Thankful 2013

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope each of you are enjoying your day, the friends, the food, the family and all the things you find yourself thankful for.  This year, of all the things I have to be thankful for, I am most thankful for people. 

I am thankful for my family and my in-laws.  For the love they have shared with us and the endless laughter they have provided.

I'm thankful for our nieces and our nephew.  For letting me see life through their eyes, for constantly reminding me to find joy in the little things like frogs, lady bugs and pine cone collecting, and for those toddler and young child belly laughs.  Those are, hands down, the BEST.

I am thankful for my Grandparents. For making it to our wedding despite their year of battling pneumonia, the flu, bladder cancer, two heart surgeries and rehabilitation.  Seeing them at our wedding as I walked down the aisle , when there were times we weren't even sure they'd still be with us in this life, is a memory I will never forget.  Ever. 

I am thankful for our friends.  For the adventures we've shared, the late night campfires, the memories they helped us make on our wedding day, and again for the laughter.  Some we see often, others not as much, but each hold a special place in my heart.

I'm thankful for each of you who read this blog.  For giving me a reason to continue to write and for being loyal even though I'm the worst blogger ever.  Seriously.  My turnaround time on replying to comments is months sometimes.  The worst.  I'm sorry.  New Year's resolution #1? Wait, I don't make resolutions. 2014 Goal #1.  That sounds better.

And last but not least, I'm thankful for that guy I call my Husband.  For always, always believing in me, even more so when I don't believe in myself.  For having patience (so much patience).  For always working hard to help create the life we have.  For dreaming dreams bigger than my imagination can handle and most of all, for the lifetime he has promised me.   

Eat, Drink and Be Thankful friends! 

Happy Thanksgiving!  

Christmas Playlist!

Hi there it’s, me here!  Happy mid-week to you all and half day to me!  Most wouldn’t celebrate spending their afternoon at the Dentist but I love mine, and it’s just for a routine cleaning in preparation of getting my braces off on Monday , so celebrate I shall!

No meal plan again this week, but it’s not because I was being lazy (really), it’s because I honestly have not had to cook much.  Monday we had dinner with Aaron’s family and Tuesday I made chicken Fajitas.  We’ll probably have some variation of leftovers tonight because I’ll be busy prepping for Thanksgiving at our house tomorrow! 

It is no secret that we LOVE Christmas in our house.  The Christmas decorations will come out of the rafters on Friday and we’ll probably get our Christmas tree sometime during the next week.

This adorable print can be ordered through SignsOfFaithCreation on Etsy HERE!

Some of my most happy childhood and adult memories have been made at Christmastime:  going to church on Christmas Eve with my grandma, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins, playing with the train my Grandpa sets up every year, drinking big glasses of water with my sister so we’d wake up early on Christmas morning because we had to pee (too much information?), going to see The Grinch with Aaron at the Old Globe, picking out our Christmas tree and endless holiday parties with our much loved friends.

In honor of the upcoming holiday I thought I’d put together and share a Spotify Christmas playlist.  To listen from your Computer you will need to have Spotify.  If you don't the widget will walk you through how to download it when you try to listen to the first song.  If you are trying to access it from a mobile device you need the Spotify App and a Premium membership.  If you have both you can listen by clicking HERE!  I included some classics as well as some more modern songs by artists you may or may not have heard before.  I hope you enjoy!.........unless you’re a Scrooge…….then kick rocks......just kidding (but not really).  XO friends. 

High Five for Friday!

High Five for Friday friends!  This week has been a complete whirlwind and I can’t believe it’s already almost the weekend!  Linking up with Lauren for the standard High Five shenanigans:

       1) On Tuesday night I had dinner and caught up with one of my best friends.  Our friendship is one in which we can go extended periods without seeing each other but when we meet up it’s like we were just together yesterday.  It’s the best and added a boost to the beginning of my work week.

  

   2) We also had dinner at our house with some, new to me-old to Aaron, friends.  You know when you meet people and you can tell right away that they’re just really great people?  Well, that’s how these friends are.  Plus, they made Pioneer Woman's Knock You Naked Brownies and they were amazing! 
  

Photo courtesy of the Pioneer Woman website

     3)  Candy Cane Green Tea is back at Trader Joe’s.  I hoard this stuff in my desk at work and I’m looking forward to replenishing my stockpile over the weekend.  It is just SO good!  

      4) These pants are on their way to me and should arrive tomorrow!  Originally I had ordered a different pair but when they arrived I realized that even in regular length, they were far too long.  The best part though, is that I had been eyeballing these pants for months and when it came time for my exchange, they were on super sale.  Bonus!

 5)  Now that fire season has ended Aaron has Saturday’s off!  I never know how long it’s going to last but aside from the time we both took off for the wedding; we haven’t had a weekend day off together in almost a year.  We don’t have any specific plans but since we’re hosting Thanksgiving next week I’m sure we’ll start a house project of some sort.  It just wouldn’t be us if we didn’t.  Last year we had our new kitchen counters installed the week of Thanksgiving and were painting the cabinets the night before.  Just last week Aaron was talking about putting in a new light fixture over the dinning room table.  You know, the usual pre-holiday hosting kind of projects I’m sure everyone does. Right?

This weekend I have a six mile run on my half marathon training schedule.  I hope to get it in tonight (while watching episodes of BBC's Sherlock Holmes) so I can have Saturday open for whatever adventures the best half and I decide to embark on.  The rest of my weekend will likely be spent prepping for Thanksgiving rounded off by dinner on Sunday with some of our other wonderful friends.  Happy Friday!

And just because this post is a bit lacking in photos (fail).

Holiday Gift Guide

Hi there!  No meal plan Monday this week, we’re winging it over here because our schedules are all over the place and changing daily so we’re just going with it.  As the holidays sneak up on us I have a feeling our weeks are going to look more like this one but I’m going to try and get on board with weekend meal prep in addition to the meal planning to help us out.  Speaking of the holidays, unless you live under a rock you are probably very much aware of how close we are to those gift giving holidays.  I thought I’d throw together just a few of my favorite things that I think others would enjoy in case you’re in need of some gift inspiration!  If there’s a particular company or product you love, please share in the comments, I’m always on the hunt for the perfect gift!

Photo Sources and Product Links: 1) Birchbox, 2) Bestowed, 3) Emily Ley, 4) J.Crew Factory, J.Crew Factory, J.Crew Factory

 

For the Beauty Product Lover

Birchbox, the gift that keeps on giving.  The gift subscriptions start at $10 a month and you can purchase either 3 months, 6 months or 12 months.  Once received, the gift recipient can log onto the Birchbox website and create a custom profile.  This ensures that the products received monthly are ones the recipient would actually be interested in using.   I was given a Birchbox subscription for my birthday and have loved it.  My boxes have included things like nail polish, hairsprays, mascaras, lip stains, face washes, fun hair ties etc.

 

For the Health Nut Food Enthusiast

Bestowed Box, another gift that keeps on giving.  To say I am in LOVE with my Bestowed subscription could be an understatement.  Aaron gave me a subscription as a college graduation present and just the other day I told him that if there was a lifetime subscription option I would probably buy it, that’s how much I love it.  This box can be gifted for 3 months, 6 moths or 12 months as well.  It is a little more expensive than the Birchbox at $19 a month (although if you subscribe for 12 months you get a price break) and well worth every penny!  The value of the products in each box amounts to, and often exceeds, the price of the monthly subscription.  Every box is jam packed with goodies, if you’d like to get an idea of  what comes in a box you can read my review post here.

 

 

For the Organizer

An Emily Ley Simplified Planner.  I discovered this product last year and it has been life changing.  Emily has revamped the planner for 2014 so that it’s more compact and full of tools to keep your life organized and focused.  If you plan on purchasing one I suggest you do because these guys sell out like no one’s business.  Her first patch has already sold out but she’s placed another order for more to ship before Christmas so get your hands on one before they are gone! Her shop has tons of other wonderful products in it too like inspirational art prints, personalized coffee mugs (I have one that is also my work favorite!), plates, phone cases and more. 

 

For the Fashionista

J.Crew Factory goodies.  You guys know me, I love a good sale and J.Crew Factory has tons of good sales.  Right now everything is 40% off with an additional 10% off if you purchase two things and an additional 20% off if you purchase three things.  There are some seriously good deals on there right now on some seriously cute stuff.

 

I've also found great deals on holiday gifts at One Kings Lane and Zulilly.  They are both daily deal sites that have something for everyone and everything is always on sale.  Check them out!

 

*I am not sponsored by any of the companies listed here.  I do not receive compensation from writing about them or from their product sales, they probably don't even know I exist.  These are just things I've received in the past and have truly loved so I thought they'd be worth sharing incase you know someone who would love receiving them too!

High Five For Friday!

Hi Five for Friday!  It's been a little while since I've been around these parts but I'm excited to be back at the party!  Linking up with Lauren for my high five of the week:

1) To start my week off back at work on a positive note I decided to treat myself to a morning cup of coffee.  Well me or whoever "Kadi" is.  Any who, coffee was a bust.  This skinny peppermint mocha was not exactly the delicious pick me up I was looking for.  No worries, I made up for it the rest of the week with perfect cups of home brewed delicious coffee in our Keurig.

2) We got a kitchen compost pail!  Ok, hippie alert I know but, we have been wanting to start composting for so long and I'm so excited we finally can.  I can't wait to see if we notice a difference in our garden fruits and vegetables after we begin to till in the compost.

3) I made these granola bars this week from skinnytaste.com.  You guys, I.Am.In.Love!  You have to try them.  Ok I guess I can force you to but I can highly suggest that you try them.  I've had one each morning with fruit for breakfast and could easily have seconds and thirds a fourths.  They were surprisingly easy to make and I was lucky enough to have all ingredients in the pantry, bonus!

4) Up until about a month ago we thought we hit the labrador allergy jackpot with miss Marley.  That was until the ear infections, leg gnawing and eye watering started.  Like Maya, Marley too seems to have food allergies, which we discovered after completing treatment for her symptoms that then reappeared when the medication ceased .  Luckily, after only a few days on her new food, she has stopped gnawing on her legs, her ears have begun to clear up, her eyes don't water anymore and she just seems more perky overall.  Happy pet parent moment over here!

5) On Thursday this happened:

Because this happened:

 

Please don't judge.  I was in desperate need of "Merry and Bright" in some other form then red break lights.

The weather is predicted to cool off in our parts this weekend and I am incredibly excited about that.  Between a week in the Bahamas at 85 degrees and a week at home with one day hitting 90 degrees, I've almost forgotten that it's actually Fall.  Happy Friday friends!

Meal Plan Monday! We're Back!

Hello friends, long time no talk!  I'm going to keep this post short and sweet partly because my brain is stuck in another time-zone so it thinks I should be well asleep as I'm typing this and partly because if I stay up writing it is going to be even harder than I already anticipate it will be to get up for work in the morning.  Yes work.  That place I've been away from for two and a half weeks.

First up, some quick trip highlights.  I'll go into detail in another post but thought I'd share a few before getting into our meal plan.

1) Staying at the Grand Lucayan Resort on Grand Bahama Island

2) Enjoying this view

3) Dinner at the Flying Fish

4) Endless laughs with this guy

5) Snorkeling

Our guide "No Butt Ben"

6) Visiting Garden of the Groves

7) The street signs

Crosswalk

Although it was nice to get a break from cooking while we were away,  Aaron and I are not accustomed to eating out very often.  Oddly enough, it's just really not our thing.  I love to cook which probably plays a role in all of that too.  I'll be honest, I missed our kitchen.  All of the food we ate was very good, I just missed being in the kitchen and knowing exactly what was in our meals.  Something I didn't realize how much I appreciated until we were gone.  With all that being said, naturally I was eager to throw a meal plan together for this week so I had every excuse to be back in the kitchen....you know aside from the obvious fact that we do need to eat.

Here's what's on the menu this week (recipes accessed by clicking the hyperlinks):

Monday: Eat Yourself Skinny Chicken Pot Pies (These are So easy and SO good!)

Tuesday: Black Bean and Spinach Burritos with Spanish Rice (I use some organic box brand you can find at Vons or Albertsons)

Wednesday: Turkey Chili served over Brown Rice and topped with Diced Avocado and a dash of Cheese

Thursday: Savory Stuffed Sweet Potatoes and small side salad

Friday:  Homemade Sushi and Miso Soup.  The Miso Soup is an all natural version you can find at Albertsons and Vons as well.