Friday Faves!

It's been a long time since I've pulled together a Friday Favorites post, so I figured why not get my butt in gear for the last post of September!

{1} Justin Timberlake

Did you guys see that Netflix is going to have a special on Justin Timberlake's live performance on October 12th? You better believe this girl will be tuning in!

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{2} Natural Cold Remedies

For the first time in a LONG time I was able to kick my cold (and not let it progress into coughing and ickiness) with the use of these things: Saline spray (like every hour for the first day or two of symptoms--I now keep a bottle at work and at home), essential oils (diffusing them in my office while here, and at home)--specifically the On Guard blend from doTerra, a spoonful of honey before bed and before leaving for work (and in my tea before bed). And that was really it! I started feeling icky on Wednesday and when I did all of this, I felt wayyyy better by Friday evening. This is going to be my go-to from now on (but hopefully I won't need it for a LONG time!)

{3} MG's coming home

So, my world travelling husband has been gone on another work trip this past week and he gets home tomorrow. Luckily we've been able to Skype every day, despite the 7 hour time difference, and in between the meetings he's been going to, he's also been doing some sight seeing. I have to admit, I'm a little jealous when he sends me pics like this:

(life is obviously really rough for him lol)

{4} Political Funnies

In a time where people can get super heated about politics and start bashing one another, I think it's important that we come together over our commonalities. Case and point:

{5} Some more funnies (because laughing is good for you)

When the UPS guy delivers a third shipment to your house from a recent online order

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When you can't stop eating the new bag of Pirate's Booty you just got

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When you get a paycheck in your bank account for the first time in 3 months

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When you finish a really good book, and you didn't want it to end

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Hoping your Friday is quick and your weekend is Fall Fabulous! :)

WHW {#60}

Happy What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday friends!! Hopefully the week is whizzing by and treating you right!

Reading ...

Another book by Diane Chamberlain, Keeper of the Light. This one is the first in a series that was published a while back (in the 90s I think). I'm only about 8% of the way in, according to my Kindle, but I do like her writing so much! Hopefully this one's a winner!

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Watching ...

Well, I watched the presidential debate on Monday, like everyone else who was on Twitter and Facebook lol. But in terms of actual tv, I'm watching The Big Bang Theory now that it's back, This Is Us on NBC (good so far!) and of course all of my Housewives and Below Deck peeps!

Eating....

I've totally been on the health train lately (said in a sarcastic tone). I had Chipotle for dinner on Monday night since MG was out of town. I did have a salad on Tuesday night for dinner, but then added a bunch of blue cheese dressing so I guess that counteracted my good choice with the salad. And let's not even talk about the decadent meal we had at Flemming's SteakHouse when my SIL came to visit with her husband and our oldest niece. Ah well--that's what working out is for, right??

Looking forward to ... 

Our Minnesota trip next weekend! We'll do our annual trip to see our friends and their three adorable kids, and get to go to the Vikings game in the new stadium!

Wishing...

MG didn't have to go away for work again this week, but he'll be back this weekend thankfully, so all is not lost!

Enjoying ...

spending time with my mom. She came over on Monday night and we spent the evening together hanging out and catching up. Definitely a nice way to take advantage of MG being out of town with some mother-daughter time!

Drinking...

the La Croix Seltzer waters are my favorite, especially the mixed flavor ones. I still havent tried the blackberry cucumber one since it's been out of stock every time I go to get it at Target (note: it's usually at least a dollar or more cheaper at Target than the grocery store!)

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Loving....

that our oldest niece is looking at going to Catholic University which would mean that she'd be close to us! Her parents are ok with her going there, too, since we'll be close by. It's still a ways off, but she really liked the campus and it would be fun to have our niece nearby during her college years!

Wanting ... 

Friday to get here because PAYDAYYYYYYY finally!!!!

Wearing ...
my new MK camel flats! Since the temps have been more Fall-like than Summer, these puppies got busted out yesterday and are so super cute, I just love them! And that comfy shirt I got at Target this past weekend that I posted about on Monday. (Might have to go pick it up in black!)

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Grateful For...

Cooper. He's always there to give a cuddle or a little kiss, but I especially appreciate him when MG is gone. Plus, every morning when I go to pick him up off the bed, he rolls over for a belly rub. Spoiled pup, but we love him so much!

Now it's your turn to link up with Jessi and I to share what's hap-"pinning" with you! It can be about anything!

{Recipe Files}: Zucchini Tots

I mentioned a few weeks ago that MG and I attempted zucchini tots from Damn Delicious (well, I did...MG was a great sous chef!) and they turned out pretty well! Definitely a healthier option when you're craving those tots!!

What You Need:

~2 zucchini, shredded

~2 carrots, peeled and shredded*

~1/2 C Panko bread crumbs

~2 large eggs

~1/4 C shredded cheddar cheese

~2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

~1/2 tsp dried basil

~1/2 tsp dried oregano

~1/4 tsp garlic powder

~1/4 tsp onion powder

~Pinch of cajun seasoning

~salt and pepper to taste

*I used baby carrots and just put them into my food processor and it worked just fine.

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F then spray a baking sheet or use a silpat baking mat on the baking sheet.

2. Put the grated zucchini in a colander in the sink, add salt, and toss it to combine. Let it sit for a bit before squeezing the water out using a towel. A LOT of the "juice" will come out which is what you want!

3. In a large bowl, add in the squeezed zucchini, carrots, Panko, eggs, cheeses, and the seasonings. Basically that whole list of ingredients, dump it in and mix it all together!

4. Taking small amounts of the mixture, form it into tots and place on the baking sheet.

5. Bake until crisp and golden brown. Original recipe says 16-18 minutes, but ours took about 20 or a little while longer.

6. Serve right away with whatever you like to eat your tots with! We ate ours with ketchup (and a pesto grilled cheese!) and they were tasty!

Weekending Highlights

Somehow it's not only Monday but it's the last week of September. How quickly is time flying???
Ok enough of that--let's chat about the highlights from the weekend!

My weekend highlights included:

~Going home on Friday afternoon to relax and attempt to recover from the cold. Ending up sleeping for 2 hours on the couch. Guess I needed it.

~MG took me out to Sweet Water Tavern for dinner since neither of us felt like cooking. I gorged on a bacon cheeseburger with their "wicked" sauce (it's wickedly delicious!)

~a quiet night in, finished Ballers season 2, and more sleeping on the couch ensued while watching Dateline

~Woke up feeling about 80% which is HUGE. I never feel this good this quickly after coming down with a cold. Guess that sleep paid off. And saline spray!! I highly recommend that stuff for any future cold suffering (do it like 8 times a day when your cold first comes on)!

~Early morning trip to Costco where they had the world's largest teddy bear. Stocked up on more pirate's booty, pesto and quinoa. Plus we got ourselves a new, fancy stainless steal motion sensor trash can for the kitchen (only $40!)

(teddy looks a little drunk)

~Did a quick run to Target and picked up this super comfy Gilligan O'Malley lounge shirt (omg it's so soft) for $19 and then found out once we got home that the check out guy didn't scan it right so we got it for free. #happyaccident

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~Went to Tyson's mall to return a shirt to Loft and get some money back on the shirt I wanted to keep, but went on sale for 40% off (got $29 bucks back on that one) and MG found two new pairs of shoes for himself

Mixed Media Top  $35                                    Tie Neck Shell $23.99

~Had lunch at Brio: lobster bisque for two (I swear I could eat a vat of that stuff!), plus a margarita pizza to split (super yum!)

~Went for a 3 mile walk with MG on a trail near our house

~Had another pretty quiet night in which was perfect for my cold recovery, and after the crazy busy weekend we had last weekend. Facetimed with my one SIL and BIL, too!

~Started a new Diane Chamberlain book (she's definitely a new favorite author of mine!)

~Had a quick breakfast, ran to the grocery store to pick up some things I didn't get the day before, then met up with my friend MK for a long walk with temps that started to feel like Fall weather and then grabbed lunch together at Panera (hello broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl!)

~Made a cheesy chicken, broccoli and rice casserole to take to my friend who is going through chemo (dropping it off today)--we have a meal delivery sign up going on for her so she doesn't have to worry about cooking. Hopefully the casserole is a success!

~My other SIL and BIL were in town with our oldest niece for a recruiting session at Catholic University so I got to spend some time with them and then went out for a steak dinner that night

~Got in some good family time before heading off to bed to rest up for another work week (and the second part of her recruiting session this morning).

All in all, it was a restful weekend which was much needed to get over the hump of that cold. Hoping yours was fun and restful too!

Sick Day

I had myself all ready to put together a list of my favorites this week since I haven't done one in a while, and then....

I got a cold.

This inevitably happens to me at some point during the start of every school year. My body is used to being away from all of the germs for the summer, and when I get back to work, my immune system is attacked with all of those germs its been away from. No amount of hand washing, essential oil use, or clorox'ing the table in my room seems to keep them away.

Hoping for a quick recovery with lots of rest this weekend. If anyone has any good recommendations for kicking a cold quickly, I'm all ears. Well, the parts that aren't already feeling clogged anyway :)

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Hope you have a good weekend, and the germies stay away from you!

Thursday Thoughts and 'Fessions

Oh my word, I really don't remember the last time I did a Thursday post which means that my blogger game has been slacking big time lately!

Slacker, no more!! Here are my thoughts and confessions this week:

~I unfriended a girl on social media who I've known since elementary school because she only posts selfies, or quotes. I'm all for a good quote, and I like a selfie here and there, but when you're posting three selfies within 10 minutes and they all look the same, I just click "unfollow"

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~I hate that apples start turning brown within like 10 minutes of cutting them. 

~I have a coworker in a new position at work which requires being organized and efficient. And this person is neither of those things. This has already caused me to get reamed out by a parent for something that wasn't my fault. Grrrrr.

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~I have a second school again this year and it happens to be the school that my crazy parent's kid went to. But it also happens to be 3 minutes from my house. Trade offs.

~Give me all the cheese! Grilled cheese, mac and cheese, just plain cheese cubes. I'll take it and eat them all. Please and thank you! :)

{via} Nice little Wallace and Gromit throwback :)

~As nice as it was not being at work on Monday, coming back on Tuesday with the week already in full swing just kinda drained me. I didn't feel like I had a day off, I just felt like I had less time to get things done, and now I have to figure out all of my make up therapy time in the coming weeks. Makes that one day not seem worth it (but at least I was already one day closer to the weekend when I got to work!)

~I hate when IT people talk to you like you're an idiot. And then in the end, it was a problem on their side, but I've just been made to feel like an imbecile for the entire time we've been talking.

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~The end of the month can not come soon enough because the end of the month means I will finally get a paycheck after not having one since the end of June. #poorteacherprobs

~I caught one of my Kindergarten girls wiping her nose on the bottom of her dress yesterday. I promptly offered her a tissue.

What are your thoughts or confessions?

WHW {#59}

Happy What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday! As promised, I'm back with a real post today!

Since our friend's wedding was what took me away from the blog for a bit of time, I thought I'd recap it since it was a super fun weekend away and a gorgeous wedding!

Friday MG and I dropped Cooper off at our friends' house for the weekend, and then made our way up to NJ and got to spend the night with my SIL and her family.

Saturday morning we were up and at 'em really early to shower and head to the rehearsal which started at 10:30 in Long Beach Island, NJ. (Apparently this place had 3 weddings that weekend and the early morning was the only time they could do the rehearsal). Luckily the weather was absolutely gorgeous and so was the setting!

We got to see several friends, watch the rehearsal, and then went to have lunch at a restaurant nearby. The food was superb and the company was fabulous! I swear I had to rub my cheeks several times throughout the lunch because they hurt from laughing so much!

After lunch, the groomsmen and their ladies all went to check into the beach house that we had rented for the weekend. We were right on the bay and had gorgeous views from the kitchen and the bedrooms!

We all got ourselves settled in and then headed back out to meet up with everyone at a local rooftop bar where we sat and had more laughter for several more hours before heading home to have pizza, play some beer pong and Cards Against Humanity before heading to bed!

The next morning we all grabbed breakfast together and then around noon the guys were off to meet up at the venue spot in their sharp new suits!

My friend Michelle and I went to get our hair blown out (and it was a good thing because the humidity was fierce that day and my hair was already feeling the effects). 

We went to the ceremony, which was absolutely beautiful and really emotional. You can tell that these two truly love each other so so much.

Cocktail hour was full of all kinds of fancy and tasty foods, and offered up some great photo ops as well!

Then we had dinner, and MG did his best man speech which he knocked out of the park! He was by far the best speech of the night (and I'm not just saying that because he's my husband :)

After delicious food, and a 4 option dessert (we had wedding cake, a chocolate cupcake, creme brulee and fruits), we followed it up with a bunch of dancing! Before we knew it, everything was wrapping up!

We all ended up going to bed around 1:30, and then were all up early the next morning to clean up the house and pack up.

Unfortunately a HUGE storm was rolling through and made it impossible to pack up the cars without getting soaking wet, but we did it. And then on the drive out, the roads were already starting to flood, so we were happy to make our way out and back home!

All in all it was a fabulous weekend! It was great to spend time with friends we don't get to see as often, and I definitely got in an ab workout from all of the laughter!

Now it's your turn to share what's hap-"pinning" with you! Link up with Jessi and I below!

M.I.A.

I'm SO sorry I've been missing in action for almost a week!

After the middle of last week, things got really hectic at work and I didn't have time to get a blog post together, and then MG and I went away for his best friend's wedding, which was on Sunday. So after celebrating into the wee hours of Monday morning, and driving back home from NJ yesterday, there wasn't a lot of time or energy for a post either.

 Just letting you know I'm still here and alive! :)

In the meantime, on Saturday morning, Facebook reminded me of this photo, taken 5 years ago. It was our first photo together, at a friend of mine's wedding. Crazy how quickly time flies (and even more fun that we were at another wedding on the same date as 5 years before).

Ok, I promise I'll be back tomorrow!

What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday {#58}

It's time for another edition of WHW, where you can share what's happening with you, stuff you're pinning, recipes...anything!

Reading ...
Lots of stuff, although now that I'm back at work, my days of being able to read for hours on end are over. Boo hiss! Right now I'm reading a book my mom gave to me called Stepdog by Nicole Galland. I'm only about a quarter of the way in and so far it's pretty good. Check out my post from yesterday for some of the other books that I've been reading!

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Watching ...
All the Real Housewives (no surprise there), Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry (anyone else?? He's incredible and has me tearing up almost every episode), Teen Mom OG--I used to like Maci the best, but I'm sorry if you get pregnant three times "by accident" then you obviously haven't learned anything about what this show is supposed to be preaching. And lastly, Married At First Sight which I think has been the most disappointing and boring season yet. And I think the experts suck.

{via} BORING!!!!

Eating....
Pirate's Booty. The other weekend (not this past one, but the one before) I picked up a Costco sized bag of Pirate's Booty, and I'm ashamed to admit that there was only about a 1/4 of it left by this past weekend. That stuff is like crack! #givemethebooty

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Looking forward to ... 

Our friend's wedding this weekend. It's on a Sunday which is a bit of a pain (and out of town) but it's sure to be a LOT of fun! I'm pretty sure we're gonna need a weekend following this weekend of festivities and friends!

Wishing...
my friend Kelly a successful first day of Chemo today! This girl has been a true superhero to me since finding out she had breast cancer at the end of the school year. She has had nothing but the best, most positive attitude, and I know she is going to rock this too! On Monday, a bunch of us got together and surprised her at a local wine bar, wearing pink (well almost all of us) as a Chemo Kickoff to show our love and support for her. I think she was surprised as she teared up immediately upon seeing us :) Sending so much love to you, Kelly!

Enjoying ...
the last bits of watermelon season. Since we got a big guy locally the other weekend, I've been having a mid-morning snack of watermelon every day and I'm loving it!

Drinking...
Cucumber and lemon water that we've been making in our infuser pitcher. SO delicious and refreshing and better than just plain lemon water.

Loving....
working with Kindergarten students. First of all, they are SO tiny at the start of the year. And boy are they funny, rambunctious, and full of giggles! 

Wanting ... 
to have a week without parent meetings. I'll have at least 4 this week. It's the first FULL week of school and by the end of this week, I'll have had 5 meetings so far this school year, in 9 days. #justletmeseethekids

Wearing ...
dresses and anything else that keeps me cool since we're climbing back into the 90s this week! At least Sunday and Monday were less hot, and not humid, but I could really do with some consistent 80 degree, no humidity days.

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Grateful For...

Comfy clothes, glasses and being able to relax and veg out at the end of a work day. 

Now it's your turn to link up with Jessi and I and share what's hap-"pinning" with you!