Lions, Tigers and Thirties- Oh my!

Monday, September 23: A "life lately" post. What you're up to, how you're feeling, how you're doing on your goals, etc. Bonus points for great photos!

This is a foot loose and fancy free kind of topic!  Well, if you follow along on this little piece of bloggy heaven you know pretty much what I've been up to as I am an over-sharer keep you well informed!  Things have been rocking an rolling lately with no plans to slow this crazy train down!

      

      

I welcomed a new decade into my life on Saturday!  While the day itself was less than stellar, I had an AH-mazing not so surprise party that I won't forget, like ever!  Everyone dawned their best redneck attire and had a little hoe down in my honor.  #notjustagardentool The CG has this sweet little community center that my amazing friends/husband commandeered and turned into the classiest little redneck haven!  I walked up the stairs to mason jars lit with candles into a room that sparkled from the red solo cup & PBR garland (which my brother-in-law and his friends were so helpful to empty the cans)!  There was a gorgeous espresso/chocolate cake, pennant flags with my name, a food table full of amazingness, apple pie moonshine that would knock Uncle Si on his rump and about 20 amazing friends all there to celebrate moi!  My friends and hubby went above and beyond to create the most amazing party and I am so thankful!  Well, my liver wasn't super thankful but whatevs!

I was lucky to cross off one thing from my 35x35 list this past weekend.  I didn't drink for a whole month!  Why, do you ask?  You lush!  Because I've made a commitment to make a change in my life.  While you may not believe me because of the debauchery mentioned above, I assure it's true.  I've been doing the Advocare 24 day challenge which just so happened to conveniently end on my Bday!  Genious, why yes I am!  On this challenge you eat certain things, drink a crap ton of water and take more supplements that most 85yr olds.  I'm happy to say that I now drink a gallon of water a day, pee more than a racehorse and can be an official pill popper- tmi?  I think not!  I feel better than ever and will be starting a new cycle of the challenge TODAY!  Yeay!  My liver is super thankful!



I've decided that one job just isn't enough and I really don't like to sleep or seeing my husband, (kidding Honey) so I've taken on two more positions within the school that I work for.  What school, you ask?  Nonya.  Some of you know me personally and some don't but I'm not quite ready for celebrity status yet so I'll just be super vauge because I know you love it. #especiallyonfacebook  I took a Student Council Adviser job at our HS and am seriously excited!  My other fun position is Varsity Cheerleading Coach so I thought these two kind of went hand in hand.  I'm ALL about school spirit and don't care how many prepubescent teens think I'm cray cray!  Call me crazy or delusional but I'm excited!  #heavenhelpthesekids



I am T-minus 5 days away from seeing my Mommy!  Yes, I am a 30yr old grown woman and I just said Mommy.  When you haven't seen your Mom in almost a year- her name is now Mommy and I will run into her arms probably crying when I see her.  Quit with your judging eyes, you would too.  Stop lying.  Anywho... this trip also brings shopping opportunities, spa days, trips down memory lane and a week filled with mother/daughter amazingness.  Oh yeah, I'll see my Dad and Bro too- but they can't get mani/pedis so it's just different, HA!  Being all the way in the Last Frontier has made me reflect and appreciate my family SO much more.  They're crazy, there's no denying that, and I'm pretty sure my Mom has tried to replace me with her new dog #noreally, but I love and miss them and wouldn't trade them for the world- well... unless there was someone super rich that wanted split custody!  Wait, is that Prada calling?


That's a little update on me, what's up with you!?  Tell me everything!  Have you ever done the 24day challenge?  Did you liver want to strangle you this weekend?

Until next time... 

Comfort Food!

Friday, September 20: React to this term: comfort.

 When I think of comfort, I think of food.  Hey, I'm a fat kid at heart and always will be!  Im going to share my latest reformed fat kid recipe as of late!  I've been on the "D" word lately- yes, that's diet.  These little gems are delicious, spicy and not to sinful but very tastey!  These are my take on the traditional armadillo egg!  

This recipe is SO simple and fast!  Who says "fast food" has to come from a corn feed mass produced feed lot in a delicious blanket of a Big Mac?? Not me...  I prefer to know where my food comes from, and plus- I'm a great cook!

 

Mix together onion, ground turkey, S&P, Garlic and other seasonings you would normally put in your "burger".  Divide into 4 equal parts.

Cut the top off of a freshly washed jalapeno and remove seeds.  Stuff it like a Thanksgiving turkey with your favorite cheese!  I used low fat mozzarella.  

Put 1/4 of the meat in your hand and flatten slightly, then place jalapeno in the middle and wrap meat around.  OOhhhh get messy!  Try to shape like an egg and makes sure none of the jalapeno or cheese is hanging out, it'll ruin the surprise!

Grill on a lightly sprayed sheet of tin foil for about 20min or until the meat is cooked.  Enjoy and watch the cheese ooze out... so. delicious.

Until next time...

A moment & my life in photos!

Tuesday, September 17: A memory you would love to relive.
Wednesday, September 18: Only photos

I'm cheating a bit here, but like I always say- rules were meant to be broken!!

Oh, if I could put time in a bottle and take out specific memories I would do it all the time!  I love to take a trip down memory lane, look at old photos and really relive those times!

As I'm trying to pick out just ONE memory I would love to relive, I realize that I can't.  There are too many amazing nights with my bestfriends & my sorority sisters, my college years, times with my Grammie, my year as an exchange student and of course my wedding.  So, instead of choosing just one, I'm going to let the pictures do the talking.

No judging on the outfits!  I stand by my fashion crimes!

Until next time...

Love you long time!

Monday, September 16: Write a public love letter to someone in your life. (It doesn't necessarily need to be romantic.)


Dear Kelsey, Amy, Jessica, Donald and all other secret party agents,

I would like to confess my undying love for all of you.  Not only have you proven just how much you love me, but you have proven that you are truly ninja worthy.  I have to thank each one of you for working with my amazing Husband on this secret party extravaganza to welcome me into my 30's properly.

I would like to tell you all how thankful that I am that you have kept my sweet, well meaning other half on path for a ladies birthday party instead of a Joe Dirt fiasco.  While he means well, my better half gets very excited about themes and may or may not have gone a little off course by himself.  I would also like to state that you ladies have made sure that no toilet bowls will be present for food items to be eaten out of, and for that.... I am TRULY thankful for.

While I do not know much about this secret (or not so secret) birthday bash I do know all of you.  You are the most amazing women and I am truly blessed to have you in my life.  You are always there for me when I need you and are already making me feel like the luckiest *almost* 30yr old ever!  I am truly honored to call you friend and I will work tirelessly to make sure you know just how much I appreciate and love all of you!

Here's to 30!  


To My Husband,

Thank you for taking on my birthday and making me feel so special.  It warms my heart that you are taking such an interest, putting in the time and really trying to make everything perfect for this epic event.  You may or may not have gone a little crazy with the "dirty" in Dirty Thirty, but I love your childlike enthusiasm!!  I am so blessed to call you Husband and feel like the luckiest wife in the world!  Also, thanks for figuring out what this Pinterest thing is and stalking me on it.  You should be given a medal for listening to my birthday demands and dealing with my amazing, crazy, oh so excitable friends.  But let's be serious- you like it!

Of course I could go on and on and on about how much I love you and the rest of my friends but then I would expose more of my secrets and knowledge and we can't have that.

Yours Truly,
Better Spy Than You

Ps.  I know everything.  :)

Until next time... 

Selfie Saturday!

Friday, September 13: A self portrait

I'm catching up on my Blogtember challenges after being out of town!  What better way than a pic of myself?  Boom!  Enjoy!!

I'm such a serious person...

Can't you tell?

Left turn? Right. Right? No, left!

Tuesday, September 10: Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn.

I'm fighting the urge to be completely sarcastic and say that this morning I took many turns on the way to work and calling it good.  Maybe the rain is making me fiesty?  I digress...

There are so many times when my life has taken a turn for the better and worse.  Turns to me are more of the choices that lead my day to day life.  I think that the big man upstairs throws a lot of turns at me for various reasons and lessons and I keep trying to steer the ship, though clearly He thinks this is hilarious.  

The latest significant turn in my life, was my marriage.  I've posted about marriage before and all of the things I have learned and continue to learn.  The biggest thing I have learned that made my life turn was that it's not all about me and if I want this marriage to grow and thrive, I've got to always put US first.  Instead of another lengthy post, I'd like to share some of our amazing wedding photos! 

Enjoy!

I'm so excited for the next "turn" in our life.  What will it be??

Until next time...

Blogtember: A time I was afraid

Friday, September 6: A story about a time you were very afraid.

This may sound very silly but I can think of one time in my life where I was so scared & lost, that I didn't know if I was going to get through it.  

It was 2008 and I had decided to leave Georgia and my live in boyfriend, who I thought was the love of my life.  I can hear you already... stupid girl, break ups are not the end of the world.  Well, when you move across the nation (I'm from Washington State), having just graduated college with no career, leaving your friends/family and everything you know to follow your boyfriend to medical school who you thought was going to be your Prince Charming, just to find out that A) You hate Georgia *sorry I'm not sorry* B) You cannot live your life for someone else and C) Your relationship is not what you thought it was going to be... it is scary.  When your whole life plan and the only thing you saw in your future is crumbling, it is scary.

  

Have you ever read Eat, Pray, Love?  

"If I love you, you can have everything. You can have my time, my devotion, my ass, my money, my family, my dog, my dog’s money, my dog’s time—everything. If I love you, I will carry for you all your pain, I will assume for you all your debts (in every definition of the word), I will protect you from your own insecurity, I will project upon you all sorts of good qualities that you have never actually cultivated in yourself and I will buy Christmas presents for your entire family. I will give you the sun and the rain, and if they are not available, I will give you a sun check and a rain check. I will give you all this and more, until I get so exhausted and depleted that the only way I can recover my energy is by becoming infatuated with someone else." 

-Eat, Pray, Love

Well, that had become me.  That had consumed me and it scared the hell out of me.  

 

You know what else is scary?  Admitting that I failed.  Admitting that I just didn't have what it took to stick it out and see if it got better.  Admitting that he wasn't enough and that life wasn't what I wanted anymore.  Admitting that I had no idea what I wanted.  Admitting that I had changed.  

 

So what do you do when you've become someone you no longer recognize?  You leave.  And so I did.

 

 I packed up my things into a 10x10 partition on a moving truck, bought my plane ticket, gave up custody on one of my dogs in an effort of peace and moved back home... jobless, defeated and heartbroken with no plans. 

 

That is one of the bravest, and scariest things I have ever done. 

 I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason and without this, I wouldn't have the life I live and cherish today. Without the darkness I would not have found the light. 

 

When were you most afraid?  Did it ultimately make you stronger?  How did you over come it?

Until next time...

Recipes were made to be broken!

In the spirit of trying to grow my little baby blog I'm going to participate in Blogtember!  This fun little prompt/challenge is hosted by Jenni @ Story of My Life.  I had a lot of fun doing her last link up so I thought, what the heck!

Today's prompt reads: Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered.  I'm going a little outside the box here! 

Well said, Julia!

I believe that recipes were meant to be broken!  If you always follow the rules then you'll miss out on the passion and creativity just waiting to come out!  I have a passion for cooking and a lot of great information to pass on!  Stick with me kid and you'll never go wrong!

1.  I cannot stress this enough... I've learned that it is SO important to salt things!  Have you ever tasted something and thought, hmmm this is SO good but I need a little salt?  Fail.  No... epic FAIL.  Taste buds are always subjective but 99% of the time, a little salt can make something perfect!

2.  No, I'm not going to tell you to always drink wine while cooking- but it can't hurt!  That is, unless you're really drunk and can't taste things and end up burning down the house-oops?  Try different things and don't be scared!  Wine, balsamic vinegar, cooking sherry and scented oils are great additions that can really give you cooking a little kick!

3.  Oh so true.  If you don't enjoy it, it's going to taste like that.  If you have a passion and love for it, it will taste so much better.  Do you remember Mom's special ingredient that made everything taste so good?  It's salt LOVE!

Those are a couple of tips to get you going on your path of fearless abandon in your kitchen.  Break the rules and experiment with your passion for cooking!  Who knows, maybe it'll create another kind of spice in your life?  *meow*

Until next time...