Updates, Updates, Updates

I'm still struggling to blog regularly but I'm hoping to change that in the new year. Fingers crossed!

I'm planning big things for the new year and my 25th year...

*26 Things before 26...I have my list almost completed and will add it to the blog after the first of the year (mostly because I am not home and that's where my list is)

*24-Day Advocare Challenge...It's time to get serious about weight loss, eating healthier, and exercising. I'm excited to partake in this challenge combined with clean eating and regular exercise.

*Project Life...Bobby got my a kit for Christmas and I'm excited to start!!

*Wedding Planning....It's still a while to our wedding day but there's lots to be done between now any then. We have the venue booked and I'm going dress shopping in a couple days with my mom and maid of honor.

I graduated a couple of weeks ago and got a full-time, full paying job in the district I've been doing my internship. I'm slightly terrified but I'm sure it will all work out. More on that later.

Christmas break is glorious and I wish it were a few days longer but it's only Friday, so I still have over a week until I have to go back to work!

Bobby's twin sister is getting married tomorrow so we are all very excited about that!

Here's to a fabulous 2014!

Life Lately

One of these days I will be a regular blogger. Maybe...
The last posts I did were reviews of products I was given to try out! That was tons of fun. I have another one on the way that I can't wait to see what they've sent me!

Anyway....since this summer, lots of things have happened! The biggest one being that Bobby and I got engaged!! It happened on August 24, 2013. I am beyond excited and slightly overwhelmed to actually begin the planning process. I have (I think) pretty much everything decided! A general plan, at least. More on that later.

I started the final part of my internship in a new district, getting paid!! It's been overwhelming as well but I've had a pretty good time so far and haven't messed up too bad. I graduate in December!! I cannot wait.

It seems like we've had plans nearly every weekend for the past 2 months. We took a trip to Galveston with my girlfriends from grad school, their boos, little Ollie, and dogs. It was sooo much fun!! I got a terrible sunburn, drank too much, ate too much, and stayed up way too late but it was a blast. We've planned to make it a tradition and I really can't wait until our next trip. We've talked about a trip to Colorado in a couple years. I hope that happens.

We've gone to football games, parties, threw parties, bought a motorcycle, etc., etc. It's been a busy semester and it's still a struggle to find the energy to clean and cook but I'm hoping I'm becoming better about that. The crockpot has been a lifesaver.

This weekend we went to a Pumpkin Themed Party, the Baylor football game, and got some pictures made to send with Save the Dates.  Mondays are always tough but thankfully I got a lot done at work and now am relaxing and ready to watch my shows.

Until next time...

Dr. Scholl's For Her High Heel Insoles Review

The final product I received in my Influenster Sunkissed VoxBox was the Dr. Scholl's  For Her High Heel Insoles. Overall, I really like the insoles! They are comfortable and really help with the comfort level over long periods of time. One thing I did notice is that they were kind of short for the length of my shoe. They do not have different sizes but fit sizes 6-10. They are designed for high heels 2" and higher. Again I really like these. I don't often have an occasion in which I wear heels that often, but if I do, I will be using these for sure!

Here's some information from their website:

"Dr. Scholl's® For Her High Heel Insoles are proven to improve the way you feel in heels. The unique design helps prevent foot aches and pains caused by high heels two inches and higher. Plus, the ultra-soft gel arch shifts pressure off the ball of your foot while providing guaranteed all-day comfort"

• Helps prevent foot pain caused by high heels
• Proven to improve the way you feel in heels
• Unique ultra-soft FabuSTEP® gel arch shifts pressure off your ball of foot
• Immediate and all day comfort
• Stays firmly in place
• Removable without damage to shoes
• Slim design won't make shoes feel tight
• Practically invisible, even in strappy heels

Again I really like these. I don't often have an occasion in which I wear heels that often, but if I do, I will be using these for sure!

SinfulShine Nail Polish Review

Another product I received from my Sunkissed VoxBox from Influenster was the Sinful Shine nail polish in At Sea! I was immediately excited because it is one of my favorite nail polish colors! This nail polish has a good smooth formula. Gel Tech technology formula provides opulent rich color and brillant shine finish. Oluene, formaldehyde and DBP free.

Overall, I really like this nail polish! The application is easy and quick! I will definitely be getting more of these polishes especially because of the amazing price! You can get Sinful Shine with Gel Tech at Walgreens!

I received SinfulShine polish complimentary from Influenster. 

Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream Review

This product has helped simplify my daily beauty routine. It covers well enough to use as a foundation. I just use some concealer, powder, mascara, lipgloss, and blush. 

6 Skin Perfecting Benefits:

• Refreshes
• Brightens
• Evens Tone
• Hydrates
• Smoothes
• Protects

It's an all-in-one solution for instantly brighter-looking, smoother-feeling, more even skin tone!

You can buy this amazing product atOlay Fresh Effects  and Amazon!

I received Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. 

Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics Review

I received a package of Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics in my Influenster Sunkissed VoxBox a couple weeks ago. I've had the chance to use them several times and I've found that they are truly awesome!

Features include:
Soft, stretchy material that looks beautiful on the wrist or in the hair!
-Personally, I love wearing these as arm candy! They look way cuter than traditional hair ties and they don't leave a huge dent on your wrist!

From America's #1 elastics brand, Goody Ouchless
-I always buy Goody! They have the best all around hair accessories, and these just add to it!

Unique knot style hair ties are perfect for personalizing or dressing up your look
-An easy way to add some flair to your look!

I received these complimentary through Influenster.

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was unusual. Bobby worked so much, so it really wasn't much of a weekend. Friday, I was hoping he would be getting of at a normal time, unlike the past few days, but no such luck! I can't remember what I even did all day, but it wasn't much. I decided to get Chili's to go and that was alright. One thing I don't particularly like about where we live is that it is a drive to get any kind of food. So getting something to go, isn't always the best idea, because by the time we get home to eat it, it's not as good as it would be just eating at the restaurant. Bobby got up super early on Saturday to try to finish this project up. He got off around 6:30 (I think) so we were able to go out to eat! It was nice actually getting to talk for more than a few minutes when I was half asleep when he got home after 1 AM the past three nights. He was super tired, obviously from working so much, so we just came home and he passed out soon after that. Sunday we got up pretty early and ran some errands and went to eat lunch. We came back home and Bobby gave Daisy a bath and mowed the yard while I went to get some things for the guest room. Bobby fell asleep and slept until 7:30 when I started to get hungry for dinner. He grilled some hot dogs and we had a simple dinner. It felt like a short weekend since I didn't get to spend as much time with Bobby as usual, but it was alright.

Influenster: Sunkissed VoxBox

Yesterday I received my Influenster Sunkissed VoxBox in the mail! 

I honestly didn't remember signing up for this, so I was super surprised! I couldn't remember what I had to do with these products so I headed over to their website, just to refresh my memory! Basically, I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. So I get to try them out and tell everyone about them through social media outlets! Super fun and easy, right? With each products, I am going to a full review and blog post to tell you all about the products - good and bad! Of course, all opinions are my own. 

Here's a sneak peak of the products I received!

Dr. Scholl's for Her High Heel Insoles

Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream

Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics

SinfulShine with Gel Tech Nail Polish in At Sea

Stay tuned for posts of each product!

  I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Six Week Makeover

On Sunday, I am starting a six week emergency makeover program. It includes meal plans and workouts for six weeks. I am truly excited to get started. One thing I like about the program is the meals are all "normal" foods and nothing to crazy! You get plenty of good, whole foods so you aren't left feeling hungry all day! The exercises start out simple and increase in difficulty as the six weeks progress. I'm doing the program with my friend, Alysa and Becky (Bobby's sister) will be doing the workouts along with me. I might do more workouts once summer comes up but it's just too hot now to run outside in the afternoons! Bobby will be eating the dinners, since they are all "guy" friendly. Except he said he is NOT eating quinoa! The one time I made it for him, he did not like it. It wasn't a good first experience with quinoa, but I've since experimented more with it and it's not too bad! There are only a few things with quinoa and he can have rice or something else instead! If you'd like to check out the program I'm doing, click here. It's an ebook that costs only $5! If you do not want to pay for it, the website has several free recipes and workouts, that you could compile into your own plan! I'll update on Sunday with some stats and my grocery's and some details about the meals! Then, each week I'll post a weekly update with updated stats, favorite recipes, and how it worked for me. There will be some things that are going to "get in the way" so to speak. I'm going to a friend's bachelorette party and wedding next week. I plan to eat sensibly and not over do the drinks. Then in a couple weeks we are going on vacation. I'm hoping to buy some snacks and breakfast items since we are staying in an apartment, so hopefully it won't throw me off too much! If so, I will just pick it back up where I left off. I don't want to stress myself out about food and calories while on vacation, but I want to be sensible and mindful about what I eat. I'm flirting with the idea of doing the Whole 30 diet but I haven't mustered up the courage just yet. Maybe this will push me in the right direction! 

Until next time....

Weekend Recap

 Saw Iron Man 3 in 3D. 

 Daisy begging for a belly rub!

 Daisy being a spoiled dog and laying on our bed while we get ready!

 Picked up this movie! Can't wait to watch it again!

 Tried the new Mike's Hard Blood Orange! It tastes like orange soda - so good, yet so dangerous!

 Enjoying the view of the sprinklers after spreading some grass seed in hopes our yard will be more lush!

 Daisy getting a much needed bath!

 Strawberry shortcake for dessert!

Mother's Day cards ready to be mailed (sans stamp) this week!

Have a great week!

Update

It's been a while since I updated the blog! (Not that anyone reads it because I haven't told anyone about it yet) Since August, I had a truly busy semester of classes, practicum, CARES, portfolio-making, oral exams, and finding an internship. We also had the added pressure of Bobby trying to find a job and determine where we would be moving. I knew that it was inevitable but I refused to accept it for a very long time, because I did not want to move. It was hard. I love Austin and the people I'd grown to know and had turned into family. By mid-semester I realized there was almost a zero chance of us staying, considering all the places that Bobby had interviews at were not in Austin - not even close. Really, there were no job openings that appealed to him. Truthfully, I thought he was being too picky. Truthfully, I was being selfish. November comes and he's received two offers from a place in Waco (yuck!) and outside of Fort Worth. It was a battle and first, he was going to take the job outside of Fort Worth. He declined the Waco job (at first) for several reasons - one being Waco, two long hours with salary pay, and three I had not applied to any internships in the area for lack of them being available. They did not accept that and so commenced the Thanksgiving week phone calls and discussions and decisions. It was decided. Waco we were coming for you. Literally the next weekend we searched for places to live and fell in love with the first place we looked at. A three bedroom, two bathroom duplex. The price was a little more than we were going to have to pay in Austin when our lease renewed. We looked at an apartment complex but it was so much further away from Bobby's actual job and similar to what we had in Austin. We wanted to upgrade! There are not many options in Waco and we actually live in McGregor city limits, but very close to Waco. Then, I started searching for an internship with not much luck. Thankfully, I was offered an unpaid position at a district only about 20-25 minutes from our house. We moved on December 18th and left the 20th the enjoy the holidays with our families. We had a great time at home but we were anxious to get back to get the house together before starting our jobs on January 7th. We had cable and internet installed. A refrigerator delivered. They day we got back to Waco - we bought a new bed, a gift from Bobby's sister and brother-in-law. Not long after that we went just looking at furniture and bought a love seat and couch set. The buying slowed down and we finally got our credit cards paid off (thank goodness). We have a garage and a backyard. Soon we realized it rained much more here than it does in Austin (thank goodness). Soon we had to buy a weed eater and lawn mower and all the fixins! We got a grill (love)! I'm planning all sorts of fun things for our backyard. Repainting and purposing our current dining room set for an outdoor set! Finding adequate lighting for the nights. Also, we built a garden bed and planted all sorts of things. Tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, carrots, bell peppers, lettuce, spinach, and jalapenos. Unfortunately, we had a freeze not long after that and some of our plants didn't make it, but most seems to be okay now! We have plenty of cilantro and the spinach is starting to grow. I'm (not) patiently waiting for the tomatoes!!

Until next time....

P.S. I will post some pictures of the house once I get a room complete. Being busy and unpaid hinders many things that I want to do and/or buy for the new place.