Weekend Update!

Happy Monday, friends!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  I’m going to say that mine began on Thursday, since it was a holiday and such a great one at that.  Here’s how my Valentine’s Day went…

I got up, went to work, and expected it to be just another tax season day…then, around 2:00, my beau dropped by the office and surprised me with these beautiful flowers…

My favorite part were the 2 pink roses at the bottom:

Talk about a pleasant surprise!!!!!  Patrick has given me flowers on Valentine’s Day every year we have been together, but never once has he brought them to me at my office!  I think he scored some major points with all the ladies that day!  Ha! 

At 6:00, I did something very rare for tax season…I went home!  It was amazing to get to leave work early and spend the evening with my favorite guy.  When I got home, we exchanged cards and presents and then it was time to get all dolled up and head to Mere Bulles for dinner! 

I had never been out to eat on Valentine’s Day (at a nice restaurant anyway), so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I’m not sure if it was the restaurant we chose or what, but let me just say, it was amazing!  The food was delicious, the service was great, and honestly, we didn’t even have to wait very long for our table!  Perfection! 

Just when I was about to order dessert, Patrick had one final surprise up his sleeve.  He told me that he had made dessert at home!  Because he knows I’m trying to lose a few LBs, he had made chocolate covered strawberries, bananas, and apples.  So yummy!  All-in-all, an excellent Valentine’s Day!

Friday night after work, I did Zumba at the office (yes, my workplace is so great, they even offer us Zumba classes during tax season), then I headed to Boscos for Mickey’s Birthday dinner!  It was so fun to get to hang out with everyone and catch up…we used to do stuff like that all the time, but we just don’t get the opportunity very much anymore!

Saturday, I worked, and then (probably because of my late nights the 2 nights before) I was exhausted.  SO, we spent Saturday night relaxing at home and eating Papa Murphy’s Pizza!  A new one opened up near our house and I couldn’t be happier about it!  I love their DeLite pizzas! 

On Sunday, I had made reservations for Patrick and I to tour Fontanel Mansion.  I didn’t know very much about Fontanel before the tour, but it was very interesting!  Barbara Mandrell and her husband built it in the 80s and now it is used for events and daily tours.  If you live in Nashville (or are planning a visit soon), you should definitely check it out.  Here are some of the pics:

Just to explain some of the above pictures, the family had 3 bears in various spots throughout the property to represent each of their 3 children.  The piano wasn’t in the original house, but owned by the current owners, which is why it is in the house now…we thought it was pretty cool and a great photo opp.  The huge bathtub pic is of the master bedroom, and pretty much my dream.  And finally, the bottom 2 pics is of the indoor pool on the property.  A few years ago, they covered it with plexi-glass and now they have proms, wedding receptions and other events in this room. 

It was a great time, and I’m glad we took some time out of our busy weekend to check it out.

Sunday afternoon was spent going to the Y, getting groceries and getting ready for the work week!  Despite the long work hours, it was an excellent weekend!

What did you do this weekend?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

To my Beau!  I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful first Valentine’s Day as my husband!  Not only is today a special holiday, it’s also exactly 7 months since we said, “I do!”  Some of the many things I love about you at this very moment are:  that you cook me dinner, that you add movies to the Netflix queue that you know I’ll like, and that you always let me decide what we do on Saturday nights after a long week of working overtime.  For you, I am grateful, and I look forward to many more Valentine’s Days!  Love you!

What I’m Loving Wednesday!

This special “What I’m Loving Wednesday” is brought to you by none other than Valentine’s Day!  That’s right, the official day of LOVE is tomorrow and on this very lovely day, I am loving…
1.  That my beau comes back to town tonight!  He had to go out of town for work this week, and I hate to admit it, but it’s so strange being at home at night without him here.  Yes, I lived by myself for almost 10 years, and yes, I am a strong, independent woman…however, I’m not afraid to admit that after 7 months of marriage, I am officially one of those people who doesn’t sleep as well in a house alone…there, I said it!  So sue me!  Not to mention that Sweet Zoey is absolutely beside herself when Patrick isn’t home.  She acts like she has to be the protector and therefore growls and even sometimes barks at EVERY. SINGLE. SOUND.

2.  That we are heading out for a date night tomorrow for Valentine’s Day!  Patrick usually cooks quite a feast on V Day, but because of his work trip this week, we decided to make things a little easier and head out to dinner.  I’ve been saving all my Weekly Weight Watchers Points, and been working out extra hard this week so I can fully enjoy our meal at Mere Bulles.  So excited!

3.  That on Sunday night, I got in some QT with my friend, Alysia.  I wanted to head to Target, and she lives close to the best Target ever, so we got to hang out for awhile watching the Grammys!  Love getting in friend time during busy season…it happens rarely!

4.  That all of my Scentsy products have arrived and have been delivered to all my guests!  They are all sooooo pretty and they smell so good!  I even bought my mom and Patrick’s mom something!  I can’t wait for them to try it out, too!  Here is a pic of my favorite purchase!  It’s sitting in my office at work! Love it!

5.  And, last but not least, I’m always loving my beau and my Zo…

Here’s to love and I hope you are surrounded by it, tomorrow and everyday!  =)

Weekend Update!

Another weekend, another pictureless post!  I promise to try to do better…we shall see!  For some reason I was VERY tired by the time Friday came along, so I knew this weekend was going to be low key…and that it was!

Friday night, I did Zumba after work, and then I came home and relaxed for the evening.  Saturday, I worked during the day, and then Patrick cooked dinner and we watched Wanderlust.  Just a tip…don’t bother!  It was so terrible that we almost turned it off!  The only reason we talked ourselves out of it was because there was only 30 minutes left.  Sunday, we slept in (ah-mazing), did a few things around the house, then went to the Y for a workout.  I did another Zumba class and Patrick ran on the elliptical and lifted weights.  After running a few errands last night, it was time to get ready for another work week.

I know these updates aren’t anything spectacular, but you have no idea what a nice weekend this was for me.  I promise to have something more valuable to post about next weekend!  Ha!

Family Photos

Yes, you guessed it!  It’s time for another wedding update…this time, I am sharing all of our family pictures that were made at the wedding.  It was so wonderful having all of these people here for our special day.  I think that’s one of my favorite memories when looking back on our wedding…having both of our close family in one place!  It’s sometimes hard to wrap your hands around it, but it’s quite possible that our wedding day may be the only time in our life that both sets of family all come together.  It’s such a special time!

This first group of pics is my immediate family…meaning, my Mom, Dad, brother (Daniel), and sister (Laura)!

Because neither Patrick nor I have living grandparents, we both thought it would be nice to have an “Honorary Family Member” have special seating at the wedding.  I chose my Aunt Carole.

This picture is of my Mom’s side of the family… 

And my family with my Dad’s brother…

Now, for Patrick’s family…First up is his Mom, Dad, and Sister…

For Patrick’s “Honorary Family Member,” he chose his Uncle Kath.

Next up, is Patrick’s Mom’s family…

And his step siblings…

And last, but not least, his dad’s family…

As you can see, we were surrounded by many wonderful people on that day!  I feel so blessed every time I look at these pics!

What I’m Loving Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday, friends!  I hope you all are having a wonderful week!  Here’s what I’m loving on this wonderful day!

1.  That all of our training at work is FINALLY over!  After sitting in training for 2 days last week, I am so happy to be done!  It’s really difficult when you have lots of work coming in the door, to be stuck in a class for 2 days!  Now, I only have to focus on taxes for the next 2 months!

2.  Losing Weight!!!!!  As of last Friday, I am down 7.6 pounds, and I couldn’t be happier about it!  I refuse to think about the fact that I still have 12.4 pounds to go…we’ll just focus on the positive for now! 

3.  Saving money!  Because we FINALLY rented my condo, we get to be one of those families who actually only has one set of household expenses…it’s amazing!  We sat down this week, and figured everything out, and I am happy that we will be able to start putting some extra money in the bank!  Woohoo!

4.  The Slender Kitchen!  For those who have never heard of this blog, go check it out immediately!  It’s excellent…especially if you are trying to eat healthy and lose weight, like I am!  I recently subscribed to their weekly meal plan, and it really helps Patrick and me decide what to make each night for dinner (and breakfast and lunch, for that matter) so that we don’t get too bored.  The plan in only $6 per month, and it’s definitely worth it!

5.  And last, but not least…my beau and my Zo! 

Hope you all have an amazing rest of the week!

Weekend Update!

I know it sounds crazy to say that I love weekends this time of year, but I really, really do!  Maybe it’s because I have very limited free time, so I really enjoy the time I do have…who knows, but for whatever reason, this weekend was great!

It started Friday night when we had an “Intern Night Out” for the new kids that just started at Kraft.  We headed over to Dave and Buster’s and enjoyed some good food and good company!  It seems as though I am getting too old to “hang” like I used to, so I headed home pretty early, but we still had a great time!

On Saturday, we woke up to snow on the ground, and Patrick decided to drive me into the office.  It was a very scary drive indeed, which really didn’t make this girl happy!  I was absolutely amazed at how unprepared the city of Nashville was for this very quick, but very dangerous storm.  I made it to work, and Patrick headed back home…unfortunately, it took him 2 hours to get home…ON A SATURDAY!  Crazy, I tell ya!

That evening, we headed to the bowling alley where we met up with Laura, her new man, Clay, and several others.  After 2 games of bowling, we headed to eat Vietnamese Pho, then we made a quick trip to the grocery store before calling it a night!

Yesterday morning, we slept in and then spent much of the morning cooking and prepping meals for the week.  It makes me feel so good to have that done…now I can rest assured that we have healthy, yummy meals to eat all week!  Sunday night was spent at Chase’s watching the Super Bowl.  We had a great time, and just like always, I love the Super Bowl!

See?  I told you it was a great weekend!  What were you up to?

Happiness Project–Health

For February, I decided to focus on my health for my happiness project.  I had stated last month in this post that the main focus of my Happiness Project throughout the year was to decrease my guilt.  THIS is one area that the guilt aspect really hits me hard.  I have a tendency to constantly do what feels good NOW…not what will feel good over the long term.  If I am craving unhealthy food, I eat it; if I am enjoying a book or a movie or a TV show, I stay up way too late; if I am enjoying spending time with Patrick and Zoey, I decide to forgo my workout.  However, if I could just train myself to delay my happiness at times, I honestly believe I would feel so much better in the long run!  SO, with that being said, here is my list of “resolutions” for this month:

1.  Stick to the Weight Watchers program every day.  I’ll just be honest…I gained some weight after the wedding…I gained A LOT of weight after the wedding…I don’t want to weigh more than I weighed when I got married; quite frankly, I want to have enough respect for my relationship with my husband that I take better care of myself than that.  SO, I am officially back on Weight Watchers…again!  However, I honestly believe that this is the best way to lose weight in a healthy way that I can stick to, and every day this month, I want to stick to eating only my daily points, weekly points, and activity points. 

2.  Exercise 3 times per week.  After I ran the half marathon in November, I was burnt out!  I have never LOVED running for exercise, just running in races…so, I have decided to take a break from running.  However, that officially turned into not doing anything!  So, I’m determined to get back into exercise of some point.  I know I really need to exercise more than 3 times per week, but I feel this is a great place to start, especially since my work schedule is going to be so hectic.  Patrick and I have been planning to join the YMCA, so hopefully, I can check out exercise classes, ride my new bike I got for Christmas, or go to the Zumba classes that are being held at the office!  I WILL exercise more this month!

3.  Drink 8 glasses of water every day!  I love diet sodas!  I also love caffeine.  I do not enjoy water.  However, not only is it a great tool to help in losing weight, it’s also a great way to be healthy.

4.  Create a Meal Plan every week. I’ve found that sometimes when eating healthy, I get bored with food.  I get so tired of eating turkey sandwiches, grilled chicken with broccoli, and salad.  However, I’ve found that if I spend some time making a plan for the week, I can find some great recipes that are really tasty and not so boring.

5.  Go to bed by 11:00 every week night.  With the long hours I am about to begin working, this will become really difficult.  However, it will be more necessary than ever on my health and stress level to get a good night’s sleep.

6.  Get a spray tan 2 times per week.  Okay, I know this is very shallow of me, but I just feel better, if I feel like I have some color to my skin.  I know it’s fake, but somehow it tricks my brain into thinking it’s not so dark and dreary outside.

Well, stay tuned.  I’ll be back at the end of the month to tell you how I did this month!

Happiness Project–January Wrap-Up!

Well, it looks like I made it through month 1 of my Happiness Project.  If you are confused reading this post, you can check out what I’m doing here!  January’s focus was on the blog and I have to say that I have REALLY enjoyed getting back into blogging!  This is one of my favorite hobbies and taking some time to post each day has really made me feel more content.  Here’s a little review on how I did with my “Resolutions”:

1.  Blog every work day.  Done!  I am happy to report that I kept this resolution every single day!  This is actually the first time in my entire blogging life that I have done this and I have to say it really helped me feel accomplished and less guilty.  I know, I know, I shouldn’t feel guilt over a hobby, but I think that’s just part of my personality.  I had to learn when I started this project that I can’t have as many hobbies as I’ve had in the past.  Instead, I need to focus on the hobbies that truly increase my “happiness” and focus on giving those my best. 

2.  Comment on at least 2 blogs per day.  I completed this resolution every day except 1, and quite frankly, I simply forgot.  I commented on 1 blog early in the day and then didn’t even think about it again until the next morning when I realized I hadn’t followed through with another comment.  I think that’s still a pretty good track record, if you ask me!

3.  Have my blogs posts published by noon everyday.  This is the one area that I could have really done better.  I missed 3 days of posting before noon, and that was usually because I was just too tired to schedule a post one night and therefore, just waited until I got home from work to post.  I think I need to work on trying to schedule posts on the weekend!

4.  Proofread every post for grammatical errors.  Done!  I double checked every post before hitting the “Publish” button.  Now, will I say that every single post made it without a single error?  No way!  However, I did do my best and that’s all I ever expected of myself!

So, I guess the next question I have to ask myself is where do I go from here?  Next month, do I keep all of these resolutions and then add more to my list for the February focus?  I think that’s the idea, but with my work schedule, I’m just not sure it’s realistic.  SO, I have decided that items 2, 3, and 4 above I’m going to try to continue.  THEN, until April 15, I’m going to focus on blogging 3 work days a week instead of 5.  I think this will allow me to still feel connected to the blog community without creating as much of a time commitment!

Stay tuned tomorrow where I reveal next month’s Happiness Project area of focus!