Looks like we made it...

Did you know that Beau and I almost didn't make it to where we are today?

::rewind to 2008::

A few months into our relationship - and a few months after buying a brand spanking new car - Beau and I were together at our local rescue squad, where we were both members. We said our goodbyes and went to go to our houses (since we still lived separately at the time).

Before I had a chance to pull out of the parking lot. BAM! Beau backed into me!!

He thought I had left already. I thought he knew what a freaking mirror was.

Long story short, there I was bawling. The first car I had ever gone to a dealership and bought brand new -- dented! And I'm not talking about a small dent... he dented/crinkled my passenger side door, piece under the door, and front panel. Yes, he dented the bumper on his new car as well but that popped right out.

Did I mention that I cried? A lot? Pretty much all afternoon to my daddy. Then again to Beau when I saw him later that night.

$1,500.00 later -- and wondering if I should break up with the ahole who bashed his car into mine -- my car was back to new and I forgave Beau for what he did. I am extremely careful where I park now though!

And no, I don't have any pictures. I was going to take

some but I didn't want the memory of my new car dented.

Prayers needed for a little fighter...

Before I get into anything else, I wanted to inform my readers that 90 Percent Blonde is now on Facebook! Go 'like' the page to get post updates though The Book.

Now on a more serious note, you see this adorable little boy right here:

This cutie is a good friend's cousin and is right now fighting for his life. A little over a year ago, he had a seizure. His official diagnosis was non-curable brain cancer and was given 6 months to a year to live.

After many rounds of treatments in the US, his mother and him went to Germany for a treatment but has gone downhill since then. Jacob is clinging to his life while an ocean away from his family. Last night, his mother posted the following on Facebook...

They are currently trying to get him home to be with his loved one.

My heart breaks for him and his family. Please, PLEASE keep him in your prayers tonight.

For more information on Jacob, you can visit his website here or his Facebook page here.

A Sunday Social from the Poconos...

Good morning afternoon from the beautiful Pocono Mountains!

PB and Nutella on the porch... Yes, please :-)

And since it's the last day of the weekend, it means that it's time for Sunday Social...

1. What is your dream job?
My dream job - within reason - would have to be Owner/Operator of a dog shelter. Need an example? Think Tia Torres from Pitbulls and Parolees. This dream will happen!

But my dream, dream job would be being a Broadway actress... Like Glinda in Wicked...

2. If you had just won the lottery and didn't need to work for money, what would you do with your time?
I would travel the US and Europe then maybe do something with the animals in Africa.


3. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Honestly (and you can verify this with my parents) I wanted to pump gas when I grew up. I reached far, didn't I!


4. What piece career advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field?
In the animal field: Don't show fear -- be as confident as you can be. The animals with sense and feed off of your fear.

In the office world: Be neat and tidy. Your day with go so much smoother if your desk is organized and paperwork is in order.


5. What are your biggest pet peeves in life, blogging, or at work?
This goes along with the one above... Organization!

Oh, and staples. It only requires ONE staple people!!!

6. What are your biggest fears?
Dying before my parents and having my parents die before me.
Planets (seriously).
Something happening to my dogs.


Have a great Sunday and don't forget to wish Bethany a happy birthday!

Saved more than spent at Target... Win!

Yesterday I saved more at Target than I spent.

Yes, it's possible. It takes willpower to only get what you have coupons for though!

What I purchased with amounts

Coupons used through Target's website (link found below)

I found all of the coupons used on Target's website here.

I must say, I was amazed when my total came up on the screen. I don't think I've ever spent under $10 at Target -- especially on 4 items!

Have a wonderful Saturday! Only 5 more Saturdays until college football starts!!

Friday letters...

Dear Friday: Thank goodness you are finally here. And? I have the day off... that's a win-win right there.

Dear Beau: I did not appreciate you stealing the covers last night. You're going down, boy!

Dear Sammy: It's acceptable for you to steal the covers. I mean, you're so gosh darn cute -- how can Momma deny that face?

Dear Tennis Injury: Yes, I cut myself playing tennis. I really wish you weren't on the part of my wrist which rests against the desk while I type. It's quite annoying. Please heal quickly, thanks.

Dear Target: Why must you always take my hard earned money? I try to avoid you on payday but it's so tough.

Dear September 1st: The Color Run AND Clemson's first football game of the season both on the same day!?! I may pass out that morning out of excitement.

Dear Clean Eating: I've decided to start you the week after next since I can't resist funnel cake at the Farmer's Fair next week. I'd rather delay starting you instead of failing.

Dear Mom and Dad: I'm so glad you come home from Virginia today... I tried to keep the pool clear. My attempts just didn't fully work. Sorry!

Dear Two Men From Last Night: (that sounded dirty) Anyway, thank you for moving the tree that was across the road far enough for me to squeeze me car through. You two were lifeesavers!

Guest Post: Nikki from My Life My Way

I have a great treat for you all today! Welcome to my blog, Nikki. Take it away!

---------------------------

Hello there friends of Sarah! My name is Nikki and I blog over at My Life My Way. When I saw that Sarah was looking for someone who could help her out and do a guest post I was super excited to help her out! I love guest posting for other bloggers!

Today I wanted to talk to you about dream vacations! Who can honestly say they have never sat around and thought about all the places they could go. I know I am "guilty" of doing it everyday from time to time.

When someone asks me where I wanna go on vacation these are some of the places I rattle off RIGHT AWAY...

Source: google.com via Nikki on Pinterest

Cabo! Who wouldn't want to go there? I mean come on!

Source: wackymania.com via Nikki on Pinterest

Havasu Falls in Arizona. Who knew the US had something like this hidden in it?!?

Source: thefancy.com via Nikki on Pinterest

Granted I have been to St. Lucia but I would go back in a heart beat!

Source: thefancy.com via Nikki on Pinterest

Bora Bora. Seriously I do not know one woman who does not not have this on their dream vacation list!

Source: kenduncan.com via Nikki on Pinterest

Australia.

Source: facebook.com via Nikki on Pinterest

Croatia

Source: google.com via Nikki on Pinterest

Greece. I would die! Beautiful!

Source: flickr.com via Nikki on Pinterest

San Fran! I am going in the fall and I can not wait to cross this one off my list!

What are some places on YOUR dream vacation list?

-------------------------------------

Nikki,

Thank you for guest blogging and thank you for giving me the travel bug... I think I need to convince Beau into planning a vacation pronto! So much for actually doing work today since I'll be looking at hotels in places I can't afford all day. Can't wait to meet you next month at the Color Run!

What I'm Loving Wednesday...

Today I am loving...

... that as soon as Beau gets his butt going, we are headed shoe shopping, playing tennis, then to a local pub for Wing Wednesday.

... that the fabulous Nikki just informed me that NJ has a Color Run on 9/1. How I missed it when I was looking at their location list is beyond me. Actually, it's because I'm blonde. Time to step up the training!

... the nice breeze blowing through the house since it's beautiful enough out to have the windows open.

... that Sammy seems to be getting better. Thank goodness since this morning was her last dose of medicine. She's still getting the rice/hamburger mixture for another few days though.

... that I only had to work 4 days this week. Yup 4. Count them... Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Well, besides from dog sitting all week. Speaking of...

... that my dog sitting business cards shipped today!

What are you loving today?

Run, Forest, Run!!!

I started a 'bucket list' about 1 year ago and while there are many things on it, there is one that I plan on working hard and accomplishing during 2013 -- injured spine or not.

First, I obviously need to train and work hard so this back of mine makes it. But I plan on my first 5K being a smaller one (as in, local and $20 or less registration fee)

Then - hopefully by next fall - I'll be able to do one or both of the 5Ks I've been dying to participate in...

How awesome would it be to do the Run For Your Lives 5K in Pittsburgh or the Color Run in Philly?!

To help with my motivation, I ordered this...

I can't wait for this to come in the mail! I have never been so excited to sweat in my life!

ViewSPORT has so many shirts with awesome sayings and sweat activated words. I have a feeling this is my first purchase of many. Unless they want to send me a shirt or two to try out... I will gladly test them!

I can, AND WILL, do this!

A little piece of heaven...

What happens when three girls all have a 'present' from Mother Nature at the same time?

You sit around and eat the deliciousness called M&M's Sweet & Salty.

To say they are addicting is to say the least. They are also the perfect blend for 'that time'. I may need to buy stock in M&M!

Please note that this is not a sponsored post.

Sick as a dog...

Yesterday I played hookie... It's not that I didn't want to go to work (lets be real, I took an extra shift on Monday -- my only day off this week) but I needed to stay home.

I needed to so I could stay home with my sick puppy.

If you followed be on Twitter, you would know that already though... @90percentblonde #shamelessplug

It all began Wednesday night. And by all, I mean the *explosive* diarrhea which continued all night and all day. Around 6am it became accompanied by vomiting. Those with a furbaby (or human baby) know how tough it is to see them sick. My heart was breaking to see her sad little sick eyes.

Finally around 8am - once her stomach settled for the moment and the floors were cleaned - we snuggled in bed while she took a two hour nap. Even though she woke up acting more like herself, her GI issues were still there and have yet to take a turn for the better.

What could have caused all this?

On Tuesday we went swimming. Well, Sammy went swimming as we screamed her name. Normally we don't have any trouble with her but on this particular day, there were a bunch of geese in the water which we didn't see until we rounded the corner... Sammy saw them first and took off swimming after them. Beau had to go in to get her attention so she'd leave them and come back. She was waaaaay out there though -- causing Momma to have a heart attack and cry -- and causing Sammy to drink a ton of water.

This, my friends, is what we like to call 'Don't drink the water in Mexico.' Because what happens when you do? You get a bacterial infection which causes liquid to spew out both ends (nice visual, right).

So for the next 10 days, I will be shoving pills down my poor puppy's throat, trying to convince her that Gatorade tastes good, and making her beef and rice for breakfast and dinner. My fingers are crossed that she feels better soon because this furmommy can't take the sad eyes.

On the plus side - and yes, oddly enough there is a plus side - I can now testify that the Dawn dish soap and hydrogen peroxide combination which can be found on Pinterest is LE-GIT!

This picture will take you to original source.

Top left: Stain after being treated with Resolve then Dyson cleaner.
Top right: 5 minutes after being sprayed with Dawn/H2O2 mix
Bottom: That night.

Guest Post: Meagan from Megs7827

Because of my recent busy schedule, the gorgeous Meagan (who has the cutest little boy) offered to guest blog for me... and what better topic than pre-wedding advice! Take it away Megs!

Hey 90 Percent Blonde readers, I'm Meagan! I blog over at Megs7827. Here I am on my wedding day, October 11, 2009. I had been running 5 times a week. Had my hair and make up done. Was getting tons of sleep at night.

Here we are this year on the 4th of July. As you can see our family got another member May 1st, 2011. The only exercise I get now is chasing that tiny giant and my 300 ab challenge that I rarely do now. I shower at night and my hair does what it wants and make up is mascara. I get very little sleep at night.

What a difference 2.5 years makes, huh?

But, I'm not here today for a mommy make over or to be your birth control. I'm here doing what I love to do, give advice! On Tuesdays, I host a tips and tricks Tuesdays for moms link up. You should stop by to get some advice for the future! Or see cute pictures of my kid. The rest of the week I try to throw in some celeb or tv talk and sometimes I get serious.

Today, I'm not giving mommy advice. Today, I'm giving engagement advice since our friend, Sarah, is engaged!

1. Don't wait until the last minute! I have been a bridesmaid in several weddings and it drove me crazy when the bride was picking her father/daughter dance song the night before the wedding.

2. Stay away from Pinterest! Pinterest didn't exist in 2009, thank goodness! But it did exist when I was planning my son's 1st birthday and made me a crazy person. I know I would be WAY over budget if I had Pinterest to look at all day while planning a wedding.

3. Don't sweat the small stuff. Our wedding favors were a different shade of maroon than the table linens and I remember not wanting to put the favors on the tables. No one cares.

4. Get a photographer that is recommended by someone you know. Our photographers were recommended by the wedding site people and I saw their websites and thought they would be fine. I was disappointed with our pictures and really that's one of the most important things.

5. Be a bridezilla every once in awhile. I thought I liked a color for the bridesmaids' dresses online and when I saw it in person didn't love it but stuck with it for some reason. I couldn't sleep that night and was a bridezilla having the store change everyones' orders the next day.

6. Cherish girl time. I know some people have done couples showers. I went traditional and had a womens only bridal shower. We went to Vegas together for the bachelor/bachelorette party. We had one night separate where the girls went to dinner and Thunder from Down Under. I don't get very much girl time these days and I'm glad I had that time before I got married. Have a crazy bachelorette party! What other time in your life are you going to get to act like that?

7. Make your fiance plan the honeymoon! If you can, take a honeymoon right after the wedding. We didn't want to fly any where so we did a road trip down the coast of California and stayed at the 4 seasons in Santa Barbara. It was the trip of a lifetime! We were just on a natural high from the wedding and it was so nice to be done with all the stress of it. We got massages, went wine tasting, ate great food. Magical! You have too much going on so have him plan it!

That's all the advice I have for today! Can't wait to hear all about the wedding and the honeymoon! When you walk down that aisle towards the rest of your life take a mental picture of that face! There is nothing like it! Congratulations!

Sarah, I had so much fun doing this post! Thanks for letting me guest post!

-------------------------------------------

No, Meagan - Thank YOU for such a wonderful post on advice that I am definitely going to use!

Now if you haven't already, go check out her blog!

If you really knew me...

After seeing Michelle, Steph, and Bethany do this, I've decided to jump off the bridge with them.

So, if you really knew me, you would know...

... that I can never stay awake during a movie. I sometimes don't even make it to the main menu on a DVD before snoozing. Because of this, I am hardly every allowed to pick the movie since Beau ends up watching it alone.

... that I changed what engagement ring I wanted three times before deciding I wanted a sapphire then put Beau through hell designing the prefect one.

... that I can be extremely shy at first but once I warm up, I'm a social butterfly.

... that I have been doing some dog sitting on the side and it makes me even more eager to open up my boarding/daycare/shelter facility in Virgina.

... that I only want one kid. Unluckily for me, twins run in both sides of the family and no one in my generation has had them yet. If it happens, I will probably die.

... that I have many reasons for only wanting one child but one of those reasons is that I don't want to share the love I have for my furbabies with drooling, human babies (but I'll need one kid to keep my gene pool alive).

... that I wear contacts and I do not change them nearly as much as I should.

... that I do not permit having a television in the bedroom. It's one of my biggest 'living together' rules.

... that I fear fire and dying before my parents. At the same time though, I fear having to lay my parents into the ground. I don't know what I would do without them both in my life.

... that when I was a kid, my dream job was to pump gas. I am now able to live that dream every time I go to Virginia (or if I drive 10 minutes to Pennsylvania but then I pay more for the gas).

... that I normally blog on my 17" HP laptop from 2007 - out of convenience - but occasionally use the 27" iMac that we have upstairs.

... that I prefer Dunkin Donuts over Starbucks.

... that I sleep with mace and a baseball bat next to the bed.

Sunday Social - Vacation all I ever wanted...

It's time for another Sunday Social with Neely and Ashley!

Best trip you've ever been on?
Without a doubt, I would have to go with my 10-day tour of the castles of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein that I took the summer before my sophomore year of high school.

Please ignore the quality -- yes, they are pictures of pictures.

I was too lazy to take them out of the album and scan each one.

And yes, I look like I was 12 but I was actually 15 and legally old enough to drink.

Best idea for a girls weekend trip?
Anywhere that includes a spa and a good place to bar hop (which can be substituted for a beach with cabana boy)

Best idea for a couples trip?
Somewhere relaxing where the two of you can wind down and take a breathe of fresh air. One of these days I hope to get Beau to Block Island, RI for a weekend getaway.

Best vacation on the cheap?
Day trip - Local vineyard or brewery.
Overnight - Visit somewhere like Boston where there are many free things to fill your day with.

Place you most want to visit?
I think London would be an amazing place to visit (with a little Kate Middleton stalking) and I've always wanted to go to Hawaii.

Vacation/Travel necessities?
Laugh all you want, but I have two stuffed animals - one that looks like Bow and one that looks like Sammy - that I take with me when I go on vacation.

But for all of you non-animal folks... comfy shoes appropriate for the location, extra hair ties since one always has to break, some type of GPS app to help you tour the city, a good book (or plenty of condoms -- or not) for down time, some cash in case something happens with your credit/debt card, Tylenol to help with a hangover so you don't miss out, and either the cords for your camera or an extra memory card - depending on the size.

Obviously there are many, many more travel necessities but there is not enough time to go through them all!

Friday letters without the use of marijuana...

Remember how I told you yesterday that I've been uninspired lately? Well, I told Beau that last night and his response was, "If you want we can pick you up some pot." Then proceeded to sing, "I can see clearly now the rain is gone." Well thank you Johnny Nash but I will skip my turn to puff puff then pass.

{Please note that we do not use or promote the use of marijuana or any other illegal substance}

I've decided that what I need is a Friday Letters sesh so that's exactly what I am going to do...

Dear Friday the 13th - Lets bring some good, kapeesh?

Dear spell check - No, I didn't not mean 'japes', 'capers', or any of the other words you listed.

Dear Beau - Please never quit your day job to become a singer. Don't get me wrong, I would support you if you did but please don't put me through that misery. Also, thank you for working out with me 4 times (so far) this week. It's nice to have your company while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Dear body, and more specifically, spine - Even though you ache/throb like the dickens after a short run, or after anything really, thank you for holding up. I'm trying to get you fixed but this takes time. I'm glad that you are still allowing me to get out of bed every morning without too much trouble.

Dearest darlingest Momsie and Popsicle - Aren't you glad I don't call you that on a regular basis?

Dear Christian Louboutin - Your new Cinderella-inspired shoes would look awfully good on this bride's feet. Just saying...

Dear live puppy cam - Swoon <3

Dear co-workers at my new job - Thank you for welcoming me in with open arms. I already see some awesome friendships starting to bloom.

Dear Bethany - This totally made my day yesterday...

Dear readers - I'm sorry that my posts have been scarce lately. I will hopefully be back on track soon. Just don't expect it within the next two weeks (but I will have some guest posts for you).

Dear cheese puffs - Why must you be so amazeballing addictive?! You completely cancel out those walks Beau and I have been taking with your cheesy goodness. And why do you have to come in such a large container? My elbow does not enjoy getting covered with cheese powder every time I go in for one.

Dear DirecTV and Viacom - I cannot believe that you two haven't come to an agreement yet. You have some pretty angry customers which includes this girl. Will I at least be compensated for not having channels that I pay for and regularly watch???

Now that's some funny shiznit...

I wish I had a nice post for you guys today but I am completely uninspired. My life this week has consisted of working and actually getting Beau to take runs with me. So instead of words written by me, I shall leave you with someecards...

But before I get to that, remember how I told my dad I wanted to go to a freak show? Maybe I didn't post about that... Anyway, it went like this:

Me: I want to go to a freak show one day but Coney Island closed.
Dad: You are going to one -- on July 14th.
::I thought about it for a second::
Me: You're right, Mom's family reunion IS like going to a freak show!

Well, July 14th is this Saturday so wish me luck!!