friday favorites: here comes santa/peter cottontail

Happy Last Friday of March to you!

Happy Last Friday of March to you!

Happy Last Friday of March to yooooouuuuuuuuuuuuu.

Happy Last Friday of March to you!

^^to be sung to the tune of Happy Birthday...

...or any song of your choice...

...it just might sound weird. 

Three more Fridays until my Pilates test out. 

::insert sweaty armpits and such here::

Favorite Jam (clarification: music jam, not jam jam) (but strawberry jam would be my favorite) 

Let Me Down Easy by Sheppard.

Otherwise known as the song that I can't. stop. singing. 

Favorite Food

I feel like when I use the header Favorite Food a full-on recipe is expected. I apologize for the snack food I'm about to show you.

BUT have you tried these?! Have you gotten in your car to go to Kroger to get some right now?! Have you taken a picture of you eating them to post on Inta with the hashtag #omgyum?!

Good. 

Favorite Gif That Explains My Face When Freddie Puts On March Madness Instead Of House Of Cards

Favorite Pilates Move

Speaking of March Madness...in the Pilates world it's actually referred to as March Matness which is way cooler. Seriously, next time you're at work but not working (read now), search the hashtag #marchmatness. One day last week was Double Leg Kick. Hello, exercises that work the posterior chain of the body. Hello, side of the body that gets worked the least in today's computer working/phone texting world. Now drop down and give me twenty. Or just two to four. 

Let's also say hello to Emily's ginormous neck vein. That is not required to do double leg kick, but it might help some. Who knows. 

Favorite Easter Thing I'll Never Actually Make

Where the Peter Cottontail did Easter come from this year?! It was literally just Christmas and I'm still having PTNCTASD: Post Traumatic No Christmas Tree Anymore Stress Disorder. I say all of this to tell you that I have no Easter decorations up right now and I think my housewife card is about to be taken away. Ugh, now I gotta go vacuum in heels AND pearls to make up for it. In the meantime, check out the Easter thing that I wish I had done.

via

Happy Friday!

Linking up with Karli and Amanda. 

ten on tues

This past weekend was a doozy. Want to know why? Because I got my first sunburn of 2016. 

Isn't that so special?! It's like a baby's first steps or a child's first day of school. My very first sunburn of the year! Where's my mom to take a picture and brag about my sunburn accomplishment on her Facebook? Oh wait, I'm an adult so am I supposed to brag about myself on Facebook? Ugh, the rules of social media brags are so complicated. 

Anyways in honor of such a success of a weekend in my book, I decided to celebrate 10 On Tuesday by making a list of other 2016 firsts I can't wait to make happen. 

1 | My first mosquito bite! Where will he bite me?! When?! Will I come out with one bite or fifty?! Will my blood be as tasty as it has been for the past twenty-six years?! Oh my gosh, the suspense is killing me. 

2 | My first second, third, fourth, and eleventeenth sunburns of the year. If there is one thing I am good at, it's not putting on sunscreen. I swear I apply it on a nekkid body and get a good layer on, but somehow a ghost comes in and wipes it off my body in random streaks that the sun manages to find within my first five to ten minutes outside. 

3 | A viral blog post. I'm still waiting on my first viral blog post(s) of the years 2010-2015 to happen. Patience is a virtue. Or something. 

4 | The first time I remind someone that my birthday is coming up. <---does that count? Nah, that's just mentioning it. I'll probably wait another month or so before I start the countdown to July 15. It's just getting so close! #fourmonths

5 | 2016 is the year of Freddie and Emily's friends getting married. Our first wedding of about five or six starts in June so I can't wait for my first hey-I-drank-some-glasses-of-wine-and-now-me-and-my-selfie-stick-can't-get-off-the-dance-floor of 2016. 

6 | My first class as a fully, comprehensively certified Pilates teacher. Oh hey, here's a friendly reminder that my test out is in four weeks. Excuse me while I go simultaneously vom, cry, and study.

7 |  A random love note from Freddie. I keep thinking one day this year I'll get a note on my pillow or kitchen counter or a pocket or a sock or...somewhere that says HEY! Emily! You're my favorite wife! or Emily! I love you! The most! Lupe, don't read this. Or something. But then I remember that Freddie has never really done that before so maybe I should just be okay that he keeps cooking me gourmet dinners every night. I've definitely already had my first (through ninetieth) Freddie dinner of 2016.

8 | Using our wedding china. It's a special day when those babies get used. By special I mean when Freddie and I decide that eating tacos off of china would be cool.

9 | A vague Facebook status. How is it the end of March and I haven't posted a vague, yet meaningful and deep Facebook status?! And gotten at least twenty comments with people offering their support for said horrible vagueness happening in my life. Ugh, I am so failing at this internet thing this year. 

10 | Let's finish with a bang. I can't wait for the first time I DON'T stuff my face while eating Tex Mex fajitas. Who am I kidding? That isn't going to happen any year of my life while living in Texas. 

Have you already gotten sunburned this year? If so, may I peel it?

KIDDING.

Ish. 

Linking up with Karli. 

friday favorites: the st. patty's day soup

This week went by in the slowest/fastest way possible. Apparently it's Spring Break here in the H-ton which means that one day traffic seems non-existent and the city seems empty, and the next day you feel like everyone and their mom and grandma and grandma's BFF came into town for #sb16, baby. 

**Please note I only drive three miles to work so I have no idea what I am talking about when I say traffic.

Moving on. 

Favorite Song

Intro to House of Cards. 'Nuff said.
Are you/have you binged watched this season?
Please say yes. 
Also apparently this video has the intro looped for ten straight minutes. 
Bonus points if you don't stop it. 

Favorite Food

Freddie and I celebrated St. Patrick's Day as any good, not-green-but-red-blooded, er Germans, would: with Julia Child's French Onion Soup.

I love it when Freddie cooks, but I really love it when Freddie cooks this soup. In fact, this picture is from four years ago and it's probably the real reason I got married to him. Honesty is the best policy after all. 

Favorite Pilates Move

Open Leg Rocker

Have you ever slammed on your brakes before? That's cool. Now hows about you slam on your abdominal brakes and get down to massage your spine with some Open Leg Rocker action? Pro-tips: Keep your gaze on your thighs. Pull your belly button to spine, especially when rocking up. <---there's the whole slamming on your abdominal brakes to help you balance at the top. Pull your inner thighs together to help your body find stabilization. 

Favorite Target Purchase

I may have gone a bit Target crazy recently. You know what? That's a lie. I only ordered a whopping four items online, but for some reason they all shipped separately. Now I love getting mail just as much as the next Blogger Betty, but sometimes I want all my Target grub in one big box on the same day! Ugh, is that too much to ask, First World, is it? But guys/dudettes/ladies/y'all, when did they get such cute workout gear? No, but seriously, when? I feel like I go in there weekly and somehow I missed all of this new cuteness. Hmmm, I have been pretty bad about wearing my glasses lately always. That must be it.

Favorite Lupe Picture

I think this is the definition of what the kids call PTFO (omg did I use an abbreviation the right way? IKR? LOL. LTIWHCNTW). 

God dangit, I love this dog. 

Happy Friday!

Linking up with Karli and Amanda. 

on mutton bustin

So I'm sure you are all just dying know how Darius Rucker was.

And I'll get there eventually, but first we need to discuss some other business. 

I've mentioned in the last one to fifteen previous posts that Rodeo is happening in Houston right now. Up until this past Friday we had only done the extra events happening during Rodeo like the wine garden, the Livestock show, the wine garden, the carnival, and the wine garden (times two!). I only thought we had experienced Rodeo, but I was so wrong.

So wrong. 

Don't ever tell Freddie that those words came out of my mouth/fingers. 

Freddie and I popped into the (you guessed it!) wine garden before the Darius show so we could capture this moment forever and always:

And when we headed into the stadium we were met by cheering fans. I mean, screaming, yelling, hootin' and hollerin' fans! What was going on?! Were we going to see a real life cowboy lassoing a real life cow?! Or a real life cowboy doing tricks and stuff on a horse?! <----this shows my lack of Texas, Rodeo, and/or cowboy knowledge. 

We sat and saw a child clinging onto a sheep with all of his/her might as the sheep bolted across the field. The child slowly started to slide down the side of the sheep and finally fell off. The sheep stepped all over the child's face. The child's face was protected by a helmet, BUT but but but what?!?! This kept happening. Child after child after child. The man next to me would throw his fist in the air every time a child made it across the entire field without letting go. Because Yes! We should cheer when children don't get stomped by sheep! 

I didn't know if I should cheer or laugh or...? It felt very much like Hunger Games. 

Until I was informed it was called Mutton Bustin' and it's a real thing. And kids love it. And everyone in the state of Texas loves it. So I guess that means I love it now, too. 

Maybe. Freddie and I did decide our future children will be Mutton Bustin' stars so there's that.  

Okay, back to the real star of the show: Darius.

I went back to an old Darius post to link it ^^ there and realized I have three to four posts about Darius so 1) I am sorry 2) You are welcome and 3) I promise I'm not that creepy. Ish. 

HE. WAS. SO. GOOD. 

Go see Darius Rucker in concert and definitely sing at the top of your lungs. Which is exactly what Freddie and I did and maybe it's why the guy next to me left early...oops. When we were leaving Freds was talking about how Darius is such a cool dude because he plays what the fans want. He doesn't play his newer stuff that no one knows, but instead plays all of his hits of all time. And I was like duh, Freddie, that's why he was/is the best neighbor and friend of all time. 

I'll leave you with this gem from my Timehop yesterday.

I mean, it's almost like I wrote the book on how to take the best/creepiest/blurriest stalker pictures. 

From shopping for spaghetti and a cheap bottle of wine to singing about spaghetti and a cheap bottle of wine. 

We're headed back to Rodeo tonight (we can't stay away) (I see you wine garden, be there soon) for Jake Owen. I think I know a whopping one song of his, so I'll be sure to focus more on the bulls and sheep and horses and cowboys. And stuff.

Cowgirl out. 

friday favorites: the food baby becomes triplets

Let's all agree that this week was long, that we're glad the weekend is here, and that we all need three to four mimosas about now. 

Moving on. 

Favorite Song

Come Back Song by Darius Rucker.

Oh hey, we're headed to see Darius tonight, Rodeo style, so...don't be jelly, but #neighbors4life.

p.s.- This video makes my heart hurt because I'm not in Chucktown anymore. Whine whine cry cry. 

Favorite Food

Friends being in town means my trying new places and/or eating so much my food baby becomes food triplets. These cookies though are worth all the extra work that will come along with triplets instead of an only child. We brought a half dozen of these cookies home and Freddie's response: Wow. These might be the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. 

I added no exclamation points in that quote because men. Am I right? Can never use excitement in their voices, but just know that he meant: WOW!!!!!! These might be the BEST chocolate chip cookies I have EVER had!!!! In my whole entire life!!!!!

Favorite Part Of Rodeo So Far

Two words, lots of love: Wine Garden. Why would anyone choose to crap their pants on a cheaply set-up carnival bungee jump or sit at the Livestock Show where you can get about eleven different whiffs of animal poop when you can sit on the grass, in the shade, in a wine oasis. People, come to Rodeo and find me at the Wine Garden.

 I'll be the one looking like this^^^. Holler. 

Favorite Pilates Move

We made it to the last exercise in the Ab Series of 5, Criss-Cross. Real talk: how excited are you and how sore are your abs? (I know some delicious chocolate chip cookies that help sore abs...) 

Pro-tips: Instead of thinking elbow to opposite knee as you twist, think armpit to opposite thigh. This will help you get a deeper connection in your obliques. Shoulders can try to stack, but keep equal weight under your hips on the floor. 

This gif is brought to you by the word forgetful and five minutes ago.

Check out the whole series:

Single Leg Stretch

Double Leg Stretch

Single Straight Leg Stretch

Double Straight Leg Lower and Lift

Favorite Purchase

So the other day I was just browsing the Target website (just another Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday night) when I found these babies.

Holy These Boots Were Made For Showing Off I can't wait to get them in the mail, and I will more than likely turn into Grumperella if they don't fit. 

Plz fit, shoes. 

Happy Friday!

Linking up with Amanda and Karli.

how to be me when dealing with phone cases

Wanna know what it's like to be me? It's pretty hard, so I hope you're ready.

In order to be me, you have to live by three very important life rules:

1) Always be vocal about things you do not like. The more vocal against these things, the better.

2) Always hide in shame when, 1 month-3 years after being vocal about said things you don't like, you suddenly like said things very much.

3) Be very picky. Choose one thing and stick with it forever. 

There ya have it. I know what I do or don't like (except when I change my mind 99% of the time), and I'm always picky. This obviously translates into all areas of my life. 

Example A: I used to make so much fun of cowboy boots. In fact, so much fun of is a phrase that does not accurately describe the level to which I was making fun of them. And now a pair lives in my closet and occasionally on my feet. Oops.

Example B: I refuse to eat anything that I have pre-determined is gross. My determining grossness of said food item usually has no merit in that I have not tried the food item ever. For whatever reason, I have decided it is gross. Freddie rolls his eyes at me, force-feeds me food, and then voila! I magically like eggplant. And broccoli. And cauliflower. And avocado. And...well, we would be here all day if I kept up this list. 

Example C: Five years ago I got a polka dot Kate Spade iPhone case. Black and white polka dots with a  pink border----I mean who would ever need another case in his or her life?! Not me. I bought that case to fit every upgrade of iPhone I've gotten in the past five years. Choose one thing and stick with it forever. 

Example C is the example to focus on here because I was recently contacted by CaseApp to customize my own case or skin for my device(s). You can take one of their pre-made designs and take it as is, or even add text or pictures to that. If that doesn't float your boat, you can even completely customize your case or skin by using your own picture(s). 

But, but, but...it's not my black and white polka dot/pink bordered Kate Spade phone case! 

That's right, it's not. 

It's even better. 

I went with the Matching Mix pre-made design because hello? It makes me and my phone look way cooler than we actually are. If I learned anything in public education growing up, it's that you always have to look cooler than you are. CaseApp is helping me live out that lesson. 

Since my blog name has the whole word YIPPEE! in there I figured I needed to spruce up this cooler than cool case just a bit. There were so many quotes I could have added, but a simple Hooray! won because Hooray! Life is fun! We should be Hooray-ing at least once a day! Now I can Hooray every time I pick up my phone. Which, according to my husband, is a bajillion times a day. Hooray!

Today (and every day...for the next seven days) CaseApp is offering 20% your order with the code ITSMLE20. Now go get yourself a non-polka dotted Kate Spade phone case. Trust me, it's time.

I was given this item in exchange for an honest review. 

And honestly, doesn't my phone look too cool for school now?

rides with rick: with wi edition

If you have been reading this here blog for awhile (read: six-ish months) then you know that it's a special day when I agree to go bike riding with Rick. 

In fact, the last time that I agreed to such a crazy thing was September 20, 2015 so that shows you how often he asks how often I say NO. 

This past weekend while Wi was visiting I knew I was going to have to agree to a special bike riding day. I just knew it! <---this is the part of the blog where you're convinced that I am a psychic. You see, Wi is the female version of my husband. When I want to stay inside and watch Netflix, they want to go outside and watch...nature. When I want to drive to the restaurant that is four miles away, they want to walk to the restaurant that is four miles away. When I want to do anything but put my crotch on a bike seat, they don't want to do anything other than put their crotches on bike seats. See? Same person. Minus the whole one is a man and one is a woman and one is married to me and one is not thing. 

Sidebar: where the h-e- double l are the memory foam bike seat pads and why doesn't the city of Houston's bike rentals have them?

Sidebar sidebar: But really, how do men ride bikes comfortably and/or procreate after riding bikes?

Sidebar sidebar sidebar: Why do people enjoy taking spin classes? And how do they sit down after said spin classes?

 ^^^answer any or all of these questions in the comments and get 10 gold stars...in my mind. 

Sidebars over. 

Holy Wind In My Face Batman. Did you know that bike riding is a lot more enjoyable when you aren't riding through the hell fires of a Texas summer? WHO KNEW?! Apparently I didn't realize that riding in a breezy 78 degrees would be so much better than riding in the humid 110 degrees of May-October. 

This bike ride was....dare I say, fun?! I do dare. It was fun! And breezy. (and beautiful...insert Cover Girl jingle here). I remember riding this same route this past July and stopping at a Whole Foods to get a vat/jug/tub of water. It was the third stop we had made since leaving our apartment and I wasn't sure I could make it anymore. I mean, do you realize how tiring it is to complain non-stop for four miles in the 100+ temperatures? It's exhausting, but someone had to do it so I stepped up to the plate. 

This time when we got to the Whole Foods (after what felt like riding for only ten minutes) I realized how truly pathetic my last attempt at bike riding was. And then it hit me...

dun dun dun

...this bike ride wasn't better because of the weather.

This bike ride was better because Wi was riding with us! 

DUHz. 

Do you have those friends with whom you laugh so hard all the time that you kind of, sort of feel like you might be working out your abs a little bit? Yeah, triple that feeling and that's what being around Wi feels like. Cheapest and most fun ab workout ever. Maybe I should start doing YouTube tutorials of these laughing workouts...? 

Anyways, I hope you've taken away two things from this here blog post:

1- Don't ride bikes in Texas unless it is the month of March.

2- Don't ride bikes ever unless my friend Wi is there.

2.5- Don't ride bikes unless my/your husband is there to play photographer. 

May all your future bike rides be in the cool weather month of March only! Wink.

friday favorites: the synarthrodial one

We did it!

And by it I mean we made it to Friday. 

FriYay, am I right or...or nothing. Because I am right on this one.

Favorite Song

Once again Google Play Playlists win at everything. This gem came on the Leap Back: Hits from 1996 playlist and it just makes me want to stand up and dance it out like it is 1996. Which I think I will do now. I was seven years old in 1996 so I'm sure I had some mean dance moves. 

Favorite Food

Deep Fried Oreos. Duh. 

But also, ew. My stomach is churning just looking at this picture from last weekend.

But maybe hashtag worth it? 

Favorite Thing That Makes Me Want To Punch Myself In The Face

I'm not sure who named all things anatomy related, but can I just say a big fat SCREW YOU to that dude or gal? Because there are so many things that begin with "syn-" or "sym-," but they're not necessarily directly related to one another and my brain just can't. Can't even. Like why are synovial joints classified under diarthrodial joints and not synarthrodial joints?! Wouldn't the world be a better (and definitely easier) place if all the syn's were together?? Yes. Yes, it would. Don't even get me started on symphysis, synchondroses, and syndesmoses. 

You know when people say they are knee deep or waist deep in something? Yeah, well if you can't tell I'm about 5th rib deep in anatomy studying and ugh. 

Favorite Pilates Move

Let's step away from the not-so-glamorous side of Pilates certification (cough, anatomy) and move on to the fun part, the movement! We've covered three of the five exercises in the Ab Series of 5---Single Leg Stretch, Double Leg Stretch, and Single Straight Leg Stretch. Today's #4 is the Double Straight Leg Stretch. Hands stacked at the base of the skull and elbows stay wide. Inhale as you lower the legs to YOUR challenge point (i.e.: as far as you can go without buckling your lumbar spine and disconnecting the front of your body), exhale and lift the legs back to 90 degrees. Pro-tips: Breathe, seriously. It will help the movement so much. Don't go too low, seriously. It will do more harm than good. 

Favorite Thing Ever

Photo via the year 2008 . Thanks, 2008. 

T-minus nine hours until I am picking up Wi at the airport. Which also means t-minus nine and a half hours until we're all eating the shiz out of some fajitas. ! ! ! Did you just hear me say fajitas?!
Do you ever just stand back and watch some of the sweet airport reunions? Yeah, I'm pretty sure we'll be making a scene as one of the airport reunions where nearby people are like Shut. Up. Already. 

BUT I'M SO EXCITED TO SQUEAL AND JUMP UP AND DOWN AND NOT SHUT UP!!!!

Read more about adventures with Wi here and here. 

Side bar: Her real name is Laura. So calm down, I don't have friends with weird names. Or do I?...

Happy Friday!

Linking up with Karli and Amanda.

currently: a rodeo ode

The Rodeo officially started yesterday. This means that there are a lot of people stomping around Houston wearing cowboy boots and cowboy hats. There are also a lot of people stomping around Houston wearing...other odd things. Such as a full on Indian headdress and fox jacket thing, Pocahontas style. Or shorts that don't even cover butt cheeks. Which apparently works when you pair said non-butt cheek coverage shorts with cowboy boots? I digress. We spent this past weekend at the Cook-off which is a thing, a thing that people do the weekend before Rodeo. Look it up. Google can explain it better than I can because I would explain Cook-off with 3 words: 1) BBQ 2) Boots 3) Beer. But that doesn't even begin to describe the spectacle that is Cook-off. Let's move on to my Currently ode to the Houston Rodeo...

wishing//
That I knew how to two-step. Apparently it's kind of like a rule that you have to know how to two-step in order to get an official Texas driver's license. I made that up, but that is sure as heck what it felt like last weekend when we went to Cook-off and everyone and their grandma's goldfish keeper were two-stepping their booties off (here the term "booties"  refers to both cowboy boots and one's gluteus maximus) (hashtag two birds, one stone).

going//
To Rodeo! Duh! Get with it! This weekend includes plans to hit up the carnival and the wine garden. Next weekend's plans include DARIUS RUCKER (!!!) and his VIP party that we will totes get invited to. 

craving//
Brisket. Whatever party tent we were in for Cook-off had the best brisket. The best! Side note: According to the Cook-off judges it was not the best, but if I were a judge it would have been #1. Side note over. YUM. I want that brisket again. Why didn't I bring home leftovers? Riddle me that. Brisket and eggs? Double yum. Da-yum, Emily, shut up about the brisket already. 

It was really good. I'll leave at that.

wearing//
Per Freddie's request, we went to purchase for reals cowboy boots last Friday night. Why the Rodeo horse crap are boots so expensive?? Am I missing something? Did I just grow up in the wrong state where "cowboy boots" were $30 at DSW? Two pairs of boots and cough several hundreds cough lots of money later we had cowboy boots.

And I can't decide if I completely hate or love them. I'm straddling that hate/love fence and getting a nice straddle stretch while I'm there waiting. I've always hated cowboy boots, but much like the can't stay in Texas until you learn how to two-step rule, I feel like you can't stay in Texas unless you own and continuously wear cowboy boots.

Ask me again in April once my feet heal from Rodeo wearin' the crap outta those boots.

learning//
That Texas really is its own...country. And it's still completely foreign to me. Yeehaw!

Linking up with Anne and Jenna.