Baby I'm Back...

That's right folks - due to Popular Demand, I've decided to grace the world with my {online} presence once again - Lucky You!

For the record, by "popular demand," I mean the 4 people who asked me about my old blog the other day... YOU'RE WELCOME WORLD!

Given that it's the season of cheer, I decided that my comeback post should be filled with... wait for it... wait for it... The Top Five Things that I Strongly Dislike Right Now (sounds a little better than "hate" don't you think?)

Here's the short list (make an effort to withhold judgment until we're done people):

• Coupons
• Babies/Kids
• Christmas Music
• My Husband
• Tex-Mex

1. Coupons: Ok, so I know that coupons are, by nature, a GOOD thing... however, coupons are emerging as my number one enemy this holiday season. How can I NOT go to Bath & Body Works and spend $10 when I can get an item for FREE with a coupon?! AND since I can print that same coupon several different times - I can spend a couple of $10 and get a couple items for free! How could I NOT go to the Coach Store when I just got this 25% off coupon in the mail?! Long story short - at this rate, I could go broke saving money with coupons if I allowed myself to give in to this foolishness.

2. Babies/Kids: Babies/Kids are a gift from heaven, right? SURRRE, but here's the thing - it only takes one super cute kid to make you rethink your ENTIRE life plan. I had dinner with a group of people the other night and our "dining coordinator" brought her sweet daughter. Just when I think I'm good with my "Our life is fantastic without our own kids" plan, I take one look at Lil Miss A. eating her Cheerios and Strawberries and I swear I feel a little twinge in my uterus! Who needs this type of confusion?! Especially with all those great coupons out there...

3. Christmas Music: Festive? Yes. But have you ever noticed how a single holiday song can take you back to a "simpler" time? For me, it's "Silent Night" by the Temptations. When I hear that song (like I did earlier today), it always takes me back to Christmas Eve car rides to Mississippi. The whole family together going to visit the Grands. When you grow up, families eventually separate and go their separate ways and you tend to forget how lucky you were during those long, cramped car rides. With all those cute kids and save $10 off of a $30 purchase coupons out there, who's got time to be homesick and missing family?!

4. My Husband: Have you met this guy?! I say, "honey, what do you want for Christmas?" He says, "well, let's get a deep freezer for the house - I think that would be nice." A deep freezer for the house? By definition it's FOR THE HOUSE... what about him? When I ask if I can get him something small (in addition to the deep freezer, of course), he says, "no, let's just save the rest of the Christmas money toward a trip next year or something." REALLY?! My Christmas list contains jewelry, Wii games, clothes, etc. and his list contains a trip for both of us to enjoy. Just as I thought I had I bobbed and weaved my way through the coupons, kids and Christmas music madness, I bump head-first into the most non-materialistic selfless man who brings out the very best in me.

5. Tex-Mex: I should have said, "On The Border Tex-Mex." Have you been to your local (or not so local) On The Border restaurant lately?! O - M - G. From the chips and salsa they greet you with to the $6.99 Create Your Own Combo to the delectable brownie dessert - these people are killing me. It's all just SO good. I could eat it everyday (literally - which is weird for me). And I would rapidly gain like a THOUSAND pounds... not exactly the look I'm going for. What, with my fantastic husband and all of the memorable Christmas music and all of the sweet kids and all of the Buy One, Get One Free coupons who's got time (or the energy) to weigh a 1,000 pounds?! :-)

So there it is... the top five things I really like (or love - in the case of #4 AND #5) clouded by a veil of dislike based on the points noted above. See there, aren't you glad you opted NOT to be all judgey after reading the short list?! (OR don't you feel bad now about electing to be judgey despite my note saying to withhold said judgment?!)

Ahhhh... it was good to get that off my chest. I'm glad to be back, people. Join me again for future inner musings won't you...