In the 102 days since my last post I have completed 7 races, including one 5k, one 10k, three half marathons, my first Ragnar, and my first full marathon. That's a total of 89.54 miles of running adventures.


Its been an interesting journey so far, and with my first out of state race just 5 days away, it's looking like its gonna be a grat year of memories as well.


LA Marathon - 3/15/15: I decided to commit to LAM only in January, even though I had already been "training" for 2 months and had told a couple people that I really wanted to do it. Because I had quite a few busy Saturdays, I had to miss running club.  This means I did the majority of my long runs alone on Sundays, and man was that brutal!! As if running for 4 hours straight wasn't bad enough, having to do so alone in my own brain was downright torture. On more than one occasion, I might add.


As it turned out, marathon day was super hot. So much so that the race directors decided to forego timing devices along the course, so that people would slow down and not worry about time. As a first time marathoner, I was guaranteed a PR so I took that as a gift and promised to really enjoy the race. And I did! I enjoyed a chili cheese dog at Mile 6, did a silent cheer at mile 16, which officially marked the farthest I had run up to that point, took pictures of funny signs, talked to fellow runners, and was ecstatic when I hit the IERC tent at Mile 20, where my parents were volunteering. I realize now that I barely remember anything that was said during those few minutes spent getting a snack, soda, and an icy towel, but I do remember my madre telling me that I looked really good and nothing like how I looked after my first half (where, TMI, I threw up Excorcist-style on the side of the freeway and couldn't walk for 2 days after). I think at that moment I knew I could finish the race. Yes, it took until Mile 20 for that to finally become a reality for me. I knew that I could walk the entire race and be fine. But if I did that then the course would be closed, and although I would get a medal, I wouldn't get that finish line experience that every runner lives for. Mile 20 was the high point of the race for me.


And then the race sucked until Mile 23, lol. There were some hills and no shade. I just remember those miles being completely awful. And then 23 hit and I ran my little heart out until the finish line. Turning that last corner onto Ocean Ave was one of the best feelings in the world. I crossed the finish line, got my medal, took my pictures, and then found a place to sit down and process. My parents were on their way to the reunion area and my best friend was on her way there as well. I took a few minutes to read all the text messages, Instagram and Facebook comments, which were so sweet and encouraging.  I think during that half hour I was on auto-pilot.  I was exhausted, but in the best possible way, and felt like i was still running on adrenaline. 


I eventually met up with my parents and bestie.  My dad gave me a hug, handed me some lovely roses, and asked, "So are you gonna do it again next year?"  Umm, not the time to ask, Dad!!!  I told him to ask me the next day.  (PS, still don't have an answer for that...)


My bestie and her husband bought me a beer, which was probably the best thing I'd tasted all day.  Also, it meant the world to me to have her there to congratulate me after such a huge accomplishment.  I couldn't do all the races I do without the support and encouragement of my friends.  They are my biggest fans and cheerleaders.  They don't make me feel silly for dreaming big or ever ask, "are you sure you can do that?"  I tell them I want to run a marathon, they're all for it.  I tell them I want to run a half marathon in all 50 states, they say, "Awesome, what concert is in town that weekend?  Let's coordinate!"  If you don't have awesome friends like that then I suggest you reevaluate your friends.  Seriously.  I mean that with love. 


<3

The road to 1000 miles is a bumpy one

Happy New Year! We are officially a week into the new year. How are you doing with those resolutions? If you're kicking butt, then awesome! Keep up the good work! And if you're struggling a bit, that's OK too! It takes a little bit of time for an action to become a habit (21 to 30 days depending on your source of information), so don't beat yourself up if you haven't quite kicked that Starbucks addiction yet, or if you haven't gotten that bikini body you envisioned just yet. Get back on that horse and keep at it!

I started off my year by sleeping through my alarm and missing the 11 mile IERC Bandit Run. I jumped out of bed at 5am, ran into the living room where my dad was watching TV and blurted, "Why didn't you wake me up?!" Yes, because apparently I'm not a 28 year old adult capable of setting my own alarm(s). Needless to say, i went to bed at 8pm on New Year's Eve for nothing. I did eventually get my butt out of my blanket fort and proceeded on a 3.39 mile run. So not quite a total loss.

With the LA Marathon only 66 days away (eek!!!) I need to really make sure my training is on point! This week I've run 16 miles total. Not something to be proud of, exactly. But I've got my first half marathon of 2015 this Saturday, so that number will definitely be higher for week 2. I WILL reach my 1000 mile goal this year!!!!

Speaking of my 1000 mile goal, I realized that so far, I've reached my 10,000 step goal every day in 2015! This is definitely a direct result of my running goal, but I decided to make it a January goal as well; for a little extra motivation on those days I don't run.

My third birthday resolution was to take a picture every day. So far so "good". My intention with that project was to find something worth remembering in every day. I sit at a desk for 40 hours each week, and in traffic for another 15-20. The commute is definitely a choice, but I don't want it to define my life. I want to find something beautiful in each day. Unfortunately, out of 6 pictures (today's inspiration hasn't been discovered just yet), half of them are seflies. Now, in my defense, one of those selfies was me wearing a Dallas Cowboys jersey this past Sunday to commemorate the win over Detroit. But I don't want 100 (unnecessary) selfies at the end of the year. So I need to be more perceptive to my surroundings and more creative with my photos. That will be my mini-goal of the week.

Have a great week!

<3

The One With All The Weddings: The Credits

I started 2014 with a goal of running 1000 miles. Then I was asked to be a bridesmaid, an aunt (yay for bestie babies!), a bridesmaid again, and a Maid of Honor. So it quickly became the year of 1000 aisles instead. It was an insanely busy year but the great thing about wedding planning with your best friends is that its wedding planning with your best friends!!! Dress fittings, party planning, bachelorette parties, bridal shower planning parties, bridal showers, couples' showers, rehearsal dinners, and of course, the weddings themselves...All with my besties. It was definitely not all smooth sailing. Sometimes the things you plan the most for end up falling apart. And other times your plans completely change at the last minute and you still have the time of your life. Sometimes that's what makes it more memorable. I can honestly say my friendships are better for it. And it's always an honor when your friend tells you they want you at their side on one of the biggest days of their lives. I got quite a bit of inquiry over the year asking how stressed I was, and my motto quickly became, "If my biggest problem is that I have friends that want me to share their wedding day, then I'm doing something right." Sappy, but true.

Now that my loves have begun their new lives, I'm going back to my original plan of running, running, and more running. I have a running buddy who will jump on a plane for a weekend, go run a race in another state, and be back in time for work on Monday. Crazy? Probably. But I'm so jealous. So I asked Santa to bring me a Rock n Roll TourPass and airline gift cards. And boy did he deliver (either that or my family really wants me out of the house...derp.)  My 2015 race schedule is still a work in progress (bottom), but my 28th Birthday Resolutions are as follows...

1. Run at least 6 races in other states.

2. Run 1000 miles in 2015

3. Take 1 picture a day (preferably a polaroid).

I got this amazing polaroid camera (Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Film Camera) earlier this year and I am in love with it! I want to take time to appreciate the little things in life, so I think taking the time to find something worth remembering will help in that endeavor.

And even with all the wedding shenanigans, I still managed to complete 11 races this year! Yay!  Here's to another amazing year with great memories, running related and otherwise.

1/10/2015 ***Citrus Heritage Run 13.1 Riverside, CA
1/18/2015 Rock n Roll 13.1 Arizona
1/25/2015 Rock n Roll 13.1 New Orleans, LA
2/1/2015 Surf City 13.1 Huntington Beach, CA
2/7/2015 Run for Russ 5k Chino, CA
3/1/2015 Firecracker Run 5k Los Angeles, CA
3/7/2015 DairyAire 5k Chino, CA
3/8/2015 ***Coaster Run 5k Buena Park, CA
3/15/2015 LA Marathon 26.2 Los Angeles, CA
3/22/2015 Hot Chocolate 15k San Diego, CA
4/4/2015 Santa Anita Derby Day 5k Santa Anita, CA
4/12/2015 Rock n Roll 13.1 Raleigh, NC
4/19/2015 ***Sunset Strip 13.1 Hollywood, CA
4/25/2015 Rock n Roll 13.1 Nashville, TN
5/3/2015 Wings For Life ??? Santa Clarita, CA
5/3/2015 OC Marathon 13.1 Orange County, CA
5/17/2015 Rock n Roll 13.1 Portland, OR
5/31/2015 Rock n Roll 13.1 San Diego, CA
6/6/2015 Fontana Days Run 13.1 Fontana, CA
7/19/2015 Rock n Roll 13.1 Chicago, IL
9/27/2015 Rock n Roll 13.1 San Jose, CA
10/18/2015 Rock n Roll 13.1 Denver, CO
10/25/2015 ***Rock n Roll 13.1 Los Angeles, CA
11/7/2015 Rock n Roll 13.1 Savanah, GA
11/15/2015 Rock n Roll 13.1 Las Vegas, NV
12/6/2015 Rock n Roll 13.1 San Antonio, TX
12/13/2015 Honolulu Marathon 26.2 Honolulu, HI
12/26/2015 Operation Jack 13.1 Los Angeles, CA

(*** denotes races already signed up for)

 

 

<3

One more mile

I should be doing my homework, however Prince Mo, the iPad, is having issues with posting onto my school's discussion board.  So I get to procrastinate a little while as my laptop boots up.  So much has happened since I last wrote, I almost don't know where to begin.  In a nutshell, I got in a car accident in October and my car was totaled.  Bought a cute 2013 Honda Fit.  It messed up my back again from the injury back in April, and you know, getting hit by a semi is always rough on the back.  I had signed up for my first half-marathon and couldn't train anymore, so I decided 2 weeks before the race that I was actually going to do it.  Was so glad that I did!  It was a tough race, purely mental, but so worth it when I crossed that finish line.  I would definitely recommend more training to anyone doing that many miles though!  I could have been way more prepared for it, and although there was a reason I had to stop training for awhile, I still wish I could have squeezed in a few more runs beforehand so I didn't crash as hard as I did when it was over.  But anyways, thats about it!  Since then I've been running much more consistently.  In fact running has become like an addictions!  I have to do my 30 minutes 4 times a week or I feel so out of it.  I did my first race since the half-marathon two weeks ago and was really proud of my time.  It was a 10k, only my second 10k ever, and while it was definitely not easy, I finished strong and now am looking forward to a 15k in San Diego in two weeks!  yay 9.3 miles! Haha.  I even signed up for my next half-marathon.  Its not until December, so I've got plenty of time, but I would really like to do another one before then.  The new goal is a full marathon next year sometime.

Nikkie's Book Club

The summer I moved back home after college, I decided to keep track of all the books I read.  Nerdy, I know, but its come in handy and I like having a list handy when I go to recommend books to friends (I've got two in particular that I'm always swapping books with.)  Anyhoo, here is the list from the past 12 months, beginning November 2011!

**November 2011**
"Allison Hewitt is Trapped: A Zombie Novel" by Madeleine Roux

**December 2011**
"Seriously...I'm Kidding" by Ellen Degeneres

**February 2012**
"Midnight and the Meaning of Love" by Sister Souljah
"Breaking Dawn" by Stephanie Meyer
"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

**March 2012**
"Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
"Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
"The Vow" by Kim and Krickitt Carpenter

**April 2012**
"The Fame Game" by Lauren Conrad

**May 2012**
"Devoted" by Hillary Duff

**June 2012**
"Trust Me I'm Dr. Ozzy" by Ozzy Osbourne

**July 2012**
"50 Shades of Grey" by EL James
"Kiss the Dead" by Laurel K. Hamilton
"50 Shades Darker" by EL James
"50 Shades Freed" by EL James

**September 2012**
"Streetsmart" by Nicholas Coleridge

**October 2012**
"My Sister"s Keeper" by Jodi Piccoult








All in all, a pretty slow year for reading.  I have a stak of 10 books next to my bed that are a daily reminder I should be reading more, I just didn't have the time this year!  Oh well.  If any of you have questions, please let me know!  I'm always happy to give a book recommendation....<3

Happy August 1st!

I always say I'm going to write in here more often...and of course four months roll by and here I am saying it again.  I can honestly say SO MUCH has happened since the last time I wrote.  The last time, I had just completed another mud run...the Warrior Dash.  And I had two more lined up, the Earth Day Eco Run in Ventura and the Color Run in Irvine, as well as one scheduled for May....the Hero Rush. 

Well, the Eco Run was my first run with the lovely Jennie Hannon.  It was strictly 5k, no mud or obstacles, so a little different than I was used to.  That happened to be around the time it was raining quite a bit, so we were a little nervous we would get rained out, but no.  Aside from the biting wind, it was actually a lovely day.  Freezing, but lovely.   We stayed together and I made a new friend.  And I also got the lowest bib number I think I'll ever have, so that was actually pretty awesome.

Then, two weeks later, I completed the Color Run in Irvine.  This was interesting and also strictly a 5k, but with a fun twist....there were 5 color stations throughout the race where we were bombarded by people throwing colored flour at us, so we started with nice white shirts and ended as colorful messes!  That one was actually really fun and interesting.  At the end there was a big color party where we all opened a package of the stuff and ended up in a huge cloud of...well colored flour!  Haha, very fun. 

So the goal I had in mind with all these races was to do a 10k by the end of summer and a half-marathon by the end of the year.  I never really stick to a training schedule and since we had been doing so well with at least one 5k a month, I really thought a half-marathon was going to happen.  Well, as many of you may know, April was an eventful month for me.  At the end of the month, I went to Stagecoach for the second time.  Honestly, I should not have fought so hard to go.  It just felt like everything was an obstacle, from buying the ticket, to getting time off work, to getting a ride there and back.  It just felt like such a struggle and in hindsight, I think the universe, or God, was trying to tell me, "Hey, maybe this isn't such a great idea after all."  Wellthe second night there, I woke in the middle of the night to use the facilities, since I have the bladder of a two-year-old, and well, had a bit of an accident.  No, not that kind.  I was sleeping in the upper bunk of an RV and had to climb down a ladder.  My right foot touched the first step, my left foot touched the second, and then somehow I missed the third.  Realistically, it shouldn't have been that bad.  That's four, maybe 5 feet from the floor.  But in such cramped conditions, I slid down the ladder, lost my balance, and the folding table broke my fall.  My first thought was, "OMG I BROKE MY NECK!"  But quickly realized this was not the case.  I took a few seconds to mentally assess the damage.  The table was most definitely broken, but I could wiggle my toes, my fingers, move my arms, and all that.  So, feeling incredibly stupid, I start to pick myself up and WHAM! Shooting pain from lower back all the way up to my shoulder.  Gingerly, I shuffled into the bathroom where I noticed some blood on my toe.  I cleaned it up as best as I could in the middle of the night, wrapped a paper towel around it, and went back to bed.  At that point, really, there wasn't much I could do. 

I awake the next morning and immediately know there's something wrong.  I lift my head up to peek at my foot and the pain from the night before intensified and shot all the way down to my foot.  The paper towel I had wrapped my foot in was soaked in blood and stuck to my foot.  I somehow managed to climb back down the ladder and it looked like some low-budget horror film.  Blood all over the floor in a trail to the bathroom, with the table having seen much better days.  I really should have taken a picture but I was so embarrassed, I cleaned up my foot then cleaned up the blood!  I went to a first aid station, got some anti-septic wipes and bandaids and just left it.  I was limping all day because I couldn't put weight on it and I definitely knew I tore something in my back.  Sitting was fine but sitting down or getting back up was excruciatingly painful.  When i got home, my mom pointed out that my foot was swollen and I noticed a massive bruise cutting straight across my spine in my lower back.  I think I was just embarrassed at the whole situation, so I opted not to make a bigger deal about it and refused to go to the doctor.  I went to work the next day instead....in slippers....because my foot was too swollen to put a normal shoe on....

I realized halfway through the day that there was no way I could go on, so I left a little early to go straight to Urgent Care.  I was informed that I had needed stitches, but apparently you're not supposed to wait nearly 48 hours to get those, so he had the nurse clean it really well and used some surgical tape to keep it closed.  He gave me a foot x-ray but said nothing was broken, I had just bruised a bone.  My regular doctor told me I had just torn a muscle in my back (really?  JUST torn a muscle....ugh) and that everything would heal in time, I just had to take it easy.  Fast forward to 5 weeks later and I was STILL wearing shoes that were a size too big (to accommodate the swollen foot).  The 5-6 week mark I finally graduated to normal FLAT shoes (I am famous for my heels at work, so this was still heartbreaking for me.) 

I did run that race in May, and was actually very proud of myself.  I did have to push myself a little, but I'm terrified of having a back injury haunt me for the rest of my life, so I've taken it very slowly.  And about 3 weeks ago I was finally able to put on those heels I love so much!  I'm still alternating between flats and heels every couple of days, because my foot still has a tendency to swell up, but its getting much better.  My back aches if I don't stretch it daily, but the muscle spasms have finally stopped, so I can live with a little stretching.  Once I completed that race, I gave myself the go-ahead to exercise again.  It sucks, because I had dropped about 10 pounds before Stagecoach and in the past 3 months I gained it all back because I completely stopped exercising.  So definitely need to get back on track with that.  To help me out, I've started wearing my Bodybugg again.  I'm ready to get fit and healthy again and that thing helps keep me in check. 

I also signed up for my very first half-marathon!!!!  Ahhhhh, I'm so excited and scared at the same time.  I'm doing it alone, which kind of sucks but I've got people helping me train and I know I've got a big support system cheering me on.  It's the Tinkerbell Half Marathon at Disneyland, which I thought was an appropriate place to have my first attempt at 13.1 miles.  I don't have to officially start training until September 2nd, but since I was so inactive for so long, I've really been trying to train since July 1st.  The past two weeks have been really great so far.  I've been averaging two runs a week and now that its August I'll start doing 3 runs a week.  My goal is to run 40 miles this month (I started this past Sunday, July 29th) and so far I'm at 6!  Seems small but I'm all about the small victories right now, especially considering that's more than I've run in one week since before my accident!  So any encouragement you guys have got, be sure to send my way!  I'm always looking for a running partner too, so feel free to volunteer =).

Also signed up this week for my first 10k!  With a team!!!  Its the Gladiator Rock'n'Run, which is fitting since that was our first mud run.  Only makes sense it should be our first 10k mud run!  So far its just Andrea and I, the usual in these races.  But a co-worker of mine has been really eager to do a mud run, so he's supposed to sign up and a friend of mine who has done a half-marathon but also wanted to try a mud run is supposed to sign up as well.  That's in October, so watch out guys!  I'm back on track and really eager to cross these runs off my bucket list! 

Happy Spring!

Its been so long since my last blog post!  I really need to write more often.  Where ti begin?  My birthday resolutions totally didn't stick.  I said I wanted to take more pictures and keep in touch with people better and instead I fell off the face of the earth!  Work is so amazing and I am really enjoying it.  It takes me out of my comfort zone and while its definitely not easy, I wouldn't want to do anything else right now.  

I had my first race in months yesterday and man, I was so proud of myself!  I haven't gotten much exercise lately, what with the rain (lame excuse, I know, I just really enjoy being outdoors and get more motivated when its sunny) so I was really nervous I was going to do awful.  It was the Warrior Dash and involved just a few too many walls.  I am definitely way too sore today but I feel so accomplished because I ran the majority of it!  I walked less than I normally do.  I have two more 5k races this month, and signed up today for one in May!  This month I'm doing the Earth Day Eco-fest in Ventura with the lovely Jennie!  Our first race together!  I'm also doing the Color Run in Irvine.  Very excited to get moving again!  So, on the earlier note of birthday resolutions I've decided to make a new goal for myself effective immediately....I want to run one race a month for the rest of the year.  I want to eventually do a marathon and barely making it through 5k races once every few months is never gonna get me there! So I will do one a month and keep improving if I can.  Hopefully by September I will feel comfortable with a 10k and I'll work my way up from there.  If anyone wants to join the fun let me know!  The races are cheaper if there's a team and we can make cute costumes!!

School is going well, just kind of hard to balance my time.  Having a set schedule makes it a little easier but also means I don't have much of a social life.  So I need to manage my time better in the future.  I'm working on it, but old habits die hard.  =(

I got the new iPad and am loving it!!!  In fact, I'm typing this blog on it!  I do about 90% of my homework on it, which is awesome cuz the iPad is much easier to tote around than my laptop.  I was a little bummed because I had to start my Tiny Tower all over again, but now I have two Tiny Towers and that is kind of fun!  Also, Tricia got me hooked on Temple Run and Draw Something, which are so much more fun to play on Prince Mo (my iPad's name) than on Maurice II (my iPhone, yes I am a nerd).  

All right guys, I'm going to try to make a point to update this every Sunday.  There are a lot of mini goals I have for myself and things I want to do, and writing them on here keeps me accountable to them and hopefully I can get some feedback too.  Hope you all are doing well!  Any fun plans for Easter?  

Happy New Year (3 Weeks Later)

Well hello there!!  I hope all of you have been enjoying your new year!  I certainly have.  Its been awhile since I last wrote because I'm always so busy all the time.  It feels like I do nothing all the time, but when I sat down to prepare to write this, I realized I've done a lot.

I spent the first day of the new year in bed sick!  I think I had a sinus infection and I was miserable!  Not a great way to start the new year, that's for sure.

As for New Year's Resolutions, I never make them.  I do, however, make Birthday Resolutions for myself and have been doing so for a few years now.  Just a way to make sure I do things I want to do and grow as a person.  Now, if you know me well, you know that my birthday is 5 days before the new year, so I realize it goes along with normal resolutions, but hey, I'll call it what I like, haha.

I try not to make vague or outlandish resolutions either, and the past two years I've tried to set small goals to make sure I keep the resolutions.  Last year, I wanted to go to more concerts so I set a goal of one concert every two months, just to make sure I had something I could measure the goal by.  I believe I did not quite reach that goal, but I did go to more concerts than I had in years past, which was the real goal.

This year, my 25th goal is to take more pictures and keep in touch with people better.  The idea behind the taking more pictures thing is that I want to scrapbook again.  I haven't done it in years and I truly loved doing it, so I want to get started again.  The only problem is, I don't take as many pictures as I used to.  I used to have a camera practically glued to my hand, and nowadays, even with my beautiful camera, I just don't take as many pictures.

As for keeping in touch with people better, well, I'm getting older, and as my friends are getting married, having babies, and living farther and farther away, I've realized that I need to work to keep in contact with the people I care about.

Now for those of you who don't already know, I started a new job in October.  I am the Pharmacy Technician Externship Coordinator for American Career College.  Basically I place students in pharmacies so they can finish their program and get their diploma.  The ultimate goal is to get them hired, so I do a lot of work helping the students with resumes, interviewing techniques, etc.  I really enjoy it so far.  My students can be frustrating at times, but my job is to help them, so that's what I do.  And when they call me to let me know they got hired, well, that kind of makes it all worth it. =)

Happy Birthday to Me! <3

I have also begun wearing a Bodybugg.  For those of you who don't know, its this device that you wear on your arm and it measures the amount of calories you burn every day.  I need to get serious about losing weight, so in addition, I'm doing Weight Watchers again.  So far, its been a little slow, but the scale has definitely been going down, so I'm really happy about that.  I started walking on my lunch too, so I figure every little bit helps.  I haven't noticed any major changes yet, but I know it'll come, and as long as I'm getting healthier then its all worth it.

I hope all of you are doing well and are sticking to your resolutions!! Have a great weekend!

Books, Books, and Books

Two years ago, being the ultimate nerd that I am, I started writing down the books that I read as I finished them.  I had wondered how many books I read, but since I have numerous bookshelves and various stacks of books around my room, it was hard to keep track.  I believe I had read 51 books between November 2009 and October 2010, which averages just under a book a week.  Nerd confession.... I was disappointed!!!  I really thought I read more than that!  But some months are more productive than others so I think there were two months where I only read one book and others that I read 6 or 7. 

I posted that list of books on Facebook last year and in keeping with that tradition, being that it is November 1st, I am posting the books I read this past year.  Some were AMAZING, like Water for Elephants, 127 Hours, The Help, One Day, and the last one I finished yesterday, Shock Value. (Funny how most of those were made into movies).  Going through the list, it was kinda funny seeing how the year has been.  I completely forgot I read all 7 Harry Potter books in the 7 weeks before the last movie came out, finishing Deathly Hallows just a few hours before I sat in line for the movie.  And after two years I finally caught up with the Anita Blake series!!  You should all check out Laurel K Hamilton, especially if you're into the Vampire/Werewolf theme.  I'm not particularly into that, but she's a great author and makes even people like me enjoy the books.  (Warning, there's about 20 in the series, which is why it took me two years =/). 

Here it goes... (sorry if you're not nerdy like me... =P)


-November 2010
Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella
Glass by Ellen Hopkins
Mini-Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich

-December 2010
Danse Macabre by Laurel K Hamilton
Poor Little Bitch Girl by Jackie Collins

-January 2011
Picture Perfect by Jodi Piccoult
I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell by Tucker Max
Elixir by Hillary Duff
Him, Her, Him Again, the End of Him by Patricia Marx
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

-February 2011
Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

-March 2011
The Harlequin by Laurel K Hamilton

-April 2011
127 Hours by Aron Ralston
Blood Noir by Laurel K Hamilton
Skin Trade by Laurel K Hamilton
Flirt by Laurel K Hamilton
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

-May 2011
Bullet by Laurel K Hamilton
Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell

-June 2011
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix by JK Rowling

-July 2011
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
Bossypants by Tina Fey

-August 2011
House Rules by Jodi Piccoult
One Day by David Nicholls

-September 2011
Hit List by Laurel K Hamilton
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Midnight by Sister Souljah

-October 2011
Shock Value by Jason Zinoman

What's This?

I realize that Christmas is two months away and we still have Halloween and Thanksgiving to get through, but I like to start shopping early.  In fact, I already have 3 gifts out of the way and have 4 more to purchase when my Christmas club account money gets deposited into my bank account on November 1st.  Now, I pride myself on my gifts.  I generally don't buy gift cards or things like candles/body sprays/lotions.  I love unique gifts that require thought, which is probably why I start so early every year.  I love photo collages and the past two years have gone a simpler route of making calendars for a couple friends (one of which requested the calendar as part of her gift last year so she could put it on her desk at work.) 

Unfortunately, sometimes unique gifts are hard to find.  Or some people are harder to shop for.  My dad, for instance, is always a struggle.  Recently, thanks to Ms. Lisa A, and Mrs. Jennie H, I have become addicted to the website Pinterest.com.  This site is great for planning things, or organizing ideas, or just wasting away hours at a time when I should be doing homework, lol.  Basically, you "pin" photos to your "board" and you can view everyone else's boards to get ideas.  I currently have 16 boards and 425 pins.  My largest board is entitled "Words" and has various sayings.  I also have one entitled "A Place to Call Home" which includes decorating and furniture ideas for when I get my own place, and one entitled "Nerdiness<3" and well, you can imagine what that one is like.  But my favorite part of discovering this site is the great opportunity to discover unusual and unique gifts opportunities.  I found an amazing one my brother will love (won't say what in case he reads this =P) and even something for my dad!

Here are a few of my faves!  Hope you're all enjoying you October!

Laptop Book Cover

Giant Earbud Speakers

Shark tea Infuser