Susie-home-maker syndrome

In the last 12 months, I've had some alarming opinion and thought process changes. I'll be honest, I have shocked many of my friends and family members with the changes. I have even shocked myself - literal dropped jaw after some of these revelations. I guess it's part of growing up.

One thing I have recently noticed is my seriously crazy need to cook, bake, clean, host, ensure proper ambiance using the correct holiday decor (flowers, decorations, snacks...) which I refer to as Susie-home-maker syndrome. Like all the rest of you do, so clearly not creative but fitting.

On a typical Sunday, you'll find me hovering in the kitchen doing a number of things.

• Making dinner that will last me all week. This involves my crock pot or a large saucepan full of soup/stew/pasta/etc.
• Making breakfast to last me all week. Baked oatmeal/cinnamon rolls/veggie egg bake
• Washing dishes
• Cleaning out the fridge of anything that's not edible

I also take time to meal plan for the next week, do laundry, figure out my next piece of wall art, paint my nails, devise a plan to save the world and watch a rom-com to end the evening.

I need to fetch my baked oatmeal - peace out homies and enjoy the week. xoxo -B (aka Superwoman)

Like a calico cat

Whenever I go through life changes, I tend to change the color of my hair as well. I have been all over the hair color spectrum - from very very blond to black, and every color in between. I am a natural blond, and for a while was using box hair dye to transform my beautiful blond locks into dark, super edgy black strands. I was going through a phase in which I thought I was really cool... aka punk/emo/weird.

Getting my blond hair back from this terrible life choice was no easy feat. The initial bleaching was awful... I looked in the mirror and freaked out. My hair literally looked like a calico cat. I remember because I told my stylist Michele "My hair is awful... I look like a freaking calico cat!"... or something along those lines. She was able to fix the terrible copper/orange color and bring me back to my roots, literally.

I went to Michele for a visit yesterday, needed a pop of color in my life. During my transformation, I learned some new things about my dear friend and hair stylist. Apparently... she has not always had the best hair ever. She once had a mullet because she cut her own hair, at the tender age of 5 (I'm not exactly sure what age, I just made up a number. She could have been 15.) using a cuticle scissors. I asked her what exactly she was thinking when she cut her hair, she said she wasn't sure. But what she did know was that after she took a nice chunk out of her hair, she had a great reason for it.

As a child, her family had a long-haired black cat named Cricket. According to Michele, Cricket the long haired black cat had started to grow blond hair... and Michele had to cut the blond hair off of cricket. This reason caused me to go into a hysterical laughing fit for 76 seconds. Thank you for the story Michele. You made my day yesterday. You also made my hair look really awesome, thank you for that as well!

The rest of the conversation was pretty great as well but I won't bore you with our secrets. Time to get in the shower and get ready for this Packer game! GOOOOO PACK!!!

A baby shower with a twist

At the tender age of 27/28, it's likely that many of your friends, like mine, are in monogamous relationships, getting married and having children. My best friend had her baby shower today (So excited for you Ashley!!!) and it was a blast. I am so excited for the arrival of the little dude! Yay!

I sat with a rather rowdy group of girls - Jill, Kelly and Michele. We go back to the days of High School. We have always managed to have some of the most ridiculous conversations since that time. Today was no exception. As Ashley and Bobby opened the little treasures that will help keep their little guy clean, warm and comfortable, we couldn't help but compare those presents to how we could use them in our daily lives as well. Here is what I remember of the conversation... It was kind of a train wreck.

• Adult size burp cloths... You know for those unexpected times you just need to puke, you should probably have something to wipe your mouth.
• Adult diapers and ice diapers... I think both are pretty self explanatory. Some need them more than others.
• Poodles... I kind of was lost in the concept. vnajdhtnweuiafdvakwejt
• Child size smoking robe... inappropriate to the n-th degree. But for some reason, the thought of a tiny human wearing a robe and slippers, walking across a mahogany floor smoking a cigar is fucking hilarious.
• Jill's first girl... she will be a Snooki and gave us permission to dress her like Snooki when the time is appropriate.
• Kelly's first child... She said it will be a cold day in hell when she has any kids
• Read to your children... Jill shouts "My mom didn't read to me" and clearly it has affected her entire life as a person. Kelly taught her to read.
• Michele's first child... her cat Charlie. She and Tom love to put yogurt and ice cream on his face and watch him try and lick it off. Seriously I can't wait for them to have kids.
• Bridget's first child... I'll probably have triplets, knowing my luck. I will make baby noises at my child/children until the day I die. Gosh the lucky future little ones. And the lucky future partner... One word comes to mind. WINNING.
• Ashley's first child... will be sanitized on a daily basis. And frequently baby-sat by the mothers. All of them, collectively.

What an amazing group of friends I have. I can't wait until we ALL have kids....

Robsten, you sneaky little couple

On July 24th, 2012 at approximately 8:00 PM, I found out some very disturbing information. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson broke up, due to a "lapse in judgement" on her behalf... Note to self, don't make out with a married movie director if you're in a relationship and want to stay in that relationship.

Today it's reported that they are actually back together. You are soooo sneaky! It does make me uncontrollably happy they decided to work things out. Impeccable timing though, right as they start promoting Breaking Dawn part 2!!! Which I am so excited to see!

Ben Affleck

I have spent a very lazy day in Milwaukee. Breakfast and coffee at Alterra, relaxing walk along the lake, some retail therapy, Laundry... Super relaxing! I love me time! I mean who doesn't.

You're probably wondering what Ben Affleck has to do with it. Let me paint you a picture... After my day of spending time with my favorite person - me of course! - I find myself in my living room folding laundry and trying to find SOMETHING to watch on the TV while I do. Well, I have about 4.5 channels, and HBO. It's typically tough to find something to watch that will actually entertain me. I turn to the ever trustworthy HBO, because there is something that should tickle my fancy. I see there is a movie on called "Surviving Christmas" and get excited because I know that it's my fave Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon flick.

WRONG. It's a Ben Affleck/James Gandolfini movie. And it's AWFUL. But... since I turned it on, I can't seem to turn it off. Because I want to see how it ends. However, it's so painful to watch... Ben Affleck is one of the worst actors ever. I can't get back this last hour and a half. C'est la vie.

Giving you a lesson in Diva camping

Every year in the fall, some of my closest girlfriends and I plan a girls trip for the weekend. We get out of town, drink wine, talk about girly things, eat fabulous (though super unhealthy) meals, shop and typically sing karaoke. The last few trips have been super fabulous - and this year was no exception!

First, a huge thank you to Amy for putting it together :) We booked a camping trip this year - 2 nights in beautiful Baraboo, WI at Devil's lake state park. With the weather being as beautiful as it has been in the recent months, we couldn't be more excited to get out in nature and rough it with the woodland animals - bears, snakes, badgers, wolves, wolverines, werewolves and vampires. Yes please! Even though I am a city girl through and through, I enjoy getting out there and away from civilization, sometimes you need to shut everything off and just be with the people who matter most.

We got to the campsite and set up shop! Chairs around the fire pit, threw the screen tent nearby, strapped the tablecloth on... and boom! Campsite was all set up! It looked great, we were ready to rough it. So we did - hopped in the truck, back down hwy 123 to the neighborhood Clarion hotel! Unfortunately, due to the freeze warnings in Baraboo - and the rain, we decided instead of catching pneumonia, we would sleep in a hotel at night and utilize the campground during daytime hours.

First night in West Baraboo, we were party animals! Headed to dinner at a place called Monk's (I highly recommend if you're in Baraboo) and then back to the hotel for some pre-game in the hotel room. After a bit, we went out to the local, what seemed to be dive, bar next door - Chasers. By the name of the bar, and the overall outside appearance it looked like we made a solid decision. With our out of town heads held high (and maybe a bit fuzzy) we entered the bar. It was QUITE the sight - the locals were downright scary looking - It was hard for me to tell the men from the women, they all had mullets and mustaches! There was a group of normal looking people that we exchanged some friendly conversation with.  It was karaoke night at Chasers, and in the normal girls weekend fashion, we opted to sing. And what better song to sing than Carly Rae Jepsom's "Call Me Maybe".  That is one song NO ONE should ever karaoke. It will make the crowd's ears bleed. But may also score you some digits.

Taking us to the next morning... We wake up feeling energized and ready to hit the trails! After a quick dip in the pool and hot tub, we bundled up for a day of hiking and campfire! Hiked the trails at Devil's lake all afternoon, stopped at Devil's door for a photo op, and went back to the campsite. Amy built a great fire, and we sat around talking about life, love, future plans and obviously ghost stories. That was my favorite! We also made smores, and a fabulous banana, mallow, peanut butter and chocolate concoction that you eat with graham crackers. Holy OHHHHHHHMG!

Well, we headed back to the hotel, and because we basically burned off 3,000 calories and put them back on after the walk, passed out watching dirty movies on HBO. Kidding ;)

All in all, this was another fabulous girls weekend, and even though we mastered the art of "Diva camping", I look forward to an actual out in nature camping excursion soon! well, probably next year. Until next time - Milinski, OUT.

Got Kelly Clarkson?

Do you have Kelly Clarkson on your iTunes playlist?

If so, CONGRATULATIONS! You are already Stronger. You have hours upon hours of feel good, empowering music that will make you feel like The War is Over. Everyone has a Dark Side, and yours, my friend, is lovable.

If you don't, the Sun will Rise. Go to iTunes, type in Since You've Been Gone and I think you'll Never Again take your ear-buds out. Breakaway!

I'm on KC overload...