5 Faves on Friday

Happy Friday lovelies! 

I hope your week went by quickly and you're excited for the weekend!

Friday Favorites // Friday Favorites // Oh Hey Friday// 5 on Friday

My 5 this week are:

{1}-Haircut

Sporting my new glasses from Firmoo!

I got a much-needed haircut on Monday and my hair feels so much better, happier and healthier! I got lots of compliments on it at work this week and that makes me happy, too! 

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My hair is ready for Spring--now the weather just needs to catch up ;)

{2} Crossing Things Off My To-Do List

With all of the delays and snow days at school lately, it's made for a chaotic week back trying to get back on track. I had a lengthy to-do list at the start of the week and I'm down to about 4 things now! I LOVE crossing things off of my to-do list. And it also means I can sleep easier at night without running through everything that has to be done.

{3} House of Cards is Back!

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As of today, the dark and twisty season 3 drama is back! It will be super difficult not to binge watch the entire thing this weekend (thankfully we have plans that won't allow a full on binge-sesh). I'm excited to see what's gonna happen next with the Underwoods--whatever it is, I'm glad that the wait is over!
Now, to practice that little skill called self-restraint....

{4} This Question on Trivia Crack

It just made me laugh. 

And yes, I got it right.

{5} My Dad and some prayers

On Wednesday afternoon my dad had to go to Urgent Care and stayed overnight. Luckily things seem to be going better, which needs to happen because he's having a procedure done on his heart on Tuesday (assuming everything stays good with him in the meantime). Any extra time you have for positive thoughts or prayers for him would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I hope you have a nice weekend recharging and having fun!

Thoughts on Thursday

We've got another snow day here in the DC area--it's not a lot of snow, but the timing of it all is what caused schools to close I think. What do I know? I don't have to go out in it, and that's 100% ok with me!
Anyway,
here's a random hodge-podge of thoughts this Thursday:

~It kinda  totally sickens me how much money the celebs get in their swag bags from the Oscars (and other awards shows). Why are you getting swag? You're at a party that someone else is paying for, wearing expensive gowns and clothes that you don't have to pay for, attending parties for free....so I guess you need $167K worth of freebies, too?

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~Why do people judge other people for what they do after they get married (or in general)? If you want to write a blog post, do it! If you want to update your status on Facebook, do it! Why is changing your name or marital status on facebook the day after your wedding a bad thing? How does that affect someone else enough to comment on? (Answer: it doesn't.) And why is it worth someone else's judgement? (Answer: it's not.)

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~I wish I spoke Spanish fluently. I can speak enough to get by...kinda...but speaking fluently would totally help me out, especially at work sometimes.

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~It bugs me that every boot that I try on seems to be for wide-calves. I appreciate that boot makers are making things for everyone to access, but even the "regular" sizes seem to be huge on my calves, or just leave a big gap. Skinny calf probs I guess?

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~Chris Soules spent a LOT of time telling Kaitlyn about how HE was nervous and how HE was feeling when he was saying good bye to her. All while she's trying to hold it together after getting dumped. Good job on making it all about you, friend...

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~Also, telling a girl you just dumped that there's "no right decision" doesn't make her feel better about things.

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~My friend posted a picture on my facebook feed that was a bunch of bananas made into dolphins. I love dolphins and I despise bananas. I simultaneously loved and hated that picture. But I give it a 10 for creativity. Minus 1 for the bananas.

~Speaking of bananas, if you ever try and make me eat them, this will be my reaction:

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~How awesome would it be to have this job?

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I'll leave off on my random thoughts for now--maybe Ill go think up some nail polish names! Hope you enjoyed the mish-mash of "thoughts" today ;)

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{Product Review}: Piyo

I know I raved about Piyo when I first got it, and since it's been a few weeks with it, I figured it's a good time to do a review about how I'm feeling about it now that I've had a chance to really try it out. Plus, tons of you asked me to let you know how I liked it, so here ya go!

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Bottom Line: I LOVE IT!

I haven't done it with 100% fidelity like the calendar plan that comes with the DVDs says to, but I've done at least 2-3 workouts a week from Piyo (and then supplement with other workouts)

I started to see results almost immediately. Given, I'm not doing Piyo to "lose weight"...I'm doing Piyo to get more fit/toned and just feel healthier. I've seen better definition in my abs, and that dreaded lower stomach area that's basically the bane of every girl's existence, is MUCH better. 

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At this point, I've only really done 5 of the workouts (out of like 9 or 10?). I like that each workout is about 18-35 minutes, and I feel like it goes by pretty quickly. I'm actively thinking about what I'm doing (so that I don't fall over) and there's constant movement so you're not just in one place feeling like you're gonna die (you might feel like you're gonna die, but it doesn't last long lol).

The "Sweat" workout is no joke. I did it the first time and was sore for about 3 days afterwards. Which either says something about how hard the workout is, or how lame I am. (Let's go with how hard the workout is to make me feel better, ok?)

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MG has been a convert too. On days he can't get a workout in at work, he'll do a Piyo workout at home. He is a huge fan of the workouts and really likes how stretched he feels afterwards, especially in his back.

I love that I've found a workout that I really enjoy doing (and sometimes even look forward to), and that I'm seeing results from. 

Once I get more into the program I'll try and do another update if you guys want, but for now, I give it two very enthusiastic thumbs up! Or, should I say, I give it two piyo pikes! lo

I just got some of the Shakeology from a friend and I'm excited to try those out, too!

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{Recipe Files}: Chili Mac

A couple weeks ago I tried out another tasty recipe from Damn Delicious. With these super cold days, a hot bowl of chili was perfect to warm us up! Even better? It's a one pot meal!

What You Need:

Ground beef missing from the pic

-1 Tbsp olive oil

-1 tsp minced garlic

-1 medium onion, diced

-8 ounces ground beef (I used almost the whole pound)

-4 Cups chicken broth

-14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

-3/4 cup canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed (these weren't my favorite--next time I'd just use red kidney beans)

-3/4 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

-2 tsp chili powder

-1 1/2 tsp cumin

-salt and pepper to taste

-10 ounce uncooked elbow macaroni

-3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or more!)

-parsley for garnish

What You Do:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the garlic, onion and ground beef, and cook until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Drain any excess fat.

2. Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, chili powder, cumin and salt/pepper. 

3. Bring to a summer and add in the pasta. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat, cooking until the pasta is cooked (about 13-15 minutes)

4. Remove the pot from the heat and top with cheese. Cover the pan with the lid for about 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is melted. 

Garnish with parsley flakes.

Serve this up in a bowl and any toppings you might want on your chili!

Enjoy!!

Weekend Highlights

Another weekend and all of a sudden it's the last week of February. How is time going by so quickly??

This weekend was another fun one even though it wasn't too eventful--sometimes those are the best!

My weekend highlights included:

~Having Friday off of work because of the frigid temps

~A date night dinner out with MG, followed by movie night at home watching St. Vincent

~was the ultimate cliche from Old School by running errands to Home Depot, Bed Bath and Beyond and Target

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~buying this gem for all of my makeup and other bathroom stuff

is it sad that this makes me happy?

~MG got some lighting for our basement and I got this little plant to bring some green inside during these Winter months

it already makes the end table look a little happier!

~Watched the 90s classic Father of the Bride as the snow came down, while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate (we got another 3" of snow, followed by sleet!)

~Made dinner at home with MG and watched The Theory of Everything. Holy smokes Eddie Redmayne is such an incredible actor. He was phenomenal!

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~Sunday morning that started with these freshly baked cinnamon swirl muffins and coffee

(they were soooooo good)

~A trip to Costco and the grocery store

~For lunch, I made the best egg salad in the history of ever (yes that's my professional opinion) while MG installed some new lighting in the basement

seriously, it's the best--stay tuned for the recipe

~some time reading on my Kindle and cuddling with Cooper

~Went out for a sushi dinner date with MG--my sushi craving was finally satisfied!

~Watched the Oscars--loved the opening; Neil Patrick Harris is fabulous!
These three were some of my favorites, but there were lots of great dresses last night:

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I loved Jenna Dewan Tatum's dress too but didn't get a picture of it up here

~Headed to bed to start what's likely to be a full week (which will be tough after my 1-day work week last week haha)

Now that I look at it, my weekend revolved around food and movies--but I guess that happens when it snows. It definitely gave us a chance to just relax and spend some uninterrupted time together, which was totally welcome and not a bad way to spend a weekend in the slightest :)

I hope your weekend was as relaxing/fun/productive as you'd hoped it would be!

Linking up with these pretties today:

Friday Faves

Happy Friday! Whether it was a regular week for you, or a short one, Fridays are always welcome! I only had a one day work week this week (yesterday) because of snow, uncleared roads further out in our county, and today we're off because of temps in the negative teens with the wind chill. It's been a frigid week to say the least!

Friday Favorites // Friday Favorites // Oh Hey Friday// 5 on Friday

Here are some of my favorite things from this arctic tundra week!

{1}-Quality time with the Hubs

With the snow day we got in DC after a long weekend, I got in some extra quality time with MG. And as a post-Valentine's date night, we went to a Paint Nite event on Tuesday evening and had so much fun. I love that he's always up to try anything, especially something that I've wanted to do for a while. 

{2} Cooper in the Snow

Some dogs don't like the snow. That's not my dog. When there's fresh snow, he goes nuts! Plowing his face through the snow, hopping through it like a bunny. He entertains the heck out of me when we go out in it (which makes the snow slightly more tolerable). Cooper's joy over the snow just makes me smile. In case you missed it yesterday, here's a taste of his snow happiness:

{3} These funnies

which made me laugh when I saw them both the other day

{via} Amen!

(I bet a lot of parents around here have similar feelings! lol)

{4} These cute clothes that have me dreaming of Spring time

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Just need some warmer temps because right now,

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{5} Love and Weddings

A girl I've gotten to know and really just adore is getting married today to the love of her life and I couldn't be happier for her! Amanda, I hope that today is the most perfect, special, incredible day for you! I hope everything goes smoothly (and that if it doesn't, it's all minor and totally not noticeable). Enjoy every minute and soak in every special moment because there will be tons.  Can't wait to see pictures and hear all about it! Congrats girl!!!

{borrowed from here}

Here's hoping your weekend is filled with love and some warmth...and if you can't have the warmth from the weather, get it from someone nearby ;) Happy weekend!!

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Currently....

Since I was a little absent at the start of the week I thought a Currently post would be perfect to get all caught up!
Currently:

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Feeling... well rested. A long weekend, plus two snow days allowed for a lot of extra R&R. Some people in the area complained about schools getting the day off yesterday, but my county is huge, so areas south were much worse than they were in our neighborhoods. I'd rather the county be safe than sorry when it comes to the kids and I wish the complainers would think about that before they started complaining.

Reading... A Thread in the Tangle, a book recommendation I saw on Amazon with really good reviews. It's not my typical genre but so far I'm intrigued.

Listening to... podcasts! Since I got him hooked to Serial, MG started listening to Podcasts on his drive to and from work, and on our drive to Philly last weekend, we listened to a few. Some are funny, some are educational, but they're all interesting or entertaining and make the time pass by quickly! I just downloaded some from The Moth which is a bunch of true stories told live.

Watching...I feel like all I watched this week was The Bachelor because it was on for FIVE HOURS this week (within almost a 24 hour period)! That's a lot of tears, crazy, drama, and "I think I'm in love with him"s. I still enjoyed the heck out of it tho :)
Speaking of, I saw this throwback pic of Britt and was a little taken back

Shaved hair don't care?

Thinking about...the cold weather that came our way last night and will be here through Friday. Supposedly with "all time February record lows". Oh joy....I need to go put on another layer of clothing just thinking about it

Working on... trying to make some decisions on our guest bathroom remodel. The vanity is proving extra tricky to find since we have a specific space that it has to fit into...and of course that's not the standard size (that would be too easy!) Also trying to decide on a color, because the bright orange the previous owners had isn't really doing it for us.
This is kind of what we're going for (the vanity) but a sea-foam green color and different flooring.

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Loving... (selfishly) that my sweet friend and online bestie Shay is back online every day after her maternity leave so that we can chat on the daily all day long. I've missed our all day long chats and gossip! 

Needing... to make Cooper a grooming appointment. My poor pup's hair is so long that his hair is in his eyes. He's super cute when he's fluffy but the extra fur creates snow balls when he's outside which is extra fun to clean up every time we come in from a walk lately.
But, you can enjoy this video of Cooper enjoying the snow day--hopefully it makes you laugh as much as it made us laugh :)

Excited about... all of the finds I got at the Loft Outlet this past weekend, and then a Loft shipment that I'd ordered last week arrived yesterday! In it were two super cute shirts and the most comfy long tunic I've ever felt (perfect for this cold weather). I've got Loft clothes for days!! 

(And I might need to wear all of them at once to stay warm in these below zero temps!)

What are you up to, currently?