thoughts for a wednesday

This week, Wednesday = randomness.

1. I’ve been having the strangest dreams lately. One involved me (with my dogs) refusing to leave a flooded cabin in the Rain Forest. Not sure who I was having a stand off with, but I only finally left when one of my fellow protesters told me my dogs had cancer. So weird, and horrible. Another dream involved my husband getting an offer to manage some division of Nike? Totally strange.

2. My grocery list for today actually has more fresh foods than pre-packaged, non-fresh items. That is probably a first. Sad but true. I don’t think I’ll ever be a good example of a healthy lifestyle, but I want to try to eat a little better overall. I attempted to be a vegan for about six months in college after reading the book SkinnyBitch, and lost 15 pounds. I actually have kept most of that weight off since then, so I guess something stuck with me form that time. To anyone looking for a kick in the butt to be healthier, get that book asap. I've never been super motivated to diet or work out, but Skinny B did it for me.

3. There are a small list of things I like about winter, and one of them is hot yoga. I realize you can do this all year round, but it just isn't appealing to me in the warmer months. I plan to research studios this week. I loved the one I used last winter when we were at the old house, but I just can’t drive 30 minutes for yoga.

4. This lovely book got delivered in the mail, and I cannot wait to use it! I’ll be attending the book signing when Ree comes to town, and I’m super pumped for that, too. I plan to make some of the Thanksgiving recipes this year to help out my Mom. She has to work the Wednesday before, so I plan to take on a lot of the cooking and prep work. My sister has also insisted I throw a Christmas party when my family visits, so a few of those recipes will be making a cameo as well.

2 days till Friday!

a day in the life

Our weekend was good. Friday was spent at home, you can see some pictures of that here. Saturday we cleaned, picked up some pumpkins, and went to a friend's Halloween party. I spend all of Sunday on the couch, pretty much the way I like it.

Today I wanted to share a "day in the life" of yours truly. I am always curious about other's routines, and I think this will be fun to look back on down the road.

6:15. The alarms start going off. They keep going off until about 6:45. In that time I doze in and out of sleep, let the dogs out, check emails and all my social media sites, and mentally prepare for the day. When I finally drag myself out of bed I get ready for work, pack up our lunches, and make coffee or smoothies or some type of nourishment that we can eat or drink on the go. Somestimes W gets up early (he has to leave the house a bit later than me) and takes care of the coffee and lunches. I usually get some type of extra surprise in my lunch I wouldn't have packed. One of the zillion reasons I love him.

7:20. Out the door. Or I try to be at least. My commute can be anywhere between 25 minutes to 55 minutes, all depending on traffic, so I try to leave as early as possible. Any Cincinnatians who travel on 275, you know what I'm talking about.

8:00. Arrive at work and recruit my pants off all day long. Usually I pack, but sometimes I eat breakfast or lunch at my work's bistro, because frankly it's the bomb.com. Other days, I just need to get out of the building to break up the day. On those days I run errands or check out stores I wouldn't be able to run to back on our side of town.

5:00. Head home. I sometimes work on the evenings and weekends from home, so I try not to spend too much time at work after hours. I am a firm believe in work life balance, so I am pretty strict on myself about accomplishing what I need to before quitting time.

5:30. Home sweet home. I spend a few minutes outside with the dogs, clean a bit, then get started on dinner. Sadly, I usually hop onto the computer after that. I like to read blogs and watch tv and just decompress. Will usually joins me on these vegetative behaviors, as long as he isn't working late. I wish I spent this time working out or being crafty or something productive, but work drains me, and I guess I'm just a little lazy. I know when we have kids I won't be able to devote as much time to my own selfish habits, so I don't feel too bad about it.

7:30ish. We eat dinner and talk about our day. The dogs run around like lunatics until we take them on a walk. I really enjoy catching up with W around this time, escp while walking our neighborhood. I love to be outside in the fresh air, and even better, no distractions from phones or computer.

8:30ish. TV time. W and I have a ton of shows that we like to watch together. Favorites include Modern Family, Meet the Goldbergs, Law and Order: SVU, Top Chef, The Killing, Mad Men, and various others.

10ish. Bed time. I am a huge baby in the sleep department, and I will essentially black out if I attempt to stay up later than this on a work night.

And then I do it all over again the next day. Thrilling, no? Pepper in a few happy hours and date nights and that about sums up my Monday through Friday. It's pretty average, but I love it.

Happy Monday!

friday scenes

This is how we spent our Friday. Playing in the yard, in pjs, fussing around with fall decorations, and of course trying out my new camera. I actually went with a Canon, and so far, I love it. Can't wait to learn how to actually use this thing. Happy Friday!

it's friday, it's friday

Friday 5, super fast edition. Posting before I get ready for work, so gotta make this quick. I couldn't risk skipping out on today because there are a few things I absolutely wanted to share that I'm loving this week.

One.

Two tone Michael Kors Hamilton. On sale at that. Do I really need to say more? May be my favorite yet.

Two.

This fab top coat. I love matte. I love fast drying. And I love that this is called butter. Because it's smooth, and also because I just like butter. You can find this gem at Sephora and Ulta. Ignore my jank paint job. I hadn't cleaned it up yet before I snapped this pic. Color underneath is "the skinny" from Ulta.

Three.

If you follow me in the insta world, both of those are old news. What isn't old news, is how motivated I am to actually share something somewhat planned. I'm thinking a legitimate house tour. I need ideas, and I want to remember our house in all it's (semi) newness. We have quite the list of to-dos to complete before this place is anywhere close to "done", but I am happy to share none the less. We've come a long way since this day! And I finally get my new camera today, so I can graduate from iPhone pics. Lost my point and shoot after the honeymoon. Ooops...

Four.

I am also planning to share a list of my favorite neighborhoods and such around Cincinnati. One of my favorite things about this city is the variety from mile to mile, and all the different hidden gems. I think it's safe to say I have a love affair with this city. Read this article from the Huffington Post's blog to get a little idea why. This guy says it a lot better than I do.

David Falk's Love Letter to Cincinnati

Five.

I am more excited for h-ween than ever this year. Mostly because we will have our first official kiddos dropping by to get their treats. I cannot wait to see all the cuteness. I hope the weather warms a bit for Thursday so we can sit outside and sip hot apple cider while we give out candy. I'm going out this weekend to buy about ten pounds to pass out, so bring it on trick or treaters!

Happy Friday! Linking up with Darci.

the weight of the world, real talk

I was not the happiest of children. The statement “I was an unhappy child” seems very harsh to hear myself say, but there is a lot of truth in those words. I love my parents very much, and always knew I was loved unconditionally in return. I always had enough, and never really lacked for friends either. But I always felt kind of down. That I was not quite good enough. Good enough for who? I’m not sure.  I was terrified of bullies, that they would attack me or anyone I knew for that matter. To me a bully is still the WORST thing on this planet a person can be.

I was constantly worried about myself and the world around me. It just seemed like so many people were mean or hurting. My Mom told me once as an adolescent that I had to stop carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. I can’t remember the context of the conversation, but those words have never left me.

I used to be the kind of person who literally could feel other people’s pain. Almost physically. I would find myself in tears over stories of abuse and neglect. My heart would ache over seeing homeless people on the street. I’d get a pit the size of Alaska in my stomach when I saw someone being embarrassed (still do). So much so that I would have to leave the classroom I was in, or step into a bathroom to compose myself at a friend’s house. I've always been overly emotional. I could mask these things (I think) when the situation involved strangers, but when something hurtful happened to me personally, I would break. I was so overly sensitive I can hardly believe it. I pray my children will not be the same way, because I don’t think I can stand knowing they will feel the pain that I felt.

Anyway, my Mother’s words to me that day really stuck. You can’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders Brittany. But how? I thought to myself. How do I stop feeling for other people? Feeling so strongly for myself? In the true fashion of a dramatic person like myself, I thought it would be easier to just not care at all. Sometime in my late teens, I just stopped caring. I still dated and fell in and out of love. I still had a huge heart for some of my friends and family members. But I let go of a lot of the weight. I made the conscious decision that I couldn’t care about certain people or certain things any more, and I never looked back. I still haven’t.

I can remember the exact day I made that choice. I was sitting by myself at a Subway after track practice. I’ve never been the same (in a good way).

I often wonder how this has affected me in the years sense that day. I’ve been a happier person since I made the choice to guard my heart a little closer. To be more careful who and what I invest it in. But have I also been a meaner person? Harder? A bigger bitch? Excuse my language, but I’ve always been kind of a b. I guess we will never know. I also don’t know the point of sharing this, besides to share part of my story. And to put it out there that we all have problems.

I blog a lot about my brand new house and the vacations we take. About how obsessed with my huge wedding I was or how gorgeous my engagement ring is, blah blah blah. But that is not all of me. I have struggled. Struggled with what is a normal amount to hurt. With accepting who I am and how to get over things. I have had some hard things happen to me in my life, things I will never blog about in a million billion years. And all of those things make me that much more appreciative of what I have now.

Everyone has feelings, and everyone faces challenges. Mine have been minute in the grand scheme of things, and for that, I will always be thankful. Let’s just be nicer and lift each other up each day, each chance we get. And do NOT try to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. I do not know that I’ve mastered the happy medium of empathy and strength, but I pray that we all find it.

5 weeks and counting

Maybe it’s the cold morning air, maybe it’s the pumpkin spice latte that the sweet lady in my company’s bistro just doctored up for me, I can’t be sure. But I will tell you this- I just got super excited for Thanksgiving. I’m always excited for Thanksgiving as I love food almost as I love a good sale and excuse to shop. And the family time obviously. Last year (and I think the year before that?) was spent at Will’s parent's. Their house is so homie, I love that there are always kids running around, and his Mom makes a pretty good “Thanksgiving sandwich” as W likes to call it, when it’s time to eat round two. This year however, we will be venturing north.

Since my Mom and sisters will be visiting us in Cincinnati for the holidays, and my sister Paige turns 15 the day before Thanksgiving, we decided to head to Chicago to celebrate this year’s day of thanks. I can’t remember the last time I celebrated this day in Chicago, and am so excited to experience it with the girls now that they are older, and of course with my husband. One of my best friends from high school (who I also went away to college with) was recently transferred to an area very close to my Mom, so I’m hoping we can even sneak in a visit with him! Other items on the agenda include spending time in the kitchen with my Mom, Will watching football and enjoying the company of four woman, two of them being teenagers (he comes from a family of all boys- insert sarcasm), shopping, walk taking and hopefully some site seeing. Regardless of what we do, I know it will be one for the books. My Mom is basically the best cook in this universe. Her house is the perfect balance of gorgeous decor and cozy pieces of furniture. It always smells good. How she pulls this off as a single Mom with a 60 hour work week is beyond me. She is always positive and it's impossible not to be in a good mood around her. The woman is a super hero, and we are so lucky to have her.

Oh, and did I mention we’re bringing the dogs? If I had it my way, they’d come everywhere with us. For some reason though, most people don’t seem to want a couple of mutts who constantly shed, are super active, and weigh 50 and 70 pounds respectively, running around their home. Thankfully for me, my Mom is not most people. They will be making the 5-6 hour journey with us, and I am pretty interested to see how this goes. Sadie has traveled quite a bit with W, back before he knew me and had to live various places for work. Holly on the other hand, has never been on longer than a 30 minute car ride. Any tips for traveling with pets?

No matter what happens on this little journey, I cannot wait to have them with us on the holiday instead of me watching the clock anxious about whether or not they are lonely or need to be let out or not (crazy dog person here). I know they will love being in a new place, and especially love smelling new smells. I plan to find a new dog park or two to take them to, and I am sure that will be what they are most thankful for this year.

Writing this post got me even more excited, thank goodness there’s just 5 weeks and counting. What are you most looking forward to this Thanksgiving?

monday just keeps coming

Our weekend was pretty great without too much fuss. Friday night we had a yummy dinner at an Italian restaurant in our town's older downtown area. We met up with my with Will's brother and his wife, and our niece and nephew. They are the sweetest little kids and I love spending time with all four of them. And you heard it here first folks, gender reveal season is the new wedding season. We went to not one, but two gender reveal parties this Saturday, and both were a blast. Our neighbors will be welcoming a little girl soon, and one of Will's best friends and his wife will be having a boy. Of course I got no pictures of any of the above (insert fist punching emoticon because I seriously suck at taking pictures and need to get with the program).

I have to admit, the whole theme of baby-baby-baby all weekend really gave me the fever. I'm not really sure how to describe sharing in such a special time with someone. Thrilling? Exciting? Humbling? It's kind of like a few hours of Christmas if that makes sense. Get's me super excited for our future kiddos.

I've been looking forward to the holiday season for the past few weeks now, and IDK if I can handle my usual form of celebrating. Maybe I'm old, but after the craziness of the wedding, moving, a summer full of celebrations... I just don't know if I have another 2 months of marathon partying left in me. This may be the season of relaxed celebrations instead of partying till the wee hours of the morning. I am tired of feeling like garbage from lack of sleep (and excess of fun) on the weekends. Yup, officially old.  In other news...

1. I finally decided on what camera to buy. Nikon D3100. I was leaning toward a Canon Rebel the entire time I've been doing my search, but I think the Nikon is my best bet. I am by no means trying to become a pro, and this seemed like a much better fit as a "starter" camera. I don't plan to order for a couple days, so any inside scoop on this bad boy (or the Canon), good or bad, is appreciated.

2. I've been struggling over what pattern rug to get for our entry way, and I feel in love with this one over the weekend. Pottery Barn, you never let me down. The Thanksgiving catalog came this weekend and there are soooo many things I want! If you haven't been on their site lately, I suggest you head on over. Some of my favorites pinned here.

3. They somehow keep getting cuter and cuter.

That's all for now. Linking up with Sami. Happy Monday folks!

truer words have never been spoken

Happy Sunday!

update + a blate

Another day, another dollar. It’s cold. Traffic stunk this morning. And I overslept. All of that is OK though because I've had a super fun week! Pretty tiring, but worth the bags under my eyes. Monday was the freezer meal prep extravaganza. Tuesday happy hour at Wine Guy with two great friends. And last night, the Great Blate! About 12 or 13 of us Cincinnati bloggers met up for Mexican food, a few drinks, and GiGi’s Cupcakes. Thanks to Erin, we were able to get a few group pics. And special thanks to Allie for the cupcakes AND for telling me my girl Ree, aka The Pioneer Woman, will be doing a book signing in the area. All I have to do is purchase her book? Done, and done. I cannot believe I didn't know about this. The shame.

I promise that flower is not in my hair.

Anyway, black to the blate. I was hoping Katie would slip up and tell us her baby girls name (who will be coming any day now), but no such luck. Overall, It was just great to meet everyone. I am a “more the merrier” kind of girl, and absolutely love meeting new people. When those people share a passion for blogging, and live nearby- even better. I cannot wait to do this again. Any other ladies who couldn't make it this time, you were missed. If any of my readers out there are also in the area, speak up! I would love to see who else we have hanging around.

In other exciting news, I have decided to FINALLY purchase a DSLR camera. I think I’m going to go with Canon over Nikon. I was going to save my upcoming expense check, but I figured with the holidays coming, and me wanting to actually have some non-wedding pics to hang around the house, this is as good a time as any to take the plunge.

That's all for now pals! Special shout out to the lady in my work cafeteria who just served me a pumpkin spice latte that rivals Starbucks. Maybe I will make it through the way without falling asleep…

Until next time,

life lately + comic relief

I decided to give the whole freezer meal thing a go. If it's even semi successful, I'll post what recipes I used and how I went about my meal prep. I'm a little concerned because most of the recipes require 6 hours in the crock pot, and I'm out of the house way longer than that for work. I'm considering just throwing these in the oven immediately after work, and letting them cook for an hour or so. Or maybe cooking them on low, then having my crock pot timer switch them to warm until we get home. Does anyone have any experience with this? Advice appreciated!

In other news, our weekend went well. Friday we went down to the UC football game with friends. I had a girls night with my best friends on Saturday. We played Kings, made up the rules we couldn't remember, and danced like fools at the bar. It was great. I love having friends who are easy to relax and have fun with. I also love that even though I'm an hour from home, 3 of my high school besties ended up living just a few minutes away. It's pretty amazing that life has allowed us to remain so close. Sunday = Jungle Jim's and brownie baking.

Now, for a couple good laughs. Am I the last one to hear about #StarbucksDrakeHands? Not sure, but this is hilarious. And creepy. You can search YouTube for the original, but I find this guys commentary on the situation much more amusing.

Last but not least, I saw this on Facebook yesterday. Kids are just too much. Anyone married and/or with kids will defiantly appreciate this list. Taken from dailynewsdig.com

A group of young kids were asked how do you decide who to marry and here are the results which are pretty amusing.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?

(1) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.

- Alan, age 10

(2) No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with.

- Kristen, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

(1) Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.

- Camille, age 10

(2) No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married.

- Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?

(1) You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.

- Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?

(1) Both don’t want any more kids.

- Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?

(1) Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.

- Lynnette, age 8 (isn’t she a treasure)

(2) On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.

- Martin, age 10

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?

(1) I’d run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.

-Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

(1) When they’re rich.

- Pam, age 7

(2) The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn’t want to mess with that.

- Curt, age 7

(3) The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It’s the right thing to do.

- Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?

(1) I don’t know which is better, but I’ll tell you one thing. I’m never going to have sex with my wife. I don’t want to be all grossed out.

- Theodore, age 8

(2) It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.

- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN’T GET MARRIED?

(1) There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn’t there?

- Kelvin, age 8

And the #1 Favorite is……..

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?

(1) Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.

- Ricky, age 10

Happy Tuesday!

upcoming awesomeness: 5 things to finish out 2013

With all the upcoming holiday craziness, work, and fun weekend events- my poor house has really suffered. I am determined to get paint colors picked out THIS WEEKEND. And put away my summer clothes. The list goes on, but those are a few things really hanging over my head right now. Another OMG that recently dawned on me, there are LESS THAN THREE months left in 2013! My sweet Holly turned 2 the other day, and I barely could believe it was already the this time of the year again.

2013 has been pretty darn good to me, but there is still a ton left to enjoy in the short time we have left. This week’s list consists of 5 things I’m really looking forward to before 2014 rolls around.

1. Family 

If I could spend every day with my sisters, I would. Since they live in another state, I always look forward to the holidays so I can spend some qt with them and my Mom, just doing girl stuff. This year, they will be coming down for an extended visit, and I can hardly stand the anticipation. It is so much more fun to have visitors when you have guest rooms for them to stay in, and there’s a driveway for them to park their car in. I do NOT miss the lack of those things, definitely one of the downsides of city living. Anyhow, now that we have plenty of room for them to enjoy their selves, I know this holiday visit will be the best one yet.

2. Mega Blate

Mexican with 15+ bloggers from the Cincinnati area? Yes please. I’m sure there will be lost of pics and updates to come. Throw together a bunch of fun girls, Mexican, and margs, and I bet we’re in for a pretty good time.

3. Parties

A sweet neighbor/friend’s Gender Reveal. Baby Scarlett’s (one of my bestie’s daughter) 2^nd Birthday. Another best friend’s Halloween party. Not to mention the holiday get-togethers. Thanksgiving in Chicago. One of my other best friend’s wedding! (Yes I know, I have a lot of best friends. I’m a lucky girl, what can I say.) Our Christmas party, which will be the first real soiree in the new house. Will’s family Christmas, which includes about 50 people. And who knows what else. I can barely contain my excitement. This truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

4. Pottery Barn’s Christmas Section

This speaks for itself. If you haven’t visited the site lately, I suggest you do so pronto. Here are a few of my faves that I plan to add to our collection of Christmas prettiness.

burlap santa hat string lights

all is calm and bright pillow cover

twig reindeer stocking holder

crewel embroidered stocking

5. Pitchas

Otherwise known as pictures. I want professional photos of us that are not wedding related. I love our wedding pics, but something a little more relaxed is definitely in order. I also want some of us in our new home, and hopefully even including the puppies. I really want to remember our first year and first holiday season in this house, so this is a must before the next few months come to an end.

Happy Friday!

another first

So here I am, sitting at the airport, reminiscing about the last few times I've flown.

Like traveling what seemed like a million miles to and from our honeymoon. Pretty sure that will forever be the most important plane ride of my life. Or like traveling home from Key West with my now in-laws. I was sure we'd get engaged on that trip (we didn't, it was about a month later) and I "got sick" at baggage claim from having a little too much fun on our last night of vacation. Oh the memories. And then there's the time my bestie and I decided to randomly fly to Nashville for the weekend and ended up hanging out at the airport bar for hours after out flight landed, because the other people there were so much fun.

Anyway, today is another memorable trip, because it's my first "business trip". I feel so grown up and professional, despite struggling around the airport with my billion pound computer bag. I'll be gone for a short time, but considering I've only been at my job a week, I'm a little nervous. I'll keep this short and sweet so I can get back to work, but I wanted to mark this as a special occasion! Shout out to Alfani Step-n-Flex heels from Macy's. Not the most glamourous shoes in the world, but my feet feel like a million bucks.

This past weekend was a blast. A relaxing Friday and Sunday to save room for all the fun we had on Saturday at the hubs 10 year high school reunion football game. This is the only picture I captured of the day.

That's all for now. Biggest upside to this whole trip? I didn't have to survive the traditional Monday :)

I confess...

...I really need to lay off with the crappy iPhone pictures. Not because I’m such a sophisticated blogger. But because I know how to use PhotoShop. Because I have a PR/Marketing related degree and my professors and internship supervisors would laugh me out of the classroom/office if they saw the low quality crap I've been throwing on this blog. Because I drive myself crazy when I read back through posts and see some of the fuzzy, unfocused pics. Did you let a 2 year old take those pictures Brittany? Did you? I may get a whole lot of crap from my husband, but I think it's time to break down and buy myself a DSLR. Or maybe I can hold out till Christmas? I've asked for suggestions for a good starter camera before, but more are welcome!

...Another thing I really need is some interior design help. I know what I like, but I have a hard time committing to significant pieces or expensive purchases. Our main furniture was easy, because you can't really go wrong with a neutral sectional or a wooden dining table. But above the fire place decor? Wall art? Area rugs? I just cannot commit for some reason. Maybe we'll work on that after the camera.

…As long as I can make it through the day today ;) I survived my first week at my new job! As I mentioned before, I’m so not a fan of being the new kid on the block, so yay to a full week under the belt.

…Tomorrow we’ll be celebrating my hubby’s 10 year high school anniversary. TEN YEARS! He (we) = old. I hope it’s exactly like Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion. Somehow, since he went to an all-boys school, I don’t think it will be. But one can dream, right? I hope it’s full of a lot of catching up and laughs, not pretentious dudes having a pissing contest over who has the best life now. Because obviously that’s us ;) Kidding! Kind of. I still have a few years before my reunion, if anyone even organizes one. Did you attend yours or your spouses? Was it as bad as I think it’s going to be?

That's all for this week pals. Be sure to check out Leslie's blog to see more confessions. TGIF!

I survived my first day + catch up + recipes

Well here we are. Long time no post. Really just 5 days or so, but it feels like it's been an eternity since I opened up the ole MacBook. Our weekend was good. Friday we went out with some of my then co workers to celebrate my last day at the company. There was a pretty good turn out, and we had a blast. Saturday we had dinner Downtown with a group of our neighbor pals, and Sunday I grocery shopped, ran errands, and just got ready for the week. I know two people dogs that were not much help. Not sure why the light looks so cryptic and smoky coming through the windows? Maybe we have a ghost?

Oh, and my little sister went to homecoming, and my Mom text me this pic. I die. She is getting more grown up by the second! I cannot believe she will be 15 next month. Time really does fly.

I normally like to participate in some type of Sunday Funday activity, but not this time around. Monday was my first day at the new office, and I wanted to be 110% prepared. All went pretty amazing as far as first days go. I have some programs and processes to learn, but I'm excited to get the ball rolling on this step in my career. Megan suggested I even throw in some work attire posts, and I just might! Lord knows work is just about the only time I get dressed up.

In other news, poor Sadie girl has a cold. I hate to take her to the vet just to be told it's a stuffy nose and will pass. She is completely fine besides being a little sniffly. Are there dog home remedies for the common cold?

Last but not least, I wanted to mention a few recipes.1 "regular" and 2 crock pot. I am not feeling dinner time lately. Normally I like to cook, but I guess I'm in a funk.

Last night I made Eat Yourself Skinny's lemon rosemary chicken recipe. It was easy and delicious. Currently in the crock pot for lunch and dinner the rest of the week are my favorite pot roast recipe, and this new potato soup recipe I'm trying out. Hallelujah to having 3-4 meals done with only 10 or so minutes of prep!

I can't remember where I found the pot roast recipe at this point, but it involves:

3 pound roast
1 packet of brown gravy mix
1 packet of italian dressing mix
1 packet of ranch dressing mix
1cup of water

Put it all in the crock pot on low. Cook 6 or so hours. Boom. Delicious.

That's all for now. Happy Thursday!