Truly. Honestly. Me.

I am me.
I make no apologies for my beliefs.
I say that I don't need approval from anyone, but I crave positive reinforcement from those that mean the most to me.
I love chick flicks and "teen" books, TV, and movies (Pretty Little Liars, Make It or Break It, etc)
I have gained a lot of weight since I graduated college and because less active and my back pain worsened to the point where I can't regularly work out like I used to.
I get depressed when I look in the mirror and go clothes shopping.
I look at myself and see 10 things that I wish I could change instead of being happy with myself.
I am a Republican, but I'm OK with gay marriage.
I work with all men and have very few female friends. and none that live close to me.
I get sad sometimes and can cry at the drop of a hat.
I am depressed that I am in so much pain because of my back.
I hate looking at pictures of myself and I think that I'm much prettier in real life.
I am by no stretch of the imagination a super model, but I do think that I have a pretty face and pretty eyes (and hopefully that doesn't sound conceited). My eyes are my favorite part of my body.
I am a nerd. I love museums and science centers and planetariums and book stores.
I speed read. I cannot read at a "normal" speed.
I love getting texts, e-mails, snail mail, and phone calls.
I do not buy expensive clothing. I love Old Navy and Target.
I love hugs.
 
Dear Me, I have a long way to go in completely loving myself, but embracing my flaws will be my first step. It just goes to show - you can never tell what someone is going through on the inside.

Dear Blog World, why can't the you be more supportive? There are so many things that try to tear us down ... the blog community should be the one thing that builds us up. We should support each other for putting ourselves out there in our blogs every day. I'm tired of seeing the snobby bloggers, those that start fights, those that put people down. Be a supporter!

Dear Ken, Happy 36th birthday. Hope you enjoyed it, even though you had to work.

Dear Furbabies, I'm going to miss you all SO SO much while we're on vacation. I wish I could take you with us, but your Nana and Grampop will be here to take care of you while we're away. Be good.

Dear work, See you July 9th!

Dear hubby, 24 hours until we leave for vacation! Yay! It is MUCH needed!

Happy Birthday (and a winner)

Dear Ken,

Today you turn 36 (and for the next 12 days you are 9 years older than me ... until my birthday). Happy birthday! You are the love of my life, and I can never thank your parents enough for raising you to be the man that I love.

I'll make you your favorite dinner tonight and give you your birthday gift ... and then we leave this weekend for vacation.

I love you!

Love,
Me

And the winner for my PA foods giveaway is ...

Send me your address ASAP (I leave for vacation Saturday, so I'd like to get it in the mail tomorrow.

Oh How Pinteresting

some Pinterest randomness for your Wednesday ...

Source: google.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: stickonpods.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: static.someecards.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: amorefiori.wordpress.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: mommysavers.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Sometimes and Always

Sometimes ... I get super excited for vacation.

Always ... I miss my fur babies when we're away. My mom always baby sits and puts me on speaker phone so I can talk to them, but sometimes that makes me miss them more. :(

Sometimes ... I get stressed out about vacation. What do I need? What if I forget something? There's so much to do before we leave ...

Always ... when I get there, I relax.


Sometimes ... I miss my friends.

Always ... I know that they're there for me when I need them.

Sometimes ... I get nervous about my back and the upcoming surgery. Especially knowing that this could have ALL been prevented if my doctor had put me in a brace for 3-4 months when I was 12-16 years old.

Always ... I'm just thankful that it can get fixed.

Friday's Letters

Dear Husband, Thank you for understanding that "I'm not cooking dinner tonight" means "You better stop after work and bring something home"

Dear Florida, One week from tomorrow I will see your gorgeousness ... I can't wait!

Dear Weather, Your 90+ days can go away. I'll take low 80's or cooler, please.

Dear Work, You are keeping me busy with all of your projects and meetings ... but a little more cash would be appreciated. ;) Oh, and sorry, but I'm totally not going to miss you for the 10 days I'm away.

Dear Target, You're killing me. I can't stay away and I can't seem to get out without spending at least $50. You're like crack or something.

Dear Readers, If you haven't already entered my PA Junk Food giveaway, go do it!

Dear Birthday Month, You start in t-minus 8 days!

Dear Ken, Your birthday is in less than a week ... and even though you have to work on your birthday, I plan to make it a pretty awesome 36th birthday! :)

Giveaway Time!

If you read my post last Monday, you know how fired up I got when someone insinuated that "nothing comes from PA". Well, HA. Below is a list of all of the yumminess you will be able to win in this "PA FOODS GIVEAWAY". Everything is made in PA, and within driving distance of my house (some of them within walking distance of my house or my work).

So without further adieu ...

Picture 1:
2 kinds of Tastykakes - Chocolate Cupcakes and Butterscotch Krimpets (my personal favorite). Tastykakes are made near Philadelphia, PA.
Shoo Fly Pie - this is a traditional Amish pie that is made in Shillington, PA - 10 miles from my work.

Picture 2:
Dieffenbach's Chips - hand cooked in lard, these chips are made 1/4 mile from my house.
Gibble's Puffys - best cheese curls I've ever had, these are made in Chambersburg, PA - about an hour and a half from my home
Unique Splits Pretzels - a very unique type of pretzel, these are made in Reading, PA -  about 1 mile from my work

Picture 3:
A-Treat Cream Soda - a delicious, inexpensive soda made in Allentown, PA - about 50 miles from my house (and yes, on this side of the state, it is called Soda. Pittsburghers call it Pop. It took me 3 years of dating hubby to break him of that habit)

Picture 4:
Hershey's Chocolate - it needs no introduction. Hershey's Chocolate was founded in Hershey, PA - about 35 miles from my house
.... AND if it were close to any major holidays, I could send you Peeps, because Just Born, the company that makes Peeps is located in Bethlehem, PA - about 55 miles from my house. However, if I can locate Mike and Ikes, they're made by the same company so I'll send those to you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Packing Tips

With vacations coming up (one as soon as next weekend!), I thought I'd scour Pinterest for some packing tips. They seemed pretty good, so I thought I'd share ... after all, it IS vacation season!

To get more bang for your buck (so to speak)

Source: apair-andaspare.blogspot.com via Pinterest

if you're not flying ...

Source: selectstudyabroad.com via Jessica on Pinterest

to protect my bras ... after all, VS bras are pricey, so you gotta take good care of them!

Source: cupcase.com via Allison on Pinterest

to make sure I don't forget anything ...

Source: welcome-to-the-jungle-scream.blogspot.com via Lynelle on Pinterest

Sometimes and Always ...

sometimes ... work is hectic, home is hectic, and I just don't have time to blog for a week.

always ... I try to fit it in. Like today. Not gonna lie, this *might* be my only post this week. Work is just insane and I literally just go home and crash. So it's not like there is anything interesting in my life anyway. ;)


sometimes ... I start planning and packing for a vacation way early

always ... it doesn't matter how early I start - I'm always finishing up the morning we leave. Who doesn't? I mean, you have to use your toothbrush that morning anyway. Unless you have a separate one for travel ... but I'm not sure how I feel about that.


sometimes ... I forget my back hurts. Haha, just kidding ...

always ... I never forget my back hurts. But some days are better than others.


sometimes ... I worry for my blog friends when they're going through a hard time.

always ... that's just who I am. I am a very caring person and if you're my friend, I'll be the best friend you've ever had. :)


sometimes ... I feel "inspired" to buy something I've seen on someone else's blog.

always ... that blog happens to be Lindsey's. I swear, if The Bargain Blonde says buy it ... BUY IT!





sometimes ... I have no pictures for a blog post.

always ... I'll just throw in a hubby pic or a furbaby pic.

how lucky am I to have such a handsome husband???

1 Year Blogoversary

Today is the day that I'm considering to be my one year blogoversary. I wrote a few posts before that, but I didn't start to write regularly until 6/15/11.

Dear husband, Thank you for not thinking I'm crazy for being obsessed with this whole blogging thing.

Dear Ashley, Thank you for being such an amazing friend. Your blog is the reason I started blogging, and some of your posts were what sparked my thoughts for some of my earliest posts. So Thank you. and I really hope that we can meet one day soon.

Dear Megan, Joey, Faith, Sarah, and many others, Thank you so much for your kind thoughts, prayers, texts, e-mails, messages, etc about my back. Your caringness (yes, I made that up) and kindness warms my heart and makes me so happy to have found friends like you through blogging. Friends that are nicer and more caring and frankly better all around than some of my "real life" friends. I hope that I can meet you all so that I can hug you for all of your support.

Dear Lindsey, Thank you for being my bargain beauty guru. You've convinced me to spend so much money (like the Cup Case I just bought yesterday), but it's all been worth it so far. You are the one person I trust most when it comes to beauty products that I can afford. I think we need to meet too.

Dear Followers, Thank you. A year ago, I never imagined that I'd have 150 of you. and just for you, I'll have the much promised "PA Foods" giveaway coming up next week. I just have to buy them all this weekend. Anyone know if I can ship soda and beer?

Dear Miranda's, You are my all time favorite Mexican restaurant. I hope to see you tomorrow for some yumminess.

camarones a la diabla ... get in my belly!

Dear back pain, Your days are numbered. I see the pain management dr to schedule my injections on the 27th, and I can't wait for this all to be over. I'd say that I'll miss you ... but I won't.

Back Update

I know I've been giving a lot of random back updates, so here is the current status:

- I have fractures in the pars interarticularis in my L5 vertebra - both sides.

- These fractures have been present since I was 12 or 13, but the pain has been gradually getting worse until I couldn't take it any longer.

- I've seen countless doctors and tried countless "conservative" procedures and pharmaceuticals. Nothing has worked.

- I recently started seeing a neurosurgeon as referred by my orthopedic doctor.

- In my appointment yesterday, said neurosurgeon pointed out that the reason I haven't felt any relief in all this time is because a) the previous doctors were not treating my fractures, but different areas of my vertebrae - where I didn't have problems. and b) it's a fracture. Nothing is going to fix it but having the surgery. and after 12 years, the fractures won't heal. I WILL need surgery.

- In my most recent set of x-rays, the doctor pointed out that when I am in a neutral position (standing upright), my fracture is visible from the side. When I bend forward, the fracture area opens. When I arch backwards, the fracture area closes. The fracture area is acting like a joint, which is very painful. Surgery will stop this area from moving like a joint.

 - Because he knows that I'm nervous about the surgery (who wouldn't be?), I will see a pain management doctor that will inject my fractures with lidocaine. The lidocaine will numb the areas temporarily. If I feel relief from the pain from these injections, then the doctor is confident that surgery will fix the problem.

- I don't have many details of the surgery yet, but because we would be doing the surgery early (before my spine has a chance to "slip" forward), I will have a faster, easier recovery. The surgery is expected to get rid of 80% to 100% of the pain. The 80% may not sound like a lot to you ... but having only 20% of my pain would be amazing.

For more information:
See here to read about Spondylolysis.

Blog Star: Hi I'm Jess

Hi! I'm Jess, the Pretty Physicist. I am a firm believer that you can be pretty and smart. I'm honestly sad that I hadn't realized that earlier, because I spent most of high school thinking that it wasn't cool to be smart and that guys wouldn't like me if I was smart.

I have my BS in Physics and recently graduated with my MS in Quality Assurance. I work as an Engineer for a Battery Manufacturer near my home in South Central Pennsylvania.

I am married to the love of my life. We met when I was 19 and he was 27. Now I'm 27 and he's 35 (at least for the next few weeks). We've been together for 8 1/2 years and married for 5 1/2. We are parents to 4 adorable fur babies - Callie, Mittens, Autumn, and Einstein - and 1 angel fur baby - Zeppelin.

left to right: Autumn, Einstein, Callie, Mittens (and hubby hiding in the background)

Zeppelin, who was our first fur baby. We lost him 5 years ago (we rescued him when he was already 12 or 13) and I've missed him every day.

I blog about everything that comes to my mind. I'm kind of random. I like to research products and review products. I'm short (5'1") and sometimes have trouble finding pants that fit. I have stress fractures in my spine that I'm hoping (fingers crossed!) will be fixed soon. I am addicted to Old Navy and Target. I love to read and I love to cook.

I hope you like what you read and decide to stick around ... the more the merrier! :)

Sometimes and Always

Sometimes ... its nice to get done with work early

Always ... its really hard to get up extra early to be able to leave work early


Sometimes ... I wonder what it will be like when my back is fixed and I don't have to live with constant back pain anymore.

Always ... I try not to get my hopes up, because you never know what can happen.


Sometimes ... I get myself unnecessarily worked up over something.

Always ... my best friends and my husband can always talk me down from my freakout. I am endlessly thankful that I have them.


Oh, and since I totally seem like a Debbie Downer today ...

Sometimes ... I win a Target gift card in a blog giveaway.

Always ... it's much harder to spend that gift card than my money when I go to Target. I keep trying to think of something I "really want" to use the gift card on, rather than what I "really need"



Just to update y'all on my back, I go back to the neurosurgeon today after work to talk about the surgery. I am getting a second opinion from another neurosurgeon on the 25th. Surgery likely won't be scheduled until August at the earliest.

Food Network

Ok. so anyone that knows me personally knows that I love to cook and I secretly would love to work on Food Network. I'm addicted to watching Food Network Star. I have to say that last night one of the contestants made me SO angry! Martie, the self-proclaimed "old lady" on the show (because she's older than all of the other contestants). As the final challenge of the night, each of the contestants on the team had to shoot a dart at a map of the US and make a dish inspired by the state that they land on. Martie's dart lands on Pennsylvania and says "There's nothing from Pennsylvania". Homegirl, you just pissed this PA girl OFF! There are LOTS of foods from Pennsylvania.

• Philly cheesesteak (and PAT'S is SO the only way to go! Wit Wiz!). 
• "Pittsburgh-style" sandwiches - with fries and coleslaw on the sandwich a'la Primanti's
• tons of Pennsylvania Dutch food (my personal fave) - like Chicken Pot Pie (and not the kind with a crust)
• Polish foods like pierogies (I mean, come ON! The Pirates even have Pierogi races at their baseball games!) and haluski and galumpkis

The majority of mushrooms sold in the US come from Pennsylvania ... in fact, they probably come from within 20 miles of where I work.

PA is also a BIG area for making snack foods.

• Tastykakes
• Pretzels
• Chips
• Cheese Curls
• A-Treat soda
• Shoo fly pie

Not to mention the fact that HERSHEY is in Pennsylvania. Seriously. Chocolate. Come on.

Martie, you just lost any possible backing you could have ever gotten from this PA girl.

Sunday Social

How did you come up with your blog name?
One of my friends in college used to refer to me as "the pretty physicist" since I was the only girl in the department at the time. They always wanted to send ME to the science fairs to recruit future students. Talk about false advertising. ;)
What is your favorite thing about blogging?
Meeting all of my new best friends and learning more about myself
What is one thing you have discovered because of blogging and now cant live without?
Toms, my Clarisonic, my 2 newest besties, Pinterest. It's dangerous for my wallet (except for my besties, of course) :)
Facebook or Twitter? and why?
Twitter. Facebook is too full of drama and pictures and games and articles ... I like the short, sweet and to-the-point-ness of twitter and its 140 character limit
If one celeb read your blog who would you want it to be?
I could go all nerdy and list a famous physicist because it would totally help me out in my career ... but who am I kidding? As cool as that would be, it still wouldn't be as cool as Giuliana Rancic :) I absolutely love her.
What is something you want people to know about your blog?
My blog is random and always evolving. As I learn who I am as a blogger and who I want to become as a blogger, I'm adding new posts and topics. and I'm super random.

Friday's Letters

Dear Husband, Thank you for not getting mad at me when I dropped a bottle of hot pink nail polish and it broke ... all over the white kitchen floor.

yes, this gorgeous color was all over my kitchen floor

Dear Husband, Also, thank you for helping me to clean up that mess.
Dear Blog Friends, I need you to move closer to PA or to come visit me. I'm in serious need of girl-time.
Dear Back, I've finally found a doctor that is going to fix you. Be nice.
Dear Dr. Schwartz, Thank you for wanting to fix my back. I can't wait to see you again to schedule my surgery. Hubby has lots of questions, so hopefully you can convince him this is best.

I swear, it looks scarier than it is

Dear Vacation, 22 days until we're on our way to you in Florida! Can't wait!
Dear Birthday, I only have 32 more days of being 27. I'd like to enjoy it before my "holy crap, I'm 28" freakout.
Dear Fur Babies, I love you. I appreciate the snuggles, but not all of the shedding fur.
Dear Husband, I'm looking forward to relaxing and having dinner out this weekend. We definitely need that down-time.

Friday Faves!

Favorite News
 (I can't share my REAL favorite news of this week yet, but no I'm not pregnant) My new doctor wants to do the surgery! I'm a little nervous because he's going to remove my compressed disc and install a "cage" to hold the space then graft some bone in the area. He's also going to install some screws and 2 short rods to keep my spine straight.  However, I am SO looking forward to not having back pain after having it for 14+ years! Especially because today is a really bad back day, to the point where the pain is making me nauseated. Hubby is nervous too, so I'm trying to be strong. I guess I've known all along that this was coming, so I'm prepared for it.

Favorite Blog Post
  This goes to the lovely Ashley, one of my best blog friends. She posted on Wednesday (National Running Day) tips on how to stay motivated while running. While I can't run yet (but hopefully soon!), I actually was starting to love running - the little bit I could do before the pain started. I'm sure her tips will be very helpful once I can start running again.

is she NOT absolutely gorgeous??

Current Food Obsession
  Aside from my constant Mexican food obsession (I keep asking my mom if it's possible that I'm half Mexican ... she says no. I tell her my stomach is Mexican), I can't get enough berries, home grown tomatoes, and avocado. I can't grow tomatoes because mine always get the plight, but all of the Mennonite farms around me set up stands and sell their surplus tomatoes cheap. Nothing better than sliced tomato in a grilled cheese, a slice with salt, or a tomato salad - cut up tomato, add a little green onion, and Italian dressing. Simple and delish!

Current non-food Obsession
  Organizing. Since Closet-gate 2012, I've been trying to keep on top of my clothing situation and keep things organized so that I know what I have and what I need. Last weekend, I did a mass-ordering on Amazon of some organization things for my closet. I got more hangers (I swear by the slim velvet-lined hangers), a hanging shelf thing (see the picture below), and a tie hanger to put my scarves/belts on.

Not sure what I'll put in here yet, but I had to have it

the hook swivels, so I can hang it in my closet, on the back of the door, or anywhere!

Top 5 Any Price

Earlier this week, I listed my Top 5 under $5 and my Top 10 under $10. Today's list:

Clarisonic Mia - I love this girl! My face has never felt cleaner or smoother! I just love the way this makes my face feel. Even though this one is just for the face, I occasionally use it on other areas that are prone to breaking out. Those areas too are baby smooth!

Retails for $119, but you may be able to find it for less. I paid $95 for mine on eBay - brand new in the sealed box.

Old Navy Jeans - I've tried dozens of brands, but these fit my body type the best. I am curvy, muscular, and short. I'm 5'1" and I have a J-Lo booty. From years of gymnastics and cheerleading, I have very muscular legs. I doubt I will EVER buy another brand of jeans.

Regular price is around $30, but on Black Friday, they're on sale for $15, so I usually stock up.

Toms - Super comfortable, super cute shoes ... And they support a good cause! I have 7 pairs and you better believe I'll be getting more!

These are my favorite pair. I searched long and hard for them and finally found them on eBay. Toms retail for anywhere from $45 to $65 and up.

Crest Whitestrips - Yes, they're a little pricey for what they are, but it is still cheaper than getting your teeth whitened at the dentist. I've used these for years (different variations, since they came out with the first ones when I was in college). If you have sensitive teeth like I do, I recommend following the instructions until your teeth start to get sensitive, then back off to every-other-application and use sensodyne.

You can pick these up for around $50-$60 ... they often have coupons in the Sunday paper!

Ultra Thin Hangers - I recently bought these to re-do my closet. Wow. Just wow. They really ARE thinner than regular hangers, which makes it possible to cram more clothes into your already full closet. I love that they are covered in velvet, because now my silky tops and cardigans, etc won't fall off the hangers. Trust me, amazeballs.

I paid $12.99 for a set of 25 at my local TJ Maxx, but then (since I obviously needed more) I got these on Amazon for $25.70