My life as I know it

My dreams have been a weird place lately. They are mostly really happy, and a nice escape from the overwhelming amount of sadness I've been feeling for the last few weeks. But sometimes I dream that Mark is still alive, and while it's happy in my dreams, it's sad again when I wake up and have to remind myself that Mark is really gone and that my life will never be the same. Last night, I must have been dreaming of Mark again because when I woke up, I was calling Pat by Mark's name. It was really weird. I quickly realized I had been dreaming and we both went back to sleep. A few hours later, I woke up to Pat breathing really heavily. I let it go for a while, but when the breathing got even more intense and Pat was almost trying to yell something and was sounding out the letter F, I decided I should wake him up in case he was also having a bad dream. When I got him to wake up, I asked him right away what he was dreaming about. I'm not sure what I was expecting, ma...

It's one of those weeks in the Robinson household where we're trying to stretch our current groceries to avoid going to the grocery store. This is not only a lazy strategy, but an economic one as well. If we can avoid paying $100 (or more) at the grocery store this week, we will. We only do this every once in a while but it's a good way to try and use up some of the items we've already paid for and haven't used. We have a lot of random ingredients and I couldn't decide what to make for dinner tonight. I was missing one or two ingredients for all the new recipes I wanted to try. I remember some of my friends mentioning websites where you can list all the ingredients you have and it will recommend some recipes for you. I couldn't remember the site they used so I did a google search. The first site that came up was Recipematcher.com. So I took the time (about 5 to 10 minutes) to go through and check off all the ingredients we have. Then I clicked "search...

To continue on my previous topic of trash collectors, let me tell you about a voicemail I received the other day. It was from my mom. She was calling to let me know she and my step-dad, Mark, had watched the video I made about the Ugly Sweater Party. They both enjoyed the video and thought it was pretty funny, but she did take issue with a few things about the party. Issue #1: There were a few sweaters from the party that she actually liked and didn't think they qualified as "ugly sweaters." Hmm....I haven't had a chance to follow up with her on this but I can't for the life of me imagine which of the sweaters she actually could see herself wearing. I hope (and pray) it wasn't the lighthouses. Please don't let it be the lighthouses. Although, that would be an easy birthday gift for her in April! Issue #2: When seeing what my friends and I believe constitutes as an "ugly sweater," my Mom found herself thinking about all the sweaters she owns (...

Tuesday night is trash night, also known as garbage pickers night. I became familiar with garbage picking in college, when people were seriously obsessed with driving around to the various college houses and apartments to collect "trash," to,...I guess try to make money off of? I'm not really sure what they did with it to be honest. I thought I'd seen it all until the day Pat and his roommates put their brown couch, that had survived an entire year in a house full of 8 boys, out on the curb. I was absolutely positive no one in their right mind would touch that couch. It didn't look good and it certainly didn't smell good. Did I mention that the couch started off white? If you scratched it, you could see where it used to be white. Gross that I even know that. What's quite possibly even more disturbing is that I actually used to sit on that couch and watch football games and movies. Gross. Anyway, that couch was gone within ten minutes. I was shocked. I ...

Ugly Sweater Party from Emily Robinson on Vimeo . Well, our First Annual Ugly Sweater Party was a huge success! We had SO much fun, as you'll see from the video. I also had so much fun making this video! I got a new flip cam for Christmas so it was fun to actually make a project with the videos! For those who attended the party, you will definitely enjoy all 14 minutes of this video (it is worth every second). I was laughing so hard while I was making it! For those who didn't attend the party, I can see how the video might get old or seem really long. Either way, if you watch it, let me know what you think!

For years, I have been using calculators to figure out sale prices of clothes and for years, this is the formula I have been following: P (price of item) x S (percentage of sale) = Y P (price of item) - Y (amount off because of sale) = F (final price) So for example, if a shirt I liked was originally $34 and is now marked down to $29.99 and you can take an additional 40% off of that: 29.99 x .40  = 12 29.99 - 12 = 17.99 I have never second guessed this formula; it always got me the right answer! And when dealing with Ann Taylor LOFT, the answer usually was, even after the sale, I still couldn't afford the item. Well, I had a HUGE revelation today! I once again received the usual LOFT email promoting their sales and this one said you could get an additional 40% off already discounted sale items, which means they might finally be in my price range -not that I really NEED any new clothes at this time, but a sales a sale and I owe it to myself to look, right? So I starte...

I went back and forth and back and forth about whether I should do the 365 Day Photo Challenge on my current blog or start a new one. I decided to start a new one so that all the pictures are in one place. I think it will be really cool to see them back to back and not having my long, drawn out commentary in between. I'm all caught up and ready to continue this challenge (and I think it will be a challenge, all right)! If you want to follow this blog too, the address is below: http://emilyls2011.blogspot.com/

Several of my friends on Facebook and some of my blogging friends are embarking on the 365 Photo Challenge this year. Today is January 6th, which means I'm already six pictures behind if I want to do this challenge too and I really, really do! You know me, I hate being left out and I would really regret not doing something cool like this! And if not this year, then when? So I'm going to do it. Add this to my list of resolutions! Here is some information about the project: ----------------------- Project 365: How to Take a Photo a Day and See Your Life in a Whole New Way Why do it? Taking a photo a day is a big undertaking with big payoffs. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider doing it: Imagine being able to look back at any day of your year and recall what you did, who you met, what you learned… (Often we find it hard to remember what we did just yesterday or even last night, let alone a whole year ago!) Your year-long photo album will be an amazing wa...

Yes, I said New Year’s Resolutions (plural), as in I have more than one. Of course I do! I’m a goal oriented person and I love setting goals for myself! Even when I’m setting myself up for failure, I still love the act of goal setting and striving to be the best version of me (and let's be honest - that's going to take a lifetime). Besides, goals were made to be broken, right? Or is that rules? Either way.... “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Wow. I’m getting really deep here! My 2011 New Year’s Resolutions: Continue counting calories: I will keep using the “Lose It” app on my iPod touch but instead of just doing it on the weekdays, like I did for the last year, I will actually do it on weekends too. Although I noticed a huge improvement in my eating habits after I started counting calories last January, I think it’s time to step it up to the next level and also use it on the weekends, when I’m often g...

This looks like a pretty darn good meal, if I do say so myself (and I do) Dinner Party Chicken   Thanks to my Aunt Molly for providing me with this awesome recipe and for granting me permission to share it on my blog!         Ingredients 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves 8 slices Swiss cheese (we use provolone or mozzarella) 1 can cream of chicken soup (we use reduced fat) 8 oz. sour cream (we use light) 4 Tbsp. butter, melted 1 1/2 C. stuffing crumbs (we bought the herb seasoned stuffing) Directions Place chicken in bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Cover with a layer of Swiss cheese slices.  Mix together cream of chicken soup and sour cream; spread mixture on top of Swiss cheese slices.  Mix together melted butter and stuffing crumbs; sprinkle moistened stuffing crumbs on top of entire dish.  Bake, covered, at 350 for 45 minutes; uncover and bake 15 minutes more. Serves ...

It seems like the last few years, my New Year’s resolutions have been to go back to school and figure out “what I want to be when I grow up.” Last January, I decided I wanted to go back to school to become a Speech Therapist. I enrolled in one class at Cleveland State University and although I ended up getting an A in the course, it was way too scientific for me and it wasn’t something I could see myself doing. Which in the end is good because I would have had to get both another undergraduate and master’s degree to become licensed. That would have taken many, many years and a lot of money. Not to say it wouldn’t be worth it to have a career/job that made me happy, but if I can avoid getting 2 more degrees to find that job or career, that would be ideal. This year, my New Year’s resolution is a little different. Although I still plan to enroll in a class at CSU for the spring semester, my goal this year isn’t to completely figure out what I want to be when I grow up, but rather to co...

I'm sure we all remember that very dramatic day of November 30, 2010, when I donated blood to the American Red Cross for the very first time. I got a letter this week confirming that my blood was indeed received (thank goodness it didn't go to waste) and that I saved up to three lives. Go me! I also received a cool little card with my name and my blood type on it. I never knew what type of blood I had! My blood is 0 Positive, which is the most popular kind of blood. And according to the Red Cross, this type of blood is highest in demand. Well, don't I feel important? The letter that accompanied this cool little card was urging me to come back and give blood again as soon as I'm eligible, which is on January 25, 2011 (so soon?). The letter stated, and I quote: "You really have done something amazing. And now you personally can do something even more remarkable with just a few moments of your time. Come back, and give blood again. You see, only 30% of first-...

As 2010 comes to a close and my step-dad Mark is back in the hospital, I can't help but reflect on what a roller coaster this last year has been. In 2010, I got to see so many of my friends get married and start their futures together. I was also there to watch a friend bury her husband before their one-year wedding anniversary. I was lucky enough to celebrate my one year anniversary with my husband and best friend. A best friend got engaged while other friends are still waiting to meet that Mr. or Mrs. Right. I've watched people I love and care about fight for their life against the awful wrath of cancer. I've received birth announcements and pregnancy announcements of friends and family. I've watched people I love and care about struggle to start families. I started a new job filled with new challenges, new learning opportunities and new friends and coworkers. I've watched family and friends struggle through jobs that don't make them happy. I watched a f...