Favorite Thing About Yourself...
My favorite thing about myself is my positive attitude 99.9% of the time. This hasn't always been the case. As a teenager, I moped around the house and was grumpy the majority of the time. I am not sure what changed, but as I got older I realized, life is way too short to be in a bad mood all of the time. So with that, my attitude changed and I now am positive most of the time. I get excited very easily. Almost everything amuses me. And yes, I wake up like this. My husband often will ask on a Saturday morning "Why are you so happy?" I just laugh and try to get him to my good mood! I am not always positive. I do have my bad days. In fact, because I am so bubbly and outgoing and smiling all the time; when I do have a bad day, people notice. People ask me am I ok and tell me that I do not look like myself. I think that says a lot for my personality and I hope that my attitude is infectious sometimes.
Along this line - I am my own biggest fan. Which I think everyone (especially women) should be! People are always so down on themselves physically, and even I am guilty of that. But I think every one should have one thing they LOVE about their bodies. And while I am unhappy with the way my body looks now (post wedding weight gain) there are 3 things I absolutely LOVE...1) eyes 2) smile 3) bellybutton. That 3rd one may seem kind of silly but I really like my bellybutton and that goes to show you, no matter how silly - find something you LOVE about yourself! :)
Age...
I used to say if I could go back to any age it would be 22, until I turned 30. I have LOVED being 30. I don't know why people make a big deal about it and act like they are dying because it is great!! I still have most of the same friends I did in my twenties, and we still do the fun things we used to (granted, the parties end a little sooner theses days ;)). Some one made a comment to me about being "too old" to get a mega-ticket (1 ticket for 11 Country Music concerts at a amphitheater in Raleigh), but that is just dumb. If I like it, why not get it?! (Plus I am in a better position financially to buy it now than before!) There are all kinds of lists out there for things that women shouldn't do/wear/say/own in their 30's, I think they are a load of CRAP! Be who you want to be, love yourself. You will have to have thick skin (belly shirts in the carpool lane will make you the talk of the PTA for sure) but I dont like when people put an age on fun.
So back to the original question...30 is my favorite age, so far. :)
I would love to hear what your favorite thing about yourself is, I think its so good to share that stuff with others (and your favorite age too if you want!:))
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Lent and Social Media
We are over half way through Lent right now. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter in which Christians remember the sacrifices Christ made on our behalf. Some demonimations (mainly Catholic) practice giving something up for Lent. Usually, the thing you give up is something that is keeping you from Christ and the time you spend with the thing you gave up, you should spend in prayer.
I don't do this every year, mainly because it is not commonly practiced in my denomination (Presbyterian) but last year I decided to give up social media. I had realized that I had become almost addicted to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I checked it on my phone at least 20 times a day. It was getting ridiculous. So I decided to give it up, cold turkey. The first 2-3 weeks were really, really hard. I kept thinking to myself, what if something happens and I dont know about it? And how will my "friends" know what is going on in my life?! I almost had a panic attack from being "unconnected". I'd like to tell you that everytime I felt this way, I turned to God in prayer. Well I didn't. I did find myself praying more during this time, but I am not sure if that was because I needed God's guidence as we looked for a house or not! Towards the end of Lent it was easier, and I found myself enjoying the moment instead of sharing it with the world.
On Easter Sunday, I got right back on Social Media and was a bit ashamed of myself. I was right back in the thick of things, reading statuses, looking at pictures, sharing posts. So when Lent came around this year, I thought of doing the same thing. But time got away from me and I never deactivated it. I felt pretty bad about myself, that I was so wrapped up in social media that I forgot when Lent started. Then the last few weeks happened...
I have a friend who is in the process of adopting a little girl. Her and her husband have been this little girls mama and daddy for two years, but now they are having to fight to keep her. She posted on Facebook the need for prayers, that their struggle was about to get tougher - so I prayed.
My former boss at the first company I worked for posted something about her job. After messaging her I found out that hers was one of 53 positions eliminated the day before, and that two more former coworkers were affected. Having lived through a layoff I knew what they were going through - so I prayed.
Another high school friend has been in the NICU for 12 weeks with her daughter who was born at 23 weeks at 1 lb 6 oz. She had twins but one of them passed away the day she was born. Her daughter is now 1 oz shy of 4 lbs and drank 32 cc of a bottle last week. I can't even imagine the emotions she goes through on a daily basis, but I am so glad she is sharing her story. I can't help her any other way - so I prayed.
Social media can be a very ugly thing. People use it as a platform to say hurtful things about others. But last week I realized that social media can be a great thing. These three women are not what I consider "best" friends of mine. We are all friends, but we probably would have lost touch if it hadn't been for social media. Becuase they chose to share there stories, I and others have been able to pray for them.
So I won't be giving up social media again any time soon. Among all the crazies out there, are my friends, who share stories about their lives and struggles, and read about mine. And if we can offer an encouraging word to one another and most importantly pray for each other - then social media is not so bad after all.
(And no, I never gave anything up for Lent)
I don't do this every year, mainly because it is not commonly practiced in my denomination (Presbyterian) but last year I decided to give up social media. I had realized that I had become almost addicted to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I checked it on my phone at least 20 times a day. It was getting ridiculous. So I decided to give it up, cold turkey. The first 2-3 weeks were really, really hard. I kept thinking to myself, what if something happens and I dont know about it? And how will my "friends" know what is going on in my life?! I almost had a panic attack from being "unconnected". I'd like to tell you that everytime I felt this way, I turned to God in prayer. Well I didn't. I did find myself praying more during this time, but I am not sure if that was because I needed God's guidence as we looked for a house or not! Towards the end of Lent it was easier, and I found myself enjoying the moment instead of sharing it with the world.
On Easter Sunday, I got right back on Social Media and was a bit ashamed of myself. I was right back in the thick of things, reading statuses, looking at pictures, sharing posts. So when Lent came around this year, I thought of doing the same thing. But time got away from me and I never deactivated it. I felt pretty bad about myself, that I was so wrapped up in social media that I forgot when Lent started. Then the last few weeks happened...
I have a friend who is in the process of adopting a little girl. Her and her husband have been this little girls mama and daddy for two years, but now they are having to fight to keep her. She posted on Facebook the need for prayers, that their struggle was about to get tougher - so I prayed.
My former boss at the first company I worked for posted something about her job. After messaging her I found out that hers was one of 53 positions eliminated the day before, and that two more former coworkers were affected. Having lived through a layoff I knew what they were going through - so I prayed.
Another high school friend has been in the NICU for 12 weeks with her daughter who was born at 23 weeks at 1 lb 6 oz. She had twins but one of them passed away the day she was born. Her daughter is now 1 oz shy of 4 lbs and drank 32 cc of a bottle last week. I can't even imagine the emotions she goes through on a daily basis, but I am so glad she is sharing her story. I can't help her any other way - so I prayed.
Social media can be a very ugly thing. People use it as a platform to say hurtful things about others. But last week I realized that social media can be a great thing. These three women are not what I consider "best" friends of mine. We are all friends, but we probably would have lost touch if it hadn't been for social media. Becuase they chose to share there stories, I and others have been able to pray for them.
So I won't be giving up social media again any time soon. Among all the crazies out there, are my friends, who share stories about their lives and struggles, and read about mine. And if we can offer an encouraging word to one another and most importantly pray for each other - then social media is not so bad after all.
(And no, I never gave anything up for Lent)
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
What is your favorite SMELL, GENRE of MUSIC, ACTIVITY, and COLOR?
Favorite Smell:
Gain. Seriously. Everything in our house is Gain scented. Detergent, fabric softener, air freshener, wax warmer, and now all purpose cleaner...that is the BEST smell in the world. And when the house is freshly clean and smells like Gain, I am almost certain that is what Heaven is like! :)
Favorite Genre of Music:
Well...refer back to the very first blog post for that one: COUNTRY MUSIC. It is to the point now where I dont listen to anything else. Which makes me ridiculously old sounding and feeling when a pop song comes on. And btw, Taylor Swift is not country.
Favorite Activity:
Photography. I had to really think on this one. Singing is a big one and so is hanging out with my family. I also like to go to the beach/lake on warm sunny days. And traveling with my husband and UNC Basketball. But when it really comes down to it, I would be no where without my camera and the thousands of pictures I have taken with them. My best friend Courtney and I were taking selfies long before that was a thing! At every family function, you will find me with the camera. I think the reason for that is because I am so sentimental, I always want to have pictures to look back at and remember happy times!
Favorite Color:
Also a tough one. I have many. Coral and Gray (for my wedding), Carolina Blue, Yellow (for my Papa), and Navy. Currently, Navy is my absolute fave. But talk to me tomorrow, becuase that may change!
Next up is favorite thing about yourself....stay tuned!! :)
Gain. Seriously. Everything in our house is Gain scented. Detergent, fabric softener, air freshener, wax warmer, and now all purpose cleaner...that is the BEST smell in the world. And when the house is freshly clean and smells like Gain, I am almost certain that is what Heaven is like! :)
Favorite Genre of Music:
Well...refer back to the very first blog post for that one: COUNTRY MUSIC. It is to the point now where I dont listen to anything else. Which makes me ridiculously old sounding and feeling when a pop song comes on. And btw, Taylor Swift is not country.
Favorite Activity:
Photography. I had to really think on this one. Singing is a big one and so is hanging out with my family. I also like to go to the beach/lake on warm sunny days. And traveling with my husband and UNC Basketball. But when it really comes down to it, I would be no where without my camera and the thousands of pictures I have taken with them. My best friend Courtney and I were taking selfies long before that was a thing! At every family function, you will find me with the camera. I think the reason for that is because I am so sentimental, I always want to have pictures to look back at and remember happy times!
Favorite Color:
Also a tough one. I have many. Coral and Gray (for my wedding), Carolina Blue, Yellow (for my Papa), and Navy. Currently, Navy is my absolute fave. But talk to me tomorrow, becuase that may change!
Next up is favorite thing about yourself....stay tuned!! :)
Saturday, March 7, 2015
What is your favorite MEMORY?
My favorite memory is my childhood summers at the lake. My Grandma and Papa and her sister and husband (Doodie and Monk) built a lake house on Lake Gaston in 1985. So literally every summer in my memory was spent at this house. I would love going up there, me and my cousins would play from sun up to sun down, and then after dinner, the adults would play a card game called canasta. I learned that game at a very young age.
One of my favorite memories is a time when my cousin Kris and I were playing a canasta game against my Papa and cousin Joe. We were very young and wanted to "go wild" a play where you bet all you have on the chance to have 7 wild cards. We were struggling and my Papa felt bad for us, so he said "son, I'd try to put something on the board instead of worrying about going wild so much". I knew we were doomed, when it was Kris' turn, I said "We're doing pretty bad aren't we?" and he said "Not if we are going out we're not". Not only had we "gone wild", we had used all our cards and went out, leaving Papa and Joe holding a handful of cards!
I actually almost lost my ring finger because of my cousin Kris. We were playing house and we got married, so he tied a rubber band on my finger. My finger was solid black by the time we went to the lake to swim and luckily we did so that our moms would see it and yank the band off. So I still have all 10 of my fingers! :)
We still go to the lake house today. Although my Grandma is the only surviving member of the original four owners, our families have grown and there is a new generation of children to make memories here. I hope that this house is around for my children, because it is there that I feel the closest to my Papa, and I know that if my children are able to grow up here, they will feel close to him too :)
One of my favorite memories is a time when my cousin Kris and I were playing a canasta game against my Papa and cousin Joe. We were very young and wanted to "go wild" a play where you bet all you have on the chance to have 7 wild cards. We were struggling and my Papa felt bad for us, so he said "son, I'd try to put something on the board instead of worrying about going wild so much". I knew we were doomed, when it was Kris' turn, I said "We're doing pretty bad aren't we?" and he said "Not if we are going out we're not". Not only had we "gone wild", we had used all our cards and went out, leaving Papa and Joe holding a handful of cards!
I actually almost lost my ring finger because of my cousin Kris. We were playing house and we got married, so he tied a rubber band on my finger. My finger was solid black by the time we went to the lake to swim and luckily we did so that our moms would see it and yank the band off. So I still have all 10 of my fingers! :)
We still go to the lake house today. Although my Grandma is the only surviving member of the original four owners, our families have grown and there is a new generation of children to make memories here. I hope that this house is around for my children, because it is there that I feel the closest to my Papa, and I know that if my children are able to grow up here, they will feel close to him too :)
My all time favorite picture at the lake
Me, styling on the pier with my pigtails and lifejacket
One of my little cousins on the pier...safety first! :)
Apparently, all the fun I had that day wore me out!
James has even been in on the fun
Brookie and me
Craziness runs in our family
Sending balloons to heaven for Papa's birthday at Garrett's graduation party.
He is always with us!
What is your favorite memory? Is it tied to a time, person, or place? How do you keep this memory alive??
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
I consider myself a pretty good cook. I can follow a recipe pretty well and even make a few changes to tweak it and make it my own. A few weeks ago, my mom had some leftover casserole at her house, Stouffer's Chicken and Veggie casserole. To me, it tasted like chicken pot pie...without the pie. So I decided, I bet I could make this.
So without any recipe, and only my taste buds to go on, I set out to make this casserole last week.
So without any recipe, and only my taste buds to go on, I set out to make this casserole last week.
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Ingredients
~ 2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup frozen vegetables (I used carrots and peas)
1 cup rice
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
Breadcrumbs
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
Cut up chicken into pieces
Add chicken, vegetables, rice and Cream of Chicken Soup in a 9 x 13 casserole dish
Fill empty soup can with water and mix water into casserole dish
Stir until ingredients are all mixed together
Sprinkle Breadcrumbs over mixture
Cover with Aluminum Foil
Cook for 45 min
Uncover and cook for 5 min
It turned out very well. I think next time, I will take the vegetables out of the freezer a while before cooking, they were a bit crunchy in the casserole, but other than that I am very proud of myself!!
Sunday, March 1, 2015
February Recap & March Goals
Happy March!! We have survived February and warmer weather is *hopefully* on the way!!
Here is how I did for February:
* Finish Thank You Notes from the wedding - Fail :( I didn't work on any of them. Seriously I will finish in March. I mean I have 17 left. Ulgh I have to get it together!
* Order Buffett and put fine china away - DONE! Snow days were good for for something. See my blog post on my snow days organization
* Revisit Clayton Community Church to determine if this is our church - I went one more time, February ways busy so I was only able to go one more time. But I really like it. James wasn't able to go with me so we need to go together again, but I feel like this could be our church.
* Organize my pantry - DONE! :)
* Finish "Make it Happen" - I didn't get to work on this. With all the organization I got done, I didn't get to read any.
* Start on "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn - since I didn't get "Make it Happen" finished, I didn't start this.
* Continue my "Movie Review Monday" blog series...it won't be a weekly thing, but I am going to try to do 2-3 a month! - Half way, I think I did one in February?
* Continue to do 2 blog posts per week - I did MUCH better with blogging in February. I even started a "What is your favorite.." series, which is taking me well into March!
* Start on SPRING CLEANING room by room - I have begun this, and will keep at it!
* Catch up on my bible reading - For some reason, this year the bible reading hasn't been happening. Luckily, the new church I have been attending has more of a bible study type sermon so I feel like I am getting my reading done, even though I may not get my bible read in a year, but I am reading my bible! :)
* Order Buffett and put fine china away - DONE! Snow days were good for for something. See my blog post on my snow days organization
* Revisit Clayton Community Church to determine if this is our church - I went one more time, February ways busy so I was only able to go one more time. But I really like it. James wasn't able to go with me so we need to go together again, but I feel like this could be our church.
* Organize my pantry - DONE! :)
* Finish "Make it Happen" - I didn't get to work on this. With all the organization I got done, I didn't get to read any.
* Start on "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn - since I didn't get "Make it Happen" finished, I didn't start this.
* Continue my "Movie Review Monday" blog series...it won't be a weekly thing, but I am going to try to do 2-3 a month! - Half way, I think I did one in February?
* Continue to do 2 blog posts per week - I did MUCH better with blogging in February. I even started a "What is your favorite.." series, which is taking me well into March!
* Start on SPRING CLEANING room by room - I have begun this, and will keep at it!
* Catch up on my bible reading - For some reason, this year the bible reading hasn't been happening. Luckily, the new church I have been attending has more of a bible study type sermon so I feel like I am getting my reading done, even though I may not get my bible read in a year, but I am reading my bible! :)
March is going to be a REALLY busy month. I am hosting two game nights (which I am so excited about) and helping to give my aunt & uncle a 25th wedding anniversary party. But in all that business, I will get some of my goals accomplished! Here are my March Goals:
*Finish my thank you notes!!!!!
* Finish "Make it Happen"
* Start "Sharp Objects"
* Work out 3 times a week every week in March - This will be hard, because I have three audits at work, but I have GOT to get it together on the fitness
With all that I have going on in March I think this is enough to get done in March. I can not WAIT to have the game nights with my friends / family and to host an anniversary party for my aunt and uncle. There is also the ACC and NCAA Tourny...GO HEELS!!
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