Bare It All Friday!

I'm still debating whether I want to start this series or not. It's been in the works for some time now and I'm hoping, that if I stick with it, it will turn into a link up for the rest of you to participate. I'm keeping it solo right now to see how I feel after opening up to all of you on some of my insecurities, fears, doubts, hopes, and dreams. There is a lot I always want to say or explain about myself, but it comes at a cost. The cost of baring it all to the public. Everyone knowing the inner battles I struggle with is not what frightens me, it's more of the judgmental attitudes and scrutinization some will give.

My hope for this series is that it will allow you all to be inspired to always be honest with yourselves! I find, here in blog land, that many writers portray their lives in a certain light, a very positive light, which I think is great! However, for me every now and then, I'd love to see some raw emotion and honesty. That is what I hope to bring to you who come, read, and support my daily rambles. Life isn't always rainbows and butterflies but what is life without storms and rough seas? It's pretty damn boring would you not agree? 

As you all know, if you frequent here a lot, I have really been "working on my fitness" since January! The age of thirty is right around the corner for me. A little over a year and a half if you want the actual countdown! It's scaring the bejibbas out of me and I am noticing changes everywhere in my body! More cellulite, drooping breasts, flabby underarms, and a slew of other things I find disheartening. It's enough to make me want to go get some nips and tucks that's for sure! {side note: Nip/Tuck? Best show there ever was!}

Ever since I was young {as in early elementary school} I was ALWAYS "chunkier" than my peers! I wouldn't say I was fat, but I had a pooch that would put a beer gut to shame. All my peers?! Yea, they had flat little tummies without an ounce of chub! Just call me a cherub! I'm pretty sure my insecurities started at the age! 

Then there was middle school, where I had to change out for gym, in front of other girls, who were all thinner than me. Granted non of us had boobs or anything of the like to which, I'm pretty sure a rumor was started that I stuffed my bra with scrunchies in the 6th grade! Talk about scared for life?! If I still remember it, obviously it did a number on me way back when. 

Next was high school and of course I was still chubbier than all my friends! I was a base on the cheerleading squad for crying out loud. If that doesn't scream, I'm a "bigger" girl, I don't know what does. Although it did mean I was a "strong bigger girl" so that was a tad bit of a confidence booster! It still didn't help however, when I was called a "fat bitch" by certain mean girls. By the way, bullying has been around for years.. it's nothing new! There should have been anti bullying campaigns 10 years ago! As in middle school, if I can remember it, I still have scars from it! The other worse part about high school? I gained the college freshman 15 my senior year, before I ever went to college! 

My original college experience was a great one. Original as in, I did the whole go off to college for a few years thing, but then I transferred to a college closer to my hometown later and no longer lived on campus or close to campus for that matter. More on that in a different post. My first two years were great and bullies didn't exist, BUT the opinions of young men did! It would sting when a potential date would chose the skinny friend over me! I'm pretty sure that during the Spring of my Sophomore year, after going on a low carb diet and losing 20 pounds, one guy in a drunken stupor told me I was not skinny enough for him. This of course  also being after he lead me on for a few weeks! Luckily as a confidence booster I had other guys who were interested, but of course I ruined all of those because, let's be real...what girl wants to date the nice guy who thinks she's beautiful?! None! At that age, we want the douchebag jerk who tells us we aren't good enough! Oh my, if I could have known what I know now! 

I wish I could say since I started dating my now husband and have gotten married that I am comfortable with my body. Honest truth, I'm not! My hubby tells me I'm beautiful and perfect and wonderful and, well I'll spare you the rest of the mushiness. While I would like to believe it all 100%, I don't! My weight has continuously fluctuated since we've been together! Skinny and confident one year, chubby and down the next. This last year is a chubby down year for me as I just can't make myself feel good about my body or appearance! The last time I felt absolutely flawless was my wedding and honeymoon. Why?! Because I was the skinniest I'd been in a very long time! I had a jawline, neck bones, and my stomach was the flattest I think I had EVER seen it. How'd I get to that point?! I took over seas diet pills that you could only order online and that were probably really dangerous for my health. Why not take them again?! 1. I did, you can now get them in the states but the formula has changed to make them legal in the US, and they didn't work. 2. I know that's not the solution for long term healthy living! 

Long term healthy living is my ultimate goal but I do want to lose weight! I know exercise isn't the only way and that diet plays a HUGE role as well! While I haven't turned every meal into rabbit food, I am slowly making some changes! My love for food is a constant battle. I just want to get to where I was 2 years ago! I was happy with my body and how I felt in a swim suit! Now I'm embarrassed to even think about putting one on! I've lost my sexy and I need to bring it back! Even when I did have my sexy back I knew I wasn't as small as my friends and always held on tight to those insecurities when they were around. I still do! I don't know if I will ever truly rid myself of my weight insecurities, if I will ever truly think my body is attractive. Maybe if I went from Carrie Underwood American Idol days to Carrie Underwood now I would love my body, but let's be real, the girl works out like six hours every day! That's unrealistic for my schedule! 

I wanted to share this with you all because it is a very large insecurity that I posses and to let you know that if you feel this way too, you are not alone! I very much feel a lone as many people I know either, lose weight very easily or just don't talk about their insecurities of it! One reason I don't speak much of it is because I don't want to hurt other peoples feelings! There are bigger gals than me who suffer these same insecurities and may look at me like I'm crazy for feeling this way! I know when thinner girls than me talk about themselves being "fat" it makes me want to slap them across the face! HOWEVER, I have to remind myself that we are our own worst critics! I can't judge a thinner girl for having the same insecurity about her body as I have. Just as a larger girl shouldn't judge me for my insecruity. Either way, I wanted you all to know that I am here to listen or offer advice or to be an accountability partner for your workout routine! Support is one of the best ways to reach a mighty goal! 

I really do appreciate y'all reading my blog! It is my goal to help make women feel empowered and stronger as females, individuals, and spouses {married or not} one honest bare boned post at a time!! Thank you for reading today and have a glorious weekend!!! XOXO! 

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Alrighty loves, I'm not going to lie, this is going to be a short and sweet post! I have my monthly migraine and I'm really just not in the mood for staring at the computer for too long! What am I loving this week?! Certainly not this headache!

1.  I ran 2 miles yesterday! Yes, you read that correctly! I, Lauran, ran two miles, nonstop yesterday! I'm pretty positive that was the first time I've EVER run two miles straight! I may have ran it in high school but I can't remember so it definitely doesn't count! I'm still in utter disbelief but I'm also super proud of myself! On another plus side, my hip isn't bothering me anymore either! Bring on the miles!!! I've already clocked 4 miles total for the 30 Miles in 30 Days link up!

Nike Running App! Some of the red spots signify me running in place for passing traffic or slowing down. I did not stop or walk at all! 

 2. The Dashing Dish Blog! I ran across this blog yesterday while doing some research on "clean eating". This girl has it going on! Loads and loads of amazing recipes and a whole tab dedicated to clean eating! She has the most amazing faith in God and watching her video promo and listening to her story is inspiring!! I can't wait to try some of her recipes and hopefully share them with y'all!

3. The Origami Owl necklace my momma gave me for Easter. Even though I told her I didn't want one she couldn't resist buying one for me and filling it with little treasures! An "L" for my name, a heart to represent her love for me, my birthstone, and a dog paw for Baby Reef! She also added a pearl charm as well! I'm looking forward to filling it with more sentimental goodies!!

My sweet necklace!

4. Baseball is officially back! If you are a fan of baseball you know Monday was Opening Day!! Baseball is HUGE in our home. My husband played his entire life, played in college, and now coaches at his high school! I like to refer to baseball as his "other wife" but when I'm annoyed with it I'll usually refer to it as his "mistress"! From now until the playoffs in October, some kind of game will be on nightly. It's such a familiar sound; announcers, the cracks of bats, and the roar of the crowd! I'm praying the Braves have a great season and I foresee they will with the Upton brother's joining the roster this year! You know they are from my neck of the woods right?! That makes me love them even more!!!

5. The home next door to us and the home two doors down are for sale! I hope I don't have to eat these words later but I really am excited about the possibility of having new neighbors!! The townhouse next to us has been empty for about two years now. An elderly woman, who was sweet as pie, lived there but she ended up moving in with her daughter and the house has been empty ever since {it's also the house where I scored that awesome vintage tufted ottoman I told y'all about here}. The town home on the other side of that one just went on the market yesterday! That home has been a rental and has seen its fair share of tenants! I'm looking forward to the possibility of some nice young families moving into both of them! Fingers crossed that they will be as awesome as our neighbors across the street! So, who wants to be our neighbors?! Seriously, if you are looking in the Hampton Roads area add them to your list!

For sale signs! Come on and be our neighbors!!!

Happy Hump Day!! I'm off to pop some more exedrin in hopes this headache goes away!!

On a side note, if any of you follow Perfectly Imperfect Jenn than you know she lost her beloved pup child Daisy on Monday! I am planning to do something nice for her to show her that all of her blogging buddies care deeply and are heartbroken for her! If you would like to partake please let me know!!! I'll be putting a group email together to send out the details later this evening!! 

XoXo!

It's Warming Up and So Are My April 2013 Mini Goals!

Greeting April means a plethora of things; warmer weather, opened toe shoes, opened windows, and more mini goals!! I really can't believe we are saying hello to the month of April! It seems just like yesterday we were celebrating New Years! I am beyond excited to see what this month has in store for the hubby and myself, hopefully a list full of completed goals!!

Via

1. Complete at least one Pinterest project that I posted about here! I'm hoping painting the front door will happen this month, however, I have some serious crafting to accomplish for my cousin's Bachelorette festivities at the end of the month. I know I will be busy trying to complete that, so I may work on something a bit smaller that will be easier to tackle and finish! I certainly do not want to set myself up for failure before I even get out of the starting gate!

2. Arrive on time to work, every morning. Y'all know about this goal, so no need to explain! If you are new to the blog you can read about it from March, February, and January! At least I know I'll get there on time this week as it is Spring Break and traffic was a breeze this morning!

3. Buy a scale. We have not had a workable weighing scale in our home since we moved into this house over 3.5 years ago! I don't like weighing myself because I am usually very disappointed by what it tells me! However, I've been working on my fitness since January and I really wish I would have started keeping track of my weight at that point. Now that I have added running into my fitness routine, I really am hoping to see a drop in weight and the only way to track that correctly would be through using a scale! It's not something I hope to use every day, maybe just once a week so I can see a significant change! Anyone recommend a good scale? I haven't done my research yet and would love recommendations!

4. Host at least one family lunch, dinner or activity. I have said it more times than I can count, how hard it is to divide time between all of our families. We don't do a lot of random, just because get togethers because there are often birthday celebrations or holiday's traditions we participate in! I wouldn't mind hosting a dinner or lunch for some of the family or even an activity of some sort, like visiting the local zoo! I'll have to get creative on the activity but you get the point!

5. Accomplish the 30 Miles in 30 Days workout plan. Nikki over at The Pink Growl did this last month and I think it's a BRILLIANT idea!! The point is to clock at least a mile a day, whether it's running, biking, walking or the doing the elliptical. If you miss a day or two, you have to make it up in another day! I am reeeeeeally excited about doing this and hope adding this to my fitness routine will help me see more good results with my body, energy levels, and stamina! I've already started clocking miles with running a few days a week but I love the option to use other methods to clock miles as well! I plan on hitting the bike or elliptical after my Pilates class tonight to clock my first mile!



6. Figure out if blogging is really something I want to do and stick with! I'm not going to lie, blogging is exhausting me. I stay up incredibly late creating posts the night before. I mean like midnight to 1 a.m. which has really taken a toll on me! I don't feel like I'm forming solid relationships either, because I can't seem to show many readers and other bloggers the attention they deserve! It's hard to juggle this with a full time job and an active home life! Seriously, I'm dying to know how some of you do it, especially those of you with children!! I hope to really reflect on this for April. I don't necessarily want to leave the blogging world, because I do love it, but if I don't learn how to juggle it correctly, I'm going to end up dropping balls in other aspects of my life and I just can't sacrifice those things for this little piece of the Internet world.

7. Start working on renovations in the kitchen. Being that we've been in our home for so long now, I have no idea why we really haven't tried harder to complete the kitchen! It really is the one room in the house where we haven't done ANYTHING, except for replacing the dishwasher and the oven. Our goal is to replace the flooring, refurbish the cabinets, add new hardware, paint the walls, add back splash, install new faucet, purchase a new refrigerator and replace the counter tops! It seems like a lot reading it but our kitchen is small enough that it's not going to be a crazy project to take on, as long as we do one step at time! First step?! Take the hideous 80's wall paper border down!

8. Try harder to prepare better for birthdays and other special events! I will always promise that I will never show up empty handed for a birthday or other special occasion celebration! However, I am HORRIBLE at waiting until the last minute to buy a gift! I would loooove it if I could think so far in advance that we can purchase something more sentimental and personal! I'm a lover of ANYTHING personalized, but I never seem to treat anyone to those kinds of gifts because I'm a crazy procrastinator! I also want to utilize Etsy for more unique and thoughtful gifts as well, which also involves thinking far in advance! I just need to reference my planner more frequently! What's the point of having that if I don't use it?!

9. Develop the attitude of "It is what it is". Here's your shout out Taylor! My little sister and the hubby have this mindset which is very different from my own! I tend to worry about everything, to over analyze everything, and to try and fix everything and sometimes that adds an unnecessary amount of emotional stress to my life! I don't want to adopt this attitude completely, because I feel that my personality allows me to express my compassion on a greater level, but I do want to rid myself of emotional stress beyond my control. It is what it is, there is nothing I can do to change it, therefore I must accept it.

10. Secret goal! As much as I want to share this, for my well being I can't. If things change from this goal I will, without a doubt, publicly tell you about it, but at this moment I have to protect myself and certain parts of my life. I'm including it on this list, because if I write it down, I tend to stick to it!! If your curiosity is getting the best of you and you would like to know what it is, shoot me a comment or email, I'm totally okay with sharing it privately!

As always, some of these are a bit easier than others! I brought a few over from last month but I am really excited to have added some new ones to the list! Any of you trying new goals for the month of April?! I'm looking forward to what this month will bring, including warmer weather, though the forecast for this week isn't looking too swell in the warmth department!

Be sure to check out my April Sponsors to your left in my sidebar!!! I am beyond thrilled to add them to TRYHOSOVA Family!

XoXo!

March 2013 Mini Goals Roundup and a WINNER!

Via

First off,  I have to admit this because I find it sad and hilarious! For my January and February Goal Roundup posts, I labeled them 2012 instead of 2013!!! Apparently I was trapped in last year! Oppps!

I would like to think that my March goals went well but that is really yet to be decided! I'm updating y'all on them today as the last day of the month is Sunday, and well.... I don't blog on the weekend! I do still have a few days to get some more wins in! Nonetheless, how did I do?! Let's review!

1. Continue to purge and organize the house, one room at a time and donate all to Goodwill! WIN/FAIL! This is forever ongoing, but I was able to donate a huge load of stuff to Goodwill a few weekends ago! I didn't get much organizing done, but really hope to tackle our guest rooms in the coming weeks!

2. Finish reconstructing my resume. WIN! I'm saying win because there are only a few things that need to be finished and the end of the month isn't technically here yet! The goal is to finish it this evening! So far I think the presentation of it looks great and highlights my assets a heck of a lot better than my dated resume ever did.

3. Arrive on time to work, every morning. FAIL! I made it to work on time ONCE this month! I know, I know, I know, it's terrible! I just can't seem to get up out of bed and out of the door on time! Not being a morning person is becoming an issue for me! How do I become a morning person?!?!?!

4. Stay off of the phone and computer on evenings we are both home! FAIL! With March Madness happening this month, several surf competitions occurring, and my addiction to Instagram, neither myself nor the hubby did really well at this! I think we just need to make more of an effort to put the electronics away when we get home!

5. Update our iPhones. FAIL! However, the month isn't over yet. While I'm finishing my resume this evening there will be some updating of iPhones too!

6. Keep a better track of our expenses! WIN! I joined mint.com and we have saved all of our receipts from everything we purchased this month. This weekend I hope to tackle them all, organize them into a spread sheet and find out where we can cut some corners! I also want to be able to start using the checkbook register and balance it every night! Hopefully once the expenses from this month are organized it should be simple to do so!

7. Work on my reactions when others are rude to me. WIN! Basically, how I look at this, is that I need to act like I don't even notice it! Though this week, because of PMS, most rude people just made me cry! I guess crying is better than being ugly! This is an ongoing goal of mine. I'm a firm believer in killing people with kindness when they are ugly to you! As easy as it is for us to say something snarky in return, saying something nice says a lot about the person you are! I definitely want to have more self control and continue to work on my reactions and expressions when I've been offended!

8. Find a cobbler/shoe repair shop to spruce up some of my damaged heels and to put life back into my Tory Burch's! WIN! The heels I took were too far gone to save but they polished my TB's and made them look like new!!! All for $8 bucks! Read about my experience at the shop here! I'll definitely be going to a different cobbler in our area next time!

9. Keep writing true honest posts for my readers! WIN! At least I think it's a win! I've even created a theme/link up that focuses on honest posts and I plan to start it next Friday!!! I think it will really give me a chance to share more about me as a person to all of you!

10. Try to arrange at least one family lunch/dinner! WIN/FAIL! While I didn't arrange any family lunches or dinners this month, we have had and are having {this weekend} many family gatherings! I didn't think about Easter and all the family birthday's that were part of this month when I made this goal but technically it worked out nicely!

That's 5 Wins, 2 Win/Fails, and 3 Fails! That's actually the same count as last month's roundup! At least  I kept it consistent!! The motivation was lacking this month but I am really thrilled I was able to keep the Wins going! Some of these will, for sure, roll over to April!!!

**************

Now for what ya'll have been waiting for... The Winner of A Few of My Favorite Thing's Give Away!

And the Winner Is........

Chris Williams from Chubbette Tales... Life after Spanx!

I'll e-mail you for needed information so I can ship this too ya as soon as possible!!! Congratulations! Thank you to everyone who participated!!!

I hope y'all have a fantastic weekend and a beyond blessed Easter! It's a great time as ever to reflect on our Lord and Savior's resurrection and all the blessings he has bestowed upon us!! Pretty powerful if you ask me! XoXo!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Howdy Hoo everyone!!! I hope you're having a stellar week so far! I am still trying to figure out how to maneuver through this crazy schedule of mine! Working a full time job, spending time with my little family, working on my fitness, and blogging regularly, as well as trying to do 50 billion other things is starting to take a toll on me! I don't know how some of y'all do it, but I give you mad mad props for doing it!! My sleep is suffering but I keep chugging a long! Maybe this is just training me for the future when we decide to have a wee one! None the less if you have any advice on how to juggle it all and keep your sanity, let a girl know! Other than not loving the fact that I'm losing sleep, here is what I AM loving this week!

1. That Easter is this weekend!!!! I love family dinners, lunches and brunches and we will have our fill of them this weekend! My mom is hosting a large family lunch on Saturday and Sunday we will be having brunch with Todd's family! I really do love spending time with all of our families and would love to do it more, not just on holidays! I'm also looking forward to reflecting on my God who is forever forgiving, faithful and understanding and who has blessed me beyond what I deserve.

2. The New/Prospective Member Jr. League event I attended Monday! This was the second event I have attended as a prospective member! The first one was nerve-racking being that I was "new" but I had my friend Tatiana there and we stuck together like glue! The only bad part about that was we stuck pretty close together and we didn't branch out as far to meet other ladies! We did meet a couple of gals and carried on some fun conversations that night but I think we missed some opportunities to gain more information about the group from actual members! I was able to do that Monday night! Why?! Because I was by myself and didn't have a friend as a crutch! Even the two members I do know weren't able to attend, so I was really on my own! Now if you know me, you know I do love to talk, but you also know I am very nervous about meeting new people, especially females! I'm not one to just walk up to a stranger and start a conversation and I'm certainly not one to join in on conversations already happening, so sometimes I end up standing awkwardly by myself! I made a greater initiative to walk up to different women and begin conversations and truth be told I really enjoyed it!!! I met some really great ladies who were funny and full of personality and who shared their Jr. League experiences with me, which makes me want to join this group 100x more than I did before! I'm already looking forward to next month's event!

3. My fitness accomplishments! If you follow me on IG you know that last Wednesday I ran my first mile {all the way through, mind you} in YEARS! On Saturday you learned that I went to the gym at 8 in the morning {yea, call me crazy, I called myself crazy} and Monday, well, I ran 1.25 miles during my lunch break! If you're new to my blog you should know that I've never been a fan of the gym or running for that matter {though I have been active my whole life} so this is a HUGE deal for me! I've been going to the gym regularly since New Years and I know that this hard work will pay off! Nonetheless, I'm proud of myself that I have stuck with it this long and that I am actually loving it!

4. Bates Motel! I hate admitting this, though I'm not sure why, but I am totally addicted to the new Bates Motel television show on A&E! I've never seen Psycho so once I read up on the plot of that movie it gave me a better understanding of the show! It's ridiculously odd but the kind of odd you just can't look away from! It's creepy, dramatic, strange, thrilling, peculiar, and heart wrenching all at once! In layman's terms, it's a freaking emotional roller coaster but it's a spectacular ride! I'm really looking forward to learning more about Norma and Norman and this town they are living in! To say their relationship is strange is an understatement!

5. Being told that I am an inspiration! Yea, you read that correctly. Someone told me Monday that I've inspired them to get back into the gym and work out! I still can't wrap my head around that and I won't lie, it makes me incredibly emotional! When I told the hubby about it, I couldn't even finish the sentence because I was crying! Crying because I feel incredibly honored that someone is changing their lifestyle for the better, because of little ole me, who hated the gym and working out my entire life and who has battled with weight loss and body issues for just as long! I don't feel worthy enough to be told that I am inspiring but I know one thing, a comment like that keeps me going! It gives me the inspiration and determination to continue to better my body, my mind, and my soul.

See you fabulous folks tomorrow!!! XoXo! 

Don't forget... The Give Away Contest ends Friday! Enter here!!! 

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I am crazy excited that I finally decided on how I will be changing up my Wednesday posts {Remember I kind of chatted about it last week here?}. There are still a few things I need to do in order to get it finalized and ready for sharing, like creating a button and setting up the link-up for y'all to join! I think it will be a way for my readers to get to know me on a more personal level and hopefully relate to me even more than they may already. This probably won't get underway for a few more weeks so until then I will continue with the "What I'm Loving Wednesday" series!

1. I am in love with Daylight Savings Time!! Okay... maybe not in love with the fact that I lost an hour of sleep, I'm still trying to catch up,  or that it's still pitch black when I wake in the morning, buuuuuut I'd trade pitch black nights for longer sunshine evenings any day of the week! It's the first sign that warmer weather is around the corner and who doesn't love that?!

2.  Attending my first official Pilates class on Monday night! I'm actually pretty excited and proud of myself for going! I switched my gym schedule around to Tuesday and Thursdays, however because I had my monthly YAAA! meeting last night I decided to go to the gym Monday night and try out Pilates! Holy Moly, if you think it's easy, you are in for a rude awakening! I've done it with at home DVDs so I knew it wasn't a cake walk, but I didn't realize just how much it was really going to work me! I've been quite sore in areas I very rarely work, and it's a darn good feeling! I'm really thinking about adding Monday night to my gym schedule and upping my workouts to three days a week!

3.  Celebrating lots of Birthday's this month!! March seems to be a pretty huge month in our lives when it comes to celebrating birthdays! There is my mother-in-law, my stepfather-in-law, my stepbrother-in-law, our nephew, my close friend Tatiana, my awesome boss Jen, our dear friend Matt, and a slew of other friends of ours! Lots and lots of celebrating going on around these parts!! 

4. Having my first cup of coffee in almost a month! I'm not a coffee addict whatsoever. I've been a one cup a day drinker for forever and can function fine without it. I actually like the taste of coffee, however. about a month ago I noticed I wasn't enjoying the taste of it much anymore so I gave it up and started drinking tea! Lots of green tea, chai tea, and herbal teas and even using my Starbucks giftcard for Chai Tea Lattes instead of fancy coffee beverages! This weekend while at my girlfriend, Whitney's house, I had my first cup of coffee in almost a month and boy was it yummy! I don't think I'll be going back to drinking it every day but I think it would be a nice pick me up on an extra lagging day - say like this week when I'm trying to adjust to this Daylight Savings Time! 

I found this really interesting!!! 

5. Working on our taxes! To most this is probably a daunting task but this marks year number two that we have done our taxes ourselves with the help of TurboTax. Since we don't have a ton of "extras" to worry about like second properties, self employment, or rental income we are able to do them ourselves! It's usually a few day process as I like to, obviously, make sure they are 100% accurate before filing them! I won't lie though, I am always completely nervous when hitting that submit button! It's a great feeling seeing what we should be getting back from the government during the entire process! I'm quite satisfied with the figure we've been given! These suckers should be completely finalized by weeks end and we will be on our way to get our little check back and this will be another task I can cross off our "To Do" list! 

Happy Hump Day my darlings!!! Hope you all are having a wonderful week so far and didn't miss me too much yesterday!!! XoXo! 

Spring is Near & March 2013 Mini Goals are Here!

March is always an exciting and LUCKY month to me because it means Spring is right around the corner!! Warmer days will be here before we know it {at least in my area of the world} and I'll be able to enjoy driving around with the sunroof open and the warmish breeze in me hair! Ohhh it's so close I can almost reach out and touch it! As usual, with a new month comes new goals and new sponsors, so be sure to check out the side bar {if you are interested in sponsoring I am currently booking for April and May for FREE}! I really excelled last month and have to say I'm proud of what I was able to accomplish! Some goals were carried over in hopes to continue improving upon them! I hope March is just as stellar and productive as February.

Via

1. Continue to purge and organize the house, one room at a time and donate all to Goodwill. As I've said since January, this is a continuous task throughout our home! I hope to pack up a car load and drop off quite a few things to Goodwill Thursday evening! Our dinning room is a bit junkie since I have a HUGE donation pile building in there! I'd like to have my dinning room table and room back to normal!

2. Finish reconstructing my resume. This should really be a top priority to me and I hope to finalize it as much as possible, but also, to design it so that I can easily change information to fit specific career applications. I know once I finish this, I'll be more eager to search and apply to job opportunities that fit what I would like to do for the rest of my life!

3. Arrive on time to work, every morning! This will be continuous until I learn to get up on time, get myself moving and out the door and to work on time! I'll be honest, it has turned into a joke at my office but I enjoy going out for my hour lunch break and when I'm late for work I usually don't take that hour to leave. I'd like to power walk more during the week on my break or even sit in my car and read a book just to regroup and get out of the office for some personal time.

4. Stay off of the phone and computer on evenings we are both home. It is so easy to be distracted with the computer and our cell phones when we are sitting down and relaxing in the evenings together. I really want us to give one another 100% of our attention in the evenings when we are talking about our day's events, our schedule for the upcoming week, or plans for the weekend! It gives us time to unwind and connect daily without outside distractions. We can use cell phones and computers all we want when the other person is not home, is sleeping, or is not in the same room, however, when we are sitting together, talking in the same room, technology is off limits!

5. Update our iPhones. To say we are techno- illiterate is an understatement! I try to keep up, teach myself, and learn the ins and outs of the technology products we use regularly, however, for the most part it's all completely over my head! We both have had our iPhones for over a year and a half and while I did update mine once, about a year ago, the hubby has not updated his, AT ALL! He can't even access the Twitter App on his phone because it needs to be updated! I've been apprehensive to do the updates because I hear people always complaining about losing their contacts! That makes me more paranoid than it probably should! Seriously, if anyone knows how to update the iPhone without losing contacts, I'm going to need you to give me a play by play on how to perform the update! Please and Thankyou!

6. Keep a better track of our expenses. I used to be really good about keeping up with my bank account and account register but then I started using online banking and realized I could have my balance at my fingertips. When I started utilizing the online banking {and opened joint checking with the hubby}, I slowing stopped using my register, therefore I stopped keeping track of all the money I was spending. I'd like to get back to writing it all down and keeping track of it, penny for penny. It may sound a bit particular, but it'll give me a better idea on how much is going out, on what it's going out to, and what we may could cut back on to save more! I hope we can save all our receipts and I can log what we have spent daily. By the end of March we should be able to tell more about our spending habits and how to control the frivolous unneeded purchases!

7. Work on my own reactions when others are rude to me. I don't know about you but it seems here lately we've run into really rude people. People who push through doorways when you are trying to walk through the same door {and they don't say excuse me}, people who don't hold doors open for you when your hands are full or you are a few feet behind them, people who bump into you and don't say excuse me, folks who are blatantly rude and sarcastic in emails or other forms of communication, folks who cut you off in traffic and don't get the thankyou wave and when people are rude when first meeting you to the point that my husband even makes a comment at how rude the person was. Yes, the last one was definitely personal. If my husband says something about the rudeness of the person... well then... you're freaking rude! Normally when I feel I've been slighted or disrespected I am quick to make a sarcastic comment like "Really? There are 5 other doors and you want to walk through the one I am walking through?" very loudly so I know the person hears me. It's not totally nice on my part, however I think it should be brought to the attention of the person that they are, in fact, being rude! Because I know my reactions aren't always nice, I am working on not reacting and keeping a smile on my face! It keeps me from sweating the small stuff, like the person's rudeness. I do believe today will welcome my first test, wish me luck!

8. Find a cobbler/shoe repair shop to spruce up some of my damaged heels and to put life back into my Tory Burch's. For some reason I am extremely hard on my shoes. I plan to show y'all this in a post all it's own of how damaged the majority of my shoes are! My TB's are no exception. I've had them a little over a year and it looks as though they are ten years old! The leather is worn off on the toes, on the sides and on the heels, the insoles are starting to lift, and I have a tear on the inside heel of one shoe! I've loved them and worn them to death! Considering the price tag they come with it's not an option to just to go buy a new pair so I'm hoping to have them repaired and looking like new sooner rather than later! Hopefully some of my shoes aren't too far gone and they can be saved including my Tory's.

9. Keep writing honest and true posts for my readers! Last month I noticed a lot of bloggers posting about how they needed to get back to posting "real.honest.true-to-themselves-posts". While, I feel I haven't strayed from this, I do feel the need to share more of these kinds of posts! From the ones I have written and shared I have received some great feedback and support and I have made some great connections because of it! I want to continue those connections, those friendships and the support! It is inspiring to me and I hope my honest posts and ramblings are inspiring to others too!

10. Try to arrange at least one family lunch/dinner. Our family is huge! As I've shared before we both come from divorced parents where everyone has been remarried. Therefore, instead of four immediate families, we have close to eight! To have Sunday family dinner's is not something I could host, but I would love to have at least one or two families over a few times a month for dinner or afternoon lunch, starting this month! We aren't promised tomorrow and that is becoming more and more evident to me every day! I want us to spend as much time with our families as possible for we never know what the future will bring and how much time we have left with all of them!

I am really excited to have added some new goals to my list this month! I hope I haven't set myself up to fail as some of these are a bit harder than others, but I feel with my persistence and determination I can really accomplish these! Positive thoughts lead to positive results right?!

Hope you darlings are having a fantastic start to the week {I'm not going to say the dreaded "M" word}  and if you have goals for the month of March, please feel free to share!!! I'd love to form a little cheerleading group for one another!!  I am finalizing details on my Favorite Things give-away! It will be occurring this month so stay tuned! XoXo!

February 2012 Mini Goals Roundup!

Is February really over?! I mean, I know that it is always the shortest month of the year, but dear goodness, this one flew by! I'd like to think I did really well with my goals, however, that will be determined once I write them out below!

1. Purge and Organize house, one room at a time. Donate all to Goodwill. WIN/FAIL. I am labeling it this way because it really is an ongoing process! I did donate a car full of stuff at the beginning of the month and I do believe it's time for another load to go!

2. Finish reconstructing resume. FAIL. I did work on some added information but did not complete the entire resume. I think, in my subconscious, that I am scared to actually complete it because that means I will have to actually start applying to jobs, which then means I will sit and wait to hear from companies! Sitting and waiting is excruciating and as much as I aim to be positive about applying to positions, one must also be realistic! Not every job I apply to is going to say yes, which means there will be some rejections, and well, that just sucks!

3. Schedule actual planned date nights with the hubby! WIN! My idea is to plan at least one adventurous, out-side-of-the-box- date night, once a month and that I did! Last Friday, we went to a beer tasting! I blogged about it in our weekend recap! I am definitely, looking forward to planning something fun for March! I'm thinking ice-skating before the temperatures start to rise!

4. Book our June trip to Jamaica. WIN! I am beyond thrilled that we finally booked our trip. However, I did learn in the process that I have to renew my passport to my married name! I'm really glad we booked the trip this month as if we had waited another month I would have been cutting it WAY to close with renewing my passport!

5. Have at least one girls night with any or all of my gal pals. FAIL. This was a fail unless you count a happy hour event put on by the Jr. League of Norfolk/Virginia Beach where I got to see my love, Tatiana! I know, we are way lame for not getting together sooner, but in both of our defenses, we've been busy!! Same goes for all my closest gal pals! Busy schedules juggling work, husbands, pets, kids, outside activities, etc. Do any of you have any ideas on how to work around so many schedules including your own?!

6. Arrive on time to work, every morning. FAIL. I was on time for 5 days out of 19 work days! I know, I know, I know, before you tell me how lame I am, I already know! The funniest part about me always being late for work, is that my WHOLE ENTIRE office knows it! We had a humorous little awards show and I won the "Jeff Gordon Award" which was for the person who is always "racing" to work! Ha yes, I received the most nominations for that award and I got a sweet $25 gift card to Home Depot for it too! Running late isn't that bad is it?!

7. Save my bonus and then some to purchase a long coveted luxury item I've been eyeing for a few years. WIN! This is an ongoing goal since I do have to save more money than what my bonus was, but I do hope to have the item by summer time, if not sooner!

8. Stop expecting so much out of others. WIN for now. This goal is a lot harder than I thought, but I did noticed that when I didn't expect anything from anyone I didn't feel as stressed, upset, or hurt. Trying to remain positive on life and events has allowed me to not be SO hurt by the carelessness of others! It's a bit liberating! I know I am not perfect and that I have and will disappoint others because I don't meet their expectations. It's a bit like the circle of life, in a way. However, I believe if we all stop expecting so much from each other we can learn to accept people more easily for the exact person they are! That doesn't mean that people can totally get away from not doing certain things, but it does excuse them from the little things we tend to sweat that really don't matter in the grand scheme of life.

9. Stay off of phone and computer on evenings we are both home. WIN/FAIL. This isn't that difficult but it is difficult when the hubby isn't trying to reach the same goal for the month! He enjoys his time checking surf report after surf report on the laptop, which then makes me want to check things on my phone! I've stayed off the laptop til after we get into bed for the night! I did make it a point to not be on any electronic device when having conversations with the hubby and talking about our days events. He deserves my undivided attention! Now if only I could get him to turn the television off when I'm chatting about my day!

10. Leave more "honey do" lists to relieve myself of some responsibilities. WIN! This has been a lifesaver and I wish it was something I had started earlier and stuck with! Leaving the hubby a couple of tasks to accomplish each day before I get home, allows me to come home and not stress about all of the tasks I need to do! I made sure to leave him tasks he is good at and knows how to do like, separating, washing and folding laundry, unloading the dishwasher, cleaning our bathroom, vacuuming , and changing the bed linens! Laundry and putting away clean dishes has really been the biggest help as they are continuously on going in our home! Not only am I learning to hand over responsibilities, I am also learning to keep things the way my hubby does them. While I did point out that the bathroom mirror was streaky {because he did, in fact, use all purpose cleaner and not Windex}, I had him correct it with the Windex. No, it may not have been 100% as clean as it would have been if I had done it, but he did it and I'm not going to go down behind him and fix it. I know he tries and that really is all I can ask. I'm certain that with more practice he will improve and he'll be happier with me not nagging him and making him feel inferior about how he can't clean a mirror.

So let's count them: 5 Wins, 2 Win/Fails, 3 Fails! It looks as though the WINS won this go round! This makes me smile and I really feel accomplished. I won't lie, I have felt very motivated this month and hope it continues in the months to come! I'm keeping busy, have been active in the gym since the New Year, have changed some things in my diet, and I really feel that they are all correlating in making me feel good! Now... if only I could finish that resume and get that banging career I want... I'd be all set!

via

Hope you darlings have a fabulous Friday and weekend! I'll be busy bowling away with the YAAA! group to help in the awareness of Alzheimer's! If you missed my post Tuesday, please take a moment to read it here! We are still accepting donations and would love for you to assist in helping us raise money to help find a cure for Alzheimer's! Follow this link and just click on the green donate button!  Every little bit helps! Even if it's $1.00! See ya Monday!!! XoXo!

YAAA! Young Adults for Alzheimer's Awareness!

I've talked a bit in several past posts about the volunteer organization I have joined this year. Towards the end of 2012 I was put in contact with the PR VP Chair of YAAA! Young Adults for Alzheimer's Awareness, in order to help assist her with any PR needs the group needed. After talking with her and the President {who I have actually known since I was probably 6 years old} I decided it would be a good idea to join! I wanted to serve and be a part of a group that was doing good in the area, the nation, the world. During this time of my decision to join, the hubby and I lost his grandmother's husband to this debilitating disease!

Pappa Ted is in the standing top row, second from left in the light blue polo! This was Todd's Grandmother's entire family in 2010. 

I was lucky enough to have met Pappa Ted before he succumb to the evil grip of Alzheimer's. When I first started dating the hubby, Pappa Ted had been diagnosed with dementia. He was still functioning normally, with minor spouts of memory loss, however over six years we watched him deteriorate to almost nothing until he lost the battle the week of Thanksgiving! Not only was it painful to watch him slowly lose the battle but it was equally hard to see my husband's grandmother slowly lose her loving husband! She cared for him as much as she could until it became so hard she had to have assistance in their home with around the clock care for him. Simply heartbreaking and I hope that I never have to experience that myself or have other loved ones suffer from this disease!

If you are local to my area PAY ATTENTION: This Saturday, March 2nd, YAAA! is hosting it's Third Annual Black Tie Bowling Event! This event is a fun, black-tie inspired event with black-tie on top and anything goes on the bottom! It will take place at the AMF Chesapeake Lanes, 112 East Medical Parkway, Chesapeake, VA from 7pm to 11pm. The event will be emceed by local D.J. phenom and member, Jeremy Branch. In 2012 the event drew over 240 people and sold out! We are really hoping to engage the same amount of people to the event this year!

With that being said, my hubby and I have started a bowling team for the event consisting of the two of us and 4 other close friends of ours! We have a team page set up and are currently taking donations from anyone local AND afar who would like to commit any monetary amount! I'm not one to ask much from my readers but I am going to ask, that if it is laid upon your heart to give to our organization and team, please do! Please visit this link and click on the green donate money to help our team reach our goal and beyond for this event!  You really will be contributing to a great cause and helping to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research and education!

If you are unable to make a donation in money, please considering looking into local volunteering organizations in your area to donate your time to a good cause that you care about! I promise it will change your life for the better and will give you a sense of fulfillment! If you are in my area and would like more information about YAAA! please, please, please let me know! Also, be sure to check out their Facebook page for more information as well!!!

Thank you again for donating to our team and organization! I owe you all so much, more than I ever may be able to repay! XoXo!

Weekend Recap!

Happy Monday, Darlings! I sincerely hope you all had a wonderful weekend! As I mentioned on Friday here, we didn't have any huge plans which was more than welcoming considering we have some jammed packed weekends coming up! It was nice to sleep in, lay around, and just soak in the laziness for a bit!

Friday evening we attended a beer tasting at Bon Vivant Market, a wine and beer shop, in nearby Smithfield {home of Gwaltney bacon}. Now, this was our first beer tasting and visit to this location. Bon Vivant also has a location in nearby Suffolk, which is closer but they weren't having any activities for the evening! As I had made a priority here, I've really wanted the hubby and I to have more adventurous-outside-of-the-box date nights and stray away from the typical dinner dates we are known to have! I thought the beer tasting would be a great first outside-of-the-box date, especially since the guest speaker was Kevin O'Connor from the local O'Connor Brewing Company, which the hubby's employer distributes and to which I just picked up a six pack of, for the hubby, at the beginning of last week! Coincidence? I think not!

Our beer glasses! 

The hubby was on board for the tasting so I made the final decision to attend. I was home by six {the wine tasting started at seven and the location was thirty minutes away}but of course I had to change clothes, touch up my makeup, and tend to the dog. We left the house at 6:30 and made it to Bon Vivant at 7:10 {ten minutes late} and from there I knew why they said arrive promptly at seven. The parking lot was full and this store looked smaller than my old 700 square foot apartment. We walked in to about 25 people staring at us in a area we could barely squeeze through! We were given our complimentary glasses and a pour and stood cramped and close as we listened to Kevin O'Connor explain his different beers, the types of hops used in each one, and how he immensely enjoys his beer craft. We also learned the story of how IPA got it's name! If you don't know definitely check it out here!! It's very interesting and being that Im not a huge beer drinker, I enjoyed learning something new! After some more tastings and Q&A, we picked out some beers to purchase and headed out! We ate dinner at a Thai/Asian Fusion restaurant close by and continued on home! Once home we headed to bed as the hubby had the sniffles and wasn't feeling well, not to mention he was exhausted from his work week! Waking up at 3 a.m. every morning, working till 1 p.m., and then coaching baseball the rest of the afternoon until 6 p.m. can wear a man out! To say I worry about him getting enough sleep is an understatement!

Saturday we spent much of the day catching up on sleep and relaxation! We woke up/ rolled out bed at... noon... yes, call us pathetic, but it was raining and we didn't have plans! What else was there to really do?! Once we were out of bed, we plopped our tushies down on the couch and recliner for more laziness! I did give myself my weekly manicure and the hubby ended up napping some more! After a few more hours of all that laziness we had to get ready for dinner with his family. The hubby's Uncle and Aunt had some slight renovations done on their home and wanted to show us as well as have the family all together for a nice meal and conversation. His Aunt made chicken curry which was heavenly and apparently his grandmother's recipe, which I am going to need to add to my recipe book and so we can continue to pass it down through the family! The wine was flowing, the conversation going, and the food spectacular! It really was an incredibly fun evening! While enjoying the fire after dinner, I noticed that Pippa, one of the house kitties was enjoying staring into the smoldering fire. I HAD to snap a photo of her just sitting there, so sweet and still, just staring!

Sweet kitty Pippa staring into the fire!  

I felt like taking a selfie! 

Yesterday, we slept in a bit and then enjoyed cinnamon rolls for breakfast. The hubby had baseball practice at noon so after he headed out I decided I would get myself together and venture out on an area rug hunt! I've been looking for an area rug for the office/library since I began redecorating and haven't had much luck! I knew I wanted a lighter colored rug to offset the dark browns of the furniture, the curtains, and the floors but I hadn't been able to find one within my budget or taste. At the recommendation of Todd's Uncle and Aunt at dinner the night before, I decided to check out Ollie's Bargain Outlet, which is on the same spectrum as Big Lots, but BIGGER! I had never been but, after they told me of their massive area rug selection, I decided I didn't have much to lose! I am beyond glad I went, because I found a rug! I actually found five and had to make a decision on just one! The best part?! It was under $100!!! I'm unsure if I am going to keep this one as I think a few of the others that I picked out would look better but regardless I now know where to go when I need an area rug or runner!

Please don't mind the quality of the majority of the photos as some are Iphone photos! And don't mind the mess of this room either! It's still in the works! 

Laying out the new rug! 

View from the front door. 

When I left to head out to Ollie's I noticed the owners of the town home next to us were cleaning it out and had a few pieces of furniture sitting by the side of the road. One piece was a really great looking antique hunter green upholstered chair and the other was a a light mintish green velvet tufted bench! I immediately fell in love with the bench but noticed it was stained in some areas and needed some tlc. So, I did what any blogger would do... I snapped a photo on Instagram and asked my followers if I should snag it up! I had fourteen YES comments and twenty-one "likes" and considering I couldn't get the bench out of my head as I was looking for the rug, I knew I had to have it! I came home praying it would still be there {you'd be surprised at how quickly things go when they are on the side of the road} and when I saw that it was, I quickly scooped it up and carried it into the house! After rolling out the rug and having my neighbor Catherine's opinion, I set the bench up as a coffee table and displayed a few books and other decorative pieces on it! I have to say I love it! I need to work on cleaning the stains but for now it doesn't look terribly bad!

Bench and Chair being trashed! 

Now it has a perfect place in our home!

Close up. 

Details

Top view

So honestly, what do you think of the new additions?! I'm digging the bench 100% but I'm still unsure on the rug. I have 30 days to return it so I may give it a week OR I may even go purchase the other two , bring them home, and see which one looks best! No harm in that right?!

Any of you do any home decorating or serious sleeping this weekend?! Enjoy your Monday! If you stayed up late watching the Oscars like myself, you're probably walking around half awake today!! I've got to give myself a legit bed time!! XoXo!

Meet February's First Guest Poster, Lori!

I've been following Lori, probably since I really started blogging regularly almost a year ago! Point blank - I adore this gal! She has a great classic style that I can relate to, is somewhat recently married as I am, and I've been able to follow her WHOLE home building process from day one {to which you should definitely check out the finished house}! I seriously can't wait to see how she puts her finishing touches on the entire place!! I hope you enjoy meeting Lori, I promise, promise, promise, you will love her!!

hey, lovies!

i'm lori from a crazy walk on the safe side and i am so excited that lauran has allowed me to take over her blog today- she is one of my favorites and we seem to have so much in common... which leads me to believe that i would get along swimmingly with all of you!

my hubs and i have been married about two and a half years {and dated for 4.5 years before that}... so i guess i can't quite consider myself a newlywed anymore. but since i'm obviously an expert a slightly credible source i thought it would be fun to post a little about what i've learned to be the secrets to a successful, happy marriage {seriously, we've been married an eternity by hollywood's standards}.

laugh together.
he will leave the seat up. and you will undoubtedly fall in the toilet at least once in the middle of the night. your husband will probably laugh his head off when you tell him about your wet tushie problems at 2 am- try to laugh about it, too. (and next time, look before you squat)

pick your battles/don't nag.
he will be a repeat offender of at least one thing that drives you nuts. (for me, its socks on the floor. for some reason, the hubs will NEVER ever put his smelly socks in the dirty clothes).
give up complaining about it.

don't clean too often.
seriously. you want your hard work to be appreciated, so wait JUST long enough so your efforts do not go unnoticed. {this is also true with grocery shopping... i am not suggesting letting the cabinets go empty- but trust me, if he is down to only a couple bottles of beer- he WILL notice a fridge re-stock}

compromise.
slowly get rid of the items from your man's bachelor days- but let him keep that ONE thing he loves. (for my hubs- it is an old stretched out CAT(erpillar) tshirt). i got rid of all of the shirts with cut off sleeves, light wash jeans, ratty old boxer shorts, and faded polo shirts and he got to keep his beloved tshirt. its all about compromise, people ;)
 

on a more serious note, i leave you with a few pieces of advice...

1. surround yourself with healthy, happy couples who are supportive of your marriage.

2. don't compare yourself to other couples. i believe that every couple has their struggles and every relationship is different.

3. never ever talk badly about each other on social media. it is amazing how often i log into facebook and see people trash talking their significant other. nothing good comes of it.

4. never stop dating each other... and try not to get stuck in the rut of eating at the very same restaurant every friday night. my hubs and i love to have surprise date nights where we take turns planning something special for the other one. mix it up and have fun together!!

i hope you got a laugh {and maybe some actual good advice} from this post...
please stop by my blog sometime and say hello :) currently, i'm blogging a lot about the house the hubs and i recently built and enjoying life as a not-so-newlywed couple!

thanks so much for having me, lauran!

Lori must have known we've been wanting to try different dates for date night!!! I know I can most definitely put this list of advice to great use! I especially agree with #3! I don't understand why so many people feel the need to put their spouse on full blast on social media sites! I don't understand why people do it to other people in general, but especially to one's spouse is just too much! Folks just need to leave their personal business off of Facebook period, well at least in my opinion! We are all entitled to that.. an opinion.. right?! Be sure to head over to Lori's and pay her a visit and seriously, check out her new home! It's gorgeous, you'll love it!!! XoXo!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

As I type this I have had a mind splitting headache for over 24 hours! This is nothing new. I get them every 3.5 weeks and they always occur on a Tuesday and last through Wednesday! It's absolutely debilitating but I have to trump through an eight hour work day, 2 hours of rush hour, and all my day to day responsibilities! Nothing relieves them either, no Excedrin, no midol, no hot relaxing showers, no dark rooms, no silent surroundings, NOTHING! I won't lie, I am miserable and so desperate for relief that the pain can cause me to suffer a break down! The constant pain is enough to make anyone go bat shit crazy! Since I'm in a horrible mood, I HAVE to talk about what I'm loving today and this week to give me some sense of positivity!

1. The Vine Iphone App! Have y'all seen this?! It's a bit over the top but it is pretty fun! Twitter has status updates, Instagram has photo updates, Vine ...Vine has VIDEO updates! Six seconds of video fun! It was only a matter of time before someone figured videos would be the next big thing! I'm not sure if it will be as popular as Twitter and Instagram but none-the-less it's a new social media outlet folks can add to their list! Bloggers are no exception.

2. This blog. Holy Moly I have found my home decor redesign heaven! The complete look I am going for in our home is ALL here! This gal has inspired me big time now that I can visualize everything! I have finally decided on what to do in our kitchen! Let the renovations begin!

3. My mom's new yorkie, TinkerBelle. My mom got a new eight month old yorkie puppy last week! She already has Duchess, who is a yorkie mix and is my mom's little best friend. but mom received an opportunity last week that she couldn't pass up and now Duchess and my mom have a new pal! TinkerBelle is the sweetest little gal ever! She loves to spend time and sleep in your lap and she isn't timid around anyone! Very much a social butterfly! I can not wait for Baby Reef to meet her! I'm just hoping he doesn't think she is a stuffed animal!


TinkerBelle with Momma at work!

4. Plumbing issues being fixed! We've been have some issues with the drain pipe of our washing machine recently! About six months ago we had someone come and snake the line because water was overflowing out of it! Well a month or so later the problem came back! Not severe, but add a few months to that and it ended up being a dern water fall every time we did laundry! After a few days of checking drains and trying to find the issue, we had to call a plumber again! Luckily they found the problem, fixed us up and now we are back to normal! It's amazing how little things can wreck havoc! I couldn't use the washing machine OR dishwasher for a week! It was driving me bonkers!

5. Supporting others! I like to think I'm a natural born cheerleader, especially when it comes to others! There are so many people in my life {Real Life and Blog Land} who are trying to achieve their goals and dreams and I couldn't be happier for them! It's really uplifting to me when I see people being supportive of one another! It's how the world should be! I hope the people in my life continue to feel inspired and reach their dreams, no matter what they are and I promise to continue supporting and cheering them on!!

 

 

Hope all of you are having a stellar day and an even better week! I hope to be as good as new tomorrow! Until then, I'll be the chick at her desk with her sunglasses on in the dark with her office door shut to block out ALL the noise! Here's to hoping my lunch time power walk will help me feel better! XoXo!