Moving

The big news around here is that my grandma, Lali, officially moved here yesterday! This has been in the works for months and it's finally here! My parents remodeled their basement and had an apartment built for her, complete with kitchen and everything! It's so exciting knowing she is living here now. Next up is my aunt and uncle, they will be moved up here by the end of the year! 

It's really bittersweet though. I'm going to miss her house in Atlanta and all the memories we made there. I'm going to miss everything about it, my grandfathers rose garden, the swing by the driveway, the basement shuffle board, and the pink bathroom. But, nothing will compare to having her here. In the same state. The same city. In the same house as my parents. And I can see her whenever I want any day of the week. I could not be more happy about this huge change! 

{my husband, me, and Lali on our wedding day}

{me and Lali last night in her new home}

P.S. You would never know she is 88! :)

Husband's Birthday!

I'm back, back again! Sorry for the long pause in blogging. Life gets hectic sometimes and the last thing I do most nights is get on the computer. By the time I get home in the evenings after work and the gym, shower, make dinner, and clean up, I then plop down on the couch and enjoy a new snuggles with my dog before going to bed myself. Then again and again and again day after day. 

But I have my blogging mojo back after a few friends have asked me to start posting again. And no better time to start then to share my husband's birthday! 

Today is my husband's birthday and I've had so much fun celebrating him. He's working nights this weekend so it's only been a little celebration but fun nonetheless. I absolutely love birthdays and making it a point to celebrate the person. My husband feels the complete opposite, ha. He doesn't see what the fuss if all about. This little cutie has grown into the most handsome man I am lucky enough to call MY husband! We are gonna make cute babies one day. 

Anyways, since he is working nights this weekend I've had plenty of time to cook and bake some of his favorites! One of the best ways to a man's heart is through his stomach! 

Jay requested Dirt Pudding and of course I had to make it for him. I've never made it before and didn't think there was anything to it. My friend Ashley from work has made it for several work functions and I had to get her recipe. Let me tell you, this Dirt Pudding is the bomb dot com! And my husband loved it! 

What you need: 

1 package regular Oreo cookies

1 stick butter

1 8oz block of cream cheese

1 large tub of cool whip

1 large chocolate instant pudding box

3 cups of milk

1 cup confectionary sugar

1st layer: Crush Oreo cookies. Melt butter and mix with crushed cookies. Press cookies into a 9x13 pan. Same some for the top.

2nd layer: Mix cream cheese, confectionary sugar, and 1/2 tub of cool whip. Beat until smooth. Spread over first layer.

3rd layer: Mix chocolate pudding and milk together and let it get a little firm/thick. Pour on top of second layer.

4th layer: Spread remaining cool whip on top and sprinkle with remaining cookies. 

I also decided to try a new chicken recipe I found HERE on Pinterest. Let's just say Pinterst for the win today! Apparently there is a restaurant out west called Wingers that has pretty famous chicken. I made their Buffalo Sticky Fingers.  This chicken was really good and pretty easy to make. My husband really liked it too, double yay!  

Today is also our dogs birthday too! Sweet Ruger is 7! Jay brought him home just a few weeks after he was born and they have been inseparable ever since. Our friends gave us a brand new Orivs bed they had acquired for FREE because they didn't need it. Ruger LOVES this bed. So thankful for thoughtful friends. Ruger also got a lot of carrots today to celebrate his birthday. Unfortunately, with his health problems he can't have any treats even for special occasions. But carrots make him do backflips so we are good!

It Works! A New Business Opportunity

Several months ago I joined an awesome company, It Works! Global as an Independent Distributor.

Have you ever heard of the crazy wrap thing? Well, let me tell you! 

The Ultimate Body Applicator is a pre-treated cloth that is infused with powerful, botanically based ingredients to produce maximum Tightening, Toning, and Firming wherever you choose: tummy, thighs, arms, back, etc. We even have a facial wrap! All of this in only 45 minutes with progressive results over the next 72 hours!

I will be posting about this great business opportunity more, but for now I wanted to get the word out there. This company offers amazing, safe, and all natural products: lifestyle, skin, and body. I've started my journey to a healthier lifestyle while helping make others happy and healthy too! All while earning another income. The rewards are endless! 

Please visit my Facebook Business Page or send me an email if you have any questions! I've so excited to share this opportunity with all of you!

July 4th Weekend

I love any reason to celebrate anything. And I especially love holidays! This July 4th weekend was extra nice because it fell on a Friday, woohoo! But, my husband was working this weekend and he was on nights. So double boo to that. Since I was off work on Friday, we spent some quality time together Thursday night and relaxed at home. It's always nice sleeping in the same bed after he's been on nights for a while. 

Friday morning I woke up pretty early, darn internal clock... and Ruger! Haha! The weather was gorgeous so the pup and I went for a nice walk around the neighborhood. That boy sure loves his walks, as I've mentioned before. I really do like where we live for now. It's not where we want to be forever, but it's really nice right now.  

{We have a lake in our neighborhood, our house is slightly caddy-corner from it}

{Sniffs McGee}

Jay didn't sleep too much during the day on Friday but I went out to Target and did a few things on my own, took advantage of a nice day off and let him relax/nap some more.  I also finished a 4th of July craft I had been working on! I plan to hang it on my office door next week. 

After my husband left for work, I went back out to the grocery store and bought myself some ice cream and rented a movie from redbox. Next thing I know I get a text from my friend Ann telling me to come over to her house to see fireworks and my hubby. My friend Ann lives in the same town Jay is a police officer for. So I got dressed again and headed. It was a last minute get together but I will do anything if it means I get to see that handsome man. This would have been the first year we did't get to see fireworks together and I was secretly bummed. My quiet night in turned into a fun night out, quick but fun. Jay was patrolling the area and stopped by Ann's house right as the fireworks started. I was happy. 

{someone looks less than thrilled to take a picture, too bad it's blurry, haha}

Saturday I got up before Jay came up and I left for work. Yea, I voluntered to cover Saturday since I had nothing else going on and the other girls at work had planned. But, I only stayed until 12:00, there wasn't much to do and I got bored. Ha. The weekend after a holiday falls on a Friday is usually pretty slow. Thankfully! I came home and repotted some of my plants, baked banana bread, cleaned up the house a little, and clipped some coupons until Jay woke up.

Again, after Jay left for work I changed my clothes and went to meet our friend Crystal and Ryan at the Buchanan Carnival. It was weird going there without Jay though. I had never been without him and I certainly missed him. I still had fun and ate a ton of food. One of my favorite things are the homemade vinegar fries. Oh my goodness I could eat my weight in those fries!

I didn't feel guilty about eating that much either because I had my It Works Fat Fighters on hand!! (More on that in a post coming soon! But if you are curious now, Fat Fighters block a percentage of fat and carbs from being absorbed in your body, it's awesome!)

Beautiful You

I've been doing a lot of thinking the last few weeks, just about stuff, life in general; friendships, being a better wife, blogging, couponing, my family. Sometimes I go through little periods where I feel like I'm not good enough, not doing the best I can, or need to improve this that and the other. A few days ago while I was driving to work I heard this song on the radio and it brought me to tears. Here I am driving down the road, coffee in hand, and a huge tear rolling down my face. This was the perfect song for me to hear in that moment and it instantly changed the way I felt. I know I am a great friend, my husband loves me for me, so does my family, and I am doing the best I can navigating through this crazy life. 

So, I wanted to share this song with y'all and hopefully it will give you the same reaction. You never know who might need to hear something so beautiful as this song. And don't forget, there can never be a  more beautiful you. 

Five on Friday!

ONE:  300. That's how many days we've been married. And I love that man 300 times more than ever. And with today marking 300 days or marriage, there are only 65 more days until our one year anniversary! I told my husband and he was just "oh ok, that's cool babe." Haha. I also told my husband that after we've been married a year I will stop with all the numbers. I'm glad he doesn't mind my silliness. I can't help it. You only have a first year of marriage once and I want to celebrate every single thing. 

TWO: I woke up one morning and decided I wanted a smoothie for breakfast. So I made one and it was delicious! Now I'm craving one every day. I need to find some quick easy recipes I can make in the morning with the 2.5 extra minutes I give myself to make it out the door on time. Haha. Maybe this will help my motivation to get out of bed without hitting snooze? Hmm...

THREE: I am really enjoying this hot summer weather! Last summer it rained ALL most of the time. So I'm definitely soaking in the rays every chance I get. And I'm also enjoying the back deck on our house. Our yard is pretty private and we can't see any neighbors. However, that is much different in the winter when the leaves have all fallen. It's really nice with the trees full of green though!

(Haha, hot dogs or legs?!)

FOUR: The Fault In Our Stars is such a good book! I couldn't put it down. I'm a sucker for any sort of lovey-dovey, happy sappy chick book (Nicholas Sparks anyone?!). When I saw this book was now a movie I decided it was one I had to read before seeing the moive. Usually I don't really care and will see a movie without even picking up the book, for example The Hunger Games. So excited for a girls day with my bestie, Crystal, this weekend to go see it! She read the book too! 

FIVE: Speaking of Crystal, we are going to TEXAS in July to visit our other bestie, Katie! Crystal and I bought our plane tickets. She's already started packing, haha. The three of us haven't been together since my wedding. Katie is getting married next summer, she is my best friend who got engaged in Paris a few months ago.  Katie and I were both is Crystal's wedding, they were both in mine, and now Crystal and I will both be in Katie's. 

We are SO excited to head down there for almost a whole week. Wedding planning, girl time, fun trips, and lots of good food! 

{the only picture I have of the 3 of us at Crystal's wedding that my mom snagged}

{the only picture I have of the 3 of us at my wedding that Crystal's mom took}

We have a goal of getting a really good picture of the 3 of us at Katie's wedding next year!! :)

Father's Day! (a day late)

Yesterday was Father's Day, as everyone is well aware... I can't let a special day pass by and not mention my dad. My dad is the smartest, most kind-hearted man I know. He is very busy with his job, saving lives and all, but he always made time for us girls. Never do I remember him not being at a school event, swim meet, softball game, or one of the many other activities my sisters and I were involved in. He was there for every dance and special occasion. My dad really is the best. He was the first man I ever loved and he taught me what to look for in a husband and father for my future children. I could not be more thankful to call this man MY daddy. 

{my dad's first look at me on my wedding day}

{helping me calm my nerves before walking down the aisle}

{little girl is married!}

{dad giving the welcome speech and prayer at the reception}

{father/daughter dance - my girl - our song since the day I was born}

Gettin' Caught in the Rain

When I got home last night from the gym, I decided to take Ruger for a walk. Little did I know it was supposed to rain. It has been storming the last several nights... good summer thunderstorms, so I'm not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to go for a walk. But we did. And it rained. And it was kind of fun. I'm not sure if Ruger enjoyed it quite like me, but he didn't seem to mind it! Once we got back home I made him hide under a big tree in our yard and take pictures with me. I love my time with that sweet boy.  Haha, I'm such a dog mom! 

Kayakin'

I finally got my own kayak! 

Last summer I borrowed my friend's little brothers kayak each time we all went to float. I couldn't find one I liked enough to buy last year but this spring I decided I needed my own before summer started.

One evening we were wandering around Sportsman's Warehouse per usual and I found a pink one! I was so excited. It's the same kayak my friend Crystal got last year that I couldn't talk myself into buying. But when I saw it came in pink I knew it had to be mine. But because I'm crazy we left the store without purchasing it. I still couldn't make myself spend the money. 

A week later I decided that was a really stupid decision because I need a kayak. Being smart, for once, I called Sportsman's to make sure it was still there before I drove all the way to the store. And of course, it was gone. I searched online to see if I could order it and have it shipped to the store (and duh to not have to pay shipping costs). But it was SOLD OUT online! 

Devastated, I called the store again to see if mayyybe they would be getting in a new shipment which would have a pink kayak. I asked the customer service guy if they were expecting and more pink Emotion Spitfire 8 kayaks in pink... he polietly said no. I'm not sure if I sounded really cute over the phone or what, but he didn't hestiate to try and help me find the kayak I wanted. He searched their other store's databases and found the Washington DC location had 3! This nice little guy said he would call that store and see if he could get one shipped to Roanoke. I gave him my name and phone number, he said he would call me back within the week. 

So 6 days go by and I was about to call Sportsman's after work to check in, but I got a call around lunch time from the same nice little guy I had talked with before. He told he he was able to get the DC location to ship not one but 2 pink kayaks to Roanoke and they were scheduled to arrive on Monday, Memorial Day, just 3 days away! I was thrilled! 

Memorial Day arrived and I called Sportsman's Warehouse at 10:05am, right after they opened to make sure the shipment had in deed arrived before I made my husband drive me all the way out there. Sure enough, it did! 

Off we went to pick up my very own kayak! We came out of Sportsman's with 2 new kayaks. Yea, you read that right... 2 new kayaks. My husband decided to buy himself a new one too! Jay already had a kayak but it's a sit-in he has had for years. It's still in great condition but it's not as conducive for fishing. So he bought a new sit-ontop like mine. 

We still haven't gone on a real float yet since buying our new kayaks. We spent last weekend at the river at our favorite spot to hang out and swim around, and we brought Ruger. We wanted to do something he could have fun participating in too. We did take my husband's kayak down to the bank though to play around a little. We got Ruger to sit in the back and Jay paddled out a little ways. If we can get Ruger used to sitting back there and staying still, we might try to do a short float with him! I'm so excited. 

I love my little family! 

4 Weeks Fit!

Wellllllll, I'm late to the party on this one. Go figure. Oops, sorry!

I still wanted to post up and check in. I did pretty good with my 4 week fit challenge. I went to the gym at least 3 times a week and did 3 different classes. I even finished a 5k race one weekend! I didn't run the whole thing, not even half of it, but I ran as much as I could and I didn't quit. As far as weight loss, didn't lose anything. My weight stayed the same which is kind of frustrating but I'm sticking to my goals and I know toning up will make all the difference I need. 

And this is the only picture I have from any gym time or workouts. I love getting sweaty! Makes me feel like I really worked out hard!

And yes there is a tanning bed at the gym. And yes I was about to tan. Just to get a little base tan so I don't fry up in the sun! ;)

Five on Friday!

I'm trying really hard to participate in link ups... and participate in link ups more than just one time, haha. So back to the Five on Friday it is!

1. Last Saturday I ran a 5k with 2 of my girlfriends. And by "ran" I mean jogged/walked. It was the Purple Power 5k to benefit cancer. One of my closest friends, Kate, her dad has been battling esophageal cancer for a while now. He's doing really well, but he still has a long road to recovery. So up bright and early I was on Saturday morning to run with my friend. Any little bit of support helps. It's time we stomp cancer's butt once and for all!

2. My mom's little dog had to have surgery last week and instead of making him wear a cone (because he kept licking his incision) a friend suggested putting a onesie on him. Oh my goodness I think that is he cutest thing! Little tiny baby dog! 

3. We had a mini cook- out last weekend. I love that the weather has been so nice and I'm so looking forward to having parties over the summer. 

4. We had our friends over and my brother in law and his little family. 

5. Ruger enjoyed himself too!