Christmas Hop

HO HO HO!

Its my second favorite time of year! Christmas (my first favorite being halloween!)!!

My awesome BBFers are doing a hop on what Christmas means to you. Wellllll to me, Christmas means riding all over creation between Arkansas and Tennessee trying to see all of my family and in-laws. Awesome, huh? It means cold weather, crisp coolness, bon fires, marshmallows, hot cocoa, TONS of food, mittens, cute scarves, gifts, and the best of all- surprising my kids with an epic Christmas and seeing their faces light up when they see what Santa brought. Not the true meaning of Christmas, but come on... who doesn't love to see their kids happy?

I decided since there are so many things I love about the holiday- I'll just post a few Christmas-y lunches for the hop! I couldn't decide.

Christmas veggies- tomatoes and broccoli fit the color scheme, right?!

a mitten sandwich, apple sauce with sprinkles, clementine, chili rice chips, and annie's bunnies. the candy cane was just for decoration.

What goes better (or is more festive?) than bacon and chocolate? NOTHING. Snowflake sandwich with PB&Co dark chocolate dreams, sprinkles, cherries, carrots.

I'm a sucker for old fashioned ribbon candy!

These lovely little christmas trees are from my previous post- frozen greek yogurt trees! 

I love Christmas! Here are a few of my older Christmas bentos, just for fun. :)

Please feel free to "like" me on facebook HERE. :) you can also follow me on Pinterest HERE!

NOW for the next part of the hop, click on over to Bentos on the Bayou!

Miscellany Monday

You can link up by clicking the MM icon below! :)

{ONE} I was going to see Mayday Parade tonight, but now I'm not. I can't tell you how incredibly disappointed I am to miss out on my very favorite band ever playing so close to me... but sometimes things don't work out. So, if anyone in the area wants to come get my ticket and go, you can have it. They're playing at the new daisy theatre in memphis.

{TWO} THIS.

I'm registering (as soon as it opens) to run the Color Run 5K in Kansas City! I am so excited! The reason I'm doing it in KC is because its in June. They have it in Nashville BUT its not until October and I really, really hope I no longer live here by then. I CAN NOT WAIT!

{THREE} What on earth is up with this weather!? Isn't it supposed to be in the 60s this week? Well.. It's NOT. :(

{FOUR} SHOP SHOP SHOP til you DROP DROP DROP. That is my motto for this weekend when I go to Huntsville to spend the night with my BFF BETH! We are having a girls day Saturday and I plan to come home with a ton of clothes. That is... if I still fit in a size 4 after last week's crappy eating (I do, don't worry.. I wore my new size 4 jeans yesterday. haha).

{FIVE} I DID NOT post my project 52 photo last week. I took one. Its sweet, of Sophie waiting for Olivia to get on the school bus one morning. But it is still sitting on the memory card.. in my camera. Yep. 

{SIX} My house is a serious disaster. Being blah for a week and not cleaning a single thing will do that.. especially if you have two kids. I'm avoiding cleaning it right now by blogging. *thumbs up*

{SEVEN} I want to do the seven day slim down again. But I can not find it in me to eat so rigidly... at least not right now. Which is really silly, it wasn't even that bad. But I think of spinach leaves and chicken....... and I cringe. I do know that I will do it the week before spring break. And the week before Andy gets home, whenever that will be. 

8. I am really enjoying THIS book right now!

It's a nice light read, after reading THIS book:

^^ That was a good book. A little on the dark side (oh, how I LOVE those types of books!) BUT it made me a little scared (you should never, ever, ever read a scary book at night when you're home alone!). 

I received this book from Melonie during the book swap over at The Nerdy Katie. 

She also gifted to me The girl with the dragon tattoo, and I can't wait to start it. I just thought I needed something less scary in between books. :) Also, once I start a series, its hard for me to stop until I've devoured every last literary bit. With all the traveling I have planned this weekend, its probably wise to wait until Monday to start it. :) 

{EIGHT} All this book talk makes me want to start (or join) a book club! The only problem is... I only know about one person that would actually commit and attend monthly (or every 2 weeks or whatever) meetings. Much less, a weekly coffee and book discussion party! Reading MWF seeking BFF is showing me though, that I am not the only woman with that problem. Luckily... A lady walked in to my life recently and I'm just going to trap her, and keep her forever. She's someone Olivia likes to call "Bretch," but really, she answers better to Gretchen. hahahaha :)

Sunday FUN day!

Ahhh ok, so maybe not entirely "fun." BUT, last night was awesome, and I got to sleep in (until 8!) this morning, and that my friends, makes it a fun day for me!

Last night I went for sushi and shopping with my friend Kristi. It was fun! And soooo bizarre! At the sushi place I ran into my cousin Lindsey that I haven't seen in 7.5 years! Thats super bizarre because I don't know ANYONE where I live, except the few friends I have- so to run into someone somewhere is a rare thing. We ended up sitting at the grill with Lindsey, her husband, their son (he's only a couple of months older than Olivia), and her mom & mom's boyfriend. It was really nice. :)

we took this picture to send to my mom and her dad, to prove we ran into each other haha. aren't we adorable!? :) 

After sushi Kristi & I went to the mall, and to target. I got a pair of shorts and a pair of jeans at American Eagle- where I am now officially a size 4. That is a size I haven't seen since Andy & I got married. :) *happy dance* I feel really proud because I got here by hard work and determination. Not sitting around *wishing* I was something I'm not. I'm working for it.

^ so excited up there!

At Target I got the cutest bikini, I'm going to use it as a progress tracker. I weigh in and take a progress photo every Sunday. More important than weighing in I take my measurements. This is so important to me to keep track of what is going on with my body. 

I also got an adorable pair of wedge sandals, and a couple of shirts. I spent most of my money at Target... on kids clothes. My girls are so so rotten. I can't wait to pick them up from my MIL's later today and bring them home to their piles of new clothes. Everything was on clearance- I didn't spend more than $7/item for them.. except their SWIMSUITS!!! Both are nautical themed and so super adorable. Olivia's is a tankini (Daddy has ruled that they aren't allowed to wear anything skimpier than a tankini for their entire lives. haha) Olivia's is navy with colored anchors and ruffles, and sophia's is ocean blue with sailboats and ruffles. SO ADORABLE. :)

I did the beach wave hair again :)

So pretty much, last night was great. It was a much needed night without kiddos (I think we are taking all our kids back to have hibachi next friday! Olivia loves it. And sophia is a sushi eating machine!).

As for today, I had planned to go to the gym. My throat has been really sore and I think running will make it worse since I'm a mouth breather. So today I will focus on yoga, abs, and legs at home. I might (probably) will break out the kettle bell and do the TIU saved by the bell. And I might spend this afternoon pouring through cookbooks to modify some of my favorite recipes to fit my TIU meal plan... and share them with you, of course!

If you haven't already, why don't you take a second to click "like" on my facebook page! :) It would really, really make my day!

Enjoy your Sunday, everyone!

good & pleasant things

Really, I am not having the best week. :/ I hate it when that happens. I seem to be able to go from my normal, happy flouncy bouncy self to a big, mean, irritable grouch in a matter of seconds. I miss my husband. He's super busy at work and I feel like we never get to talk anymore. I know what my problem is. I just have to suck it up, and get used to it. He will be home soon. Then I will have 30 days of perfection before we have to go back to living on different continents.

Today, to pick myself up, I am going to make a list of things going on that I LOVE right now. It will probably be random, and hopefully long. The longer it is, the better I'll feel. Ready, set, GO!

• The gym. Its my new church. And that is how life should be (aside from your *real* church, don't get your panties twisted)
• Today I had a workout partner. 
• Today I was brave and did more than just cardio for the first time since Christmas (in the gym). I lifted weights, had adult interaction, and ended up with jelly arms. LOVED IT.
• Eating clean. I have been doing so well, and I am so proud. I can tell, all over my whole body, such a huge difference. This makes me want to keep on. I'm not even really craving anything I shouldn't eat. Although yesterday was a *bit* stressful and I had a small handful of chocolate chips. But, I worked it off.
• Dinner with friends this Saturday. Make up. I might even wear heels. Who knows?! I know I will indulge in a delicious glass (or two) of wine. Maybe I'll have champagne. OH MY GOSH or maybe I'll have something that is mixed with champagne. I know that I am so excited!
• Gift shopping. Its someones birrrrrrthdaaaaaaaaay!!
• Under Armor. Yep. I bought a UA sports bra last week, and I finally wore it today. UHMAZING. I can never go back to target sports bras again!
• Olivia's first basketball game is Saturday morning! I can't wait to see her play. I hope she loves it. She has been doing well in practice... when she isn't dancing and playing. ha.
• 3 weeks until my over night visit to my bff Beth! Sushi, the Melting Pot, and shopping at the "fancy" mall all day Saturday. Color me pink, I am so ready to see her!!! :)
• The closet floors are being finished in the morning! A painter is coming to give an estimate, and the yard will be taken care of soon. 
• One week until a day shopping trip with my 2 favorite people here. :) 
• My bffffff Ang finds out pink or blue this week!
• Lunch date with my friend Kristi tomorrow!
• UV RAYS. Yeah, I said it. I've been laying in a tanning bed. My eczema is clearing up nicely, and that shot of Vitamin D is helping me fight winter blues. 
• Nicole glitter nail polish

... Well, thats my list of positives. What are the positives going on in your life today? 

*** 3 days left to enter the Spring Break Bikini Challenge. Head over to my facebook page and check out the details! :)