One of my goals this year was to visit a new city and I was able to meet that goal pretty early into the year. My aunt, two cousins, mom, step dad and I got to spend two days exploring Key West. We had a wonderful time. The best part was just getting to spend time together. I am very lucky that Daniel was willing to stay home with the kids so I could go and enjoy time with my family.
We got up early on Sunday morning to start the long drive. We are about 3 1/2 hours away but that may as well been 23 hours. We were ready to get there. We made wonderful time until about 10 miles away where there was an accident. The thing about the Keys is that it is a one lane road, so that put us a few minutes behind schedule. The drive itself is gorgeous. The water is gorgeous and the little towns you go through are so cute.
Once we got to the resort, we didn't waste much time calling for a taxi to take us into town. We were about three miles away because honestly that's all we could afford. When we booked, we were looking at between $800 and $1,000 a night on the cheap side. We were able to find a two bedroom condo with pull out sofa for about $700 for two nights...we just had to make the 3 mile trip into town, which really was no big deal.
Our first stop was Sloopy Joes. We got a bite to eat and had a couple drinks. I had the nachos which was really a bad choice. They sounded good at the time and I did a pretty good job of putting a hurting on them but in hindsight, they were awful. My orange flavored mixed drink made up for it. We spend the afternoon walking around, shopping, taking pictures and people watching. We went to the waterfront area, where the cruise ships dock and watched a couple shows. One was a juggler and one was a pig show. The pig was cute and I wish he was more of the show instead of the weirdos who owned him. They were just weird. They told the crowd, which was full of children, something about that if we didn't tip then puppies would die or something to that effect. We ended our first night having dinner...I had conch fritters and steamed shrimp...and heading back to the resort. They have a little bar at the marina there so we went and had a cocktail and people watched before heading in pretty early. My aunt Georgie and I had the sleeper sofa. We may as well slept on a piece of plywood. It was the most uncomfortable place I've ever slept. Around 3 a.m., we woke up to an alarm that went off for forever. Thankfully, I was able to cram my sweatshirt over my head to drown out the sound and get a little sleep.
After getting five women and one man showered in ready with two bathrooms, we set out for Blue Heaven, a restaurant that was recommended to me by a million and one people. We sat outside...not sure if there really even is inside seating. The menu looked amazing....Lobster Benedict, Blueberry Pancakes, Banana Pancakes...I settled on a cup of coffee and the meal with two eggs, bacon, hash browns and pancakes (which I added blueberries to). My breakfast was delicious! Another thing about Blue Heaven is that they had sushi cupcakes...little cupcakes rolled to look like sushi. Had it not been so early with me having to carry these around all day, I would have definitely gotten them.
We left Blue Heaven and made the short walk to the Hemingway House. This was a really neat guided tour that gave a history of Earnest Hemingway. The house is gorgeous and my mom and aunt got in trouble for being on Facebook during the tour...can't take those two anywhere. In their defense, I think they were posting pics to Facebook. And all I have to say is two things...1...it's a good thing I didn't hear him fuss at them and 2...it's a good thing he didn't catch me on Facebook! Ha! What is up with adults fussing at other adults. Homie don't play that game!
We left Blue Heaven and made the walk to Hell...um, I mean, to the Southern Most Point, which may as well have been Hell for as hot as it was. Why is it so hot? Where is my water? Does that store have AC? Is that a mirage or is it water? I mean, it was February 1 and hot as all get out! What the hey!
We made it to the Southern Most Point and waited in a hot, sweaty line that barely moved. But totally worth it...the view was amazing.
We left there and walked for 354 miles to Duval Street and made our way down the street, stopping, shopping and having a snack and cocktail as we pleased.
After lots of walking, we decided to do the tour train. We were in trouble within the first five minutes of the trip and were yelled at over the mic by the driver.
Conversation: (in so many words)
Momma: Oh look at that statue. I love it..I want to get a picture of it.
Me: Momma! You got a picture last night!
Momma: No, I didn't!
Me: Yes, you did!
Driver: Ladies! You are too loud! I can hear you all the way up here and I'm the one giving the tour, not you. This is me in my dad voice!
Train: Silence
Me: Really!!! Wow!!!
The rest of the trip...me...furious, legs crossed and shaking, texting Daniel, about to go off...with an occasional smart mouth "Y'all be quiet now! Y'all are too loud."
I warned my family that I would be saying something to him when the train stopped, which I did. I was nice but informed him that were are all adults who were loud for about 10 seconds, 5 minutes into the trip and did not appreciate being chastised in front of everyone on the train. I informed him that he pissed me off so bad that I didn't hear a word of his tour and that we would not be getting back on. I didn't tell him he wasn't getting a tip but I think he figured that out. He thanked me for my "feedback." And for the recored my aunt and cousins got back on the train....the nerve of them :)
After meeting the traitors (my aunt and cousins) back up, we headed to dinner, a place called...well, honestly I don't remember the name of it...anyway...it is on the water and not that great. Oh, it was Schooners! I had the shrimp cobb salad...it was ok! After that, we headed to another restaurant on the water, The Conch Republic. A friend of mine from high school was able to stop by and join us and that truly made my night. I haven't seen him in years and was so happy that he made his way over to see us for a little while.
Our last stop before heading home was a drag show. This was my mom's one Key West wish and I'm so glad we did it. I had a blast and so did my mom. I think Don even liked it!
Key West was a fun place to visit. I still like New Orleans a lot better but am so thankful for the chance to spend time with my family. As I've gotten older, I really appreciate these experiences and the memories that we are making. Can't wait until we can all get together again!
Emily
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
New Years Goal Update
So, I decided to update all my New Year's goal progress today since we are pretty much at the end of the month and this girl is heading to Key West Sunday. Writing on this blog will be the last thing getting done! I've only listed the ones that I've worked on or maybe tried to work on.
1. I'd like to lose another 15 pounds and maintain that weight. Really could stand to start working on this goal.
2. My goal for 2016 is to run 12 5Ks. Off to a great start. I ran a Cupcake 5K, a New Year's 5K and a Princess 5K and a Harry Potter Molly Weasley Ugly Jumper 5K. I'm signed up to run a Ground Hog's Day 5K, Valentine's Day, No Excuses and a Leap Year 5K for February. I am addicted to earning the medals.
4. Do something nice and unexpected for someone at least once per month. A family in our neighborhood unexpectedly lost 4 family members in a car accident and I donated money toward the funeral expenses.
5. Visit a new city. Going to Key West with my mom, aunt and cousins for two days this weekend.
6. Go on a cruise. Off to a great start to complete this goal. Daniel and I are going on a 3 day cruise in a few weeks and we have booked our summer cruise to the Bahamas. We are especially excited about this cruise because one of my best friends, Rebecca, and her family is going with us. Daniel will have his friend, Lizzie will have her friend and I will have my friend. Ben was feeling left our so we let him invite his friend, Brennen. The ONLY thing I am not looking forward to is sharing a room with three guys. Lizzie is staying with Rebecca, Heath and Haley.
8. Run a 5K without stopping. Yes, friends, with all my training and all the miles I logged since June, I have never ran the entire 3.1 miles without stopping (hangs head in shame). I finally ran a 5K without stopping and surprisingly it was very easy and I wondered why I hadn't tried it before. I always ran with the mindset of stopping to walk throughout, especially when I was training for the half marathon.
13. Convince my husband to buy me a new bridal set. This didn't take much convincing. Daniel was great about replacing my ring and even encouraged me to pick a more expensive one than I was originally looking at. He's awesome!
14. Just quit wasteful spending. Really trying to work hard on this.
15. Find balance at work. Still working on this. My principals are awesome and pretty much give me free reign to do what needs to be done to get the job done. The fact is, though, the RtI Facilitator position at my school really should be a separate full time position and they know that. I work through lunch and there are no spare minutes to waste....and I'm still behind 24/7.
18. I want to be more present around my family so less time being distracted on Candy Crush, Face Book and reading other blogs. I am doing an awful job with this.
19. My goal is to blog one time per week at the least. I enjoy blogging and enjoy writing so it's just a matter of finding the time. So far, so good!
21. For the last few months, I've gotten my nails done weekly. Still getting my nails done weekly...and loving it.
24. Do something as a family at least once per month. When all of us are at home we have started eating in the dining room as opposed to the breakfast nook or bar area in the kitchen. This has been really nice and a highlight of my days.
28. Start reading again. I started a Nicholas Sparks book and read the January book for the Calendar Girls series.
29. Keep my garage clean. Garage is looking awesome!
31. I plan to fill up my recycle bin to the brim every week! To the brim every single week :)
34. Stop stressing over the little things that are not really important. I try!
35. Drink more water! Easy enough. I try.
36. Try one new South Florida restaurant every month. The choices we have here are unbelievably amazing and never ending. We love to go out to eat and going to Beef O'Brady's is only exciting once. We need to broaden our horizons! We tried out Margaritaville and RA Sushi. We had burgers at Margaritaville and they were amazing. We, obviously, had sushi at RA Sushi and it was very good as well.
37. Stop giving a crap that I am offending people or really just stop giving a crap. I really try not to give a crap.
38. Just enjoy life. I have definitely been enjoying life and have lots of fun things to look forward to in the upcoming month.
So, that's my update so far. So far, so good I guess.
1. I'd like to lose another 15 pounds and maintain that weight. Really could stand to start working on this goal.
2. My goal for 2016 is to run 12 5Ks. Off to a great start. I ran a Cupcake 5K, a New Year's 5K and a Princess 5K and a Harry Potter Molly Weasley Ugly Jumper 5K. I'm signed up to run a Ground Hog's Day 5K, Valentine's Day, No Excuses and a Leap Year 5K for February. I am addicted to earning the medals.
4. Do something nice and unexpected for someone at least once per month. A family in our neighborhood unexpectedly lost 4 family members in a car accident and I donated money toward the funeral expenses.
5. Visit a new city. Going to Key West with my mom, aunt and cousins for two days this weekend.
6. Go on a cruise. Off to a great start to complete this goal. Daniel and I are going on a 3 day cruise in a few weeks and we have booked our summer cruise to the Bahamas. We are especially excited about this cruise because one of my best friends, Rebecca, and her family is going with us. Daniel will have his friend, Lizzie will have her friend and I will have my friend. Ben was feeling left our so we let him invite his friend, Brennen. The ONLY thing I am not looking forward to is sharing a room with three guys. Lizzie is staying with Rebecca, Heath and Haley.
8. Run a 5K without stopping. Yes, friends, with all my training and all the miles I logged since June, I have never ran the entire 3.1 miles without stopping (hangs head in shame). I finally ran a 5K without stopping and surprisingly it was very easy and I wondered why I hadn't tried it before. I always ran with the mindset of stopping to walk throughout, especially when I was training for the half marathon.
13. Convince my husband to buy me a new bridal set. This didn't take much convincing. Daniel was great about replacing my ring and even encouraged me to pick a more expensive one than I was originally looking at. He's awesome!
14. Just quit wasteful spending. Really trying to work hard on this.
15. Find balance at work. Still working on this. My principals are awesome and pretty much give me free reign to do what needs to be done to get the job done. The fact is, though, the RtI Facilitator position at my school really should be a separate full time position and they know that. I work through lunch and there are no spare minutes to waste....and I'm still behind 24/7.
18. I want to be more present around my family so less time being distracted on Candy Crush, Face Book and reading other blogs. I am doing an awful job with this.
19. My goal is to blog one time per week at the least. I enjoy blogging and enjoy writing so it's just a matter of finding the time. So far, so good!
21. For the last few months, I've gotten my nails done weekly. Still getting my nails done weekly...and loving it.
24. Do something as a family at least once per month. When all of us are at home we have started eating in the dining room as opposed to the breakfast nook or bar area in the kitchen. This has been really nice and a highlight of my days.
28. Start reading again. I started a Nicholas Sparks book and read the January book for the Calendar Girls series.
29. Keep my garage clean. Garage is looking awesome!
31. I plan to fill up my recycle bin to the brim every week! To the brim every single week :)
34. Stop stressing over the little things that are not really important. I try!
35. Drink more water! Easy enough. I try.
36. Try one new South Florida restaurant every month. The choices we have here are unbelievably amazing and never ending. We love to go out to eat and going to Beef O'Brady's is only exciting once. We need to broaden our horizons! We tried out Margaritaville and RA Sushi. We had burgers at Margaritaville and they were amazing. We, obviously, had sushi at RA Sushi and it was very good as well.
37. Stop giving a crap that I am offending people or really just stop giving a crap. I really try not to give a crap.
38. Just enjoy life. I have definitely been enjoying life and have lots of fun things to look forward to in the upcoming month.
So, that's my update so far. So far, so good I guess.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
All About Jewels
So, I feel that my entire last week has been all about jewels. First of all, my new bridal set finally came in. I really shouldn't say finally because apparently it's been it the jewelry store since January 8. I guess they were waiting for me to call to ask when I could expect it. All that aside, I'm very happy with it. It's beautiful and it sparkles. Right now, I'm testing out a ring adjuster thingy because the size 5 1/2 is too loose. The ring adjuster is supposed to make it feel like a size 5, which sometimes feels too tight. I'm going to test it out this way for a couple weeks to see if I want to have it adjusted to a size 5. Part of the reason I don't want to have it resized is because I don't want to send it away again.
Another fun thing that happened this week is that I signed up to be an Independent Stylist for Stella and Dot. I was a stylist once before but we had just moved to Florida and the timing was not right for me. Honestly, I am on social media all the time and I've decided, successful or not, I'm going to do all of my "advertising" via social media and word of mouth. Facebook posts, Twitter and Instagram are going to be my BFFs in this journey. I have no interest in having parties in people's homes. I'm not sure if it's the right attitude to have or not but if I see jewelry, that's great but if I don't, I'm certainly not going to lose sleep over it. I absolutely LOVE all of their jewelry and if you'll remember one of my goals for the year is to fulfill my Stella and Dot wish list. This, to me, is a great way to do that. I get a discount and I was able to purchase $450 worth of gorgeous jewelry and accessories for $199. If anyone is interested in learning more about Stella and Dot or browsing the jewelry, watches, scarves, bags, wallets and everything else they have to offer, check out my site at
Here are a few pictures of some of the beauties I can offer you. We also have engravable necklaces, bracelets and rings that you can personalize and they are all super affordable.
I am very excited to get this week rolling. My aunt and cousins are flying in to my mom's on Friday and they are coming here on Saturday. We are having lunch and an afternoon out on Saturday and then we'll leave early Sunday morning for a mini-vaca to Key West. I've never been so I'm really excited to check it out. Daniel is staying home with the kids! (Eeekkk!)
This week at work is going to be so busy....I have meetings all day Monday, Wednesday and Friday and training all day Thursday. I also have meetings for part of the day Tuesday. I won't be in the classroom much and I'm expecting the week to fly by. Usually, I feel, when it's meeting after meeting, my weeks go by really quickly. I sure hope that's the case this week.
Hope everyone has a wonderful week! :)
XOXO
Emily
Monday, January 18, 2016
Weekend Recap
This past weekend may be one of the most boring that I've ever experienced. Daniel has been in Alabama hunting after two weeks in St. Augustine and I'm sick of flying solo. So ready for him to come home.
Friday, I went to a work meeting but ended up taking a half day because Lizzie wasn't feeling well. However, magically, once 4:00 rolled around and all the kids were out playing, she felt fine. A miracle, I tell ya! Anyway, I tried to enjoy the extra time at home because it is my favorite place to be. I started watching the new Netflix documentary "Making a Murderer." If you never heard about this show, here's the deal. A guy named Steven Avery as falsely accused and convicted of a rape and serves 18 years in prison when clearly all evidence points at someone else and not him. He is finally cleared by DNA but then decides to sue the town for shady police work and such. Then a woman goes missing and he is arrested for her murder but this time there is a ton of evidence, that just seems a little too convenient. Also, he has a nephew of very low intelligence who testifies against him. The 16 year old boy clearly has an intellectual disability and was interviewed without a parent and in a way that provided him with very leading questions so they would get the answers they wanted. Their agenda was very apparent. All I can say is "Wow!" I am one of the biggest police supporters in the world but these people were clearly some of the most corrupt, unprofessional and dishonest people out there. THEY give law enforcement a bad name. People like them are one of the reasons why people don't like cops. Now, I will say that as I keep watching, I am starting to question Avery's guilt. I'm only on episode five so I'm interested to see what my opinion is once finished.
Saturday, I got up early and ran one my 5Ks (New Year's). I just wasn't feeling it though. My friend, Maria, and I always say that we're either feeling it or not. I was NOT. It was very foggy, chilly and a little breezy, which normally wouldn't bother me but my ear started aching and then I was miserable. I think we ran it in about 44 minutes which was five minutes slower than my previous. It was a little disappointing but better than nothing.
I also went to the spa to have my nails done. My girl, Lauren, recommended the Toi manicure for my dry nails. This included a hot oil scrub on my hands and arms, a thick, creamy lotion massage on my hands and arms and a hot paraffin wax dip and mask on my arms. It was Ah-maz-ing. I could totally get use to that. The only problem is I was there for about an hour and my ADD kicks in and I hate sitting still for so long. Opi has a new Hello Kitty line and I ended up getting his pink, glittery polish called "Starry Eyed for Dear Daniel." After that, I did a little shopping to try to find some new shorts. I've dropped two sizes and have a cruise and Key West trip coming up and need shorts. Thankfully, Old Navy had a few selections in store and more online. I'm all set now.
Sunday, Lizzie and I ventured out to Aventura Mall. I was on the search for some heels or wedges that I've been eyeing at Nordstrom. Lizzie was on the search for anything that cost money. We started out by having lunch at Cheesecake Factory. We decided to share the nachos but when they came Lizzie looked disgusted and said she wasn't going to eat them because they had "stuff" all over them and she thought it would be just cheese. Now, who gets nachos with just cheese? So, I tell her she can order something else but I start eating the nachos which is weird because it looks like I ordered myself food and nothing for my daughter and I felt like everyone was watching me because they had stuck us in this ridiculous enclave right next to the 383 people waiting for their table and next to the server's station.
We go to Nordstrom and I find all the heels I've been eyeing but decide I don't really like either one of them in person. I'm not really a heel person and would most likely never wear them to work but I wanted a pair for the two cruises we have coming up. Actually, I don't even own a pair of heels now. It's just not compatible with the kind of work I do. I dress comfortably for work and wear jeans and flip flops most days (because I literally give chase to kids through the school at least 2-3 times a week, no lie...that topic could be a blog post itself). I do find the Michael Kors wedges I've been eyeing and try them on. I love them but Lizzie talks me out of it, reminding me that they will most likely be worn once and then they'll sit in my closet with my other wedges that I had to have and never wear. She's right and I hate that I listened to my nine year old because I really wish I had gotten those wedges yesterday.
The rest of the weekend was pretty boring and uneventful, unless you count me running out of gas in the grill or closing the garage door on my Mercedes (no marks, thank goodness).
Oh! I almost forgot that I did run a 4-miler Sunday night. It was a last minute decision and my stomach was full of steak but I thought "what the heck." I started off slow and walked some little spurts here and there but decided to pick up the pace big time for the last mile. I had my fastest time for a mile on that last mile and my fastest time for a four mile run. Here's the deal...I still hate running. I don't enjoy it for the most part. What I do like is pushing myself to try to beat times that I have in my head and I like the sense of completion. I know that I have to workout and exercise to continue to keep off the pounds, especially when I eat things like nachos for lunch. So, when I do these runs, even though I usually hate it, I feel good when I'm done.
Adios for now...off to enjoy my extra day off from work. Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. day.
I leave you with this thought. What are you doing for others?
XOXO,
Emily
Friday, I went to a work meeting but ended up taking a half day because Lizzie wasn't feeling well. However, magically, once 4:00 rolled around and all the kids were out playing, she felt fine. A miracle, I tell ya! Anyway, I tried to enjoy the extra time at home because it is my favorite place to be. I started watching the new Netflix documentary "Making a Murderer." If you never heard about this show, here's the deal. A guy named Steven Avery as falsely accused and convicted of a rape and serves 18 years in prison when clearly all evidence points at someone else and not him. He is finally cleared by DNA but then decides to sue the town for shady police work and such. Then a woman goes missing and he is arrested for her murder but this time there is a ton of evidence, that just seems a little too convenient. Also, he has a nephew of very low intelligence who testifies against him. The 16 year old boy clearly has an intellectual disability and was interviewed without a parent and in a way that provided him with very leading questions so they would get the answers they wanted. Their agenda was very apparent. All I can say is "Wow!" I am one of the biggest police supporters in the world but these people were clearly some of the most corrupt, unprofessional and dishonest people out there. THEY give law enforcement a bad name. People like them are one of the reasons why people don't like cops. Now, I will say that as I keep watching, I am starting to question Avery's guilt. I'm only on episode five so I'm interested to see what my opinion is once finished.
Saturday, I got up early and ran one my 5Ks (New Year's). I just wasn't feeling it though. My friend, Maria, and I always say that we're either feeling it or not. I was NOT. It was very foggy, chilly and a little breezy, which normally wouldn't bother me but my ear started aching and then I was miserable. I think we ran it in about 44 minutes which was five minutes slower than my previous. It was a little disappointing but better than nothing.
I also went to the spa to have my nails done. My girl, Lauren, recommended the Toi manicure for my dry nails. This included a hot oil scrub on my hands and arms, a thick, creamy lotion massage on my hands and arms and a hot paraffin wax dip and mask on my arms. It was Ah-maz-ing. I could totally get use to that. The only problem is I was there for about an hour and my ADD kicks in and I hate sitting still for so long. Opi has a new Hello Kitty line and I ended up getting his pink, glittery polish called "Starry Eyed for Dear Daniel." After that, I did a little shopping to try to find some new shorts. I've dropped two sizes and have a cruise and Key West trip coming up and need shorts. Thankfully, Old Navy had a few selections in store and more online. I'm all set now.
Sunday, Lizzie and I ventured out to Aventura Mall. I was on the search for some heels or wedges that I've been eyeing at Nordstrom. Lizzie was on the search for anything that cost money. We started out by having lunch at Cheesecake Factory. We decided to share the nachos but when they came Lizzie looked disgusted and said she wasn't going to eat them because they had "stuff" all over them and she thought it would be just cheese. Now, who gets nachos with just cheese? So, I tell her she can order something else but I start eating the nachos which is weird because it looks like I ordered myself food and nothing for my daughter and I felt like everyone was watching me because they had stuck us in this ridiculous enclave right next to the 383 people waiting for their table and next to the server's station.
We go to Nordstrom and I find all the heels I've been eyeing but decide I don't really like either one of them in person. I'm not really a heel person and would most likely never wear them to work but I wanted a pair for the two cruises we have coming up. Actually, I don't even own a pair of heels now. It's just not compatible with the kind of work I do. I dress comfortably for work and wear jeans and flip flops most days (because I literally give chase to kids through the school at least 2-3 times a week, no lie...that topic could be a blog post itself). I do find the Michael Kors wedges I've been eyeing and try them on. I love them but Lizzie talks me out of it, reminding me that they will most likely be worn once and then they'll sit in my closet with my other wedges that I had to have and never wear. She's right and I hate that I listened to my nine year old because I really wish I had gotten those wedges yesterday.
The rest of the weekend was pretty boring and uneventful, unless you count me running out of gas in the grill or closing the garage door on my Mercedes (no marks, thank goodness).
Oh! I almost forgot that I did run a 4-miler Sunday night. It was a last minute decision and my stomach was full of steak but I thought "what the heck." I started off slow and walked some little spurts here and there but decided to pick up the pace big time for the last mile. I had my fastest time for a mile on that last mile and my fastest time for a four mile run. Here's the deal...I still hate running. I don't enjoy it for the most part. What I do like is pushing myself to try to beat times that I have in my head and I like the sense of completion. I know that I have to workout and exercise to continue to keep off the pounds, especially when I eat things like nachos for lunch. So, when I do these runs, even though I usually hate it, I feel good when I'm done.
Adios for now...off to enjoy my extra day off from work. Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. day.
XOXO,
Emily
Friday, January 15, 2016
What Up, What up? Week 2
Once again, as I sit down to start writing, I realize that the weekend has really flown by. (I write a little each day). This weekend was a whirlwind. Friday night when I got home, I really had no plans but my friend Alycin called and asked if Lizzie and I wanted to meet her and her girls at Beef O'Brady's, which was the perfect invite because I had JUST been considering that as a dinner option. I got the Prime Rib sandwich which was a switch from my usual wing basket. It was ok...the bread wasn't really crispy like I like it and the au jus was really thick....however, the Blue Moon was delicious.
Later that night Daniel arrived home. He's working in St. Augustine for a couple of weeks and it's really crappy because he has to drive his government vehicle there and can only bring it home when training there is over. We looked into rental cars but it was over $200 for a couple days. I really want him to be able to come home so Thursday at work, I looked up coupon codes for rental cars and was able to reserve him a Ford Fiesta for $72. Even better is that two other guys were able to come with him which was nice so he had company to and fro (and it doesn't hurt that they split the cost). Now, I will say that even though the Ford Fiesta is not as nice as the two cars we have now, it wasn't bad. Back when Daniel and I were dating, he had to put his truck in the shop and he was given a mint green Ford Fiesta Hatchback that sported a hot pink zig zag line down the side. Imagining him driving that car down I-64 on the way to the Coast Guard station gets me laughing a little every time I think about it.
Saturday morning, Lizzie and I got our nails done. I love spending this time with her and I love getting my nails done every week. I've been a bit miffed lately though because my polish is chipping after a few days and then my nails look like crap until the weekend. My girl told me that my nails are dry and she thinks that's why so I am super excited to have reserved a Toi manicure for next weekend. It involves hot oil and a paraffin wax dip, which I LOVE! This week I changed things up a bit and had my nails painted a royal blue...totally different than my usual colors but I really like it and told Daniel it reminded me of Laker Blue (Laker Blue is the school color of Ben's old school which I miss terribly).
After nails, Daniel and I went to Sawgrass Mills Mall. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good outlet mall but I can only handle this place for a few minutes for about 2 times a year. It is so crazy busy. I wanted to go to the J Crew store to try on some shorts before ordering online and it was an excuse to eat at Grand Lux...which is kinda like Cheese Cake Factory. They have an amazing Santa Fe Salad and that is what I have. They also have a delicious turkey and brie sandwich that I love. We didn't spend too much time at the mall...I just can't handle it. People have the tendency to annoy me, especially there. Daniel did swoon over some Brietling watches that he's been coveting and I was able to figure out what size shorts to order....because I can't find shorts in South Florida at any of my favorite stores...they are selling winter stuff even though it's hot! That really irritates me. If you have a store in an area that does not get cold, why do you have to sell the stuff the rest of the country is selling...Ugh!
Ben's football banquet was Saturday night and we are so happy to announce that he received the award for "Most Improved." We are thrilled! Ben has put in so much time. That award made all the 6:30 a.m. wake ups over the summer to take him to lifting so worth it. He lifted all summer, he takes lifting as an elective every day and stays after to lift. He is dedicated and it just goes to show that hard work pays off. He got so much playing time this past season and I had a feeling he may be getting an award but I didn't want to get my hopes up. I ended up emailing his football coach who is also his lifting coach at school to ask if Ben could take the same elective again next year as we are signing up for 11th!!! grade courses this week. He wrote back and said absolutely he could. He went on to tell me that Ben is improving so much everyday and he is so excited to see him on the field for spring football.
Speaking of signing up for courses for next year, how did my baby Ben end up in the 11th grade???? This boggles my mind. Once again, he's chosen a pretty tough course load full of honors courses. Aside from the regulars he'll be taking an Probability and Statistics Honors course and an Anatomy course. I'm sure he'll be fine. It's sink or swim, ya know. We are at the point, that even though I am very educated, I can't help him with his work and he does just fine without my help. Sad to think that this time next year, we'll be signing up for his last year of high school. I never realized this time would come so quickly.
And in other news, I finally ran my Cup Cake Virtual 5K that I was supposed to run on Dec. 15. I love the virtual races because I can run on my own time and don't have to get up early for a race...and I still get the medal. I am addicted to the bling!!! I think this week I have signed up for 4 or 5 races. One of the medals is a diamond ring! For real, it's amazing! I also joined a Hogwarts Running Club online that has Harry Potter themed virtual races. I love Harry Potter so I can't wait to start running those races and earning that bling. Races I have coming up to finish by the end of January are: Princess 4 miler, New Year's race, The Molly Weasley Ugly Jumper Run (this is the Hogwarts one), and the Ground Hog's day Race. I am going to run that one before Ground Hog's day because I will be in Key West for Ground Hog's day and there is no guarantee I'll want to be running Duval street the morning after being there. So far, for February, I have signed up for a Valentine's Day race (for which I will run on the cruise ship) and a Leap Year race. And for March, I have signed up for the Bling race which is the diamond ring. I also plan to run a Final Four race in March. And finally, I am signed up for the MADD race in April. I'm well on my way to reaching my goal of 12 races for the year. I thought about running a race to benefit the Davie Police next weekend but let's be real....I don't want to get up early so that probably won't happen. Why can't regular races be at like 11:00 in the morning. That would be great for my schedule.
(If anyone is interested in the Hogwarts race series, the website is www.hogwartsrunningclub.org).
And finally, I started watching the Netflix series "Making a Murderer." Wow, is all I have to say right now. I'm on episode 2 and plan to binge watch this weekend.
XOXO,
Emily
Later that night Daniel arrived home. He's working in St. Augustine for a couple of weeks and it's really crappy because he has to drive his government vehicle there and can only bring it home when training there is over. We looked into rental cars but it was over $200 for a couple days. I really want him to be able to come home so Thursday at work, I looked up coupon codes for rental cars and was able to reserve him a Ford Fiesta for $72. Even better is that two other guys were able to come with him which was nice so he had company to and fro (and it doesn't hurt that they split the cost). Now, I will say that even though the Ford Fiesta is not as nice as the two cars we have now, it wasn't bad. Back when Daniel and I were dating, he had to put his truck in the shop and he was given a mint green Ford Fiesta Hatchback that sported a hot pink zig zag line down the side. Imagining him driving that car down I-64 on the way to the Coast Guard station gets me laughing a little every time I think about it.
Saturday morning, Lizzie and I got our nails done. I love spending this time with her and I love getting my nails done every week. I've been a bit miffed lately though because my polish is chipping after a few days and then my nails look like crap until the weekend. My girl told me that my nails are dry and she thinks that's why so I am super excited to have reserved a Toi manicure for next weekend. It involves hot oil and a paraffin wax dip, which I LOVE! This week I changed things up a bit and had my nails painted a royal blue...totally different than my usual colors but I really like it and told Daniel it reminded me of Laker Blue (Laker Blue is the school color of Ben's old school which I miss terribly).
After nails, Daniel and I went to Sawgrass Mills Mall. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good outlet mall but I can only handle this place for a few minutes for about 2 times a year. It is so crazy busy. I wanted to go to the J Crew store to try on some shorts before ordering online and it was an excuse to eat at Grand Lux...which is kinda like Cheese Cake Factory. They have an amazing Santa Fe Salad and that is what I have. They also have a delicious turkey and brie sandwich that I love. We didn't spend too much time at the mall...I just can't handle it. People have the tendency to annoy me, especially there. Daniel did swoon over some Brietling watches that he's been coveting and I was able to figure out what size shorts to order....because I can't find shorts in South Florida at any of my favorite stores...they are selling winter stuff even though it's hot! That really irritates me. If you have a store in an area that does not get cold, why do you have to sell the stuff the rest of the country is selling...Ugh!
Ben's football banquet was Saturday night and we are so happy to announce that he received the award for "Most Improved." We are thrilled! Ben has put in so much time. That award made all the 6:30 a.m. wake ups over the summer to take him to lifting so worth it. He lifted all summer, he takes lifting as an elective every day and stays after to lift. He is dedicated and it just goes to show that hard work pays off. He got so much playing time this past season and I had a feeling he may be getting an award but I didn't want to get my hopes up. I ended up emailing his football coach who is also his lifting coach at school to ask if Ben could take the same elective again next year as we are signing up for 11th!!! grade courses this week. He wrote back and said absolutely he could. He went on to tell me that Ben is improving so much everyday and he is so excited to see him on the field for spring football.
Speaking of signing up for courses for next year, how did my baby Ben end up in the 11th grade???? This boggles my mind. Once again, he's chosen a pretty tough course load full of honors courses. Aside from the regulars he'll be taking an Probability and Statistics Honors course and an Anatomy course. I'm sure he'll be fine. It's sink or swim, ya know. We are at the point, that even though I am very educated, I can't help him with his work and he does just fine without my help. Sad to think that this time next year, we'll be signing up for his last year of high school. I never realized this time would come so quickly.
And in other news, I finally ran my Cup Cake Virtual 5K that I was supposed to run on Dec. 15. I love the virtual races because I can run on my own time and don't have to get up early for a race...and I still get the medal. I am addicted to the bling!!! I think this week I have signed up for 4 or 5 races. One of the medals is a diamond ring! For real, it's amazing! I also joined a Hogwarts Running Club online that has Harry Potter themed virtual races. I love Harry Potter so I can't wait to start running those races and earning that bling. Races I have coming up to finish by the end of January are: Princess 4 miler, New Year's race, The Molly Weasley Ugly Jumper Run (this is the Hogwarts one), and the Ground Hog's day Race. I am going to run that one before Ground Hog's day because I will be in Key West for Ground Hog's day and there is no guarantee I'll want to be running Duval street the morning after being there. So far, for February, I have signed up for a Valentine's Day race (for which I will run on the cruise ship) and a Leap Year race. And for March, I have signed up for the Bling race which is the diamond ring. I also plan to run a Final Four race in March. And finally, I am signed up for the MADD race in April. I'm well on my way to reaching my goal of 12 races for the year. I thought about running a race to benefit the Davie Police next weekend but let's be real....I don't want to get up early so that probably won't happen. Why can't regular races be at like 11:00 in the morning. That would be great for my schedule.
(If anyone is interested in the Hogwarts race series, the website is www.hogwartsrunningclub.org).
And finally, I started watching the Netflix series "Making a Murderer." Wow, is all I have to say right now. I'm on episode 2 and plan to binge watch this weekend.
XOXO,
Emily
Saturday, January 9, 2016
What up, What up!
Nothing really crazy to report around these parts lately. We celebrated a very low key New Year's Eve with the kids and a family friends. It was a great evening...yummy food and we mooched off the neighbors fireworks...which were cool at first but then seriously by 1:30 a.m., I was contemplating a full blown backwoods Virginia redneck butt whipping on unsuspecting neighbors. I don't really ever remember fireworks in Virginia or Ohio but apparently it's a big deal in Florida. You'd think they were done and then BOOM! another would go off. By 1:00, Lizzie was crying "Please make them stop!" I almost did baby girl, I almost did. Momma almost was just about close to seriously considering the criminal ramifications of finding the neighbor who was setting them off and ripping them to shreds.
Lizzie Lou enjoying a low key NYE dinner. She likes to party hard. Sorry, not sorry!
Over Christmas Break, I lost the diamond in my ring. I searched the house high and low. Even bribed the kids with money to the lucky one who could find the diamond. I am convinced at this point that diamond is done...maybe washed down the sink or maybe I lost it at the mall that day. I accepted the fact that I would be getting a new diamond. Daniel was awesome and told me to get what I wanted and even told me that he wanted me to increase my price range (which I didn't do). I contemplated for hours over three different bridal sets...and when I say hours, I am not exaggerating. I was consumed by finding the perfect ring. I ended up going to the jewelry store to get fitted and they happened to have one of my three in stock. I tried it on and knew immediately that it was "the one." I fell in love with it, called Daniel and got his blessing. Now the hard part...waiting. I had to get it sized so I won't have it for a few weeks. It's absolutely gorgeous!
THE ONE!
No New Year's Day would be complete without a true Southern meal. We actually ended up having our New Year's meal on Jan. 2 but our black eyed peas, stewed tomatoes, collard greens, canned pickles and ribs (from Shorty's) were Ah-maz-ing!
Southern Deliciousness
Norwegian Sky....my home away from home soon enough.
Another fun thing we did this week was book a short, 3 day cruise on this beaut! We are taking a long weekend and going on the Norwegian Sky out of Miami next month. I love to cruise but Daniel is a skeptic....but I actually think he is excited. Lizzie is NOT excited. She is so upset that we are taking another vacation without her as we did just go to New Orleans. I had to explain to her that it is important for moms and dads to take time to spend together and that it is important to marriage. She did make me feel a little guilty though so I did spend some extra time planning our summer cruise vacation. And before anyone is ready to call up Social Services because Princess Lizzie is not going on another vacation with her parents, rest assured she'll be spoiled rotten along with brother and sister, Frances, while they spend the weekend with Gammy. It's so nice having my mother close by to help us with the kids. We will be traveling to Nassau and the Great Stirrup Cay. We've been to Nassau several times so we'll probably just take it easy and make our way over to the beach at Atlantis. We have never been to Great Stirrup Cay and they have some neat excursions we may try out. We are definitely going to do the jet ski excursion and are also trying to decide between the paddle boarding and kayaking. If anyone has been to Great Stirrup Cay and has recommendations, I'd love to hear them.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and just like that, Christmas Break is OVER! :( So we did our best to be as lazy as possible on our last day of freedom. We ordered some Papa Johns and spent the day doing....
A ltitle bit of this
And a little bit of this
And some of this
Can you believe the pool was mostly empty? It was about 76 degrees which I'm guessing is cold here but since we are transplants from having lived in Ohio for five years, this is the perfect winter weather for us. (Which reminds me of a funny story...last year Lizzie came home saying she had to wear her heaviest winter coat, hat and gloves to school because there was an announcement over the PA at school of how cold it was going to be the next day....it was going to be 59!! I told her there was NO WAY she was wearing a coat to school and to tell them she just moved from Ohio and at 59, we were breaking out the bathing suits). Even with having a hard time with living in South Florida, I have to say the winters here ROCK! While the kids were swimming today, Daniel even remarked that he wondered if there was place where we could live with the same weather in winter but not be in South Florida. Anyone have any suggestions?
Going back to work and getting back into the school grind is no fun! By Sunday night, I was in the worst mood ever! I hate when breaks end. I love lazy days, no alarm clock and no schedule...and most of all I love NOT packing lunches. I needed to add a little get up and go to my morning so my banana nut bread coffee and cute coffee travel mug were just what I need to get the day started right.
Love my fun mug!
I wasn't so much dreading my day at work because I had RtI meetings scheduled all day. I have meetings all day every day on Mondays and I really enjoy meeting with the team and brainstorming ways to help our students or to make the decision to move forward to formally evaluate a child to see if they have a disability. And one fun thing I got see as soon as I opened my email at work this morning was my picture on the front of the Eagle Times, our school newsletter. I was the "spotlight" for the week. I have a really cheesy interview included but I'm too embarrassed to share that :) ( I would also like to add that this picture was taken on the day before Christmas Break while I was in my pajamas!)
My time to shine
And as if our day back to work and school couldn't get any better, my princess was so excited to pull this bad boy out of her book bag to show me. Lizzie struggles in math....I waiver between wondering if it's her or if it's the way math is nowadays. It's taught so differently than when I went through school and as a teacher and a parent, I hate it and I think it is ridiculous. If I had the guts and/or enough knowledge, I wish I could go to capital and fight every politician that creates laws that have to do with education. People who have never set foot in a classroom...but I digress. The teachers hands are tied and my little girl is a victim of Common Core/Florida Standards teaching. And God forbid I try to teach her how to do something a different way. It's like she's brainwashed into thinking that she has to do it one, certain way. Anyway...I could go off on this for hours....
So back to the important stuff....Lizzie was so excited over this A! She did get a C on her first report card for math and she is so excited that this A could be "the one!" This could be "the grade" that helps her not get a C this nine weeks and she could be right. Every little point helps. She tries so hard. I pray and pray she gets higher than a C on her next report card. She'd be so excited. After we celebrated the A, I walked through the kitchen to see this on the fridge and it just made my heart so happy.
So proud of this "A" paper
And if getting back into the routine, packing lunches, getting up early and being a taxi driver isn't bad enough, I'm doing it solo for the next two weeks while Daniel is working in St. Augustine. Boo! Being a single mom is hard work. (Edit-Daniel was able to get a great deal on a rental car and came home for the weekend!).
The Stud!
It's time to get this weekend started so adios for now!
XOXO
Emily
Friday, January 1, 2016
Happy New Year!
For 2016, one thing that I've decided that I'd like to do is to blog more. When we first moved to Florida, blogging was a short lived way for me to vent some frustrations and keep my friends and family up to date on what was going on in our new life. Then life happened and the blog took the back seat to everything else that was keeping us so busy.
Sooooo...without further adieu....the moment I know you've all been waiting for...the blog is back. God willing, I'll stay on top of it.
For the first post of of 2016, I decided to list some goals/bucket list items that I created for the year. Since I'm turning 38 this year, I chose 38 items to put on the list. I put a lot of thought into what I want to get out of this year and I know putting it in writing will hold me more accountable. Heck! I put on Facebook that I was going to run the half marathon and I actually followed through...couldn't let down all my adoring fans, now could I?
In no particular order, these are the things that I plan to accomplish in 2016.
1. I'd like to lose another 15 pounds and maintain that weight. Since September of 2015, I've gotten into better shape and lost 23 pounds (we won't talk about the 5 pounds I've gained back over Christmas break...so really I guess I need to lose 20 pounds to reach my goal but who's counting?) It's not just about losing weight. Sure, my clothes fit better and I've gone down two pants sizes. I feel great. My muscles are more defined and I don't have heartburn anymore. It's been easy and it's been hard. I still indulge every once in a while but I haven't starved. If you'd like to know what I've done, feel free to reach out.
2. My goal for 2016 is to run 12 5Ks. At first, I thought one per month but I think I'll just sign up as my schedule sees fit. I also like to run virtual 5Ks so I'll definitely be doing some of those.
3. I am running in the Walk Like MADD 5K in April and my goal is to raise $200. Already 1/4 of the way there and if anyone would like to contribute the link is Walk Like Madd.
4. Do something nice and unexpected for someone at least once per month.
5. Travel to one new city this year...just fly there, stay a couple of days and explore. Some cities I've been throwing around are NYC, Boston and San Diego. (Can you believe I've never been to NYC?)
6. Go on a cruise. We live in South Florida. This is a no brainer. Not sure why we haven't done it since we've lived here. Daniel and I are cruising in February but I'm not counting that one ;) I hoping to sneak in a summer cruise and/or a Christmas cruise. I love cruising. Daniel does not so I have to convince him that my plans are better than his. Happy wife, happy life!
7. Go to South Beach. I ran the Half Marathon through there but I was delirious and crazed at that time. I don't really remember much except about how much I wanted to die.
8. Run a 5K without stopping. Yes, friends, with all my training and all the miles I logged since June, I have never ran the entire 3.1 miles without stopping (hangs head in shame).
9. Complete the 21 Day Fix Beach Body workout at least two times through without cheating on the workouts. They are killer. Truth be told, I did a couple days of the workouts before and could barely sit on the toilet. Truth is I had to hold onto the wall to squat down. Thought. I. Was. Going. To. Die! Daniel even joked that he had to do Pilates...until he was about to die too.
10. Every month go an entire week without going out to dinner. We have NEVER done this. We eat out entirely too much, which costs entirely too much money.
11. Join the Cooper City High School Football Boosters and attend the meetings. Ben has two years of football left and I want to be present for that.
12. Volunteer at least two times at the football games.
13. Convince my husband to buy me a new bridal set :) since the diamond fell out of my engagement ring this week. I may as well bookmark Jared and Kay Jewelers on my laptop because I've visited the sites so many times.
14. Just quit wasteful spending. Only bring new things into my home if they are food, have a purpose or we can't live without it (unless its a new bridal set, Stella and Dot jewelry, shoes or perfume...those things don't count).
15. Find balance at work. I have a lot of responsibilities and a to do list that never ends. I want to accept that the work will be there tomorrow and to let it go! And no more checking work email at home. No more bringing work home. A'int nobody got time for that and I don't get paid to work at home. I'm cutting all ties of working at home.
16. I've considered hiring a housekeeper for a while now and I have mixed feelings about it. BUT I think I'm going to go with maybe trying one out once a month. We have a yard guy (his name is Ben...jk...Ben cuts the grass...we really do have a yard guy that does the hard work) so I'm feeling a little left out. I want/need someone to dust my baseboards and scrub my tubs...stuff like that. Stuff I honestly don't want to do.
17. Speaking of cleaning. My windows are disgusting. I am going to hire someone to come and clean them all. Why? Because I don't want to do it.
18. I want to be more present around my family so less time being distracted on Candy Crush, Face Book and reading other blogs. I admittedly spend way too much time mindlessly playing around on my phone and laptop. Need to tone it back!
19. My goal is to blog one time per week at the least. I enjoy blogging and enjoy writing so it's just a matter of finding the time.
20. Have to try Cuban food. Yes, I've lived in South Florida for a year and half and I have not eaten Cuban food ever...unless you count the Cuban sandwich that I ate at the seafood restaurant in Ohio.
21. For the last few months, I've gotten my nails done weekly. Sometimes it's manicure, sometimes it's just a polish change and I LOVE getting it done weekly. My nails look great and I get to try a fun, new color every week. I plan to continue this little bit of pampering through 2016.
MOST IMPORTANT GOAL OF 2016 RIGHT HERE---> 22. This may be the most important goal of 2016. Find the BEST cupcakes in South Florida. Here's the deal. I love cupcakes. Like I'd marry one if I could. I am addicted to the mini cupcakes at Misha's here in town but I have to wonder, could there be a more delicious cupcake hiding in plain view in South Florida? Stay tuned...it's my mission to find out. I won't let you folks down! Pinky promise! I take this job very seriously!
23. Speaking of delicious food...my next goal is to sample every wing flavor at JT's Bar and Grill. This place is a dump, hole in the wall but I swear they have the best wings on the planet. So far, I've tried the Dano, Southern Slant and Maddy wings. Next up on the list- Tornado, Pat, Pooch, Wally, Malena, CP, and STH. Heck, I might even be able to convince them to create an Emily. I can see it, (I mean taste it) now.
24. Do something as a family at least once per month. Go somewhere, explore something, visit a new restaurant...whatever. I don't care what it is as long as it's valuable, quality time with my favorite peeps.
25. Find an easy to read and understand Bible and read it. I don't know that I'll necessarily finish it in 2016 but I at least want to get started. I've even thought about downloading a Bible app and spending time reading it that way.
26. Seriously start looking for a church in South Florida. We've totally slacked on this and it's time to get serious especially so our kids can get involved.
27. This may sound silly but I really want to learn how to do my make up. I feel like I just wing it every morning. I want to learn how to apply lip liner and eye liner without looking like a clown.
28. Start reading again. I used to be an avid reader...several books a month.. Now I'm lucky to ready a couple a year. I really want to pick this habit back up because I do miss it.
29. Keep my garage clean. It's a never ending, uphill battle.
30. Wear sunscreen EVERY time I go to the beach or pool. I am awful about this and I feel very fortunate, that after years and years of being irresponsible, burning and not wearing sunscreen, I have perfect skin. I started going to the dermatologist for yearly check ups and am not going to waste the blessing of having no skin issues after years of abuse.
31. I plan to fill up my recycle bin to the brim every week!
32. The next time Nordstrom has a huge sale, I'm snatching up the Michael Kors Lexington bracelet watch faster than a speeding bullet. They can't keep the watch in stock and I can't seem to beat the crowds to buy it. Michael Kors Mission Impossible 2016 is in effect.
33. Take care of my Stella and Dot wish list. LOVE their jewelry!
34. Stop stressing over the little things that are not really important.
35. Drink more water! Easy enough.
36. Try one new South Florida restaurant every month. The choices we have here are unbelievably amazing and never ending. We love to go out to eat and going to Beef O'Brady's is only exciting once. We need to broaden our horizons!
37. Stop giving a crap that I am offending people or really just stop giving a crap. I don't post things on Facebook sometimes because I don't want to offend someone of expose a differing view point than people I respect but no more of that in 2016. If I have an opinion on a person, issue, politician, etc. I am going to post it.
38. Just enjoy life. I know it goes by fast. I sit and think that I have two more years before Ben goes to college and it just crushes me. He was just a baby. Lizzie was just a baby. Daniel and I were just dating. Since time slows for no man, I am going to make the most of the time I have here.
Whew! That was a lot! I feel like I just ran a half marathon! Ha...I lie! I don't feel like I'm dying right now. Thanks for reading! Love to you all!
Sooooo...without further adieu....the moment I know you've all been waiting for...the blog is back. God willing, I'll stay on top of it.
For the first post of of 2016, I decided to list some goals/bucket list items that I created for the year. Since I'm turning 38 this year, I chose 38 items to put on the list. I put a lot of thought into what I want to get out of this year and I know putting it in writing will hold me more accountable. Heck! I put on Facebook that I was going to run the half marathon and I actually followed through...couldn't let down all my adoring fans, now could I?
In no particular order, these are the things that I plan to accomplish in 2016.
1. I'd like to lose another 15 pounds and maintain that weight. Since September of 2015, I've gotten into better shape and lost 23 pounds (we won't talk about the 5 pounds I've gained back over Christmas break...so really I guess I need to lose 20 pounds to reach my goal but who's counting?) It's not just about losing weight. Sure, my clothes fit better and I've gone down two pants sizes. I feel great. My muscles are more defined and I don't have heartburn anymore. It's been easy and it's been hard. I still indulge every once in a while but I haven't starved. If you'd like to know what I've done, feel free to reach out.
2. My goal for 2016 is to run 12 5Ks. At first, I thought one per month but I think I'll just sign up as my schedule sees fit. I also like to run virtual 5Ks so I'll definitely be doing some of those.
3. I am running in the Walk Like MADD 5K in April and my goal is to raise $200. Already 1/4 of the way there and if anyone would like to contribute the link is Walk Like Madd.
4. Do something nice and unexpected for someone at least once per month.
5. Travel to one new city this year...just fly there, stay a couple of days and explore. Some cities I've been throwing around are NYC, Boston and San Diego. (Can you believe I've never been to NYC?)
6. Go on a cruise. We live in South Florida. This is a no brainer. Not sure why we haven't done it since we've lived here. Daniel and I are cruising in February but I'm not counting that one ;) I hoping to sneak in a summer cruise and/or a Christmas cruise. I love cruising. Daniel does not so I have to convince him that my plans are better than his. Happy wife, happy life!
7. Go to South Beach. I ran the Half Marathon through there but I was delirious and crazed at that time. I don't really remember much except about how much I wanted to die.
8. Run a 5K without stopping. Yes, friends, with all my training and all the miles I logged since June, I have never ran the entire 3.1 miles without stopping (hangs head in shame).
9. Complete the 21 Day Fix Beach Body workout at least two times through without cheating on the workouts. They are killer. Truth be told, I did a couple days of the workouts before and could barely sit on the toilet. Truth is I had to hold onto the wall to squat down. Thought. I. Was. Going. To. Die! Daniel even joked that he had to do Pilates...until he was about to die too.
10. Every month go an entire week without going out to dinner. We have NEVER done this. We eat out entirely too much, which costs entirely too much money.
11. Join the Cooper City High School Football Boosters and attend the meetings. Ben has two years of football left and I want to be present for that.
12. Volunteer at least two times at the football games.
13. Convince my husband to buy me a new bridal set :) since the diamond fell out of my engagement ring this week. I may as well bookmark Jared and Kay Jewelers on my laptop because I've visited the sites so many times.
14. Just quit wasteful spending. Only bring new things into my home if they are food, have a purpose or we can't live without it (unless its a new bridal set, Stella and Dot jewelry, shoes or perfume...those things don't count).
15. Find balance at work. I have a lot of responsibilities and a to do list that never ends. I want to accept that the work will be there tomorrow and to let it go! And no more checking work email at home. No more bringing work home. A'int nobody got time for that and I don't get paid to work at home. I'm cutting all ties of working at home.
16. I've considered hiring a housekeeper for a while now and I have mixed feelings about it. BUT I think I'm going to go with maybe trying one out once a month. We have a yard guy (his name is Ben...jk...Ben cuts the grass...we really do have a yard guy that does the hard work) so I'm feeling a little left out. I want/need someone to dust my baseboards and scrub my tubs...stuff like that. Stuff I honestly don't want to do.
17. Speaking of cleaning. My windows are disgusting. I am going to hire someone to come and clean them all. Why? Because I don't want to do it.
18. I want to be more present around my family so less time being distracted on Candy Crush, Face Book and reading other blogs. I admittedly spend way too much time mindlessly playing around on my phone and laptop. Need to tone it back!
19. My goal is to blog one time per week at the least. I enjoy blogging and enjoy writing so it's just a matter of finding the time.
20. Have to try Cuban food. Yes, I've lived in South Florida for a year and half and I have not eaten Cuban food ever...unless you count the Cuban sandwich that I ate at the seafood restaurant in Ohio.
21. For the last few months, I've gotten my nails done weekly. Sometimes it's manicure, sometimes it's just a polish change and I LOVE getting it done weekly. My nails look great and I get to try a fun, new color every week. I plan to continue this little bit of pampering through 2016.
MOST IMPORTANT GOAL OF 2016 RIGHT HERE---> 22. This may be the most important goal of 2016. Find the BEST cupcakes in South Florida. Here's the deal. I love cupcakes. Like I'd marry one if I could. I am addicted to the mini cupcakes at Misha's here in town but I have to wonder, could there be a more delicious cupcake hiding in plain view in South Florida? Stay tuned...it's my mission to find out. I won't let you folks down! Pinky promise! I take this job very seriously!
23. Speaking of delicious food...my next goal is to sample every wing flavor at JT's Bar and Grill. This place is a dump, hole in the wall but I swear they have the best wings on the planet. So far, I've tried the Dano, Southern Slant and Maddy wings. Next up on the list- Tornado, Pat, Pooch, Wally, Malena, CP, and STH. Heck, I might even be able to convince them to create an Emily. I can see it, (I mean taste it) now.
24. Do something as a family at least once per month. Go somewhere, explore something, visit a new restaurant...whatever. I don't care what it is as long as it's valuable, quality time with my favorite peeps.
25. Find an easy to read and understand Bible and read it. I don't know that I'll necessarily finish it in 2016 but I at least want to get started. I've even thought about downloading a Bible app and spending time reading it that way.
26. Seriously start looking for a church in South Florida. We've totally slacked on this and it's time to get serious especially so our kids can get involved.
27. This may sound silly but I really want to learn how to do my make up. I feel like I just wing it every morning. I want to learn how to apply lip liner and eye liner without looking like a clown.
28. Start reading again. I used to be an avid reader...several books a month.. Now I'm lucky to ready a couple a year. I really want to pick this habit back up because I do miss it.
29. Keep my garage clean. It's a never ending, uphill battle.
30. Wear sunscreen EVERY time I go to the beach or pool. I am awful about this and I feel very fortunate, that after years and years of being irresponsible, burning and not wearing sunscreen, I have perfect skin. I started going to the dermatologist for yearly check ups and am not going to waste the blessing of having no skin issues after years of abuse.
31. I plan to fill up my recycle bin to the brim every week!
32. The next time Nordstrom has a huge sale, I'm snatching up the Michael Kors Lexington bracelet watch faster than a speeding bullet. They can't keep the watch in stock and I can't seem to beat the crowds to buy it. Michael Kors Mission Impossible 2016 is in effect.
33. Take care of my Stella and Dot wish list. LOVE their jewelry!
34. Stop stressing over the little things that are not really important.
35. Drink more water! Easy enough.
36. Try one new South Florida restaurant every month. The choices we have here are unbelievably amazing and never ending. We love to go out to eat and going to Beef O'Brady's is only exciting once. We need to broaden our horizons!
37. Stop giving a crap that I am offending people or really just stop giving a crap. I don't post things on Facebook sometimes because I don't want to offend someone of expose a differing view point than people I respect but no more of that in 2016. If I have an opinion on a person, issue, politician, etc. I am going to post it.
38. Just enjoy life. I know it goes by fast. I sit and think that I have two more years before Ben goes to college and it just crushes me. He was just a baby. Lizzie was just a baby. Daniel and I were just dating. Since time slows for no man, I am going to make the most of the time I have here.
Whew! That was a lot! I feel like I just ran a half marathon! Ha...I lie! I don't feel like I'm dying right now. Thanks for reading! Love to you all!
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