Giving Thanks

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There is so much that I am thankful for this year. This year has been filled with ups, downs, and everything in between. This year has been a learning year, filled with the people closest to me. This year, I've...

...had the pleasure of marrying my best freind
...planned a wedding, which took more than a little support from family and friends
...had a car blow up and had family and friends help us every step of the way during that time
...helped my boo thang through a major surgery, with his family supporting us every day
...gotten moved around at work, which led to meeting new and amazing people because of it
...fixed the house up so much, with tons of help from our family
...seen friends have babies and get married
...spent time with family and friends, sharing innumerable fun times (and bottles of wine)

What are some of the things that you give thanks for this year?

Currently Lusting After...

I love shopping at places that others don't usually think of as a place to buy clothes, especially for "trendy" items. It usually means that none of my other friends will have the same thing as me AND I get it at a really good deal. Today, I'm giving you some of the items that I have seen in store/online at one of my favorite places to buy trendy items. Honestly, for items that I know aren't going to be forever pieces, I have no problem shopping at a store like Forever 21. I know what I'm getting when I buy it.

Click on one of the links to find out which store carries all of these fabulously trendy clothes! A bonus, everything here is less than $22. 

Camo Skinny Jeans // Printed Cardigan // Lace Overlay Sweatshirt  // Pencil Skirt 

Skinny Jeans // Soft Tunic

Fur Vest // Gold Dotted Sweatshirt // Ponte Midi Skirt // Draped Jacket  

Were you shocked when you saw where all this was from? Where's one of your hidden gem places to shop?

Friday is Here!

IT'S FRIDAY! YAY! 

So, in other news- yesterday was my main squeezes birthday. What did we do you ask? We had Chipotle and both got off work late. BAM. This weekend we are going to a fancy dinner with his parents, which is always a good time. I still can't decide what to wear, so I am going to be doing one of two things-- 1) shopping for a new outfit. 2) doing ALL THE LAUNDRY. I have a feeling you can all guess what I am leaning towards. If you've got any good outfits pinned on Pinterest LET ME KNOW! SHARE THEM!  I'll try and remember to take photos.

Here's what my boo thang got for his birthday from me:

North Face Etip Gloves // Stephen King's Revival 

*side note: used my Swagbucks to buy the gloves on Amazon and got them on the super cheap! 

I have a feeling this is what our weekend is going to look like besides going out on Saturday. It's what most of our weekends look like, actually.

What are your super fun plans for this weekend? Share!

Laying Low and Happy Birthday!

Ya'll I've been laying low and I have to say it's been pretty relaxing. I have been trying to prioritize and make sure that I have my head on straight so that I can be the best me all the time. So far, I think it's working. We haven't been doing much of anything it's been sooo cold here, Gabriel had hand surgery last week, and we've both had a baby cold going on so it's been hibernation season the past week or so.

Whose birthday is it you ask?! It's my boo thangs! Happy anniversary of the day your momma pushed you out, G! For the next month or so, he will be 10 years older than me. I've gotta tell you, for him being old balls, he's got it going on. We aren't doing anything tonight, but on Saturday we're doing the fancy night out with his parents to celebrate both Gabriel and his father's birthdays. Maybe, I'll actually remember to take pictures of us looking good.



Let's all sing "Happy Birthday" to my hubs, Gabriel. I'm sure he would love that.

Track the Tank

Follow a tank tops journey as it travels all over the U.S. and into the hands of 25 bloggers! 

It's kind of like the Sisterhood of the traveling pants only much more awesome!

Here, we share our fitness journey, motivational tips and tricks, and what keeps us lookin' fine!

And what's in it for you? When the journey is over...YOU get a chance to win it!

I got the Sisterhood of the Traveling Tank in the mail on Saturday from Darci and will be sending it out to Erin. If you haven't checked out all the amazing places that this tank has been, head over to Tia's and take a look a the #TracktheTank page. 

I took the tank on an amazing walk around the lake that is behind our house. This is the place where I like to walk/run and just have some quiet time. On to the big question-- what motivates me? What I just said is exactly it, I like to have the me time. I like the peace and quiet of being with my thoughts. I like that I am taking time for me. Don't get me wrong, the outcome doesn't hurt. I like to feel good and like me when I look in the mirror. I think that the time to reflect is so important to the way I feel about myself and life, which is what I get when I take the time for me. Do I lose focus sometimes? Yes. Do I feel like crap about it? No. I realize that sometimes I prioritize things that I shouldn't or let others influence how I am acting and go back and change that shit. 

For me, that is the biggest part. Making sure that what I am doing is for me. Is it a bonus that Gabriel has been going on walks with me? Yes. I love that we spend the time together and it is totally no pressure, we can walk silent or talk about our days.  He is super, duper into health and fitness and works out ALL THE TIME. Am I doing this for him? Nope. He just happened to come into my life at the same time that I realized I had to change parts of my life. I couldn't eat like shit everyday, drink a pitcher of beer and sit on the couch. I needed to do more than that. So, I bought an elliptical and plopped that sucker in my living room. That's how I started. It went with me from my apartment, to our rental house, to our right now forever home. Right now,  do I use it frequently? Nope. I like to walk outside when it's nice out instead. I still prefer to do workout DVDs in my living room than go to the community center when I am by myself. That's just me. I am ok with that. I don't feel bad about it. I like trying new online videos and laughing at myself when I try new things. 

What motivates you? 

Weekend in Review {{11.10.14}}

Friday was the same ol' same. Boo thang and I go to an early dinner for Mexican (cough, margaritas, cough). We literally go as early as possible to miss seeing other people, yet I still managed to be sat in the booth connected to the librarian at one of my previous schools AND from my new one. FML. How am I supposed to talk shit on my day now?! I just wanna go sit on my couch now.

Saturday... I really have no clue what I did on Saturday. It was filled with stuff. But nothing amazeballs. Grocery shopping and errands. You know, living the dream. 

If this said "I'm in for the day." it would be entirely more accurate. 

Sunday was filled with chores and a tiny nap. I took down all the Halloween/Fall decor and put up Christmas stuff! YAY! While it wasn't on my official to do list, we also cleaned out the garage and winterized our backyard. I made myself a nice little to-do list for the day and felt pretty good about it. 

What all did you do? Am I crazy for putting up my Christmas stuff already? 

Fall Goals--- Any Advice?

I know what you are all thinking, girl Fall has been here and it's almost Winter and you're just now putting together goals?! Yep, I am just now getting my shit together to put my goals down on paper. I want to put them out there in the world to hold myself accountable. So, for me Fall started Nov 1 and will go until December 1. 

• Get Organized and Down Size: I have a lot of stuff. I like to keep things forever and I know that I don't need to. I put these two things together, because I feel like they go hand in hand. 
• Clean out Closets--- keep things I ACTUALLY wear and that fit. 
• Hall (winter boots and scarves)
• Guest Room (craft supplies, coats, and STUFF) 
• Bedroom (clothes and shoes, including under bed storage containers)
• Clean Desk 
• Start filing system (we have all our paperwork shoved into a drawer)
• Clean Out Kitchen Cabinets
• Sell Said Stuff (or donate): Not only do I need to decide to get rid of stuff, I need to actually do it. Why do I need to keep the shirt someone gave me for Christmas 2 years ago that I've never worn? 
• Stick to My Routine and WRITE It Down: I am thinking of starting a calendar in the kitchen that is there for both of us to see. Gabriel doesn't like surprises and I try to do a weekly run-down, but we both have a lot going on and can forget. We tried sharing iPhone calendars--- worst idea ever!  
• Workout- I love to walk when it is this time of the year, but I need to do more than that.
• Cleaning (including the dreaded laundry) because the house gets NASTY during the wet months with the dogs. 
• Cooking- I would like to eat out one less meal. We have been eating out 1 weeknight, Friday night, Saturday morning and night. I meal plan, so that keeps us within a set budget and gives us a weekly menu. We started eating in on Sundays nights and weekend one breakfast about a year ago, so this has been a slow work in progress. 

Does anyone have any tips? I am trying to de-stress and de-clutter my life so that I can focus more on being the best me all the time. I would love to hear how you've organized your life! 

Weekend Fun

I love fall. I love wearing scarves, boots, and seeing all the leaves change. I love how quiet everything seems and how people get excited for all the upcoming holidays and family events. I like to curl up with tea and sit on my couch when I am the only one awake. 

I have been going on the most beautiful walks. We have the best little park behind our house, that has a track around it that is a .42 mile loop. We have been walking it in the evening together, but on Sunday morning I got up and went by myself, which was so peaceful. 

This is what I did for Halloween. We moved our fire pit to the front yard and passed out candy from there. It was the best decision! The dogs didn't freak out every time there was a knock on the door, we didn't have small children trying to navigate our construction zone of a front walk way, and we talked to our neighbors more this way. 

Sunday was all about tailgating! We went with G's parents and it was a blast! It was a little windy, but whatevs, I look good in a hat. Gabriel's parents always have everything planned down to the smallest detail, including a pop up porta potty if need be and it makes it so hassle free and fun! I try to contribute treats and other little goodies, so since I knew it would be chilly I brought a big thermos of coffee and raisin, walnut, and cinnamon bread. Yum! 

Linking up with B Loved Boston! Go check out all the other ladies who linked up too! 

What all did you guys do?