What I'm Loving Wednesday

Well, 2022 hasn't been that great so far, but I want to try and focus on positive things, so I decided to try and get back into my habit of blogging more than once a year. I'm falling back on my old favorite, What I'm Loving Wednesday.

I'm loving...

That I've stayed on track with my workouts so far this year. Yes, I know, we are only three weeks in, but still, it's a start. I know I've mentioned it on here before, but I LOVE the app FitOn. It's free, and you get so many workout videos by different trainers (that way you don't get bored doing the same workouts over and over). You can select what type of videos you want: the area you want to target (abs, legs, arms) how long you want the video to be, the trainer you want, etc. I HIGHLY recommend them. All of the trainers are great, but my favorite is Kenta. He's amazing and he's so encouraging. 

I'm loving...

This Etsy shop: Crafty Crutch Stuff. I discovered them last year when I was on Etsy searching for Atlanta Braves stuff. I found a Braves gnome they had made and decided I needed it. I loved the quality so much I reached out to the owners to special order a Rangers gnome (which they made and sent to me in less than two weeks). The owners are super nice. I recently purchased some of their kitchen towels and another gnome. In one of my purchases, they threw in a free bar of their homemade soap, which smelled AMAZING. I highly recommend this shop. If you know me, you know I'm all about supporting small businesses. If you want a gnome with a specific sports team or design, you can reach out and ask for it. If you order anything from them, let them know that Rachel sent you! :)

I'm loving...

Mr. Ballen's YouTube Channel. My neighbor introduced me to Mr. Ballen last year and I binged watched all of his videos in like a week. If you are a fan of the strange, dark, and mysterious delivered in storytelling format, Mr. Ballen is for you! Here is a sample of his videos. And yes, he really is a former Navy Seal (the second video will explain that).

 
      

I dressed up as Mr. Ballen for Halloween at work last year. Lol.

I'm loving...

The Jurassic World Exhibit-I went last week and had a lot of fun. The last day for the Dallas exhibit was this past Monday, but if you ever see it near you, I recommend going. It is something that is enjoyable for people of all ages.

I'm loving...

That I'm finally working on all the scrapbooks that I've been talking about completing for the last 100 years (okay, maybe not that long). I've had stuff in a box for twenty years from middle school and high school and am excited to get it cleared out and in an album. 2022 is the year of organization for me!

8th grade Pep Squad Officer Rachel

What are YOU loving today?

XOXO!

What I'm Loving Wednesday...

So, I've been able to blog regularly for almost two weeks now (hey- baby steps). I THINK I'm gonna try giving this whole post link-up a chance. I'll start it next week, so please tell your friends to check back here next Wednesday for What I'm Loving Wednesday. :) They are welcome to use the button I've created, I'll get a code so anyone who wants to use it can. Or you can just right click, save it, and then use it on your blog. :) We will try this out and see if it works, I would love to find new blogs to follow! I've missed BlogLand. :)

I'm loving..

That we finally got our professional pictures from Christmas. Both of these pictures are courtesy of the photographer, Stacey Reynolds (who has graciously allowed us to post them on social media). :)

E, K, and C love their Aunt Rachel!

I think the photographer just told the kids to attack me with kisses. Lol.

I'm loving...

That it's January and 81 degrees (sorry to my friends who are snowed in up north). Granted it's going to get cold* this weekend, but I'll enjoy the warm sunshine while I can.

*please note that in Texas, anything below 60 is considered cold. ;)

I'm loving...

That I finally spent some time at the gun range last weekend. It had been over two years since I had been shooting. I'm a little rusty, but with practice, I can get better. 

If you know me, you know I don't like discussing politics or any political topics. If you are anti-guns, I respect your opinion, but I ask that you also respect mine. Just trying to keep away from any hate comments or emails. Thanks in advance, much love! XOXO!

I'm loving...

That I spent all of Sunday afternoon and evening reading. I was on page 125 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when I started reading about 1:30 that afternoon, and I ended up finishing it before I went to bed (it is over 700 pages). 

I'm over halfway done with the Harry Potter series now. Just three more left. As promised, I will review all of them once I am done

I'm loving...

That someone has uploaded all four seasons of the TV show Ed to YouTube. Did anyone else watch it? It was about a New York lawyer who moved back to his hometown and bought a bowling alley. He also had a law office inside of the bowling alley. Last week a coworker and I somehow got onto a conversation about how adorable we thought Tom Cavanagh is, and then we mentioned how we wished this show was on Netflix or Amazon Prime (it aired back in like 2000). For some reason I went to YouTube and found the pilot episode. And then I noticed all the episodes were on there. I'm kind of doing a binge watching of it in case for legal reasons it's taken down. **Dear YouTube gods: Please let me finish this show before you remove it. Or better yet, don't remove it. Thank you. Much love.** 

I totally forgot that Justin Long was on this show

Happy halfway through the week! Don't forget to come back next week to link up! :)

XOXO!

It's OK Thursday!

First, I want to thank Shia over at World According to Shia for sending me this. I won her blog giveaway a few weeks ago. I can't wait to try this out! Thanks! :)

It's OK...

...that I was insanely giddy when I got this in the mail yesterday:

I've been waiting for this day since I was a little girl...

...that I'm looking forward to my first free weekend in over two months. I plan to do some spring cleaning and intense DVR watching. If you call and I don't answer, yeah, I'm ignoring you. No hard feelings, okay? :)

...that this video made me tear up a little (but man I love Simon being put in his place!) It's about a 7 minute video, but seriously, it's worth the watch. It's very moving (in my opinion).

...that I always feel the need to buy a new shirt to wear to Opening Day. The shirt I ordered arrived yesterday.  :)

I love it!

 ...that I'm bummed because Storm Chasers was canceled by the Discovery Channel.

...that lately I've been feeling this way about working out.

...that my hair is in a ponytail today because I couldn't find my hairbrush this morning (I may or may not have overslept and only had about 15 minutes to get ready).

So, what's OK with YOU today??

XOXO!

Tuesday Tunes

This afternoon I've been goofing off on Pinterest hard at work on job related stuff, and have been jamming to my country music YouTube playlist. I thought I would post some of those videos today for a Tuesday Tunes post. :)

XOXO!!

Super Bowl Commercials

Even if you didn't watch the Super Bowl, there is a good chance you have seen some of the commercials, even if it's just online (especially since some of them were released online BEFORE the game, which I don't really understand, but I guess it works!) I thought I would post some of my favorites from this year.

I laughed so hard at this one!



I'll be honest, I watched this one several times before I even knew what they were advertising. Helllllooo Mr. Beckham! ;)



How can you NOT like a Ferris Bueller themed commercial?? :)





Obviously the next three show that I love commercials with dogs! :)











Too cute!! 

I thought I would end with my favorite commercial from last year's Super Bowl. This little kid reminds me of my nephew Andrew, who loves Star Wars! I could totally see him doing this! :)

Have a great day!

XOXO!

Thursday 13: Cary Grant style

Wow, it's been a LONG time since I've done a Thursday 13 list. I thought since yesterday was Cary Grant's birthday I would post clips from 13 Cary Grant films. For information about the movie, just click on the title. Author's note: Well, if he was alive it would have been his birthday yesterday. And he would have been 108. Knowing him, he probably would look good at 108! What a looker he was! :)

 

Before I get started on my list, here are some fun Cary Grant facts:

-He was born on January 18, 1904 under the name Archibald Alexander Leach. He was given the name Cary Grant by Paramount Studios when he started his film career.

-Out of the 75 characters he portrayed, not one of them was a villain. 

-He was a big baseball fan- supporting the New York Giants (before their move to San Francisco in 1958) and later the Los Angeles Dodgers.

-He turns down roles opposite Audrey Hepburn in both Roman Holiday and Sabrina. He later starred in the movie Charade with her

-He was a fan of Elvis Presley.

The Awful Truth 

Bringing Up Baby

His Girl Friday

The Philadelphia Story

Penny Serenade

Arsenic and Old Lace

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer

The Bishop's Wife

People Will Talk

To Catch a Thief

An Affair to Remember

North by Northwest

Charade

Hope everyone has a great day! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel- it's the weekend! It's almost here!!

XOXO!

Tuesday Tunes

So today I've been listening to my 80s/90s country music playlist on YouTube. I miss the old school country sometime! All you country music haters stop wrinkling your noses at me. You know who you are (but I still love you)! ;) I thought I would share some of these videos with you for my Tuesday Tunes!

**Randomness With Rachel is not responsible for bad hairstyles, clothing or acting in any of these videos. Watch at your own risk. Thank you!**  

Ocean Front Property by George Strait (I know, this is a recent video of him singing it, I still like it)!

Funny story: One time when I was younger, a friend and I were listening to this song and she looked at me (with all seriousness) and said, "wait, there's no ocean in Arizona". I still tease her about that.

Somewhere In My Broken Heart by Billy Dean

side note: Billy Dean follows me on Twitter. No really, look...

Don't Rock the Jukebox by Alan Jackson

Shut Up and Kiss Me by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous by Tracy Byrd

Hey Cinderella by Suzy Bogguss

19 Somethin' by Mark Wills

I was so excited about my Rangers FanFest recap yesterday I forgot to post my photo challenges. I have a few days to make up!

Day 14:  Something You're Reading- 206 Bones by Kathy Reichs (this series inspired the TV show Bones).

Day 15: Happiness- this picture of my sweet great-nephews E and C. I love seeing their adorable faces!

Day 16: Morning- I tried to get a picture of the sunrise this morning coming into work (for the record, no, I was NOT driving). :)

Sorry it's blurry, it was taken from the window of my carpool

Day 17: Water- I fill this thing up about 4 or 5 times a day with water (it holds 16 oz). I'm trying to be better about drinking more water.

Hope everyone has a great day! XOXO!

Tuesday Tunes- Take Me Back to High School!

Gotta give credit to Brendan at the Ben and Skin Show for giving me my idea for today's Tuesday Tunes (side note: follow Brendan on Twitter here. He's awesome!) And I'm one of his favorite followers, go on, ask him, he'll tell you! Yesterday he played a "drop" that had Beck's song "Loser" in it. It made me think of high school. So for my post today, I thought I would list some songs that "take me back" to high school every time I hear them. For the record, I wasn't necessary a fan of all these bands, I just know these songs (for instance, I couldn't name another House of Pain song if my life depended on it). :) But I was a fan of Boyz II Men and Hootie and the Blowfish! :)

**Randomness With Rachel is not responsible for the content or lyrics in the following videos. Please view at your own risk. Thank you.**

Jump Around by House of Pain

Loser by Beck

Shoop by Salt-n-Pepa

Buddy Holly by Weezer

On Bended Knee by Boyz II Men 

Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie and the Blowfish

Lump by The Presidents of the United States of America

Breakfast At Tiffany's by Deep Blue Something

Spiderwebs by No Doubt

Have a great day!!

XOXO!

30 DBC Day 30 and Tuesday Tunes

Yesterday my friend Monica and I got our tickets to see Huey Lewis and the News in October, so for my Tuesday Tunes, I thought I would share some of my favorite Huey songs! Thanks to my Bubba for introducing me to Huey Lewis and the News when I was 6! :)

Picture with me, if you will, a six-year-old Rachel dancing around the house, singing this into a hairbrush...

Who Ya Gonna Call...Ghost--oh wait, it's not that song...




My motto at work (and my ringtone for my co-workers on my iPhone)...


You knew this one was going to be on here...




So, I finally made it through my 30 Day Blog Challenge! Wahoo! :)

Day 30: A picture

Since it didn't specify what kind of picture, I leave you with this (I have this hanging up at my desk at work).

XOXO my sweet friends!!

30 DBC Day 27, Day 28 and Day 29

Day 27: Pets

I don't have any pets right now. Growing up I had a dog named Nicky and a cat named Elvira. I do want a dog, just not right now. I've always wanted a pug, but after watching videos about Tillman the skateboarding bulldog, I might want one of those too! He's so adorable!! :)

Blogger won't let me embed videos for some reason. Click here and here to see them.

Day 28: Something that stresses you out

Work

Traffic jams

Day 29: Three Wishes

Are we talking realistic wishes? I mean, of course most people will say (in their best "Miss America" voice) that they want to end world hunger and have world peace. But let's face it, sadly, that is not going to happen. I'll go with wishes that could possibly happen.

1. To be debt free. I don't need millions of dollars. If I could just not have any credit card or loan debt, that would be enough to make me happy! I could honestly live happily and comfortably on what I make now (minus the debt of course).

2. To be at the game when the Rangers win the World Series (notice how I said WHEN. It's gonna happen my friends, one of these days, I can feel it).

3. To meet the man of my dreams and live happily ever after (well, that's kind of reaslistic, I mean, it could happen, RIGHT?? RIGHT??)

Hope you have a good week. I'm looking forward to my upcoming four day weekend. One day down, three to go.

XOXO!

30 Day Blog Challenge- Day 3

Day 3: Your first love

I was 5 years old....

I know, adorable, right?

And I was in love with him....

Ricky Schroder

Silver Spoons was my favorite TV show. It came on Saturday nights at 7:30. His character had a train in his house that he could ride from room to room (I always wanted that in my house). I also wanted the duck phone. I remember I had to go to bed after it went off. (Hey, 8:00 was pretty late for a 5 year old-especially since I had to get up early on Sunday mornings for Sunday School and church). On a side, kind of related, note: I did get caught kissing a boy under the slide in kindergarten who looked a lot like Ricky Schroder (I guess was just using him). ;)  Let's just face the fact that I started being boy-crazy at an early age. And I've been crushing on celebrities since 1983. :)

And yes, Ricky is still pretty good looking today! ;)

For those who don't remember Silver Spoons, I leave you with this.



XOXO!