Friday Favorites (on a Sunday)

I know, I know...it's not Friday, but I still have some fun things to share with you. I just couldn't get my ish together for Friday. I hope you had a good weekend! Enjoy some of my favorites for the week, and maybe they will inspire a fabulous week for you!

number one

Megan's amazing workouts! I have followed Janae for a long time and she always raves about Megan's boot camp classes. I started following Megan on instagram just last week and her workouts have already kicked my butt twice! I did the full body workout that she posted a video of on instagram on Wednesday, and today I did one from her website called MC FIT MONDAY MAX OUT FULL BODY CIRCUIT. Y'all I thought I might die! Ok, I might be a slight bit dramatic, but these workouts were amazing! I did them both at home and finished feeling totally done!

 

 

number two

 

 

These two fabulous books came in the  mail on Friday! I have been looking forward to getting these books for so long and they are finally here! I adore both of Shay's blogs and have already gone through the entire Meal Planner book and planned out this week's meals based on recipes in it. If you are looking for a little pep in your weeknight meals, I highly recommend getting this book. I also love the adorable size of these books. They were perfect for throwing in my purse this weekend and taking out to the farm.

 

number three  

 

 

 

I am obsessed with these tea towels! My Mamaw made each of us a set of these towels with different characters, mine are birds, when we got married. I just adore them and I love the way they look above our dining room entryway. Ben and I debated off and on which wall to put these on, and right as we were about to hang them, I realized there was room above the doorway. My oldest sister has hers in a similar place and they fit perfectly. I love looking at these all the time and being reminded of my sweet Mamaw.

 

 

number four

 

 

Target's new clothes for the kiddos! I mean look at these adorable dresses...it took all my willpower not to buy both of them. It helped that I had just gone through a box of clothes from my sister and she had so many adorable dresses for Henley. I am loving the Spring and Summer stuff for Henley. We are going to Hawaii this summer with Ben's family and I can't help but constantly think of the things we may need for the flight and the beach. I bought Henley  a few things this week for the trip and I can't wait to see her wear them! What is it about baby clothes for Spring and Summer? They are just so so cute!!

 

How cute are these?!

 

number five

 

 

Target dates with Henley! We had a rough morning on Friday. I'm 99% positive that she is cutting one of her molars, so we go through phases right now where she only wants to be held. Friday was one of those mornings. I decided not to go to the gym because I knew I would only worry about her when I dropped her off. In an effort to get out of the house before naptime, I decided we would go to Target and roam around a bit. I needed to pick up a few things, but we ended up staying for a while and had so much fun. I let Henley walk around and she loved walking up and down the aisles looking at all of the toys. I can't believe how big she is. She giggled and giggled walking around the store and running away from me! When we were done roaming, I took her to the in-store Starbucks and got her a chocolate milk and vanilla bean scone. She loved it! I never knew a date at Target could be so much fun!

 

 







What's Up Wednesday

Hey guys! A couple of my favorite bloggers do a post called "WHAT'S UPWEDNESDAY" the last Wednesday of every month and I thought I would join! It is a specific post for the last Wednesday of each month that answers some fun questions. I am super excited for my first one and hope you enjoy hearing "what's up" in our neck of the woods!

Below is the list of questions we answer each month. I'd love for you to use the comments section and answer some of these questions yourself. I love to read what's going on with everyone else and know more about my readers!

 

1. WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS WEEK...

Nothing too exciting for this one. It is the last week of the month and I am making a conscience effort not to go to the grocery store and spend money. Needless to say, we are cleaning out the kitchen, freezer and pantry. We were busy both Monday and Tuesday night, so tonight was our first night to try it out. It went well, but I really enjoy meal planning, so I'm ready for the week to be over. I look forward to getting creative in the kitchen and cooking a meal each night. Tonight was Schwan's frozen fish and lots of fresh roasted veggies. Who knows what tomorrow night will bring!!

 

 

2. WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT...

I am reminiscing about this time last year. Ben keeps saying that our winter will come in February, and last year we did get snow in February and March, but I feel like we are just going to move on to spring soon. Last year at this time, I was all snuggled up in the house with a brand new baby enjoying a cozy fire in the fireplace. I can't say that I am a huge fan of the cold, but I do like to feel like we at least had a little bit of the season. I really just want some snow or some ice days and then I'll be good!

 

 

I can't believe she was ever this small! This was her first snow!

 

 

3. WHAT I'M LOVING...

I am absolutely loving my morning space! I love studying at the kitchen table with my coffee. I can look to my left out the dining room windows and see our wonderful backyard or to my right into our cozy living room. Also to my right is my favorite new addition to the dining room, the tea towels that my Mamaw made for me when we got married. I knew I would never use them (because they're so pretty), so I framed them and we just found the perfect spot for them last weekend.

 

 

I didn't really take this in the morning...believe me, Ben is not usually up watching tv in the early hours of the morning.

 

 

4. WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO...

We have mostly been working on the house. Like I said in one of my other posts, I am constantly on the lookout for  the little things that will make our house feel like home. We went shopping on Saturday and found a few things that we have added and love, and then I found a couple of wonderful additions today while out and about with Henley. It is a constant project and whenever we find the time, we hang things and organize.

 

Loving our new tv console from Home Goods!

I picked up this chalkboard from Hobby Lobby today for half price and used a chalk pen to write on it.

 

Sorry about the poor lighting, but we got this mirror at Home Goods and it is above our entry table.

I am trying to fill the open shelves in the kitchen with cute things. We got the bowl and lemons at Home Goods this weekend and I got the "C" there too a few weeks ago. The bowls are from a wedding shower and the other pieces with it are from the Pioneer Woman collection.

 

5. WHAT I'M DREADING...

It is already over, but yesterday I was so dreading taking Henley to the doctor to get her flu booster. She got the first part of the flu shot at her one year appointment and it made me cry. She usually does so well with shots, but you could tell the flu shot threw her for a loop. She definitely felt it and her tears absolutely crushed me. Ben was there for that one, so he kind of took over, but this time I was by myself. Henley actually did great. Again, she definitely felt it, and her tears broke my heart, but they didn't last long at all. Ever since I had marshmallows at her birthday party for the hot chocolate, she has loved them, so I brought a few for her to have after the shot and they were a total hit.

 

You can't even tell that she just got her shot!

 

 

 

6. WHAT I'M WORKING ON...

Other than the house, I am working on coming up with blog posts and organizing Henley's closet. We have boxes upon boxes of clothes from my oldest sister and more boxes of things that I have set aside from what she has already grown out of. My goal is to truly go through everything and figure out what I really want to keep in case we have another girl and what we don't need anymore.

 

 

7. WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT...

I cannot wait for Ben's birthday! He turns 29 next Friday, February 5th, and I can't wait to give him his present. I obviously can't say why, but I think he is going to be so surprised and so excited for what I have up my sleeve. We are also going to this amazing restaurant, Keichi, in Denton on Friday night and that alone is a reason to be excited. Sushi here I come!!

 

 

8. WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING...

I am finally almost finished with the book I've been reading for forever, Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah. I have read a number of her other books and always fall in love with them. This one is also very very good. It took me a little bit longer to get into than her others, but I'm not sure whether it was the plot or just the fact that I couldn't find time to read, so I would always have to figure out where I left off before I could pick it back up. I am also reading For the Love by Jen Hatmaker and cannot say enough good things about it. There will definitely be some future posts dedicated to my favorite things about this book!

 

Right now, Ben and I have been getting back into Fixer Upper. We have always love love loved this show, but we got too into a few Netflix shows and totally forgot about it for a while. Now that we have finished Making a Murderer, we are back to watching Sons of Anarchy. We are on the last season and I'm not sure whether I'm out or in. I'm just finding it harder and harder to watch. On my own, I am always watching (really more listening to) Friends, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and Girlfriends Guide to Divorce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. WHAT I'M LISTENING TO...

I haven't really been listening to much music lately, but have instead been listeing to The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show when I'm driving. Now that I'm not driving to work in the morning, I don't catch it, so I've been streaming it on the app. I would rather listen to people talk for some reason when I drive for a while and since I drive about 30 minutes or more at least 3 times a week, I have just gotten to where it's always on in my car.

 

 



 

10. WHAT I'M WEARING...

In general, I'm pretty much always in my workout clothes. I go to the gym every morning during the week (sometimes I workout at home on Wednesdays, so Henley isn't in the car all day or I'll run around the neighborhood some days), and unless we have something scheduled in the evening I find it kind of pointless to get ready for the day.

 

When I am not in my workout clothes, lately I have been loving my leather jackets, boots and booties. I have also been wearing my striped BP tee a heck of a lot.

 

We went to a STARS game last week and had so much fun!  

This was my outfit to the hockey game. Those are jeans, not black pants.

I wore this to church last week.

 

 

 

11. WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND...

My oldest sister and her kids always spend the weekend with my parents when my brother-in-law goes to their church's men's retreat, so they will be at the new place this weekend. We decided to make it a family affair, so e will all be out there on Saturday for a fabulous day of playing and cooking! It is supposed to be an absolutely beautiful day, so I intend on taking my book(s) out there with me and reading on the back porch while Henley takes her nap. When Henley's awake, we will definitely be playing outside with all of her cousins! It should be a blast!

 

We won't have to bundle up near as much this weekend and can take much longer rides around the land!

 

 

 

12. WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH...

Again, Ben's birthday! I am also hoping that it might get a little cold and that we might even get a little snow!

 

 

13. WHAT ELSE IS NEW...

I think I've covered pretty much everything in the other questions. Henley is changing every single day and I just can't get over how much I love her! I catch myself staring at her all the time and just can't wait to see what she does next.

 

 

I purchased this high chair a couple weeks ago and so look forward to eating meals these days with her right next to me!

 

 

 

BONUS QUESTION - FAVORITE VALENTINE'S DAY TREAT...

I can't say that anything really sticks out in my mind as a specific Valentine's Day treat. The thing I remember the most about Valentine's Day is making those boxes for school for classmates to put valentines in. I love those! I guess a treat for me on Valentine's Day is a good glass of wine or cocktail. I don't drink very often (I'd rather eat my calories), but when Ben and I have a nice meal I like to treat myself to either a cocktail (pomegranate martini) or a glass of wine. I feel like such a grown up!

 

 

Well that's all for this month's "WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY"! I can't wait to answer these questions at the end of next month! Again, please feel free to answer some of these questions in the comments. Happy Wednesday! 

 

 



 







 

 

 



 

 

 

 





 

#GOALS

I have never been super into New Year's Resolutions, but I do usually make a few goals for the year. The problem is that I usually make too many for the entire year, so I don't continually look at them and forget about them. This year, I'm doing something different...

I purchased my first Erin Condren planner and LOVE the blank pages at the beginning of each month for monthly goals. Each month is so much easier for me to keep up with and I feel like it's a more attainable goal. I can look back at the end of each month and see how I did, and then if I need to continue working on a specific goal, make note of that for the next month. I'm hoping that this will help me achieve a few more things this year and make some necessary changes.

So without further ado, here is a run down of my goals for January 2016!

 

 

 

1. Wake up at 7:00 - This one seems so ridiculous to me since I used to wake up at 4:45 or 5:00 every morning to workout before work, but this whole stay-at-home mom thing has really got me off my game. Although I enjoyed some extra sleep, I was really frustrated with how little quiet time I had and how I felt like I was always rushing from one thing to another, never really put together. This goal has been a total success!! I have been getting up about 7:00 every morning, even the weekends. I have felt so much more in control with everything and have LOVED getting to spend each morning doing a quiet time. Next month, I'm shooting for an even earlier wake-up call!

2. Do I want to start blogging? - This one has obviously been a success! I have debated back and forth for forever about whether or not I wanted to commit to blogging, and I finally did it! Yay yay yay yay yay!!

3. Be more intentional with moms - I wouldn't say that I have done a fabulous job with this one yet, but it hasn't been a total failure. Ben and I have gotten more involved in our church and are actually going to dinner at a couple's house tonight. I still have a ways to go here, but baby steps right? I'm not the best at opening up or putting myself out there with friends, but since most of my best friends don't live near me and aren't moms, I feel like I really need to start making some new friends.

4. Take Henley to different activities/play times - Again, I wouldn't say this one has been an absolute success, but it definitely hasn't been a total failure. To my defense, the library doesn't get back on their regular schedule until this week, and that is one place I would like to take Henley. This goal kind of piggy backs on #3, so I've got to get that one in gear. Henley gets play time with other kids everyday at the gym, but I would also like to take her other places. We did go to an hour of playtime at a local gymnastics place this month and Ben and I took her to the play area at the mall. The mall wasn't my favorite though because there are always too many big kids. They are pretty wild and crazy and this last time, Henley was sat on by a little girl. She didn't really recover, so we had to leave shortly after.

I mean, who wouldn't want to hang out with this kid?!

 

5. Spend time reading the Bible daily - TOTAL SUCCESS!!!! Before my Bible study started back up, I was going to ifequip.com each morning and doing the I AM study. Now that I am back in the Bible study, I am spending time doing it each morning. I am loving this time each morning!!

6. Read more, phone less - Success! I have definitely started reading more. I have to admit something...it is super embarrassing, especially as a former English teacher...I have had to recheck my book from the library 3 times. So sad!! I have finally gotten back into reading it and with some extra time on the elliptical, I am almost done. I have also been reading For the Love at night before bed and am obsessed! I am really not on my phone during the day (hello toddler), but I am on it for a long time at night trying to catch up on instagram. I feel like I have done a much better job of finding balance, but there is still some effort to be made there.

 

7. Marriage goals with Ben - Unfortunately, we have not done this yet. I am hoping that we can find a day next month that we can carve out for this time. A couple of my friends said they did this with their husbands and it was amazing. I believe it's recommended to get out of town for a day or a weekend, but hopefully we can just have a babysitter for a day and knock it out. Crossing my fingers for next month.

8. Less TV - I'm not sure I can say that this was a success at all. Ben and I aren't staying up as late, so I guess we're succeeding a little bit, but I think we could still cut back. Lets just say that Making a Murderer totally consumed our lives for 2 days last weekend!

9. Find a cleaning plan and stick to it - Well, I did find a cleaning plan, but I haven't really stuck to it. I have done a better job at cleaning a little bit each day though and am so happy with the effort. I am way less overwhelmed and have more time to spend with Ben and Henley on the weekends. Plus, less nagging for Ben on the weekends. Double success!!

So I would say for the most part, things were a success this month! A few will be finding their way into my calendar for February, so hopefully I can make them a TOTAL success soon!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!! I am so excited that it is the weekend for a few different reasons. For one, my sweet niece is turning SEVEN (how did this happen?!) tomorrow and we are celebrating with a family lunch on Sunday. I love birthdays, and I love family time! I am always excited for the weekend because we get to spend time together as a family, and I think we are going to shop a little bit for some house stuff which is always a fun time for me! And last but not least, I am thrilled for the weekend because Ben and I made an effort to eat healthier this week (LOTS of veggies), and the weekend means I am that much closer to having dessert back in my life!

This week has flown by and has been super fabulous! Below are some of my favorite things from the week. Enjoy!

Numero Uno

 

 

 

Ponytails on ponytails on ponytails -  Henley finally has enough hair for a little palm tree on her head or a ponytail in the back. I decided to do both one night for fun, and since then, I have given her a palm tree everyday. I just can't resist! I am also in love with our morning routine of her sitting on the bathroom counter while I do her hair. Although it may give me some horrid flashbacks from my childhood (I am tender-headed and my mom shows no mercy in the hairstyling department), I also can't wait to do her hair each morning for the next however many years she lets me! Whoa - guess I should learn how to French braid!

 

 

 

 

This is the aftermath of a palm tree all day!

 

 

Numero Dos

 

#screenshot

 

FRIENDS episodes - I finished Gilmore Girls over the holidays and have been lost without it. When Henley is napping, I like to at least have background noise going, and I always need a default show for when I'm folding laundry. This week, after having a morning show on, I saw FRIENDS on tv and it just sparked my interest. I didn't think I would really enjoy watching episodes again (my sisters and I were obsessed growing up), but I love it! Oh they don't make tv like this anymore! Also, we may need to discuss some outfit choices in the future. Were some of those things actually trendy? I just keep thinking that if you're on a tv show, you should have the best wardrobe options, but holy moly are some of those outfits rough!

 

 

Numero Tres

 

 





Women's Bible Study - A few years ago I joined a Women's Bible Study and absolutely loved it. I took a couple of semesters off during volleyball or track season, but I started back up last semester. Our teacher, Jen Wilkin, is amazing and really helps us to study the Bible in a way that I never had before. Our motto is: "The heart cannot love what the mind does not know." This was something I so needed...truly learning about God. Anyway, there is a study each semester and we started back up on Tuesday with this session in Hebrews. I am so excited to be back in community with my small group and to continue studying the Bible. This is one of those "me" things that I started back up last semester.

 

 

 

Numero Cuatro

 

Blogging again - I am so so happy to be blogging again! It is such a great outlet for me and I love getting to write again. Thank you so much to those of you who have made comments or have talked to me about how excited you are to read what I have to say. You have no idea how much it means to me!

 

 

Numero Cinco

 

Home Goods and the Target Dollar/Three Dollar Section - I'm combining these two because there is only so much you need to know about two of my biggest shopping addictions! I LOVE these two places! I really love everything about Target, but this week I am giving a special shout out to the dollar/three dollar section.  Gotta throw in that "three dollar" because most of the best stuff is really not a dollar. They get you anyway they can! After moving at the end of October, I am constantly on the lookout for the perfect things to go in our house. We have settled in for the most part, but we still have the details to finish. Although my husband may tell you different based on his thoughts of my spending, I have no intentions of doing it all at once. I am just always looking for special pieces! We have a TJ Maxx here in Denton that has a small Home Goods section, but the real winner is in Highland Village which is now about 30 minutes away. No problem...I go to a couple workout classes at the gym in Highland Village which is conveniently located in the same shopping center as Home Goods! Needless to say, I am in and out of there about twice a week perusing. In an effort to show self-control, I have implented a rule - if I see something in there 3+ times and I still want it and have been thinking about it, then I can possibly purchase it. Anyway, I made a couple purchases from both the dollar/three dollar section and Home Goods this week that I am happy with, so I call this week a winner! Plus, you know that I will be going back this weekend with Ben to pull the trigger on a few more things! I use him for his truck!  

 

Our mudroom/laundry room has no shelving or cabinets, so I added this adorable shelving unit and basket to help out. Don't mind the hoses...I am hoping my husband will build something around the washer and dryer to hide them.

 

We now have a playroom for Henley and I just added these on the wall in a cute little corner. I am hoping to add a picnic table (that my husband will build) underneath for Henley to one day color/create.

 

 

 

 

Happy Friday friends! I hope you have a fabulous weekend! 

Life Lately

I am having so much fun being a mom to a 13 month old! This stage is so much fun! Don't get me wrong, there are definitely more challenging days, but for the most part, I love love love spending everyday with my little girl.

Henley started walking ALL THE TIME last week. She has taken steps every now and then since she was about 11 months old, but she is a speed demon of a crawler, so she would fall and go back to crawling pretty quick. Last week, it just stuck. She wants to walk everywhere! I was sitting at the computer one morning and she came walking in from her playroom and it completely surprised me. I kept thinking I would hear the pitter patter of her hands and feet crawling, but she was teeter tottering along instead. I love it! So far, we have only had one accident where a hard fall led to a cut lip, so I count ourselves blessed because she has definitely fallen more than once.

Lets back up a bit...we had a fabulous Christmas and a Happy New Year, but after the craziness of the holidays, we added more craziness to the mix and helped move my parents out of our childhood home. We have lived there for over 20 years, so it was obviously a little sad, but we are all super excited for my parents. They made a major move out to the country on some beautiful land.

 Ben conveniently went out of town the day that we planned to help move them, so Henley and I spent the weekend in Dallas. We got to meet two of my very best friends from college for brunch on Saturday morning, and then took a long walk down the Katy Trail. It was so nice to catch up and get out of the house on a cold, dreary morning before packing. We had to bundle Henley up tight for our walk.

 

 

Later that afternoon, everyone (all the sisters, husbands, grandkids and boyfriends) arrived at my parents and we worked together to load trucks and trailers. We ordered pizza and ended the night with some games of knockout before saying a prayer and shedding some tears. I can't even begin to explain how blessed I am with an amazing family. I am so thankful that I got to share so many wonderful memories with all of them in that house.

 

 

We didn't quite finish packing on Saturday night, so we got up early and continued to pack, pack, pack on Sunday morning.

 

 

 

 

Packing with a baby tends to get difficult at times. Everyone showed up again and we finished packing, said bye to the neighborhood, grabbed lunch at JG's Burgers and headed out to the farm to help them unpack. Thankfully, Ben came back through town and met us there. He got some bonus points back for that! At one point, the kids were getting a little antsy, so I took Henley and her girl cousins to Sonic to get a drink. Don't judge the car seat-I drove a mile down the road.

 

 

 

Other fun happenings around here have included going to a gymnastics place to play and get our first stamp and stickers (Henley danced a lot by the speaker), visiting the new farm, taking walks to Sonic on nice days (we live a mile from one), having accidents in Walmart on very cold days and going pantsless until we pick out a new outfit, enjoying our new front yard and playing with our new ball, and giving Henley her first ponytails. So far 2016 has been very good to us and we are still really enjoying our new house. Oh yea, we moved AGAIN (4 moves in 5 years...yikes!). Hopefully this one will stick for a while!

 

My big girl waiting for her stickers and stamp.

The stickers didn't last long since she tried to eat them and the stamp kept scaring me and making me think she had a rash!

We took a very short ride in the mule on the farm before heading back inside to enjoy the fire.

She is obsessed with rocking chairs and would not give up Dee's phone!

Aunt Christie got her these pjs for Christmas and I am obsessed!

 

She loved watching the cars go by at Sonic and some tater tots. She may have also had a sip or two of my vanilla coke zero (I am currently fasting from them because I am obsessed!).

#nopantsnoproblem Mom will just get me some munchkins at Dunkin Donuts!

 

When did she get so big?!?!

I see an athlete in our future!

 

Ponytails on ponytails!

 

 







Happy Wednesday all!!