Puma Life

Best & Worst Dressed: Grammys

2012-02-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

I heard that there was a lot of black and white on the red carpet of the Grammys last night in honor of Whitney Houston. I don't know if some stars changed their look to be in one of those colors or not, but it definitely did seem to be a theme. Overall, I thought this red carpet was pretty conservative, perhaps that was a nod of respect. Nonetheless, there were some definite triumphs and cringes last night.

Best Dressed:

Who would have ever thought I'd have Paris Hilton on a best dressed list? Not me! But she looked really lovely in this gown.

At first I wasn't sure how I felt about Carrie Underwood's dress, but it really grew on me. Everything is just right. Doesn't she seem to be channeling a little Faith Hill?

I really liked this dress on Lily Aldridge. She looked beautiful and it was something I think any pregnant woman would love to wear. Or any woman probably. I wish I could find a photo more from the front though, because I think it looks even better from that angle.

Worst Dressed:

The hands-down winner, Fergie. The color alone was a poor choice to me, not only because I hate orange, but it just didn't flatter her skin tone at all. Second, need I even comment on the actual style of the dress? You're probably cringing too much right now to even read the comment anyhow.

Source

Ok, wait. Maybe I was a little over zealous to exclaim a winner in this category. Because then you have Nicki Minaj.

Anne Vyalitsyna, model and Adam Levine's girlfriend, really showed off a little too much. It's the red carpet, on tv.

All images sourced here.

What were your best and worst dressed looks from the Grammys? I didn't get to watch the show since I'm desperately writing my thesis every spare moment I'm at home, but did you have a favorite performance?

Best & Worst Dressed: Golden Globes

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's awards season again! I love checking out all the gorgeous, and the not-so gorgeous dresses every year, so here is my annual best and worst list.

Best dressed:

Evan Rachel Wood. While this dress is definitely different, I think it worked just right for her.

Source

Octavia Spencer. Flattering and elegant, it was the perfect dress for a winner.

Source

Helen Mirren. She is just the epitome of classy and beautiful. She rocked that dress like she was 20 again.

Source

Worst dressed:

Sarah Michelle Gellar. It looks like a poofy tye-dye parachute.

Source

Julianne Moore. The eighties are over. The end.

Source

Ariel Winter. I don't know who she is, but her dress choice is just not flattering. Why would you want to make your hips look 5 feet wide? And then the tulle hanging out the bottom, yikes. That screams bad prom dress.

Source

Kelly Osbourne. Geometric Mermaid Barbie. With odd silver hair.

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Sharon Osbourne. At least Kelly outdid her Mom. The print on this dress is what kills it, although the strange pick-ups in the skirt and the sleeves don't help.

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I almost included Lea Michelle on the worst list and Taissa Farmiga on the best list, so they get to be my runners-up today. Did you watch the Golden Globes? Who was on your best or worst list this time?

Healthy Eating Questions & Weight Loss Challenge

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

In the last year and a half since our move to Florida, both Mr. Puma and I have put on a significant amount of weight. We both like to spend time in the kitchen and we both love to eat, so food has become a sort of hobby or entertainment for us. Since we have less time to spend doing things with our busy schedules, and fewer friends to spend our spare time with, we find ourselves centering a lot of life around food. That has translated to a lot of unhealthy pounds added on.

But now we're both really tired of our unhealthy lifestyles and we've been trying to make changes for a little over a month. We did a "soft-roll" diet plan between Thanksgiving and Christmas, where we took baby steps to eating healthier and semi-dieting. Now that the holidays are over, we're kicking it up a notch and we want to really start eating right and exercising more regularly (or at all).

So I'm joining the 10 Pound Challenge to lose 10+ pounds by April 9th hosted by the Newlyweds on a Budget blog. But I have a lot of questions about eating healthy, sort of like the myth or fact debate.

First, let's talk about sweenteners. I've been using Splenda in my coffee for over a year now. But I've heard it's not really good for you. I know things with aspartame have a weird metallic taste, but Splenda seems much more normal to me. Then there's Stevia, which is supposedly natural and the new best thing to use. Or should I just stick with plain sugar?

Then there's bars. I like lots of Clif, Luna and Lara bars, but what I've never been sure of is if they're supposed to be a meal replacement or more of a snack. If they're a snack, how can one justify eating them because they pack so many calories, carbs and more into one bar? This is probably my most perplexing questions.

Image from Wikipedia

Desserts. I'm addicted. Seriously, what will I do without sweets? I guess it isn't really a question per se, but if you have healthier sweets ideas or dessert recipes, I beg you to share.

I want to start drinking more water everyday. I'm pretty bad at getting the recommended amount, so I'm trying to work on that. My biggest barrier is that I like filtered or bottled water, but when I'm at work I have access to a sink and that's it. I saw Bobble has a filtered water bottle, but I was a little hesitant at the cost since not only do you have to buy the bottle, but also replacement filters for it. At Kohls the bottles were $18 and the filters were $8. Anyone know of a more efficient way to get filtered water out and about?

Ok, that's the first round of my confusion and questions. I'm sure there will be more on the way, but I really appreciate any help and suggestions for now! And come over to join me in the 10 Pound Challenge!

Trends from 2011 to 2012

2012-01-09T00:00:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! A little late, but 2012 is still fairly new, right?

I've been (mostly) joking on Twitter lately about some trends or fads I've seen and they just keep coming to me. I'm really ready to say goodbye to several 2011 trends, and I'm looking forward to at least a few of my predicted 2012 ones.

Out with 2011:

Keep Calm and Anything posters and sayings. I never liked these anyways, so can they please go away now? I don't want to "keep calm and juggle Easter eggs" today.

Image from Etsy

Salted caramel. Salted caramel has been a delicious pairing for many years, but lately it has become such a fad. Bobby Flay actually was the first I'd heard say he was over this trend. This one is what started the whole trends topic between Mr. Puma and I too. He said anything that gets a specialty drink at Starbucks has become an overdone fad. While I love my Starbucks, amen to that.

Photo from Starbucks

Chalkboard stuff. This one I like, but it definitely seems to be sliding downhill in it's trendiness as of late. Personally, I like dry erase better, so can that replace it?

Pinned onto my Pinterest from Crazy Wonderful

Deal websites. Groupon and Living Social seem to have plateaued recently, but I have a feeling they'll be able to stick around for a while. However, I think we'll see a continuation in the drop off in using flash sale sites like Gilt, Invino or SniqueAway. My inbox could use the break from daily messages urging me to buy 67% off facials, trips to the middle of nowhere in the Appalachian mountains and yoga pants anyway.

Image from Groupon

My predictions for 2012 trends:

Brown butter. The other half of the trends conversation that inspired this post. I said that browned butter is the new salted caramel and it made Mr. Puma laugh. We just heard it on Top Chef recently, I've seen it on countless blogs lately and it has crept onto Pinterest too. Another example of common food things turned into rash fads, like cupcakes and salted caramel.

Photo (with a great tutorial) from Apartment Therapy's The Kitchn

Regular fit jeans/pants. Thank goodness! So glad to have less emphasis on skinny jeans and see a return of boot cut pants. Those of us who spent 10+ years playing softball and have enormous calves (or are short and squatty, or have big butts, or just look like me in general) are thankful for the return of this trend.

Photo from J.Crew

Social media incentives. With sites like Klout gaining popularity, incentives from sponsor companies for social media users are going to be a hot form of advertising. Facebook has already started it with Moo, giving certain users free business cards just for having an account. I know I love getting free stuff from Klout, but I have a feeling this trend may get annoying.

Image from BlogWorld

What do you think? Any trends you predict to get left in 2011 or any you're glad to see go? What are your 2012 trend predictions?

Chocolate Meringues

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Mr. Puma and I have been dieting since Thanksgiving. Now, I know that sounds ridiculous to start a diet during the holiday season, but we figure it'll help reduce the impact of holiday eating and get us on track for eating better in 2012. Don't get me wrong though, we'll be enjoying some food for Christmas still!

But when you're indulging in holiday parties with friends, family, work and any other reasons to eat extra, these cookies from Better Homes & Gardens are a fantastic lighter option so you can partake in the sweets. Or at least they seem lighter because they weigh about as much as a packing peanut.

You'll need egg whites, vanilla, salt, cocoa powder (BH&G called for dutch process - so I used Hershey's dark), sugar, bittersweet chocolate and cream of tartar. BH&G also called for shortening to melt with the chocolate, but I just used a teaspoon of canola oil.

The recipe is a little involved, so unfortunately I don't have any process photos of these cookies. I just got my first dSLR camera as an early Christmas present and I didn't want to get meringue and chocolate on it!

You'll need to whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla on medium speed until soft peaks form. The tips should curve over on themselves still. Then slowly add in the sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, until firm peaks form (meaning the tips stand up). Gently stir in the cocoa powder.

Now it gets messy. You have a couple options. To make pretty piped designs with your meringues, you'll need to fill a pastry bag with a tip of your choice. I tried to do that with a star tip and failed fairly miserably. As the meringue gets squeezed, air fills in it and it comes out spotty with bubbles. Also, it gets warm and less firm, so mine looked like blobs after a while.

So I switched to a spoon and made dollops with little curled peaks on top, which worked out just fine for me. Regardless of how you make them, you'll want to make sure you pipe or dollop them onto a pan prepped with parchment paper or foil. Then bake them at 200 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. Yes, hours. They should be dry and will be super light. Once cooled, melt the chocolate and oil together and drizzle it over the top. Enjoy! They're best immediately, but they'll keep in an airtight container for a few days.

My dollops

My attempt at piping

Chocolate Meringues
Originally from Better Homes & Gardens
Makes approx. 30

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder
3 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp vegetable or canola oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or foil. Beat together egg whites, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt on medium speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add in sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, and mix until firm peaks form. Gently mix in cocoa powder. Pipe or dollop meringue onto prepped baking sheets and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until cookies are firm to touch and appear dry. While meringues are cooling, melt the chocolate and oil together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between. Drizzle chocolate on meringues and allow them to sit until chocolate sets. Store in an airtight container 2-4 days.

Enjoy!

Peppermint Oreo Truffles

2011-12-19T00:00:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas week! I'm so excited for this week and all the wonderful things it brings! We're spending Christmas at my grandparents' in Charlotte, NC and while it doesn't look like we'll get snow on Christmas Eve like last year, it will still be so much cooler and wintery than it is here in South Florida. It's a little weird to try and get in the holiday spirit when your A/C is on full blast and it's 80 degrees every day. So we put the Christmas playlist on the iPod, eat a ridiculous amount of heavy holiday foods and put in wintery wallflowers to make the apartment smell like the holiday.

Last week at work we had a holiday party, and I couldn't resist making something rich with holiday flavors to get more in the mood. So Tessa's post on peppermint oreo truffles over at Handle the Heat couldn't have been better-timed. The truffles are actually pretty easy to make, but they're so rich and the second you bite into one the peppermint screams "Christmas!" in your mouth.

The truffles only need 5 ingredients - oreos (I used regular), candy canes (full size), cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat), semi-sweet chocolate (bars or chips) and vegetable oil (although I used canola). Whoa, that was a lot of parentheses. Oops.

Start by crushing the oreos in a food processor. Put the whole package of oreos, creme and all, in the bowl and pulse until finely crumbled. If you have a smaller processor like mine, you'll have to do the crushing in batches though.

Next, crush six candy canes. That's probably the toughest part. Don't even try to put them in the processor, doesn't work. Plus, you need about 2 tablespoons clean without oreo crumbs to top the truffles. Instead, put them in a ziploc bag and crush with a meat mallet, rolling pin or hammer. The rolling pin seemed to burst holes in the bag pretty quick, so I switched to a hammer and that worked well. Add all but the 2 tablespoons of the candy canes to the crushed oreos.

Blend the oreos, candy canes and cream cheese until well-combined and spreadable. Chill mix in the fridge for 30-60 minutes, until slightly firm, but still workable. Roll into balls and chill for a minimum of an hour in the freezer (Tessa says up to one day, mine were in about 2 hours). It's best if you place them on a sheet pan with a silpat or parchment paper because these are sticky without the chocolate, and the chocolate only makes them more messy.

Once the truffles have chilled, melt the chocolate with the oil. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each minute. I ended up doing 2 minutes and 30 seconds to get it fully melted and smooth. Dunk the truffles in the chocolate and coat fully. Use a fork lift the truffle out and tap the fork on the bowl gently to let excess chocolate drip off.

Place the truffle back on the pan and immediately garnish with some crushed candy cane. Don't forget to do this like I did, because the chocolate hardens pretty quickly. I forgot and ended up with 4 or 5 plain truffles. Also, consider doing the coating in two batches, because as the truffles get warm, they become more difficult to work with. Chill the coated truffles in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

There you have it! They're great for a single piece dessert, because they're so rich I can only eat one at a time. They keep well for 3-5 days.

Peppermint Oreo Truffles
from Handle the Heat
original recipe by Kraft
Makes approx. 36

Ingredients:
1 pkg (16oz) Oreo cookies
6 regular sized candy canes, crushed
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
16 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil

Directions:
Crush oreos in a food processor. Crush candy canes and set aside 2 Tablespoons for garnish. Add remaining crushed candy canes and cream cheese to the oreos. Blend until well combined and spreadable. Chill mixture in the fridge for 30-60 minutes, until slightly firm. Roll into balls approximately 1 inch in diameter. Place truffles on a sheet pan prepped with a silpat or parchment paper and chill in the freezer for a minimum of one hour, up to a day. After chilling, mix semi-sweet chocolate and oil in a bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between, until melted and smooth. Dip truffles in the melted chocolate and coat. Lift out with a fork and gently tap fork against the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off. Return truffles to pan and immediately garnish with crushed candy canes. Chill in the fridge for approximately 20-30 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Enjoy!
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Holiday Gift Guide

2011-12-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

I love gift guides! Usually I have a tough time figuring out what I want to get people, but this year I've had the opposite problem. I've loved pretty much everything I've seen on every website, store front and gift guide. I'm still not sure which problem is worse. In the spirit of the best time of year (and the fact that we're now just 2 weeks away from Christmas!), here is my curated list of great gifts to give anyone on your list!

Image from lollihop

The lollibox from Lollihop - This is a subscription box of snacking goodies that gifts the recipient with new surprises every month. I love that it's all snack foods, because I'm always munching on snacks. But the best part is they're good snacks, like Lara bars or Terra chips. You can choose 1, 6 or 12 months and there are 8 snacks in each box. Prices start at $22.75 and shipping is free.

Image from Ulta

Butter London Glitter Holiday Trio from Ulta - A fantastic quality polish in some great holiday colors. Because who doesn't love glitter between Christmas and New Years? Honestly, I had this cute Essie miniatures set I saw in Ulta on Black Friday in mind, but I can't find it on their website, so we'll go with this pretty pack!

Image from CB2

Natural Leather iPad Case from CB2 - Granted, you have to have an iPad for this gift to be meaningful, but it's a great case. The natural leather is professional and gender-neutral, and the business card holder on the front is just the perfect bonus. CB2 (an arm of Crate & Barrel) offers matching cases for various other gadgets too.

Image from In This Very Room

Custom monogram mug from In This Very Room - These mugs are a little pricey (unless that $24 means more than one mug), but they are some of the best looking monogram mugs I've seen. You can custom the design, color, monogram label and letters. They make similar ones for travel mugs that are equally as great too.

Image from Amazon

Operation Star Wars Edition from Amazon - Even if you're not a huge Star Wars fan, this version of the classic Operation game is pretty awesome. And who doesn't know at least one huge fan to gift this to?

Image from Amazon

DVD or BluRay collections - One year for my birthday Mr. Puma got me all the Pixar movies that were out at the time on DVD, so I had a complete (and buildable) collection. I really loved it, and it's great to be able to add to it later. You could gift the entire Harry Potter collection, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Star Wars collection, the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies, etc. A great idea for Disney lovers, or new parents, is to start the Disney movie collection. You could also do this with TV on DVD - entire series of Arrested Development, Sex and the City, The Office, Seinfeld, The Closer or something else that's not necessarily on Netflix or Hulu.

So that's my 2011 Holiday Gift Guide, but you can always check out my previous gift guides for more ideas. There's the one from graduation, Valentine's Day, 2010 stocking stuffers, and gifts for the kitchen. You can also see previous wish lists by clicking on gifts under the Puma Topics section on the right sidebar.

What's on your wish list this year or what gifts are you planning to give?

Nanny's Cinnamon Rolls

2011-12-08T00:00:00.002-05:00

Hi there! I've been gone a bit to focus on my classes, TAing, PhD applications, work and trying to have some sort of social life in the between times. But I officially finished the semester this past weekend and I've got a million things I'm excited to blog about!

I'm starting with a family heirloom recipe for some of the most decadent and delicious cinnamon rolls on earth. My grandma on my dad's side, who we've always called Nanny, has made these cinnamon rolls forever. My whole life she has worked as basically a cook/pastry chef for an assisted living center for people with disabilities and every time they have a staff meeting of any sort, these are a must. She's semi-retired now, but will still go in to make the monthly birthday cakes and these cinnamon rolls because the staff continues to beg her. She's pretty much awesome, just like this recipe.

I've been around for lots of recipe testing, also known as me just wanting taste tests, but until this fall I had never made the cinnamon rolls myself. So when my office hosted a breakfast for lunch themed potluck, there was no question what I would make.

To make these you'll need milk (I used 2%, but Nanny says it doesn't matter), vegetable oil, an egg, sugar, active dry yeast, salt, butter, ground cinnamon, confectioner's sugar, water and flour. Now for the flour, Nanny swears by Hudson Cream bread flour out of Hudson, Kansas. You can buy a 5 lb. bag on their website for $2.65. She says you can use other bread flours, but she's very against the Gold Medal for this recipe.

You'll want your milk to be between 75 and 85 degrees, so either pull it out early or be ready to warm it. Start by whisking the milk with the sugar and yeast until bubbly. Add in the oil and beaten egg, whisking until blended. I did this in my stand mixer with the metal whisk attachment, but you could also do it with a hand mixer or regular whisk. Once you're done with this, transfer to the stand mixer with a dough hook.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mix. Once incorporated, mix on high speed until the dough doesn't stick. Now, my dough was still a little sticky, but in general it was workable. Nanny says if you live in a more humid environment, then you may need a little extra flour to keep the dough from sticking. I live in Southwest Florida, and my dough was fine by the amount in the recipe below. So if you're in a less humid place, you may want to start with a little less flour.

Leave the dough in the mixer bowl and cover with a towel. Let it rise until it nearly fills the bowl, or about at least doubles in size. This took between 20 and 30 minutes for me.

Once the dough has risen, push it back down and let it rise to the about the same height again. While it's rising, make your cinnamon sugar. It's so simple, just mix the cinnamon and sugar together until light brown. Now you're ready to roll the dough. Flour your surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough until about 1/8".

Melt the butter and brush the entire dough surface with it. Generously sprinkle the buttered surface with the cinnamon sugar.

Roll the dough and cut into approximately 1" pieces. A knife tends to smoosh the dough, so Nanny suggests non-flavored floss or thin string. I used thread by placing it on the bottom of the dough, crossing it and pulling it through the dough. Like this:

Place the rolls next to each on a sheet pan prepped with parchment paper or non-stick spray. Let the rolls rise again until they almost double in size. Then bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until just barely browned. Make sure not to let them go too long!

While the rolls are baking, make the icing. Mix together the confectioner's sugar and cinnamon until pale brown. Slowly add in a little water (about 1 teaspoon at a time) until just slightly thicker than a drizzle. When the rolls are done baking, brush them with the remaining melted butter.

Brush on the icing after the rolls have cooled some, but are still warm.

Let the icing harden. You can serve them room temp or warm, but I like them best warmed. I made them a day in advance and they keep well wrapped at room temp for about 3-5 days.

Nanny's Cinnamon Rolls
by My Nanny
Makes approx. 25-30

Ingredients:

For the dough:
1 1/4 cups milk at 75-85 degrees
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 packet (approx 2 tsp) active dry yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
3 1/2 cups bread flour
scant tsp salt

For the filling:
1 stick butter
1/4 cup sugar
1-2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

For the icing:
1 lb. confectioner's sugar
approx. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
1-3 tsp. water

Directions:

Whisk milk, sugar and yeast together in the bowl of electric stand mixer until bubbly. Add in oil and egg and whisk until blended. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and salt. Change the mixer to a dough hook. Slowly mix in flour mixture until well incorporated. Mix on high speed until dough does not stick. Leave dough in the bowl, cover loosely with a towel and let rise until nearly the size of the bowl. Push dough down and let it rise to the same height again.

Mix the filling cinnamon and sugar until light brown. Melt the butter. Roll dough until about 1/8" on a floured surface. Brush with melted butter and generously sprinkle with cinnamon sugar filling. Roll and cut into approximately 1" pieces. Place next to each other on a prepped sheet pan and let rolls rise to about double the size.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until just lightly browned. While rolls are baking, make the icing. Mix together confectioner's sugar and cinnamon until pale brown. Slowly add in water one teaspoon at a time until just slightly thicker than a drizzle. Once rolls are done, brush with remaining melted butter. After rolls have cooled a little, but are still warm, brush with icing. Let icing set. Serve within 3-5 days. Best when warm.

Enjoy!

StumbleUpon Favorites

2011-09-06T01:06:00.002-04:00

I've talked a lot about my love for Pinterest on here, but today I want to share some of my favorites from another social media inspiration source - StumbleUpon!

StumbleUpon is like a bookmarking service. Ever notice a little world or SU icon on a blog post or web page? That's the StumbleUpon button where you can save & share that page. You can save all the websites you like to one place without overwhelming the bookmark tab on your web browser. Plus you can follow other people's stumbles to see what interesting things they find around the web. But perhaps the most fun thing of all about StumbleUpon, you enter your interests into your profile and then you can stumble that interest. That means when you're bored or looking for inspiration on a specific topic, you click the stumble button and it brings up a random web page for either one of your listed interests or the interest you specify to look for that time. How awesome is that? I've actually "stumbled upon" a few food and home DIY decor blogs that way.

To give you an idea of the great things you can find or share with others, here are some of my current favorites I found via StumbleUpon:

50 Smoothies: Recipes & Cooking by the Food Network. I would have never copied down or saved 50 individual recipes like this, so having a bookmark with them all in one place to reference is great.

Photo from Food Network

Pantone Color Chart by Metro Pins. This amazing chart has every shade of every color you could imagine. But they also have the Pantone color code, along with the equivalent Hex code for those shades. That may not excite some of you, but those who have spent time trying to figure out a particular color, this is amazing!

Super tiny preview, because it's huge, from StumbleUpon

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread by Joy the Baker. I loved this one so much I actually made it! I've got a blog post in the works on it too, so check back soon.

Photo by Joy the Baker

The League of Moveable Type. This is a font website with fresh and free fonts to download. I was surprised that these quality fonts are free and it has been a fantastic find!

Font & image by Tyler Finck

Sweet Tooth. This food blog by 20-something dental student Erica is pretty much amazing. Turns out I've repinned a thing or two that she's made on Pinterest, yet somehow never made it to her blog!

Header image from Erica's Sweet Tooth blog

Camel Camel Camel, a handy website that tracks the prices of items on Amazon. They tell you daily and weekly price trends on a wide range of items for sale by Amazon, from watches to printers to tv seasons on DVD.

Logo from Hub Pages

A DIY Sofa Table by Take the Side Street blog. This is a blog I found through StumbleUpon as well. She has a fantastic sofa table that I thought was from some store like Pottery Barn, but she actually made it herself on the super-cheap. It's fantastic, you have to see it. This is probably one of my top 3 StumbleUpon finds ever. This is the actual tutorial photo and page, but be sure to see her final painted product too!

Photo by Anna of Take the Side Street

I hope you're inspired by all my great StumbleUpon finds! I hope you'll head over and start using StumbleUpon. You can follow me as mrspuma and you should leave a comment with your link or username so I can follow your stumbles too! What great things have you found through StumbleUpon?

Hunch

2011-08-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

I've told you I love Pinterest before, right? Can I say it again, because I really do love Pinterest!

This time I didn't find a recipe, gorgeous bag I ~~need~~ want or fun craft. Nope, this time I found a website on Pinterest. Blogger Kelly of Blush!nk pinned this graphic on Pinterest one day and I found it really interesting:

So I googled Hunch. Turns out, it's a really cool website. Yes, cool. It's so cool I couldn't even use a better adjective than cool.

Hunch is a website where you plug in your interests and answer their questions about things like "What operating system does your phone use" or "Do you think you blush more easily or more often than most people?" They take your answers and connections to things/people and give you recommendations for things like websites, recipes, products, music and more. How cool is that?

In addition to offering up suggestions for you, they use your answer data to put together interesting graphic stats like the one above that get published on their blog. The most recent one I've seen compared the characteristics of people with Android v. iPhone. They say things like "people who have an Android are 17% more likely to live in the suburbs" or "people with an iPhone are 60% more likely to be American Express card holders." Every time I see one of these stats I find myself saying "hmm, interesting...."

So go check out Hunch. Join the site for your own recs and check out the blog for stats that are actually relevant & fun. You can follow me too, I'm mrspuma.

Maria's Organized Closet Makeover

2011-08-18T06:00:00.002-04:00

{Hey guys, I'm super busy with my job and getting back into classes for my masters right now, so I've got a little surprise for you! A guest post about one awesome closet from blogger friend Maria! Enjoy!}

Hi, friends! I am happy to be guest-blogging for Puma Life! I debated what to write about for quite some time. I love sharing my favorite lasagna recipe with friends because I have never met a person who didn't like it! But I realized that the thing that was consuming 60% or more of my life at the time was in fact... my closet. That's right, folks, the CLOSET! I have always wanted one of those walk-in master closets where you can put everything in its place, decorate it, and proudly display all of your clothes in rainbow-colored order (a little OCD, anyone?)!

So when my husband and I were house hunting this past Spring, I nearly fainted when I saw this beauty attached to the master bath of a cute little house in Salisbury, MD:

OH! How clean and sparkly!

~~That was the selling point for me.~~ I knew that I couldn't just buy a house because of a closet! But luckily we both fell in love with the whole thing. The best part is: hubby gets his own closet, too! Shhh... don't tell, but mine is WAY bigger.

After a few weeks of unpacking, making trips back and forth, and settling in, my beautiful white sparkly closet turned into this:

Ouch.

Look at that mound of flip flops!

I was reading lots of home improvement/design/decor types of blogs and websites and I was going crazy trying to get a "vision" for my own home. In addition to that, we were on a strict budget for the rest of the summer. Believe it or not, buying a house can make you broke as a joke. So the only logical solution was to organize slash decorate my closet first. It was literally the only room in the house I could afford to re-do.

So, I got started. I have a thing about things being in rainbow-colored order. Remember ROYGBIV?

Luckily I already had all of the hangers I needed because I have been collecting all colors of plastic hangers for years from Target and Wal Mart. I ROYGBIV'd my tops with white hangers and I ROYGBIV'd the hangers of my pants and jeans. Yeah, I just made ROYGBIV a verb.

Then, I found an excellent post on a blog about how to organize your flip flops, and if you remember correctly, I have a flip flop problem. I recorded my progress here and here on my blog. After some simple organizing and flip flop magic, I was left with a closet that didn't make me cringe.

After adding spring green paper to my shelves to match the ribbon from the flip flop "jackets" and reorganizing some of my other shoes and clothes, I was left with some pretty awesome shelves.

Using an idea that I stole from young house love, I decided to make my own "ribbon chandelier" of sorts. I went to Michael's (my favorite store) and purchased ribbons that would go well with the spring green theme and would still match the flip flop jackets. I wrote a tutorial for this project here. My final product looks a little like something that would go in a 12-year-old's closet, but that doesn't bother me (that much)!

All big projects aside, I am ready to introduce to you my closet. The first completed "room" in my home. The cheapest makeover I have ever done. And something that makes me smile every time I get dressed in the morning.

TA-DA!

Yes, that is my "upstairs" vacuum. And yes, it is magenta.

See all of those vases at the top? I also have an obsession with those. I bought them to use in the candy buffet at our wedding:

Pink and red candy galore (with bridesmaid L)

I have found that it's really nice to have them around for impromptu flowers or decorations. So why not display them when they're not being displayed, right?

I got some pretty spring green picture frames and inserted family photos

The tan hanging thing holds my tennis shoes and the white plastic cubby holds undergarments. socks, and belts. I love having all of these things organized and in their own separate compartments!

...more shoes...

Another Michael's purchase

I blogged about the significance of the next photo here.

Yeah, another Michael's purchase.

I found this beauty at Bed Bath and Beyond online a few years back. I was looking for something to organize my jewelry in that wasn't bulky and still allowed me to see what I was looking for. It is awesome. I keep necklaces on one side and earrings, bracelets, and rings on the backside.

I bought this wooden "M" (for my first name OR my last name. Or for my favorite candy, m&ms. Ironically, my married initials are MNM!) I just painted it yellow for fun. It holds the necklaces that I am scared to bend up to fit in one of the little jewelry compartments.

Gym shorts and pajamas on top, shorts and camis on bottom.

Some wedges and heels. What's that you see in the top left corner?

One of hubby's beers that he is "aging". He uses my closet to do this because it is dark and climate controlled. Yep, my closet has air conditioning.

So, what do you think? Would you ever go to such great lengths to make your closet pretty and accessible? Or do you think I'm nuts? Well, either way, you have a pretty good start if you need some closet organizing inspiration!

In conclusion, here is a list of things to keep in mind when organizing your closet:

Have a space for everything. And ALWAYS put things away where they belong.
Use the same hangers for everything. It's a simple purchase that will change the look of everything.
Whatever you do, DON'T have a shoe pile. I used shelves, racks, and compartments.
Always ROYGBIV (or at least have some sort of order when it comes to color).
Make it personal. No one else uses your closet but you, so make it YOURS!

I will leave you all with one thing that makes me happy. Things in Rainbow-Colored Order:

Thanks for having me! Check out my blog the beginning... to see more house updates!

Until next time,

Maria

Books to Read

2011-08-16T06:00:00.004-04:00

This is probably the most inopportune time for me to build a long list of books I want to read, with classes starting up again in just a week. But toward the end of this summer my reading list just got so long! I always seem to be behind on my reading since I spend so much time reading text books and doing other things now, so I haven't gotten around to reading a lot of the popular books lately.

Right now my list is mostly books that have been in movies lately and my never-ending Nicholas Sparks collection. Here's what's on my end-of-summer-if-I-have-time book list:

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks - This has been sitting on my book shelf for some time now. I really want to read it, but at the beginning of summer I had 3 of his books unread, so I decided to go in order of release. Well, I only got one read (The Choice). Now I hear this book and his more recent one, Safe Haven, are being made into movies. So I better get on it.

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One Day by David Nicholls - One of the move inspired books on my list that I hear is actually really good.

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Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin - I've been wanting to read this since before the movie, and I haven't seen the movie yet either, but this is another on my list that I'm behind the popular curve on.

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The Help by Kathryn Stockett - I went to see this movie last Friday with some of my co-workers and really liked it. It's such an emotionally compelling story. If the movie was good, I can only imagine how good the book is since I tend to like the book more than any movie.

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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - This one I'm less sure about. I haven't heard a lot about it, but it seems to be pretty popular and is also being made into a movie. I hear it's more suspenseful, which would be a nice change of pace from the plethora of romance-themed novels on my list.

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Where or When by Anita Shreve - I'm a big fan of this author. I got hooked on a book I read for an AP English class my junior year of high school and I've read several of her novels since. This is one I picked up at Target a while back, but just haven't had time to read yet. Is it sad I don't even know what it's about? But I trust that I'll like anything she writes.

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What's still on your reading list? Do you have any great suggestions of books to read?

New Phone & Giveaway Winner!

2011-08-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

{First up, the winner of the JLMould custom stamp Etsy shop credit! Congrats to #3 - Jessica Lynn of Jessica Lynn Writes! Thank you to all who entered! Go check out JLMould on Etsy to get a fun custom stamp of your own!}

I finally caved and got rid of my old Blackberry! Everyone do a little happy dance now that I can receive calls again!

I thought I was going to get the Samsung Epic, but in the store I changed my mind at the last second and got the HTC Evo Shift instead. After talking to the salesperson in the Sprint store it seemed like the two phones were so similar, but the Epic was bigger and more expensive. So far I really like my Evo Shift, but then again anything would have been better than my dysfunctional Blackberry.

On another phone note, I'm loving the Android App Market! There's just so much! I've downloaded the standard social media apps, some games at Mr. Puma's suggestion (are you on Words with Friends?), the Starbucks app (of course!), some news apps, Pandora, IMDb, Skype, the Southwest Airlines app (it's what we fly most often), some weather apps, some travel apps and some foodie apps.

I'm still trying to figure out this whole widget thing. Some of the widgets are the same as apps, so it's a little confusing. Oh, and anyone know how to make your notifications different? It plays the same noise for emails, texts and tweets.

I'd love to find some good fitness apps, especially ones focused on healthy eating and running. I'm also looking for some good apps in the photography category. Anyone have some good suggestions?

What are your favorite smart phone apps? Any to avoid?

Words with Friends

2011-08-12T00:25:00.001-04:00

Do you play?

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Words with Friends is a fun Scrabble-style game for iPhone/iPad/iPod, Android and Facebook. It's a lot of fun, and so addicting. Mr. Puma and I both play and we love it.

So come play with me. I'm mrspuma, what's your username? Have a different favorite app game? Tell me, I'm new at this Android thing!

Buy Ice Cream & Help Kids

2011-08-11T06:00:00.003-04:00

Today is Miracle Treat Day at Dairy Queens across the US & Canada. Miracle Treat Day is more than just an excuse to enjoy a tasty ice cream treat, it's a fundraiser for Children's Miracle Network.

Today, Dairy Queen will donate a minimum of $1 per Blizzard sold to CMN hospitals across the country. One of the best things about this is that they donate the proceeds locally. I've been involved with various CMN activities and supporting organizations for more than 5 years now and I love how committed they are to keeping the money in the community it's raised from. When I stop into the Naples DQ today, my donation will go to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL just a couple hours north of me. Find out where your donation will go.

In case you're not familiar with CMN, it's a non-profit organization that raises funds for 170 children's hospitals across North America, which, in turn, use the money where it's needed the most. When a donation is given it stays in the community, ensuring that every dollar is helping local kids. Since 1983, CMN has raised more than $4 billion. These donations have gone to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care, all in support of their mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible.

Find out more about Miracle Treat day and RSVP along with more than 10,000 other people who have pledged to eat ice cream to save kids by visiting the Facebook event page.

I'll be eating a Mint Oreo Blizzard today, what kind will you get?

{Don't forget today is also the last day to enter the Jessica Lynn Original Stamps giveaway!}

Sooner Born & Sooner Bred

2011-08-10T00:00:00.001-04:00

I saw a fun link-up blog trend with Running Down a Dream that's all about your favorite sports team and I just couldn't resist sharing my Sooner pride with you all!

In case my numerous blog posts & tweets mentioning it didn't clue you in, I'm an alum of the University of Oklahoma! My parents attended OU and I literally am "Sooner bred." I grew up in a house that hates the color orange and I still avoid it as much as possible. Seriously, Halloween in my house is purple, black and green with minimal splashes of orange. What can I say? It falls smack in the height of football season!

I've always loved OU and I always will. There's never a day I'm not proud to be an alumni of the university. There are so many things to be proud of. The school is an athletics power house with numerous national titles from football to gymnastics and more. In fact, the football team just recently earned the #1 preseason ranking! It's certainly not hard to be a Sooner sports fan when you have multiple Heisman trophy winners, the #1 pick in both the NBA and the NFL drafts, Olympic medal winning gymnasts, nationally ranked baseball & softball teams and so much more.

But what you may not know is that OU is also an academic power house with more National Merit Scholars per capita than any other school in the country, ivy leagues included, and houses the National Weather Service/NOAA in addition to numerous other academic accolades. The love for OU runs so much deeper than sports. It strengthens with the connections made through an outstanding university and the knowledge gained from academic excellence. My academic career plays a huge role in my love and commitment to OU.

Another great thing about OU, besides having a blast, launching a love of higher education, working for the largest college on campus, getting involved with organizations I'll always be passionate about and making lifelong friends? I met Mr. Puma there.

To wrap up my gushing about the crimson & cream, I'll leave you with some of my favorite memories:

Graduation day

Meeting football legend Barry Switzer at a banquet

Having fun as an orientation counselor for Camp Crimson

Being "Hurricane Ready" for ESPN Game Day against Miami

Serving on Campus Activities Council for great events like Big Red Rally & Homecoming

Having dinner at President Boren's house for PLC

Watching OU beat Texas from the front row of the Cotton Bowl & celebrating in Dallas afterward

Road tripping to Phoenix for the Fiesta Bowl - twice

Spending countless days with this guy by my side as we attended games, studied, went to events & graduated from our great alma mater

{Have you entered to win a shop credit to Jessica Lynn Original for your own custom stamp yet?}

Moving Tips

2011-08-09T11:54:00.001-04:00

{Have you entered to win a shop credit to Jessica Lynn Original for your own custom stamp yet? Hurry, it's almost over!}

Despite the fact that we moved over to the Naples/Ft. Myers area just over two weeks ago now, we're still getting settled in. We're really close though. The last boxes are decor, curtains, holiday items, photo albums and the like. So now that we've seen how the majority of our belongings fared, and we've almost completed the full pack, load, drive, unload and unpack process, we have some tips on packing and moving for you.

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First, invest in packing paper or save the good newspaper. Don't rely on grocery store ads or small newspapers. You want to be able to wrap breakables a couple times over with a paper that will actually protect them. We did a mix of Publix ads, which are thin and close to 11x17 size, actual packing paper from Home Depot and classic newspaper left over from our move from OK to FL, which was a thicker/larger copy of The Oklahoman.

The thick newspaper holds up fine for 1-2 moves, and protects glass well. The packing paper seems to be a one move paper, but with a couple layers it protected glass and photo frames well. The Publix ads didn't do such a great job though. Even with two layers, a vase was cracked. In my defense, I told Mr. Puma the ads were too small and that we should get packing paper. We had to cave and splurge the $5 at Home Depot when he ran out of ads, thankfully. We actually ended up using 2 packages of that paper (in addition to the ads/papers) for about 20 glasses, 10 mugs, a 12 piece full kitchen plate set, several serving dishes, 8 kitchen glass jars, 10 small vases, 15 photo frames, 4 small glass jars, 3 candles and 10 med-large vases and 2 fishbowl vases. Plus some random other stuff. Because you needed an inventory of my glass, right?

Next, be wary of Home Depot boxes. They're pretty cheap, plus they're made from recycled goods. But they hold up as well as you'd expect from cheap recycled boxes. I'd say upwards of 75% of our boxes were in poor shape by the time they made it into the new apartment. Many had holes and tears, several shifted around or bent and all the medium & large sized boxes caved with moisture (humidity, sweat & light rain). The small boxes held up better, but they weren't really difficult to carry or full of anything heavy. We were actually the happiest with our leftover boxes from Mr. Puma's restaurant job and the liquor store. But you can't pack everything in liquor boxes, so the Home Depot ones work ok for one shorter move. Just be careful what you choose to pack in them, some of our clothes boxes had big tears.

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Speaking of boxes, don't think liquor boxes can only be used for bottles and glasses! Take the dividers out and use them for things like books (which get heavy quick - always pack books in small boxes, even if it takes 15), wrapped vases, random cords, office supplies, binders, video games, kitchen utensils and more. Think outside the box (pun intended)!

Label not only for fragile items, but also for heat-sensitive items. If you pack things like candles, photos, electronics, some office supplies, wine, paint or craft supplies you need to make sure they don't sit in brutal heat (or freezing cold) for an extended period of time. So make sure to label NO HEAT, FIRST IN or other labels on the outside of boxes to ensure those are taken care of. Also label things that can't be stacked or are vital to keep upright (something like TOP with an arrow or DO NOT STACK THINGS ON TOP).

Don't think moving companies are only for full or long distance moves. We called moving companies to get loading & unloading help without their supplies, truck or driving. It saved us a lot of pain in trying to haul a hideaway bed couch up to the 3rd floor, among other things. Plus it went insanely fast. We loaded, drove the 2 hour drive, signed the lease and unloaded in less than 8 hours. Just be sure to have cold water on hand for everyone.

What are your packing and moving tips?

Giveaway Winners & One Last Chance to Win

2011-08-08T06:00:00.006-04:00

Thanks so much to everyone for celebrating my birthday week with me last week! It was a great week!

Today I'm announcing the winners of the first two giveaways!

The winner of the Starbucks giveaway is #9, Jessica, from A Little Bit of Everything! I've already heard from you so your card will be on the way ASAP!

And the winner of the Zak Designs spoons is #20, Josie! Email me your information at epuma@pumalifeblog.com so I can ship these fun spoons to you!

Also, don't forget that the last giveaway from my birthday week is still going on! Jessica Lynn Original is giving away a $20 credit to her Etsy shop, JLMould, for a custom stamp drawn with her creative hand! Check out her shop and the giveaway post to see all her amazing creations and enter to win a beautiful stamp of your own!

Custom Stamp Giveaway

2011-08-05T00:00:00.002-04:00

To wrap up my birthday week celebrations on the blog I'm excited to host a $20 shop credit to JLMould Personalized Rubber Stamps by Jessica Lynn Original!

Jess offers some amazing designs in her huge collection of stamps, plus she'll custom make stamps for you. I kept saying "ooh I want that one...and that one...oh, that one too!" as I browsed through the pages of her shop. She has stamps perfect for everything from families to weddings to businesses.

I asked Jess to share a little about herself and her shop with us and I'm even more impressed with her creativity after hearing her answers! Get to know the fun and creative lady behind LJMould:

How did you get started creating and selling custom stamps?

I have always loved to draw and when I was a kid my mom entered me in all types of drawing and coloring contests. I have been drawing for a long time and then seven years ago I met a stamper who said that I should turn that cute art into stamps! I had no idea even how to start. LOTS of research later.. I figured it out and have been doing it now for over six years.

What do you do outside of creating stamps?

I have an adorable pair of dogs and the best husband in the whole world. Just spending time with my family is my favorite "other" past time. Oh, and I went to college for costume design/construction so I LOVE to sew too.

What is your favorite piece you've created?

I love them all.. such a horrible answer right? Well my current favorite stamp design is the Fall Leaves. ( www.etsy.com/listing/78845657/fall-leaves-bride-wedding-dyi-return) I love it when I can use my art skills to design one of a kind stamp for my creative customers.

If you could create a stamp for anyone in the world, who would it be?

Wow, well.. let me see if they are going to come to my office to pick it up..my brain is telling me to yell Faith Hill, Celine Dion, or Katy Perry just cause it would be just plain awesome to design anything for these ladies! The three ladies are some of my role models, but I really just love working with the bride or customer who is looking for something original. A project that really allows me total creative freedom!! Love that!! Esp if we can work on the idea together. Seeing the final project is just too much fun.

Where can people find you on the web (your shop, blog, website, etc)?

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JLMould
Twitter: www.twitter.com/JLMould
ETSY: JLMould.etsy.com
DIY Store & Ready to Ship Stamps: www.jessicalynnoriginal.com

Anything else you'd like to share?

Elise thank you so much for involving me with your giveaway event. I wish you all the best. Oh be sure to follow me on Twitter... I am currently hooked on it!!

As you can see Jess is a fun spirit, so now you should see how much of an artist she is! Here's some of my favorites from her shop:

A lovely monogram stamp, perfect for weddings. You can use these on save-the-dates, wedding packets, thank you notes and more. Not that you should stop using your monogram & date after your wedding, use them on envelope seals for your Christmas cards or as letterhead for notes.

This one is perfect for those of you with your own Etsy shops! You can find a bunch of stamps for different kinds of businesses like photography, marketing or even your own blog. I even saw several stamps for teachers to stamp on kids' homework or notes to send home.

My personal favorite from the entire shop is this fun tropical address stamp. It has a great Floridian flair without being that cheesy, over-the-top beachy.

The most personalized and most unique stamps in the whole shop are these, hands down. You can send a photo of your pet to Jess and she'll create a stamp outline for you. How adorable is that?! I could just see our Daisy stamped on a tote bag, the fabric basket liner that her toys are in or some cute note cards.

There's so much more in the JLMould shop, so head over and check it out!

To win the $20 credit toward your own custom stamp, you must complete the mandatory entry:

Be a follower of the blog AND head over to JLMould, come back here and leave a comment telling me your favorite stamp.

For extra entries, leave a separate comment for each of the following:

1. Follow me on Twitter, @soonerpsych. (1 entry, 1 comment)

2. Follow JLMould on Twitter, @JLOStamps. (1 entry, 1 comment)

3. Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet. (1 entry, 1 comment) Here's an example tweet:

"Enter to win a credit for customs stamps from @JLOStamps for the finale of @soonerpsych's birthday week! Enter here: http://bit.ly/rtPb1F"

4. Like the Puma Life facebook page. (1 entry, 1 comment)

5. Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to your post. (2 entries, 1 comment)

Entries for this giveaway close at midnight (EST) next Friday, August 12.

Also, the winner of the Starbucks gift card is #9 - Jessica! Congrats Jessica! I'll be getting in touch with you today so you can claim your prize!

Don't forget the fun Zak kitchen spoons giveaway ends at midnight tonight as well!

(All images except the Random.org image are from Jessica Lynn Original. This giveaway is sponsored by JLMould. Giveaway value is $20.)

The Skinny on the Florida Avocado

2011-08-04T06:00:00.001-04:00

So last week I posted on here lamenting about our lack of knowledge of the Florida avocado and begging you for help. And you guys came through for me on here and on Twitter, so thank you!

I had several people ask for a follow-up post with the information, so I'm passing it along to you today!

The Florida avocado is a large, smooth and bright green avocado. It will be about twice the size of a Hass, and the skin won't wrinkle or darken like a Hass. Another major difference from the common Hass avocado is the taste. The Floridas are much lighter with a milder taste. This is because the Florida varieties, stemming mostly from the West Indies, contain more water and less oil than the Hass (a California varietal that gets its rich creaminess from the oil). Some Floridians I talked to said a lot of people who aren't big avocado fans will like these because the flavor isn't as over-powering as the Hass. Plus, the Florida variety is often cheaper than Hass for a bigger yield.

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You can usually find small sections of both the Hass and Florida avocados any time of year, but they're most plentiful, and cheapest, in their peak season of summer. Unlike Hass, which get much softer and darker as they ripen, the Florida will retain its shiny green color and smooth skin. To pick a ripe one, look for one that gives a little when gently squeezed. You don't want it to be mushy, just not rock-solid. Hannah from Gator Tales (along with her family) was especially helpful in teaching me how to pick a ripe one. She said that the skin should slide off a bit as you take the avocado out and the seed should pop out as you cut in as well.

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Once you've picked a ripe one, use it! Avocados are good for you! They are good sources of fiber, potassium and other nutrients, plus the fat is "good fat" - the monounsaturated kind that can help lower your cholesterol. Try making Hannah's tropical pico de gallo, or check out this great guide with recipes from Cooking Light.

Which avocado do you like best, or are you an avocado fan at all? Do you have a great avocado recipe?

Also, my birthday week celebration giveaways are still going on - so don't forget to enter! Tonight at midnight ends the Starbucks gift card and the fun color Zak kitchen spoons end tomorrow. Tomorrow is the last of the giveaways with a fun Etsy credit you won't want to miss, so see you then!

My Favorite Kitchen Tool

2011-08-02T23:44:00.000-04:00

I'm continuing the birthday week giveaways today with a couple of my favorite kitchen items!

I love to bake in the kitchen mostly, if you can't tell from the long list of desserts compared to other recipes in my recipe index. I usually make fun desserts for birthdays, like the Tiramisu Pie I made for Mr. Puma's birthday in March, and use my favorite gadgets. But since yesterday was my birthday, I left the cooking and baking to Mr. Puma and this great little restaurant on 5th Avenue in historic Naples, Bistro 821. We had a fun time shopping during the day, including a great wine/liquor store I'll be sharing on the blog later, and then enjoyed a delicious dinner and dessert from the bistro.

When I get back in the kitchen soon though (after finishing our unpacking - more on the new apartment soon!), I'll be using these fun and functional spoons to start making more desserts:

Images from Amazon

We received a couple of these Zak Designs spoons in a basket at my first wedding shower and I was smitten. Zak Designs makes a lot of fun, festive, colorful and attitude-filled kitchen items like these. I love the variety of colors and fun faces of these, plus they're actually really great spoons. They're made of that Melamine plasticy stuff, so they're really sturdy (and dishwasher safe). You've probably seen my "surprised" green one in a few recipe posts, because I use it for virtually everything. I just recently found the blue one (in a Key West kitchen shop, of all places) to add to my collection.

So today I'm giving away two Zak spoons that I picked up at Home Goods earlier in the week. One is red with the "cheeky" face and the other is white with a smile just like the blue one above.

To win the pair, you must complete the mandatory entry:

Follow my blog and tell me how you're following (Google Connect over there on the left, Bloglovin, etc) AND tell me your favorite kitchen tool/gadget. (1 entry, 1 comment)

For bonus entries, leave a separate comment for each of the following:

1. Follow me on Twitter, @soonerpsych, and leave a comment here with your Twitter handle. (1 entry, 1 comment)

2. Tweet about this giveaway, mentioning @soonerpsych and linking to it. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet. (1 entry, 1 comment) Here's an example tweet:

"Enter to win fun & functional @Zak_Designs kitchen spoons for @soonerpsych's birthday! Enter here: http://bit.ly/r1ATd9"

3. Like the Puma Life facebook page and comment here that you did it. (1 entry, 1 comment)

4. Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to your post. (2 entries, 1 comment)

Entries close Friday, August 5th, at midnight (EST) and the winner will be announced on the blog Monday.

Don't forget to enter the Starbucks gift card giveaway from yesterday as well; you have until Thursday at midnight for that one.

(This giveaway/post is provided in full by the author, and is not sponsored by anyone or any company. Approximate giveaway value is $18.)

Birthday Fun!

2011-08-02T08:54:00.002-04:00

Today I'm celebrating another birthday by running moving errands, exploring the Naples/Fort Myers area and heading to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Bonefish Grill.

I know there will be little things throughout the day that make it special, like getting to have Mr. Puma off from work to spend the entire day with. But I'll also be enjoying some of my favorite things to make it special, and I want to pass some of those favorite things on to you this week!

To start, I'm giving away a gift card to my personal staple - Starbucks! In case you weren't aware, I'm a huge coffee addict (ok, caffeine in general) and I love to grab Starbucks as a treat.

Image from My Starbucks Tumblr Blog

My favorite Starbucks drink in the summer is hands-down the caramel frappuccino, but I add a little classic syrup to it. It tastes like a Peanut M&M, for real. The rest of the year I swoon over caramel lattes, pumpkin spice lattes and vanilla chai tea lattes.

To win the $15 gift card you must complete the mandatory entry:

Follow my blog and tell me how you're following (Google Connect over there on the left, Bloglovin, etc) AND tell me your favorite Starbucks (or general coffee shop) drink. (1 entry, 1 comment)

For bonus entries, leave a separate comment for each of the following:

1. Follow me on Twitter, @soonerpsych, and leave a comment here with your Twitter handle. (1 entry, 1 comment)

2. Tweet about this giveaway, mentioning @soonerpsych and linking to it. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet. (1 entry, 1 comment) Here's an example tweet:

Celebrate @soonerpsych's birthday and win a @Starbucks gift card! Enter here: http://bit.ly/pWtvtn

3. Like the Puma Life facebook page and comment here that you did it. (1 entry, 1 comment)

4. Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to your post. (2 entries, 1 comment)

The giveaway will run through Thursday at midnight (EST) and the winner will be announced on Friday with my closing giveaway.

(This giveaway/post is provided in full by the author, and is not sponsored by anyone or any company. Giveaway value is $15.)

Celebration Week - with Giveaways!

2011-08-01T06:00:00.001-04:00

This week will be a week of celebration on the blog! We're fully moved out of Miami and into our new (and bigger!) apartment on Florida's southwest coast. Plus, it's my birthday week! I'm knocking down another year tomorrow and we're going to celebrate all the excitement of moving, our new jobs, another school year starting (with my exciting new research) and my birthday on the blog this week.

So far the weekend has been great to start the celebrations. I bought myself a little present from the Nordstrom anniversary sale (ending today - get on it!):

Marais Lady Satchel - Image from Nordstrom

Then Mr. Puma couldn't contain himself and gave me my "small" birthday presents early yesterday, including Epic Mickey for the Wii and a delicious little Toblerone!

But the fun doesn't stop there. Tomorrow I'll be kicking off a week of birthday giveaways for you all on my actual birthday! Stop by to win some of my favorite things!

Florida Avocado

2011-07-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Avocado wasn't something I tasted much growing up, but after meeting Mr. Puma I was really exposed to the world of avocado. Or so I thought. I really love avocado now, but I didn't realize that the avocado I was loving was just one variety, the Hass, mainly grown in California.

Ripened Hass avocado

When we moved down here to Florida last summer we would see avocados on sale in the grocery store ads, but then when we went to the store it wasn't what we expected. Instead of seeing the little green shriveled skin avocados, we saw these larger, smooth and brighter green kind:

Florida avocado

We were definitely intrigued, and they were so cheap, so we bought one. But it never changed colors. We kept waiting for it to "ripen" by turning brown, but after several days we decided to just cut into it. Turns out it was over-ripe and gross. We were so perplexed with this mysterious avocado! One weekend we were at Fairchild Tropical Bontanic Garden while they were having a festival with local farms set up, so we asked a vendor how to use the avocado and how to know when it's ripe. His response wasn't helpful at all, he just said it was a regular avocado and would ripen like any other. Yeah, not so much.

We never really did find our answer to using this avocado and then they went out of season. Now that it's summer again they're back and we thought we'd give it another shot. I picked out one from Publix that had a little give to it (meaning it squeezed just a little), but when we tasted it we thought it was strange. It had an almost-sweet and bitter taste to it, like an unripened mango or something.

We've lived in South FL for a year now, and this local avocado still perplexes us. Maybe we're looking up the wrong info? Maybe we're getting a West Indies avocado like the one in the photo above, but the real FL avocado is a Doni, like this one?

Doni Avocado

I don't know. Every time I ask someone or look up info, I get a different story. There's the West Indies one from Fairchild, the Doni from Robert is Here/Pine Island Nursery, the Florida from Winn-Dixie, or the Large Green Skin from Publix. I swear they're all the same, but what do I know?

Please help settle our Florida Avocado curiosity! What is the Florida avocado really? How do I know when it's ripe? What is it supposed to taste like? How would you compare it to the Hass?

Blueberry Crumb Bars

2011-07-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

I love how cheap and accessible fresh fruit is during the summer! We've had a lot of blueberry sales here recently and I picked some up to make this delicious blueberry crumb bar recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I love how the bars had the perfect balance of sweet and tangy from the fruit, and they look stunning with the deep blueberry color.

To make these you'll obviously need blueberries, but you'll also need flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, an egg, salt, a lemon and cornstarch. Please note that I made a half batch of the original recipe and that there's divided use of the sugar between the crust and the filling.

Start by rinsing the blueberries and removing any leftover stems. Those aren't such a great crunch. Next, mix the sugar for the crust with the flour and baking powder. Stir in the salt and lemon zest. Cut in the butter and egg. I used a fork, which is doable, but I highly suggest you use a pastry cutter. Unless you want an arm workout and don't mind the clumps, that is. The "dough" will be really dry and crumbly. Press half of it into the bottom of your prepped pan.

In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar for the filling with the cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix the blueberries in, completely coating them but being careful not to smash the berries.

Pour the blueberries over the crust, spreading evenly across. Top with the remaining dough. I had a lot of extra dough it seemed, and I didn't want to overwhelm the berries, so I didn't use the entire remaining half on mine. That could have been a product of cutting the recipe in half though, so just sprinkle the dough on a little at a time until you're satisfied with the ratio.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. I put mine in for 20 minutes the first time, then ended up baking them another 5 for a total of 25 minutes. Again, those times are for the half batch. The recipe below is for the full batch.

I thought the bars were best served warm, but they do store better in the fridge like Smitten Kitchen mentioned.

Blueberry Crumb Bars
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

For the crumb crust:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
Zest of one lemon

For the filling:
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tsps cornstarch

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup of sugar, 3 cups of flour and the baking powder. Mix in the salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be dry and crumbly. Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. In another bowl, mix 1/2 cup of sugar, the cornstarch and the lemon juice. Gently stir in the blueberries. Spread the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the berry layer.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool before cutting into squares. Store in fridge.

Birthday Wish List

2011-07-25T06:00:00.001-04:00

I really love making gift guides, it's like getting to window shop every time. I've done several holidays, and even graduation, plus I've got a wedding guide in the works. But this time it's more fun, if possible, because it's my personal wish list! My birthday is coming up in just over a week so I feel like this is the one time of year it's kinda, sorta ok for me to make a birthday gift guide with yours truly in mind (ok, so maybe I did one for Christmas too, oh well). So here goes!

A dSLR camera, ideally Nikon or Canon. My brother got a fantastic Canon for his graduation in May and I've been desperately trying to win one from Pioneer Woman, but so far I'm down on my luck. But I'd take some pretty photos of my food, Mr. Puma, the Daisy dog, ok everything.

Image pinned from Pioneer Woman

This Marais 'Lady' Satchel from Nordstrom. It's part of their big Anniversary Sale and is priced pretty well. I've been really needing a new everyday bag in a neutral color, this might just be the one. And I might just gift it to myself. I just can't decide if I want this color or the chocolate brown.

Image pinned on my Pinterest from Nordstrom

An iPad. Something I never though I'd want, but after hauling my laptop and case around the BlogHer Food conference and then prepping to live tweet for my new job, I both want and need something that's easier to carry around and more functional than my dated Blackberry.

Image from Mashable

A cake stand. I've been wanting a cake stand for a while, and I'd really love one with a dome to keep cakes fresh as well. When I make cakes I've been putting them on the carrier plate so they'll keep, but it doesn't make for pretty display or photos.

Image from Crate & Barrel

A gift card to iTunes. My music library is embarrassing. And not because it's full of everything from boy bands to Christmas music to Journey to Disney music to Red Hot Chili Peppers. No, because it hasn't had an update since before we got married over a year ago now. I really, really want some new music!

Image from iTunes

I think that pretty much sums up what I want for my birthday this year. What's on your wish list right now? Also, if you know of any great local restaurants in the Naples/Ft. Myers area to try for my birthday dinner, please let me know!

Happy Weekend!

2011-07-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

It's Friday! You know what that means - it's the weekend! I can almost guarantee you that you're going to be having a more relaxed and more fun weekend than I am though. We'll be hauling boxes up and down stairs to our new 3rd story apartment over in the Naples/Ft. Myers area, which also means we'll be driving the 2 hours between our current apartment and the new one at least twice as well. Woo.

But to get you excited for the weekend, and to make mine a little more bearable, today I'm sharing the best of Pinterest lately with you. You should know by now how much I'm in love with Pinterest, so it shouldn't be surprising that I'm only sharing the most recent great pins this time, seeing as I have over 650 pins and more than 250 "likes" now. It's addicting, trust me.

Fossil Maddox bag in a gorgeous teal color (although they call it "Spruce", which strikes me as a Christmas tree color, but whatever). Originally pinned by Sara Valente.

Nutella Mousse with Espresso & Kahlua by Sweet Tooth and originally pinned by Malia

Rainbow Falls crayon canvas by JKCreate on Etsy, originally pinned by Robert

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies by Recipe Girl, originally pinned by Jennifer B

A lovely bedroom styled on the Home Goods blog and originally pinned by Shelby

BLT Pasta Salad by A Bird and a Bean, originally pinned by Karin

A ridiculously fun & relaxing looking outdoor sectional by Pottery Barn Teen, as featured on Apartment Therapy and originally pinned by Taylor

What was your favorite find on Pinterest (or the web) this week? Leave a link in a comment below!

Mid-Move & Call for Guest Bloggers

2011-07-21T15:57:00.000-04:00

Our entire apartment is consumed by boxes right now. It's a complete mess. After my family left on Monday, the madness began. We've been calling utility accounts, running to the liquor store and Home Depot for boxes, packing, cleaning, reassuring Daisy that everything is ok and sneezing among the dust like two crazy people. Ok, so maybe I'm the only sneezer, but you get the idea.

We load up the truck and move it all over to the lovely Bonita Springs, FL on Saturday and we're so excited. But in all this insanity with family visiting, packing, still working and studying for the GRE again I just haven't had time to blog. In fact, I probably won't be blogging much next week either.

So my question to you all - anyone willing to do a last minute guest blog post over here? It can be about anything really, a recipe, fashion, tips on beating the heat, fun things to do in your city, home decor, whatever. But I could use about 5-8 posts for the next week or so if you have something you could send me by Monday or Tuesday. Comment here or email me at epuma@pumalifeblog.com if you'd like to do it!

Our First Anniversary - Part 2

2011-07-11T06:00:00.001-04:00

This past week we drove up to Tampa for the second part of the anniversary celebrations. We planned to do Busch Gardens on the first day then explore other things in the area on the second day, but we got rained out at Busch Gardens on day 1. We rode 2 coasters and got drenched on the train through the animal areas. So we just relaxed at the hotel before going out to dinner at Ceviche, a great Spanish tapas place in the SoHo neighborhood.

Ceviche ended up being a big highlight. The atmosphere, food, sangria and service were all top-notch. We started with red sangria and the ceviche de la casa, or house ceviche. The server brought out a large porcelain pitcher with the fruit and liquor in it, then mixed in the wine at our table. The ceviche was Mr. Puma's all-time favorite, with bright flavors of lemon and pico.

Our server suggested we order just a couple tapas at a time for dinner, so we decided on the cheese sampler and a Spanish chicken saute with a pesto sherry cream sauce. Both were outstanding, but the cheese platter was really the star. It came out on two small cutting boards, one for the cheeses and one with meats, all of which wowed us (and that's saying a lot since Mr. Puma used to work in a cheese store).

Proscuitto, salami, chorizo, pate with figs & more

Manchego, tetilla, mahon & cabrales cheeses, fruits and a little bleu cheese shaped like a mushroom

The chicken in sherry cream pesto

We couldn't resist just one more tapas plate that sounded delicious, so we ordered the mushrooms in melted goat cheese on top of crostini. It was definitely worth stuffing ourselves. In fact, it was my favorite dish of the night. The melted goat cheese was so rich and acted just like a cream sauce on the four varieties of mushrooms. Of course, that's the one dish that didn't turn out in the photos though. I have great luck, let me tell you.

After dinner we were really craving gelato (yes, in spite of the stuffing we just did), but unfortunately the only place in the area was closed. That turned out to be a good thing in the end though, because we stopped by the local Publix to pick up some Ciao Bella and we were pleasantly surprised to step foot in our first Publix Greenwise. It's the grocery chain's answer to Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and oh my, it was amazing. The counters of baked items, meats, cheeses, seafood and more were huge, as was the nice wine section and the even more massive frozen food area. They carried all our favorite cheap Publix items, specialty items and more. I heard there's one in Naples, but haven't seemed to find it on Google or the Publix website. Anyone know about this mythical store?

Anyhow, back to the reason for our Tampa trip. We went back to Busch Gardens the second day with our FL resident Buy 1 day, get the rest of the year free cards and had a lot of fun. The rain held off while we road all the coasters multiple times, saw most of the animals and really enjoyed our time there. It was so much less crowded than the Orlando theme parks and we're really looking forward to visiting when it's even less crowded in the fall.

Baby giraffe (my favorite zoo animals!) next to the train on Day 1

We managed to stay mostly dry on the first day

Mr. Puma riding the Sky Ride in front of the Kumba coaster on Day 2

Riding the Sky Ride in front of the tallest FL coaster, Sheikra

The gorillas

We had a good time in Tampa despite so much rain and we're definitely looking forward to going back soon. Anything we should try next time we're in the area?

Our First Anniversary

2011-07-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

As you may know, Mr. Puma and I celebrated our first anniversary on June 26. Our first year as a married couple was certainly an adventure with moving, starting new jobs (twice), buying a new car and all the other life changes that come with getting married. So to celebrate the first of many years together we did a two-part celebration. Despite all the rain, we had a wonderful time celebrating on the actual day and on our quick trip to Tampa last week.

Photo by Kris Boevers Photography

Before the anniversary I had been chatting on Twitter about what to give Mr. Puma, and it turns out we both did similar things! Traditionally the first anniversary gift theme is paper. I don't know if we'll really stick to this gift theme someone dreamed up decades ago or not, but each of us got the other one paper item and one other item for this year.

Mr. Puma got us tickets to see Wicked back in April while they were in Ft. Lauderdale, which was my main gift (he didn't even know about the whole paper thing when he did this!). It was such a nice evening, and I loved finally getting to see Wicked for the first time. Because I got my gift so early, he also gave me a small gift on our actual anniversary, the Wii Party game I'd been wanting, which has ended up being a lot of fun for us both.

Image from Amazon

I also caved and gave Mr. Puma his paper gift early. He'd been wanting Thomas Keller's cookbooks for a while and I found a great deal on the Ad Hoc at Home cookbook via Amazon, so I let him open it when it was delivered. He seems to love it because it's more than just recipes; it has lots of cooking techniques that he loves as well.

Image from Amazon

For his main gift, I gave him an experience style gift as well. Ever since we moved to Florida he's been dying to see a manatee, but we just haven't found one in the waterways yet. So I got him a kayaking trip near our new home in the Ft. Myers area where they guarantee you'll see manatees, along with other wildlife. It's a half-day guided tour, which I thought would be a fun thing to do together. Since I didn't have tickets or anything to give him, I got a waterproof digital camera so we can take photos in the kayaks. He opened the camera and was so confused at first though, it was pretty funny! We haven't set an exact date for the trip yet with our upcoming move, so we'll probably wait until the weather cools down some here.

As for the celebrations, we started the anniversary off well with brunch at one of our favorite restaurants in Miami, Town Kitchen + Bar. I had the cheesy egg scramble with hashbrowns and unlimited mimosas, while Mr. Puma enjoyed eggs benedict made coastal style with crab meat on it and custom bloody marys (ok, how do you make that plural, marys/maries?). After brunch we picked up our anniversary cake from Gilbert's Bakery in Coral Gables. They did a fantastic job of replicating our wedding cake!

It was a chocolate cake (although we're 90% sure it ended up being a chocolate rum cake) with oreo mousse and topped with buttercream. The detail work and flavors were nearly identical to our actual wedding cake (you can see it here), we loved it.

Before going out for dinner, we popped open a bottle of Schramsberg, a winery we toured on our honeymoon in Napa. We also enjoyed it in the toasting flutes from our wedding. We've decided it will definitely be a tradition to have Schramsberg in those toasting flutes on each anniversary.

After the champagne, we went out to another favorite Miami restaurant (although it's a chain in select cities), Seasons 52. Since we told them it was our anniversary when we made reservations they brought out champagne for us to begin the meal with! We started with our favorite flat bread, the only steak I really eat, the steak and cremini mushroom with bleu cheese. I ordered the copper river salmon and Mr. Puma enjoyed the filet mingon along with a bottle of Grenache wine. It was a lovely evening that we capped off with our anniversary cake and a bottle of port that we got as a gift on our honeymoon.

That was the first part of our anniversary celebration, stay tuned for part 2 detailing all our fun in Tampa! What anniversary traditions have you started? Are you following the traditional gift themes (or the "modern" versions of the gift themes)?

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T10:54:00.002-04:00

Happy Independence Day and Happy Birthday America! I hope you're all having a wonderful Fourth of July today. I know I am as I sit here relaxing on an extra day off with Daisy. Mr. Puma unfortunately has to work, but we did some celebrations last night instead.

Before I share some awesome Independence Day goodies with you, I want to take a moment to say thank you to all our troops and other personnel out there that work so hard to keep us safe & free as Americans. We certainly wouldn't be able to enjoy all the fireworks, days off and delicious food if it weren't for them.

Now for some red, white & blue fun from around the web to celebrate the holiday:

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels by Cupcakes & Cashmere

Scrapbook Paper Wreath by All You Magazine

Flag Cheesecake Squares from My Recipes

Simple Apothecary Jar Decor by Makoodle

The Incredible 25 layer Flag Cake by the always talented i am baker

Yes, I said 25 layer flag cake. I am Baker makes the most incredible cake ever. You might recall my attempt to make a ruffle cake like her's, and the gorgeous Christmas tree cake I showed you there. Well, hold on to your red, white and blue socks because this cake is just incredible. As you can see above, it looks like the American flag inside, which is amazing by itself. But she made it 25 layers tall and ruffled it!

25 Layer Flag Cake by i am baker

Click on her name under the photo and go see the in-process photos she took, they're stunning as well.

I hope you're inspired to celebrate Independence Day and possibly make some sweet red, white & blue treats now! What are you doing to celebrate? Making anything special? I'd love you to share your Fourth of July creations by uploading your photos to the Flickr group!

Have a safe and Happy Fourth of July!

Best of OK: Sweet Treats

2011-06-30T06:00:00.001-04:00

Two of my absolute favorite things about Oklahoma are rooted in sweets and snacks. They're historic and well-known establishments that are often not known for being from OK. The first is Braum's, a combo store with fast food burgers, old fashioned ice cream and a little market store. The other is Sonic, the more well-known of the two that serves fast food, soda fountain drinks and ice cream treats through a drive-in.

Braum's is a family owned business that started in 1968 in Oklahoma and has been going strong ever since, with more than 280 stores in 5 states. Their dairy farm, processing plant and bakery can be found in Tuttle, OK, to the southwest of OKC.

Photo from Chuck Coker via Flickr

While Braum's has fast food hamburgers, old fashioned cherry limeades and a small market of groceries, the best part for me will always be the ice cream. There's something so wonderful about walking up to the glass counter and trying to choose just one flavor from the rows and rows of giant ice cream cartons. I rarely succeed at picking just one flavor, so I go for the double-dip with my two favorites, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough on the bottom and Mint Chocolate Chip on the top. Now I know those are pretty common flavors, but let me assure you there is no match for Braum's version out there. I would know, I've eaten my weight (and then some) in these two ice creams from various brands.

Mint Chocolate Chip - the difference is the chocolate, it's flakes, not big chips!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough - the dough isn't too chewy and the chips are itty bitty chocolate chips, not flakes or big chunks!

They do carry more original flavors, like Amaretto Peach Charlotte, Brownie Batter, White Chocolate Raspberry, Cappuccino Chunky Chocolate or Peanut Butter with Snickers (among dozens of others). I rarely branch out from my favorites now, but there are 2 main exceptions. I love, love, love their soft serve. It's rich and creamy, and the flavors actually taste like vanilla and chocolate, not just ice. I always get the twist, always. During the holiday season it's also a tradition of mine to have the Peppermint ice cream after seeing the big holiday light display in Chickasha, OK. Mr. Puma's not so staunch on his Braum's, he'll order more shakes, malts or even their mixes with candy bars.

Soft Serve Twist

Heath Bar Mix

Oh, and yes, Braum's does do cones, we just happened to get all our photographed ice cream in cups! So next time you are so lucky to be in OK, TX, MO, KS or AR, stop into Braum's and grab some ice cream, or even one of their delicious baked goods (like ice cream pies or fresh cookies) and revel in the deliciousness.

Sonic is another Oklahoma native staple that I love. Sonic began in Shawnee, OK, just east of my hometown of Choctaw (relatively speaking they're both eastern OKC suburbs) in 1953. Chances are you've probably been to Sonic since they're now a major national company with over 3,500 stores and franchises in nearly all U.S. states. But in case you haven't been, let me be the one to tell you what you're missing.

Image from Sonic

Sonic is a drive-in (ok, now they also have drive-thru) with all the foods you crave and more drink combinations than you could ever imagine. Every day they have half-off Happy Hour from 2-4pm on all fountain drinks and slushes, which can be a bad thing if you have a Sonic within a mile of your house like I did living in OK. In addition to eating my weight in ice cream, I probably drank it in cherry limeades, vanilla root beers and sparkling strawberry lemonades. Then I like to finish those off with cheddar bites, oreo blasts or french toast sticks.

I have to say I generally prefer Sonic for their drinks, because most of their food is either fried or a variety of burger or coney. I rarely eat a meal at Sonic, but it's definitely a go-to snack destination. The one bad thing is that their snack menu is regional. I can't get my beloved cheddar bites, or even my back-up fried pickles here in South FL. (Hey Sonic - bring cheddar bites to Naples, FL PLEASE!!!) But I do like the mozzarella sticks and tater tots still. Despite not being a huge fan of their lunch/dinner menu, I could gobble their breakfast menu in a heartbeat. I love the french toast sticks, the cheesy varieties of breakfast burritos and the croissant sandwiches too. The best thing is they serve breakfast all day! And yes, I've been known to order french toast sticks at 3pm.

I really hope you'll try my Oklahoma sweet spot loves, because I know you'll love both if you do! If you've been to one, what's your favorite thing there? Anyone live out of the South that gets a cool local snack item I may not know about?

Phone Shopping

2011-06-28T11:05:00.000-04:00

I'm finally admitting that I have to get a new phone. That's not easy for me because I've had a Blackberry for 4 years now and before that I had a simple flip phone for 5 years. I'm kind of a serial monogamist with my cell phones. But my real concern is switching from my non-touch screen Blackberry to a touch screen phone. Mr. Puma has one that doesn't have a keyboard at all and I get so frustrated trying to type on it. I'm constantly hitting multiple or the wrong letters. My phone is really slow now, but it's still faster for me to look up something in Google on my phone than to try and type it in on his because I'll spend 5 minutes whining about how much I hate it.

So why not just get another Blackberry Curve, right? Because apparently Blackberry has decided they're too good to change and progress in technology. It'll be a long gone brand here in just a couple years if their CEO doesn't get an attitude adjustment. I've loved Blackberry for 3 out of the 4 years I've had it. My first was a little red Pearl, and it was great right as smart phones were starting to dominate the market. Then I got a Curve and thought I'd never want to switch. Well, now I do. I know it's an older Curve model, but it runs ridiculously slow and doesn't offer half the apps of Android (what Mr. Puma's phone uses). The maps app is really one of the worst when you compare it to Android and it's one that I use most often. In addition, lately my phone has been corroding batteries on a monthly basis and screening calls for me. Yes, it randomly selects which calls will go through and which won't. Sometimes I'll get a missed call notification suddenly, or a voicemail, sometimes I just hear from the caller later that they tried to call. That was the last straw. I can't have a phone that doesn't receive calls.

So with Blackberry standing still and refusing to change in this time of dynamic technology, I feel pushed toward a new type of phone. Which circles back around to the initial problem. I hate typing on touch screens. Oh, and I'm with Sprint. So what can I do to get a phone that computes quickly, doesn't drain the battery at warp speed, lets me type without wanting to crush it and offers Android apps?

I'm looking at these phones, and I'd really, really love some input on which one to get, especially with my touch screen issues.

The HTC Evo:

Photo from Sprint

It's highly rated, and one of Sprint's prominent phones at the moment. I've heard the battery can drain quickly, but there's an option extended battery. The con? No keyboard. I'm just worried I'll want to chunk it across the room in the first week.

The HTC Evo Shift:

Photo from Sprint

One person has said this is a crappy version of the original Evo, but a big plus for it is that it comes with a full slide out keyboard. So I'm curious if it'll be everything I want between a great touch screen and full typing ability.

The Samsung Replenish:

Photo from Sprint

This phone has Android apps, has a keyboard that's upright and is still touch screen. Plus it's marketed as the first eco-friendly phone, and will come with a $10/month discount from Sprint. The cons? Reviews seem mixed on it, the battery life is shorter than the others and it's not 4G compatible.

The Samsung Epic:

Photo from Sprint

This is the one I'm leaning toward. It has a full slide out keyboard, it's highly rated, it's 4G compatible and it has equal battery life to the Evo. I did see a scathing review right on the Sprint website from a customer, but I'm curious still because right before it was a raving review.

So, any thoughts on one of these phones? Or am I doomed to hate my phone?

The First Year

2011-06-24T09:14:00.003-04:00

This weekend is the last weekend in June, when many weddings will take place and the weather promises to be hot. But for us, the last weekend in June is memorable because this time last year we tied the knot. One year ago today, June 24, out of town family and friends began arriving, wedding supplies filled my parents' house, I even found a new pair of earrings I decided to wear (last minute much?).

It was a wonderful weekend, just as this one will be. We've been excitedly planning our first anniversary, which is Sunday. But since it hasn't happened just yet, I want to take a look back at one year ago on the last weekend in June 2010.

We had our first look...

We posed for photos together...

We posed for fun photos with our friends...

Then posed with our family...

We said our vows...

We ate some delicious cake (and didn't smash it on each other)...

We had a fantastic time dancing the night away...

Then we took one last spin on the dance floor and then we were off.

Our wedding was so wonderful. I hear stories of brides' regrets and things that went wrong, but we loved every second of our wedding day. You can see all the details on the Puma Wedding page. We're so happy we were able to spend it with our amazing family & friends and we will never forget the happiness, love, fun and closeness of that day one year ago. I'm so thankful and happy to have spent a great first year of marriage with my best friend, who has inspired me, loved me, encouraged me, supported me and made me laugh. Here's to 100 more years of all our craziness!

All photos by Kris Boevers Photography

Raspberry Lemonade Bars

2011-06-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

These raspberry lemonade bars are incredibly tart, full of color and just plain delicious. I found them from Tessa on Handle the Heat. Like I've said before, Tessa is a talented baker and this recipe from her definitely doesn't disappoint.

For the last dinner in OKC on our trip Mr. Puma and I offered to make dinner for everyone. He made his famous Puma Burgers and grilled veggies, while I made Southwest Creamed Corn and these bars for dessert. I'll be sharing the creamed corn recipe soon, but these were definitely a big hit so I'm starting with them.

You'll need frozen raspberries, lemons, eggs, sugar, flour, butter, salt and powdered sugar.

This is a two part recipe though, so check the ingredient measurements for each part in the recipe at the end. You'll start by making the crust. Prep a square pan with parchment paper that hangs over either side so you can pull the bars out (the recipe calls for an 8x8, but I used a 9x9 just fine). If you don't care about being fancy and pulling the whole set of bars out you can just grease the pan and forget the parchment paper too.

Cream the butter, sugar and salt together with an electric mixer. Mix in flour, just until incorporated. I was really worried about my crust "dough" when it was all mixed because it didn't look doughy, but it turned out just fine. Press the dough into the pan. The recipe says it should come up about a 1/2 inch on the sides (this doesn't mean it needs to be a 1/2" all the way across necessarily though). But as you can see I didn't use a clear pan, so I eyeballed it. Again, the crust was fine. Bake the crust at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Did I mention I got to use my Mom's fancy red KitchenAid Pro stand mixer? Isn't it lovely?

While the crust is baking, prep the filling. Whisk the sugar, egg whites, whole egg, lemon juice & zest, flour and salt in a large bowl. I did this by hand, but you could probably use an electric hand mixer too.

By the way, this is my "pinch" of salt:

Or you could find these snazzy measuring spoons like my Mom has:

That last one says "Smidgen" in case you can't read it

After you've whisked all that comes the "fun" part. Let me just say right now - make sure you leave time for the raspberries to completely thaw before you're ready to use them. Because if you don't, you'll end up like my Grandma & I did - spending a good 30 minutes smashing and straining raspberries to elicit an inkling of juice. It was a two person task with my almost-thawed berries. Just let them thaw - the juice comes out so much easier that way. And why don't they bottle raspberry juice like pomegranate or lemon juice? Hello berry industry - bottled raspberry juice please!

Juice the raspberries by pressing them through a sieve to prevent seeds from getting in your filling. Mix the juice into the filling mixture.

Pour the filling onto the cooled crust and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, or until completely set. It shouldn't be jiggling much at all.

Let the bars cool completely, then chill them for at least a couple hours. Once chilled, sprinkle the top with the powdered sugar and cut into squares. I cut mine pretty tiny to have enough for the whole group, but in general they should make about 9 bars. Do note that these have quite the tart kick to them, so you may want to go for 12 or 16 bars when cutting.

Raspberry Lemonade Bars
Recipe from Handle the Heat, Adapted from Sophistimom

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

8 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch of salt

For the Filling:

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
2 Tbsp. lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1-2 cups of frozen raspberries, thawed
1 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8" square baking pan with a strip of parchment paper that covers the bottom and overlaps on either side.
2. Make the crust by creaming butter, sugar, and salt with an electric mixer. Mix in flour until just incorporated. Flour hands and press dough into 8x8″ square baking pan, so that it comes up about a 1/2" around the sides.
3. Bake crust for 20-25 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. While it cools, prepare the filling.
4. Make the filling by whisking sugar, egg whites, egg, lemon juice and zest, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Pour raspberries into a sieve and press through to extract all the pulp and juices. Discard any remaining seeds. Whisk into lemon mixture and pour onto crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes until filling is completely set.
5. Let cool completely then place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. Once chilled, using the overlapping edges of parchment paper, gently lift the dessert from the pan. Cut into squares. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Couple Games

2011-06-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

I figured I could share the guest post I did for Cait over at Fit, Fierce and Fabulous with you all here too! Here ya go!

I have always been a big fan of board and card games. I even like some lame video games (we're talking Wheel of Fortune, old school Nintendo games and Wii Play!). Lucky for me Mr. Puma is a fan too. So today I want to share our picks for the best games to play for couples. It can be challenging sometimes since a lot of the best games are intended for 4 or more players, but there are some great ones.

We'll start with board games, because that's by far our number one favorite. Last time I counted Mr. Puma and I own 33 board games. We're weirdos like that.

Image from Amazon

Stratego - This game is completely strategy. It plays pretty quickly, and is a nice game. Yes, nice. We tend to get a little overly competitive with some games, namely Monopoly, so we choose games that are just fun that won't bring out the "I want to crush you" side of us.

Image from Amazon

Scattergories - One of my all time favorites, Scattergories can be played with lots of people, but also works well for just 2. If you've never played it, run to Target now and get it. You can play a number of ways, but we do it where one person picks a list and the other picks a number from the list. Then you have your category, like Things that Bounce, and you roll the dice for a letter. You come up with as many things as possible that start with your letter in that category, then the person with the most wins (after you cross out answers you both have). We like to take the cards and play this on road trips too.

Image from Amazon

Scrabble - A classic, but always great. It can take us a long time to play, and we are known to get the dictionary out, but this is always an easy go-to option for a couples game.

Image from Amazon

Rummikub - Not a lot of people seem to know this game, but I've seen it really cheap at Target & Walmart. It's one that we only play when we have a lot of time, because it takes us forever, but it's fun. There's a timed version you can play though too. It's like a cross of board and card games. You try to make runs and sets of your tiles to go out before the other player.

Image from Amazon

Yahtzee - Another classic, although I was shocked to hear Mr. Puma hadn't played until he met me. This game is perfect. It takes the right amount of time, it's a game more of chance so there's less competitiveness, and it's more engaging. We always find ourselves laughing and having a good time when we play this one.

Card games are always a great option too. If you're not crazy like us and don't have endless board game space, card games are perfect. They take up less space, cost less, are easier to get out and put away and often quicker. Plus they've been making card game adaptations of several popular board games like Monopoly and Life.

Image from Amazon

Phase 10 - This is similar to Rummikub. You make runs and sets, but you have to do it in rounds and you get stuck on your round if the other person goes out first. This one can also take a little while to play, but it's very simple and a lot of fun. I think it's by far more fun than playing Uno with just 2 people.

Image from Amazon

Scrabble Slam - This is our favorite of the new card games (although we haven't tried Life yet). It's really fast paced, so you get this adrenaline rush but you're also trying to make words so you have to think. It can be funny to see the crazy words each other comes up with and it's a really light hearted game.

Lastly, our favorite video games. I feel like video games get a bad rap in relationships, but we have several we actually enjoy playing together.

Image from Amazon

Super Mario All Stars/World for the Nintendo SES - This is an old school game, but it's fun to play together. You've got to have the old Nintendo set to be able to play it though. I like this one because it's not a kill everyone around you game and you're playing together most of the time rather than against each other. Plus with this version there's lots of game options so you don't get in a rut.

Image from Amazon

Wii Play - This is my absolute favorite Wii game. It's a combo of several arcade-like games in one. We play a round, where we play all the way through each game and see who wins the most games. I usually beat him at the one where you have to find the matching Wii people and the fishing game. He tends to beat me at shooting, laser hockey and table tennis. We've been pretty even on billiards and the cow races, and we play as a team on the tanks game. It's the kind of game you can play for 5 minutes or 2 hours, and there's plenty of variety.

Mario Kart for Wii - This is Mr. Puma's favorite to play together. I prefer this Wii version over the N64 too, since I'm no good with a joy stick. I love that you can play so many different race courses and formats, so you never really get bored with it. There's also a structured 4 race format that we tend to stick with. We always play on the same team, rather than individually, to avoid any "why can't you throw a shell at someone else?!" moments.

What are your favorite games to play as a couple? Are there any you avoid like we do with Monopoly?

Hi There!

2011-06-15T06:00:00.005-04:00

Today I'm guest posting over on Cait's blog Fit, Fierce and Fabulous. Cait's been on an awesome vacation and I was excited to have the opportunity to guest post for her. She's got a great blog about living a fun and healthy life, so go check it out!

Since Cait's so awesome and has about a bazillion (yes, it's a word in my personal dictionary), I'm guessing there will be some new readers popping over here so I want to say welcome and tell you a little about the blog (and myself).

Puma Life started as Puma Wedding in January 2010 when I began blogging about planning my wedding. I didn't stick with it like I though I would because it turns out that planning a wedding while finishing your senior year of college, working and applying to grad school is a bit of a handful. But after we moved to Miami in August 2010 I got back to blogging and have been loving it ever since. Since we're not getting married anymore, it didn't make since to keep the name. Thus Puma Life was born. The blog covers our lives as newlyweds (for a few more days at least!), which means everything from moving halfway across the country to decorating a small rental apartment to food.

Photo by Kris Boevers Photography

As for me (and the mister), I'm a 20-something grad student. I grew up in Oklahoma before moving here to Miami, FL last summer to attend Florida International University, where I'm studying criminology. I graduated from the University of Oklahoma (Boomer Sooner!) with a degree in psychology & criminology, and I plan to pursue a PhD in the forensic psychology field following my masters. I work in social media, which I love, and I also enjoy event planning on the side. But in my spare time I really love to run, bake, travel and read. You'll find that I'm pretty sarcastic and I overuse parentheses on the blog, but I'm ok with that.

Mr. Puma is also a 20-something recent college grad. He's working in the restaurant business right now, but he has a degree from OU in journalism and his interests are food writing, sports and multimedia. We actually met because of his love for food. My roommate at the time set us up because I said I wanted a guy who could cook, and voila! If only the journalism field weren't seemingly crumbling and someone would give him a job. But he also enjoys traveling, frisbee golf, movies and playing board games. Board games are big with us, as you can see in my guest post. We own about 40 board games, I lost count after the move. But we challenge each other in some sort of game at least once or twice a week.

We got married on June 26, 2010 and we'll be celebrating our first anniversary here in just a couple weeks (hence the newlyweds for a few more days comment). You can see all the wedding recaps, including the DIY projects under the Puma Wedding tab at the top. You can also read more about our lives by clicking About Us, or find a list of all our recipes/food we've tried under Puma Food.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll connect with me via the links on the left! You can find me as @soonerpsych on Twitter, the procrastinating Mrs. Puma on Pinterest or you can keep up with the blog by subscribing through the RSS feed or Google Friend Connect.

Best in OK: Forward Foods

2011-06-14T06:00:00.001-04:00

When I talk to people about my love of Oklahoma, a lot of them don't quite understand. I can definitely see where people who have never lived in, or even been to, Oklahoma wouldn't see what I see in the state. It's not a place most would associate with excitement, culinary jewels or glamor. But I hope to change that, even if it only reaches those of you reading my blog. I love Oklahoma, even though most of my appreciation didn't fully develop until my last few years there and in the time since I've moved away. I hope that after you read the different things I'm going to feature, you'll appreciate why I have a passion for OK.

I'm kicking off the series with a local specialty grocery store, Forward Foods. They have 2 locations, one on Main St. in Norman (where OU is) and a newer one on Western Ave in Oklahoma City. The Norman store has been around for a while and is where Mr. Puma worked during his last semester at OU and our last summer in OK. The store on Western is in a really cool area surrounded by fine dining, unique locally owned shopping and creative local casual dining (our favorite pizza & upscale bbq to be featured later).

We stopped in the OKC store on our way from OKC to Tulsa last week and we just loved the store. The Norman location is in a tiny historic building. It's tighter with dimmer lighting and a concrete floor. The size limits what they're able to sell there, but the OKC location is much bigger and has a great layout with more items (or at least the appearance of more items).

Probably their biggest selling point, and what brought us into the store our very first time, is the cheese counter. Most of you have probably seen Whole Food's cheese section, with cuts of unique cheeses from around the world. Well, this is better. They don't put any pre-cut cheese out, instead you order it by the pound from a counter packed with a ton of cheeses. You can sample as much cheese as you want and the employees (cheese mongers!) will help you select cheeses you like or pair them with your other items like wine or fruit. Check out their extensive descriptions and pairing suggestions online here.

Just a small section of the cheese counter

They also sell some meats, like serrano ham or procuitto, from behind a counter. You can visit their fresh produce and refrigerated goods, or pick up organic frozen food, including my 2 favorite gelatos. The first is Talenti Caramel Cookie Crunch and the other is Ciao Bella Key Lime Graham Cracker.

Some of the cool sodas and refrigerated items

Forward Foods also has an olive bar in the OKC store and sells the olives behind the counter in Norman. I always love browsing the racks of specialty chocolates, honeys, jams, crackers, sauces, teas and more. Another favorite of mine is the bulk pasta and oils. You can fill your own bottles with a variety of olive oils from their bins or fill bags with open stock pastas, beans and rices.

Olives & more

Bulk pasta

Lentils, nuts, rice & more

Some of my favorite unique pasta

Their extensive selection of Chocolove bars

Forward Foods is more than a grocery store though. Each store has a coffee bar and sells artisan sandwiches & soup for lunch. The Norman store will do extensive made to order sandwiches and both stores sell the day's specials. They use local bread to start, then create sandwiches from the cheeses, meats and other items in the store. The roasted red pepper and goat cheese was always my favorite.

The owners and employees also host cheese classes every month to educate people on cheeses, from pairings to types to the difference in raw and pasteurized milks. The best thing is their classes are pretty cheap at only $35. You can see their current listing of classes online here.

The coffee counter

Forward Foods is not only a great place to get kitchen items and a snack, but it's a wonderful representation of local and Oklahoma products. They offer a great selection of gluten free, vegan, organic and local items that really elevate the experience and offer unique ingredients. I know Mr. Puma and I both really miss Forward Foods and would suggest any visitor or resident in OK go visit this place.

Tulsa Trip

2011-06-13T00:09:00.000-04:00

We spent the second half of our OK trip in Tulsa with Mr. Puma's side of the family and our friends living in the area.

The first night we went out to a great restaurant, The French Hen, which happens to be tucked behind one of the best bridal salons in the state, Bridal Classiques. I enjoyed their duck dish, but the biggest star of the night was definitely the port wine poached pear I had for dessert. I wish I would have taken my camera with me because it was amazing. If you're ever in Tulsa, you should go get a flirtini and the pear.

The next day we went out for lunch with some of our friends at one of Mr. Puma's favorite pizza places, Mario's Pizza. They do delicious New York style pizza and the slices are huge. But even better than the pizza was getting to see some friends!

Ricotta, tomato & anchovy pizza - Mr. Puma's, not mine!

I must have lost my mind in Tulsa, because I missed so many great photos, including one with them. But J was a groomsman in our wedding who graduated from OU in May and is working with an architecture firm in Tulsa. His girlfriend, E, is a great photographer and such a sweet person. Our friend C was also there. He's such a nice guy, he's helped us/me move more than once and he's known for being the first person to show up for our parties. He was living in California for a while, including our wedding weekend, so this was the first time we'd seen him in well over a year!

E ordered some tasty cannoli for dessert after our pizza. I'm still not sure I love cannoli yet because it's not very sweet, but these were good (and messy!).

After lunch I got to do something really exciting! Mr. Puma was so nice to tag along and let me have a giddy moment in none other than the Oklahoma-based The Vintage Pearl! This hand-stamped jewelry store began as an online sensation and now has a cute shop in south Tulsa. I could have bought everything in the store (ok, if I had the money I suppose).

After circling the store like a giddy star-struck kid, I settled on a charm stamped with a tiny paw print. I already have a stamped necklace with Mr. Puma's initial and my own initial, so now I have a paw print for the Daisy baby. I also snagged a cute Vintage Pearl coffee mug!

My lovely Lisa Leonard necklace with the new Vintage Pearl charm

(I know, I know, shouldn't be paired but I'm on a budget here)

Over the next couple days we enjoyed some great time with the family, and of course that involved a lot of delicious food. We got our Mexican food kick at lunch with Mr. Puma's Mom, Grandma, his brothers, our niece and her Mom. I swear I ate my weight in queso. After lunch we grabbed ice cream and watched our niece play in the Riverwalk fountains.

We enjoyed dinner at Bodean Seafood, probably one of the best (if not the best) seafood restaurant in Oklahoma. I highly suggest you give it a try if you're in Tulsa. The first dish I ever ate there was sea bass over a grilled cheese and tomato soup and it was incredibly memorable even now 3 1/2 years later.

We capped off Tulsa, and the whole OK trip, by winning some money at both the River Spirit and Hard Rock casinos in Tulsa like I mentioned on the While I Was Out post. It was a fantastic trip with lots of great people, food and fun. I hope I've given you some insight into all the reasons I love Oklahoma, and if not, no worries because I have a great new series coming up for you about the best of my home state!

An Announcement!

2011-06-08T06:00:00.002-04:00

I'm interrupting the Oklahoma trip recaps today because we've got some exciting news to share with you all!

Image from Modern Photographers

Sorry all, it's not about babies. But we're super excited to announce that the Pumas are moving (this set of Pumas at least)!

I know, I know, we just moved to Miami last August. But as you've read before, Miami just hasn't been the perfect fit for us. Like I've always said, there's a lot we do enjoy about the area but we think there's a better place for us elsewhere. Then we got our apartment renewal notice when we returned from OK and the price point in pretty much all of Miami is just out of our reach without me taking on a full time job in addition to being a full time masters student. That's certainly doable, but my goal is to focus on school to make myself a top candidate for a PhD and/or law program next year.

For the last month or so we've been applying to jobs in the Naples and Fort Myers area on Florida's southern Gulf Coast. Like I said in the While I Was Out post, I interviewed for a great social media job in Fort Myers last week and this week I got the call that I got the job! Woo! Mr. Puma is able to transfer with his current job until he finds something else (or to stay with them, whatever may work out). We're turning in our apartment notice today and I turned in my notice to my current job yesterday, so things are really in motion now.

Image from Wonder Cliparts

So while you're reading this, we're apartment hunting in the Naples area! We've got a list of about 40 apartments we know we want to look at from Fort Myers to Naples, and we'll likely see more driving around, so this is just the beginning. We'll be looking to move around the end of July, so we've got a little bit of flex time. I've got some great posts coming about apartment hunting and moving too.

Photo from Nationwide Auto Transport

We've been to the Gulf Coast area a few times, and I've mapped out a few restaurants and stores, but we are definitely open to your input on the area! If you know any great things to do, rental homes, restaurants, or even jobs for Mr. Puma, please let us know!

Drinks with Friends

2011-06-07T06:00:00.002-04:00

It was so great to see our Oklahoma friends for the first time in 10 months on our trip last week. We've really missed being able to go out for a drink or have people over for game night.

Ever since we started planning our trip, we set aside a night for our friends. We planned dinner at a chain pizza/brewery that's not in Miami, BJ's Brewhouse, and then drinks afterward at a Norman/OU classic, The Mont. But apparently we just weren't meant to have our favorite buffalo chicken pizza, because the night we were to meet up with our friends was the same night as the big tornado "outbreak" across the state (more on living with tornadoes in another trip recap). Although the storms passed through the OKC area and thankfully didn't impact any of us, it did cause a delay in our plans and shut down several Norman restaurants - including BJ's. So I called our backup plan, a great Mexican restaurant I used to work for, Ted's. But they were closed too. So we settled on Cheddar's, which is a pretty decent casual place at a great price. If it weren't for the fact that we found a Cheddar's in Ft. Lauderdale, we would have been pretty pleased with this, but it's something we can get here so it was ok.

Sadly a few of our friends had to cancel on us due to the storms and other stuff, but we still had a great time at dinner. The girls will be joking about flirtinis for a while too. Apparently flirtinis are not as common of a drink as I thought. I ordered one from our very young looking server, but he told me he had no idea what that was. I'll admit - I actually didn't know what all went into one, so I just told him it was like a cosmo with a splash of champagne. The end result was definitely not a flirtini, but it was tasty. Ok, so that's not funny by itself, but I ordered another at The Mont - a historic bar - and the server said if I told her how to make it she could have one made for me. And that one came out very different, much more like a real flirtini.

Anyhow, I didn't take any photos at dinner, but I have a bunch of good ones from our drinks outing. About 15 or so people were there at any given moment, and my camera got passed around to a few people, so the results were fun. These definitely show off the fun we have with our OK friends and why we miss all of them so much!

My two longest friends that I met when I was 3, Y & B, are probably going to kill me for this photo, but it's really fun (not funny guys, I promise!)! I spent almost my whole life living down the street from them (they're sisters) and they were co-MOHs at my wedding.

Mr. Puma & I after a long day of watching tornadoes and hiding in basement cellars, but enjoying our time out with friends!

K, on the left, and I met working together at OU and she was a BM in my wedding too. She brought her sister, M, who was in visiting from Michigan and her boyfriend AA, who we're waiting on to pop the question any day now (yes, you A, come on now!). I really just can't wait to see what kind of amazing wedding K will put together after practically planning both our weddings at work together, so I'm just being impatient.

M & I met in Kappa Phi and I'm so glad we've grown closer over the last few years because we have a lot in common and she's so great to talk to. She was also a BM in my wedding. M also graduated last month with a degree in engineering, so a big congrats to her!

B & A have both been Mr. Puma's roommates and are both pretty funny, hence the photo. Mr. Puma is going to be a groomsman in B's wedding later this year (along with A!) and A was the best man in our wedding. They all met living in the dorms at OU.

We tried to take a photo of me and the BM's, but A over there stuck his face in the photo. It's still a good photo, just a little funnier now.

We decided to let him in on the photo since he wanted to be in it!

Mr. Puma with B (and A) in their matching blue. This is a great photo, and impressive since B had his eyes closed in most of the others!

There are very few photos from college in which Mr. Puma & A aren't making faces, such as this. On the right is also Mr. Puma's friend from high school, AK (too many shared initials), who seemed really sweet. I met her for the first time that night, but I'm sure we'd hang out more if I still lived in OK.

D & M. Mr. Puma met D through some other friends and there have been a number of parties at his house throughout college. He's a really nice guy & he's roommates with M's boyfriend.

KN, on the right, and I met in PLC our freshman year at OU and have been friends throughout college. We have a lot in common - just spend 5 minutes with us and you'll see both of our Type A personalities easily. I love that KN and I are pretty much always on the same page. He brought some friends along too, and they seem like a really nice & fun group!

Despite K having her eyes almost closed, this is a good photo of us and we really haven't taken many photos together over the years, so I'm calling this a keeper.

AZ & Mr. Puma met when they worked at Border's together and he has a really fun personality.

He's also dating M! Mr. Puma and I like to think we set them up, but it was really more like facilitating it rather than setting them up with each other. Either way, we think they're a great couple!

M, AZ, me & Mr. Puma

There were so many fantastic parts of our OK trip, and this night was definitely one of them. It felt like we'd never left, and we had a blast. I just wish we could have spent more time with each of them.

Class of 2011

2011-06-06T06:00:00.002-04:00

The whole reason we set our OK trip for when we did was because my brother graduated from high school! He is now officially a Class of 2011 alum of my high school alma mater. Even if the principal and assistant principal called them the Class of 2012 and the Class of 2013 at various points.

He graduated on our first full day in OK and was the primary reason for the trip, so what better way to kick off the recaps than with his graduation? As with everything, my family was running late for the ceremony and we ended up sitting too far away for my camera to get any good photos of the actual graduation. But we of course made him pose for photos at home that night.

My parents, brother, me and Mr. Puma

Yep, he's a lot taller than me - even in wedges.

Even the 2 little dogs got in on the family photo - our Daisy just wouldn't sit still with all the people.

My long time BFF's Y & B joined us and of course had to have a photo with him, they're practically sisters to us.

After blinding him with lots of photos, we did cake & presents. Both my grandmas make the greatest cakes. They've both baked and decorated cakes as long as I can remember.

He likes to make faces for the camera. His girlfriend A joined us for the evening too.

I found this awesome school mascot balloon at a local grocery store to decorate the dining room.

And what did the lucky graduate get? A dSLR! Mr. Puma & I got him an HD memory card and some key lime chocolates from Key Largo. But when he gets bored of the camera or decides it's too big for a college kid, I have my dibs on that beauty. So jealous!

That was Day 1 of our trip, errands and graduation (I chopped my hair off earlier that morning too!). Our night out with friends after several tornadoes is up tomorrow.

While I Was Out

2011-06-02T06:00:00.003-04:00

So you've probably figured out by now that I've been on vacation for the past 10 or so days. If not, then you must not have read the last month's worth of posts and must not follow me on Twitter or Facebook, because I've been blowing up the internet with my excitement about the trip. But I'm back in Miami now and apparently constantly broadcasting my whereabouts on vacation did not lead to a mugging or getting our apartment robbed (burgled technically), which is always a good thing.

Anyhow, a lot seems to have happened while I've been gone that you're in the dark on. So I'll share, because I know you're dying for a play by play of my life that you've missed for almost 2 weeks now, no?

On our first day in OK I got a call with a job interview in the Naples/Fort Myers area and they wanted me to interview the following day. Of course that's my luck. But they graciously agreed to let me interview the day after our return (which means I'm sitting in the interview as you're reading this today). This is big news for us, because we realllllly want to move over there to the gulf coast. So please keep your fingers crossed for me today!

We got our renewal notice for our apartment while we were gone, which just so happens to be one of the reasons we want to move to the gulf side. For whatever reason, our rent is being upped by $35 a month if we choose to renew starting in August. That's a definite no-go because it would push it $10 above our absolute max, which may not sound like much but is to us in the long run. Pretty much we have to move to the gulf or Broward county (Ft. Lauderdale area) to stay within our budget. Awesome. But the good news on the gulf is that we'd save $200-300 a month and get a bigger apartment (and Mr. Puma can transfer with his job)!

I chopped my hair off! Finally! My hair was in DIRE need of a cut & color (ok, highlights) and it's a lot cheaper to have it done in OK. So I went to a salon in Norman next to OU where I've gone before and the stylist did a great job. I look and feel a ton better. Here's a couple before & after examples (because you apparently need to see how bad I've looked for the last 6 months):

One of the few I have since I've avoided the camera in recent months

Shorter, blonder hair (with my BFF's Y & B)

On our second day in OK we hid in an underground storm shelter at my parents' neighbors' with about 15-20 people, 4 dogs and my parents' bird during multiple tornado warnings. I'm sure you've heard about the horrible tornadoes that have hit the midwest over the past couple weeks. The Joplin tornado hit on our first night in OK, then 2 days later multiple deadly tornadoes hit OK. Two were on track to go through my hometown of Choctaw, when we lost tv coverage and headed for the shelter. Luckily for us, the tornadoes dissipated about 15-30 miles southwest of us. It was definitely one of the closest storms I've experienced though, because we found debris throughout the neighborhood afterward.

Some of the insulation and sheet rock in the yard following the storms

We found the last Griddler Jr. on display at Dillard's in Tulsa for $10 on clearance and immediately scooped it up. We go way back with the Griddler. Mr. Puma and I met in November '07, and on about night 3 my friend and I hung out with Mr. Puma & his friends watching bad infomercials at the wee hours of the morning. The funniest one was for none other than the Griddler. I'm sure it's one of those things you had to be there for, but the Griddler is an infamous part of our history now. But we didn't just buy it for nostalgia. We can't have a grill at our apartment and I've been wanting a panini press for a while, so it was a great find all around.

Image from cookware.com

We had a big streak of luck! Ok, Mr. Puma had a big streak and I had a little one, but it's all in the same place now. Mr. Puma's Dad was so nice to give us some casino money after a BBQ with the family and we played video poker at the Riverspirit casino in Tulsa. Mr. Puma got a little tired of poker and switched to the reels and suddenly he hit the jackpot. I won about $3 that night myself, big money! On our last night in OK we went to the Hard Rock Casino in Tulsa and played with about $20 each from our winnings. I was up $25, but Mr. Puma had lost all of his. He was a little bored waiting on me, so he put in $1 on the penny slots, won a tiny bit and then again hit the jackpot. Lucky sucker!

Ok, that's all I can remember that happened for our random list. But I'll be doing some OK trip recaps highlighting our friends & family, as well as great things to do in my home state, so stay tuned (next week, I have loads of laundry for tomorrow)!