Enjoy the Weekend!

Not only is it payday (heyyy!)...it's FRIDAY!! If you don't already have plans for the weekend, check out these:

For my Sacramento peeps: It's that time of year again, and I hope your ready for the 20th Annual SAMMIES Block Party & Awards Show!! If you're in the mood for live music, a beer garden and tons of local performances...this might be the place for you!

WHAT: SN&R 20th Annual SAMMIES Block Party & Awards Show

WHEN: Saturday, October 1st   5-10PM

WHERE: 20th St. in Midtown (Between J&K Streets)

COST: Free
ADDITIONAL INFO: http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/2011_sammies/event

For my Bay Area peeps: If you're into beer, then head on over to Oktoberfest By The Bay. Celebrating in true Munich fashion - there will be nonstop music, singing, dancing and tons of the very best German food and drink!

WHAT: Oktoberfest by the Bay
WHEN: Friday, September 30 - Sunday, October 2
WHERE: Pier 48 (San Francisco)
COST: $25- $65
ADDITIONAL INFO: http://www.oktoberfestbythebay.com/

According to the weatherman, next week will bring cooler temps and possibly RAIN! So enjoy what could be our last weekend of the lingering summer-like weather.

What Matters...

"I once said, 'There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy.

 Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living.'"

~Sent to me by my dad...who stole it from someone on Facebook <3

My Battle Against Ants...

I really didn't want to write about this, but these little monsters have shown their faces one too many times for me not to!


ANTS. These insects are by far the most annoying insects in history of life!! AND they have the impeccable knack of showing up at the worst of times! Such as, when you come home from a long day of work to see that they have completely taken over your dog’s food bowl (lovely), or when you wake up in the morning to take a shower and see that the “scouter ants” have beat you to it, and are now aimlessly crawling around your shower in circles (perfect)! Since I've experienced both of these situations (among others) in the past week, I’m currently beyond irritated.

Source

Although, I've managed to get the dog food situation under control, I’m still trying to figure out how to keep these things at bay when there’s NO reason for them to be around in the first place!
I thought my prayers were answered when I bought the Raid Max Bug Barrier you know, the product that claims to create a barrier that keeps bugs out for 12 MONTHS!? Well, according to the ratings and reviews on this product it has worked for some…but sadly not for me.

So, I bounced over to ApartmentTherapy and found that while other people have been fighting a losing battle with these things, some actually succeeded and graciously shared their weapons of choice. I think I’m going to try the Terro Borax, since its pet friendly, and let you know how it works.

As the weather changes…how do you plan on keeping these little critters in their own habitat (aka not your house)?

'Cause a Girl's Gotta Eat

Some people love to cook. They find cooking relaxing and therapeutic. I unfortunately, am not one of those people. I cook for two main reasons: 1. I'm always hungry and 2. If I don't eat, I'll starve. The only solution.... to cook.

Although I'm not married, and I don't have any kids It's still hard for me to find time to cook (Please don't roll your eyes...single people can be busy too!) And since I don't want to constantly spend money eating out, I had to find a solution.

Introducing *que drum roll* McCormick's Recipe Inspirations!! They're fairly healthy, tasty and fast (i.e. 1hr or less). McCormick's Recipe Inspirations include most of the ingredients (seasonings) and usually takes about 30min to cook (including prep time). So I took a stab at their Chicken Marsala recipe...

It was super simple and didn't take too long either!

Following the directions, I mixed all the dry ingredients in a small bowl...

Cooked the chicken in a little bit of butter & extra virgin olive oil...

Added mushrooms & cooked the sauce with a splash of Marsala Cooking Wine...

(Looks suspect...but tastes great)

And there you have it...the finished product!

BON APPÉTIT!

Do What You Love, Love What You Do

The saying "do what you love, love what you do" has been on my mind ever since I read it in my Daily Word. I posted bits of this excerpt on Twitter last week, but because I'm aware that I'm not doing what I love... I've decided to dedicate a post to it.

Now, before I go any further let me be clear that I am BEYOND thankful for my current job. My job has allowed me to meet amazing people, develop new skills and live a life of self-sufficiency. But it's not going to be my last job in life, I'm 26 and I have a lot of life to live.

Source

I've always believed that everyone has a God-given passion inside of them, but very few of us are brave enough to pursue it. Why? I don't know, maybe its fear of failure or lack of support from those around us, but I personally think none of that matters. Whatever vision or passion that's inside you, is for you only - some people just won't get it. So I challenge all of you to pursue your passions, at least give it a try. We only have one life to live... let's make it count.

Below is an excerpt from my Daily Word: "Do What You Love, Love What You Do"

Successful people allow their God-given passion and talent to guide them in life. They have a single focus and an undivided heart. God doesn't create you to be talented in an area, then ask you to give yourself to some unrelated area. There's always a potential alignment of talent and passion, if you have the courage to pursue you life's purpose and take risks. Po Bronson, author of What Should I Do With My Life? writes: "I'm convinced that business success in the future starts with the question, 'What should I do with my life?' Yes, that's right...people don't succeed by migrating to a 'hot' industry or by adopting a particular career-guiding mantra. they thrive by focusing on the question of who they really are-and connecting to work they truly love (and, in doing, unleashing a productive and creative power they never imagined)."

The Do-Over: Whatcha Wanna Do?!

THE DO-OVER - SF STYLE

The Do-Over finally made it's way to NorCal, San Francisco to be exact, and it did not disappoint! For those unfamiliar with the Sunday party just imagine a neighborhood block party packed with just about anyone and everybody. The Bay Area definitely showed out for the native Los Angeles party with over 4,000 people expected! Unfortunately, the Phoenix Hotel could only hold 500, which left many partygoers stuck in a line that wrapped around two blocks under the surprisingly hot Frisco sun.

Determined not to be one of those stuck in "the line with no end" I started my trek to the Do-Over early Sunday morning catching the BART from Fremont at 11:17am. Made it to SF, met up with a couple of friends, and suggested we walk to the Phoenix Hotel…seeing that it was only a couple blocks away.

What I didn't know, was that we would be walking a couple blocks in the Tenderloin District…I've clearly made better choices in life. BUT in my defense Google Maps did NOT show what we experienced on our little Sunday stroll. After seeing a quick drug deal go down and being offered the "special" (don't ask) we made it to the Phoenix Hotel safely and ready to party...

Once inside, we took shots under a sign that read "BE AMAZING", danced to the hip-hop and soul thumping through the speakers, made some new friends, caught up with some old and made memories to last a lifetime. Over all, the Do-Over was quite an experience…one that I'm ready to do allll over again…

Photos taken by yours truly <3

Oversized Bunnies and Floating Bodies

Source: Apartmenttherapy.com

Ok, let’s be honest – how amazing would it be to see oversized gigantic art at random? I don’t know about you, but I’d love it. I’m such a huge fan of unconventional or urban art, and these “guerrilla styled” works of art are right down my ally.

I found this post on Apartment Therapy (one of my all-time favorite websites for design and decor inspiration) where they highlighted “20 Creative Works of Art”. Obviously, I find some more appealing than others - but each piece is interesting and amusing in it's own way. As long as i don't run into a gigantic ant...I'm alllll good.

Source: Apartmenttherapy.com

Bounce over to Apartment Therapy to read the whole article and see the other works of art!

The Summer of 2011

The seasons are changing and Fall is right around the corner. Although we probably won't see the 85-90* weather fade 'till October, department stores already have their shelves chalk-full of Fall decor and Starbucks is offering their infamous Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

So regardless of the weather, I'm already in a Fall state of mind! This naturally prompted me to reflect on my summer and relive it's greatest moments. What were some of your favorite memories from summer?

Wine tasting in Santa Barbara

Soaking up the Miami sun

Enjoying the San Diego sunset

Roasting marshmallows on the beach

Making great memories with great people under the Vegas lights

Seeing What's In Front of You

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog! "One Day at a Time" is about anything and everything that I enjoy and experience in life. I've realized that my days seem to fly by faster than I ever imagined and this blog is a reminder to slow down, and enjoy every moment!

In the process of learning to slow down, I've started to take the time to truly enjoy my surroundings. It's amazing what beauty is around you if you just take the time to look.