just another day in paradise

To some people (and often to me too!) paradise looks like this:

Or this:

Or even this:

But this is my paradise today.

Home. Family. Fresh cut grass. Home-cooked meal. Driving with the windows down. Playing fetch with the dog. Tennis. Flowers. Sunshine.

Happiness.

thai chicken: check!

Last night was my turn to make dinner.

[not really. I totally volunteered]

Those domestic skills of mine are growing. I decided to make thai chicken and broccoli for dinner and macaroons for dessert.

Chicken: FABULOUS.

Macaroons: not so much...

Take a peek!

I may or may not have shed a couple of tears in the process of making this meal.

[not just from the onions either!]

I totally didn't even have the noodles for the chicken and was so flustered and had to run to the store in the middle of my cooking.

[I'm a baby...]

Clearly, I am always prepared for everything.

But it turned out delicious and then after I had a nice helping (and the parents had seconds), I went for a run and watched the biggest loser.

[love that show!]

Tonight I have a hot date.

Yep, you heard me.

I've got a date with my nail polish, the bath tub and the fabulous book I'm reading.

[It's called Captured by Grace. check it.]

{via}

Have a great night dears!

last day as a minor

Today I celebrated my birthday a day early with my family. It's been such a fun day!

First I went to church- which was so great! I tried a new one and fell.in.love!

Anyway, my brother had a special surprise for me this afternoon so I waited for him to get home so we could go. Of course he tells me that I have to be blindfolded the entire way to wherever it is we are going.

[did I mention that I get carsick?]

Needless to say it was a wild ride. My dear friend Corinne came with us to take pictures and also help guide me while we walked and stuff. Once we got to our destination they both had to lead me so that I wouldn't fall or anything.

[didn't help...I definitely tripped once or twice. oh and the escalator was a good time...]

I could hear lots of people talking and they said that people kept staring.

[I mean who wouldn't? I would've...]

{this is in the car ride on the way to destination}

Anyway, my brother uncovered my eyes at Nordstrom and let me pick out any pair of TOMS that I wanted! What a sweetheart! I'm tellin' ya. This kid is going places and going to make some lady very happy someday.

I got some silver glitter ones :)

like this:

He also got me a very special charm bracelet and picked out each charm to represent something whether it be in my relationship with God or how much that he and I have become

friends over the years.

It's beautiful! And yes- I cried when I opened it and read the letter.

My mom made me some of my favorite dinner and my favorite dessert- cheesecake!

Tomorrow is my actual birthday and I got some giftcards from my parents and am going to go shopping and spend the day with my mom and have dinner with some friends.

I feel so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

This has been a day I won't forget and the perfect way to end my years as a minor.

[I don't really care if I'm a minor or not by the way. My life isn't going to drastically change!]

fabs and flops friday #2 {& mom's birthday!}

First of all.

happy birthday to the best mother in the whole wide world!

My amazing mom's birthday is TODAY! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful woman in my life who daily shows me what it looks like to live a life of a godly woman. She has been there for me through so much and I can't imagine my life without her. I can only hope to one day be like her.

I LOVE YOU MOM!

Next.

Yes, today is Friday!

[holla!]

Which means that today it's time for another dose of fabs and flops.

Upon request, flops will be first so things end well on the fabs.

[why didn't I think of that?]

So here it goes!

Flops:

• still being sick and accidentally overdosing on cough syrup. twice.
• sitting at a stop sign for 3 minutes waiting for the light to turn green. oops.
• my embarrassing moment with bike boy.
• only going to the gym twice this week.
• paying rent
• realizing that the guys you like don't ever seem to like you back [I can't believe I am putting that on the internet.]

Fabs:

• finishing a paper that's due on sunday on wednesday [ohhh yeah]
• getting some new cosmetics [how can that not be fabulous?!]
• finishing my last group presentations of the term this week
• going to zumba!
• reading the purpose driven life
• my mom's birthday! [I got her a sweet gift-so excited about it!]
• my finds at rite aid
• lounging all day sunday watching movies and eating ice cream
• talking to my grandma on the phone
• the cheesy bread I had with dinner the other night [I will post the recipe soon!]
• having lunch and going to the bookstore with my mom

There ya have it! Have a wonderful friday and weekend!

It's a Wonderful Life this time of year

I absolutely love Christmas time and all that it entails. From baking cookies together, to doing our annual family puzzle, or watching Christmas movies, I just love the joy of the holidays. My family doesn't usually do anything to extravagant, but we just enjoy being able to spend time with each other and slow down from our normally hectic and busy lives to just be.

We do have some fun traditions that we do every year. These are some that we do on Christmas Eve:

1. Ever since I was little we have always gotten new pajamas on Christmas Eve so that way when we opened our gifts Christmas morning and had pictures taken, we had our new jammies on :)

2. We always go to Christmas Eve service at church.

3. After the service at church and after our pajamas have been opened and put on, we always watch "It's a Wonderful Life" before bed. It's my mom's favorite Christmas movie and over the years it has become mine too. :)

I just love being able to enjoy these things with my family during the holidays! It truly is a wonderful life. Does your family have any traditions? If so, what are they?

red kettle christmas

For the last 3 years I have volunteered for the salvation army around the holiday season. I volunteer to ring a bell outside of the grocery store in my hometown and raise money in the red kettle campaign. It's one of my favorite things to give back this time of year instead of just receiving. It's fun to smile and talk with the different people that come into the store and drink some yummy hot chocolate while greeting the customers.

This is a picture of my brother and I last year before we went. We usually sign up for 2 or 3 two hour segments at a time. It's a fun and easy way to spend time together and make some kind of difference. If you would like to ring the bell for the red kettle campaign check out the local salvation army volunteer homepage or click here!

[dad's weekend]

Today I was able to spend some much needed time with my daddy. It was so fun! We walked around campus for a while and I showed him where I like to spend my time, then I took him to yogurt extreme (my fav) and I showed him where my new apartment was at. Then we went to the bookstore on campus and bought some beaver gear, then played darts and pool down in the MU basement. It was all so simple, but so much fun! We had great conversation and laughter and I was so blessed by it. The day was ended perfectly by watching football and eating pizza. I just love being my daddy's little girl :)

.happiness.

Sometimes we all have times where we wonder why things happen to us or if they will ever get better. We all have those days where we would rather crawl under a blanket than walk out the door into the world. When I have times like that it helps me to think of different things that make me smile.

For instance, family. My family is my support, my life and most importantly my friends. They put up with our bad days and can turn our good days into the best ones.

This is my family :)

I also am reliving my days of loving nail polish! I am constantly seeing new colors of fingernails around campus everyday and am inspired to try new ones! It's just a fun way to spice up your look and your day! Right now I am wearing a pinkish-orange color and with the sun shining it makes my fingers sparkle and brings a little bit of happiness into my day!

Sunsets literally take my breath away. They make me realize that there is more to life than the little issues that so often consume me and most of our culture. When I see a beautiful sunset it makes me take a step back and want to slow life down to just enjoy the beauty.

Ice cream, dresses, and flip-flops all make me feel so light and happy. Maybe it's that summer feeling of knowing you can enjoy the sunshine in a cute outfit and eat a delicious treat! Whatever it is just makes me want to skip down the street and eat a strawberry ice cream cone.

Lastly, I think of how I am so blessed with the most amazing friends any girl could ever ask for. I mean seriously! They are always there for me no matter what time of day. We have too many crazy moments. Laughter and blonde moments are always present. And everyday I thank God for what incredible people He has put in my life.

(some of my girls, aren't they beautiful?!)

(we are the troublemaker/sitcom friends)

(there for me through it all)

I can't even begin to name all of the blessings I have in my life and all the things to be thankful for! Thinking about these things (and people) even during rough patches today has lifted my spirits so much! What kinds of things do you think about to make you happy during rough days?

{Healthy You} #2 .build your body.

Many of us

[especially women]

are already thinking about summer and how to get that summer body. But that's the question--how? My mom has been asking me for a lot of advice on what kind of exercises will help her to tone her: stomach, legs. She is currently active on the tredmill and exercise bike 5 days a week and does sit-ups to help stabilize her core muscles. My dad has entered a contest to win a trip to Florida at his work for in June and

[naturally]

like every woman she has begun to think about bringing out the swimsuit and those warm-weather clothes. So I have been helping her and thought I would share some of the advice I am giving her with you! Here is my mom:

[lovin' the baggy sweats!]

So the first thing my mom is wanting to do

[and for you too!]

is working on her legs. A good workout for your legs will include some type of movement like walking, running or being on an elliptical. This will help strengthen and tone your quads (thighs), gluts (butt), and calves.

Biking is also good for strengthening your quads and for toning your inner legs

[which is one of my mom's goals].

Next, lunges are a great way to get great legs and a "bikini butt." Make sure when you do a lunge that you keep your knee behind your toe in order to avoid damaging anything in your knee. You can either do a standing lunge where you just stand there and bring your leg forward and go down then bring the leg back and switch to the other leg, or you can do walking lunges where you continue to do them while moving forward like you are walking.

Other leg workouts that are not pictured include squats, side squats, wall sits, calve raises. Also, by increasing your intensity it will work those legs harder.

If you are looking to work on your abs

[another goal of my mother's]

then try doing crunches. Avoid doing full on sit-ups because they can damage your back and you are only actually working your abs for the first 1/3 of the time you are coming up. Only come up until your shoulder blades are off the ground then go back down to the floor. You can either keep your hands behind your ears

[do not interlace your fingers]

or you can leave your arms straight out.

Next is the bicycle crunch. Bring alternating elbows and knees together to work those abs baby!

Another ab workout and arm workout is a push-up. People usually hate push-ups

[I know what you're thinking]

but they are really useful for building strength in your arms and for stabilizing your core. Make sure to keep your back straight the whole time in order to get the best results.

Other ab workouts that are not pictured include the plank, leg lifts, using a ball and doing sit-ups on it.

So I know this is not some full body extraordinary workout but you won't believe what a difference that some of these make. Make sure to increase your intensity every month or so, that way your body doesn't plateau. Staying physically fit can be a challenge for most people, but a lot of these exercises don't even require equipment. If you don't have access to a tredmill, then go on a walk outside.

[If it's cold then bundle up! You might even walk faster and burn more calories!]

You have lots of time, don't stress out! You are well on your way to getting that summer body!

ps. I will keep you posted on my mom's progress!