. So, yeah. I’m human. And yep, there are definitely times when I feel regret/remorse/disappointment in the decisions I have made in the past. And yep, some days it is hard to work through those feelings quickly. Some days I just have to be sad. Some days I just have to cry it out. Or scream a bit. Or curse the world. But most days, well most days I am filled with gratitude for all of those hard times. For those are what have made me strong.

#3 WIAW

What I Ate Wednesday…well, I am not quite sure what I ate on Wednesday. I was sick so my guess is I ate some vegetable soup at some point. I looked back through my photos and found some of my favorite eats from the past few weeks and thought I would share those instead

Best. Breakfast. Ever. This is from Surrey's Cafe in NOLA and I will be eating this again next weekend for sure when I visit!

TLT- Tempeh, Lettuce and Tomato sammie with a bowl of roasted brussel sprouts at Pub 5 in Nashville!

A lovely, and super yummy, vegan entree (not on the menu) from Etch in Nashville

Champagne and straberries cupcake from Oh Snap! here in P'cola

#4 Throwback Thursday

For good measure…little RRR

The world's best parents...and one pretty dang cute baby RRR ;)

Bet you didn't know I was a mini-Mozart...

#5 Five Things Friday

And for my fifth thing…well today I wanted to share something (someone?) very special to me. Last night we made it official by sharing it on Facebook. (I hope you can sense my sarcasm when I say FB makes it official) So today I thought I would share a bit here. I just wanted to ‘introduce’ you to my boyfriend, E. He is a pretty amazing guy and I plan on having him as part of my life (and subsequently this blog) for a very long time. And since he is in almost every picture I take it was only a matter of time before he ended up here.