Birthday Girl!

Just wanted to wish my niece Livy a very happy birthday. Olivia is 7 years old today. Liv and I have always been kindred spirits in my mind because our birthdays are just one day apart. We are like two peas in a pod really. Anyway, We hope you have a wonderful birthday Olivia. We love you very much!


Livy is know for making faces on command. I'm pretty sure this is her "crazy" face.



Me and Liv.

Queen For a Day!

Birthday girl!

Well, since none of you were able to make it to my birthday celebration, I thought I would bring the fun to you! So here is a recap of my very special day.
I've been telling Jeremy how much I want to see the disney movie The Little Mermaid because I haven't seen it in years. Well, when I woke up this morning I found a birthday card and my very own, beautifully restored DVD copy of this classic film. What a sweet husband I have. My day was definitely rolling in the right direction after that little surprise.
So, the next few hours of my day were pretty uneventful because I was stuck in class. But don't worry, I wasn't going to let it get me down. After I was finished with school I decided to cruise on over to Subway and get myself a 6", chips, and a diet coke. I would then go home for a little R and R.


Yummmm!! Doesn't it look good?? Well it was pretty much the best ever!

After I was finished with my lunch I decided it was time to check my email. Normally I would have to check email on our desktop, but not today! My most amazing husband got me my very own laptop. Bam! That's one sweet gift! Although this is not the pink Vaio that I wrote about in my "favorite things" post, this laptop is even better because it came straight from the heart....actually it came straight from the Office Depot warehouse but you get the idea. This gift actually arrived on our doorstep a couple of weeks before my birthday, so I've already had some time to try it out. It is all I ever thought a laptop could be and more! Let me tell you people, it takes my studying and schoolwork to a whole new level. I love it! Thanks again husband...you are the best!


Don't we look great together??? I think so!

By this time it was almost time for Jeremy to come home. That would be when the party would really get going. Since it was my day, naturally I got to decide what we would do and where we would go to eat. Call me old fashioned and boring if you want to, but my idea of a great birthday is ordering Papa John's pizza and bread sticks, and living it up at home. Thursday night is our favorite T.V. night, and since we haven't had a lot of time together to actually watch our shows and relax, this is what I wanted to do for my birthday. The result of this was good food, best buddies, and some pretty sweet entertainment.


Now this party is really getting started!

Once we had finished eating our pizza it was time to watch one of our favorite shows, Lost. The show was as entertaining as ever, but what is a great T.V. show without cake? It's mediocre at best. So, about halfway into the episode we hit the pause (thanks to Tivo) and plated up again. I am just noticing that food seems to be the central theme of my birthday...oh well, let the good times roll right? Let me just say that I had an amazing birthday cake. It was a Butterfinger ice cream cake and it was so delicious!


If you haven't yet boarded the Lost train I strongly recommend that you do!


What more could a girl ask for!

Even though it's a bit depressing turning another year older, I really feel like 28 for me is the new 18. I have high hopes for this next year of my life, and I think it's really going to be great! I just have to say thank you to everyone who made my birthday so special. The response was overwhelming, and to tell you the truth I didn't even know I had so many friends! Unfortunately I did not hear from my one and only brother. I did get a happy birthday song from his kids though so that was pretty fun. I think what must have happened is he tried to call but the line was flooded or something. Kind of like when you are trying to get through the American Idol hot lines after the show to vote. I'm not saying that I am a celebrity or anything, but yesterday I sure felt like one. Thanks to everyone who called, sent me emails, cards, packages, text messages, or gave me a shout-out on there blog. All I can say is you really know how to treat a girl right on her birthday!

Happy Birthday Ryan!

This birthday shout-out is for my brother-in-law Ryan. Happy Birthday Ryan! We hope you have a great day!

Brooke's Favorite Things 2008

I've noticed a few blogs (one being my sister Allie's) with a list of "favorite things", and I wanted to join in on the fun. After all, if Oprah can have a list so can we right?? Half of my list is more of a "wish list", since I don't own all of this stuff. I aspire to own it all someday though...does that count? So, in no particular order, my list is revealed.

1) Biore Warming Anti-Blackhead Cream Cleanser. The name says it all right? I'm telling you, this stuff is the ticket! Imagine applying this cleanser to your face on a frosty winter night/morning....amazing! I love it!

2) Sony Vaio Laptop in pink. The other colors are fun to but pink is absolutely breathtaking. I do not own this beauty, but when I saw it the other day at Office Depot I knew we were meant for each other. I think that this laptop would take my blogging to a whole new level. Not only is this laptop cute, but Sony always makes a good product so you can't really go wrong.

3) The next thing on my list is the clothing store Charlotte Russe. I love the clothes from this store. They recently added this store to the Layton Hills Mall in Utah, so when I was home for Christmas I got to buy a few things. I love the way the jeans fit and the tops are adorable! The best part is that the prices are very affordable. These clothes make me feel like the young girl I once was and I love it!

4) Revlon mascara. If you are a girl on a budget this stuff definitely delivers! Don't we all just hate it when mascara clumps up?? Well, Revlon has never let me down in that area. I'll admit that I love to splurge once-in-a-while on the expensive Clinique brand, but for now I'm completely happy with Revlon. It's Fabulash!

5) I just wouldn't be a Roundy if I didn't include some type of food on my list. This delicious treat will make your taste buds tingle. Edy's slow churned ice cream. My flavor of choice, Cheesecake Diva. This is one of the four new limited time American Idol flavors. It tastes just like the add says..."Rich and Sassy". And now for the best part...it's low fat! Holla! Only 4 grams of fat and 120 calories per serving. Now that's something to celebrate!

6) 3 speed Nirve Cruiser. This has to be the cutest bike I've ever seen! I do not own this bike, but I hope to call it mine someday. It's not shown in the picture, but I want mine to have a basket on the front so that I can take Homer with me when I cruise. I can see it now...me and Homer cruising down the street, wind blowing in my hair. Jeremy likes to make fun of me, but I'm pretty sure he's just jealous. I bet he'll want one too when we go off cruising without him.

7) Jergens Natural Glow moisturizer. Anyone that knows me knows that I have a natural pasty white glow. Well that all changed when I discovered this lotion. Jergens has natural glow for your face and for your body, so you have that sun-kissed look all over. I haven't had a sun tan in all of my 27 years, but once I started using this stuff I could really tell a difference. The best part is it was a nice glow, not a yucky orange glow. I highly recommend this product, even if you already have dark skin. We could all use a little extra glow right?

I could probably go on and on with my list, but I will end here. 2008 is still young though so I'm sure I will be adding to my favorite things as the year goes on. Anyone else have any favorite things that they want to share? I would love to here what's out there!

Double Shout-Out!

This post is dedicated to my amazing mother and my adorable niece Maggie. They both share the same birthday. Litte Maggie is 3 years old, and my mom, well she is another year younger. We just want you both to know that we are thinking about you and missing you very much. We hope that you have a wonderful day!



This video clip was filmed while I was in Utah over Christmas. It features Maggie and the other kids frosting cookies. Maggie is actually eating a lot more then she is frosting, but who can blame her right?? You can also see my mom in the background running around and being the most amazing grandma ever! She is always planning fun activities for the kids like this one, and it's no wonder why they love her so much! Happy Birthday Mom and Maggie!

Where are you Weight Watchers???

So lately I feel like my body has been talking to me. Here are some of the conversations that we've been having (me and my body):

Body: Why don't you eat that last chocolate chip cookie? Four cookies at one time is not that many.
Me: Well...OK, you're the boss!

Body: That stretchy and tangy laffy taffy (with sprinkles) looks really good. Even though you already ate the ones that Jeremy bought for you, I'm sure he won't mind if you eat just one of his.
Me: That's true, he would probably want me to have this one.

Body: What is that noise! Is that your alarm going off?
Me: Yes, I set it so I could get up and exercise
Body: Well hit the snooze. I'm still fatigued.
Me: That's no good. I would hate to feel fatigued all day. I'd better just keep sleeping.

Anyway, you see the pattern here. I really need to get back on track! I felt so good when I was doing the Weight Watchers thing, and I was losing weight too. I have a few ideas on what to do so that I can control the conversations with my body. Here are a few of my ideas:

1) Cut down on diet soda! I would say cut it out completely, but let's be realistic here people. My body usually tells me that diet soda won't hurt me...after all it's calorie free. Well this is true, but when I drink this heavenly beverage it leaves me craving sugar. Sugar with me goes right past the lips and on to my hips!

2) Stock up on sugar free gum. One of the Biggest Loser trainer tips is to keep Extra sugar free gum with you at all times, that way if you have a sweet tooth moment you can pop a stick in your mouth and the craving is gone. I have to say I'm not yet convinced that a little stick of gum is going to relieve my cravings for double chocolate brownies, but I will give it a try.

3) Drink more water! I do pretty good with drinking water already, but there is always room for improvement. I think I'm going to replace my diet soda intake with flavored water just to spice things up a bit.

4) Get moving! They always used to say this in our Weight Watcher meetings. Any suggestions on this? I usually do really good once I get in a groove, but right now my groove is gone. How did Stella get her groove back? Did she exercise? I need some ideas in this area because I'm getting bored with the stationary bike and the things I normally do. I am dying for a golden star moment here, so please send me your comments and suggestions! Food tips are always appreciated as well.

Mardi Gras Madness!!

Well, it is officially Mardi Gras madness here in the great state of Louisiana. I've always know that Mardi Gras was a big celebration, but I guess I never fully understood how big until now. People really go all out here. Wherever you go, the streets and homes are decorated with the traditional colors of purple, green and gold. What a sight! For those of you like me who don't know a whole lot about this celebration let me share a little bit of background. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday". It is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, and from about two weeks before, through "Fat Tuesday", there is at least one major parade each day. One of the traditions of Mardi Gras is the King Cake. King Cakes are decorated with white icing and sprinkles of gold (for power), green (for faith) and purple (for justice). Inside each cake is a small plastic baby. If you are the recipient of that baby you are crowned "king" for the day. Now that's pretty slammin! You are also in charge of throwing the next years party, and supplying the King Cake. I was offered a slice of this delightful treat, and I have to say that it was pretty good stuff. It tastes a lot like a cinnamon roll but with filling,and topped with icing and sprinkles. I think that my back side is officially starting to realize why this holiday is know as "Fat Tuesday". Click here for recipe.