my blog redesign

Last week I went crazy on Etsy and bought new blog designs for three of my blogs. I love them all but am now constantly checking out what new designs are up. These premade templates are definitely the way to go. You pick out which design you want, pay for it and send your title to the designer. They email you the files and either upload it for you or give you instructions to do it yourself. So simple and voila instant blog.

My blog about everything in general: just denise

(Design from Dream Like Magic)


My blog for my obsession with food, cooking and recipes: addicted to recipes

(Design from Erin Bradley Designs)


My blog/scrapbook for my niece and nephews: life with the Blomquist Triplets

(Design by Simply Fab Blog)

{note the header is off a smidgen but enough to drive me batty -- ugh!}

iPad vs. Kindle

Have you been considering whether to get a Kindle or an iPad? Since I'm the type of person who throws my opinion around, let me just help you out here with some pros and cons:

iPad Pros:
* you will use it more than you use your laptop
* you can load up your photos directly, edit and post to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or your blog
* you can watch movies and television shows (ABC has an app to watch their programs free)
* Kindle app that synchs with your Kindle or iPhone
* can read in the dark

Kindle Pros:
* light weight
* instant download of books
* case has book light so you can read at night

Ah forget the pros and cons. Get them both. They are each worth it.

Sam Moon

If you are a purse fanatic like me, I hope to high heaven there is a Sam Moon close to you.


Late last year we finally got one in our neck of the woods. Every day on my way to work I would see the sign that said what day they would be opening. Having never been to one I was curious but didn't feel the urgent need to be one of the first ones at the store.

So I waited about a month to go and when I walked in, it was like a light from above was shining down on me. Pure Bliss. I had never seen so many fake, cheap purses all in one place in my life.

Now I am a girl who likes my cheap faux purses. I lived for the times I would take a trip to New York because I knew at some point I would be making a stop at one of the street vendors and buying a purse (or two).

One trip, after a meeting I said good-bye to a co-worker and made my way to the corner to check out the purses. I ended up buying four (not all were for me of course) and didn't have any money left for a cab to get back to the hotel. Or any cash to get to the burger place that was on my list of the top 20 burger places to try, much less the money to buy a burger. So I called my boss and asked if she was hungry -- I asked her if she could swing by and pick me up as I was just a few blocks away from this awesome burger place we had to try. She did and laughed when she saw the trash bag full of purses. It was even funnier having to go through the airport with that trash bag because the purses wouldn't all fit in my luggage.

I have found my purse Mecca in Sam Moon and have allotted a monthly shopping trip to my budget. If you haven't been to one yet, run to your nearest Sam Moon.

iPhone Valentine

How stinking cute is this Valentine craft printout from Living Locurto?

It is so easy too -- just print it out on color paper, trim and place around a candy hearts package. Make sure to tape it with double-stick tape and voilà cuteness in a box.

I first came across Living Locurto at the Bloggy Boot Camp in Austin last October and have loved her blog ever since. She always has the cutest things ever.

Check her out for photography tips, cute crafts and all around goodness.

I fell off the wagon....the Weight Watchers wagon

I have some serious issues. There are times when I do great at tracking my Weight Watchers points then there are times, like the last month, where I want to eat everything known to man and don't track to top it off. Christmas was especially bad food wise because I ate too much of everything I baked.

Well today was my day of reckoning and I went in to weigh in and.....by the way, if you didn't know this was the beginning of a new year, all you had to do was go to a Weight Watchers meeting and see the three long lines of people waiting to register. It is NEVER like that at meetings. I wonder how long people will stay at it?

Anyway, back to my weight....I knew I was going to gain weight for the month I was off the wagon but even I was shocked at the number. And there is no way I'm putting that number out here in print. I will say that it was more than 2 lbs and less that 7 lbs. I guess those cookies do add up. Back to tracking.

What is in these cookies?

I baked a lot of cookies this past Christmas and had several favorites but whenever I am jonesing for a cookie I always go to my little Pillsbury doughboy for salvation.

Those ready to bake cookies are Awesome!!! I don't know what they put in those cookies to make them so yummy but if I wasn't on Weight Watchers I would eat an entire box by myself. Oh who am I kidding -- I ate about a dozen last night.

I made the last of the stash I had from the holidays last night but what to my wondering eyes should I see at the store today?

Yes, their Valentines selection of cookies is already out there. And yes I bought a couple of boxes.

If you haven't tasted these you have got to give them a try. Simply the best.

** Pics from the Pillsbsury website **

Damn you, auto correct!

We've all had them. An awkward auto correct on your iPhone. Some are hilarious and some are just downright embarrassing. This DYAC website has some funny as heck autocorrects that will make you cry from laughing so hard.

Here are some examples just to get you to head on over there.....









** Pics from DYAC **

OWN -- the new Oprah Winfrey Network

When I first heard Oprah was going to have her own channel, I thought "seriously?!". What more could she have to say that she hasn't already shared on her show?

I'm glad there was a full day of college football and nothing good on the Food Channel on New Year's Day or else I probably would not have given her new channel a chance. I sat through her Guide to OWN and thought this could be interesting. The Behind the Scenes shows were enough to make me want to watch as I am nosey enough to be interested in what goes on with the staff.

But then I watched her All Stars show with Dr. Oz, Suze Orman and Dr. Phil and I knew I was hooked on this channel. These three powerhouses answered viewer questions and just made the two-hour show fly by. I hope this is a weekly show for OWN as I may have some questions to ask.

Another show I am looking forward to watching on OWN is the Gayle King radio show. I've always adored Gayle and thought she has so much to offer on TV. She is the one who got me on to the hamburger list after all.

** Pics from the OWN website **

I {love} my Amazon Kindle

So I bought myself an Amazon Kindle for Christmas this year and absolutely love it!

I would say I don't know if I will ever buy another paper book again, but alas I did just that last week. There are certain books I will always buy in hard copy because I plan on reading those when I am old, frail and have nothing else to do. But now my first preference for purchasing books will be via Kindle. Hell, knowing me I will buy them in hard copy, Kindle and Audible. And I love that I can read the same book on my iPhone or iPad and it syncs location so I am on the same page no matter which device I use to read. They also offer so many free books via Kindle from the classics to current books as a promotion. Who doesn't love free stuff!

I thought the fact that it doesn't have a backlight to read in bed would be a fault, but since I bought a sleek little cover with a built-in book light that is not a concern.

Another concern was the battery but I find that it lasts quite a long time. And since I don't use my iPhone to read as much anymore, it saves the iPhone battery too. Bonus!

As you might have surmised, I am very happy with my latest electronics purchase!

** Pics from Amazon **

Welcome 2011

As I've written before, I don't normally write out New Year's resolutions because I don't stick to them. And coming up with New Year's Goals as I did in 2010 wasn't much different.

So I'm not doing either. BUT, I'm going to make some observations of life that I hope to improve on in 2011.

{family}
We lost a dear Aunt on December 27 - my dad's sister Tia Nono - and this brought to mind again that we don't see each other as a family as often as we should. Tia was in a nursing home for year's and because it hurt me to see her in there I didn't visit her often. I kept up with how she was doing because my mother was her primary guardian and she saw her often. At her funeral I saw family members I hadn't seen in years. This isn't how we should see family and especially shouldn't see someone only if it's pleasant for you. I'm not going to let so much time go by before seeing my family again.

{health}
I have been on and off Weight Watchers all year. I do great for a while then go weeks of chowing down on anything I can get my hands on. Since Thanksgiving I have been eating like it's going out of style. Next week is my day of reckoning on the scale. Eek! I'm going to get a handle on this emotional and binge eating and recognize why I do both. Also going to stop coming up with excuses to not work out. And continue my healthy cooking including posting recipes on my food blog.

{opportunities}
I am not traveling for work any longer as I am now doing Internet marketing at my job. But that doesn't mean I can't go traveling on my own. I'm going to look for new places to visit and take advantage of opportunities given to me to expand my horizons.

May you all have a wonderful and joyous 2011.