Shameless Plug!

Interested in shopping the new Stella and Dot collection? I'm hosting a trunk show from now until February 9 - start shopping today! Please let me know if you have any questions! 

And visit my site if you're interested in purchasing from Stella and Dot in the future.

5 on Friday

I hope everyone has some big plans this weekend. This is the first weekend in 3 week we're actually staying in town, so there is some lazy time scheduled, but also some cleaning and a hefty to-do list for L. Here are are some thoughts before signing off for the weekend!

1. I am going to start selling Stella & Dot!

 I'm so excited about getting started with this. A friend from home looped me into it, and we all know I'm up for a challenge, so wish me luck! (And let me know if you see anything you want to purchase!)

2. Super Bowl Snacks

We're going to a party on Sunday with a bunch of other Army friends and I've decided to make some meat and cheese crescent pinwheels (if I can get 32 pinwheels out of it, and use turkey instead of ham, they should be 1 WW P+ each) and some avocado, salsa, and cream cheese puff pastries (I think these will be 4 WW P+ each, but totally worth it).

3. Homemade Creamer

As a TGIF gift to myself, I decided to try home making some coffee creamer this morning. I had gotten away from drinking coffee since I take it with cream and sugar, and it's too many points (and have been drinking black tea plain instead). But this morning, my 5 o'clock wake up needed extra incentive.  I didn't need such a big batch, so I used equal parts milk and sweetened condensed milk (1/2 c. each for this morning) with a splash of vanilla extract. I shook it up in an old jelly jar, and because it foamed a little from the shaking, it gave my coffee a latte-y taste. Yum yum yum!

4. Honey-Do List

I mentioned our honey-do list for this weekend - I wanted to give you a peek at what I have in mind for our apartment. I think we decided last night just to stay put when our lease is up, which means I'm 100% ready to make this place look even more like home. 

We used window panes as our seating chart at the wedding and saved the two smaller ones and I'd love to use them as a headboard! So this weekend, they're getting hung! (As soon as I get that paint marker off of them!!!)

Source

I'm also ready to take on our laundry room! It's a laundry room/pantry right now, so it has to multi-task, but is in dire need of organizing. There is some great shelving above it, so I'm thinking something like this:

Source

Between these two things and a deep cleaning of the bathroom and the search for new blankets for the bedroom, it'll be a full weekend!

5. New Friends!

Since L has gone down to his unit, he's been working closer with some new guys, which means more new friends! I think we're going to double date tomorrow night, and I'm so excited to make (more) new friends!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Weigh-in #4

This morning I was actually really excited to weigh in. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I finally had the time to stay for a meeting. (I know that attending meetings helps with weight loss and it's best to just drink the kool aid.) I missed the last two meetings because of work commitments, and even though I'm easily the youngest person in my group, it's nice to share advice and tricks.

That being said, I wasn't optimistic about how much I'd lose. I was loosy-goosy about tracking and only worked out twice. But, I did lose!  I'm down 1.38% from last week. Which means I have lost a total of 4.15% of my body weight, am 45.33% of the way to my Romper goal, 22.67% of my Maxi goal, and 20% of my overall goal (which gets me the Elsa top!) 

I kept dinners simple this week. Tacos Sunday, bagel pizzas on Monday (on bagel thins and with turkey pepperoni), breakfast for dinner Tuesday (scrambled eggs with cheese and avocado), and skinny tuna cakes last night. I have chicken taquitos, chili, and honey lime tilapia on deck for this weekend and am already game-planning with my sister about how to handle the Super Bowl. (No crock pots of dip in our laps, right, B?)

Thanks to everyone for the motivation and advice last week - it meant so much! If it keep up at this pace, I should be at my goal weight by mid-May!

Wish List Wednesday

I don't know what is it, but I have had the serious urge to do some retail therapy recently. It could be the cold weather, the cabin fever, or spending time in great cities with no time to shop - but I'm ready to do some damage. $100's worth, that is.

I'm really wanting to spruce up the apartment some, so this week will be themed around home goods.

These Trellis napkins are $9.99 at Target and would be a great addition to the kitchen table.

I'm not sure where I'd put this Monogrammed glass plate from C Wonder, but it's only $12. If only they had it in "S"!

Target does it again with this Nate Berkus Wood Tray. Only $20 and would be great for my vanity (or our dresser, when we get one...)

This Bygel cart is $25 from Ikea and could make the perfect starter bar cart for me while we found the perfect one for our apartment. Plus, the drawer makes great storage for bottle openers and koozies!

This scalloped shelf set would be the perfect addition for over the cart, to store items that don't fit on the cart. Only $25 at Khols.

What do you think? It's lots of white, but I might think about spray painting the shelves a different color (that isn't black or brown). What would you buy with your allowance?

Resolution Update #4

Another week down! I think (just like everyone) I'm sticking to some, and definitely need to work on others. Let's check the run down...

 

A bad habit I'm going to break: Drinking soda. -- NOPE. This one went out the window this week big time, and not just that time that Momma needed a bourbon and ginger ale...

A new skill I'd like to learn: Calligraphy! -- Still practicing away. I'm heading to Hobby Lobby this weekend with a friend and plan to pick things up to make Valentines - I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

A good deed I'm going to do: I'd love to find a Girl Scout troop to get involved in -- I researched the local branch and emailed the volunteer contact. I'm really excited about this! There are lots of different ways to get involved and I can't wait to see where I can help.

A place I'd like to visit: Just out of the country. -- Orders have officially come down, but no more news about deployment. July is a possibility, so maybe a May or June vacation is on the books, but nothing certain yet.

A book I'd like to read: The Bible. L and I are following this plan and right now we're 2 days behind. My fault - I wanted to do it before bed, and we keep forgetting, so back to dinner time it is. But, we're reading about Joseph and every time we read a chapter I sing him what I can remember of the corresponding song from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (my favorite show of all time).

A letter I'm going to write: I'd like to participate monthly (or maybe twice a month!) in More Love Letters. --I technically fulfilled my minimum requirement for this last week. There aren't any more bundle requests right now, but maybe I'll stick another anonymous note somewhere...

A new food I'd like to try: Indian food -- I found some great recipes online and I'm keeping my eye on Weight Watchers website for ways to satisfy this craving at home!

I'm going to do better at: working out and eating better. I didn't do too too bad this weekend points wise, and biked yesterday. Since I'm helping to dog-sit, time this evening will be a little crunched, but I'm hoping to get a short interval workout in on the treadmill before L gets home from work.

Hopefully this weekend will help me hit "reset" and I can get back into a routine. How are your resolutions?

 

Weekend Wrap Up

What a wonderful weekend! I wasn't feeling well Friday so I took a sick morning, and once I was feeling better, L and I hit the road for Atlanta. We stayed in Buckhead (I love Buckhead!) and I had a school event first thing Saturday morning. We call it them "Sweet Briar Days" and they celebrate the founding of my alma mater. The best part? Connecting with alumnae from over the years and comparing stories. 

This week I had the chance to meet two women who graduated in 1956. I asked what they did for fun when they were in school, and they said their favorite place to visit was Chapel Hill - that boys would send them cars (since they couldn't have their own on campus) and they'd spend the weekends down there.

Afterwards, L and I grabbed lunch at The Varsity. Chili cheese dogs? Not WW friendly, but definitely delicious. 

 Then we met up with friends of mine from high school for white cheddar cheese, spinach and strawberry salad, ahi tuna steaks, and Pandemic. (We played 3 times through! It was so much fun!) We headed home yesterday, cleaned up and got ready for the week, and snuggled up on the couch to watch the Grammys.

Of course, Miss Loola didn't understand why she couldn't have any popcorn! (For more photos, follow me on Instagram!)

How was your weekend? Do anything fun?

Weigh In #3

It's weeks like this that I wish I didn't have to weigh in, but am thankful that I have WW meetings to hold me accountable.

I did awful this week. Between my frustration last week, our weekend in Louisville (and I mean, Hilton Garden Inn has the best breakfasts -- it was too hard to resist!), and a stressful week at work (which led to comfort food dinners...), I only maintained.

This means I lost 0% of my body weight, am still 30.67% of the way to my Romper goal, 15.33% of my Maxi goal, and 13.53% of my overall goal (which gets me that Elsa top!) 

I was in a cooking funk this week, having trouble finding Pinterest inspiration or recipes on WW's website. I did make it to two yoga classes, but didn't make it to either of the Pure Barre classes I was hoping for in Louisville. No running this week, and definitely too much junk food.

This week is a new one, though! My typical Thursday splurge was kept in control, and I'm going to work much harder this weekend to keep my meals in control. Plus, I'm registered for yoga classes Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but maybe I'll do some walking in the mornings as well.

I hope everyone has a good weekend! Any ideas or tips to keep me motivated?! Thanks!

Wish List Wednesday

Time for another installment of Wish List Wednesday - all adding up to $100 - my monthly "allowance." (PS, my Ashley Brook Designs "I Like The Way You Work It" tank came in yesterday and I'm obsessed. And I'm glad I got mine - they're sold out now!)

This week, I have spring fever like nobody's business. Maybe it was the beautiful weather on Monday or maybe I'm just sick of living in a place that gets bitter cold but no snow. Either way, I'm counting down the weeks to spring.

I love the monogrammed bathing suits, but I am too endowed on top to pull of a bandeau top. So, I'd love to match a bottom like this one ($40 from RahRah Designs) with a solid top from Target.

I love this soft cover notebook from Poppin - monogrammed with my last initial and only $9. Perfect for recording our spring/summer bucket list!

Who wouldn't need a nice, new koozie to keep their drinks warm pool-side? Monogrammed, of course. $9 from this super cute Etsy shop.

And of course, you need a good read! I think Emily Giffin's people knew what they were doing when they planned to release her new book in May - just in time for tanning season! Pre-order it on Amazon for $18.

Now, after spending all summer every summer pool side growing up, I have to be more careful about my skin - especially my face. So, sunscreen is a must! I love this Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 45 - and Ulta has it in a twin pack for $15. (Any excuse to use my Ulta card and earn points!)

And, last, but not least, grab a few noodles or a float and enjoy your day in the sunshine!

What are you dreaming of right now?

Resolution Update #3

To help hold myself accountable, I'm doing a weekly check-in on my Resolutions! (If you need refreshed, here are my resolutions, my January 7 update, and my January 14 update. Maybe I'll add a tab at the top soon to keep from putting 52 hyperlinks in a post...)

A bad habit I'm going to break: Drinking soda. -- I don't think I've had a soda since my last post... if I did, I honestly don't even remember it, so go me? Although there is a 2 liter of Ginger Ale in the fridge I'd love to sip on...

A new skill I'd like to learn: Calligraphy! -- I'm keeping at it, but am becoming frustrated that it isn't getting much easier. I'm practicing as much as I can, but I'm beginning to think I just don't have a knack for it. But, I'll forge on - I can't give up that easy!

A good deed I'm going to do: I'd love to find a Girl Scout troop to get involved in -- Still no research. Soon! I swear!

A place I'd like to visit: Just out of the country. -- No plans yet. Still waiting for L to get his orders so we know what the deployment schedule is like. But this month, Garden and Gun did an awesome write-up on St. Lucia's Hotel Chocolat that had me wishing...

A book I'd like to read: The Bible. L and I are following this plan and we are on track! We slacked off a bit and had to read 10 chapters of Genesis last night, but again, I love this time together. The commentary adds great insight and I love the discussions it sparks with L.

A letter I'm going to write: I'd like to participate monthly (or maybe twice a month!) in More Love Letters. --They aren't doing any letter bundles right now, so I decided to do an anonymous one. I just jotted it down and stuck it on a strangers car - I hope it brightened their day!

A new food I'd like to try: Indian food -- Oh my goodness, how did I wait so long to try Indian food?! It's my new favorite! I'm counting down the days til we can try it again.

I'm going to do better at: working out and eating better. I had a bad week with Weight Watchers last week, but I'm back on the horse. I'm trying to keep portions in control and workout when I can, although work is very busy at the moment and stress levels are through the roof.

Anyone else sticking to their resolutions?

 

 

Weekend Wrap-Up

My goodness! What a whirlwind but wonderful weekend. I had to go to Louisville for work, and since L had a four-day weekend (thanks, Army!) he came along with me. Which is great for me because it snowed and my poor southern upbringing didn't teach me how to drive in snow. Lucky for me, my South Bend native husband could do it since he was 13. 

I had a few appointments on Friday morning/afternoon, but when they were done, I was a free agent! We took a nap, got Indian food for dinner (oh my gosh, it's my new favorite! How did I go so long without eating it all the time?!), and watched a movie back at our hotel room.

Saturday, we slept in, got dinner at Juanita's Burger Boy Diner. The ambiance was great, the food was even better, and we had a great time. Then, we toured the Conrad-Caldwell House. Here are a few of my (very amatur) photos below:

 Beautiful monogrammed napkins - each place setting had their own salt dish, so they didn't have to bother with passing a salt shaker.

 Hand-carved mantle - inspired by the wife's trip to England and painted to resemble marble.

 There were fleur de lis everywhere - 127 on the first floor alone! - including this stained glass one near the servants entrance.

 One of the stained glass windows in the main stairwell - it was breathtaking.

L and I after the tour was over.

I had an event on Saturday night, and after we just grabbed dinner and went back to the hotel. Unfortunately, noisy neighbors kept us from properly sleeping in on Sunday, but we hit the road, picked up my sweet baby Loola from the boarders, and meal planned/grocery shopped for the week. L got a quick work out in, then binged on football all evening. (Who else is so excited for the Superbowl?!)

I also got my first PopSugar Must Have Box on Friday! You can flip through what was in the December box, but I got a sample of Pipcorn (yum!), some Marchesa nail files, a beautiful City-a-Month desk calendar, "The Juicing Generation", some tech gloves (that are so comfy and actually work!), and some face wash. I loved it and can't wait for my February one! (I promise to take a photo next time..)

Hope everyone else has a great Monday!

5 Month-a-versary

5 months ago today, I walked down the aisle and married the love of my life. I have counted my blessings since the day I met L, and can't wait to see what God has in store for us as we continue our lives together. I know it's silly commemorating each month, but the first year of marriage is so exciting, and I just can't help it. Tonight we're heading to dinner at Taj Palace in Louisville and doing a little low key shopping. Tomorrow, we're visiting the Conrad Caldwell House Museum.

I wanted to share with you our wedding video - I hope you enjoy it! And have a great weekend!

Springer Wedding from 603north on Vimeo.

Weigh In #2

I had really high hopes for this week. L and I splurged some on Thursday (I always tend to get a little out of control on weigh-in days since it's the longest I'll have to work it off...), but I tried to be mindful on Friday since I knew I'd have a bigger dinner. I managed my servings at the pot-luck Saturday, and made sure to stop when I was full. Sunday was leftovers, and I even saved half my Chipotle lunch for dinner. Monday thru Wednesday, however, I tried to be very careful. Snacking every couple hours to keep from getting starved, tracking all my dinners on Sunday night so I knew my point allowance... but I'm pretty disappointed right now.

I only lost .13% of my body weight this week, which only puts me at 30.67% of my Colleen Romper goal and 13.53% of my Elsa Top goal. I vented to my sister, to L, and to another co-worker on WW, splurged on a comfort lunch, and now I'm back in the game. I usually lax on tracking on the weekends, but not this weekend!

This week I made some great meals - and they were so low in points! I made a blackened tilapia salad, honey lime shrimp (Oh my goodness - I cannot wait to marinate these overnight and throw them on the grill this summer!), and buffalo chicken. I'm going to continue using Weight Watcher's recipes and recipe builder and keep the dinner points low (I always end up snacking during the day and using up tons of points.)

I took Thursday and Friday off from working out, but ran my 2.92 miles (as intervals) Saturday, cross trained with the workout below on Sunday, ran a solid 3 miles Monday (without stopping!), rested Tuesday, and dropped back down to a 2.5 mile run Wednesday. I have a full week of exercise planned - from running to yoga to Pure Barre - and I'm excited to keep working out and earning those activity points.

Any advice as I head into week 3?

Wish List Wednesday

Welcome to another edition of "Wish List Wednesday" - the day I show you all the things I'm wishing for, all of which will total $100 - the amount of my monthly "allowance."

This Ashley Brook Designs "Work It" tank. (As a matter of fact, I bought one this morning!) How cute is this? And it's only $24.

Some Middleswarth BBQ Potato Chips. These are a family favorite (we secretly like to crush them up and put them on chocolate ice-cream...) and I've had a serious craving recently! $30 gets you 6 15oz bags!

Some monogrammed decals - like these, found on Etsy - $9 for 6 2" monograms.

I have a few things I wouldn't mind monogrammed (my phone case, my Kindle, my Clarisonic...) and it wouldn't hurt to have a few extras laying around just in case, right?

This Gardenia Classic Candle from Paddywax - $25.

I won a give-away over at Dream Green DIY and won a Manadrin and Lavender candle and love it - it's so fragrant, and because it's a soy candle, I feel like it lasts so much longer. It's definitely worth purchasing some of their 2 oz. travel tins (on sale now!) to sample.

And, I know this puts me $3 over budget (even before tax & shipping!) but I'd love this Overdoor Hanger Loop from the Container Store. On sale for $15.

Since we have so little storage in our apartment, having a little caddy like this would make it so much easier to store my purse, jackets, etc. when not in use!

What do y'all think? Anything you'd add? Anything I listed that you already love? 

Resolution Update

To help hold myself accountable, I'm doing a weekly check-in on my Resolutions! (If you need refreshed, here are my resolutions and my January 7 update.)

A bad habit I'm going to break: Drinking soda. -- L and I shared a few sodas this weekend, but he drank more than I did, so that's OK, right? :) Still none on weekdays, which I think is a good thing.

A new skill I'd like to learn: Calligraphy! -- I went to Hobby Lobby and bought some cardstock and a new pen, but I hate the pen. I've been trying to practice nightly but was getting frustrated and emailed a friend who does calligraphy professionally and she gave me some advice I'm trying to heed this week.

A person I hope to be more like: Jackie O. -- Again, not sure how to track this progress, but I keep her in mind!

A good deed I'm going to do: I'd love to find a Girl Scout troop to get involved in. -- No research yet, but with it being Cookie Season I'm hoping I can talk to some troop leaders in person and ask!

A place I'd like to visit: Just out of the country. -- No plans yet. Still waiting to hear about deployment...

A book I'd like to read: The Bible. L and i are following this plan and, after a marathon catch-up session last week, are on track! We read along with a commentary, and usually sit down and read together after dinner. I love our time together and this is much more interesting to me than the devotional book we had been doing.

A letter I'm going to write: I'd like to participate monthly (or maybe twice a month!) in More Love Letters. -- It's on my to-do list for today!

A new food I'd like to try: Indian food -- Maybe this weekend? Any suggestions on places to try in Louisville?

I'm going to do better at: working out and eating better. You all saw how my weigh-in went last week and I think I'm doing OK so far this week. No work outs Thursday or Friday, but I ran Saturday, cross trained Sunday, and ran yesterday. I'm eating OK and have high hopes for weigh in this week.

Anyone else sticking to their resolutions?

Case of the Mondays

I don't know about y'all, but I came down with a serious case of the Mondays this weekend. I think it was because I had such a wonderful weekend!

Dinner Friday was lovely - dinner was great and the company was even better. I didn't work out, so instead of Yoga Saturday morning, I did the run I should have done Friday. (Whoops!) L and I ran lots of errands and were productive, but no luck in the furniture department. But I did decorate a little for Valentines - photos to come, promise. 

Saturday night we went to another officer's apartment and joined 2 other couples for a pot luck dinner. I made my Mom's crock pot macaroni and cheese, while others made a pork tenderloin, a buffalo crescent ring, Velveeta/Rotel dip, Parmesan asparagus, and corn. We watched a little football, then went to see Anchorman 2.

Sunday we went to church, grabbed lunch at Chipotle, got some workouts in, and relaxed. I did meal plan for the week, tweaking the meals a little bit to fit my Weight Watchers points a little better. So, this week I'm making blackened tilapia, honey lime shrimp, and buffalo chicken tenders.

I apologized to L for being such a Granny - wanting to go to bed early and stay in on a Friday night - but I saw this post this morning and loved it. I love our calm life, and am soaking up these quiet moments before we start our family (not any time soon!) and, more importantly, before I begin traveling again this spring for work.

Hope everyone is having a great Monday!

5 on Friday!

TGIF, everyone! Is it just me, or did this week feel 5 years long? (Even with a "snow" day on Tuesday!) To kick off the weekend, here are 5 things I want to put on your radar.

1. The Kate Spade Charles Street Collection

I got an email in my inbox this morning about it, and I'm already obsessed. I'm already getting tunnel vision for that green bag! Why, oh why, are my birthday and Christmas 48 and 47 weeks away?!

2. I have so many books on Amazon right now for sale! I've sold a bunch already, but I still have many left. Click the link if you're interested in purchasing one! "Entre Nous" $3, "The Help" $3, "Greenhouses of Hope" $3, "The Accidental Billionaires" $3,  "The Next Best Thing" $1,  "Swine Not?" $3, "Very Charleston" $2, "The South Beach Diet" $2.48, "The Giant's House", $3, "The Feminine Mystique" $5, "The Best of Everything" $1, "Killing Kennedy" Audio CD, $10, "A Conservationist Manifesto" $9, "Where Girls Come First" $2.50, "Going Rogue" $2.50, "Seriously... I'm Kidding" $10

3. Since Weigh-In Day was yesterday, I wanted to splurge a little bit with dinner, so we made a family favorite - Bee Stings!

We originally found the recipe here but have put our own spin on it. Here is OUR version:

Although we go for the fancy mozz and meat and get basil when we can, we usually stick with sliced deli cheese and meat, and use honey without basil when we can't find any fresh. Otherwise, we follow her directions exactly! They are SO GOOD. Seriously.

4. Tonight we're having a friend from my church back home over for dinner (he's in town for work), and I plan on cooking Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups. Yum yum yum!

5. The weekend is already jam packed - I'm going to browse for a dresser and bar cabinet (see below for inspiration for both) tomorrow after my hot yoga class in the morning, and Sunday (if the weather cooperates) I think L and I are going to take Loola to the local state park and do some fishing or hiking! Yay!

Have a great weekend everyone!