can i get a fry with that SHAKE!?..

The best purchase of the Month:

Hamilton Beach Single-Serve Blender!!

A girl I worked with at Caribou spent her spring break with her friend here in California, and I let her stay at my place so as a thank you they gave me a gift card to Target!

Well I've been wanting a Magic Bullet for a while and they are like $55 almost so I just never brought myself to spending the money for one. Well I was at target and just wanted to see if they had something similar.. and they had this bad boy!!

It was only $15 but only come with one cup that's the only down side.. but I use it like at least twice a day! I usually make a breakfast smoothie and then a protein shake after my work out!

One of my new favorites I discovered today was like 1-2 tablespoons yogurt ((I like dannon lite vanilla)) then about 8 oz pure pineapple juice (( I am drinking pineapple juice like crazy right now- i was told it helps with swelling and bruising to help prepare for the surgery I have in 2 weeks)) and then a whole banana and about 1/3 a cup of spinach.. I know that sounds weird but you don't really even taste it!! but it's really good!!

Then for my protein shakes I do about 8-10 oz of either soy, skim or almond milk ((ps if you haven't had almond milk yet.. you should!! it's sooo yummy.. try the vanilla)) a scoop of protein ( I use chocolate Nu-Tek Pro 5) then I add a banana and about 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter.. soooo good!!

Hope everyone is doing well!! I haven't posted for a while but maybe I will again after my surgery.. I have had a lot of people want to see some before and afters!! I went to my pre-op yesterday and it made me SUPER excited and SUPER nervous at the same time!!

For those who don't know, I'm getting Rhinoplasty. I have wanted to for a long time and I am FINALLY able to do it! I found a great Dr. I really trust, her name is Dr. Tenley Lawton and her office in Newport Beach. She is shrinking my turbinates to help my breathing and then shaving off my little bump and narrowing the top and then taking the ball off the end and rotating it up so it doesn't droop anymore! So I will definitely update everyone after I am all healed!

Hope everyone has a good week!!

My week in a nutshell..

No, this is me in a nutshell: "Help! I'm in a nutshell! How did I get into this bloody great big nutshell? What kind of shell has a nut like this?" ((austin powers)) ha!

*THURSDAY-Dan and I went to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate my new job.. he got the shepard's pie.. I got the chicken bow tie pasta w/ broccoli instead of peas and we got the ghirardelli brownie for dessert.. YUM!!

*FRIDAY- I started my new job, which went really well.. I totally love it!!..

* SATURDAY- Went to breakfast at this cute little place in Costa Mesa then.. Tom was in SO CAL working and stopped by for the day.. we took him to the beach and down to the pier and up main street.. had bar-b-q for lunch and Mo's and then he installed my car stereo ((which him and my mom got me for christmas and has been sitting in my closet..)) then we went to Fred's Mexican for dinner... SOOOOO good!!.. BEST Mexican salad ever!! YUM.. and it over looks the beach and ocean it's great!!

*SUNDAY- went to church and finished the blanket I started on thursday for Dan ((yup did it in THREE days.. don't even ask why I thought to attempt that.. but it all worked out and he loved it!!)) Dan brought me some beautiful orchids gave me some other sweet gifts and then we laid at the beach and then went to Outback -Fillet Mignon & Crab Legs.. DELISH!! and then a huge amazingly good cake ((we don't normally eat out this much i swear!!)) and then watched Love Happens.. good Valentine's Day movie




*MONDAY- worked again- Dan had the day off and made me a great Chicken Chow Mien dinner.. and watched the kite runner, I had just finished reading it so I did a lot of comparing but it was still really good


*TUESDAY- worked and then hung out with Dan.. watched figure skating for the Olympics and then received a Valentines massage it was FABULOUS!!. would have thought he was a professional if I didn't know any better


*TODAY- had the day off so I did some cleaning, walked to the beach with my roommate (AMANDA!) went to Jamba.. laid out for a few hours.. went shopping up main street and then later get to go watch Dan play in a basketball game...

EXCELLENT week if you ask me!! (I think we probably won't eat out again for a month or so tho haha)

Hope everyone else had wonderful week and an extra special Valentine's

*and the search is finally over!!..

My new job!!..

So after months of searching and some crazy boring temp jobs, and lots of stress.. I got a job!!.. It was definitely worth the wait!

I interviewed last Tuesday at Orange Coast Orthodontics/ Jungle of Smiles- Pediatric Dentistry and was invited back for a working interview on Wednesday afternoon. It went really well and loved the place.. It's decorated like a Jungle with monkeys and the big tree you see in the picture, paintings on the walls of zebras and tigers and elephants.. it's really cute. Also I really like everyone that worked there. It seems like such a great environment.. it's kind of in an upscale area of Orange County and they describe it as the 'Nordstoms' of dental offices ((meaning there are a lot of really rich patients)) :) I really really wanted the job and he emailed me Sunday saying I would hear from him on or before Wednesday.. Then I got home and had an email offering me the position!! I am sooo excited!!

I don't know a lot of information yet I should be talking to the Dr. tomorrow and hopefully meeting with him this week sometime to discuss the details!

The coolest thing about it is I worked really hard to get this job and it all totally paid off in the end!!

I can't wait to start and update on how it is actually working there but I am sure I will love it!!

*it's a beautiful life!!..

Last Monday I received a phone call from the employment agency I am working with to find a job. I am working with their perm and temp departments to find something permanent, while doing a few temporary jobs here and there. The call was for a temporary 3 day job (Monday-Wednesday) to cover for a receptionist at an Advertising/PR firm in Newport Beach. I was very excited to get back into working and the company and all of the people are very great!

On my last day (Wednesday) they asked me if I could stay a little longer, the woman I was covering for's husband was very ill, and has been for the past few months. So I am now working here until the end of this week. (My 3 day project turned into a 2 week project) She came in on Friday and looked very sad. Someone I worked with mentioned that she looked like she had lost a lot of weight in her face. Someone asked her how she was doing and she responded, "My husband is dying." It broke my heart! I can't even imagine how that must feel. They took him off all of his meds and put him on morphine and they were pretty much just waiting.. I received a call this morning from her family saying her husband had passed away this morning. My prayers are with this sweet lady and her family at this time.

Sitting here at her desk I noticed a little quote she has posted up:

Practice noticing the beauty in your life. Start now. Wherever you are, look around and make a mental note of what you find beautiful in this very moment. Do this 3 times a day until it becomes a habit.

Last Tuesday, my second day on the job, I woke a little early just to be safe and I had a little extra time, so I found out what time the sun rises and went the patio on the roof of my house and watched the sunrise. I took a picture to send to my mom and dad. I can't even remember the last time I did that. It's been way to long. But I loved that little quote she has sitting here. I look around sometime and am amazed by the beautiful things that God has given us. Some we see and some we don't. I have challenged myself to follow that quote and 3 times a day find the beauty in the world around me until it's a habit. We are so lucky and so blessed to live in such a beautiful world.

I hope everyone has a good week, and god bless the Astarabadi family at this time.

The rest of the pictures are all ones I have taken on my phone over the past few months of living in California..

It is definitely very easy to find beauty here!

*and so the seach continues..

Can I just tell everyone how much FUN job searching is.. It feels like your running in a circle really REALLY fast.. the problem is with running in a circle.. you don't get ANYWHERE..

I found this and thought it was pretty funny.. maybe I should take some tips from this kid.. only problem is that McDonald's probably IS the only place that actually would hire someone that filled out an app this way..

This is an actual job application a 17 year old boy submitted at a McDonald's fast-food establishment in Florida... and they hired him because he was so honest and funny!

NAME: Greg Bulmash

SEX: Not yet. Still waiting for the right person.

DESIRED POSITION: Company's President or Vice President. But seriously, whatever's available. If I was in a position to be picky, I wouldn't be applying here in the first place.

DESIRED SALARY: $185,000 a year plus stock options and a Michael Ovitz style severance package. If that's not possible, make an offer and we can haggle.

EDUCATION: Yes.

LAST POSITION HELD: Target for middle management hostility.

SALARY: Less than I'm worth.

MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT: My incredible collection of stolen pens and post-it notes.

REASON FOR LEAVING: It sucked.

HOURS AVAILABLE TO WORK: Any.

PREFERRED HOURS: 1:30-3:30 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL SKILLS?: Yes, but they're better suited to a more intimate environment.

MAY WE CONTACT YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER?: If I had one, would I be here?

DO YOU HAVE ANY PHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM LIFTING UP TO 50 LBS?: Of what?

DO YOU HAVE A CAR?: I think the more appropriate question here would be "Do you have a car that runs?"

HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY SPECIAL AWARDS OR RECOGNITION?: I may already be a winner of the Publishers Clearing house Sweepstakes.

DO YOU SMOKE?: On the job no, on my breaks yes.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS?: Living in the Bahamas with a fabulously wealthy dumb sexy blonde super model who thinks I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually, I'd like to be doing that now.

DO YOU CERTIFY THAT THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE?: Yes. Absolutely.

SIGN HERE: Aries.

Anyway.. I know most of you that look at my blog didn't live IN or even AROUND Orange County.. but if you know of anyone out here hiring.. that would be awesome to let me know!!.. Til then.. the search continues..

*XOXO

<3