Fashion Friday: Skinny Cargos

Looking for something that's a tad dressier than jeans and still comfy? Than allow me to introduce to you my new favorite work wardrobe staple; The Skinny Cargo. Here's a pic from online of the exact pair that I have. As you know my camera has been on the fritz so I couldn't get a pic of me wearing them :(

I picket them up from Kohls for $24.99. They are the LC Lauren Conrad Brand. Notice how you can cuff them up and snap them at the bottom - Love that! They also are just as cute worn un-cuffed.

This little beauty has proven herself to be not only versatile but extremely flattering. As seen on my favorite fashion blogger J's Everyday Fashion!

 Here, J shoes 16 different ways to wear skinny cargos!
Tips on styling your perfect pair:

1. Look for a pair that doesn't have bulging side pockets located right on your outer thigh. Who needs extra bulk in that region anyway?
2. Since it's going to be getting HOT here in MO soon, look for a pair in a lightweight fabric.
3. My cargo's have a seam that goes all the way down the front- this draws the eye down and gives a streamlined, more flattering effect.
4. Try cuffing the bottom for an entirely different look!
5. Pair them with a feminine, floral blouse to balance out the "military" vibe.

Look how cute and comfy Eva Longoria looks, even in her sky high wedges!

While I'm not always a fan of Kim Kardashian's super trendy styles, I love how she paired the cargo's with a blazer here. Perfect for my office!

Like I said, I'm sorry I don't have any photos of myself sporting this trend, but I wanted to share the idea of skinny cargos with you! They seriously have become my favorite pants to wear to work! Happy Friday All!

The Beauty of Today.

TODAY is Thursday. And it's a great day for many reasons.

1. THE SUN IS SHINING!!!! Thank you Jesus!!!

2. I have fresh flowers on my desk thanks to my co-workers remembering Administrative Professionals Day yesterday.

3. I'm finished with 2 organizing jobs! And I have these organizing tools leftover to use for my own house :)

These fabric cubes will be good for John to put little toys and blocks in. I also plan to use one or two in Daniel's shop area for catch-all bins.

This looks like an ordinary shoe organizer, and you can most definitely use it for shoes. I plan to use it in Daniel's shop to store tools, extra lightbulbs, nails and screws, etc. Daniel has some industrial shelves in his shop and I'll just hang the organizer on one side.

4. Thursday is Cape's FARMER'S MARKET! If you've never been, come with me today! The market is in the parking lot of the old ice-skating rink in the Town Plaza. It runs from 2-5pm and I plan to go at 3pm. Last week I bought some unbelievably fresh spinach (cut from the garden that very morning!) that we used in pasta's and salads the rest of the week. You can also pick up some sweet re-usable totes that say "Cape Farmer's Market" on them for only $1.00 a piece.

5. I am getting a new digital camera! My old camera bit the dust two days ago. It was actually in my bed and I accidentally kicked it off onto the floor :( Now it won't take any pictures. I'm sad about this because I don't want to spend the money to get a new one but I'm also excited because my new camera will take better quality photos. Here's the camera I'm getting.

It's EXACTLY like my old camera, only it has 14.1 megapixels (whatever that means) and my old camera only had 3.1mp. Also, it's only $150.00, and 6 years ago when I bought my camera it was $250.00!! So I'm getting a newer, better camera for $100.00 less than what I paid before.

I hope everyone is able to enjoy the sunshine today.

"The Lord is a Sun and Shield, the Lord gives Grace and Glory. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk in His path." Psalms 84:11

40 Day Shopping Fast and Swap Meet!

Well, I've decided to do it. I'm taking 40 days off from shopping or buying anything new. Starting May 1st, the only thing I plan to buy brand new is groceries. If a birthday comes up or some other special occasion, I'm going to either re-purpose something I already own for a gift or buy something that is second-hand. Now that it's out in the blogosphere I have to stick to it!

I just want everyone to know that the reason I'm doing this is not because I'm running my family into the poor house, but because of my own personal convictions about excess spending. We abide by a strict budget in our home, and I always try to keep my spending/shopping under $250.00 per month for non-necessity items. I also check with my husband before buying something more than $50.00. The purpose of this Fast is to see my relationship with Christ flourish because I'm giving something up in order to be closer to Him. That $250.00 per month I spend on clothes, accessories, make-up, eating out, etc. can go towards furthering Christ's kingdom, not adding to my closet.

Several ladies have emailed me and are thinking about participating as well. I encourage you to think about your own spending habits and convictions. If the excitement of buying something new is quickly replaced with a feeling of remorse or guilt for buying something that you don't need, then I encourage you to try Fasting or reducing your excess spending for an amount of time.

If you decide to participate or if the idea of a Shopping Fast appeals to you in some way, then let me know!
As part of my 40 day fast of not buying anything new, I've decided to have a party. Not just any party, but a Swap Party. Here's what I mean.

I will have several items up for swap. Each party guest will also bring items that they are wanting to trade for my items or other party attendees items. Items to swap can include jewelry, clothes (only Spring/Summer wear), shoes, purses, knick-knacks, dishes, towels, home decor, tablecloths, books, cd's, magazines....the list is never ending! There will be a sign-up sheet for each guest to list what they've brought, and whoever borrows an item will have 40 days to use it and then will need to swap it back. Of course, if you don't want your item back you can do an even trade for keeps! :)

The purpose in having this party is so that women around me can experience having something new without actually having to pay for it. The way I see it is, we're all family, so why not share? I'm not saying bring your Grandmother's ruby ring to swap, because there is always a chance that something could happen to it. But I would like to see items that are in good shape only and that you care about and would eventually want back. That's why this is a "Swap Meet", not a garage sale. I know that we as women get attached to our belongings, that's why I think this would be good for us all to let go of some of that anxiety we have when it comes to our things. After all, they're just THINGS, right?!

Let me give you an example. I have 2 pairs of black dress pants, 4 floral-print tank tops, 2 Dooney and Bourke purses, TONS of necklaces (not my good pearls, but things from American Eagle and NY&Co), several nice candles, and a set of adorable dish cloths. Since I have several of each of these items, I plan to bring at least one of each to Swap. Is this starting to make more sense to you? I LIKE all of these items and will eventually want them back, but for 40 days I can go without them. Things I would like to swap IN EXCHANGE FOR would be some new necklaces, maybe a couple new books, a new pair of heels, etc.

Ok, I know I've given you a lot of information here. Your turn. What do you think? Would you like to come to my Swap Party??

My first couponing experience.

I've just recently started cutting coupons. Before, I felt as though cutting coupons wouldn't really save me all that much money and was a pain to do. Plus my mother never cut coupons when we were growing up so I just never thought to either. Since couponing has become sort of the "rage" for mom's around here lately I decided to give it a shot.

The first step was buying a Sunday newspaper. The Sunday paper includes all the price savers and grocery store ads which are key in coupon cutting (so I hear). I scanned all the ads and coupons hoping to find things that are on my shopping list. I cut appx 10 coupons that were worth about 75 cents to 1 dollar a piece. I then went online and joined a couponing club at http://www.coupons.com/. I had to do a little download to make my printer "coupon compatible" and then I was all set. I looked through the coupons offered on the website, but didn't find anything that I needed. I don't want to become one of those couponing hoarders who have 2,000 tubes of toothpaste stock piled in their basement. I promised myself I would only use coupons on items I need, not just buy things in order to use coupons.

The next step was shopping. I do my shopping on Monday's so yesterday I decided to try Schnucks since they advertise "Double Coupons." I brought my usual list into the store, with items listed in order according to the store's layout, that I described to you here. I kept all my coupons in a little plastic baggy.

Shopping started out pretty well, but every time I came to an item on my list that I had a coupon for, I had to open the baggy and double check the coupon to make sure the size was compatible or make sure I had the brand name down. I accidentally picked up a bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch and then had to go put it back when I realized my coupon was $1 off Kraft Ranch Dressing. So, needless to say my grocery shopping didn't go as smooth as usual. Once I got to the checkout line, I didn't know if I should put the coupons with the items on the counter, so I asked. The friendly cashier said that they just scanned all the coupons at the end - Genius! So after all my items had been bagged I handed the cashier my coupons. I couldn't wait to see how much I'd saved, especially since Schnucks doubles coupons! Turns out, actually Schnucks only doubles coupons that are for 50 cents off or less, and all my coupons were worth more than that so I didn't benefit at all from the double couponing. I could have gone to Wal-Mart and probably saved a little bit more overall, but oh well. My total savings ended up being $9.75. Not as thrilling as I thought it would be, but still, that's 10 bucks.

Final thoughts......
Couponing is probably worth it. If you're going to buy an item anyway, why not use a coupon? I don't plan to spend hours every week scanning the newspaper for coupons I can use, but if I'm already reading the paper, I will probably start cutting a couple coupons every once in awhile. And as far as the coupon website, I'll probably just check it the day I do my shopping. If there's anything worth cutting, then I will.

What about you? Do you frequently use coupons? Do you feel it's beneficial and worth your time?

What you've missed...

In case you didn't notice, I haven't posted in a week. This is rare for me, because I try to post almost every day and for sure every week day. Everything is ok, I just got a little overwhelmed with the business of life and needed some time off. Here is a quick re-cap of all that's been happening the past week. Now, let's move on to the week ahead!

1. Extreme Weather
We've had crazy weather conditions the past week. Tornado sirens, flash floods, lots of lightening....just craziness! Last week I had play practice and I brought John with me. We practice in one of the meeting rooms of Port Cape Restaurant, which is right along the river in Cape Girardeau. About 8:30pm when practice was about to wrap up, we heard that there was a Tornado Warning and we needed to seek shelter. So about 100 people in the restaurant filed into the back kitchen and we stayed there for 30 minutes. Everyone was hot, tired, and cranky...except for John. He was loving it!

John cheesin' on the prep table in the Port Cape kitchen. There were about 100 people standing to the right and left of him, he was clearly the star of the show.

2. My mom had a birthday.

Happy Birthday Grammy!

John and my sister, Lauren. AKA La La.

3. My MIL and FIL had a birthday - On the same day!
Daniel's Mom and Dad have the same birthday! Crazy huh! Since his mom Cynthia was turning the big 50, Daniel's dad planned a surprise birthday party for her, and bought her a new toy! My gracious Mom helped me with the decorating and organizing for the party. Thanks Mom :) It rained the entire day but we stayed dry under a pavilion at Cape County Park. We had a great turnout despite the weather and Cynthia had a blast!

Cynthia and her new Jeep!!!!

 Daniel was the grill master with his best friend Noah.

Thanks to everyone who made the day special!

Mom and Dad Hazelwood at their party.

 Cutest. Picture. Ever. Love them both!!

 

4. Easter
Time to Celebrate! Our Savior is Risen! I love holidays and Easter is probably my favorite because it celebrates my reason for existing....because Christ Lives! We had a lovely dinner at the Hazelwoods and my Mom and Sister came too! Daniel made his special Banana Cream Pie and my mom brought her famous strawberry salad. Even though it was raining (AGAIN!) We enjoyed our time together as a family.

Easter Dinner.

Hunting eggs indoors didn't bother this guy!

5. Convictions.
This week I learned a lot about time management and how to plan accordingly. I had a few breakdowns during the week, and found myself crying a lot just because of issues beyond my control. Ultimately I learned that I can't control the weather, and I can't control other people's actions. Something I can control is how I respond to the actions of others and how I let circumstances affect me. I had several serious talks with God and I think I'm better now because of them. I hope you all had a great week and I can't wait to share with you some tips and tricks to help you manage your time better and to help you stay happy and healthy. See you in the morning friends!!!

Something has been holding me back.

I've been playing with this crazy idea in my head for awhile now. There's something in my life that is keeping me from feeling true joy and peace. This "idol" is something I turn to when I'm feeling down to make me feel better. It helps me feel happy for a fleeting moment, but in the end I just feel guilty afterwards and regret doing it.

This idol that I'm talking about......is shopping.

You might be kind of chuckling to yourself right now but I'm being completely serious here! I have felt super remorseful lately when I buy something that I don't need. Tonight all the cookies hit the fan and my hubby and I had this big talk about future stuff and about wasting money. To be quite honest it wasn't really a talk, it was an argument. I don't want you to think that I'm living beyond my means and racking up debt or anything, because we don't even have a credit card. It's just that when I get paid, and I have a little extra money, my brain starts to think of all these great things I can buy that I really would like to have. Things like; bookends and sugar dishes and skinny red jeans and gladiator sandals. Just to name a few. But do I really NEED these items? Of course not. I have a beautiful closet full of nice clothes and shoes. I could also think of a unique option for a sugar dish and bookends that re-purposes something I already have.

I know that this is obviously nothing "wrong" per say with doing a little shopping for yourself to brighten your day. Women do it all the time. But for some reason my brain just keeps rejecting the happiness that shopping once brought me and turning it into extreme guilt and remorse. Obviously, God's trying to tell me something here. If I didn't spend $250 per month on misc household items and clothes, just think of all the possibilities for that $250! I could save up for that trip to Africa I've been wanting to take. I could use the money towards JD's tuition to Cape Christian School. I could (GASP) donate the money to missions. There is seriously no limit to what I could do!

So, here's my crazy idea. What if I went for say, 1 year...... without buying anything besides groceries. That means no new magazines every month, no new clothes, no new kitchen gadgets....no new nail polishes (oh my goodness I think I'm about to start crying!) nothing. The purpose for this experiment would be to see if I start to feel my relationship with Christ go to a whole new level. It would also be interesting to see how it will effect my marriage, my budget, my free time, etc.

Now don't start getting excited because I haven't actually said I would go through with this yet. I'm still thinking about it. On a side note, obviously there will be times when I need to buy gifts for others, and clothes for JD. I'm thinking that in those instances I will buy only vintage or previously owned items. That way I'm not buying something new, I'm re-purposing. Also in the course of a year I'll probably need new bras and panties and in that case I think it will be ok to buy new. Second hand panties? Gross.

I'm going to think about this for the rest of the month. May 1st I'll make a decision. In the meantime....what do you think about my idea? Think it's worth trying?

Sanity Saving Monday: My Favorite Tool

It's not a hammer, it's not a drill, it's not what you would normally think when you hear the word "tool." Something that I seriously can't live without and that you'll see on my person on a regular basis is this:

A re-usable shopping bag. I have them in every color and size imaginable, and I seriously don't leave home without them. I don't always use them for grocery shopping (although, I need to!) but I use them for my computer, my books, my business files, everything. There's one in my car that has "traveling necessities" in it such as extra diapers and wipes, emergency contact numbers, packaged snacks, water bottles, etc. I also keep one at my office that has a change of clothes in it and tennis shoes for when I work out. If you've ever received a gift from me, more than likely it was in a re-usable bag. I just love these things, and they are definitely sanity savers. If you've thought about using re-usable bags versus plastic now is the time to try them! Wal-Mart, Schnucks, Target, and K-Mart all sell them for $1.00 or less. Not only are you being more environmentally conscious, but these bags are a heck of a lot more durable than plastic.

Keep a re-usable bag full of extra re-usable bags in your car for day-to-day needs and start using them today! Happy Monday Friends!

AND THE WINNER IS.......

I put everyones name in a hat and had John draw the winner of my BLOG CONTEST this morning!

The FABULOUS prize :)

Picking a winner!!!



and the winner is....

NIKKI RANDOL!!!!

CONGRATS NIKKI AND THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING!!

I hope you're as excited as we are!!!!!!!!

Just a sneak peak....

This is the necklace you'll be receiving if you win my BLOG CONTEST!!!

This necklace along with TONS OF OTHER AWESOME GOODIES will be given away to one lucky lady! I'll be announcing the winner tomorrow morning. Just follow the link provided above for contest rules and a detailed list of the prizes! Good Luck and thanks again for reading my blog and sharing with others!

Fashion Friday: Granny Booties

I'm kind of a fan of fashion. There are a couple of blogs I follow that really help me on those "I can't find a thing to wear" days, but I want to try to use my own brain and put together outfits that are uniquely me. Thus FASHION FRIDAY is born! I'm going to try my bestest (I love that word, even though it's not really a word) to debut a couple different looks on Friday that are completely wearable for moms on the go. Today I'm busting out my newest pair of shoes: The Granny Booties.

I got them on sale for $29.99 marked down from $70.00 at Pennies. At first I had a hard time deciding if they were ugly or adorable. I've seen sooo many looks with oxfords this year and have wanted a pair for myself that was a little more feminine. That's why I liked this pair right away, because they have the low heel and are very lady-like. What do you think? Too "old fashioned" looking? Or fashion forward? Anyway I'm loving them right now and will get a few more wears out of them this Spring before sandal season sets in. Here are a few Inspiration Photos of women sporting the oxford bootie look.

Photo from Style Bakery

Photo from People Style Watch

Oxfords on the left. Photo from People Style Watch

Jessica Alba's nod to menswear. People Mag

Ok, here's my take on the look. I know it's a little.....different for Southeast Missouri fashion, but I think they're completely adorable. Bonus- they're comfy! Take that ordinary heels! 

This my casual look with the booties. I cuffed up my jeans so they would be more "Spring Appropriate". I am just wearing a plain white scoop neck tee on top with a black boyfriend blazer thrown over it. Without the blazer this would work too! For my office though, I think the blazer makes it look a little more put together. Ok, so what do you think?  

This final look is a little more fancy and my favorite! I'm wearing skinny crops in olive green and a sparkly tank on top. I love how the olive green pants and booties look together!

So, what's the verdict? Would you wear menswear inspired shoes?

Happy Friday Everyone! Don't forget to enter my BLOG CONTEST if you haven't already. I'll be announcing a winner tomorrow morning!

Hubby Pie.

My husband has many talents. He's a hard worker, he's a great Dad, he's a Scrabble champion, and he has the uncanny ability to calm me down in my most frantic of moments. One thing that he's not well known for though, is his cooking. Don't get me wrong, he's definitely a grill master and can also whip up a mean breakfast, it's just that when it comes to trying a new recipe he's no Jamie Oliver. That's why I was surprised last week when he offered to make a dessert for dinner when his parents where coming over.

"So, whatcha gonna make?" I asked.

"It's a surprise! Don't worry, I'll take care of everything." He replied.

Wow. I'd never heard those words in that exact order come out of his mouth before.

That day, Daniel not only picked up John early from Nana's, but he also did the grocery shopping, picked up the dry cleaning, and did the dishes from his "surprise dessert" all before I came home from work at 3pm.

Did I already say Wow? Because I need to say it again. Wow.

Once I got a look at his dessert I was even more shocked. Here's a recipe for Homemade Banana Cream Pie that my husband found online and followed to the T.

BANANA CREAM PIE (from http://www.allrecipes.com/)

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup regular sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tblsp butter
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1, 9 inch pie crust, baked
4 sliced bananas

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add milk in gradually while stirring gently. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbly. Keep stirring and cook for about 2 more minutes, and then remove from the burner.
2. Stir a small quantity of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture to the rest of the hot mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes; remember to keep stirring. Remove the mixture from the stove, and add butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency.
3. Slice bananas into the cooled baked pastry shell. Top with pudding mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Chill for an hour before serving. Add cool whip if desired and enjoy!

We enjoyed the pie so much that night I had Daniel make it again just a few days later. He had a little helper this time :)

Even more handsome in the kitchen :)

A Beautiful Woman Turns 73.

Today is Nana's birthday. If you don't know Nana, you should. She's my grandma, friend, babysitter, and most importantly; role model. She keeps JD for me during the day when I work, and I don't know what I'd do without her. I love you, Nana. Enjoy your day!

Nana and I at my baby shower.

4th of July 2009.

At her 70th birthday celebration. 

My Sensitive "Olfactories"

I'm not really into scents. Lot's of people love scented candles, scented body wash, scented air fresheners, perfumes, etc etc but I just never jumped onto the trend. I do use candles in my home sometimes, but only if they're given to me as gifts. I can't remember ever buying a candle for myself - I just think of it as a waste of money I guess. The first week I started dating Daniel he bought me perfume - perfume that I had looked at with him in the department store and told him that I liked. Now, I didn't exactly LIE to Daniel by telling him I liked the perfume, because I really did like it. We were actually looking for a gift for his mother and he asked me which perfume I would buy if I had my choice. I didn't want to admit that I was a perfume-hater for fear of seeming un-ladylike, so I picked out one with a pretty bottle that actually smelt ok. Anyway, to make a long story short, he bought me the perfume instead of his mother (he tricked me!) and has been buying it for me when one bottle runs dry ever "scents."

The perfume is by Paris Hilton, who is not known to be the most lady-like woman on the planet. I'm even a little embarrassed to tell you that I wear her perfume. That's why when I discovered this new fragrance from Bath and Body Works, I was really excited and a little shocked that I LOVED IT!

I was suckered into smelling the new fragrance "Country Chic" by it's clever slogan: "For the effortlessly sexy woman" (which, hello, is my ultimate style goal!) and once I tested it I fell in love. It has a woodsy, floral scent that actually sticks with me throughout the day. Unlike most perfumes I've found this scent is not overpowering, and I've gotten compliments on it all day.

My verdict: I'm officially a scent girl, with a new smell to call my own. Bath and Body Works currently has $2.00 3oz testers for sale right now that I encourage you to try! From a girl who has always had sensitive "olfactories" and hasn't been able to find something that smells like "me," I must say I'm now on the perfume/scents bandwagon. Now, if only they made this perfume in a candle I'd be in heaven; if you bought it for me that is :)

BLOG CONTEST!! FREE GIFT!

I'm very excited to offer you this contest! Rules are simple and a winner will be chosen at random. I'm simply interested in what your favorite blog post of mine is so far. I've been blogging since January and it has become something I greatly enjoy doing! I would just like to know what YOU, THE READER enjoy.....well reading!

Simply respond to either this post or my Facebook page the title of your favorite blog post of mine so far. On the right hand side of my blog you can see all the past blog titles. Thanks for participating!

The winner will receive an Easter basket with the following:

*A bottle each of Loreal Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner (that I reviewed here)

* 1 copy of the May Issue of Lucky Magazine

* 1 copy of the May Issue of People Style Watch Magazine

* $10.00 gift card to Kohls

* A cute necklace from Charlotte Russe. New with tags and receipt so you can return it if you wish!

* A 3oz bottle of Bath and Body Work's new fragrance Country Chic. Also a 3oz bottle of the lotion!
Look for a post about how much I ADORE this fragrance this week!

You get all this in a sweet basket with "Easter Grass" included! If you're one of my out of town friends and you win, don't worry! I'll mail your prize to you :)

Winner will be announced Saturday, April 16th, so you have this week to enter! Good luck and thanks again for participating!!

Sanity Saving Monday Tip: The Corner Office

I subscribe to Martha Stewart's daily organizational tips, and this one struck me as something you guys might benefit from.

I've noticed that my friends that have home offices all utilize a small space for their work. I seriously don't know anyone who has a specific room designated for an office! Most people use a computer desk, a small corner of their living room, and maybe a filing cabinet. If you are in need of some inspiration for how to organize your home office, study this photo.

This person has put a corner to good use! By adding shelving all the way to the ceiling they are using every single space possible. This is key when working with a small area! They also have plenty of counter space for a computer, and also filing cabinets down below. Add a contemporary office chair and some art work and your space is stylish and functional!

I'd love to hear how your home office is set up! Please share!

In other news, today is Monday and I have the day off! YAY! It's a rainy day, but I have an entire list of things to accomplish including grocery shop, spend time with JD, and MAYBE EVEN work in a manicure. :) I'm also working on a BLOG CONTEST and will either announce it tonight or tomorrow....stay tuned! Have a Happy Monday friends!

St. Louis Half Marathon!!!

I promised I'd do a post on the half marathon, but it definitely wasn't my greatest moment in life. I walked a lot, and it was super hot, hilly, and windy. The race officials actually cancelled the full marathon because they were concerned with the heat. We had a great weekend together as a family though! Saturday we ate at some delicious local STL restaurants, Llwelyn's Irish Pub and Racanelli's Pizza. We also spent some time in the hotel pool and hot tub, which is a Hazelwood Family Hotel MUST anytime we travel :)

Here are some photo's from the weekend :)

Here's Daniel's shirt I made him to wear for the race. He was a real trooper and actually wore it, but wouldn't let me take a picture haha.

JD's shirt I made him. So cute! He was the best little cheerleader anyone could ask for!

+
Me and Katie after the race. She was such a great motivator. You know you've got a true friend when they run next to you for 13.1 miles and even offer to give you a piggy back ride when you're tired. Love ya girl.

I'm off work tomorrow and hope to do some cleaning, shopping, maybe even get a mani! I need a little me time after all that hard work :)

and.....BREAK!

Just a little love note to say that I won't be online until Sunday evening, but I'll miss you all! I've got a full day at work tomorrow and then we're having a family weekend in the city Saturday and Sunday! Saturday we plan to go to Grant's Farm and love on some baby goats, also make a trip to the Alpine Shop for their Spring Swap Sale.

Sunday is the GOSTL half marathon, so wish me luck! Depending on how this race turns out, I'm seriously considering taking on a new exercise hobby. I just haven't enjoyed training for this race like I have in the past. I've started doing some research on road bikes and I think cycling might be something I'd enjoy more. Do you know anything about cycling? I know a couple people who used to bike so I'm going to keep picking their brains and find out more. Before I do any sort of project, whether it be staining concrete floors or trying a new recipe, I always do my research. I don't want to invest in a bike until I know it's something I want to commit to!

Just for fun, I wanted to share some of my all time favorite photo's with you guys. Hope you enjoy them, and I'll see you Sunday night!