I Found True Love...And You Will, Too!

So, I may have mentioned I’m engaged? Oh, you haven’t heard?? Guess what, I’M ENGAGED!!

Celebrating with Mom & Grams!

Clearly, I'm very excited about it.  Let’s just say, it’s something I’d been hoping would happen for quite some time, but as I’ve mentioned before, life and its curveballs got in the way a bit.  Still, I forced myself to have a little patience, saw things take a turn for the better about a year ago, and in May, the love of my life popped the big question…and (obvi), I said yes.  A big, overwhelming, couldn’t catch my breath, YES!  Of course, this means wedding planning is in full swing…and I’m hoping you don’t mind me “wedding-ifying” some of my upcoming Cuddleshrub Clues, because if several of my (apparently delusional) thoughts of planning a wedding on a budget have already blown up in my face, I’m thinking a few of you could use a dose of reality, too!

But, first, can I just take a moment to share a little of my engagement story?? It even comes with a video!  No, it’s not a video of an elaborately planned proposal that was edited by a professional and set to tear-jerking music…it’s just shaky, raw i-Phone video that was shot by my BFF during the moment I had never really believed would happen.  And, I want to share it with all the other girls (and boys!) out there that think it will never happen to them, that they’re not worth that much love, that they don’t deserve to fall head over heels, because it will and you are and you do.  So, here goes…

First, a little background:  I met Mark almost 4 years ago, in a bar in Philadelphia.  I know, so typical.  But, it was on a night that I was especially down, believing to my very core I was fat, ugly, un-loveable and meant to be alone.  I was 29 years old, and while I had stumbled onto the occasional date, I had never dated steadily and I had certainly never had a boyfriend.  Anyway, like I said, I was trying to convince my girlfriends of my un-loveableness, who just weren’t having it.  (Why do all my excuses at preventing my own happiness seem so silly when I say them out loud?) With their positive words of encouragement beginning to bolster my ego, plus with the help of a little liquid courage, I found myself suddenly empowered, and brave enough to dance with a very cute red-headed stranger – one of the ONLY guys on the dance floor (what can I say, I’m a sucker for a guy who’s got moves!).  The rest of the night is a blur of dancing, laughing, talking, a crazy taxi ride, maybe a few smooches, and eventually an exchange of phone numbers.  I didn’t know it then, but I was about to start the ride of my life!  We began texting, eventually dating long distance, then moving into together – and the whole time, I would periodically pinch myself, “Is this really happening? Am I falling in love?”

He cracks me up.

I did. We did.  I didn’t even realize it was happening.  But, one day I realized I was head over heels for this guy.  I have found someone who adores me, who makes me laugh, who appreciates my quirks and loves me for them, not in spite of them, who adds mushrooms to my Chinese food order without me reminding him – and I feel all of that for him!  Granted, we’ve had our moments, our crazy fights, our obstacles that tested our relationship, and holy crap, have I been scared we’d break up, or he’d give up on me, or worse I’d have to leave him… But, we’ve come through it, stronger and even more in love with each other.  Sigh.

Oh, the engagement!  Sorry, I got off track… Well, it’d been a few years, and as I not-so-subtly reminded Mark, neither of us was getting any younger, ahem, “don’t you think we should take the next step?”  I had, also not-so-subtly, told Mark that when said proposal happened, I would very much like my family, most of whom live several hours away, around me – I wanted to hug my mom, not just call her.  So when my mother and my brother came to visit on Mother’s Day weekend, and we got together with all of Mark’s family, I’d be lying if I didn’t think it was going to happen then.  And it didn’t.  So, I pushed it to the back of my mind, gave myself another mental deadline of the fall, and moved on.

Mark and Chad enjoying the day...pre-engagement!

Two weeks later, we headed to my home city of Rochester, NY for a week to visit my family and friends.  We drove in very early on a Saturday morning, stopped to see my mother at work, settled in at her place, and decided, since it was such a gorgeous day, we’d find a place to have lunch, maybe a cocktail or two outside.  Bleary-eyed from the 6 hour drive, I tried to rally, fixing my hair, re-touching my makeup, and (thank god) exchanging my yoga pants for a fun summery dress.  We picked up my BFF Chad and on the recommendation of his sister, hit a waterfront pub called Schooners.  We sat in the sun, along the water, and of course, I filled up on beers and a burger – couldn’t have been a dainty salad or something...

Chad headed off to the bathroom, Mark followed a few minutes later, and I settled back with my full belly to text my 2 besties from college about getting together the next day for a cookout.  The boys came back, and I’m half listening to them, half playing on my phone, when my friend Heather texts that she’d rather just order pizza the next day, because guess what, she’s pregnant!  This was, of course, amazing news, and a little bit of a miracle for my dear friend…so as I’m exclaiming to Mark and Chad, “Oh my goodness, Heather’s pregnant! I can’t believe it, what should I say back?”, my quick-witted, always-has-a-comeback boyfriend says, “Why don’t you tell her YOU’RE engaged?!” -- to which, I frowned with irritation and asked, “Why would I say that?”  That’s when I looked up and saw him on one knee, holding a shiny ring, and saying, “Because you are!” I’m pretttty sure I blacked out for a moment…the exact moment when Chad started recording.  So, I share this video with you, with the disclaimer that I had no idea what I was saying or very much recollection of those few minutes.  Also, I apologize for the “only-dogs-could-hear” high-pitched shrieking…

Um, super weird, no one around us even blinked.  You’d think with all the commotion, we’d get stares, maybe applause from the tables around us, but nope.  People just went about their meal.  I felt like I was having a strange twilight zone moment that merely added to my out-of-body experience.  Then the waitress dropped off the bill, like the biggest moment of my life hadn’t just happened…so, I blurted out, “We just got engaged!”  She was shocked, exclaiming, “Oh my god, that’s never happened to me before!”  YOU?? It’s never happened to me YOU?  How about it's never happened to me before!   I swear, yet another saga in my Bridget Jones related life.

I still called my mom on the phone, but we saw her just minutes later, celebrating with lots of hugs and champagne.  And, I got to celebrate with my girlfriends the next day, and my grandmother the day after that…just a week-load of happy.  Maybe it didn’t go down like scenes out of the romantic comedies I’ve idolized, or the novels I’ve poured through, but it was just perfect for me and Mark, the guy known for always having a comeback, and in this case, it was the best comeback of his, and MY life!  My guy certainly did it right. :)

So, not much of a Cuddleshrub Clue in this one, it was really for me to re-live and chronicle my most favorite moment.  But, if you take anything from this, believe it can happen for you, too.  You deserve that love, that moment.  And, when it does happen, because it WILL, it will be oh, so right.  

When life gets hard, have a little patience.

Patience.  8 little letters.  So easy to type, to say, to handout as advice, and as a theory, it’s a good one.  But, boy, oh boy, is it difficult to have.  However, I'm proof that it actually DOES pay off, and today I’m here to share a little of my story and to help you find some patience of your own…

One year ago, life seemed pretty bleak.  I was 32, unemployed, broke, and the marriage and family I craved with my live-in boyfriend seemed a looong way away, considering our very sad financial state.  I had lost my job in March, and the unemployment wages I collected were barely enough to pay half the bills.  After a few months of applying to jobs that I actually wanted, I was now applying to jobs that just plain existed, anything that could give me a steady paycheck and help get us on our feet again.  I applied to jobs, only to learn I wasn’t what they were looking for.  I went on a few interviews, only to lose out in the last round to someone with more experience.  Already someone who struggles with self-confidence, this was beginning to really take a toll on my overall mental health.  Despite my college education, my 10+ years of professional and corporate experience, my damn affable personality, and my willingness and enthusiasm to learn just about anything, the only thing that was apparent to me was I was qualified to do nothing.  And as the days ticked off the calendar, and our bank accounts dipped lower, I felt like the rest of my life was on hold – no money, meant no marriage, which meant no kids…and I could just FEEL myself getting older and older and these dreams of mine getting further and further away. 

But, I’m fortunate enough to have some amazing family and friends in my life who refused to let me fall.  No matter how much I tried to distance myself from them, as in my head I couldn’t justify dragging them down with me, they remained steadfast.  Their words of encouragement and hope, even some financial support kept me afloat, and though I wanted “having patience” to hurry up and finish already, I would force myself to relax and wait it out.  Don’t get me wrong, I never threw in the towel, I kept applying to jobs, and doing odd jobs to keep me busy, and I never completely stopped bemoaning my situation, but I tried to believe in a light at the end of the tunnel.  And then one day, that light burst through, and life began to fall into place again.

I found not one, but TWO jobs!  They just seemed to fall in my lap at the exact same time.  And, I actually opted to forgo the one where I was most comfortable and had the most experience (and offered a little more money!), for the one where I would be venturing into new territory.  It’s proved to be one of the best decisions of my life, as I’m growing with a prosperous company, and for the first time in my life I’m able to enjoy a “normal” work schedule, with holidays and weekends off.  That very nice steady paycheck has allowed us to catch up with our bills, and for another first, I’ve been able to start SAVING money!  A few months ago, my fiancé and I started house hunting – and…yeah, you caught it, I said FIANCE!  In May, the man who stepped up and supported me emotionally and financially through that bleak 7 months, who never thought about leaving me, who picked me up when I was down, and mopped up my many bouts of tears, that man who I feel like I love more every day, asked me to be his wife.  (It’s a most hilarious and sweet and perfect proposal which I promise to share soon – I hope to take you on this wedding planning journey with me!)

So, the moral of this story, the Cuddleshrub Clue I ask you to take from this, is to have some patience.  I know it’s hard, and feels nearly impossible sometimes, but if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that life has some kind of a plan for you.  It CAN’T be bad forever, it eventually has to be YOUR turn to have some luck, and just when you think there’s no hope, there WILL be light.  I’ve seen it happen, experiencing it in more ways than one.  And, when it’s all said and done, take a moment to find the good in all the bad you’ve had to wade through…  I’m stronger, my self-confidence is growing, my relationship is stronger, I love my fiancé in ways I didn’t know how to love him before we weathered this storm, and I’ve learned to how to focus on the hope.  Life is a series of ups and downs, and next time I’m down, I’m going to take a deep breath, let myself lean on those who love me, and, you guessed it, have a little patience.

Tried & True - Slice Your Watermelon In A Jiffy!

Happy National Watermelon Day! Just going to lay it out there, I have a small obsession with watermelon... Like, not just as a tasty, wonderful, amazing treat, but as a thing, or a concept, or...I'm not really sure how to explain it.  I just like it. I have salt and pepper shakers, pillows, knickknacks, bowls and platters, earrings; it's my computer wallpaper, my phone background, my tablet background; my 16th birthday was watermelon themed, my first AOL screen name was H2Omelon7, you just associate my name with the luscious red and green and black fruit. I think this sums it up:

We literally pulled the car over for me to run up and snag a pic among this storefront's decor!

Get the gist? Needless to say, I couldn't let this day pass by without some props! So, I decided to celebrate not only by buying a big juicy watermelon, but by sharing a brand new watermelon-related Cuddleshrub Clue. Watermelon is delicious, but can be a tedious process when it comes to cutting it up. I've tried a couple different ways to cut it up to speed up the cutting, but I got pumped when this video made the rounds on Facebook (and was sent to me by more than one person...):

 

 So, my watermelon-loving friends, I decided to test this out for you and see if it indeed works...annnndddd, IT DOES!  I was just tickled when I made my last cut and flipped my melon over and it all dumped out. Total amazeballs. I suggest not going as fast the the gentleman in the video, for fear of chopping off a finger, but if you take your time and slice carefully, this will cut your watermelon attack time in half.  If you're too lazy to watch the video, basically you cut the melon in half, then make several cuts down both sides of the melon, without completely cutting through, then cut around the inside of the melon and through it, so that when you flip it over, it comes out in square-like chunks.  Here's a few tips on getting started: 1.) Use a large cutting board. 2.) A sturdy bowl to catch your melon works better than a baggie. And 3.) Be sure to use a very sturdy, sharp knife to cut through the rind of the melon, and like I said, slow down! 

Yes, that's a watermelon-themed sun-tea jug. :)

Many thanks to my bro and sis-in-law for my fancy chef knife and huge cutting board - a great Christmas present.  That knife made smooth cuts through the tough rind.  One more tip: use a smaller knife to cut around the melon and make the slits...it's easier (and safer!) to maneuver, especially if you have a bulkier melon.  Here's the proof the the method works:

Tried and true, it's your proven Cuddleshrub Clue! Now I'm back to the kitchen to cut up strawberries and pineapple...now THERE'S a fruit that needs a trick to speedy slicing!

Oh, and P.S. here's my FAVORITE way to celebrate National Watermelon Day (and also my annual and mandatory way to celebrate my birthday...):

Friendly's Wattamelon Roll WattaRULES!

Seriously...CVS?

What up, readers?  All 10 of you, how you doin'? I know, I've been M-I-A for like a YEAR...but, I'm back.  This past year has been a whopper, and I promise to share everything that's happened and tidbits I've learned that can maybe help YOU - but right now, to kick things back off, I am dying to share my latest money saving phenomenon. CVS.

Yup, I'm referring to the pharmacy.  Those 3 letters have me so excited to shop lately!  If you haven't stopped in one lately, do yourself a favor and add it to your next day of errands.  First, before you go, or the first moment you walk in to one, sign up for the CVS ExtraCare card.  You can do it online here or at the register - it's your ticket to mega-savings!  Once you get signed up, check out the in-store coupon center for your weekly savings.  One scan of your card or key tag, and a stream of coupons will print, ranging from $.50 off to 50% off anything from dental products, to vitamins, to make up, to snacks, to candy...you get the gist.  There are weekly deals, usually featured in the CVS  ad, plus deals that pop up as you shop and accrue credit.  Now, I have to say, I've had the CVS ExtraCare card for a few years now, so I've definitely accumulated some credit, and therefore some serious savings.  Here's a sample of the coupons that printed out for me a few days ago:

And, that's just 4 of them! There were another 3 that I didn't end up using, for soda, face wash and toothpaste...because I bought some last week, using similar CVS coupons!  Did you see that $5.00 beauty rewards coupon?  That's a result of spending an accumulative $50 on beauty products.  I tend to grab make up and face creams at CVS because they always a.) have a coupon and b.) have a special.  Today, there was a Buy One Get One 50% Off on NYC Cosmetics.  AND, if you take a look above, I also had a coupon for $1.00 off NYC Cosmetics.  SO, I collected some eye shadows (one L'Oreal and one NYC) and a bottle of nail polish.  I added that to 3 Hallmark cards (I like to stock up for upcoming events), and suddenly with my coupons and the in-store specials, my $19 bill came to $10.84!  Check out my receipt:

This is just one example.  Last week I collected a basket of $50 worth of stuff - lotion, face soap, paper towels, snacks, lip gloss, candy...and between my in-store coupons, plus the 30% off coupon I got in my email (on my entire order), I got it all for $30!  I mean, seriously, CVS, that is some crazy savings.  I'm officially hooked, and you should probably get on board, too.  :) Be sure to check in with me...I'll try and post any CVS deals that I think should be on your radar, too!  Happy shopping, and happy saving!