March 2014 Goals

Let's recap February Goals before I get into March.

• complete the 30 Day Beach Body Challenge
• run at least 1 mile every weekend
• no soda - see ya, Dr. Pepper
• have $3000 dollars saved up by March 1st
• no nail biting
• sell my first batch of clothes to Platos or Hut No 8 (closet downsizing for my move)
• try one new craft and post about it
• make one new cupcake and post about it

Okay, so I did better than I thought! Woot woot! 6/8 not bad!!!

- I didn't complete the 30 Day Beach Body Challenge because I failed to plan. I got my side tattoo colored and well working out was not going to happen. Sooo I kept up with it until the veryyyyy last week. Lame sauce.
- Running a mile every weekend? I FAILED. I did start walking 2 miles at lunch for the last week of February, but technically that does not count.
- I didn't have one single sip of soda!
- I exceeded my goal of $3000!
- I did not bite my nails once!!!! I've actually been filing them. That's a first!
- I made $45 selling my first batch of clothes. That money went in my cupcake piggy bank.
- I painted a few things as my craft for the month! I haven't posted them yet. Stay tuned.
- I made a Glazed Doughnut Cupcake, but the post has not launched yet. Stay tuned x 2.

• (edit) exercise minimum of 3 times a week
• have $5000 saved up by April 1st
• sell another batch of clothes
• learn to make a button for my blog - so I can start sponsoring you lovely people
• sponsor at least one blogger
• launch the Mermade Moments re-vamp
• finish one book and post a review
• apply for school in Monterey

What are your goals for the month? Send me your links! :)

Love in a Box Blogger Swap - February

February was the first month that Megan and Kimberly hosted the Love in a Box Blogger Swap!

The guidelines are as follows:

1. Box value cannot exceed $25, or $20 for international swaps.
2. Boxes must be sent by the 18th of each month, or by the 15th for international swaps.
3. Each participant must create a blog post about the swap and include a link to this page for interested bloggers.
4. Each participant must follow the hosts, Megan of Lush to Blush and Kimberly of Kimberly’s Chronicle on Bloglovin and at least one other social media. You must also follow the blogger you are swapped with each month.

I was paired with Lizzie from October June for this month and I was so excited! I've stalked her blog ever since I joined the HCBN and commented back and forth a few times with her. After exchanging a few emails, I knew we would be blog friends! She's a lover of coffee, a Harry Potter fan and a total sweetheart!

She sent me Fresh Sparkling Snow hand cream. It smells great and is perfect since I never get snow in California! I sent her Market Peach scented items to give her a taste of warmer weather and I thought this was funny! Great minds think alike!

I also got Rosehip body butter! The smell isn't overpowering and I cannot wait to use it! 

I've contemplated buying myself this notebook so many times from Target and I'm glad I waited!! 

I LOVE bracelets. I wear multiple a day and I LOVE this one. It's the prettiest green. Dainty and perfect for stacking. 

Lastly. I totally have these same note cards.

Let's just say, Lizzie gets me. The end. Thank you, lovely!!!! 

The 11 Types of People on Facebook

No introduction needed.

 

• "OMG I HAVE THE BEST BOYFRIEND EVER!" - The Over Exaggerator. If your relationship was really THAT good, we wouldn't be hearing about it. Are you trying to convince yourself? Or us of his greatness?
• "Aunt Flo is here to visit. Who wants to bring me cake?" - The Over Sharer. Gross. Nobody cares.
• "Someone do something with me, please!!!" - The Begger. There might be a reason nobody is "hitting you up."
• "Hey cutie. We should be friends." - The Creeper. Boys, do yourself a favor. Delete your social media accounts and crawl in a hole.
• "You think it's cute to cheat?? I'll show you!!"... five minutes later. "Oh baby, I love you!" - The Crazy Girlfriend. You make yourself look stupid. Nobody feels bad for you anymore. The end.
• "Don't you hate when your friend's don't write you back?? (Tags person) - The Name Dropper. You look CRAZY. Maybe your friend is busy...doing other things besides stalking people on Facebook.
• "Send me lives on Candy Crush!" - The Lame Gamer. NO. I do not want to play that game. I do not want to send you lives or whatever they are called. I have ignored your 10,007 requests to play. For. A. Reason.
• "So & So liked your picture from 2007." - The Social Media Stalker. WHY? This is not throwback thursday. No need to comment. The pictures are usually not cute anyway. Leave them in the past where they belong.
• "I hate my life." - The Negative One. Stop crying wolf. People don't like your negativity. And when they try and help, you respond with "I don't want to talk about it!" Obviously you did. Or you wouldn't have posted it for all 396 of us to see.
• "So & So uploaded 12 new pictures." - The Attention Seeker. WE KNOW WHAT YOUR FACE LOOKS LIKE. No need to post 12 selfies.
• "OMG, I'm so handsome and rich and funny and you should be sad you missed out!" - The Desperate Guy You Used To Date (for like one week). You are not handsome. Or rich. Or funny. You are desperate and annoying. Move on.

This was a totally unexpected post, but I felt I just had to address the people of Facebook. I honestly have grown to HATE Facebook. (Sorry mom, I know it's not nice to say hate.) I just hate it. People are so negative and dramatic. Don't start a fight. Don't call people out. Don't air out your dirty laundry for all to see. Just don't.

The end. Sooo uhhh. Let's be friends? Unless you are one of the people mentioned above...JK.

email : miranduh007@yahoo.com
IG : meranneduh1
Twitter : meranneduh1
Facebook : http://facebook.com/mermademoments

Cake Pops Make The World Go Round

I want to start posting more baking things on here. I decided to start with a tip on how to make cake pops round - the easy way! I was going with the whole "deliciously homemade" look for awhile, until I decided there had to be a better way. Cake pops are fantastic whether they are lopsided or cracked or perfectly round, but since we eat with our eyes first, I gave in.

I probably should've taken pictures of the baking process, but I didn't want to insult anyone's intelligence. You just bake a cake like you normally would. When it is cooled, add about 3/4 can of frosting and mix it with your hands until it forms a dough. Then place the dough in the refrigerator for a couple hours or in the freezer if you are pressed for time. I usually opt for the freezer because I'm impatient and often in a hurry.

Stuff You Need:

• box cake mix and can of frosting
• chocolate melts of some sort
• sticks - I use wilton

So! Your cake is baked and all mixed up with frosting. You have your dough in front of you and you are ready to go... right?

1. Take a piece of your 'dough' - you can use a scoop from Wilton or OXO or whatever you prefer. Sometimes I use the scoop and other times I eyeball it. I eyeballed it this time. Take the piece and make a ball, it doesn't have to be perfect!!! Now, flatten it. See told you.
   
2. Flattening the dough will eliminate the chances of cracked cake pops. Step 2? ROLL ROLL ROLL as fast as you can. Seriously Do it quick!
   
   
3. You should have a pretty round ball of cake pop goodness - if you rolled quick enough. Roll all of the cake balls out and set them on a plate or tray. Then place them in the fridge or freezer. Time varies for this. I like the freezer best. I will leave them in there for about an hour or even longer if I have to leave to do something.
   
4. Take your cake balls out of the fridge or freezer. Bust out your Wilton sticks and left over frosting. Dip one end of the stick into the frosting and then stick that same side into your cake ball. Do this for all of them. Work quickly. The cake balls have grown up to be pops! I like to put my cake pops back in the freezer  for 15 minutes (even longer of you have the time or something else to do) for good measure. Nobody wants a floating cake ball in their cup of dippping chocolate.

 
5. NOW! The fun begins.

 

Right before you remove the cake pops from the freezer, you have to melt your chocolates. You can use chocolate chips or any sort of baking chocolate, but I like candy melts because they melt great and come in pretty colors. I melt mine in a coffee cup because it's deeper than a bowl. I put them in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each 30 second interval. I do this twice.

6. Dip your little heart out. Slowly submerge the cake pop into the cup of chocolate. Cover the cake pop with chocolate and slowly pull it back out. Tap the stick on the side of the cup to get the excess chocolate off. Do this for all of the pops. I set them on saran wrap. This prevents sticking.

7.  While the pops are still wet, you can cover them with sprinkles! This is totally optional of course, but let's be real. Sprinkles make everything better.

 

 You are done! Cake pops are a lot of work, but they are so worth it. If you have any questions, please email me!

Extra Tips:

• Boxed mix & canned frosting works best. It's against by making religion, but just do it. 
• If you are making small pops, use the skinnier Wilton sticks. For large cake pops, use the thicker Wilton sticks.
• DO NOT buy the little melting boxes from Wilton. They will burn and start to catch fire in your microwave. They are coated with this weird waxy stuff and yeah just don't.

Let's be friends!

email : miranduh007@yahoo.com
IG : meranneduh1
Twitter : meranneduh1

 

 

You Know You Just Got A Side Tattoo When...

source

You know you just had your side done when...

• you attend a birthday party and all the drunk people are lifting up your shirt at the bar.
• it takes you three outfit changes to get ready for said party because you are trying to not get blood, aquaphor or any other gunk on your clothes.
• you also can't wear a bra. that makes things interesting.
• you layer shirts underneath a flowy shirt and throw a jacket over for work on Monday (no bra remember?)
• you sleep on the couch because it's the only place you can get comfortable.
• you dread taking a shower, but once you're in you wish you would've done it sooner. It hurts so good!
• your boyfriend doesn't want to come close to you for fear of hitting your tattoo.
• he ends up hitting it anyway.
• you walk around like you've just been hit by a car.
• it hurts to breathe, stand, sit, bend over, and exist.
• you hold your pee because it becomes such a task.
• you tell yourself you are never getting another tattoo again.
• you lied.

I had the second sitting of my side tattoo on Friday. No pictures yet! I have to go back one more time. My right side is tattooed from above my bra area to right above where my jeans sit on my hips. The top part of the tattoo was done a couple years ago. The most recent part is the biggest part and the most painful. The color is what I had done on Friday. Not too bad, but it's a fairly large area and you never realize how much you use certain body parts until it hurts. The pain is temporary, but the art lasts forever! (cheesy, I know)

Do you have tattoos? Do you feel my pain? Let's talk!

email : miranduh007@yahoo.com
IG : meranneduh1
Twitter : meranneduh1

Tall Girl Problems

Standing at a little over 5'9", I've dealt with tall girl problems my whole life. I've compiled these for your enjoyment.

• Everybody asks you to get things off the top shelf. "Come here! You're tall!"
• Strangers stop you and ask "wow! how tall are you?"
• People tell you that you should model.
• Your shoes look like boats. Size 9? Really?
• Shoe selection. Anybody else walk embarrassed over to the last. row. of. shoes?
• Going shoe shopping with your friend who wears size 5.
• Pants. Don't. Fit. Waist, thighs, butt, legs. You can't have it all!
• Wearing pants that were 2 sizes too big growing up. Saggy butts unite.
• Being taller than all the boys while growing up.
• Being taller than most of the boys now that you are grown up.
• 97% of the people that hug you are using yours boobs as temporary pillows.
• No heels for you.
• Wearing heels and all the "WOW! How tall are you now??" comments start coming.
• Dancing. Drop it low. Who thought of that? I can't go any lower!
• Dropping something and having your shorter friend pick it up. "You're closer!"
• No clothes and shoe sharing for you. None for you, Glen Coco.
• Shirts as dresses. One trend that just doesn't work.
• Certain crop tops. Those things barely cover my boobs.
• Dresses in general. Had to invest in spandex shorts at an early age.
• Tights/nylons with feet. Please no. The Medium/Tall size should just be ankle length. Saggy crotches. Yuck.
• Sitting in the backseat. "Do you have enough leg room?" Do I ever?

Do you feel my pain? Do you have any tall girl problems to add to the list? Please share!

Let's be friends.

Email: miranduh007@yahoo.com
IG: meranneduh1
Pinterest: meranneduh1

Schooled - Book Review

I just finished reading Schooled by Anisha Lakhani.

Honestly, I picked it up from the Barnes and Noble clearance area because it was $2. I was desperate for some new reads and I judged a book by it's cute cover and catchy summary. Oops ;)

Schooled is about Anna Taggert, a fresh graduate from Columbia, who just landed her dream teaching job at an elite private school in Manhattan. She soon realizes this school is unconventional in many ways and all of the students have "tutors". The tutors are actually private school teachers from all over the area. At first, Anna is against the whole tutoring thing. Students should do their own work, right? Wrong. When the students have rich parents, anything goes. Eventually her teaching salary and run down apartment get the best of her and she goes over to the dark side. The road to the dark side was paved with Chanel bags and Jimmy Choo shoes. The question is...was it worth it?

This is basically Gossip Girl from a teacher's perspective. I loved it, definitely entertaining. Totally worth it - clearance priced or not.

What are you reading?

Let's be friends!

email : miranduh007@yahoo.com
IG : meranneduh1
Pinterest : meranneduh1