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.

via

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

via

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...

via

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.

via

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.

via

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!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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

via

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.

via

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.