30 Before 30-Brew Tour

One of the items on my 30 Before 30 List was to tour a brewery. I figured this one would have to take place on a weekend visit to Raleighwood since breweries are few and far between around our parts. When I saw a Google Deal (similar to Groupon) on touring a local brewery I jumped all over it! David and I were able to take a tour, get a sampler, a souvenir glass, a pretzel, and a growler for $11 each. Talk about a steal!

I should probably rewind and let you know that we're not alcoholics who spend our lives drinking beer. I will say we are a bit of beer snobs. It began when my dad started brewing beer and therefore showing us the difference between good beer and that cheap clear stuff we often turned to. Fast forward a few years and we definitely have learned a few tricks of the trade.

So this past weekend we were blessed enough to be visited from a few of our great friends from school. Scott and Steve are bothers and were David's roommates in college. Caroline is Steve's girlfriend and was my roommate for a year in college. We're like one big happy family! Knowing that they were coming we quickly determined the brew tour would be a great way to show off some of Charlotte.

We learned all sorts of interesting things about Olde Mecklenburg Brewery from a fellow beer snob.

 He shared with us the importance of using certain ingredients and how the best beer is kept fresh.

They had awesome "community" tables where you just sat down and hung out with your neighbors.

 We learned the intricacies of bottling.

OMB Copper. Yum.

It was an awesome way to spend an afternoon and we can't wait to head back soon! What's your favorite brew??

Summer Salsa Showdown

Who doesn't love a yummy chips and salsa snack in the dog days of summer? It's the perfect light snack when it's miserably hot outside. Today I am sharing my favorite recipe over at Everything Emily! This recipe originally came from the pastor who married us and has been our go-to since we first tried it. 

Let me know what you think:-)

Homemade Brownies

I think y'all have figured out at this point that I love anything sweet. My favorite sweet things usually contain some form of chocolate. Recently I realized I didn't have a go-to recipe for homemade brownies. Shameful, I know. Here is the one I finally settled on after many batches and bowls:

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups margarine

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup cocoa

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and add cocoa; mix. 
Stir in sugar and blend in the eggs, one at a time. 
Add vanilla. Stir in flour and mix well.
Bake in greased 9 x 13-inch pan for 30 minutes.
Let cool for 20-30 minutes.
Enjoy!


I frosted with cream cheese frosting and dove right in!

Friday's Letters [07.27]

Happy Friday all! It's a stellar day to link up with Adventures of Newlyweds for an edition of Friday's Letters!

Dear David and Bird, Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all your hard work in putting the bed together last night. I know that was the last thing you had in mind for a Thursday evening, but I really do appreciate it!

Dear Daisy, I know you think all these boxes and pieces of cardboard mean we are moving again, but I promise we are not. With that being said you really don't have to follow me from room to room

Dear Olympics, I am SO stoked you are here. Every four years just isn't enough. Your counterpart, the Winter Olympics, are alright but not nearly as awesome sauce as you. 

Dear USA Olympic Swim Team, Thank you for this:

Dear summer, What did I do to you? Why are you flying by so fast?? How about you slow way, way down? What about starting over completely? Think you can handle that? Appreciate it.

Kitchen King

Have you met this man?

No? Well, you should. This is Gordon Ramsay and he is awesome sauce. Te he he, get it? He's awesome sauce and he's a chef. Ah, I crack myself up sometimes. Anywho, we first made Mr. Ramsay's acquaintance two summers ago while flipping through the few channels we have on basic cable. There was nothing else on so we settled in to watch Hell's Kitchen. This is where our love affair began. Since then we have become fans of all the shows he has on Fox- Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, and Master Chef.

I never watched TV series until I met and married David. I never saw the point in it. Then, David showed me that there was more than just superfluous junk on TV and so now we've become "those people". You know the people, the ones who watch certain shows on certain nights. The truth is, I don't really mind being "those people" any more.

Back to the main man, Mr. Ramsay. He is a fast talking, no-nonsense kind of guy. Everyone thinks he is a total jerk, but once you get to know him (yes, I just went there) you learn he isn't a total meanie-poo. Thanks to his wise ways we've actually become more conscious of what we eat and are braver in our restaurant choices. So, before you shut him down as a total tool, check out his shows. I should also probably tell you that watching anyone of these shows will also turn you into a bit of a restaurant snob. . . fair warning!

Beach Blowout

What is about the beach that is so relaxing? Is it the waves crashing? Or the sand between your toes? Or is it the knowledge that you are on vacation and supposed to rest? Whatever it is, I want to bottle it and carry it around with me always. We just returned from our final beach trip of the summer and I am bummed. Don't get me wrong, it was an incredible trip. I'm just bummed that it's over!

We arrived at David's Aunt Debbie's house on a Thursday evening and headed back nine days later. Talk about a week and a half of bliss. In that time we hit the beach many times, I got my very first facial (and a follow-up!), hit the outlets a couple times (and scored some stellar deals!), ate at multiple different restaurants specializing in yum, introduced the princess to the sand and saltwater, and visited with family. Needless to say, bidding this vacation goodbye was difficult. Here are a few pictures giving you a glimpse of our bliss:

So peaceful.

Working on those Crossfit handstand push-ups.

Game night!

First trip to the beach for the cousins.

My fabulous find of the day-$40 Michael Kohrs wedges!

Catch of the day.

Following a yummy seafood supper.

Bliss.

Can I go back??

I'm Backkkkk!

Gooooood Monday morning, folks-I'm back! I wish I had time to share with y'all all the wonderful things we did and all the fun we had, but a mountain of laundry is calling my name. Oof. Instead I'm going to point y'all over to Mrs. Robinson's blog My New Wife Life where I am sharing the importance of date nights in a marriage and some tips on fun/cheap/easy/meaningful ways of making that happen!

Have a fabulous day!

Guest Spot

Hello again one and all! Today you can find me over at My Beautiful Crazy Life sharing some thoughts on setting life goals. Who said goals were only for the new year? Not this girl! 

Hope everyone has a FABULOUS Thursday:-)

The Life of Two SoKools Guest

Happy Wednesday one and all! Remember Alison? You know, the fabulous lady who posted for me on Sunday? Well, today you can find me over on her blog sharing some tricks and tips to staying cool in this unbearable temps! 

Be sure to stop by and say hello:-)

Guest Post-La Vita e Bella

Today's guest post is coming to you from one fabulous lady! She's a fellow teacher with a passion for life. Be sure to stop by and share the love with Adrienne:-)

Manners Matter

Hi! I am Adrienne from La Vita è Bella , where I blog about all things beautiful in life with a witty point ofview. Please pop over for a visit, I would love to see you. Thank you so much to Lauren for allowing me to take over her blog today.

“Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.” 

~Emily Post

Like many of us, I was raised by a mother who insisted on teaching me proper manners even at a young age. She purposely took me to wedding and baby showers and out to lunch with on occasion so I could practice. These lessons have stuck with me and I continue to try to be better mannered as I move through my 30s.

Of course, we all should know to hold the door open for one another, greet each other, shake hands
properly, write thank you notes, serve your guests first, etc. However, how should we conduct
ourselves in this ever changing social media climate? If you are a blogger, you probably use one or more of the following social networks to amplify your message or post; Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, etc. But did you know that there are some guidelines you should keep in mind when conducting your conversations via these networks? That your conduct and manners are equally if not more important in your conversations on the internet?

It’s true and makes sense. If you want your readers to be engaged and stay that way and if you want to attract new traffic and sponsorships, you must be mindful of your online actions.

As a teacher, I have to be mindful and our principal said something very important about social
networking activity this year, “If you wouldn’t post it on a school bulletin board then don’t post it
online.” As a blogger, I have to be just as mindful about my actions. I want my readers to come back
and know that the person behind my blog acts with class and integrity on and off line. My partnerships with affiliate companies and other sponsors are very important as well. Who wants someone promoting their product or service who doesn’t conduct themselves in professional manner? Trust me; no one wants to be attached to that.

If you take away anything from this post, it should be think before you post a blog, status update, tweet etc. For more information on Social Networking manners, go to the Emily Post Website. They have this and many great articles on manners for any occasion.

Many thanks to Adrienne for her stellar tips on manners in this every-changing world!

Guest Post-The Sweeter Side of Life

 Hello one and all! Today I have the wonderful Heather stopping by and sharing some of her favorite things about summer vacation, a topic very near and dear to this teacher's heart;-) We met many moons ago and I am so excited to be able to keep in touch with this sweet girl through blogging!

Hi everyone! I’m Heather and most of the time you’ll find me over in my own little corner of the the blogging world at The Sweeter Side of Life. Today, however, I’m writing my first guest post for Lauren while she’s on vacation! 

Lauren and I met during a class at NC State, where we were both studying middle school education. Though I never left the Raleigh area, I also got married the summer after graduation and will be starting my 3rd year of teaching middle school Science this fall. Some people think we’re crazy for teaching middle school, but I absolutely love my job and couldn’t have chosen a more fitting path. And one of the best perks about being a teacher? Summer vacation! Like many beginning teachers, I find it easy to lose myself in my work and get overwhelmed in the craziness of the school year, so the summer is the perfect time to unwind, relax, and do some things for myself. Today, I’m going to tell you a little bit about how I make the most of my summer vacation!  

1st things 1st: Spend lots of times with friends and family, especially my wonderful husband! My husband puts up with so much during the school year that I almost don’t know what to do with all this time together! And being able to make plans with friends on a whim, or travel a couple hours to see family without having to be back for work on Monday, is beyond wonderful. I definitely see a girl’s night in my near future.  

   

2nd up: Work on my fitness. I’ve always enjoyed being active, though during the school year I haven’t been sticking with it like I should. This summer though? I’m sticking with it! Running, workout videos, and the hubby and I even went swimming this morning. Forcing myself to get up with the sun early-ish and workout makes me feel more productive throughout the day, and it prevents me from sleeping the day away in bed. 

 

3rd on my list: Catch up on my reading. I’ve got an entire list of books that I’d love to get through by the time summer is over, and while it might be a little ambitious, at least it’s a goal! I love to read and I firmly believe that no pool, lake, beach, or couch is complete without a good book close by. My current undertaking? The Hunger Games series (yes, I know, I’m a little behind on this one). 

 

4th: My crafts! This is definitely a personal favorite that I unfortunately don’t make time for enough during the school year. While I am by no means an artist (my sister gets all of that credit), I do like to dabble in little crafty projects here and there, scrapbooking being my biggest one. I started scrapbooking when Greg and I started dating and just haven’t been able to stop since. Now that I’m teaching, summer has become my time to catch up on scrapbooking from the previous year. Sorting through endless photos and shopping for cute stickers will definitely keep me busy for a few days. And now thanks to Pinterest, I’ve got a lot more ideas and things I’ve tried or want to try. Creating fridge magnets is my newest project and a few things on my to-do list for the summer include creating a small terrarium, refashioning old t-shirts, and repainting a clay flower pot we inherited. 

 

5th but surely not final: Travel! With summer vacation comes trips; whether to the beach, another state, or somewhere tropical, it’s always nice to just get away for a few days. Our destination of choice this summer? Our family’s lake house! Last summer we traveled out west to San Fransisco, and two summers ago we honeymooned in The Dominican Republic, so this summer we decided to keep it fairly local and simple. The lake is only a little over an hour from our house and we’ve already been a few times this summer, with friends and with family. You just can’t beat soaking up sun on the dock or floating around in the cool water! Just what this teacher needed for a little R&R this summer.  

  

While my list could go on about things I fill my summer with, I think I’ll stop there for now. Feel free to stop by and visit my own blog if you’d love to hear more about how my summer is going! Thank you so much to Lauren for sharing her space with me; have fun at the beach!! 

 ~Heather

 

Many thanks again to Heather!

Guest Post-Life of Two Sokools

While the hubby and I are away relaxing with his family on the beach this lovely lady will be posting for me today! Be sure to stop by and say hello to Alison at the Life of Two SoKools!

Why hello The Merry Mrs. Mobley readers!  I'm Alison and I blog over at the Life of Two SoKools.  I'm stoked to be over here guest blogging while she is out vacationing.  Have I mentioned how awesome Lauren is for having me?  Of course YOU knew this already.

Just like Lauren and her husband, I am a newlywed. My husband and I have been married for a little over a year now, how did that happen so fast?!

One of the things we love to do together is get outside.  Being in the Pacific Northwest it can be a pain in the butt sometimes (no thanks to all this rain), but the bad weather just makes getting outside even more beautiful and enjoyable.

Hiking

We love hiking.  One of our first dates was hiking up this crazy hill out in Eastern WA to go stargazing.  I still have no idea how I managed to pull that off.  Thanks dating jitters!  

 

Anyways, I love getting outside for a hike.  What better way to explore God's beauty?!  Our bookcase is full of hiking books for this area (and a couple for Kauai, California, and Oregon).  

Backpacking

I was introduced to backpacking by my husband and his family when we first started dating.  I actually never thought about it before I started dating him.  Now, however, I love it.  I may have said that hiking was a great way to explore God's beauty, but I think backpacking is one of, if not, THE best ways to see what God has given us.  

Unplugging and jumping out in the middle of nowhere to go camp is such an awesome feeling.  The world seems so much bigger (and peaceful) when you're out there.  I know it's not for everyone, but if you enjoy hiking and camping, I highly recommend trying it out at least once.

Kayaking/Canoeing

The day Nick proposed to me, we went kayaking on Seattle's Lake Union.  It was incredible.  Not to mention an intense workout.  

You don't have to work really hard to kayak/canoe.  Take your time.  Being out in the water is so much fun (just don't let your fear of dark/deep water get to ya.  I'm telling you, I hate dark water)   

We recently acquired a free canoe from a relative and while it's not the best in the world, we love it!

Biking 

My husband is a crazy man.  He bikes to and from work almost everyday.  That's 12 miles each way.  I admire him for it.  I, on the other hand, am still a newb with biking.  I wish I could get as into it as he does.  

Living in a small town (or any town for that matter) makes having a bike so nice, though.

Walking/running with your favorite companion

Need I say more?  I love my dog (who unfortunately doesn't live with us right now), and taking him out for a walk is calming and relaxing.  Even if he isn't a great walking dog.  He likes to lead too much.

On that note, running/walking with your significant other is a great activity to do.  My husband pushes me so much when we go out.  I may get really frustrated during, but afterwards I'm so grateful.  It's such a great time for us to talk and do something together that we can do no matter where we are.

Sitting outside while blogging

Why not, right?!

This also goes for sitting outside and reading.  One of the most relaxing and feel-good activities ever.

Those are just a few ways that we get outside when there's tolerable weather :)  Are there other ways that you get outside?  My husband and I want to try paddle-boarding someday.  Maybe that will be added to our list eventually... I can dream about owning a paddle board can't I?

Thanks again Lauren for hosting me and thanks to all of you for listening (or reading in this case)!

Many many thanks to this lovely lady for stopping by!

Guest Post-Mrs. Robinson

Hello fabulous readers! While I am away Mrs. Robinson was kind enough to step in for me.She is one rock star lady with an incredible faith and outlook on life, so be sure to stop by and say hello at her fantastimo blog! 

Hey!  I'm Mrs. Robinson for My New Wife Life.  While Lo-Mo is on vacation, I'm going to share my signature recipe with y'all.  First, let me explain that I married a 5-year-old.  Well, I actually married a 23-year-old, but he's 24 now.  Anyway, he's a very picky eater and his favorite foods are hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, and chicken nuggets.  Yes, I'm serious.  And long before we got married, he once told me that my boobs were gross.  He was obviously overcome with adoration and had a massive brain fart when he said that, so I made it my mission to have that boy fall in love with me.  Well, actually, I just wanted him to not think my boobs were gross anymore.  Since we all know the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach, I decided to cook his favorite food!  His obsession at the time was the spicy chicken nuggets from Wendy's, and I was determined to put Wendy's to shame.  Throughout the course of our 2-week long dating relationship, 6-month engagement, and now 10-months of marriage...we've perfected the spicy chicken nugget. 

Enjoy.  :)

Mrs. Robinson's Signature Spicy Chicken Nuggets
Serving Size:  2

Ingredients

• two skinless, boneless, white meat chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup House Autry Medium-Hot Breader
• If you don't have this type of flour at home, or if you can't find it, try this (it works!):  flour + paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, Lawrey's Seasoning Salt.  Combine ingredients until the flour is a light orange/red color.
• Canola Oil (or whatever kind of oil you prefer)
• 2 Tablespoons Paprika
• 3 Tablespoons Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Lawrey's Seasoning Salt

Steps

1. Start heating up your oil first.  If you have deep fryer (like a Fry Daddy) go ahead and plug it in to let the oil heat up.  If you're going to be frying on your stove stop, get out a medium skillet and pour enough oil to fill the skillet up about half way.  You'll want the oil to cover the sides of the nuggets while they are cooking.  Set your stove eye to medium heat.  
2. Cut the thawed chicken into bite size pieces and place them in a Ziploc Bag.
3. Add paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and seasoning salt to the chicken.  Seal the Ziploc bag and shake until the spices are on every nugget.  
4. After the spices are spread around, add the flour to the Ziploc bag.  Seal & shake again.
5. Once the oil is hot, gently add the nuggets by using tongs.  Be careful not to splash any hot oil on yourself.
6. Allow the nuggets to cook for about 5 minutes.  Using the tongs, turn them over.  Let them cook for another 5 minutes.  Keep in mind that all of the red spices in the breading will cause them to look almost burnt, but they aren't.  While the nuggets are cooking, get a plate ready by placing a paper towel on the plate to help absorb some of the nugget's excess oil once removed from the oil. 
7.  Remove the nuggets from the oil and place on the paper-towel lined plate.  Serve immediately with ketchup...or your preferred dipping sauce. 

Trust me when I say that fast food nuggets are nothing like these.  Trust.   

Friday's Letters [07.13]

Happy Friday! It's another wonderful day to link up with Adventures of Newlyweds

Dear beach, It's so nice to see you again. Did you miss me? I sure missed you.

Dear foot, You are so close to being healed, how about you go ahead and finish up? I'd really like to wear some of the cute shoes from the collection I've been amassing for years. You are making that quite difficult right now.

Dear country music, How do you always seem to know exactly what I'm thinking?? It's getting kind of spooky actually. Keep up the good work.

Dear football season, Oh, how we miss you! Just the knowledge of season tickets to NC State games is enough to have me counting down the days until your arrival.  My brand new red shorts are ready to go, you just need to do your part and get here. Appreciate it.

Dear Gap Outlet, Please stop having such rock star sales. My "fun money" account can only take so many hits. I mean 40% off clearance prices? You're killing me, Smalls.

Dear Friday the 13th, Last time you came to hang out with us we were in the middle of the school year and I was convinced you were going to make the children crazy. You managed to hold off on that. Thanks. Think you could keep the crazy travelers on the road from doing the same? My hubby would greatly appreciate it!

Thankful Thursday-Guardian

I’ll be your keeper for life as your guardian
I’ll be your warrior of care your first warden
I’ll be your angel on call, I’ll be on demand
The greatest honor of all, as your guardian  

-Alanis Morissette

Hello lovely readers! Today means that tomorrow is Friday-Hooooorayyyy! Each week I find I have an overwhelming number of things to be grateful for. Anyone else ever feel that way? As I look around our home right now I realize how much I have to be thankful for, and it blows me away. What did I do to deserve this?? Here are a few things that are at the forefront of my mind right now:

my sweet husband

I have been an emotional ball of mess this past week (thank you womanhood for that one), yet he has never once faltered. He has been completely and totally wonderful. Every time I yell then cry, he listens to me before helping me calm down. He has gone out of his way to make my life easier and I cannot thank him enough for that. How many women can say that about their husbands? A shout-out to Mama and Papa Mobs for raising such a Godly man!

much needed rain

It seems that every blip on the radar but us was getting rain this past week, then finally the skies opened up! The stellar summer storms (you like that alliteration right there? English dork right here) brought lower temps and the ability to leave your house without suffocating.  Very thankful for that!

sleep

Let's be honest here, I don't get much sleep during the school year. That's just the nature of the beast. Lots of work coupled with little time equals very little sleep for Mrs. Mobley.  I am so grateful for nights of 9+ hours of sleep. That's right folks, 9+ hours!

healthy eating

I am very thankful for the fact that we can eat healthy. I know that sounds silly, but it's true. Eating healthy is not always cheap, but with coupons, sales, and grocery stores close by we can make it happen.

the beach
We are headed to the beach for a week with David's wonderful family! I couldn't be more excited for a week of reading, resting, and relaxing. We're also excited to introduce Daisy to the beach for the very first time!

What are you thankful for this week? 

First Place

Give Him first place in your life and live as He wants you to.

-Matthew 6:33

This came from a daily devotional The Momma gave me a while back. I wish I could say I read it daily and spend time in prayer over the verse, but that would be lying. I do read it, but sometimes it's in a hurried rush out the door on my way to work and other times I actually get to think it through. Today I'm thinking. 

I've been doing a very bad job of this recently. It's actually kind of ironic because I have more time to devote to Him now that school is out. I can honestly tell y'all I have not been doing this. Instead of carving out time each morning (like I had intended to) I am instead filling my time with other tasks. I have noticed my faith wavering and faltering because of it as well. I have noticed my patience is shorter and the grace I typically see covering situations is not there. I have no one to blame but myself.

When I do give Him priority over all realms of my life I am a much stronger person. I find that learning opportunities surround me and I can handle much more. When I live as He wants me to, I find that my heart is more open and troubles just roll off my shoulders. If these things happen, why am I not giving Him first place? Because it's not easy; that's the answer. 

Giving Him first place means shutting down my own selfish wants. Giving Him first place means not always doing what I want, but doing what He wants. Giving Him first place requires me to squash my plans and accept His. Giving Him first place also means overwhelming love and grace, and that wins every time. 

So, I'm shutting me down. I'm doing what He wants. I'm accepting His plans. 

Are you?

Week in Pictures

Good morning and Happy Monday, kiddos! Today's post is a bit of a photodump. I was going through my phone and I realized the crazy amount of pictures I've taken with the intention of sharing, except I've kind of blown it on the sharing part. Without further adieu, here they are:

Fourth of July was spent eating and celebrating with David's family on Lake Wylie!

The princess also had an opportunity to go swimming!

Meet Frankenfoot! The stitches came out but I'm still hobbling. Only a few more weeks!

I somehow conned my sweet husband into visiting here on his day off. Love me some IKEA!

Daisy got cozy on my brother's lap on the way to Winston Salem.

 I ate my weight in ribs in Winston Salem. Mm mm mm!

 
Hope everyone has a great day!

 

Easy Peach Cobbler

What's a good Southern girl to do when she has a bunch of fresh peaches on her counter? Well, make peach cobbler of course! Here is a delicious (and ridiculously easy!) recipe I found to take full advantage of some fresh peaches:

Ingredients 

1/2 cup unsalted butter 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

2 cups sugar, divided  

1 tablespoon baking powder 

pinch of salt 

1 cup milk 

4 cups fresh peach slices 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

ground cinnamon (optional)

Directions 

Preheat oven to 375.

Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish

Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. 

Pour batter over butter (do not stir).

Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly

Pour over batter (do not stir). 

Sprinkle with cinnamon (optional)

Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. 

Serve cobbler warm or cool.

Enjoy!

We decided it tastes best warm with a large dollop of vanilla ice cream:-)

Friday's Letters [07.06]

Happy Friday, folks! It's another stellar day with Adventures of Newlyweds!

Dear readers/voters, Thank you for making this happen!

Dear Veterans/Servicemen, Thank you very much for your amazing service to our country. If it were not for your continued sacrifices I would not be where I am right now, on this computer with a plate of food next to me. Too often we use that "out of sight, out of mind" mentality when it comes to you. I am so grateful for all you do for us currently and all that you have done for us in the past.

Dear Mother Nature, Record highs? Really?? I want you to know that this SO not cute and is not helping you make any friends.

Dear Daisy, It has officially been two years since we adopted you from that wretched backyard where you were rolling in your own poo (true story, folks). You are our best Craigslist conquest to date. In honor of your adoption day we got you doggy fro-yo. You were quite entertaining as we watched you devour it. Thanks for being such a wonderful princess pup!

Dear foot, You continue to make life inconvenient. I would really appreciate it if you would hurry up and heal so I can enjoy life again. K, thanks.

Happy Friday, folks!