I'm in love with Joe.

In my fantasy world, ALL my groceries fit in 1 tote bag
and I look this chic traveling home from the store.
(Reality = 3 bags and 5 "stop and rests" en route)

We've never met; I don't know what exactly he "trades"; but I am in love with Trader Joe. Trader Joe's is my absolute favorite place to grocery shop because it is impossibly cheap (I live in fear of some sort of child labor expose) and though Dr. H and I love to cook, life doesn't always allow time for following recipes, no matter how few ingredients.  Also, their employees are clearly taking some sort of happy pills and they pack your bags with Tetris like precision. So here are some Merry Meri & Dr. H approved favorites for your next trip to the happiest grocery store on earth (and check out THIS great site for more ideas).

Trader Joe's refrigerated and frozen sections are filled with packaged foods which will give you the satisfaction of a "home cooked" meal in a fraction of the time. 

We love ALL the pre-marinated chicken breasts
(found in the refrigerated section)

We ALWAYS have a bag of these guys
in our freezer. So easy, so tasty.

Recommended by one of my girlies, this is now a staple
in our freezer for "I don't know what to make" nights.

AWESOME side dish for an otherwise homemade italian
dinner (or ya know, pasta with turkey meatballs!)

A few other AWESOME "TJ-sponsored" meal ideas: Vegetable or Shrimp Fried Rice and a few types of dumplings and shu mai (all found in the frozen foods section); Keep some pizza dough in the freezer for an impromptu make-your-own pizza night; Reduced Guilt Mac Cheese (small portion, but so tasty I pretty much lick the container clean); frozen Linguine with Clam Sauce (one of the only non-takeout meals Dr. H will feed himself if I'm not home for dinner); Quinoa Duo with Vegetable Melange (because I still haven't figured out how to cook quinoa flavorfully).

The broccoli florets are another favorite.

I also like to keep some frozen vegetables from TJ's in our freezer. Though they aren't nearly as tasty as their fresh counterparts, it's nice to know that I can always get my greens into a meal without stopping at the grocery store on the way home from work.

And of course, my friend Joe has you covered for sweet treats as well:

The perfect tart and sweet snack when you're
craving "just a taste". Get them. Get them now.

Be careful. Studies show that it is impossible to keep these
in your home without eating them all within 72 hours ("studies")

Are you a fan of Trader Joe's? Do you have any favorites which I should add to my next grocery list? Leave a comment - share the deliciousness!

Hump Day Distractions

I want that bike.

Another week, another Wednesday, another installment of Hump Day Distractions. Enjoy these internet goodies while I try to figure out how to refashion my bike as a unicorn.

 

* Barack can't get Carly Rae Jepsen out of his head either. 

* Apparently most people get down to baby makin in December... 

* Quick, simple, healthy. I'll bite (literally hehe)

* A solid musical mashup 

* Manhattan, the final frontier? 

* This has the potential for fabulousness  

* So your hair can smell like the beach while you're stuck at the office  

* And of course, a calming Manatee. 

Quirk it!

As long as it's over the top, I don't care
how you fold it!

Yesterday I found myself with my hand wedged in the toilet paper dispenser at work. On pee number three of the day (I drink a lot of water!) I could no longer handle the “upside down” way the roll of toilet paper was hung, so I took it upon myself to do a little adjusting. The loose sheet should hang down over the top of the roll, not out from underneath it and that is that. Cleaning service be damned, I will have my t.p. the way I want it!

And for me, this type of “order” extends far beyond the bathroom. I always set my alarm clock to “off” times (7:14am or 7:22pm depending on whether I’m washing my hair) I do not like sauces on my plate to touch and I typically read magazines from back to front. Where on earth do these quirks come from and how do I end up compulsively caring about some things (I cannot go to sleep with dirty dishes on the counter) while allowing for complete chaos in others (half unpacked suitcases have been known to sit on my floor for over a week). What are some of your quirks? Are you able to let the toilet paper be or are you right there next to me with your hand in the dispenser? 

Take me home.

Come here guys, I need a hug!

As you may have noticed, last week was a bit... off. A bit less merry... filled with more of life's tough stuff than anyone prefers. And you know what I wanted more than anything as the week wore on? To go home to my Mom and Dad's. Now this isn't the house I grew up in- there's no childhood bed or memories there, but it's where my parents are and I wanted to lay on their couch and listen to their voices and let them feed me delicious meals. I'm a married, professional woman and when life got tough, what I wanted was my Mom and Dad.

As I grow up and become an "adult" (used in quotations because I'm still not positive when exactly I'm old enough to fit into that category) I'm amazed by how much I still need my Mom and Dad. And it's not just because my Dad knows how to hang a light fixture and my Mom knows how to make a yellow-ed bathing suit white again... it's because their presence can calm me in some unspoken way. Traveling home with Dr. H for a day with my Mom and Dad took the weight of a very heavy week off my very tired shoulders. I guess even if we grow up and grow older, we never stop being our parents' kid. Awesome.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

P to the S: Seektobemerry is now not just a blogspot, but also a .com! Typing www.seektobemerry.com into your browser will bring you the same bloggy goodness as www.seektobemerry.blogspot.com AND I'm way more google search-able! Check it out, tell your friends!

TGIF

Not pictured, Step by Step.

Here we are summer lovers, June 1st. It's been an upside down and inside out sort of week for me so I'm going to take the easy way out on this post and hit you with some internet goodies. I know you love your internet goodies:) May your weekend be filled with sunshine, seafood and plenty of sleep!

* THIS is going to decrease the number of holes I make in my walls by at least 75%.

* You had me at "poolside" (also "skinny")

* Speaking of pools, obviously I ordered THIS so I can use it in my Mom and Dad's (I am completely aware and totally ok with the ridiculousness of that statement)

* In need of a new job? Look no further...

TGI-oh-hell-yes-F

Crafting = Cool?

Click HERE and to read the brilliant copy in this advertisement.
(Here for Pinterest)

I've always been a craft-er. From scrapbooks to beer bottle cap tabletops, I get a super-dorky thrill out of a good creative project. Sometimes ridiculed for my LOVE of Michaels (I mean who doesn't love Michaels!?) or box of colored paper, decorative edge scissors and stickers (don't you have craft supplies?), lately I've noticed a shift... You guys, I think loving arts and crafts is finally cool!

With the emergence of sites like Pinterest and thousands of awesome blogs filled with DIYs, home decor and party inspiration, it seems like everyone out there is re-purposing, and decoupaging and chevron-painting. Is this a fad? Will I eventually feel overwhelmed by crafty to-do's and stop enjoying all my DIY projects!? I hope not, because nothing soothes me like awesomely arranged picture frames or a brightly colored wall that I painted myself!

P to the S: THIS great NY Times article wonders if maybe all our digital photo sharing (hello twitter, facebook and instagram) is to blame for our newfound compulsion to craft. It's a good read!

Hump Day Distractions

I've always suspected that unicorns poop rainbows...

Oh how I love you shortened weeks! Perhaps every Monday should be a not-work Monday..? Though the long weekend is barely behind us, the hump is here and I'm ready to distract you.

* Slinky + treadmill = AMAZING (via CupofJo)

* It's a pizza-veggie-wonder.

* Gather all those little pieces of wrapping paper scrap you've been saving... I found the solution!!!

* I'd never watched THIS show until last week. It is my new addiction.

* That wall of little colored bottles can feel so overwhelming. Thank goodness for the virtual "try it on" feature (right side of screen, click the middle tab. So ridiculous. So great.)

* "MOM: ::–)) that’s a drunk smiley face…" (and other parental text brilliance)