Five Things

Notes from this Week:

Monday is usually Trivia night for my mother, Adam, and me at a local Mexican joint. And this week was one of those rare weeks where we actually took 1st place! We were on a roll all night, and we knew most of the questions (that is a rarity). While we often will come in third, it always feels so good to win first place! Go Team Blueshell! 

I really am still loving Jamberry, and this week I gussied up my nails for Valentines' Day. I'm loving the hearts, red, and silver. I have gotten so many compliments on them, and it makes me happy every time I see them. I heart pretty nails!

Oh my gosh, how cute is our Linkers? There is basically no room for him to sit with me on the new recliner. But does that stop him? I think not. He still insists on cuddling with me, with his nose under my neck! It may not be entirely comfortable for me, but I kind of love it anyway. He adores his Mama. 

I did Pure Barre for the first time in a couple of months last week. I got so busy with marathon training, that I let that slide a bit. Not only did I forget how hard it is (hello, 3 days of soreness), I forgot how much I loved it! I love the challenge, and because it is so difficult, I always feel accomplished when it's done. I'm looking forward to spending more time at the Barre! Plus, cross training keeps things interesting! 

So this morning when I was getting ready for work, I bent over to pick something up and when I popped back up, I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. For the first time ever, I threw out my back. I was in so much pain, I couldn't even straighten up, and I was walking around like the Hunchback of Notre Dame! I had to call in sick to work. I've spent the day on the couch with muscle relaxers, netflix, a heating pad, icy hot, and Link sleeping on top of me. I feel a little better tonight, but it's been a long day. I guess now that I'm 3 months from age 30, it is all down hill from here.  

P.S-I recently purchased a new domain due to my old one expiring and being more expensive than I wanted to pay. Old address was http://www.one-by-land.com. New address is http://www.one-if-by-land.com/

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Friday Five

I've been doing all my runs in the neighborhood in the evening. I'll admit running and diet has been rough this summer with the crazy hours I'm working, but I'm doing my best to stay on track. And so far, I'm pretty on schedule with my runs. I'm so tired after work that I literally have to take an hour nap, and then hit the road. Overall, I'm enjoying these dusk time runs, past the newly bloomed cornfields near our home.

A definite favorite snack of mine lately is these 100 calorie bags of popcorn  covered in ranch kernel seasoning. I'm loving it!! I crave it all the time.

Wednesday mornings I take Linky to doggie daycare. Although he doesn't look it in the picture, he is always pumped about it. Grabbing a decent car selfie with a dog is a hard task however. There are several outtakes to this shot.

Our beloved Honda Fit, Felix, turned 100,000 miles this week! Here's hoping it can make it 100,000 miles more!

I love these little dinosaur scratch off crafts we did with the kids at summer camp this week. And for the record, I have no children named Rodney or Dino D. Those are the names of the dinosaurs. Roar!

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Friday Five

I got my two custom headbands from etsy for my Disneyland races in September! I have finally narrowed down my costumes to doing Baymax for the 10k and Dumbo for the half marathon (since I'm completing the Dumbo Double Dare)! These headbands are just so precious, I got them from this etsy seller.

Adam and I did a little photo shoot with a local photographer, and she posted this "sneak" picture on her facebook page. I just LOVE it. And I can't wait to see the rest of them. We haven't done photos since we were married, and I thought it was about time!

Link has taken to sitting and looking out the window in our living room. It is so adorable. Because all you can see is a lump behind the curtain. When I go out running, he watches me every time I round the block. I wave at him. He is so gosh darn precious.

I was given a DSM-5 at work the other day. This will make no sense to anyone not in the psychology field, but I was excited to get my hands on it. As they have been talking about the release of the DSM-5 since I was in grad school!

I have made it a mission to try all of the new fan flavors at Starbucks. I now have a definitive ranking of the best to worst flavors. So here is my list: Red Velvet, Cupcake, Cinnamon Roll, Cotton Candy, Caramel Cocoa Cluster, and Lemon Bar.

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Friday Five

Some highlights from this week:

It is such a simple pleasure, but I've been taking naps with the windows up in the bedroom all week long. Right now, it is the perfect temperature outside for it, and it is just the best!

Every year around this time, I have to get re CPR certified. Every year I save this guy from choking and cardiac arrest, and he never even says, "thank you."

I was a little concerned with the direction this words with friends game was going.

It is hard to see, but we had a pretty little rainbow after some summer showers earlier this week.  I so rarely see rainbows, that when I do, I get excited. 

Sorry, Not Sorry for this bathroom selfie. But I spent Friday afternoon at the Lazy River, and I wanted a shot in my new suit. This is the first year in the history of ever, that I actually felt confident in a swimsuit.

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Friday Five

Some highlights from this week: 

For the last three months, I've been driving out to West Limestone High School to do some school counseling (filling in for someone on maternity leave). It's a very woodsy drive, and I drive by this lovely swap land on the way out. Since Monday was my last time heading out to that part of town for now, I stopped to take a photo.

One of the best parts of the weekday is coming home to cuddle with this little goober. On this day, he curled up in the crook of my arm, and we took a little nap. Link is seriously THE BEST.

Oh yes, Adam brought home these mac-n-cheese  boxes containing noodles shaped like Star Wars characters. This is a deviation from this usual Ninja Turtle variety (I once bought him the Phineas & Ferb kind, and he was none too pleased with me). Yes he is a geek, but I heart him, and seeing these made me smile. 

I got to use the PINK and BLINGED out birthday "barres" at Pure Barre last week. If I were to say it was not the most awesome THING, I would be a big old liar. 

This was on of the birthday gifts from my mother, a beautiful bracelet from the Danbury Mint. I love it so much, now I need to get some green clothes to wear it with!

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Five Things

I made this hummingbird cake with homemade cream cheese frosting via this Southern Living Magazine recipe for our last book club. It was sooo, sooo good. Probably the best cake I ever made. Everyone went back for seconds, and that never happens. So proud of how this one turned out. It was the crown jewel of my baking career.

These two are so funny. Link has only met his Aunt Carlee three times, and each time he does not understand why she doesn't want to play with him, but he just keeps on trying. He used to be scared of her, but he has been emboldened by his time in doggie daycare, and Saturday, he just kept barking in her face, like he was saying, "Hey! Play with me!" We finally gave them bones, and they settled down, and ignored each other for the rest of the afternoon. 

I bought my mother and I tickets to see Garth Brooks in Birmingham in June, and I'm so freaking excited!  I have always, always loved Garth Brooks, even since I was a little girl. I have fond memories of "The Thunder Rolls," and "Friends in Low Places." I just can't wait. We also got a room at the Sheraton for the night of the concert, and it will be a nice mini getaway.

I've really been trying to cook more weight loss surgery friendly recipes, and I made this recipe for taco casserole from bariatric foodie over the weekend. I can't believe how good it is, I ate it all week long! Color me surprise about how good Greek yogurt is as a substitute for sour cream.

I'm still super in love with Pure Barre, I've already been twice and I'm going tomorrow morning. It is such a hard work out for me, I guess that is why love it. When I complete a set, I feel strong, and powerful. And I just can't wait to get better and stronger. I want to learn to plank!  I learned at my last appointment with my surgeon/nutritionist that I had lost a lot of muscle strength in my stomach, and my nutritionist wanted me to work on my core strength. I think this will do the trick.

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Five Things

Just Five Little Things Happening in Life Lately:

Loving family walks with Link right now. Although Link is the BEST PUPPY ever, teaching him to walk has not been the easiest. I've never had a dog just not know how to walk? There was the first few walks of dragging him from behind, now he knows how to lead, but wants to fight us when we get close to home. It doesn't help that our harness isn't working right, so if he fights us, he can wiggle easily out of the harness. We are fixing that this weekend. 

Finally, I got all my scrapbook pages from Disneyworld printed, and put in the special book Adam bought me at Christmas. I love it oh so much. I want to show it to everyone, and I look at it all the time. This trip was so special, and now I will never forget any part of it.

I kind of love this selfie. I took this on the one day I worked during the two weeks of being sick. I worked that one day because I had a steroid shot a few days prior, which tricked me into thinking I felt better. Of course, I woke up the next day and was clearly not better! But that one day of feeling OK was a golden moment in a crap filled two weeks.

Also during the week I was sick? I heard there was a  Birthday Cake Frappuccino at Starbucks, and I was so bored at home, that I went out one night just to try a bit of it. Is it weird to buy something just to have a few sips? I don't think so. I have always been a foodie at heart. Plus it was SO WORTH IT. So good. 

Sometimes your niece is having a wedding shower in Houston, Texas, and you decide two weeks before the shower that you just have to come! So you buy a last minute ticket, and then plan for one whirl wind weekend. Anything for my girl.

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