30 Days of Lists Blog Hop

I am very excited to share this 30 Days of Lists blog hop with all of you today! If you read my Monday Mix Up yesterday, you know that I signed up for the latest round of 30 Days of Lists, which starts September 1st. I have done almost every round of this, but never finished one, so I'm hoping that this round will be my first completed one :)

Today we were asked by Amy and Kam to go back to a past listing challenge, choose one of the prompts, and make a list. Its a nice little warm up to September, don't you think? I chose the prompt, Today's Playlist, and this is what my list looks like:

Pika wanted in on the listing action too :) 

My playlist is pretty small- I don't listen to too much radio if I'm not in my car. Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Charlie XCX round out the songs I heard this morning, plus the Simpsons theme song. I have been watching the marathon on FXX for the past few days when I get the chance, and I love it. 

I hope you've enjoyed my list and little peak into what 30 Days of Lists is like. I hope to post my lists weekly once the challenge gets started, so hopefully I can keep up with it. I look forward to seeing what all the other ladies are going to do as well. Just by checking out the other posts from today's blog hop (you can check them out here), I can tell I am in some very talented company :)

Mage Food- Meatloaf

Its been a while since I've posted a recipe. I have been trying to cook more, so I suspect more recipes will be making an appearance around here :) Today's recipe is for meatloaf, and I would like to preface this by saying that I am not a meatloaf fan. Not by any stretch of the imagination. But my husband is, so I thought I'd try my hand at making one for the first time ever the other day. I combined a couple of different recipes to make it my own, and I have to say, this is a meatloaf I would actually eat again. I apologize for the lack of photos, but I'm sure you all know what a meatloaf looks like :)

Ingredients:

For the loaf:
*1lb lean ground beef
*1/2 cup of bread crumbs (I used plain bread crumbs, but you can use the flavored kind)
*1/4 cup ketchup
*1/2 teaspoon onion powder
*1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon pepper
*1 egg

For the glaze:
*1/3 cup ketchup
*2 tablespoons mustard (I used just a basic yellow, but again, its your choice)
*2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your baking pan. I put aluminum foil in mine and it made clean up a breeze. Pan type is your preference, but I used a small glass loaf pan to cook mine. If you have talent (which I don't), you can use a regular cookie sheet and shape your loaf right on it.

Combine all your loaf ingredients in a medium or large bowl. Make sure its all mixed together really well. Then put your mixture onto your tray or into your pan.

Mix your glaze ingredients in a small bowl, making sure the sugar gets really well blended. Then spread your glaze over the top of your loaf.

Bake your meatloaf for about an hour, or until you can see that your meat is firm and cooked all the way (I put a lot of sauce on mine, so I cooked mine for a little longer, just to  make sure).

Pull it out of the oven and enjoy :)

If you try this recipe, let me know!

Monday Mix Up #22

Where have these been?!? Its been months since a Monday Mix Up has been done. I have been slacking.....there is just no other reason.

I've been in a bit of a midyear slump, I suppose. Most of the New Year's goals I've set for myself are more than likely not going to happen, plus some other personal things have been taking their toll. So keeping in line with some changes that I'm looking to make to get out of my slump- here is a little list to help procrastinate your Monday and maybe jump start any changes you've been wanting to make :)

*Spicy Tuna Melts from A Beautiful Mess.

I made these the other day and they were delicious!

 

I have signed up to do the September 30 Days of Lists! 

Sign up before Sept. 1st and you receive an awesome digital listing kit. 

Amy and Kam always do a great job with these projects- I can't wait for this one to start!

If you're like me, and need a little nudge when it comes to cleaning, 

Clean Mama can help you out! Her free printable gives you a schedule

that helps you stay on track. 

If you ever feel lost at the grocery store, this list from 

The Every Girl is a pretty good start. Adjust as needed to fit your family size.

This shirt from Mulberry Press Co is awesome.

Sometimes its easy to give up on your dreams. 

You shouldn't.

Shake It Off- Taylor Swift

Its just so catchy! Its great for motivating you to keep going.

And this isn't goal oriented, but sometimes you need a little fun too! This is a Cards Against Humanity inspired game based on John and Hank Green. Super fun for the Nerdfighters out there! Visit this site to print your copy of the cards.

Happy Monday! I hope you all have an incredible week :)

Poppin' Off- Let's Be Cops

As always, there may or may not be spoilers, so if you're not into that kind of thing, you may want to skip this post until after you've seen the movie.

Let's Be Cops stars Damon Wayans Jr and Jake Johnson as two dudes living in LA, feeling pretty down on themselves. They go to a college alumni masquerade dressed as cops as a misunderstanding to the invitation. As they're walking around after that party and they see how people respond to them in uniform, the idea is born for them to pretend to be cops. Hilarious hijinks ensue, then things get a little crazy and yes, one of them does end up being a cop for real. It has a very 21 Jump Street vibe, complete with Rob Riggle! My sister-in-law felt like the movie was a long episode of The New Girl, but I stopped watching that show after season one, so I don't know. I think the movie is worth spending theater prices on, especially if you're in need of a good laugh.

Have you seen it? Did you enjoy it?

Poppin' Off- Summer Movies Vol. 2

Happy Friday! I've had the opportunity to go to the movies a few more times this summer, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on these summer movies. There will probably be spoilers, so read at your own risk.

Lucy-



Lucy stars Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman and some other guys you probably don't care about. The premise is an interesting one- a drug that can open the human mind to its full potential. What wasn't interesting? Pretty much the entire movie. It was a lot of Scarlett Johansson regurgitating her role as Black Widow, minus the rest of the Avengers and with the facial expressions of Kristen Stewart in any Twilight movie. Morgan Freeman seemed to make the movie lag on more than it did already, someone probably should have played his role as a professor (who is coincidentally giving a lecture about what could happen if humans had the capacity to use their whole brain. hmm....). To me, the movie wasn't worth the movie theater expense, its much more a Redbox rental.

Guardians of the Galaxy-



This movie was amazing!!!! (More exclamation points!!!) There wasn't really a dull moment in the film, and while most Marvel films focus on a lot of action, and a little bit of comedy, this had both. Groot and Rocket stole the show for my kids, but as an ensemble I thought they were amazing all around. The soundtrack was also very good. The music wasn't overly modern, but it was modern enough that every age group could get a kick out of it. And I have a soft spot for mix tapes, they're virtually nonexistent now, so it was cool to see one in a movie today. I'm ready for Guardians of the Galaxy 2 :) I would recommend this movie to everyone, its a must see. I know some people compared it to Star Wars, but I didn't really catch that vibe.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-



Okay, so I wasn't too sure I wanted to see this. I love the old Ninja Turtles cartoon. I love the old Ninja Turtles live action movies. I love the old Ninja Turtles rap done by Vanilla Ice. But I have kids that like the new Ninja Turtles cartoon and who now like the new Ninja Turtle movie. *sigh* The only super positive thing I have to say about this movie is that Michael Bay used the turtles' full  names. He didn't abbreviate them like the cartoon does, you know, because kids today are too stupid to say Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael. Anyway, this movie is a huge love letter to Megan Fox, made Shredder look like something the Power Rangers would fight and didn't utilize Will Arnett like at all. He kind of just stood there, one more admirer for Megan Fox. Yuck. Also, you could tell that they were hoping you would see the movie in 3D, because it was obviously shot for 3D (if that makes sense). Like with any remake though, there were changes (a lot of them, in this case), and fans of the original will probably not be receptive to them. I will say, that for all the product placement and change, it wasn't quite the travesty I thought it was going to be. And, it provided my husband and I the perfect opportunity to show our children the original TMNT movies, which they also enjoyed (even though they said the turtles looked weird lol).


I'm still hoping to see the new Transformers and The Purge: Anarchy (I think they've made their way to the dollar theaters by now). My husband is my movie-going companion, but he saw those movies with other people, so now I need to find my way to the theater alone *eek*. Or maybe just wait until I can rent them, I don't know. What are your thoughts? Theater or wait to rent?

Warlords of Draenor Stuff and Some More Child Neglect

Its Wednesday! Halfway through our week and guess what? Tomorrow is the cinematic reveal for Warlords of Draenor! Who's excited? I wanted to haul myself to Los Angeles to see it in person, but I'm sure the line will be out of this world long (everyone who is there, regardless of getting into the theater or not, will receive a beta key for WOD), so I guess I will be watching online instead.

You can log on to www.WorldofWarcraft.com to watch it or if you're feeling adventureous, go to the Theatre at Ace Hotel, 929 South Broadway in LA (doors open at 8:30am). For all the info (and to see a million comments from people who are butthurt about the screening's location) you can click here.

Also in WOD news, this article popped up on my Yahoo front page the other day, and I thought I'd share it with you. Its just some things to get done before the expansion, as they will be disappearing. Items include: green warlock fire (you can still get the fire, the title and feat of strength is what's vanishing) and the phoenix mounts from Pandaria challenge modes. 

Another World of Warcraft article came into my Yahoo front page just after the WOD one did, and this one is about child neglect (here is a link to what the DA released on the case....its nasty). I have written about WoW and child abuse/neglect before (you can read it here, if you feel so inclined), and my stance on the subject hasn't changed. What gets me about this one is that the parents are unemployed (so how are they paying for it? Welfare probably- your tax dollars at work if you live in CA), they locked the children in the mobile home for three years so nobody could see the squalor and deplorable conditions they were being subjected to and that the focus of the story was still that the parents were playing WoW while all this abuse and neglect was happening. I would bet almost anything that they would still be shitty parents living off the government even if they weren't glued to their computers. Its sad that people still blame video games for the actions of people, when they should really be blaming the people who are performing said actions. 

SDCC- The Final Recap (a little photo heavy)

In my previous posts about SDCC, I basically ran down what I did each day I was in San Diego, but there were a few things I wanted to touch on a little more, so I figured I'd do a final recap and add a few pictures that I took with my phone (I really didn't take that many this year. I felt too awful). Also, I didn't get to do any of the off site stuff that's around the convention center this year (except Nerd HQ) and that sucked. There was a lot of cool stuff out there to do and see. But I did get to go to panels and the podcasts, which I haven't been able to do in the past. So while I felt like I wasted a lot of time this year, I don't think I did. It was just a different experience.

The first thing I wanted to write about was House of Blues (like that first post wasn't enough, right?). This wasn't a SDCC sanctioned event, but it happened during that time and I am still sorely disappointed with how they handled, or really didn't handle, the harassment my husband and I dealt with at the podcast. I have been to concerts at other HOB venues and at even the first inkling of trouble, the security guards have stepped in to intervene. So why it didn't happen this time, I don't know. Maybe they figured concerts get violent and podcasts don't? Or maybe they figured geek harassment is not as bad as concert-goer harassment? I mean, the security was lacking, not only in caring, but in numbers too. I think the venue should have known better. Anyone who had been to SD during Comic Con knows what the crowds are like, and they sold a certain amount of tickets, so they had exact numbers. I really enjoyed the podcast, but I don't know if I would see it again if they continue to do it there. 

Next up is Nerd HQ. This was my first year going to Nerd HQ and I was really impressed with it. Located in Petco Park, it was a free event that didn't require a SDCC badge. It had photo booths, panels that didn't cost money, video game demos, couches for relaxing and more. My husband and I were there mostly for the two Conversations for a Cause panels that we purchased tickets to. I really enjoyed my experiences there, although I saw online that some people didn't (mostly angry people wondering what the money raised during Zach's Indiegogo campaign went to since every station at Nerd HQ was sponsored, also some people were upset about not being able to get into the parties there). The only thing that was a little off-putting to me as a first timer was when someone would ask for an autograph or something in a panel, a price would be thrown at them. I get that the majority of what they're doing at Nerd HQ is for charity, but it was still a bit of a surprise. But I will say, that I can imagine running something like Nerd HQ must be stressful, and Zach never looked stressed, which I thought was amazing. He was always smiling, very friendly and polite to everyone. Even the staff and volunteers that were there were all very personable and cheerful, which is an amazing feat at a convention of that magnitude, not to mention a refreshing change of pace from some of the less than friendly vendors inside the convention. I don't regret purchasing panel tickets or photo ops, and I definitely hope that I get to spend more time at Nerd HQ next year. 

Also! The app they had for Nerd HQ was amazing! It is available for Apple and Android phones and was so helpful- in announcing when you could buy tickets to panels, when photo ops were happening....I hope they continue to use it next year. That app made my experience at Nerd HQ possible, not even joking.

The last thing I wanted to talk about was the line situation inside the convention center. If you attended the convention this year, you probably noticed the increased presence of actual police officers walking the convention floor, not just security guards. You may not have noticed the increase of fire marshals walking the floor, but they were there, and constantly harassing the security guards to get the crowds in order. I wrote about my  first experience at the Blizzard booth where they had capped the line due to security and how frustrating that was. When we were walking the floor, I noticed they did that to a lot of the larger booths (think video games or comic book companies), but signings seemed to be exempt from it. There were many book signing lines that went right in the middle of the walkways and nothing was said to them about it. To me, the rules didn't make sense. On Sunday, I wanted to look at the We Love Fine booth that was way in a corner. I couldn't. Why? Because there was a security guard standing right next to the booth saying, "If you're not buying anything, you can't be here." I said,"How do I know if I want to buy anything if I can't stop to look at the shirts?" and he said, "That's not my problem. No standing around. No lingering. Fire marshal's rules." How that booth did any business is beyond me. The regulating of the booth lines and walkways just seemed to add more stress. There were more guards yelling, and I felt rushed in everything I did. I appreciate the fact that they seemed to care about how things were moving this year (I didn't hit too many huge traffic jams on the floor), but at the same time, I think there could've been other ways to handle it. Hopefully next year will be better, and I can actually look at things without being yelled at. 

I didn't get to hit the Hall H line, but I am interested in how that wristband system worked out. If any of you did it, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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And now for some pictures :)

Sanjay and Craig panel.

Alan Tudyk at Nerd HQ.

Norman Reedus, Robert Kirkman 

Skybound Panel.

Old fortune and Hearthstone token.

View from the bathrooms at

the Heroes Brewfest.

Those who arrive.....

(Did anyone else see Glenn hanging off the

 roof or was that just me?)

Felicia Day, Aisha Tyler, Wil Wheaton

at Nerd HQ.

Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton

<3