#LaneHalloween2012

the 2nd annual Lane Halloween party took place this past weekend, and just like last year it was amazeballs!

here's how the night went...

we had appearances by...

Amish boys (that's Brian on the right)

a hockey player (dad) and "hairy balls" (uncle)

Paula Deen (mom)

'bad school photo' (Melissa)

Will Ferrell's Cowbell SNL Skit (Randy)

Wilson and Tom Hanks, Cast Away. (the costume contest winners)

cheese plate (aunt)

I was Flo from Progressive

things occurred like...

pumpkin chugs, aka p-chug

drinking straight from the bottle

and myself//Melissa caking each other

it was such a fun night, as you can see. we played drinking games, and had jello//pudding shots, and sang//danced, etcetc.

Wilson and Tom Hank's character won the costume contest, and Brian's Amish crew took 2nd. MrMalone who was a 'Christmas shopper' got worst costume, his punishment was a p-chug. A pumpkin chug is just chugging alcohol out of a pumpkin. I got a few best costume votes for my Flo from Progressive costume. I wasn't really trying to win, I just didn't want to lose.

Now I need to start thinking of a good costume idea for next year.. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

life is good

 

"everybody let's take shots!"

My house is still standing despite these gusts of wind, and heavy rain. Prayers go to all those further east whom lost homes, vehicles, etc. I hope everyone stays safe until Sandy is completely gone. So, if you're stuck inside here's two recipes that could help you feel better.

Jello Shots

step one:

get all the ingredients ready. lots of alcohol, and of course the jello packets.
(any flavor jello will do).

step two:

follow the recipe on the back of the jello box:

pour the packet into a bowl, add one cup of boiling water, stir until dissolved.

then add about a half cup of non-boiling water, and a half cup - full cup of vodka. (depends how strong you want them.) I typically use Pinnacle vodka (because it's cheap for jello shots but still good), but any kind will do.

**that is per box. so if you do two boxes double it. or three triple.**
I made 4 boxes, 2 of each flavor.

step three:

wipe cups with a paper towel sprayed with pam -it will make the jello not stick to the cups and make it easier to eat.

pour it into the little 2oz cups.

refrigerate. 

and there ya have it, jello shots.

Pudding Shots

 step one:

get all the ingredients ready. lots of alcohol, and of course the pudding packets.

make sure the pudding is INSTANT. not.. NOT.. cook&serve.
any kind of pudding will do, I used chocolate this time, but have also made cookies&cream, and the pistachio flavor is surprisingly good too.

step two:

(this is for 2 four-serving pudding boxes, will make about 50+ using 1oz containers)
in a bowl combine the pudding mix with two cups of milk. stir/mix together really well.
then add one cup of Baileys (or Kahlua, but I use Baileys), and one cup of Vodka (any kind, I use Pinnacle when making treats.. you could also get creative and use a flavored vodka.)

step three:
pour into plastic cups.
I recommend using the smaller 1oz containers instead of the 2oz ones used for jello shots. I've made them in the 2oz containers and felt that it was too much alcohol pudding for a shot. but the 1oz is perfect amount. You could also top with the alcohol infused whip cream if you so desire, or have it handy so people can top it off before they drink it.
*the pudding shots will not harden like the jello shots do, they will be a little liquidy. don't think you messed up because of it. thats just how they are.*

step four:
refrigerate.
and there ya have it, pudding shots!

sorry no pictures for the pudding shots. my Dad and Brian helped me make them because of a time crunch, and things got really messy.

but they turned out awesome and were a big hit at the party -as always.

any questions about how I make them, feel free to ask! or if you have a twist on how you make jello//pudding shots please share them with me!

life is good

 

Weekend Update - Halloween Party

Thursday::
 Randy's birthday dinner was at Bahama Breeze -YUM! I got the Shrimp Linguine, which was delish, and I tried a mojito for the first time. I know I know, how haven't I tried a mojito yet, lame. and I'm upset that I haven't before cause it was amazeballs!

Brian and Randy with their Bahamarita's

1: Baham Breeze, or Bahama Breeze?  2: Strawberry Mojito

Friday::
I made 70 jello shots, and a ton of pudding shots. I'll share my recipes in a separate post sometime this week. After I finished those my family went to the NDCL - Lake Catholic football game (highschool), to support two guys who are like brothers to me, Marky and Anthony. They ended up winning the game too! It was a bit cold outside and drizzling with rain but it was definitely fun! GO LIONS!

Saturday::
I worked 8-530. It was a long day, and I had some really strange customers, but it was easy to get through the day because I had the 2nd Annual Lane Halloween Party to look forward to. Which was AWESOME. (pictures and more to come later). and my Buckeyes went to 9-0!!! #UrbanRenewal #BuckeyeNation


Sunday::
Recovering day. Also watched the Brownies win their second game! Here we go Brownies, here we go! woof woof! 2-6.

 10/22-10/28 Goals

1:: Finish my Halloween costume. I was Flo from Progressive.

2:: Make an ortho appt. Made the appt and already had said appt, double win!

3:: finish cleaning my room (dusting, vacuuming, laundry, etc). -oops.

4:: Get Randy's birthday present together. I got him giftcard to Dick's Sporting Goods (I know, giftcards are lame but when it comes to my brothers/Dad and their hunting stuff I have no idea what they need or want.) and also protein granola bars.

5:: Have a successful banquet for the volleyball girls. it went really well (read here).

not too shabby. 4 out of five isn't bad. although I have been slacking on my cleaning my room. I was just busy. this week will be different... maybe.

10/29-11/4 Goals

1:: clean my room (dust, vacuum, laundry.. etc).

2:: make progress on my dvd organization.

3:: catch up on tv shows I dvred.

4::carve my pumpkin.

5:: survive hurricane Sandy.

Now just gotta get through this week filled with cold temps, and lots of rain. Be nice Hurricane Sandy!
 life is good

 

"If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit"

^ name that book.... (That Boy by Jillian Dodd).

Dear 7th grade volleyballers, I truly had a phenom time with you all, and will miss all your craziness in the off-season. Be good in school, do all your homework, and keep working hard! You guys are great, thanks so much for a fantastic year!

Dear AMC Fear Fest, I love you. I love all the horror movies you've been playing. I love that this week is the Halloween series on prime time. I look forward to Fear Fest every Fall. Thanks for never disappointing.

Dear 13 Nights of Halloween, similar to what I said to Fear Fest, thanks for all the awesome movies. I always love 13Nights. Although I could go without the Harry Potter movies, to be honest. Other than that good picks.

Dear blogs I follow, I feel like I really know you guys in real life. Like I've been friends with you for a while now even though I know none of you in real life (minus Melissa). Thanks for being great!

Dear Randy, I hope you had a great birthday! Bahama Breeze was delish as always. Mojito me!

Dear weather, You were so nice yesterday and Wednesday, why must you suck for the rest of October? Especially on Halloween. Let the trick-or-treaters have a fun.

1. Who wakes up in the morning with the kids, you or hubby?
      Well, I don't have kids nor do I have a hubby. I barely wake myself up.

2. Do you watch the World Series even if your team isn't in it?
     Yea, kinda. I'm not going to freak out if I miss a game, but if it's on and nothing else is I'll watch it. Dad and I watched game 1 the other night.. or at least most of it.


3. What is the best compliment you have received?
     All of them are the best! I welcome any and all compliments. I got a bunch at Randy/Melissa's wedding that was nice, and a bunch more for coaching this season.


4. Do/did you dress up to take your kids trick-or-treating?
    No kids here, but I probably wouldn't. If I did I'd probably just be something easy every year. But as a kid I always dressed up, and still do today. I don't go trick-or-treating anymore but I do scare the trick-or-treaters.


5. Do you have a favorite Bible verse? What is it and why?
     Unfortunately I do not have a favorite. Sorry.

1:: The volleyball banquet went really well. I'm sad to say that marks the end of the season, but I had an absolute blast (as I've said 4579843 times before).

2:: Bahama Breeze for dinner last night. and lunch today. YUM! nice pick bro.

3:: Today I'm making pudding/jello shots, I'm not exactly sure if I want to make both or just one, but lets be honest, I'll probs end up making both.

4:: Halloween. primetime. Fear Fest. need I say more?

5:: I'm excited for the annual Halloween party tomorrow! My costume is all ready to go, I just have to make it through a long day of work first.

1.  My favorite feeling in all the world is   helping someone in need, making others happy.

2.  My favorite smell is  peanut butter .

3.  My favorite taste is  I guess sweets, I love sweets.
4. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen was Luke Bryan and Zak Efron. But on a more serious note, I'm going to go with Niagara Falls, or the view from a hot air balloon.

5. The best sound ever is  laughter.

6. A smell that reminds me of my childhood is  the sweet scent of a warm summer day.
7.  My favorite of all the senses is  sight.

Happy Friday!!
life is good

birthdaybash

This post is dedicated to my older brother. It's his birthdayyy!!!!
Happy 25th Birthday Randy!!
I hope your day is as amazing as I am! :)

Randy graduated from The Ohio State University and is newly married to Melissa. He has been a phenom older bro over the years. He's a great listener, fun to joke around with, and easy to beat in P-I-G (he'll kill me for writing that because he can't comment to say it's the other way around. how ya dooiinnngg?!)
Thanks for being a great brother! :)

Happy Birthday (sis)Bro! Have a great day, see ya at Bahama Breeze tonight!

Paranormal Activity 4

Here's what Netflix says::

Get ready for more spine-chilling suspense in this fourth installment of the popular horror franchise as the bloodthirsty supernatural spirit returns to wreak more havoc, instill more terror and claim more victims.

Here's what IMDb says:
It has been five years since the disappearance of Katie and Hunter, and a suburban family witness strange events in their neighborhood when a woman and a mysterious child move in. 

Here's what I say::

Fan-freaking-tastic! First off, if you haven't seen any of the Paranormal Activity movies and are a fan of scary movies I highly highly suggest watching them. Paranormal 1-3 are awesome I rate them all 4 stars (out of 5). As for the fourth Paranormal, I thought this one was just as good if not better than the others. It was phenom! Seriously. Go see it right now. Or watch the first three right now then go see it. You will not be disappointed. It's that good. I rate it 4.5 stars, out of 5.


Happy Birthday, Rand!
life is good

 

I miss 'em already

Volleyball is officially over. The banquet was quite successful, but I'm going to miss those crazy kids. They were such a fun, hardworking, crazy, amazing, awesome, determined group of young athletes. I really had a blast coaching them.

7th and 8th grade.

8th grade at Joey's

As I said, the banquet went really well. I got the girls magnetic pads of paper for their lockers and wrote a note for each of them, along with a colorful pen. I also printed up a team photo with a little note and laminated them (well my Dad laminated them), and got them plaques too -which turned out really cool. My team was so generous and got me: Dunkin Donuts giftcard, Target giftcard, Darden Restaurants giftcard, Bath&Body Works giftcard, AND a necklace.. aren't they the best?!?! I'm seriously going to miss them all.

one of the many cards I got.

life is good

If I were a boy...

I saw this one someones blog once, but I read a bunch of great blogs so I can't remember which one I saw it on. If  was yours lemme know so I can give you the credit!

If I were a boy...

I would eat everything and anything I wanted.

I would be a nice guy and not a douchebag.

I would not wear socks with sandals.

I would have played football instead of volleyball.

My parents wouldn't have a daughter, but rather three sons.

I would not wear tighty whiteys ever.

I would wear ball caps.

I would take full advantage of not having to shower daily.

I would be good at video games.

 I wouldn't have been able to see Magic Mike without looking like a weirdo.

I would have more time to do activities because I wouldn't be obsessed with reality TV.

I would respond to text messages within a reasonable time.

I would spend my time outside doing outside things.

I would act like the guys on Duck Dynasty.

I would drive a truck.

I wouldn't have to wait in ridiculously long bathroom lines.

I would never wear v-necks or affliction clothing.

I would have awesome Halloween costume ideas every year.

I would keep my hair short because long hair on guys is weird.

I would have a man crush on Luke Bryan, and Zac Efron.
 

life is good

 

Weekend Update - Tourney

Hope everyone had a great weekend, here's how mine went...

Thursday::
The 8th graders had the first round of their volleyball tournament. My 7th graders record was good enough to bypass until the actual tournament day, yahoo! Anyways, the 8th grade lost in a tough battle against Riverside, so they're done for the season now. After the game we all went to Joey's, an italian restaurant here, I of course got the Chicken Bruschetta Pizza again.. yum!! It was a fun time, and a nice way to end their season.

Friday::
The last volleyball practice for 7th and 8th grade. It was a fun practice for the girls filled with candy. After practice I just chilled all night at home because I knew I had to get up early in the a.m. Just watched some Fear Fest and some 13 Nights of Halloween -crazy life, huh?

Saturday::
busybusybusy. Got up bright and early, minus the bright cause it was dark as hell, but it was certainly early. I traveled out to Lakeside with my 7th graders for the Lake-Geauga Tournament. It was an all day event, we played three games, and ended up taking 4th place -not too shabby! We ended the regular season with a 8-5 record, and after the tournament we became 9-7. Still a winning record, and my girls gave everything they had out on that court. I couldn't be more proud of them, they did awesome. After the long day of volleyball we all enjoyed a late lunch//early dinner at Cleats. I got the Chicken BLT wrap and it was delish! It was a fun time with the girls too, they're such a great group of young ladies. I'm going to miss them. Look at 'em.. they're presh...

this is both the 7th and 8th grade.

 After a full day of volleyball, and a full stomach from Cleats it was home to change and off to the John Carroll / Ohio Northern football game. Two of Brian's good buddies play football for JCU so my parents and I went to support them. I'm happy to say that JCU won! And, so did my Buckeyes!! 8-0! #UrbanRenewal #BuckeyeNation

Sunday::
Just like any other Sunday I watched my Browns.. here we go Brownies, here we go! woof woof! We lost, even though we definitely could have won that game. Stupid Pat Shurmur, I don't like him as a coach. His play calling is terrible. agh. Brownies fall to 1-6. BUT my Mom made Skyline for dinner, so that's a plus! 

Goals for last week (10/15 - 10/21)

1:: Finish writing out messages on the volleyball girl's gifts.

2:: Win our last game. (not completed, but we definitely tried!)

3:: Do multiple loads of laundry.

4:: Clean my room- dust it, vacuum, organize, etc. (semi-completed)

5:: Work on my Halloween costume.

I made some solid progress here, and honestly if I didn't do the 5forFive I would not have gotten anywhere with my room or the laundry, but this helped me be motivated to do them.

This weeks goals (10/22 - 10/28)

1:: Finish my Halloween costume.

2:: Make an ortho appt.

3:: finish cleaning my room (dusting, vacuuming, laundry, etc).

4:: Get Randy's birthday present together.

5:: Have a successful banquet for the volleyball girls.

life is good

 

Sunday Social

1. What do you value most in life?
      My family, my friends, my freedom, and the grace of God.

2. What do you think is the greatest invention of your lifetime and why?
       The internet, the iPod/iPhone/smartphone. Because it changed the way we communicate, allowing us to find information quickly and easily.

3. What do you think is the secret to a good life?
       Being a good person. Good karma will give you a good life in return. Be nice to others, be respectful of others, give/help those in need. You'll feel better about yourself in return, it will give you joy knowing you're a good person.

4. What would you most like to be remembered for when you're gone?
       Being a good person, friend, sister, daughter, and coach. And hopefully wife, mother, aunt, etc. I would like people to remember me as someone who enjoyed life, and always had a good time. Life is good!

5. What accomplish in life are you most proud of?
        Probably being offered a Middle School volleyball coaching job. Aside from the basics of graduating high school, and getting accepted into Kent State University, it's coaching volleyball. My first year as a coach we went undefeated 16-0 and 1st place in the tournament. Second year coaching we had a winning record of 9-7 with a 4th place finish in the tournament.

6. If a movie was made about your life who would you want to play you?
         Linsdey Lohan! hah just kidding. It depends.. cause I love Jen Aniston and Sandra Bullock but they're a little old to play a 22 year old. So I guess I'd say Emma Stone or Dakota Fanning cause I think they're awesome too and they're young enough to play me.

Happy Sunday!!
10 more days till Halloween!
life is good

"You go Glen Coco!"

^ name that movie... (Mean Girls).

Now for some of my fav link-ups...

1. Where do you hide junk when people come over?
     In my room. No one really ever goes in my room besides me.

2. Do political ads help you decide who you are going to vote for?
     Nope. Not at all, I think they're annoying.

3. What's your favorite holiday party to host?
     I don't really host any parties myself, considering I still live at home. But if I had to choose I'd say Christmas, or like a 4th of July cookout.

4. You go to an island with your husband and can only take one personal item, what is it?
     Well I don't have a husband but I would definitely take my phone. I love my phone.

5. If you found out your spouse was a Dexter style serial killer (only kills people to save others) would you rat?
    I wouldn't rat, but I'd probably.. definitely.. leave him. That's weird.

If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern

Here's what Goodreads says::
In this charming novel, internationally bestselling author Cecelia Ahern shows that sometimes not seeing is believing Readers and critics alike adore Cecelia Ahern for her lighthearted yet insightful stories about modern women and their often unusual situations. In If You Could See Me Now, she takes that theme a step further, offering us a heroine who is entirely believable, and the new man in her life who is, well, slightly less so. Elizabeth Egan's life runs on order: Both her home and her emotions are arranged just so, with little room for spontaneity. It's how she counteracts the chaos of her family -- an alcoholic mother who left when she was young, an emotionally distant father, and a free-spirited sister, who seems to be following in their mother's footsteps, leaving her own six-yearold son, Luke, in Elizabeth's care. When Ivan, Luke's mysterious new grown-up friend, enters the picture, Elizabeth doesnt know quite what to make of him. With his penchant for adventure and colorful take on things large and small, Ivan opens Elizabeth's eyes to a whole new way of living. But is it for real? Is Ivan for real?

Here's what I say::

Pretty good book. Definitely a different idea. I liked it, and I'm glad I read it. Makes you think out-of-the-box. I love the idea of an imaginary friend and the lessons they teach everyone. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

1.  One thing I plan on doing to relax this weekend is   relax all night tonight, so I'm ready for our tournament tomorrow, then relax again all day Sunday watching the Browns game.

2.  A big pet peeve of mine is  people who drive under the speed limit. people who don't hold doors open for others. people who don't say thank you.

3.  I am really loving  my volleyball girls, my Ohio State Buckeyes, AMC's Fear Fest, that I'm getting my haircut today.

4. The rain is   nice to fall asleep to, but not nice to have to walk in without an umbrella.

5. My favorite girly indulgence is  reality TV.

6. A song I always get stuck in my head is   any song I just listened to, or various theme songs to TV shows.
7.  The best cure for stress is  "a good laugh and a long sleep can cure anything", or a good movie, that's always good too.

life is good

Movie Madness

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Here's what Netflix says:

When Cal Weaver learns that his wife wants a divorce, he reluctantly faces the prospect of single life with the counsel of smooth young bachelor Jacob Palmer. Meanwhile, Cal's adolescent son is in love with his 17-year-old babysitter.

Here's what I say::

Great movie! I loved it, but I think that's to be expected.. a movie with Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone, how can that not be good? Steve is hilarious, Ryan is Ryan, and Emma is great actress. Crazy, Stupid, Love had me laughing the whole time. And, the ending was genius -I never saw it coming. I definitely recommend watching it, hell I wanted to re-watch it as soon as it ended. You know a movie is great when you want to re-watch it almost immediately. Rating: A. 

Happy Thursday!

  

life is good