Mother knows best

My mother was no exception to this saying. Yesterday was the day we celebrated our mothers and all that they have done for us. It is also the first Mothers Day I was not be able to spend with my mom since she had to move so this is a little something for you mom.

Dear mom,

It has been a huge adjustment since you moved two weeks ago and I hate that I wasn't able to celebrate mothers day with you for the first time, ever. You taught me everything I know. You taught me how to be a independent woman who stands for what she believes in. You taught me how to be strong whether it was an illness or personal trial, you never gave up. You showed me that family is important above all else and never take them for granted. Mom, you are the best person I know and even though you aren't perfect, you are close in my book. You didn't bless me with your bronze skin color as I wish you would have but I will let that slide. I love you and thank you for all that you have taught me.

For all my moms out there, hope you enjoyed your Mothers Day!

Go with option 2

Alright lovelies, this was not my scheduled post but I just have to get some outside opinions on this.

I will be the first one to tell you that the hubs has no style at all and is lucky if his clothes even match when he walks out the door. I'm not sure if this is because he has always worn a uniform for work so he just doesn't think out what he is putting on or what but it's getting worse I tell you.

I noticed recently that hubby's shoes looked really tore up and suggested to him to get new ones. Well since he isn't working due to his surgery we decided shoes could wait. Then we went out and I couldn't help but notice how horribly bad his shoes looked, I mean they ruined the outfit completely!

So yesterday I told hubs to buy some shoes since I couldn't stand his old ones anymore. A few hours later he text me that he bought some and these were them.

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Um, I don't know about you but I cringed when I saw them and I wasn't about to let him buy them. Maybe I am just too picky about shoes but I showed a co worker and she took one look and said 'No'. 

Of course after seeing his choice I hopped online and starting looking for a different pair. Naturally all the ones I picked he didn't like so I had him search for another pair he liked. After a few clicks he showed me these

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Need I say more? I approved of these 100 times more than the other and they were cheaper! Can't get better than that.

This little argument went on for a bit before he actually agreed to find another pair. Now with our luck it was too late to cancel the first order so he will get both and will have to return the first. Don't worry, I will have pictures to prove the second pair look better.

Now the the point of this post... Wouldn't you agree that the second pair look at least 10 times better than the first?

I Workout...

I was unsure about sharing this but I figure it can't hurt. So some of you may know that this year I made it a goal to workout regularly and make healthier food choices. Well here is a little bit on what my exercise has consisted of...

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In January I started doing Bodyrock and really enjoyed it. They posted short 12 minute workouts that I could do at home and they made me break a sweat. I did them usually 4 days a week and lost about 8 pounds. Then you know that plateau that we all hate, the one that is so hard to get past? Well I was there.

I had hit that oh so hated plateau and was getting discouraged that I wasn't getting past it. Now this plateau, for me anyway, is a certain number on my scale. I know people all the time say you shouldn't care so much about what the scale says since muscle weighs more than fat but I'm kinda obsessed with my scale. I know it's a bad obsession that I need to get over.

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Becoming discouraged and thinking I would never get over my plateau, the hubs suggested I try P90X again, the lean version. I was hesitant at first since the first time I tried P90X with him I didn't like it, mostly because of how long the workouts are and how much weightlifting there seemed to be.

Alas, hubby talked me into it and last week was my first week. I have to say that the workouts are quite a bit longer but man do I feel the burn. I really like the lean version because there is more cardio but still some weightlifting. 

Now I am the kind of person that if I am not held accountable for working out, I probably won't. So here it is, this is my accountability. I will post once a week about my progress and experience with P90X in order to keep myself on track.

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Any others out there who have done P90X or are doing P90X? Has anyone ever done Turbo Fire? I really think I would like Turbo Fire but would like to know how people like it, people who are not paid to say 'it works' ya know?

Cinco de Mayo weekend

Oh weekend, how you go by so quickly and I wish you wouldn't. We were out n' about most of the weekend spending time with family, attending a baby shower, walking around the Spring Jamboree and having dinner with friends.

Once again this weekend I realized I don't take enough pictures at certain events so I apologize for my lack of photography on this post.

Friday night we went out to dinner with hubby's family and can I just say going out to eat is not fun when you are on a diet. Anyways, we went to dinner to surprise my mother-in-law with an early mother's day gift, tinted windows. The hubs and I pitched in with his two brothers to get it done and man does her car look good!

Saturday was the baby shower and also when I realized I really needed to take pictures, so I took a bunch at the shower.

That's Jes, the girl of the hour who is due in August and naming her little boy Jax.

Her shower was obviously pirate themed and it was oh so cute. We enjoyed the food, played a little game, watched her open her amazing gifts and took in the gorgeous sunshine.

The Spring Jamboree was next which the hubs wasn't excited to go but I dragged him along.

Sadly this is the only picture I took. I told you I am horrible with pictures but I'm working on it. The Jamboree is held every year in the small town I grew up in and they have food stands, merchant booths, live music, kid bouncy rides and a car show. I took my nephew to get some ice cream while the hubs drooled over the cars. Here are the pictures he took.

Can you tell he loves Mustangs?

We were invited to dinner with some friends Saturday night and we ended up at Olive Garden. Yes I am aware that it was Cinco de Mayo and Mexican food would have better suited the holiday but let me tell you that was the shortest wait I have ever had! I again forgot to take any pictures.

Sunday was a nice relaxing day in which we had breakfast at the in-laws house, attended church and snuggled to watch movie. I love Sundays.

Oh you are wondering how the weekend went with five dogs around the house, well that will be a whole other post. It wasn't as smooth/easy as I wished.

Who let the dogs out....

Or should I say 'Who let the dogs in?' Somehow this weekend I have been suckered into watching my brother's and a friend's dog. Don't feel sorry for me just yet because I apparently agreed to watching them weeks ago and remember one but I forgot about my brother's dog. I blame him, he didn't remind me until yesterday.

This might sound like no big deal, I mean how hard can it be to watch 2 dogs right? Wrong. When you have three dogs of your own, then add two it becomes a full house. Let's just say we will be spending a significant amount of time at the dog park this weekend.

Don't worry, we will squeeze in some fun things into our weekend as well. Oh, you want to know all the pups that will be at Casa De Los Perros, I thought you would never ask.

Yeager

Aka Yeags, Blackie or Bat Dog. I figured smallest to largest was the best way to introduce the gang and he comes in at a whole 11 pounds. He is our lazy cuddle bug who would rather be snuggled up on the couch than go for a walk.
Don't ask me why I don't have a better picture of this cutie but he is definitely the dog that makes me smile no matter what.

Riley

Aka Rye Rye or Brownie. He is my little lover and was the first pup to join our family. He is a cha-weinie but he is a big dog trapped in a small body for sure. Everyone loves him mostly because he won't be pushed around by bigger dogs and will taunt dogs over twice his size.

This little guy has the best personality and is such a nut!

GSXR

Aka Stupid. This is my brother's 4 month old puppy. Now don't be fooled by the picture, this dog is a menace, out to make my life miserable. He is a German Short hair Pointer and he is at that stage where he gets into everything.

He is over our house everyday so that he has friends to play with while we go to work but I wish he friends at his house. Such a cutie pie though.

Kalli

Aka Chocolate Chip, Fattie or Pretty Girl. She is our Malinois/Shepherd mix who loves to play! Since she has a herding instinct some people at the park don't like her because of her nipping tendency but she is a lover. Although very vocal when she plays, she is very submissive and doesn't like dogs bigger than her at first.

She is our only shelter rescue and we believe she was abused before we got her.

Rhodie

Aka Rhoders. This is our friend's HUGE Rhodesian Ridgeback who tops the pack at 135 pounds! He is really a gentle giant and is the best behaved dog we have here. I love this dog and I wish I had a dog exactly like him

So this was a long post, if you are still reading I thank you for sticking with me. I promise my posts are not usually this long winded. 

Now go enjoy your Cinco De Mayo, I know I am!

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Well Hello......

April is done, May is here and I am happy to say that I survived the A-Z challenge! It was more challenging than I thought but it was so worth it. I gained a few new readers during the challenge and thought this would be a great time to tell y'all a bit about myself and what this blog is about.

That's me loving the new shirt I bought. I'm Amanda, a wife in her twenties who works full time, likes crafts, baking, shopping, blogs, DIY and lots of things in between. I enjoy watching my nephew, doing a workout, fruit smoothies, date night with the hubs and being a fur mama.

This blog of mine is where I will share all things from daily life whether it's something on my mind I'm looking for advice with or a new recipe I want to share, you will find it here. I keep myself busy and LOVE my sleep but I will try to keep the new posts coming on a regular basis.

You will get to know more about me through my posts and I would love to hear from you/get to know you so leave a comment with your blog/shop/twitter/facebook link!

Z is for...

Zion

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Zion national park is one of my favorite places to visit because of it's natural beauty. Spreading across 229 square miles, it has an abundance of plant life, canyons, mountains and wildlife to admire.

If you are a lover of the outdoors, enjoy hiking or just love to take a scenic drive I HIGHLY recommend you visit Zion. You can hike up one of the many trails, take a guided horseback ride, go rock climbing, camp out, take a scenic drive or stay at nearby lodging to enjoy the weather and views.

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Above picture is Angels Landing, a popular hiking trail that gives an amazing view. It's not an easy hike but the view and accomplishment you feel at the top is well worth it.

Zion is a beautiful place that showcases just how amazing nature is.

Y is for...

Yogurt

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More specifically, frozen yogurt. This has become my new favorite treat and craving. I like to keep in mind that it's better than ice cream, even if it's only my a slight margin.

I don't know what it is about that soft serve dessert that just makes my mouth water but I sure have a hard time resisting it. The various flavors and toppings are a huge plus and I'm pretty sure I'm pulled in most by the fruit flavors that are all available via soft serve.

This will be one of the hardest things for me to give up in my goal to eat healthy but I always keep in mind that moderation is key. What would be the hardest thing for you to give up for a diet?

X is for...

X men

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No this isn't my favorite movie but not much comes to mind with the letter X. I will say that I have enjoyed all the X-Men movies that have been made and think some of the 'mutations' would be pretty awesome to have.

I mean who wouldn't want some type of telepathy? Granted I really wouldn't be interested in everyone's thoughts but knowing the thoughts of a few select people would be nice. The healing power Wolverine has would be amazing especially for kids, the elderly and everyone in between! 

I particularly like teleporting guy, being able travel miles in just seconds would be so useful and time saving. What mutation would you want to have if you had a choice?

W is for...

Wedding

The happiest day of my life, to date. Not to fret, this post is not going to be all about me or how beautiful my wedding was or how I wouldn't change anything about it or.... oops, this isn't about me, but more about the pressure some feel about getting married and planning a wedding.

Some have no interest or intention of ever getting married and some are so caught up in it that they search pinterest to pin hundreds of wedding images. I know more people who feel an urgency to get married and are stressed to the max about planning their wedding so that will be my focus.

Why is it that some women think they have to have all the bells and whistles to have the perfect wedding? Is it society and the 'keeping up with the Joneses' mentality that makes women want to have huge ceremony? Is it how we are raised that puts these ideas in our minds of how a wedding should be? Or it is how movies depict this event that makes it so stress worthy?

In my opinion, the simpler the better. People don't need a 500 person guest list or central park to have a fabulous wedding. All you need is the people closest to you and the one you love to make the perfect wedding day.

V is for...

Victory

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Oh the sweet feeling of winning. I am the kinda person that likes to be right, I'm working on it, but every time I come out right on a conversation it's a little victory for me. For some, a victory is being able to get up in the morning, not having a cigarette or not eating that piece of candy. Everyone has some sort of victory everyday and they should praise themselves for these small achievements.


The first thing that comes to mind when I hear victory is a football team winning the game or the winner of a battle. These are the types of things that most people would recognize as a victory but shouldn't we have our own small victories to celebrate for...


In my effort to eat clean and become a more positive person I have made a deal with myself that every time I reach one of my small goals it will be considered a victory. I will celebrate each one of these small milestones just as I would if I won a 5K run. Who wouldn't want to keep their goals if they got rewarded for even the smallest accomplishment? 

U is for...

Underdog

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So the hubs has been watching a lot of ESPN lately and when I was brainstorming for U, underdog came to mind. Now I was thinking of underdog as in sports, you know the team that everyone expects to lose.

Well I typed in underdog in the google image search and up came a ton of images depicting this cartoon dog. I must be out of the loop cause I had no idea who this cartoon character was or that he was popular.

Apparently, Underdog was a cartoon in the 70's and was on air for a total of 124 episodes. He was a superhero was similar to Superman as he would 'change' in a phone booth and come out as Underdog to save the day.

I must have been living under a rock because in 2007, Walt Disney released an Underdog movie and I don't remember that at all! Am I the only one who didn't know who this furry cartoon superhero was?

T is for...

Time

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What a precious commodity that we take for granted. People are always saying 'Man time flies!' Yet time actually doesn't change pace, ever, it's what we do with the time we are given that can make it all seem worth while.

I am one of those people that complain that time goes by to quickly but I think it's because I am so busy. I mean it's already the end of April, where did the time go?

 Well from here on out I have every intention to use my precious time for all the important things first like spending time with my family and enjoying this life I have been given.... That is until I become too busy and totally forget all of this, I hate that!

 

S is for...

Strong

When I thought of this word two things came to mind, fitness and an emotional state.

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I have been big on motivational quotes and pictures lately and the above picture is one of my favorite quotes. All throughout my childhood I was heavy and I remember always wishing I was skinny.

Earlier this year I shared that one of my goals in 2012 was to become healthier. In my quest to eat healthy and exercise regularly, some of my views of how I wanted to look and how much I wanted to weigh have changed.

I have learned that the scale doesn't matter as long as I feel good in my clothes and continue to work on eating clean.

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I am a firm believer that people are stronger than they think they are. Some people have various experiences that test their emotional strength and most of them would say that they came out stronger because of that trial.

The movie Yes Man just came to mind and I think it's because if you shut yourself off from experiencing different things and not doing things you wouldn't normally do, you'd be living life behind a screen door, just looking on.

OK that was a tangent but I can think of a few experiences in my life that I thought I wouldn't be able to handle and sure enough I was stronger than I thought I was and made it through just fine.

R is for...

Rose

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The icon for romance. Roses for years have been the go to flower for Valentine's Day, Anniversary's and Just Because bouquets for that special someone. The red rose is the age old symbol for love and romance but what about the other rose colors?

They say that pink roses symbolize gratitude and appreciation while yellow shows joy and friendship. Purple tells the recipient that the sender has fallen for them while coral shows desire. If enthusiasm is what you are looking for, buy some orange or apricot roses. You can buy some peach roses for sympathy or gratitude and white roses for reverence and humility.

These color meanings might not be know to everyone but wouldn't you rather play it safe and send orange roses to your boss instead of purple?

Q is for...

Quiet

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Believe it or not this was once a word used to describe me. As a kid growing up I was a shy and quiet little girl who wouldn't even say hi to the UPS man. 

As I entered middle and high school I still wasn't Ms. Outgoing but I was coming out of my shell. Talking to people I didn't know, even though they were my age, was not something I was comforting with.

Then I graduated, moved out of my parent's house and didn't keep in contact with anyone I went to school with. Therefore I had to come out of my shell to meet new people and make new friends. Let's just say I came out of that shell of mine quickly.

Now that I'm married I don't kinda went back in my shell a bit but I blame it on me liking peace and quiet too much. I like that the hubs is the super outgoing one and I just talk to those he finds to be nice or fun.

P is for...

Pie


Oh sweet pie, literally. Don't ask me why I kept thinking of pie when it really is one of my least favorite desserts but her we are, talking about pie.

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Now really I think that pie just looks delicious but my head is telling me that it looks better than it tastes. Who can make a homemade pie look that amazing anyways?

Well these days pie doesn't just bring dessert to mind, dinner is right there with it. With all the chefs and creative cooks out there you can find a pie recipe for just about any meal. 

From apple pie and berry pie to chicken pot pie and meat pies, everyone can find a pie to fit their needs.

O is for...

Operation

This age old game was the first thing I thought of when brainstorming. It might be because the hubs just had an operation so it was kinda on the brain but who cares, it started with O!

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I loved this game as a kid! I mean what kid doesn't want to be/play a doctor... Of course this game was impossible for me to win since a steady hand was not my thing as a kid so I just said if it buzzed it was OK.

I haven't played or seen this game in ages and the picture above makes me wonder why the guy on the game is 'large'. I understand that it makes it easier to get all the pieces on his body but does his belly really need to be that round? As a kid I really didn't care but does it send a message to kids? Do you think that kids make the connection that 'large' people are the ones that need operations?

Please don't take any of that offensively, I'm just sitting here thinking with obesity on the rise should we really have it 'promoted' per se on children's games?

N is for...

Nothing

That is what is coming to mind, nothing. I didn't start this challenge with any particular theme but as I have been writing these posts it seems that I write about the first thing that comes to mind for that letter.

Well I have been brainstorming over the letter N and have come up blank. Which is ok since the word nothing works perfectly.

I have learned since this challenge started that my writing skills are a bit rusty but that planning, research and several drafts later make up some of my best posts. I think by the end of this challenge I will have improved several different aspects of writing which will make me a better writer in the future.

I wish everyone doing the A-Z Challenge well.. We are almost there!

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M is for...

McDonalds

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Oh those golden arches. Why do they make me think of fat and oil? I think it's because I have seen how the movie "Supersize Me" ends.

Why is it that Americans have become so 'addicted' to fast food? Why do many Americans eat fast food several times a week? This is all just my personal opinion but I think it's mostly due to availability.

Now don't go thinking I'm going to preach to the choir because trust me, I have had my fair share of fast food. But you might remember this post where I shared my goals for the year and fast food is something I want to stay away from this year.

Fast food chains like McDonalds make it so alluring, tempting and convient to get their food that it's no wonder they are the biggest fast food company in America. The play place, happy meals with a toy, dollar menu, shakes, sundaes and various burger choices along with the vast array of advertising draws people in by the millions to eat the processed, unhealthy food they serve.

I know that it is a business and they market the company to increase their bottom line but when does it become too much? When does contribuiting to the growing epidemic of obesity need to be addressed?

Consumers have a responsibily on their part as well to educated themselves on what they are eating and to keep a healthy lifestyle. Why is it that consumers fail to keep a healthy lifestyle or educate themselves on what the harmful effects food can have on their bodies?

Why can't there be a 'fast food' chain that served healthy food? Why do all fast food places serve food that is high in fat, sodium, calories or sugar?

Is this...

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Or this...

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healthier?

 Make the right choice, pass on the fast food!