Graphic courtesy of Tonya! :)

I'm sort of cheating on this week's Friday Fill-Ins, because this is actually yesterday's fill-in. They apparently do a new one every day now... But since I have been in such a rut, and not posting as much as I should, I am getting a jump start and doing this on Thursday ;) If you would like to check out everyone else's fill-ins, or just see what today's fill-in actually is, check out their SITE.

And now, on to the fill-ins!

1. Being set back is not the end of the world.

2. Sitting here, listening to the sound of rain falling, I appreciate all that I have, especially my wonderful family.

3. Ben and Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream tastes so good!

4. Sometimes, putting others first is necessary.

5. Watching a storm roll in is breathtaking, really.

6. Well, maybe there is something waiting on the horizon.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to gotta clean up before my parents come tomorrow (not looking forward to it, but it has to be done!), tomorrow my plans include snuggling the girl before we head out to New York to try and win a car(!!) and Sunday, I want to get home, do any shopping I have to do, and prep for the week! My Sunday one is always the same... lol... Guess I am a little boring, but I love my simple life :)

Friday Fill-Ins #21

1. It's cold and wet outside!

2. There is nothing quite like some fresh garden tomatoes.

3. My favorite health and beauty product is the AVON Clearskin line right now! It's done wonders for my uhh... let's just say *blemish-prone* skin. ;)

4. I wouldn't really enjoy a nice long ride. Hey, at least I'm being honest! The car is NOT my favorite place to be...

5. Well, first of all get your facts straight! Do your own research, don't just follow everyone else like a sheep... BAHH :)

6. Hubby, me and an ex of mine; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was naughty, I'm not gonna lie! That's all the info you will get out of me...

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to chilling with my fam and hopefully squeezing in some workout time, tomorrow my plans include relaxing at home with nothing to do for the first time in weeks! and Sunday, I want to grocery shop, do the chores, and prep for the week. Also hopefully get outside for a bit with the ruggle, all this rain has been killing us!

You can join in on the fun, or see other people's entries, by visiting THIS site.

Friday Fill-Ins #20

1. Moving is a big time pain in the butt, but worth it!

2. I have been getting tons of stuff for free. (By using these two blogs- Hip2Save and Money Saving Mom- as my guide, in conjunction with printable internet coupons from coupons.com and sites like it!)

3. My best quality is my ability to be optimistic and look beyond the struggles.

4. Sometimes, you don't want the details.

5. In nearly 10 years, I hope to own a home, have more children, have moved up in my career, and my daughter will be in middle school. YIKES!

6. A pampering spa day is what I need right now!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going out to eat with my family, tomorrow my plans include bringing the Bend to Nashua to return my parent's stools (which we WILL finish tonight, I promise!) and Sunday, I want to relax, clean up, do some cooking/ baking and hang around the house! Monday? BBQ with my in-laws at their house! :)

You can view other people's entries, or join in the fun yourself, at THIS LINK.

Friday Fill-Ins #18

1. Why do we have to drive places? Could be rephrased as... Why can't we teleport like in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

2. Checking my Facebook and Twitter are now habits.

3. I have tons to do, but not a lot of time! HELP! ;)

4. I had never heard the phrase "it really twerks my butt" and it sort of caught me off guard when my boss said it to me! lol...

5. I'm gonna go with the flow and try to have fun, the way I always do.

6. How was I to know that we'd have to cancel Will's appointments to go to our niece's birthday party this weekend? Oh yeah, that's right... I wasn't supposed to know, because when I asked HUBS when the party was, his response was "Oh, sometime in April, I'll ask him later..." Then we came home to a note on our door the other day saying it was this weekend! LOL! Not that I'm complaining, Chuck E Cheese sounds a lot more fun to me than sitting in the waiting room anyway! :)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to heading to Manch- for an interview Will has, shopping, and dinner- then to Mom's overnight, tomorrow my plans include party for our niece in Manch and Sunday, I want to visit my Dad's family, see Nana for the first time in months, then rush home to prep for the week, make muffins, and pack! AHHHH! This is definitely going to be a PACKED weekend!

You can see other participants or join in on Friday Fill-Ins HERE.

PS: Happy FIRST DAY OF SPRING, everyone!! :) Hoo-RA!

1. When I look to the left, I see the sink and cabinets here in my office.

2. The living room is the room that has the best view in my home.

3. Let it work when you need it to.

4. Delicious dinner? done dirt cheap!

5. The education of our children is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.

6. If you have any photography advice feel free to share with me. Like how do you manage to remember all this stuff about aperture, f-stops, who-dizzles and what-dangles?? I have read a couple of different books on the subject, but apparently my brain just doesn't want to hang onto that information...

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing and reading some Stephenie Meyer, tomorrow my plans include visiting Mom and Mitch for their birthdays and Sunday, I want to get ready for the week and pack! Only 2.5 more weeks to go till we're in our NEW apartment! woot woot

Friday Fill-Ins #16

1. I'm funky, I'm fresh, I can blog just like the best!

2. Why do I have a Scion and not a family car?! (I ask myself this every time I have to HOIST that little girl up into her seat while the front seat slides dangerously back into my legs and butt, almost taking me out. It's not a lot of fun. But I know the answer... Because I chose it, and now I'm stuck with it! At least for a while... *sigh* At least it's a reliable car, and cute, to boot.)

3. How does this silly document protection crapola work, anyway? (I ask myself as I try and complete some more training for work...)

4. Every morning, I put perfume on my body... Clothes were such the obvious answer, I had to think of something else.

5. I consider myself lucky because after eight and a half years, my husband is still my best friend, we are still in love, and we are blessed with an amazingly intelligent and beautiful little girl, who completes our life.

6. One day we’ll see Europe on a dream getaway together.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to maybe stopping by a friend's house to say hi and then going home to chill, tomorrow my plans include working out, cleaning, dancing with my girl and starting to pack and Sunday, I want to do more of the same!

You can find other Friday Fill-In participants HERE.

Friday Fill-Ins #15

You can find the other Friday Fill-Ins participants HERE.

1. Give me some awesome new recipes and I'll make you dinner AND cinnamon rolls.

2. Whenever I think about Weezer, I think "If you want to destroy my SWEATERRRR..." Yes, that was a very random thought.

3. I wish we could buy a house now... but since we can't, I am wishing we will at least get this much nicer apartment. It's a step in the right direction.

4. A creme de fleur from Au Bon Pain was the last thing I ate that was utterly delicious. (Yes, I treated myself this morning... and am now regretting the ridiculous amount of calories ingested before lunchtime. But it was good.)

5. To live in this world is a gift.

6. Other than this one, Good Enough Mum is the last blog I commented on. She makes me giggle. She talks about genitals. hee.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner and maybe Wii and some cleaning, tomorrow my plans include not sure yet, think I might be visiting my Dad and Sunday, I want to finish the cleaning, prep for the week, grocery shop, and hang with my fam!

Friday Fill-Ins #14

And...here we go!

1. It seems like just yesterday that I was preggo.

2. Put the toilet paper back when you're done, please?

3. If I thought you would buy me a house I'd do just about anything for you!

4. How you could just make my heart explode with love is what I think of most when I think of you.

5. To me, Valentine's Day means showing the appreciation we have for the people we love, when we might not take that chance on any other regular day.

6. Your hugs and kisses gives me strength.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to our potty training party!, tomorrow my plans include catching up on cleaning and maybe watching a movie and Sunday, I want to prep for the week and snuggle with my buggles!


You can find other Friday Fill-In participants HERE.

Friday Fill-Ins #13

A Luxury Weekend to Remember!!

This is a small part of the huge presidential suite we'll be staying in this weekend with my Mom, Stepdad and brothers. The room has a $3000 dollar a night price tag (no, we didn't pay for it- we just get to be special and priveleged this weekend cuz my Stepdad is just that cool) and every President since 1927 has stayed in this suite! Can I just tell you how (ohmygoshIcan'tbelieveit) excited I am?!?! So my Fill-ins this week are mostly related to this FANTASTIC trip :)

1. Please don't tell me that it's going to snow!

2. Can you jump on the big fluffy beds with me in the morning?

3. The color yellow makes me want to dance!

4. I have a craving for japanese food... Jae's, here we come. Yum, yum!

5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it this weekend so I could more fully enjoy this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime weekend and the Ruggle at her cutest, most fun age so far!

6. Eyes are the most honest part of the body. (You thought I was going to say "windows to the soul", didn't you?)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to out to dinner alone with my man in Boston and spending the night in the amazing presidential suite at the park plaza hotel with my awesome family, tomorrow my plans include park plaza, aquarium with the girl, out to eat and maybe some shopping... woot woot! and Sunday, I want to maybe grab breakfast with my fam, then drive home and prep for the week- gotta squish laundry, muffin-making, grocery shopping and lunch making into half a day- yikes!

You can find other Friday Fill-ins participants and the weekly prompts here...

Friday Fill-Ins #12

I swear I am still here. I know, I know... I said it before. It's just that there's so much going on lately, so much to remember and so much to worry about that I keep forgetting to bring my camera to do my posts. I keep forgetting what I was going to write about. And when I sit down to do it, I am at a loss for words.

Work has been a little busier than usual this past week, and I have felt swamped around the house. We had no hot water for two days (which meant icyfreezingfreakincoldassinducehypothermia-type showers) but I can thankfully say that as soon as I called my landlord she did something about it. Which, if you know about our previous heat situation, was something we had reason to worry she would not do. She had a plumber out to our house at 8:30 pm on the second day. But that still meant my dishes had been put off, Illy's bath had been put off... So yeah. Got a little behind this week.

I'm here. Still breathing. Still hanging on. Still working in little bits towards our goals and still (as per usual) reading everyone else. You all make me laugh, and you give my days a little bit of a reprieve. For that, I thank you. Thanks for being you, and thanks for letting me bitch and moan, and for still visiting us over here at the Ruggle house. Stay tuned...


And now, for the FRIDAY Fill-Ins. (Can I get a woo-haaaaaaa for Fridays? Thankies.)

1. I'd really like a day at the spa right now. I could totally use the relaxation. And pampering. And prettifying. Let's face it, stress isn't the best makeup.

2. DAMMIT! is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe. Course, I could also let loose with a more vulgar choice. I'm not really thinking about what I'm saying when my toe. is. throbbing.

3. Possession is a generally over-punished drug law.

4. I never cared much for Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like peas and carrots. I couldn't help it, all I could hear when I read that was Forrest Gump sayin' "we go together like PEAS and CARROTS." Plus, I had peas and carrots with dinner last night.

6. Life goes on and on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to seeing my brother and Mom, tomorrow my plans include cleaning, cooking and Wii'ing a little and Sunday, I want to veg and ignore the superbowl that will inevitably be on TV!

Quote of The Day

Since the Friday Fill-Ins author seems to be slacking this week (there aren't new fill-ins for today up yet) I decided to share an inspiring quote with you today.

I am sure you have all seen the commercials for the Foundation for a Better Life. They also have a lot of billboards across the country. (Here are a few of my favorites:)





One day, I got curious after seeing an ad and visited their website. I signed up to receive their daily quotes. I LOVE THEM. I use them as my status messages for AIM, Gmail, Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, etc. all the time. They are great reminders of what is really important and sometimes help me to take a look at my life and re-focus. So, without further ado, here is today's quote:

“Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.”

—Ayn Rand (1905-1982); novelist, screenwriter, playwright,

If you love this quote, visit their site. There, you can view their billboards, sign up to receive daily quotes or their GOOD NEWSletter, or get materials to bring to your or your children's school.

Now, don't you feel a little bit more warm and fuzzy? :)

Friday Fill-Ins #11

1. Enough with the cold cold weather! People, it was NEGATIVE 23 fahrenheit this morning on my way to work. NO JOKE.

2. Applying for a new job causes me to be conflicted.

3. I've been craving ice cream this week.

4. Owen's new pic on wishpot makes me laugh.



5. I wish I could go to England to visit Merry next week.

6. Taxes has have been on my mind lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Wii fit and chillaxing, tomorrow my plans include grocery shopping and hanging with the Ruggle and Dada and Sunday, I want to maybe clean some stuff... finish my book and relax some more!

Friday Fill-Ins #10

1. The last band I saw live was when I went to Warped Tour. I don't remember which band I saw last!
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is visiting with my family AND the food. (if you don't celebrate thanksgiving, insert your favorite holiday)
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is mostly done already!
4. Thoughts of baking, shopping, visiting, snow, and love fill my head. ('Tis the season, after all!)
5. I wish I could wear funky colored hair.
6. Bagpipes remind me of parades and men in kilts.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting more sleep! tomorrow my plans include hopefully visiting with my family and setting up our tree, but that depends on how my brother feels... and Sunday, I want to either clean and veg, or do the Saturday thing if they can't make it tomorrow!

Check out Friday-Fill Ins HERE... :)

Friday Fill-Ins #9

1. Please feel free to DWAP my department director on the noggin today! He got on my nerrrvvveesss.... I'm SO glad it's Friday right now!
2. When I am burning a wax tart in my house I can't help sniffing it occasionally.
3. My favorite thing to cook is depends on my mood. But I love me some baking... I could go for some more of those cinnamon buns right now!
4. The holidays is are something I can't get enough of.
5. That's the thing I love most about the winter season.
6. Every time I talk to my landlord always makes me think to myself, what the heck?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner and maybe some shows, tomorrow my plans include cleaning and maybe going to pick up a xmas tree on sale at Big Lots and Sunday, I want to veg around and play with the Bendy Ruggle!

Friday Fill-Ins #8

1. My favorite food seasoning is Goya Adobo- we use it on almost everything! (Especially good on fries... yum yum!)
2. When Bendy says "I love you, too" it's music to my ears.
3. Lucky is my babysitter's dog.
4. This election is something I take very seriously.
5. Many people will be wearing costumes today/tonight. (Bendy ruggs included!)
6. Gas was the last thing I bought at the store.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to making dinner and hanging with my peeps **edited to add** AND trick or treating, I almost forgot!, tomorrow my plans include hanging at home, then heading to Nashua in the evening to pick up my new cell phone, have a birthday dinner with my family, and be halfway to Mass and Sunday, I want to go visit Will's family in Mass for a yummy meal and set the clocks back- yikes, winter's coming!

Friday Fill-Ins #7

1. Right now, I'm feeling like I want to shop! (I pretty much always feel like that. Unless I am sick, or tired... Or sick and tired. But not of shopping. That never happens. :P
2. In front of a fireplace! is where I want to be. (We haven't had heat in over a month, soooo.... Yeah. I'd like to be as warm as possible, thankyouverymuch. Yes, I am trying to fix the problem. But most of it falls on my landlady, who is unfortunately quite hard to motivate. Hopefully we'll be warm by weekend's end.)
3. How does one show that they mean business without making the other party (i.e., landlady) angry or vengeful towards them?
4. My budget, my grocery list and my meal planner file keep me on track.
5. Please don't tell me it's going to snow this week!
6. Snugglin' with my Bendy Ruggles fills me with joy.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner and maybe warmth!, tomorrow my plans include going to do this sample for a study I'm in and going grocery shopping... oh and having Comcast come to fix our %$^&ing internet- AGAIN and Sunday, I want to visit with my family at my Uncle's house!

~The Little Girl Secret Friends Handshake~

Yesterday was our day to return to normal life.

Our daycare provider had been on vacation for the previous two weeks, so Illy girl had sort of been all around- the first week was at home with moi, the second week she was with her Dada on Monday (he has a 9-hour a day, 4 days a week schedule... yeah, I'm jealous too!) and then our upstairs neighbor and friend offered to babysit for us for the same rate we pay our sitter normally for Tuesday- Thursday... Thank god because I don't know what we would have done otherwise! Finally, on Friday she was with her Cey-cey and Uncle O-dizzle, who took the day off to spend some quality time with her. Of course, they went shopping... And of course, she came home with some cute suits! (See the pics in the entry from yesterday below- the dress she was wearing in the ones taken 10.18.08 was one of the outfits)

So we were anticipating that maybe she'd have a hard time going back to daycare. She's only been in daycare for about 3-4 months now, and has never before had that much time away and then gone back. We were a little worried that maybe she would forget the routine, be nervous when I dropped her off, be shy around the other kids... Or something else along the lines of screaming-crying-tantrum-toddler-bad-attitude-morningness.

Not so for my AWESOME Bendy Ruggle!

I walked through the door with her on one arm, her bag and lunch on the other... And immediately she glances down and sees her 2-year-old best friend Kaylynn. As soon as they meet eyes, she starts doing THIS lip thing! (Link leads to a vid on YouTube which is an explanation... it's hard to explain in words exactly what it is. Keep in mind in the video it's the parents doing it to the baby, but she was doing this herself)... As soon as Kaylynn sees Illy doing it, she starts doing it too, and Illy wiggle-worms her way down from me and runs over to her little friend. They both stand there doing this lip thing at eachother, and then the other little girl Katelyn joins in... And... Yeah. I wish I had my camera. It was the cutest thing ever! I've never seen such a weird secret handshake... lipshake? before in my life~

Oh, the things they do.

She must have missed her little friends... I'm so glad we've found such a great daycare provider- she feels at home there, which is more than we could have asked for!

~~Friday Fill-Ins #6~~

1. One of the best concerts/plays/movies I ever saw that I really didn't think I'd like was Lucky Number Slevin.
2. "Clone of a Cinnabon" Cinnamon Buns is a recipe I recently made (or meal I recently ordered) that was delicious!
3. It's time for dinner.
4. The fall breeze is quite refreshing.
5. If I never hear the word Dada again, it'll be too soon. (Ilyana seems to think we are both Dadas these days.)
6. To one side of the curving road was a rock, and on the other was a tree.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a movie, tomorrow my plans include nothing and Sunday, I want to cook something yummy!

1. Making Bendy's costume/ taking her trick-or-treating and maybe camping are some of the things I'm most looking forward to in October.

2. Sometimes I forget Ilyana is only 16 1/2 months old... she acts so much bigger!

3. We're starting to fix our credit! and that's why there is a saying, "never say never"!

4. When I'm down, I get quiet and cry to myself... I know, pathetic. But then I convince myself that everything will work out in the end. Ultimately, I'm an optimist.

5. At work, at my desk, on the computer is where you'll find me most often.

6. A rainy day is good for crafts with Bendy, blogging(!) and watching movies (or reading, depending on which has my attention at the moment).

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to making some yummy dinner and doing chores (woo!) as well as maybe catching up on ANTM, tomorrow my plans include going to the thrift store to search for pieces of the costume puzzle! (possibly watching more ANTM, cuz I probably won't finish tonight) and Sunday, I want to do whatever I feel like!

**Friday Fill-Ins #4**

1. There is no need for any more accidents! (not that there ever WAS a need...)

2. Where in the heck did the summertime go?

3. Go to the beach once and get burned is all I managed to do. (none of the other things I really wanted to do, like go to the lake up the road from us, go camping, go hiking....)

4. Prospects for fall are looking good, though.

5. Savor the moment! is the message.

6. Simplicity and tranquility are hard to come by in these days.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to chores and relaxation- maybe going to the park?, tomorrow my plans include going to West Leb and trying to convince Willis it would be a good day for apple picking... and Sunday, I want to get some more chores done and enjoy our visit with Will's Dad and Kristin!