How I spent my Thanksgiving (mini) Vacation

Thanksgiving weekend was so much fun.  It was filled with family,  new friends, adventures and lots of food (I really mean cake).  Between eating cake on the way to the Thanksgiving dinner and our mini Bob's Burger marathon, we went on a few adventures.

Instead of heading out for the sales,  Eric and I headed to the Manasquan reservoir on Friday afternoon to enjoy the warm November weather.  It was the perfect day to take it the sunshine and be outside. The reservoir was filled with runners, people walking, bike riders and photographers.  The views were spectacular and it was the perfect day to be outside. 

We then headed out for a few errands then after a much needed nap, we got ready to go to Asbury Park for the Status Green show at the Stone Pony. I was eager to see Asbury Park- I've lived in New Jersey my whole life and I have never been there. We parked by the Stone Pony and we decided to explore the boardwalk area before the show. We saw the Wonder Bar, Convention Hall and the shops on the boardwalk. We found this arcade that had vintage pinball machines, Foosball tables, skee ball and other arcade games. We played (and intensely competed) with skee ball, Foosball, this funny basketball game and pin ball. We had so much fun. Its a definitely must see. Check it out HERE. The night was gorgeous; perfect for walking around and so unseasonably warm for November. The waves crashing over the ocean and the full moon was perfect.

After our mini adventure in the Arcade, it was just about time to head to the Stone Pony for the Status Green's Reunion Show. Status Green, a hometown legend from Howell happens to be one of Eric's favorite bands. It wasn't just any show, they had taken a break from playing, this was their first show in 3 years. 

Eric told me about them a few weeks ago and I started listening to their music on Spotify so I was familiar with them before the concert. The show lived up to the hype. Status Green brings such an amazing energy to the stage and their fans match it, song after song. The whole atmosphere and experience had a relaxed, chill vibe. You could tell that everybody was there to have a good time. Like friends you hadn't seen for while, the crowd and the band, picked up where the left off, 3 years earlier. (thanks to Eric for helping me write about Status Green!)  

Eric and I had a wonderful time BUT for us, it was a late night. We didn't get home until 1AM!  The nap earlier in the day was much appreciated at this hour because it let us stay up late and watch one of my favorite shows (bobs burgers) and snack on some cake.

 This has to be one of my favorite photos from the weekend

The whole weekend was so much fun. It made me excited for the whole holiday season. I cannot wait to see what adventures are ahead for us. 

Did you have a fun holiday weekend? Did you score any good deals on Black Friday? 

Gobble Gobble

I cannot believe its already Thanksgiving. This year has brought me a lot to be thankful for. The ups, the downs and everything in between has made me who I am today and I am very grateful and thankful for that. I was looking at my “On this day” section on Facebook the other day and 4 years ago I posted this:

I fell like this rings especially true each year but even more so this year. I think in this season of my life, I am very grateful for everything in my life and thankful for everything that has happened. 

These are some of the things I am thankful for: 

 

I am so thankful for what I have gone through because it has shown me that I am stronger than I think, I am braver than I seem and I can accomplish more than I can even imagine.

I am thankful for my parents who are my rocks- my support, my friends, my teachers, the go to people for any problem big or small, complicated or easy, messy or organized. They are always there for me no matter what.

I am thankful for my health and being able to actually enjoy the holidays this year. Last year, I was in no condition to celebrate or even care that it was the holiday season. I am so excited to actually take part in all the festivities for the holiday season.

I am thankful for my career, my coworkers and all the hands on experience I have obtained over the years. My career has immersed me in a lot of different parts of the courts system and I truly enjoy each and every part of it. Some days are crazy, some days are slow- I will take what comes each day and smile.

I am thankful for my basic necessities because lets face it- not everyone is privileged enough to have food, running water, a roof over their heads. It’s terrible to think that in 2015, there is so much poverty all around and especially in your own town. Take time this Thanksgiving to donate your time, extra food or money to local families that are not as fortunate.

My parents and I always write down what we are grateful for each day after dinner (You can see the post about that HERE) We kept the gratitude going all year long and I think its really special to see the jar fill up throughout the month.

 
How do you show gratitude and thankfulness all year round?

Popcorn, Monsters and Ticket Stubs

There is no secret that I do not like scary things and with Halloween being last month, I had an itch to see something sorta scary. I like kids scary movies that are cute but also a little scary. Eric and I went to see some not so scary movies- Hotel Transylvania 2 and Goosebumps. We thought it would be fun to review the movies from our own perspectives.

Hotel Transylvania 2

Source

Gabrielle's Review//
I saw the first Hotel Transylvania a few years ago and I fell in love with the cast of monsters and the story behind it. I had high hopes for the sequel and it did not disappoint. The lovable cast of monsters and humans alike were invited back to the Hotel to celebrate Dennis' birthday. The "Drac pack" is back for a new adventure to try to teach Dennis how to be a monster. The zany antics kept me laughing the whole time. You can't help but love this movie

Kids, Adults and everyone in between will love this movie- its action, comedy and even a little love story. The hilarious voice actors- Adam Sandler, Andy Samburg, Kevin James and Selena Gomez- make this film. Adam Sandler's character Dracula actually looks like him!! I'm curious to see if they will make another one!

Eric's Review//
      Having never seen Hotel Transylvania 1, I didn’t really know what to expect when it came to the sequel. Don’t worry, you don’t necessarily need to see the first one to enjoy to second. Knowing it was a children’s movie had me skeptical (I’m a 31 year old man) but the animation and the constant barrage of jokes kept me entertained from the opening credits.

        Hotel Transylvania is a hotel run by a lovable staff of monsters. Starring comedy heavy weights like Adam Sandler and David Spade its no wonder this movie had no slow spots. It moved from one hysterical and heart warming scene to the next. Ultimately, what made the movie so appealing to me was the story line. It displayed the timeless bond between family members. It doesn’t matter if you’re 10 years old going on 30 or 30 years old going on 10, Hotel Transylvania is a hit from beginning to end. I just hope they have a room for me at the hotel.

Overall review//
 We both really liked it and it was a perfect film for October and Halloween.

Goosebumps

 

Source

Gabrielle's Review//

As a kid, I grew up reading Goosebumps books, watching the scary movies and tv shows. I was super excited when I heard there was going to be a movie! I didn't know what to expect with this movie, I was just hoping all the favorite characters would be in it- Slappy the dummy, the abominable snowman, Fifi the vampire poodle, the lawn gnomes. The movie itself was cute, very appropriate to watch on Halloween. The story line was a bit far fetched for this 27 year old but as R. L. Stine said, every story has three parts- a beginning, a middle and the twist. I didn't see the TWIST coming but it ending being a fun easy going film.

I think younger kids would like this more than the generation that actually read the R.L. Stine books. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. The jury's out on this one. 

Eric's Review//

  I’m not going to sugar coat this one. Jack Black, definitely did this movie for the pay check. The movies run time was only about an hour and a half but it felt like an eternity. Jack Black, who plays Goosebumps author R.L. Stein,  is the only bright spot in an otherwise morbid, black hole of poorly shot scenes and under enthusiastically delivered lines.

        I may not be the best reviewer for this because I’d never read any of the Goosebumps books but I could only imagine a hardcore fan would have been outraged. Goosebumps—a book that should have stayed on the shelf

Overall Review//

We should have waited to see this on Netflix.

As you can see, Eric and I had different opinions about Goosebumps but each time at the movies we had a great time! We also cannot wait for The Good Dinosaur, Sisters and Star Wars.

 

Have you seen any good movies lately? Are you excited for any movies coming up?

Happy Adoption Day

November is Adoption month.  Today is National Adoption Day.

23,000 kids are in foster care waiting to find their forever homes. (Source)

Today New Jersey celebrates national adoption day with events throughout all the counties.

Want to find out more about adoption- check out
National Adoption Day Organziation

Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

New Jersey Division of Child Protection & Permanency Adoption

Every child deserves a family to spend the Holidays with.

Wednesday's Wisdom

Sometimes you just see something and it makes total sense to you. You get it, at that very moment the stars align and things fall into place and what you have been wishing and praying for finally happens. You don't know why but you are truly happy for this small miracle.  You want that feeling, from that moment,  to stay with you forever. You want to feel this amazing all the time. You want to share this feeling with everyone and anyone you come into contact with. You have been looking for this moment your whole life and now you got your moment and you want to to run with that feeling forever.

I looked at the quote above tonight and I understood what it meant.  I hope you all have an Ah Ha! Moment sometime this week.

Hockey Pucks, Jersey Devils and Flamingos

Eric and I went to the Devils game last week. This was my first hockey game and I couldn't be more excited.  The drive from my house to the Prudential Center was super quick and after finding the parking garage, I got even more excited. Seeing all the fans in their jerseys and devil's attire, made me even more ready for the game.

Our first stop was a mini photo op at the statute in front of the Prudential Center. I brought along Penelope for her first hockey game experience as well. A nice employee offered to take our photo and laughed when I pulled out Penelope!

I knew we had to go through security and I hoped the security guard had a sense of humor seeing Penelope in my bag. He didn't but he didn't seem to care either. Our first stop was the team shop to find Eric a Devil's Tee-shirt. The team shop was packed with fans and a ton of Devils merchandise. It was fun to see all the different jerseys and tee shirts. Penelope liked the hockey puck hats the best.

We found a step and repeat and I couldn't pass up a photo opportunity with Eric.

The Prudential Center is  HUGE. There were so many food options, merchandise options and just hockey related fun. We were there early so we decided to take in the sights and sounds before finding our seats. It was awesome to see just a sea of red shirts in front of you. There were a couple of Ford cars parked in the concourse by our section and they were offering free photos. We took full advantage of the free photo and we even got a hockey puck key chain!

We found our seats and I couldn't believe how close they were to the ice. The teams were practicing before the game and it was an awesome sight to see. I knew a little about hockey and Eric was happy to answer any questions I had. These questions were but not limited to "why are there so many people on the ice right now?" "What happened?" "Are there going to be any fights tonight?" "Tutti Frutti (TooToo ) is number 22 How funny!" and  " How many quarters are there in a Hockey Match?"

Penelope had a lot of fun at the game as well. I should include her too!

 

The fans around us were awesome. They were really into the game and it was nice to be part of something that brings everyone together. We cheered, high-fived and awwed for all of the action.

This game was super exciting, not only being my first hockey game, there were THREE fights (!!!) on the ice (I asked Eric earlier about this and he said the Devil's rarely fight), it was tied so it went into overtime and then we WON! The stadium was filled with so much excitement you could actually feel it. Once the Devil's scored the winning goal, we jumped up and down, high fived everyone and then RAN out of our seats to avoid every other fan doing the same thing. We rode the escalator down and we saw the employees clapping and cheering- it was cool to see everyone thrilled that they won. After we got off the escalator, I turned around to see the sea of Devil's Jerseys coming down the escalator and it was an exciting sight to see.

My first hockey game was a success. To be honest, I didn't know what to expect but this was a unexpected surprise. We had such a great time and I can't wait to go back. Eric did have to warn me, hockey is not always this exciting, this high scoring nor this filled with fights.

Are you a hockey fan? Did you see this game on TV? Let me know!

PS. I couldn't finish this post without adding the following photo:

 (Photo Credit: Eric F.)

This photo made me laugh so hard for so many reasons and I will explain- We were waiting to get back to our seats and I saw an empty chair with a perfect view of the ice. I wanted to get a photo of Penelope watching the game so I just walked over set Penelope down and started to take her photo. I didn't realize Eric was watching me and everyone else around me was looking at me like a crazy person.All I could do was laugh after Eric showed this to me. Why was I so serious? Why did everyone look at me like I was crazy? What were those people around me thinking? I guess someone is always watching you,  even when you are not aware. The crazy things I do for a perfect photo for my blog.

Thank a Veteran today!

Happy Veterans Day to all who protect this great country of ours, especially my father. He's looking pretty cool back in 1974!

Unexpected Lessons Learned

Having surgery is hard. Having emergency surgery is even harder and sometimes the recovery takes longer than expected. I had an emergency appendectomy 1 year ago today. My life has changed for the better. Even though recovery was hard, I am glad that I went through it . It showed me how strong I really am.

This kept me going.

Being stronger mentally and physically// 
 From my appendix bursting to the recovery process, it was a long crazy road. Nothing healed as the doctor said it would, every complication happened and you know what? It made me stronger, I fought to feel better and to live a normal life again. Physically I had lost an enormous amount of weight and the sheer state of my physical being was not good. I wanted to be stronger right then and there and yet it took a long time for me to feel stronger and more like myself.

Appreciating the small things (even more)//
I have always been taught to appreciate the small things in life and I truly think that if you can appreciate the small things you have a better appreciation of the larger things in your life. After my surgery, I was a mess. Out of everything I used to do, all I really wanted to do was to attend the Santa Breakfast at the local firehouse and go back to work. ( I was out of work for a month!) Those two things were my motivation to get better and to do those two things. In the end, I was able to go to the Santa Breakfast and go back to work. I was the absolute happiest person going back to work and attending the breakfast.

Source

Not sweating the small stuff//
I used to be a worrier. I worried about everything and anything. Silly things, serious things, it didn't matter what it was, I worried about it . I would get so upset for really no reason. After everything that has happened, I have learned how to let things roll off my back. Being sick is hard enough without worrying about everything. 


Not planing each and every moment//
 It is no lie that I am a planner by nature. In the past I would plan my days from the time I wake up until the time I went to bed. It was too much. Being sick puts you on a different type of schedule- doctor's appointments, medicine schedule. After I started to feel better, I decided to just enjoy life and let it happen.

And lastly...

Listening to your body///
This is the most important, I should have listened to my body more and saw something was amiss. I ignored the symptoms and it didn't turn out too great. You know your body the best, if something is wrong, go to the doctor and tell them your concerns. Respect your body, it makes all the difference.

Life is funny sometimes. You are on one road going fine and then BAM!  One thing happened and you're path is completely changed. I'm thankful for this detour because it helped show me how strong I really am and how I can persevere through the tough times.

If you are going through a rough patch,  please don't lose hope. You CAN get through this,  you WILL be okay and things will get BETTER.

#gratefulheart

On Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr, I have been seeing friends post each day about what they are grateful for. November is a great month to reflect on what you are grateful and thankful for, with Thanksgiving is just around the corner and then Christmas is quickly approaching too.
 #blessed has been flying around the interwebs as well. Sometimes you're #blessed for something silly but when it really comes down to it, everyone can point out at least one thing they are grateful and thankful for. But most people forget that.

 Source

 
Starting each day with a grateful heart is such a powerful statement. Why would you choose to start your day with a bad outlook? Why not be grateful for what you have in life- it may be a lot but it also may not be too much. It doesn't matter how much you have, its the quality that matters. You have a purpose in life, you are here for a specific reason, why not do everything in your power to be your best, do your best and spread gratefulness?

Speaking of your life, I think this quote rings true as well and it fits well with being grateful:

 Source

Talking about your blessings more than you talk about your burdens is so powerful. Why would you want to spend you time talking about something that makes your unhappy- why waste your energy? I personally love talking about things that make me happy and things that are positive. I understand life can not be all rainbows and ponies but finding time in your life to say something positive will change your outlook. Doing something positive even something small, might change someone one else's day for the better. You never know.

Each day my parents and I make a point to write one thing we are grateful for. We keep them in a jar in the kitchen.  I love seeing the jar filling up through out the month. I enjoy our tradition that makes us thankful for the little things.

After the roller coaster ride of a year I had, there is so much for me to be grateful for. 

Some of the things I am grateful for are: 

feeling better, 

for not being in the hospital, 

for having an amazing support team,

being able to go to work

enjoying each and every sunrise and sunset

laughing at inside jokes

Even on my craziest day, I thank God for being able to experience those crazy moments. I love each day for what it is- for having a job, friends, and a life that I am proud of.  Everyday has something to be grateful for. Don't forget that!

My challenge to you, keep this grateful and thankful thoughts going all year- Why only be grateful when there is food, family and presents around?