Tuesday, June 25, 2013

See Jane run half and Updates


Phew, another week here again. I am super tired as usual. This past weekend, I ran my 4th half marathon! I ran the See Jane Run half marathon, they gave out champagne and chocolate at the end. I am happy to report that this was my best half yet, even though I didn’t train for it I noticed a HUGE difference from my lifting and sprints lately. The course was flat through our greenbelt and the scenery was really pretty.  I met quite a few really nice people too. Miles 1-7 I paced myself at about a 12 min mile, then 7-10 I slowed down slightly I’m guessing a 12:30-12:45 pace, then finished off a little slower because of the pain. I really can’t say that I have too much to say about this run, it wasn’t intensely hard as far as the course goes and all of my weight loss/strength training journey have really  made me stronger mentally. I certainly wouldn’t say it was easy, but it wasn’t the worst I have felt either. The See Jane run half gave out some pretty cool finishers swag too, I got a running shirt, a medal, and a champagne glass. They let you fill up the glass as many times as you wanted, so you know that was my favorite part! I do think this would have gone better in a bigger city. The course where I lived was somewhat unorganized and I had trouble finding any information about it beforehand. In fact, I didn’t see a full race map until I was running! My husband volunteered and he had a pretty awful experience too. Regardless of this, I still really enjoyed it and am happy with my performance.
Other weekend happenings:
Friday, the husband and I went to see Monster’s University. I LOVED it. I really thought it was more of an adult movie than a kid’s movie. We also went to dinner so that I could have chicken and my new obsession- sweet potatoes. I’ve never liked sweet potatoes until I started eating clean. Now, I am obsessed and since I missed out for so long now I have to make up for lost time by eating them daily.
Macros Update:
My macros plan is going really well. I’ll be honest, last weekend I didn’t stay on track in terms of counting them. I was off on most of themSaturday and Sunday, but even though I went over I still ate clean foods. I didn’t eat pizza like I really wanted to. I also didn’t lift for 3 days, since the half I have been super sore but I am going back to the gym today for arms and light cardio. I’ll let you know how the weigh in goes this week!


 
Grit Girls!! Pre-Leg Day!

Happy Monday!! How was your weekend?

Monday, June 3, 2013

Anniversary weekend

Another Monday…It’s one of those days where I feel like I have a “weekend hangover” I had such a relaxing time that I just can’t seem to get in the groove of work and another week. So onto my usual weekend recap- Thursday and Friday really didn’t count in my opinion we had so much going on that I was busy running around the whole time and then sleeping. This past weekend was my husband and I wedding anniversary. We celebrated Saturday with dinner at a steakhouse. It was amazing and probably didn’t fit into my macros, but I had planned well for it and woke up today with no weight gain. I did however forget to snap a picture of us at dinner and I totally regret it now because that was probably the first time I have dressed up in a good six months. We spent the rest of Saturday relaxing and spending quality time together. Sunday I had to get back to the gym for arms and cardio followed by gift exchange between me and the husband since Sunday was our real anniversary.

He got me a record player, and a few records including the Justin Timberlake album. We had been talking about getting a record player for a while now and it did not disappoint. I also got a new workout top and some fun owl stuff. I didn’t get pictures yet of everything but I’m sure some will appear this week especially since I got an owl lunchbox and water bottle for my work food. My gift to the husband was booze and some new clothes haha, as you can see I’m pretty creative there.
Now I am just hoping that this week flies by because I seriously have NO motivation for anything. I’m back to my macros 100 percent and the 5 day a week gym sessions. No more cheats until July 13th! C4 has been my lifesaver for those days when I lack motivation to hit it hard, if you haven’t tried it I highly recommend it. C4 is a preworkout supplement that will give you a big energy boost to power through, plus it tastes yummy and comes in awesome flavors like strawberry margarita! I’ll keep this short and sweet because I feel like I am lacking focus right now. I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!!
Any fun weekend plans?



Me and the husband before dinner
Flowers, a gift from my aunt in our centerpiece vases
My dinner outfit 
The cocktails :)

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Macros update & June Goals!

Happy Thursday!
I can’t believe that it’s already Thursday, that long holiday really throws me off. I feel like I’m still trying to get back in the groove. This was one of the first weekends where we didn’t have too many plans and it was so nice. We caught up on season 4 and 5 of True Blood, and went to see the Hangover 3 movie.  Hangover 3 was hilarious, just as good as the first two. I got in some workouts, and we spent some time with family- I got to squeeze my niece, so those are the only new photos I have! Now I am back to work and dreading it.


Macros Updates:
I have been on my macros plan for 12 days now, and I haven’t cheated at all. It’s been getting easier as time goes on the cravings wear off. Yesterday morning, I got up at 4 am to make it to the gym. Strangely, it wasn't THAT bad. I took some C4 for caffeine and busted through arms and cardio. I don't think I'll keep up with the 4 am wake-up time but I'd like to accomplish that 2 days per week. 
 Since I didn’t do an update/weigh in last week, I’m going to do a mini one today. I feel like I’ve really been putting in major work at the gym and hitting those weights hard, so it’s a little discouraging that I haven’t seen a major change yet. Being the impatient person that I am, these things don’t go well for me but I’m trying to work on it. That being said, last weigh in was this morning and I lost 5 lbs. I’m hoping for another loss equal at least this week. I will say that I’ve noticed big improvements at the gym, I’ve been able to increase weight easier and I’ve been recovering faster. I have stuck to working out 6 times a week, and hopefully muscle gains are the reason my weight isn’t flying off. If you’re interested in finding out more about the macros meal plan, email Ashley. For now, I’m just keeping my head in the game and continuing to eat clean. My next weigh in is Wednesday! Eek! I’ll be sure to do a post on how it goes.

I've also written up a list of my goals for the month of June! I got this idea from a fellow Grit Girl and I think it's a great way to get your head clear and have an idea of what you want to accomplish.

June Goals:
-No Cheats (I have one planned for the hubs birthday July 13th)
-Lift and Cardio 5 X/week
-Hit Macros DAILY
-Two 4 am workouts/week
-NO alcohol
What are your June goals?
I hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend!!
 
How are your workouts going? Any good new workout songs? Fun holiday plans?


Sunday, May 19, 2013

Life updates!


I’ve had so much going on lately! I guess that is a good thing though because it means I have a lot to update you all about! 
First off, I have half marathon number 4 in June. I have some exciting news about that too! The event is sponsored by the company See Jane Run. I love that store and was peeking around their website back in December and saw an ad for an ambassador program. I applied, I had to write an essay about why I think I should be a Jane ambassador and I just found out I got chosen! The position means a lot to me, and a lot for the blog too. I’ll be doing posts about the event, and I’ll have discount codes to the See Jane Run store/site for my readers! I don’t have a ton of information just yet but I will soon! Right now though, I have a discount code for 10 percent off of a See Jane Run race registration in your area! The codes are specific to city though, so email me and I can get you a code! They've got a 5k, 10k, and half marathon and the code will work for any distance registration. I've been looking forward to this race for months, they've got awesome shirts, medals, swag when you finish!

The other big news?! I am started new diet plan. As you know, I’ve been trying to lose weight/run for a while. I focused a lot on the running but now I am ready to focus on the weight. I’ll be real honest here, I’d been having a super hard time with that lately more on the emotional side of things. I just haven’t been happy. That might sound superficial, but feeling that way ends up seeping into all aspects of life. I’ve been grumpy, impatient, and just generally unhappy. I really started to feel like my weight was a big part of that. I’ve lost my confidence. I’m honestly not even really comfortable saying this all right now, but I feel like it’s important to know that weight struggles really do affect a person more than just physically. Juggling everything- work, family, relationships, housework, and trying to add in a weight loss journey is hard. I’m finally at a point where I hate losing so much time to meal planning and working out but I hate feeling this way more. I think most of us who start and continue a weight loss journey get to a point like that. I’m a beginner at my job, so clearly I can’t afford a trainer at all however, accountability is super important to me. I was browsing on Instagram the other day and came across Ashley (you can find her on Instagram @ashleyjobikinipro, she's a bikini competitor and amazing support system. If you’re on IG then you’ve probably seen some people talking about Ashley lately. I emailed her right away before I knew any details. She provides meal plans, and if you want even workouts. I needed help with ideas for workouts, and I thought that her pricing was beyond fair for what she provides. Locally, training and meal plans are hard to come by for less than 300/month. Let’s just say I was sold! She is super sweet and will let you ask her a million questions (I’m so clueless about this stuff). I can’t tell you how relieved I am to have her and the other girls she works with support. I started my plan this past Friday. It's been a learning curve, trying to calculate all these macros but its worth it. I've already lost a couple lbs but I can't wait for what the next few months will bring. I will be sure to share progress pics and update on how its going. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, email Ashley here and tell her I sent you! I would love to see more girls involved in the program!


I don't really have much for my usual weekend update, I did a lot of meal prep. I lifted two days, and ran a 5k. We did go see the Great Gatsby though, I am currently OBSESSED with the soundtrack. It's great for all moods. The movie was pretty good, I felt like it was a little slow but I loved the graphics, costumes and special effects. Its definitely worth seeing. I've been enjoying catching up on rest this weekend and getting in the groove of my new meal plan. I'm off to another work week, but I've got a couple posts for this week. I'll be guest posting on Marcy's blog tomorrow! 

Now for a few of this weeks photos....

                                              
Post run


                                  
Loving all my supplements for my meal plans. I'm a huge fan of the vanilla whey mixed with orange
gatorade!
                                 
Me and my niece at her birthday. Love this pumpkin pie!

How was everyone's weekend?

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Finish the....

Happy Thursday!!
I am so happy I am getting to post today and join in the linkup! You know I never miss these, and Thursdays are always good days for me to blog because I get Fridays off meaning I can stay up later today and get everything into my day! I do have a couple of fun and exciting things to share with you as far as weight loss goes, but you'll have to check back tomorrow!! 

Onto the linkup, I'm linking up with Holly and Jake! Go show them some love and linkup too!


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Unlike my sibling(s) (that I love very much).... I'm always on time!
People call me... Funny, Picky, stubborn... mostly stubborn
I most often dream...Dreams where I get in scary situations and then no voice comes out when I yell
The best part of my day... Is usually my drive home and then right when I first get home. I like the drive to zone out and listen to music, I like getting home and seeing my pooch and husband.
I really don't understand... Country music, yuck! 
I get really annoyed... When things don't go as planned, when things take too long, anytime I have to be patient. Also get SO annoyed when someone wakes me up.
There's nothing like a... Fat girl Friday complete with champagne and going out to dinner. 
Lately, I can't get enough... WATER!!! OMG. It sounds really like a stupid answer but I've been creepily thirsty, to the point I think I over hydrate. Also, the voice. I am obsessed with that show and I hate myself for it I tried so hard not to like those shows. Anyone else like it?
One thing I am NOT is... A healthy eater, a morning person. Both things I am desperately trying to change. 
I spent too much money on... Right now, probably clothes? but those were for my new job. Otherwise, probably upcoming vacations. I try to live cheaply though, I'm in the writing biz doesn't pay much!
I want to learn.... Paddle boarding, always been something I really want to do but my husband hates oceans so we don't really do vacations like that. 
If I ever met _________, I would...Kim Kardashian, I would steal her money!!!
I can't stop... Sweating lately. Gross, I know. Our work hasn't had AC and its been almost 90 inside. Then I go to the gym and sweat more, come home where we have shitty AC and get drenched again.
Never have I ever... Eaten Nutella! I'm probably a loner there, but I'm not huge into peanut butter either. So, I don't know what all the rave is about.
Reese Witherspoon... Is one of my fav celebs, always will be. She's still smarter, prettier, a better person than most other famous people. Legally blonde love forever!


Me and My other man

Alright, I'm out for the night. Be back with a post tomorrow!!


Sunday, May 5, 2013

Weekend Update

Hey everyone!
I've brought back the weekend update this week, and surprisingly I also have a couple other random posts drafted up for the week too! As usual I feel like I end the weekend waiting for the next one. This past week, its gotten hot. I went for a couple runs after work, what was planned to be 8 miles ended at 5 due to being so hot I could puke. I realized that this means I will be training this summer before work. Getting in runs and workouts at 5 am will be an adjustment, I get to work by 6:45 am and work 10 hour days. Tomorrow will be the first test of this but I don't have much choice. I can't give up time with my husband after work and I can't survive a substantial run in 85 plus degree weather. I will update on how this goes. :[ boo.
On to the weekend, I didn't do horrible with eating. Friday night started off a relaxing night at home and turned into watching dateline, skinny chicken lettuce wraps, and then going out for a couple glasses of champagne. That afternoon on my day off I got in an arm workout, lunch with my dad, grooming my dog, grocery runs, and a few random errands. Saturday was a sleep in day, we had our free pizza we had won- we got to take leftovers. I worked extra hours saturday night, like 8 hours. Needless to say this ended up being me needing extra sleep afterward. I know, so exciting. Sunday, we did go out for cinco de mayo. I got a couple margaritas and a grilled chicken burrito. We usually use Sunday as lazy day since I have to get up at 5 am tomorrow. We rented "Broken City" which is pretty good, worth renting for sure. We also watched "The Guilt Trip" which wasn't good at all. I could hardly get through it. I am currently waiting for the husband to cook breakfast for dinner while I type this. Skinny pancakes, hash browns and eggs.
I'm back to work again tomorrow, boo. I do really like my new job though. My goals for the week are 3 weight training sessions, 2 short runs, and 1 long run. Hopefully I don't get too tired. Sleep seems to take priority over a lot of things these days, including blogging.

I wanted to share my eats lately. Since I started working full time it has been SO much easier to eat healthy. Sure, it'd be easy to eat unhealthy too but it's easier in that no one is around asking me to go out and I'm staying focused and bring my own food. I've been really staying on track with eating a small meal every 2 hours. Today for example, I did my 6:30 am coffee, at 9:30 it was 1/2 a wheat bagel thin with 1 tbsp fat free cream cheese, 11:00 was a cheesestick and since that's not much I at Mexican salad at 12:30. I also had a fat free yogurt at 2:30 and the other half of my bagel thin at 3. I usually don't even have an opportunity for dinner until 6 or after but if I was going to run or the gym I would've had a protein shake at 4:30. Dinner is usually grilled chicken, tacos (lean beef or chicken), taco soup, whole grain spaghetti, or something similar. 

I am really focusing on losing some more weight now, and I hope making time for extra workouts will help. I'm just SO tired all the time. Aside from the pizza cheat this weekend though, its been going pretty good. I have a fun blog update and some other random posts coming this week, so I promise this won't be my only post this week! Thanks for reading! Happy Monday!


My 2nd 50 oz water and Friends. Hopping Sat. Night
The Puppys new hair
Dying after my evening run

Long Day at work, over it.

Anyone have any awesome weekend? Fun Cinco de Mayo?












Friday, April 26, 2013

Half Recap Part Two

Part two of the half marathon experience. Read part one here....

With about .7 miles left my husband came around a corner and found me. He had already finished the half (with a stellar time too) but he came to help motivate me. I guess it worked. He reminded me that he and my dad who came to see me finish were waiting.

 I was really glad my dad came up to see it even though I took forever and by no means came even close to my best time. It meant a lot to have someone waiting for me at the end. It really is a pretty big accomplishment for me even though my time sucked I have come a long way from the last 6 months. I really wanted to expand on this, mentally I really like having someone come and watch me finish a race because it gives me this extra motivator like I would be letting them down if I didn't do my best. 

Finishing this half marathon was a lot different than my other halves. I kind of didn't really feel all that accomplished at first. Looking back now, knowing how hard that race is though I am pretty proud that I even attempted it. I think that this is probably one of those pains that hurts so bad and yet good that I hate it so much right now but I will likely be back next year. If I can get a pass again. Finishing races always reminds me why I love to run. That feeling of accomplishment, of pushing your body past its ability is unlike anything else. Completing this half marathon in my city is like officially initiating yourself into the running community. I think I am officially a Boise Runner. 

I ate pretty clean the weeks leading up to the half, and after 3 cheat days I am back on track. After abusing my body like that, I chowed down on a juicy burger and didn't feel bad at all. I also had to toast with a glass of champagne, but it was kind of a rough recovery so I didn't drink much more than that. 

I spent this week recovering, I took 3 days off and finally hit some running and weight training. I'm planning a 6 mile run for Sunday because.... I have half marathon 4 on May 18th!! This means quick, condensed training but the fabulous news is that this one is all flat!! After that, I've got half marathon number 5 on June 22nd. These are the races I am registered for right now, I may or may not do a few more as part of marathon training this summer. 

I'm going to be plotting out my first marathon training program this weekend. I'm planning to start in june. This would be 4 months of training. Does anyone have any favorite training plans? Portland here I come!! 

How was everyone's week? Weekend?



First time back at the gym!

Me, post half

Me and my husband post half

Gettin my run on

New Fav workout Jam!! Get it!

Half Recap Part 1

Hey Everyone!!
First off, I am so sorry I haven't blogged much lately. I promise I really am going to be posting more now that I am getting used to my new job. I don't want to overload you all with a super long recap all in one post, so I have split it into two parts. I can detail how it went and I also want to dedicate part of the recap to talking about friends/family who supported me. For now, here is part one of my half marathon recap! I'll post part two tomorrow!!
I'm back and alive. I finished my 3rd half marathon this past weekend. It was a very intense experience. This was without a doubt the hardest half I have finished. The Robie Creek half has been called the toughest half in the northwest and I really can see why it earns it name. The morning of the race I wasn't feeling super confident. I figured I could finish but I started really kind of freaking about what time I would get. Let me preface this with something- you see the race goes at a pretty steady incline for 10 miles now, when I would train and do a 10 mile run I would park, run 5 miles, turn around and do 5 back to my car. So I'd do some incline but not near enough. Either way it's hilly but I cannot explain how different 10 miles at steady incline is than 10 miles half and half.
Anyways, the race takes off and starts on a main road. This takes you uphill to a back end type of area. Going up the first part there are tons of people just standing on the side cheering all the runners on. People had everything from "your perspiration is my inspiration" to just holding out donuts. The beginning of the race went well for me. I was about 10 minutes off from my average 10 k pace when I hit mile 6- and that's partly due to stopping for a bathroom and waiting in a hefty line. I wasn't too bummed with this progress though. But around 6.5 miles is when it gets tough. Like, real tough. This is when your body really feels that incline and I became so worn out I literally walked from here until nearly mile 9. Meaning I was doing a steady 22 minute mile for a while.
 From mile 6.5 I continued uphill to what's referred to as "the summit". At about mile 7.5 or so the incline gets steeper and stays pretty damn steep until mile 8.5 the tip of the summit. I trained for the summit, ran/hiked it many a time. But after taking a beating from 6 miles of mostly uphill the summit makes or breaks you. I passed a girl on the summit who was in a heap crying. It's rough mentally. Luckily, somewhere around mile 6 I met a woman who probably won't remember me or know that she helped someone. I started talking with a gal who was going about my pace and asked if I could keep pace with her for a while. She said we could make it to the top of the summit together. So we talked and she helped motivate me and push me to the end of that summit. Had I been alone, tears likely would've happened.
In memory of Boston the race had everyone wear ribbons and also to pay tribute by encouraging someone or thanking a volunteer during the race. They wanted everyone to do that with at least 10 people. I know that at least twice that amount of people said kind things to me. The people involved in this race are some of the most kind you will ever see.
So my new friend and I hit the summit and like most people she took off running at the end. I however was exhausted in every way. I couldn't see really anyone in vicinity of me. 4 miles left doesn't seem like much but man does it make a difference for this. I had to work hard and push myself to even keep moving let alone run. I did jog some, in attempt to get it the F over with haha but it was a sad try because a jog was now a 15 minute mile pace really pushing. The details of this are somewhat blurred to me looking back, I know that mile 9-12 were downhill and then one last flat mile. It all kind of looked the same, felt the same, I was just worried about finishing....






Pre Half

Thursday, April 18, 2013

I'm Finally Posting!

Happy Thursday!!

Ah another week slipped away from me. I am so sorry I am a bad blogger lately. Like I said this is definitely an adjustment for me but a good one. I've been struggling a little bit recently emotionally and otherwise and I'm just overall feeling a little... Disconnected I guess. I'm not really sure what's going on just dealing with a lot I guess. I'm not trying to sound like a Debbie downer but I know all you ladies always encourage me when I feel like I need it. I love that I can be honest on this blog and the positivity and inspiration that I always see going around the blogging community, when one of us is feeling bummed so many people reach out often times better than people in real life. Whew Pity party over, now into business. I am linking up with Jake and Holly for another finish the sentence. I love these linkups I can't miss out!
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1. I laughed so hard I cried when...Today at work, a co-worker showed me a hilarious piece of writing he got published. OMG. I cant share work stuff here, but it was definitely a fun "friday" at work. 
2. My high school... Sucked haha nothing much to say there, I hated high school and actually graduated early.
3. It really pisses me off... When people use their phones during a conversation.
4. In ten years... I want to be happy, surrounded by my family and hopefully some kids and my hopefully my husband. Working at a job I enjoy.
5. If I could erase one thing... Hmm that's a thinker haha. I personally don't really have any thing I want to erase from my past. I would like a do over or a fresh start in some areas but I wouldn't get rid of those experiences. I'd really like to be able to change the dynamic of some of my relationships. I guess my real answer is I would erase a pain from someone that I love who needed it more.
6. In 1999... N'sync and lance bass rocked my world.
7. Honestly... I am really hard on myself about everything. I hate not being able to be perfect for everyone in my life.
8. To me, sushi... Should not exist. For real raw food?! Ugh salmonella waiting to happen!
9. Someone really needs to invent... A mind reader!! Lol I am snoopy and I would also love to read my family (especially my husbands) thoughts.
10. The first time I drank alcohol... Well, my first distinct memory isn't good lol I hated all alcohol for a very long time and I am still super picky. I actually may need to do a post on my opinion of booze. I will say the first time I was truly drunk was jungle juice and all I cared about was that I had spilled red shit on a new top.
11. The one question I would ask god is..I seriously can't choose one! I think I would end up asking if my family and I die happy. I would like to know that no matter what happens I end up fulfilled and my family ends up okay when We die. I have so many questions though.
12. Lindsay Lohan... Is a waste of oxygen for reals. Her money needs to go to someone in need so she can remember what it's like to work for what you have.
Alright, thanks to holly and jack for hosting another fab link up and making my Thursday!! I can't wait for the next one!!
Well, I am off to work. I will post tomorrow about my upcoming weekend plans! I have my 3rd half Saturday so I will have a recap Monday!! Have a fab Thursday!!


Me Last weekend, cause I know you all miss my awesome  boring photos.

How was everyones week? Any good news?

Friday, April 12, 2013

Rambling....

Hey everyone!
Just a quick update here, I apologize for being so M.I.A. lately, I started my new job Wednesday and it is kind of kicking my butt! I really really like it so far, it feels so great to be working full time doing something I really like. It is a huge schedule change for me though, I work 10 hour days, 4 days a week. Then I go home, eat, shower and sleep. Hopefully my body will adjust to the new tiredness and I will get used to it and be able to get more done after work. This week, FAIL. I haven't really gotten anything done let alone make food. I need to get in a new routine, I'm sure it will just take some time. So I will be working on trying to blog more too- maybe on my breaks at work. Aside from that nothing much is really going on here. I feel totally lame not really having much to talk about today but it is what it is. 
I should update that next Saturday is my 3rd half marathon! I am excited but also nervous. I haven't gotten to give 100% to my training like I know I should have. I've done a couple long runs but at the same time getting sick twice has kicked my ass and really thrown me off. I know I will finish, but I will also be SORE and probably not in the best shape after. Thats OK. I am hitting my training hard after that, with lots of races coming up. I just really need a new routine. 
Alright, I am off to try and get stuff done! I am for sure gonna type up some fun posts this weekend and have them ready for next week. I hate to bore all of my newer readers. 


HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Any fun weekend plans?


Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Tuesday topics!

Happy Tuesday everyone!
First off, thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway! The winner is....Sheree Hartung! Laura has contacted you! Congrats!!  I cant wait to talk with you all more and I am definitely doing another giveaway soon so stay tuned!
So I honestly don't have much to recap from my weekend, it really wasn't the best. There was good and bad moments but it was very busy and has left me in somewhat of a funk. Ugh hoping a run will pull me out of it- well see. In lieu of a weekend post, I'm linking up with Austin Family Diary for Tuesday topics for my 6 favorite things in my house!
The Austin Family Diary



We live in an apartment, it's small so I haven't had a ton of decorating options. So lets see...
1. Our tv. That sounds bad, we don't even use it that much but the husband bought one before he moved in here and it is one of the fancy new 3d smart TVs. It's just really fun to have to watch movies on. Our favorites are the 3d Disney Pixar ones.
2. My framed photos. They are all pretty much contained to the living room since the walls are white the photos really liven them up. I have a huge canvas print of me, the husband and our dog, as well as a canvas of me and my grandpa. We also have several sets of frames with wedding and other favorite photos. I'm very sentimental so this means a lot to me.
3. Going off of the sentimental thing, I would also have to say that I have a box of sentiments that is also pretty close to my heart. It has photos and heirloom jewelry pieces from my dad and mom. I also saved many memories from my husband and my relationship from start to now. Letters and gifts from our relationship. Eventually it would be cool to do a post just on the items in this box.
4. My owls. This probably sounds really silly but a lot of my owls were gifts from family and I think they will look really cool once we can actually display things and be organized. I cannot wait to have kitchen space, I have so many ideas! My kitchen items are truthfully my favorite but many of them have to be in storage and we don't have the room to use them :(
5. My blankets. I love a good soft cuddly blanket. I used to try and collect them, I am kind of laying off that but I really could ask for a new one each Christmas and be thrilled. Maybe I will get back into it. Again, i need places to put them. Costco seems to always have my favorite ones. I love being cold and curling up with my dog and a soft blanket.
6. I guess I would have to say the bathtub. It's crappy and it's tiny and I hate it but I love baths so much that it is still one of my favorite items based on the fact that I use it daily and a lot of apartments don't have them at all. Kitchen and bathroom are my top 2 things for a house. I can't wait to have a separate bath that I don't have to share. Someday someday, our lease ends in November so hopefully by then we have the means to rent a house. The tub I have now is good though, my husband organized it for me so that's awesome I have all my fav products and magazines right there.

Phew okay, there are my top house items. Sorry about the lack of photos- my house is a disaster area!! I have a couple ideas for posts later this week so I will try to post after work tomorrow! Have a great day!!

How was everyones weekend? What are your favorite house items?





Friday, April 5, 2013

GOOD news!

Happy Friday people! I am just stopping in for a quick post/thank you...
But first, I want to remind you that there is still time to enter the giveaway, you can do so here. There is a lot up for grabs, you don't want to miss out!!
I also wanted to tell you all a huge thank you for your words of encouragement and prayers on my post the other day about my job search. I was offered a JOB yesterday from a company that previously turned me down. It is really a life saver and will be opening a lot of doors for me. I really look forward to my future and to not feeling so desperate constantly. This will be a new change but I am excited for it and I hope I can still fit in all my running with a full time job and everything.
For all the bad luck I felt I had had with my being sick and everything, I feel like yesterday made up for. In addition to the new job, I won some free food! Well, actually I won a "ticket" to go to lunch at this amazing pizza restaurant for me and 5 friends. Hooray! This weekend I am working and waiting to hear on an exact date for next week that I start my new job! I probably won't have much of a weekend to update about so I will try to come up with a fun Monday post! Have a fab weekend!

What good luck have you had this week? Any awesome weekend plans?

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Week/weekend update

Hey everyone! Welcome to all of my new readers! I am so happy to have you here and I can't wait to get to know more of you! If you haven't entered yet, there is still time to enter the huge giveaway here!
This week hasn't been the best for me. I got super sick Sunday night and I have been feeling pretty shitty ever since. Oh And to top it off I'm feeling pretty craptastic about the job search too. Another interview, another job I didn't get. I would really love it if someone would take a chance on me just once. I'm finding it really hard to not be negative and down on myself. I know that it takes time and that it's a terrible market to begin with, but then it's just making me wonder what the benefit of school was if I can't even land am entry level office job. It feels like it must be something personal. Sooo I'm trying to get over it or work through it/ not give up hope but it's hard not to have this all on my mind.
Now lemme recap my busy fricken weekend for you- Friday started with happy hour after work, we met up with some friends who were in town. It was fun we went to the arcade bar and ate yummy food. Saturday we watched out friends baby boy for a while and then went on a date night just us. My husband got me this hilarious game "cards against humanity" and it is SO much fun. You should check it out for sure. I couldn't stop laughing. It's the dirty apples to apples for screwed up minds.
Easter Sunday, ah another lovely holiday to split with families. All we ever seem to do on holidays is drive from one place to another. I guess we are prepared to expect it but still it can get annoying. So we did breakfast with the hubs family, coffee with my dad, and dinner with my mom. It all ended with me up all night sick, and I wasn't able to go to work yesterday. I am feeling a little better today, I have a horrendous cough and a sore throat but the flu symptoms are pretty much gone. I will leave you with some of the weekends pictures! 

Friday night- Dress is Kiki La Rue

Easter in my Mint Taber Top from Kiki La Rue


Baby D we watched saturday


Monday, April 1, 2013

A HUGE giveaway!

Happy Monday!!
I will be back tomorrow with a weekend racap, but I have caught the flu so today's post is going to be short but awesome! 
I am teaming up with Laura and a bunch of other amazing bloggers for Laura's 1000 follower giveaway!! We are giving away 300 dollars to J. Crew, 200 dollars to Target, and 200 dollars to Sephora!! That's 700 worth of gift cards for one very lucky reader!! Follow each of us bloggers below for chances to win!! Good luck, and Thank you all in advance for participating!!



This past week Laura from Walking in Memphis in High Heels reached 1,000 followers on her blog!  To celebrate and thank her readers, she has teamed up with some of her favorite bloggers to have a huge giveaway!  Please take a moment to show these women (and one man) some love!  One lucky reader will win a $300 gift card to J.Crew, a $200 gift card to Target and a $200 gift card to Sephora!  How amazing is that?!  You can check out each blog by clicking on the link below their name, and enter the giveaway by using the Rafflecopter below.





Abigail  ||  Ady  ||  Alicia







Andrea D  ||  Andrea M  ||  Angela







Alyssa  ||  Amy D  ||  Analisa








Ashlee  ||   Bekah  ||   Brianne






Chioma   ||   Colleen   ||   Dani








Emily  ||  Holly  ||  Jaclyn





















Karri  ||  Keyona  ||  Kira 






Laura  ||  Lindsey  ||  Maria



Merchon  ||  Serena  ||  Taber