Odd Meals

Over the past few years, the times that we eat have changed. No longer are there defined breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours. Instead, we have breakfast, brunch, lunch, "late lunch", dinner, and fourth meal. 

I believe this is due to a number of factors including changing work habits, increased flexibility in scheduling, increased availability in prepackaged foods and ready made meals, and the fact that fewer people consider eating as a family around a dinner table to be important. 

I first started noticing this trend in collage when, due to varied class times, I found myself eating at odd hours between classes. Even now, I have breakfast around 10, lunch at 3, and dinner sometime between 5 and 9.

Not saying that this is wrong or anything, just that it is changing.  

Perhaps we should start calling them 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th meal instead. 

Here Comes 2013 - Happy New Year!

Hard to believe Christmas is already over this year and New Year's Eve is almost upon us.

Here are a few of my New Year's Resolutions:

1. Be happy more often. 2012 was a trying year, but I am really looking forward to 2013.
2. Work on time management. January is already booking up quickly, so staying on top of my schedule will be key.
3. Make fitness a habit, not a chore. Walk more, make healthier food choices, learn more about nutrition, and choose fun activities that include being active.
4. Stay organized. I have set up some good systems this year. Now the trick will be to keep them up.
5. Get more involved. I am already on the board of a young pros group, but in 2013, I have also agreed to help out a non profit called My City Kitchen. Hopefully, I will be able to learn a lot from the experience while using my skills to help them get their word out.

Here's to 2013. May the new year bring you health, wealth, and happiness!

Sincerely,
Kayleigh Apicerno

Kayleigh's Favorite Quotes - Motivational

"Well, what are you gonna do"

"Prepare for the worst, hope for the best"

"It is what it is"

"So it goes"

"Don't sweat the small stuff"

"Shit happens"

All of these quotes have something in common. They deal with what is out of our control. These quotes tend to be said often and not without reason. Not much in this life can be controlled, so deal with it.

-Kayleigh

Strange

Thought,
It is so strange how two people can view the same concept, idea, or event in such different ways.
This election is only proving this. One candidate says something and it can be spun in so many different ways. Even I heard one phrase on two different occasions and thought it meant something completely different.
During a discussion with my friend, I began to realize we were talking about the same topic but our views of it were so different we would never see eye to eye on it.
Oh well. It is what it is.
-Kayleigh

Something For Everyone To Remember

Hello,

I found this someecard today and wanted to share it because it is so true. And I really do wish everyone could be happy. When you are happy, and I mean actually happy, everything seems better and brighter. 

I have been depressed and I have been truly happy. Let me tell you, happy is always better. And this goes for everyone. I want everyone to be happy. What a wonderful life this could be.

Happy Day,
Kayleigh

Fall Is Here

Dunkin Donuts has pumpkin coffee and there is a slight chill in the air! This can only mean one thing...Fall is here! I know Labor Day isn't until Monday, but why not start now?

Happy Day!
Kayleigh

Bye Bye Draw Something

So I uninstalled Draw Free/Draw Something. Now that Zynga took over, the app takes forever to load and there are way too many ads. Not to mention the limited amount of bombs and color packs you can get now that they are trying to make more money.

I was so disappointed when I learned about the Zynga taking over. I knew this was going to happen. Draw Something was such a fun game; one of the only games I ever played on my phone. The game is just no fun anymore.

Oh well.

Unhappy ex-customer,
Kayleigh

I Took A Walk

Today, I took a walk with my dog. We ended up at the local farmers market about half a mile away from the apartment. I picked out a couple of onions, and only ended up spending 90 cents!

Lizzie was so good on the leash during the whole walk. I am proud of her. On our normal walks, she sometimes pulls and does not pay too much attention to me, but today was different. I think she enjoyed our walk.

On the way home, back up the hill, Lizzie did not slow down too much like I thought she would. We do not normally take such long walks and I was afraid it would be too much for her. But she did it, and so did I. We did it together.

Back inside, Lizzie gulped down 2 quarts of water and I turned on the Wii for my daily workout. I am so much stronger than I was a month ago.

Happy Days!
Kayleigh ♥

Kayleigh Played A Video Game

I am not a big game person. I do not enjoy playing games. Never have. But, I want to be able to spend some free time doing something my loving boyfriend and I can enjoy together. Usually we end up sitting on opposite sides of the room on our own computers.

Now that he has his TV and game systems here, he naturally wanted to play. He knew that I have never had a gaming system growing up; I bought my Wii just a few years ago. So one night I went out and bought a cheap Lego game and decided to try.

It only took a few days (and a couple of small arguments) for us to finish the entire story. Now we can go back and replay levels.

I enjoy spending time with him and it is something that we can do together, but I am still not that into playing video games. And now it is almost football time, so I will have to learn to enjoy something else.

The things we do for love!
Kayleigh

So I Don't Forget After Work

I have one of those jobs where having my phone on my desk is frowned upon. So I keep it in a drawer and look at it a few times a day (breaks and lunch). If I were able to keep it out, the note apps would be put to good use. It seems I always think of something that needs to be done later while I am sitting there doing my work.

By the time I get home after work, I want to forget about my day and focus on everything else that needs to be done at home. Fortunately, I have come up with a great and simple way to keep organized.

When I come up with something that needs to be done while at work, I write it down on a sticky note (aka Post it note). Then I stick that sticky to the back of my phone the next time I look at it. This way, I can write notes to myself for later and will not even be able to forget the note, since it will be stuck on the back of my phone.

For example, say I am at work and I realize I need to call my friend to ask about something. I will jot it down on a sticky note and then place that sticky on the back of my phone, throw the phone back in the drawer, and remember to take care of it after work.

I bet this tip would help many people such as myself who work and need to remember things.

Happy Days
Kayleigh Apicerno

The Happiest Woman Alive

It is amazing how wonderful life can be when you are in love. I am in awe each day that I am lucky enough to wake up next to the most amazing man on the planet. He loves me so much and I love him even more. We have our share of arguments, but they never last long. For over a year and a half, I have been fortunate enough to share my life with the love of my life. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us.

Sincerely,
Kayleigh Apicerno ♥

Tumblr is Cool - My new blog about things I am grateful for

I started a new blog on tumblr. It is a very short daily blog where each post consists of just 5 small items that I am grateful for. In fact, the blog is called Grateful For The Small Things. 

Each day, I post just 5 items that I am grateful for. For me, it is a great way to stay positive and remember that life is full of little surprises. Remember the little things and the big things won't seem so bad. 

A friend of mine started doing this on Facebook awhile ago and is now well over 1000. That means she has already been able to fill up over 200 days of things she is grateful for. That is inspiring. 

Here is the link to my tumblr blog: Grateful For The Small Things 

Stay positive!

Kayleigh Apicerno

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cone!

On our way home from the CT Wine Festival, my boyfriend pulls into an ice cream shop unexpectedly. I was not planning on buying anything until I saw this cone (above).

It is a chocolate chip cookie cone. That's right, a chocolate chip cookie in the shape of an ice cream cone! As soon as I saw that, I knew I had to try it.

Let me just say, the cheesecake flavored soft serve I had them fill it with was also delicious.

What a treat. Some of the best moments in life are those that are completely unexpected.

Yay!
Kayleigh Apicerno

The magic button — Make Everything OK

The magic button — Make Everything OK

I found this site and had to share. Having a bad day? Try out the make everything ok button

Signed,
Kayleigh

CT Wine Festival

It's that time of year again. This weekend is the CT Wine Festival in Goshen, CT. I have had my tickets for weeks now and can't wait for noon tomorrow.

Last year was my first time going and John and I had tons of fun and knew we would be coming back this year. It's like a carnival for grownups!

Wine tastings from pretty much all of the CT wineries, specialty food tastings, live music, craft sales, and more! What more could you ask for?

I probably won't be posting anymore this weekend, so until next week,

Kayleigh Apicerno ♥

A Mouse In My House!

The other day, I went in the cupboard to fetch my dog a treat only to discover they were all gone!

Fortunately, there were only a couple left anyway. The box was not empty. A mouse had left some droppings in return.

We had a mouse in this same cupboard a few months ago, back when the weather was still cold. He was caught and is long gone by now, so it looks as if another mouse is sneaking around in the walls.

I can't blame him. He is hungry and i would probably do the same thing if I were a mouse.

Dear Mouse,
You better watch out. My boyfriend is not as understanding as I am.

Sincerely,
Kayleigh Apicerno

Friends Are Wonderful

"Kayleigh Apicerno loves her friends!" 

It's a fact. I have great friends. No matter what is going on in my life, I know that I can count on my friends for kind and supportive words. If there were more hours in the day, or if I was able to work shorter hours, I would want to fill the extra time by spending time with my friends and, of course, the boyfriend. 

And now here is an adorable picture to make you smile:

Happy Days to our friends!

Kayleigh Apicerno

Kayleigh's Musings (2) - Jobs and Weekends

This past weekend was very busy. It feels as if last Friday was more than just a few days ago. How strange weekends can be. Some of them seem to go by in the blink of an eye while others linger for awhile. Personally, I enjoy the ones that linger.

The weather was near perfect and I finally made it to the beach. The boyfriend and I spent all but a few hours together, except for the time when he was at a meeting and I was with my best friend (and her new kitten!). It was good to see her.

But now it is back to work and another crazy busy week. I do not feel that I am "living for the weekend" but it would be fine with me if something exciting and positive happened during my work days. Each day starts to feel just like the day before around the office.

I cannot complain, however, since I have a job and it is a fairly good one at that.

Happy Days
Kayleigh Apicerno

Kayleigh's Musings 2

I took a walk today at the beautiful park on the street where I work. It was about 94 degrees out, but that didn't bother me until the last 5 minutes.

Here is a great picture I took with my phone during my walk:

And another picture of the woods:

It was all very nice, except for the bugs. There were lots of little flies everywhere. I realized why I don't do this walk everyday. Although walking is really good for me (and free [especially because I walked to the park and back to the office]), but sometimes it just isn't worth it. 

The smart person that I am, I took a second walk today. My sister and I walked around downtown after work just for some exercise. There were hardly any bugs and, again, the heat didn't really bother me until the last leg of the walk. Walking is great, but not in this heat and humidity.

Happy Day!

Kayleigh Apicerno

So Happy For Cheesecake

I am so excited! I just got a LivingSocial deal for my favorite cheesecake place! As soon as my third friend's purchase goes though, mine will be reimbursed! Free cheesecake!

Cheesecake is probably my favorite food and Stockbridge's makes the best around. Just look at that picture.  I can almost taste it. I'm going for a nice walk now instead of eating a slice of that delicious food!

Oh, Happy Day!
Kayleigh Apicerno ;)

Frugal Fitness (1)

Budgeting my not be my strong suit, but when it comes to not spending money on something, I am a champ. Not only do I hate spending money, I don't have that much to spend. Even when it comes to being fit, which I consider an investment in myself and my future, spending money is not an option. 

If someone asked me, "Kayleigh, would you like to join the gym with me?" I would have to say no. Going to the gym is not for me. Being motivated to staying healthy without spending money has led to some interesting experiments. Many of them have proven useful. 

For example, instead of buying classes at a gym or workout videos, I search YouTube and find free workouts there. And let me tell you, there are a ton of great videos there. Search by abs, legs, arms, or by time. 

Here is the first ads workout that I started doing once or twice a week until I mastered it. 

I will be posting more of my frugal fitness tips in the up coming days and weeks. But now it's time for me to get off my butt and work on my abs! 

Happy Days, 

-Kayleigh 

Kayleigh's Musings 1

A most interesting event occurred at work this morning. My boss handed me a magazine he had received in the mail. Website Magazine is its name. He said I would get more out of it than he would since I manage the company website.

During my 10 minute break, I started flipping through the pages and reading some of the shorter articles. There is magic in hardcopy print. It is an experience one simply cannot have reading articles online. Even the ads were interesting to me.

I look forward to reading the rest of the magazine and marking the pages with a pen. This is something that I have not had to opportunity to do for a long time.

Happy Day!
-Kayleigh Apicerno

OMG S'MORES!

One of my favorite summer activities is making s'mores. They are simply delicious. But I had no idea there were so many ways to eat them. On this Pinterest board: Kayleigh Apicerno's S'Mores Board, I have compiled over 100 different s'mores pins.

Who would have thought that marshmallow, chocolate, and graham crackers could be made into so many different delectable treats? 

Doesn't this look tasty?

or this one?

To believe I have lived 26 years without making a smoreo! 

Happy Day!

-Kayleigh Apicerno

Staring at a blank text box can sometimes be daunting. All of that empty white space. It feels as if it will take a long time to fill the entire box. I enjoy writing, but every now and then, when I don't have a clear idea of what to write about, these text boxes seem very large. That is when I start writing about nothing, for I know once I start writing, something will start to be created.

Happy Day!
Kayleigh Apicerno

Just Smile

Have you ever felt sad or depressed and wondered if there was anything that could make you feel better? Try smiling. I'm serious. Just start smiling. It's pretty amazing. All you have to do is smile. Just start smiling. That's it.

I was pretty stressed at work the other day. I remembered seeing a quote online that said something along the line of "Just smile and you will start to feel better instantly." I figured, what they hey, might as well try it. Almost as soon as I did, it started to work and I started to feel happier.

Smiling releases serotonin in your brain, a chemical that makes you feel happy. That is why this works.

Just keep smiling!

Happy Days!
Kayleigh Apicerno

Lizzie and Kayleigh

Lizzie is the most wonderful dog in the world. At least that is what her owner, Kayleigh Apicerno, thinks.

Her full name is Lizzie D. Puppy, and she is a four year old Rottweiler. Kayleigh still says she is a big goofy puppy though! And she is. Lizzie spends her days sleeping and getting belly rubs. What a life!

Apicerno comments often, "I love this dog!" and "What, she's not spoiled. Okay, maybe a little!"

When Kayleigh and Lizzie are together, everyone in the room can feel the love.

Kayleigh Apicerno is a young woman who is trying to do her best at life. She has a full time job, does some freelance blogging, is on the board of her local young professionals networking group (through the local Chamber of Commerce), and has a wonderful loving boyfriend.

The name Kayleigh was given to her by her parents after they heard a song, "Kayleigh" by Marillion. Her surname, Apicerno, is her father's name. Apicerno is of Italian decent on her father's side, and English/Irish on her mother's.

Kayleigh has many goals for her life. She wants to travel, learn as much as possible, become financially independent, and raise a loving family.