Going the Distance: July 2015

Five Friday Faves

Happy Friday and happy last day of summer school to me!! Woohoo, I survived and without any major scars! :) And also, how is it even possible that today is the last day of July?? Where is time going??? I just hope the next month goes super slowly so I can soak it all up!

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

{1} Favorite new item

So, I stalked the Nordstrom site earlier this week, waiting for the multi-colored Kate Spade earrings to come back in stock (yes, I know, my life is tough...*sarcasm*) and they finally did, so I snatched them up! Within an hour they were sold out again.
Now I get to decide between these two pretties...or somehow convince myself that I need both (but, I don't....)

{2} Favorite Workout

I bought the Cize exercise program and when it arrived on Tuesday I immediately went to try it out. Cut to a few days in and I am hooked. I end each workout totally sweaty and red-faced (mega sexy), and feeling super accomplished, with sore leg, shoulder and butt muscles. Not to mention I'm getting some fun dance moves, too!

I'm really excited about finishing the rest of the program!

{3} Favorite Get Togethers

This week was apparently the week of babies for me because I got to meet up with two of my friends who recently both had baby boys. I got to see my friends and meet their adorable little guys. I'm in awe of my friends and how easily they transitioned into motherhood--its so fun to see them in this new role...and the best part was the adorable little peanuts I got to hold and love on! :)

{4} Favorite Quotes--these all resonated with me so deeply this week.
from Lisa Rina's Instagram:

{via}

{5} These Funnies
How you think you look when working out at home, doing dance moves:

{via}

What you actually look like:

{via}

When you eat the last of the delicious potato chips in your pantry without the husband knowing:

{via}

When someone tells you that it's been 20 years since Clueless came out...

{via} how is that possible?

{via}

When it's the last day of Summer school, you just got paid, and you have the prospect of a full month off ahead of you:

{via}

I hope you have an easy day and an awesome weekend!
Take a second and think about something that you're grateful for today...
Catch you on Monday, lovies!

Stop The Hate

I've seen a lot of hate recently. And, sadly, I think it's becoming such a common part of our culture that we hardly react to it anymore.

With the increase in use of the internet, texting, social media, etc so went the increase in people's "bravery" to say whatever they wanted to say to others, while hiding behind a screen or device. Including mean, heinous and downright awful things to/about other people.

It needs to stop.

I don't want to raise my children in a society of people who hide behind screens and keyboards, saying things with the sole intention of hurting someone else. I don't want to become acclimated to this being the norm. It's NOT normal. And it's not right.

{via}

There are always people on the other side of the screen. Other people who take those comments to heart. Other people who have to internalize that hatred and somehow deal with it, whether they know who the person on the other side of the comments are or not.

Recently, a local radio host who is pretty popular in our area announced his divorce, along with a pretty detailed account of some things that his ex wife did. Listeners only heard his side of the story, and then within an hour of the broadcast, his ex-wife had so many hate messages on her Instagram account you couldn't keep up with it. Numerous messages calling her a whore, and unworthy of her kids, etc.

If what the radio host said is true, I don't agree with the ex-wife's actions, but I dont know her side, and why would it ever be my place to call someone else a whore or an unfit mother (when in actuality nothing about the story had to do with either of those topics)? Or even comment in the first place? My first reaction was how sad it was that they were getting a divorce, not "what mean comment can I write to her to really make her feel bad?" As if she isn't dealing with enough.

Why is it people's first reaction to call names? And almost always it's 'whore'. Kaitlyn Bristowe (the most recent Bachelorette) faced numerous comments, and even death threats from people about her sleeping with Nick. Yes, she is a public figure, but she's also a human being. And realistically if Kaitlyn is a whore for sleeping with someone that she is dating, then so are the majority of people in our society (not everyone, but seriously..)

Whether you agree with someone's actions or not is one thing. But I will NEVER get behind tearing someone down.

There are people out there who will write whatever they want about you--comment about a gift your husband got you, or the way you're doing things in your wedding, a way you dealt with a situation, the type of house you buy or the way it looks, heck even a blog post you write.... People who just want to incite a reaction out of you. For what purpose? And, more importantly, WHO CARES?? If it doesn't directly affect you, then why is it worth your commentary?

The answer is: It's not!

These people who hide behind screens, spewing hate, show just how ugly and unhappy they are on the inside. And how little they have going on with their lives that they have the time to tear others down instead of doing something productive and positive with their time.
You know the saying, "Misery Loves Company"....I think it's true. If you're truly happy with your life, your time and energy are not spent writing mean things about someone else. It's spent enjoying your life and the people around you.

If you have to tear someone else down in order to feel better about yourself, you have some things you could easily spend your time doing rather than talking smack online, likely to someone who can't, or won't, ever respond to your meanness and negativity.

We need to build one another up instead of tearing each other down.

Take the advice from your parents growing up: if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!

Ok, I'm getting down off of my soap box now. I just hope that we can all commit to being positive people and helping to support one another instead of being the first to throw stones and try to hurt. I promise, in the end, it will not make you feel better and especially will not make you a better person. We are all capable of more than that.

{via}

Stop. The. Hate.

Currently...

Dreaming ...
of our summer getaways! Summer school is almost over (2 more days!) MG and I have 2 summer vacations planned and I can't wait! :)

Reading ...
The Good Girl, and Ever After. I finished Bread and Wine and will give you guys a review soon. The ones I'm reading now are pretty good as well!

Playing ...
Zingo with my kids at work--my coworker friend/fellow SLP had Zingo in her bag of tricks this summer and it has quickly become a favorite. Any moms of little kids, look into this game--it's cute and they have different ones with pictures, sight words and math (and it's only $11 on Amazon). I already bought myself one and plan to use it next school year.

Watching ...
I watched the Bachelorette finale this week--I knew Shawn would win because Kaitlyn spoiled her own season on Snapchat part way through (hear about what happened here). I actually felt bad for Nick towards the end, and think she shouldn't have let him go through his whole proposal speech before she let him go. I was a Nick hater in the beginning and now I feel for the guy.
Bring on the drama from Bachelor in Paradise--aka Kaitlyn and Chris Soules' rejects...and Clare.

{via}

Thinking ...
about the dinner I'm going to make for a couple friend who are coming over this weekend. My friend is vegan, and I've never, at least not intentionally, made a vegan meal. A little nerve wracking but I think I have a plan.

Cooking...
lately it's been some old, tried and true recipes for me, like one pan mexican quinoa, and chicken parmesan meatballs. But, like I said, I'm going to be attempting a vegan meal this weekend. Mushroom fajitas! Anyone have easy vegan appetizers?

{via} They look pretty good, right?

Drinking ...
strawberry/lemon water, trying to stay hydrated during these super hot and sticky days!

Texting...
Amanda about some fashion choices, and last week it was an entertaining conversation about an engagement ring. And my bestie...about a bunch of stuff :)

Wanting ...
The Nordstrom sale to be over. Ok, I don't really want it to be over, but I do. So it can stop tempting me to buy more more more! #mycreditcardisdying

Looking ...
at Cooper and am so thankful that he's mine. And that his seizure meds have made him virtually seizure free (as far as we have seen). So happy to have this little guy in my life.

Enjoying ...
having the afternoons off--I could seriously get used to working half days all the time. There's so much time during the afternoon to get things done, schedule appointments, or just relax!

Wasting ...
money on the Nordstrom sale. Ok, not wasting....at least not according to me ;)

Loving ...
my new nail polish from Essie. It's called Limo-Scene and I love the light white color! My coworker told me about the color and it was exactly what I had been looking for:

uhhhhhbbbb--sessed!

Hating...
haters. I don't understand the constant need of some people to just nit pick at people. If you have the time to pick someone apart small detail by small detail, then you're just showing everyone how pathetic your life is. Find something more productive to spend your time doing. No one likes a hater.

Trying ...
a new workout program. Have you heard of Cize? It's the new program by Shaun T that is more dancing focused. It finally came in the mail yesterday and I got to work. Holy jeez was I sweating by the end! I'll be doing a full review once I do it a little more/longer!

Wearing ...
my new Reef flip flops from the Nordstrom sale, every chance I get. They go with everything and are so comfy! Love Reef!

Pinning...
a bunch of yummy recipes that I want to try. And some funnies that I spot along the way :)

Feeling ...
excited about Jessi's and my link up--starting NEXT WEDNESDAY! Don't forget to swing by and link up with what's hap-"pinning" in your life!!

Grateful For...
my health. Things can change in the blink of an eye, for you or someone else, and you just don't know when that will happen. Be grateful for the people in your life, and the things you have, especially your health.

Praying...
For Leslie's family, specifically her husband and two little daughters. I got the heart breaking news from my friend Jess yesterday that Leslie had passed away and I was in shock. Please send thoughts and prayers her family's way--I can only imagine what they are going through right now. The world lost a sweet sweet woman. Saw the hashtags to share on social media on my friend Lynn and Jess' blogs: #rememberingleslie #beblessedlovlies (The GoFundMe page for her daughter's college funds is here)

What are you up to currently?

{Recipe Files}: Shrimp Fried Quinoa

I always love fried rice--it's so yummy, and then you add in some protein like chicken or shrimp and it's even better. So when I found this recipe online with quinoa instead of rice, I knew I had to try it!

It's light, tasty, packed with protein, and really quick/easy to make!

What You Need:

-Shrimp (I used 1 pound), tail removed
-1 cup uncooked quinoa
-1 1/2 cups water
-1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
-ginger (I used a couple dashes of the powder)
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1/4 small onion
-shredded carrots (I used about 1 cup)
-1/2 cup (or more) peas
-2 eggs, lightly beaten

For the sauce:
-1 1/2 Tbsp terriyaki sauce

-2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce (reduced sodium)

-3/4 tsp sesame oil (you can use olive oil if you don't have sesame oil)

What You Do:
1. Rinse quinoa if it needs to be rinsed. Then bring the quinoa and water (or broth if you're using it) to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer, season with salt, and cover. Follow cooking time for your quinoa in directions (usually about 15 minutes). Fluff with a fork when done.

2. Mix the teriyaki, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Heat 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for about 2 minutes.

4. Add garlic and ginger to the pan, and cook another 2 minutes.

5. Add in the rest of the olive oil and the quinoa and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add in the sauce and continue to cook for another few minutes.

6. Make a well in the center of the quinoa and add the lightly beaten eggs to the middle. Let them cook up like scrambled eggs. (I kind of messed this step up, and it still came out ok)

7. Throw in the peas, mix all together, and serve!

Hope you enjoy!!
Don't forget to check out some of my other recipes on my Recipes Page!

Weekend Highlights

This weekend went by in a flash! It was pretty relaxing and low-key overall, but still had some fun stuff which made the weekend go by quickly.

My weekend highlights included:

~Friday afternoon massage

~Had these pretties arrive earlier than expected:

I'm debating getting the multi-colored ones (if they come back in stock), and, depending which ones I like better, maybe taking these ones back...decisions decisions

~Enjoyed the humidity-free weather on the deck with some afternoon reading (and talking on the phone with my bestie)

~Double date dinner with friends at a favorite restaurant of ours--got to catch up since it's been a while since we last got together with all of the busy summer schedules

~Wore this cute outfit and sported two items from my most recent Rocksbox:

~Saturday trip to Costco

~Took advantage of the nice weather an explored a little park by our house and did a nice walk/hike

~FaceTimed with a friend I haven't seen for a bit (but have dinner plans with next weekend)

~Got to put my anniversary gift to MG to use and drove into DC to see Book of Mormon at the Kennedy Center

~Had a drink in the restaurant beforehand and enjoyed the view

~Laughed so hard at the show--I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it! We were laughing the whole time. And we had some pretty awesome seats!

~Slept past 8am the next morning, which is rare for me, but was so perfect

~Meal prepped for the week and ran errands

~Visited my dad in the hospital since he was admitted again to deal with his congestive heart failure--it seems to be helping, thankfully, and he looked a lot better when we saw him. I think our visit helped a bit too :)

~Gave the Coop-monster a bath and watched him go into crazy dog mode, running around the house super fast after he was done being dried off--so funny

(and got some extra Cooper snuggles)

~Bought this cute jewelry stand, on sale, so I can finally organize my bracelets and watches

~Read my newest book for a bit, did a little blog prep (especially for Jessi's and my link up next Wednesday--don't forget to link up with us!), and relaxed into Sunday evening

~MG made grilled chicken sandwiches on the grill along with some of the best corn on the cob I've had all summer! Perfect summer dinner--so yum!

~Ended the night with an ice cream sandwich

And magically had some extra company hanging around :)

All in all, it was a good weekend! I'm so glad I got that extra sleep this weekend, too, so I can gear up for the last week of summer school!

Hope your weekend was awesome, too!

Linking up with these pretties today:

Friday Faves

Happy Friday! I hope your day turns out as fabulously as this guy's day obviously is!

This week, I'm happy to report, that there were no injuries/aggression to my body during summer school! And, the kid who inflicted the most bodily harm is not coming back next week, so I'd say this week was fabulous! We also made it through a mega heat wave and got gifted some beautiful weather afterwards. All in all, it's been a good week!
And on top of all of that, I still have some more favorites!

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

{1}-Two Loves from my List

On Wednesday, when I posted my Love/Hate list, I actually had two of my things that I love come true: a haircut and color from my amazing stylist, and weather that had like zero percent humidity! Best day ever! A haircut and color had been long overdue for me, and I finally found the time to book an appointment with my hair stylist. I'm feeling good with my fresh 'do and highlights!

{2}Massage

I'm getting another massage today after work--during the school year it's harder for me to get in for massages so I have a ton built up at Massage Envy--what better time to put them to use but at the end of the week of Special Ed summer school? Luckily this week I'm not nearly as tense as I've been other weeks (probably due to the fact that I wasn't a human punching bag this week). But it will still be nice to get a massage and get the kinks out!

{3}Nordstrom Purchases
I'm sure you're probably all tired of seeing everyone's wish lists/purchases from the Nordie sale, but my first box arrived this week and I'm obsessed with the two items that were inside, so I wanted to share.
It was 86degrees out the day this arrived, and I still put on an entire Fall outfit, just to see how cute the layered shirt would look all together. It's not even accessorized and I'm in love:

paired with my olive skinnies, and my Toms wedges

And these flip flops are super cute, comfy and go with just about every color under the sun:

I'm also awaiting these PJs and Kate Spade earrings to arrive next week:

Look how cute those jammies are!! Apparently they "feel like butter"...can't wait!

{4} Weekend Plans

Tonight MG and I are going out with one of our favorite couple friends for dinner--it's been a crazy busy summer and we haven't gotten together with them in a while, so it'll be nice to catch up over a tasty dinner and drinks. And tomorrow MG and I are finally getting to see Book of Mormon (my gift to MG for our anniversary) which we have both been dying to see! Hopefully it's as good as everyone says it is. And I get to wear a pretty dress! #winwinwin

{5} Funnies

Because I have to end the week with some funnies--this week will be dedicated to everyone who got some goodies from the Nordy Anniversary Sale, Amanda-style:

When your husband asks what's in the Nordstrom box that just got delivered to your door: