& that's a wrap. 2013.

I cannot believe that tomorrow is New Years Eve. I also can't believe that Christmas came last week. This year flew by. My husband & I are graciously off this week from work and I am so happy. I hope you enjoyed your Christmas with your family. My hubs & I are starting to begin our own traditions for the holidays, kind of getting them started for when we have our own kids. Christmas morning started out with Chris making us breakfast and him unwrapping a gift from his family - this one had strict 'Don't open til Christmas'. His brother bought us a Wii U and his sister's gift was a new Wii U game. Which was perfect because I had bought a Zumba game for the Wii U - I am opening it tomorrow :)

Afterwards - we headed to my parents for the afternoon of opening more presents, a nice lunch and just time with my family. When we got there - wrapping paper & boxes were strewn all over my parents because my sisters & little nephew just couldn't wait til we got there to open their gifts. So - everyone was all happy when we got there because we had gifts for them & we got all of our gifts right then and there. A tad hectic. Honestly it was one of those years when each gift I got - I loved & were a favorite. My sister got us a Mickey Ornament that she was stoked to give us because it was 'so US!' It was so cute. My brother/sis in law got us a Starbucks gift card which they knew I'd be overly excited for. My parents got us gifts - some individual & some for both of. Two of my faves from all of them: my mom sewed us throw pillows for our couch & my husband surprised me with *early* Disney season passes!

BUT TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY OF 2013! WHAAA?!

I posted this on my Facebook last night because I thought it was important to be transparent. I saw a post on a friend's blog over the weekend and having a 'word of the year' and after much reflection. I think my word of 2014 is going to be TRANSPARENT. To a degree - I have no problem being honest with family & friends about my personal goals for the new year. In fact - there are 4 main things about this next year that I fully plan on being TRANSPARENT about & accomplishing wholeheartedly:

2013 has been kind of a roller-coaster ride for us. Honestly there;s a few things I'm thrilled for in 2014:
1) Making a noticeable dent for repayment of student loans.
2) Continuing to make sacrifices for my hubs in all aspects of our lives.
3) Continue to be more active & healthy.
4) Seek out new adventures for ourselves daily.

I'm really excited for the blessings, joys, and even the lessons to be learned in 2014 & for a fresh slate.  Ps. I am really stoked that I am ending the year with Tijuana Flats!! :) :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR! You stay classy :) -- Jessica

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Merry Christmas (Eve), y'all! The past 48 hours I've been cramming as many Christmas-y movies in my life as humanly possible. Last night I re-watched Christmas Vacation. Tonight I am determined to watch Elf, shockingly haven't watched it & am making sugar cookies/peanut butter fudge for tomorrow. 

Hubs & I are SO excited for 2014 and that all of our hard foundational work these last few years will start paying off next year. I thought about it & I want to share my top 5 BEST moments of 2013.

Ohhh snap - the GOOD:

1) I graduated with my Master's after 3+ years of grueling papers, sleep deprivation and changing my major a few times. April 27th is a day I will never forget. 

2) I worked my booty off at work & it paid off two fold. I earned Top Performer at work & then I was promoted in November to my new position.

3) I celebrated my big ol' 28th birthday with my first-ever Disney cruise. & had this amazing drink with my hubs in paradise. :) 

4) My best friend got married. Love you, Mrs. Rhodes :)

5) I celebrated 10 years of friendship with this lady (We equally looove Ross!) 

Overall - I had a pretty fantastic year. I learned, I grew, I soared. I learned more about my marriage and how to serve my husband best. I grew to love Mexican food, and helped my husband appreciate chick flicks and why they are needed. I soared - I graduated with my Master's, I met new friends through blogging. I lost some weight (more to come on that). I discovered what I liked, what I didn't & appreciated why I am blessed. Once again, family trumps everything. I am ready for 2014 to come & for the opportunity to learn more about my life and those around me. Have a very Merry Christmas & stay classy. - Jessica

Weekends, #Coldstone & work Christmas parties!

Happy Monday, lovelies!

Hope everyone had a fantastic relaxing weekend. I took my sisters Christmas shopping Saturday & was able to take advantage of the 10% discount they gave over the weekend. I also felt generous & treated my sister to Starbucks as a tradition we have. It was rushed but we have sister dates every so often. Then I spent the next evening fighting with my Mom's sewing machine & sadly, her machine won & I got zilch sewing done. That leaves tomorrow to finish all 3 projects.

Overall - I had a fairly fantastic weekend. Yesterday, my mister & I saw Frozen. I liked it but I guess I am more of an old school when it comes to Disney princess movies. I prefer that if you have a princess w/ a love interest whatsoever that they get married at some point. I feel like I prefer Tangled over Frozen, because I was more engaged & while there were funny moments - I was falling asleep in the movie.

However, after the movie - my hubs & I treated ourselves to #Coldstone, we definitely take advantage of the Groupon offers occasionally. My hubs went with Peppermint flavored & I went with Peppermint & Cookie Dough w/ Cake Batter ice cream - my signature preference.

Last night was our annual Christmas party at work. Every year, our company makes it the party of the year with incredible food, desserts, entertainment - and for the second year in the row - we brought my parents. It's nice to introduce them to my friends at work. So many people go so its hard to see people you know. They must've known I was coming with the mini red velvet cupcakes for dessert. Only one of the options, I had some of a brownie sundae complete w/ maraschino cherries, ice cream, warm hot fudge - the works. & on the way out - I had a flaming s'more. Incredible.

My parents & I always take pictures together at this party because I'm blessed they are my parents. & because I want people to come see how good we look. We take sweet selfies.

 Hope you & your family have a very Merry Christmas! Thankful for all of you who I met this year through my blog & excited to meet even more through various linkups to come. You stay classy! - Jessica

#12daysofblogging: my Wish List

Hiiii there. For those just stopping by my blog - welcome, glad you're here. I've seen this linkup come through a few times and I just never found the time to get my post up & shared. So - here we go. First time on this particular linkup. Onward & upward.

Decided to join this linkup on day 9 of #12daysofblogging! if you’re just joining us, you can find out more about the Christmas linkup here. Today’s prompt is “Christmas wishlist”. get inspired and spread the Christmas spirit! 

Once we get past all the giftcards this woman could enjoy - there are a few items that I'd love to see under the tree next week. 

 Black Amethyst anything & everything is pretty freaking fantastic.
My sister actually got me fairly excited about this scent when she had the body butter in her room. When I'd be over at my parents, I'd always take a detour into her room just to have the opportunity of using her body butter. She no longer has this so its up to my parents or myself to go the distance.

If I could walk into my kitchen on Christmas Day & have my kitchen re-modeled to something similar like this. My husband & I are just beginning loan repayment from grad school & its simply not something we can even think of seriously for another 15 years.

I take tons & have tons of good pictures from my wedding & life since to put in canvasses up around my house. While I want bigger sizes, just having the money to be able to afford the opportunity would be fantastic.

I am pretty blessed - I have everything I needed & these are just wishes. Over time they will go from wishes to the opportunity of having them happen but for now -- I just like to think of these 3 things as ideas that I wish for. Thanks for stopping by & hope you have a Merry Christmas! :) - Jessica

TGBTL Week #3: My (fave) Go-to Recipe!

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! Absolutely loving these link ups & getting to spend time making new friends. For those who just stopped by my blog - welcome, glad you're here. Every Wednesday, I link up with Hayley & Lauren for 'The Girl Between the Lines' linkup. If you want to share or need more info on this fantastic linkup, go here!

Today's prompt is: What is my go-to meal?

I love cooking and I discovered this recipe while I was a Pampered Chef consultant. For those who are unclear of what Pampered Chef is - its amazing cookware. It's pricey but worth it for those who love cooking/baking :)

Anywho - the story behind this recipe is that since I have a late shift every week - I was getting frustrated because I'd get home and not feel like I had any good substance meals for my husband & I. I still get frustrated from time to time since that hasn't changed but I am addicted to this recipe & it's worth the time prepping/cooking because you can tweak it as much as you want. For example: I love pepperoni & mushrooms - and because this is individualized to a degree - if I wanted to add that in on mine -- I could & it would be a fantastic win-win.

Now that I've written a mini novel as my back story, my go to recipe is Pizza Sliders.
[Set your oven to 415 & your timer for 11 minutes.]

Ingredients: 1 bowl (I use my batter bowl), 1 packet of yeast. 1 tsp sugar. 1 c warm water*Also - pizza sauce, shredded cheese, optional toppings. & Pam spray. 

NOTE: I've found that it's easier to prep the dough the night before & keep it chilled. Much easier to work with and takes most of the work away for dinner. (Win win!)

• Empty the yeast into your bowl with the sugar & water. *NOTE: It's vital that the water is a good balance of warm & not too hot. If its too hot - I've found that it makes everything complicated)*
  
• Mix everything, set a timer for 10-11 minutes. I look for a bubble-sh form so I know everything is good.
  After the 10 minutes -in the same bowl, add 2-2 1/2 c. of bread flour, 2 Tbs of olive oil, dash of salt. Mix up, but don't over mix! Flour counter top. Roll out dough. Cut out individual circles/or whatever cutter you have on hand.

 

** Fill in each space of your brownie pan, w/ a spray of Pam & a circle of dough so it should resemble something like this. (Put a spoonful of pizza sauce in there as illustrated on the left).*

Put as much or little of shredded cheese/pepperoni as you'd like on each piece. 

& then you will have this amazingness waiting for you!

This recipe is so popular in my household that I sometimes double the batch if I want to have more on hand or if its a busy week so that its a quick & easy meal. It's a favorite with my husband too. :)

SO WHAT! Wednesday

Happy Wednesday! I cannot believe Christmas is a week from today. I'm ready for it, mostly. Today I am linking up with Shannon for her awesome weekly 'So What Wednesday'. 

This week (& lately) I am saying SO WHAT if:

1) I emailed the chick on my husband's team to say THANK YOU for his new wallet that she so generously gifted for Secret Santa. I love my husband but he is too frugal sometimes.

2) I've been counting down to my office's Secret Santa/Cookie exchange on Friday morning; so that I can start making Christmas cookies early.

3) I got my vacation days approved at work for the week of New Years. Already excited about the possibilities & the fact that this explains my more-than-cheeriness lately:



4) My sister's Varsity Basketball Christmas tournament is at my alma mater high school this weekend. I can't wait to show up there after ten years & eagerly cheer on the other team (just a bit too excited)!

5) I have my own recipes for Christmas cookies but just in case Pinterest has something I may have overlooked, they have replaced Google searches for the most part.

6) Anytime I get a cute picture of my husband & I, like the ones from this weekend @ SeaWorld, I'll instantly put them on my Instagram with awesome hashtags. #makingmemoriescount

7) I've watched the amazing, hilarious National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation movie twice in a week. The Griswolds have the perfect quotes. Already planning to watch it again twice, before the end of the year.

Absolutely love this link up. Thanks for stopping by. You stay classy :) - Jessica

Sewing, Family & Chocolate

Hi lovelies! Just thought I'd pop in - last night I was working on my attempted linkup but then my computer died & I hadn't saved my post - to make a frustrating story shorter - I decided I needed 'me time'. I caved and found this big Santa ($1 at Wal-Mart) that was calling my name. Sometimes chocolate can be your best friend or at least make a rough week better.

This weekend I am once again humbled by my family, especially my mom. She is 8 months away from graduating with her Master's in Occupational Therapy & took time to help me get at least 2/3 done with my sewing projects even though she had a big amount of homework to do. I learned what servant leadership is because of her and her example. Almost done with my dad's gift & my parents' combined gift but next week - I will be finishing those & my nephews. Is anyone else waiting for gifts they ordered online? Looks like I'll be making some calls this week. Starting to become a nail biter again. 

Welp, so far its been a nice weekend - doing the wife thing with laundry & house stuff. Tomorrow we're taking advantage of our Sea World passes & the nice weather to celebrate in their Christmas festivities. I'm excited to have the time with my husband - and taking lots of pictures together & those cute animals. :) Wishing all of you a restful Sunday in all of your adventures!

- Jessica

Finish the Sentence with Holly & Jake

 
Woot. I am on a blogging spree today. I found this linkup while browsing other blogs and because I feel like a chatty Cathy today - I need something to take the edge off. If you are just stopping by my blog - welcome. This is my first successful attempt at this linkup & I've officially made a reminder on my phone to make this a consistent date. (I have to plan ahead or I will feel like this):

1. My favorite Christmas was the first one I had when I was dating my now-husband, Chris. I had just moved halfway across the country two and a half months prior - and met his family all at once. I wasn't expecting much from them since they didn't know me but it made me so happy when I got quite a few presents under the tree from my future in-laws because they wanted too. Extra bonuses for me :)

2. The worst Christmas I had was probably when I was in my first year of college. At the time, I went to school out of state so when I returned for a month- I was in that weird limbo/transition state. I just felt like I didn't belong being home. (Glad that feeling is gone!)*

3. That one gift that made me scratch my head and say, "Hmmmm" was when my grandparents gave me an emergency car kit. Still unsure of the logic there - I mean I get the safety logic but wasn't too thrilled to be seventeen and get a car emergency kit. #awkward

4. One year I made an effort to stay up late and help my mom with wrapping gifts, adjust stockings & it made us even closer since she had so much to get done.

5. I think the worst gift to give is a gift card. Especially to a place I never go too. It's quick but pretty meaningless unless you're just at a complete lost - then why not, send a text & get ideas. *I over analyzed that.*

6. At Christmastime I typically pretty chill. I am a bargain hunter & get great deals. So I feel pretty good, I just have to remind myself to watch the sugar intake & not indulge TOO much.*

7. Typically, family Christmas is with my husband & my parents/siblings. The real chaos comes when my in-laws move here next Christmas. 

8. If I could change one thing about the Holiday season, I wouldn't. Goes to fast as is.

9. It is so hard to buy for my brother. He is very picky & I never know if he will like my gifts unless I get really lucky. Like last year with the TMNT pajama pants @ Tarjay. That was golden.

10. My favorite Christmas tradition is watching Charlie Brown Christmas while making Christmas cookies.

11. Santa, baby, bring me an entire new wardrobe, courtesy of Kohl's. That's not too hard is it ;)

Be blessed! - Jessica

TGBTL Week #2: Favorite Holiday things

To be honest, I've been excited to share since last week's post. For those who are just stopping by my blog - welcome. Each Wednesday, I am posting in 'The Girl Between the Lines' linkup started by two ladies that I am excited to get to know more. Check out more information here if you'd like to join us today or each week! Today's prompt is my favorite holiday things which I do not mind sharing at all. :) There are quite a few of them so I will try to pick my absolute favorites so you're not reading a riveting post as long as War & Peace.

My first one to share of favorite holiday gifts is the time with my family. Now that I am married with a little family of my own and living on my own - I don't feel like I see my family enough. Granted my mom is my best friend & they live 30 minutes away but still - I absolutely love that as long as I can remember - the holidays bring my family together each year. When I am with them on Christmas Day, we have our traditions that we've always had - the sibling picture in front of the Christmas tree, my mom makes cinnamon rolls, mini ones to resemble a Christmas tree & before any gifts are opened - we dive into our stockings. :) This year feels just as special because of the recent loss in my family. A week ago, 12/5, my great grandma who was 98 years young went to be with Jesus. I gratefully got to be with family last week in Ohio to celebrate her, her incredible legacy and the fact that she's reunited with her Creator for eternity. :)

Secondly, I love to use this time to reflect on what God has blessed me with this year, in the good and bad. I feel that so many attempt those 'New Year' resolutions to try to change something about themselves -- these 'resolution' ideas only last until March, maybe. I like to sit and reflect with a cup of hot chocolate/mini marshmallows on top and appreciate what I've gleaned from this year. I've never had a year that was absolutely perfect  or that I got exactly what I wanted. My parents taught me while growing up to appreciate everything, whether good or bad. I really do appreciate the life that I have because it feels like something in my life is always changing, and sometimes I don't even notice it until months down the road. I would say that this year - I appreciate the relationships in my life - with my husband, my family, my friends - because when I need them, they're always on hand to support me.

While I could list many more -- I am going to end it with simply decorating inside & out for Christmas. I get so excited for the day after Thanksgiving because its when we pull out our tree, ornaments, lights, garland, the masses of wrapping paper & all those gifts that I already bought -- next year I am waiting longer to buy Christmas gifts. But it truly is my favorite time because C & I usually do the decorating first around the house - this year we put up garland around the house, bought extra Glade scents so we can walk in our house & smell pine trees & really feel more Christmas-y. Since we live in Florida, we don't get to enjoy snow or cold weather - we just get 365 days of humidity and killer heat. It's nice for beach days but not so much on Christmas day. Doesn't make it feel like Christmas when its 85 & you're all sweaty ;) I digress. My husband knows & appreciates that whenever we go on vacation -- I save to buy an ornament as a keepsake of our trip. We have an ornament from the Alamo from our honeymoon to the Riverwalk/San Antonio, TX. We have two 'first home' ones from my parents & grandparents when we closed on our house in 2011. This year we are adding the one from the Bahamas & one from our cruise ship. There are tons of ornaments from my childhood on my tree and I just love to remember the memories each Christmas.

Hope you've had a great week thus far, I had today off with my hubs. Thank God for nice weather & Universal passes. :)

Be blessed. -- Jessica

TGBTL Week #1: Photo & 3 Things.

Hello Wednesday! This has been an emotionally rough week for my family & I. Still waiting to see how the events will unfold but if you will just keep all of us in your prayers & thoughts for the time being -- I do greatly appreciate it.

Ever since I saw that Lauren was starting this new linkup - I was really excited. I keep trying to do the Hi Five for Friday link up & one day I might but right now - not happening. I also make it move to do So What Wednesday because it gives the middle of the week an edge. So, I've successfully added a few permanent calendar events to my phone to help me remember these linkups. Anywho - I'll save you the rambling because that's a gift for my husband.

Today I am going to share a picture with y'all of me with three of my favorite things about myself. At first this was a challenge but I consider myself a creative lady -- so here goes it.

The three things I absolutely LOVE about myself:

1) I married the best fit for myself. He is taking this picture that describe the following two things but my husband really is the cheese to my macaroni. He takes care of me, he always knows what to say when I need a laugh and he gives the best hugs.

2) I looooove Tijuana Flats & their Taco Tuesdaze which I took part in last night. That is my saving grace every other week. I also treated myself to some queso which is like liquid crack. It's just that good. I am trying really hard to lose the weight I need to but Tijuana Flats is my biggest indulgence.


3) I love date nights (or in this case - date lunches) with my husband that end up or involve Tijuana Flats in some case. My husband & I both work pretty hard during the week, and this year we graduated with our Master's degrees so now that we have our nights back -- its nice to be able to spend time together after 2+ years of just giving each other high fives before we went to sleep. We now have a date night every week except for this week which is sad.

That will do it for me this week. Look forward to hopping around and getting to know y'all on my lunch break. For those ladies who don't know and blog but want to meet other bloggers --- feel free to join the Girl Between the Lines linkup over at Lauren's blog. Thanks for stopping by. You stay classy, planet earth :) 

2014 {resolutions} begun.

One month from now, we'll be celebrating a new year. One month from now, we'll be starting or continuing our New Year's Resolutions. For the past few weeks, I've been trying to get re-pumped to hit back to the working out. I decided today that I wanted to start 31 days early on my goals for 2014. Boy did I start. I found this site (fitnessblender) which does at-home workouts, and they were just as intense as I need. Tonight I started with a ballet inspired barre workout & I will definitely be sore tomorrow. But I am ready to get back on it. I want to lose 10 lbs or more. I know most people wait until the New Year to start working out but usually these 'resolutions' don't make it past March. I got a significant amount to lose and am hoping to lose it all by my 3rd wedding anniversary. I made a daily 'workout date' on my phone to remind me that 1 hour of my day + good choices (all day) is vital to my success. I'm excited to see where I am weight wise as of January 1st.

I cannot believe its December. This year has flown by and so did my time off from work for Thanksgiving. Along with working out, my husband & I have a busy yet turning point *slash year* ahead with 2014. We've been working hard in the past few years and I feel like in the year to come - all of our efforts will start to pay off. Today & yesterday we got our tree up, I wrote & sent out our Christmas letter to family & friends and if not most importantly - we fiercely got our clean on. We cleaned our living room, re-organized what was in cabinets & out. I tackled a job I've been piling up - my side of the closet. (Ever since watching a season of Hoarders), I've noticed that I was starting to become one in my 'never throw anything away' mindset. I have a great big donation for Goodwill, room in my closet and I feel mentally more organized. I spent three hours in my closet today while watching a favorite show and while I am not done - I feel like I made a great big dent.

To wrap up our weekend - we got into the holiday spirit - happily.

We watched the classic 'Christmas Vacation' with great big laughs of the Griswold family.
& I enjoyed some hot chocolate. Since it doesn't snow here, I like to find ways to make the most of the Christmas season. :)

{jessica}

Highlights of my Thanksgiving/Black Friday.

Welp, Thanksgiving is over & I did get to enjoy seconds of my mom's mashed potatoes. Each bite was heavenly & you know its a hit with me when I pass over any other dish on the table for those. Another highlight of my Thanksgiving was this game: Mall Madness. I tend to bring it to my parents when its something fun to do instead of the usual. For the first time ever playing this game - when I went to the bank (to be fair - I was running out of money) it was closed. SEVEN times in a row. Insanity. But it did crack my mom & I up. It also cost me the game because I couldn't afford anything I didn't already have.

 

This year I hit the dessert bug. I made from scratch - pumpkin pie. I don't like pumpkin pie, well I've never had it but the smell of it just makes me feel sick. But I made it for my family because every one else does. For the first time ever - I made a holiday classic pie for my family & it turned out beautifully. I also made Mounds bars as well. We ended up with tons of desserts - 2 extra pies at my parents -- it was overload.

We also braved the stores for Thanksgiving sales & Black Friday today. 

Last night - we braved the cold - it was a windy 50 here but for Florida - that was the killer. (The previous night was 38 with insane winds). We waited outside Kohl's and got my husband's Christmas gifts. 

Today - we planned on Target. I've wanted to go all week. I did score some good deals.

1) 8 opening 'Family' collage

2) Legally Blonde 

3) Talladega Nights

4) A 12 pk of tumblr's for the house. Which we've been needing. 

All for a whopping $28 TOTAL. 

I've also been scouring Amazon all week but yesterday the deals started becoming ones I was interested in.

I just found out I bought the wrong Zumba - which greatly irks me. But I got the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, a beautiful pink infinity scarf, THE playard from our baby registry (we were going to have to buy it regardless - why not save now?) 

But all in all - its been a great start to the holiday season for us. I am already planning out my cooking for Christmas.

& today my husband ordered my Christmas present - a brand new ELLIPTICAL! I can't wait to see how much weight I can lose because sometimes let's be honest - I am motivated to work out on the weekends at 1am. :)

We've been able to be quite productive since getting off work early on Wednesday. Our Christmas tree, lights, some presents are wrapped. Our house is cleaner inside, laundry & dishes are mostly done. Win win all the way around. Cleaning relaxes me.

SO WHAT Wednesday

This week I am saying SO WHAT IF..

1) I go out of my way at work to get some McFatty's sweet tea, its like legal liquid crack. Makes me stay awake and helps me maintain my spinning straw into gold mentality.

2) I had already done all my grocery shopping the previous week but Saturday & Sunday I went to the holiday sampling at Sam's for the FREE FOOD. I hadn't eaten that day & it filled me up.

3) I already finished all of my Christmas shopping but I've been stalking the Black Friday sales for Amazon ALL WEEK. You never know the deals that will fly by -- I mean I did miss out on something that I clearly needed with that stellar welding torch. I survived.

4) I enjoy cleaning my house in spurts or at my parents house. I cleaned my sisters room thinking it would get me out of cleaning my house later. Alas it just made my cleaning motivation fly back.

5) I am much more excited about my Mom's incredible mashed potatoes tomorrow than mostly anything else.

6) I make it a mission to use a hashtag on my Facebook posts & will delay making a status until I come up with the perfect one.

7) I started watching Drop Dead Diva and now its the only thing I want to watch. Sometimes I will not care about the other amazing shows I watch until I binge DDD and mentally feel better.

8) I keep feeling the importance of updating my baby regist(ries) when I am still a year away from even being pregnant.

9) I like to persuade myself that there is something I need at Target everyday. The store is fantastic and usually never lets me down. It's my favorite place especially when I wow others with coupons, my Redcard & the Cartwheel app.

10) I am all pumped to lose weight but I still get excited for the food section of Pinterest. The things people come up with make me happy and interested in experimenting but sometimes require hours of effort. Yeah, ain't nobody got time for that. For realsies.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Weekend Tidbits.

Welp, we made it through another week, congrats. I don't know about you but I couldn't be happier. There were points this week I didn't know if I'd make it in one piece. Part of my transition to a new team has left me turning into a 99 year old woman -- falling asleep at 8:30. Yiiikes. That was different yet serendipidity? Yeah.

I felt the need to update but I don't really have anything big to update. Just a few random things.

One of the ladies I work with do Transformations - a type of physician supervised weight loss. I am debating about if I can with my condition and if its worth it. I've heard great things about women who've kept it off but I am eager to get other perspectives. I've tried my share of diets -- Weight Watchers, South Beach, Atkins, but the bottom line is -- none of these are magic - they won't let you lose the weight overnight just like you didn't gain the weight in 5 seconds. That is what I need to decide to do.

I am loving that the holidays are right around the corner. I got my Starbucks holiday drink on last weekend even the day of my best friend's wedding. Which, she looked gorgeous & I am so happy for her. Here are a few shots of me & her --

I was lucky enough to celebrate the wedding with two of our friends. The three of us kept the others sane. It was an interesting wedding especially when my friend Katty G caught the bouquet that night again. She caught it at my wedding so I loved it so its a new tradition in a way. But it was great fun to celebrate my bestie and her mister. :) Plus it allowed my mister & I to get a picture together. YAY. We looked schnazzy. :)

Today was probably the best day ever. I am going to get back on track with my squat challenge. Kind of fell off the wagon and rolled around in the mud -- basically just forgot to stay on it. But today I belted out N*Sync on the way into work -- we're talking classic hits like 'Bye, Bye, Bye' & 'It's gonna be meeee!' lol. That will get a smile on my face pulling into work on a Friday. I also made a student loan payment. Been working hard to have a bit extra. It may sound off to others but I honestly am ready to just make more payments. I am actually looking forward to being in repayment.  & then I got this awesome email from Laura over @ The Every Day Joys (if you're not following her blog, well I'm scratching my head as she is fantastic!) -- I won the Hunger Games giveaway on my blog. When I told my husband he was surprised as I just got into this movie series recently. But hey, it always feels nice to win a giveaway. :)

I had to make a sad decision today. I have been obsessed with deals on Moolala lately (kind of like a Groupon that pays you for every deal you buy) - I ordered 5 canvasses and I just kept running into sizing snags. They were going to revolutionize our living room - make it more homey feeling -- but alas, I had to get a refund. So I am bummed but still on the look out for great canvas deals. 

It's been one full week since joining my new team at work & I love it. It will take time to make friends with all the new people but I am loving the non stress and the energy I have. I got home tonight - got laundry going, got the dishes going, made dinner. I think at one point I looked at my husband like 'we can throw a newborn in this -- I got my A game on' Something of that nature. Plus tonight - in other randomness - I was able to buy my dogs' Christmas gifts - basically cutesy treats. They wont really care as they have a ton laying around our house but I am excited to give them the treats.  Essentially I am all done with Christmas shopping in terms of gifts minus my husband. This will happen next week with the incredible Amazon sale. Cannot wait to get some good deals - I am taking part in Target's black friday sale but I have some items I have been saving for. 

Hope you enjoyed my weekend tidbits. I will most likely think of many many more. 

For Christmas this year...

For Christmas this year..

Thankfully my husband & I will have Christmas day off work. It  pays to work for an organization that pays you to enjoy the day off with your family. We also get a half day off for Christmas Eve. Since we live in Florida, we are blessed to have sunshine but on that day, it doesn't feel like Christmas. I was born in Ohio so I used to have snowy or at least cold Christmas weather so it felt more like a holiday. I can wish all I want for snow but alas, it just won't happen here. So I live vicariously through my inlaws who live where snow is happening & will. 

Next month, my mom will be snapping our Christmas pictures of us and this year I am trying to find the right template to make a newsletter. Usually we do a Snapfish or Groupon deal for cutesy Christmas cards but it just got too expensive & I enter loan repayment right after Christmas. *What a fun gift to me from the Dept of Education.*

This year, I got reaallly excited for Christmas in September. I started buying gifts then and it didn't make my husband too happy with me. While its mid November, and nice to say I am 95% done shopping for others; I really wish I had just waited. Last year, I got everyone's Christmas presents for $50 and FREE SHIPPING. I was so proud of myself, and it was a great feeling. Next year, when I get the Christmas shopping bug -- I am going to push hard to wait. (My greatest joy is the Amazon black Friday sale or the other online ones).

I agree with Laura -- now that I am older -- I don't really have a flowing list of what I want for Christmas. People will ask but I am happy with gift-cards to Target. or Starbucks.  Give me a day at Target, with my wad of coupons, & the Cartwheel app -- I could wow you with the savings I find & all that I will end up getting. I will say, this year I am doing more homemade and trying to get into that as much as I can going forward because while its nice to get gifts -- that is not the underlining reason I celebrate Christmas. I celebrate it because of Jesus being born. I do get excited to go to the Christmas Eve services, seeing how churches decorate with candles, wreaths & Christmas trees -- that makes my day, or night rather. 

As far as I can remember, I had an real tree growing up. But my husband & I bought ours from Walmart at 70% off and its beautiful. My thing is finding ornaments from all the places we've gone that year or go to - this year I get to add our ornaments from our Disney Bahama cruise and from the Bahamas originally. I think it'd be beautiful to have a real Christmas tree, to breathe in the smell but with my pups out while I am at work, I'm afraid they'd try to eat the tree. 

But I think what I am most excited for -- is the cooking/baking involved & the reactions from family when they open their gifts. Also the big meal involved later that day with my mom's infamous homemade potatoes. Mmm. Deeelish. I'd rather spend the entire day with family than anywhere else. I will probably bring a dessert but I cannot wait to just celebrate the day with those I love most. 

Still a few weeks away but I am excited for Christmas THIS year. 

Say Hello, will yaaaa??

This week has been really busy for me as I am finishing up on my current team. In a week from today, I will be getting settled in on my new team. My first internal promotion at work & its a bittersweet feeling but I am ready for the potential of upward mobility. :) 

Let's get started as I am sure y'all didn't stop by for the Lifetime movie commentary of the past 48 hours in my life ;)

1. What is your morning routine? Our morning routine is one thing that doesn't really change much around here. During the week, the alarm is set for a rather unpleasant hour, I let the dogs out (the perks of having a house with a fenced yard) & get our breakfast going (pop-tarts). We leave the house for work and I try not walk in frazzled from those crazy Florida drivers. You know the ones I am referring to because they live where you are too. During the weekends, we don't set an alarm & it feels great when I wake up. Either we relax for awhile and clean up/do laundry or we set out for the theme parks. Or I go to my mom's house because I don't see her or my family enough. Boring, but typical, and I’m okay with the flow of our same-same mornings. :)

2. Are you on Instagram? If so, what is your username? Who are 3 of your favorite IGers? I sure am. @jessicawhitney108 is where you’ll find me. Some of my faves are @mbchap232, @mgnmetzger, @team_vicki_soto3. 

3) Please list out your must read blogs: Laura, Amy & Kristen. 

4. Tell us a little about you and your family.  I met my husband online on a website that literally no one has ever heard of. I say that because its true, I tell people where & they either laugh like I am kidding or the deer in the headlights look back in 2009. I had just graduated college with a horrible economy to no offers or prospects. I tell you, telling my parents 'hey, I found... a sweet boyfriend who makes me happy' wasn't the big news they probably wanted instead of something that would pay me consistently. I ended up moving across the country for him right after we started dating, and started grad school too. We got married in 2011, and six months later bought our first house. We have two dogs & are getting ourselves healthy & fit before we have kids *hopefully by Spring 2015*. 

5. What are your favorite holiday traditions? Having Thanksgiving and Christmas at my parents' house. Though before the big dinner, my husband & I wake up early on Turkey Day to watch the Macy's Day parade. We indulge in some not so healthy snacks and sparkling cider. Since I am actively trying to lose weight, this year I will be indulging but waiting for my mom's amazing homemade mashed potatoes. *When I get pregnant, I will be totally okay eating this for 9 months.* Christmas is fantastic - I love the baking, the gifts, the time with family. Charlie Brown music. I'd say so far our tradition is putting up our lights outside & the tree. Adding gifts underneath as I wrap them -- I love wrapping gifts. :)

6. Tell us one random fact about you! Make it fun! During my freshman year in college, I was living out of state. While trying to dye my hair, it came out horribly. So I figured I'd just wait it out a few weeks and try again. Nope. My friend in my dorm dyed my hair right after it, without washing it out & for one night only -- I had neon green hair. It was terrifying. I had to wear a hoodie the next day into my class where my professor was 80 years old, pretty blunt & 150 students attend. {I did dye my hair professionally the day after but because it had been dyed twice in 24 hrs, my scalp was literally burned and it hurt to move.} #oldieBUTagoodie

Looking forward to meeting y'all. {jess}

Day(s) 3-5 of #beingThankful

Where does the time go in a day? This can be said about every aspect of my life lately. Work wise, I am wrapping up my role in my current team before I move to my new role next Friday! Workouts, time with family, etc. I've been working out like crazy lately so I haven't had time to post.

I wanted to catch up on my being Thankful posts. I made them on Facebook but never posted them on here.

Day #3. I am thankful for Pinterest as silly as this is. As a first time homeowner, I love to peruse and find new projects for my house, for my future kids, & anything that seems relatively interesting,

      

Honestly, both of these things are things I love to read about on Pinterest because I have two pups & I am hoping to start our family next Christmas. Pinterest is basically an addiction for women, men & anyone who are creative & need an outlet.

Day #4. I am blessed because I have 3 families that I am apart of. Despite what family they originate from, I am thankful for each and everyone of them. I've been able to make some pretty amazing memories, big and small. I love seeing my family grow and can't wait to see it expand in the next few decades.

    

These pictures are all of immediate family but each person though not pictured is important. My roots were established in two great families, I also was fortunate to marry into a pretty awesome family who have shown me love and happiness before we even exchanged vows.

Day #5. Today I am excited for biweekly date nights with my mister @ Tijuana Flats. :) 

Tonight I got to celebrate my fave lil man's 2nd birthday. Since I won't be there to see him turn 2 tomorrow, and enjoy cake -- I also got a kiss & hug from my nephew which doesn't happen too often. I am so blessed & happy that we have a good relationship thus far.

Hope you're enjoying your week, I am so glad the weekend is getting closer!! ;)

{jess}

Day #2 of #beingThankful

Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend thus far. This am, I was able to sleep in -- always feels nice when Friday night & I don't have to set an alarm. Not even sure what time it was when I got out of bed but mornings like this make me appreciative that we're still a year away from starting our family. Granted, I know that when my nephew was born two years ago, after I waited in line (trust me, it was a loooong line) and got to hold that gorgeous little boy -- time stood still. I got to feed him a bottle & while I was tired, I didn't care. When that moment comes for me -- I will gladly be sleep deprived because the second I blink -- they will be much older.

Anywho -- Day #2 of being thankful. I am thankful for my beautiful house. Six months after we got hitched, we were able to use our wedding gifts outside of a cramped apartment & bought our amazing house. While we think the previous owners were a tad on the cray side -- they ripped out light fixtures, shelving, and had painted the upstairs hallway a dark teal. Our downstairs living room was a bright yellow. They definitely fueled our motivation to change all of these things in our home. The Home Depot & Lowe's by our house recognize us for good reasons. We've googled & Youtube-d demos on learning how to do various tasks around the house.

We are so blessed to live where we are. I don't always love our neighbors but slowly & surely we're making our house into the home we want. I am finding a lot of different Pinterest ideas & I am finding a lot of creativity within Target. I will say that my marriage & buying our first home together has taught me alot. Growing up, I was used to my parents' decor styles at their house & obviously my husband was accustomed to his. Merging these two very different tastes has been hard. i really like pictures hanging up & different plaques. He likes bare walls. I definitely have my work cut out for me & there is a lot of compromise.

{jess}

30 days of #THANKS

Every November, I make a point of taking time to be thankful. I feel the holidays come and go, and people get so invested in getting gifts that they lose focus on what the holidays are. The holidays are a time to be thankful for everything in your life, you know? Whether its your job, your family, your kids, your home, everything that God has blessed you with this year.  Everyday this month, my posts will be honoring someone or something that I am #thankful for.

Here we goooo. Day #1.

First & foremost, I am so very thankful for my husband. He is my better half, he loves me for me & completes me. That sounds so very cheesy but it's true. I am so blessed that we found each other, because I appreciate the man he is. He always makes me laugh and supports my dreams. 

He knows that I am destined for greatness and appreciates the lady I am. We've already been together for 4 years and I am so excited for the many more.  He is an incredible husband & I know he will be a fantastic daddy when the moment comes. 

Hope your first day of November was fantastic. Here in central Florida, its supposed to be cold & will make it feel even more like FALL :)  I encourage you to remember what you're thankful for this month, it will make THANKSGIVING, the Macy's day parade & all that yummy food feel even better :)

{jess}

Favorite things.

I cannot believe tomorrow is Halloween, and the end of my birthday month! Glad we already bought all of our candy weeks ago and might I add, we only helped ourselves to one. of each. ;) But then we haven't had any since. Everyone buys their candy for 'trick-or-treaters' only & pledges whether internally or out loud -- this is only for the kids, I won't have any. Then secretly, you help yourself here & there. I won't spill your secret :)  I think I am way more excited for November 1st where all Halloween candy is 50% off or more. That's my indulgence.

Everybody has their loves, or as Julie Andrews calls them -- my favorite things. Besides the obvious ones like Jesus, my husband/pups/family, there are those other great joys of my life. I am going to share nine -- there are many more... 

1) Regardless of how you think of their views of what they stand for -- one of my first fave things is CHICKFILA. My hubs & I ate their tonight actually for a impromptu date night and it was incredible. Especially their sweet tea, iced tea & the spicy chicken sandwich - which is kind of like eating the sun. Tonight I scored free dessert which was great timing w/ my promotion at work that happened earlier today :) I could eat there for every meal if I could afford it.

2) Zumba would be my second. I enjoy it because I can do it in my home and not have that big wall length mirror I've heard about. Makes me feel great and I really enjoy dancing as a work out. Ever since my husband intro'd me to it last year -- its one of my absolute favorite things especially after a rough day.

3) Shopping for kitchenware/more gadgets to cook with. Most of my cookware were wedding gifts & some came out of Pampered Chef consultant days which ended this summer. I love experimenting in the kitchen with different flavors and recipes. My hubs is a picky eater so all these Pinterest recipes I try, only about half of them end up being repeaters. When I cook dinner, there are nights when we do our own thing but I do enjoy making dinner for us. 

4) All things Disney. -- theme parks, merchandise, cruise ships, water parks, movies. I love all of it especially since i married a Disney nerd. Our kids are going to looooove us when they arrive. 

5) Beach days. Since I live in sunny Florida, I have quite a few beach options available whenever I want. Except for Jax Beach -- its gorgeous but too far. I love the time I am there -- out in the sun, with my hubs/family, under the umbrella, wiggling my toes in the sand and the sunny weather making me tan. These are the moments I live for especially if my hubs ever loved seafood, and do one of those cutesy restaurants by the water. Eating a cheeseburger at the beach doesn't scream attractive. 

6) Movies like Harry Potter, Freedom Writers, Bridesmaids, or even 10 Things I Hate About You. With the exception of the last one, all of the movies tell a story. Whether it makes you pee your pants from laughing or just merely takes you away and entertains you -- these are movies I really enjoy the most. 

7) COFFEE. I love me some Starbucks. I remember the first time I really enjoyed coffee. I was staying with my gparents and they let me try some with Hazelnut creamer. From then on, I was addicted. I got my first coffee maker & just absolutely LOVED it. I still have it from time to time but I find that hot coffee puts me to sleep and cold coffee wakes me up. But I do enjoy Starbucks, especially Green Tea fraps. INCREDIBLE. 

8) Thin Mint cookies. There's something about these cookies that are just incredible. They are the majority of what I buy from Girl Scouts and just overall the yummiest cookies. Also really addictive. I like to take them, my manual food processor & make my own blizzard.

9) Scrapbooking. I come from a family of DIY/crafty ones. My mom intro'd me when I was in my teens. I am still in process of working on my first cruise scrapbook, just went on my second & in a few months will be completing my third. Clearly I need to get on it and finish them. These will be great keepsakes for us later and our children over the years to see the adventures that their parents went on, and the ones they will join us on. :)

I could take this list and keep going but this snapshot is good enough for me. :) Tomorrow is Halloween, hope you stay safe & your kids enjoy themselves. I am taking the day off for some dental work. Hopefully I won't be too sore bc tomorrow night while I pass out candy, we're concluding our Harry Potter marathon. 

{jess}

Million dollar winner.

Remember in high school, or on a rainy day, you'd entertain the thought of 'What would I do with an (extra) million dollars? See, I've expanded on that thought today actually at work. If you don't win the lottery and you don't have an inheritance, how exactly do you encounter this million dollars exactly? Is it a check, or piles of twenties in a briefcase at a specific location? Do you know who is gifting you this rather large amount? As a woman who questions alot in her normal everyday life, no one could be surprised that when given this unexpected gift that I'd just take it. After all, there are so many creepers in the world who make even the slightest random acts of kindness aawwkward to the max.

But let's just go with it. If I were to stumble upon a briefcase of piles of twenties in the mall, on a Thursday @10am by a mysterious man in a suit. -- here is how I'd use it. Not to be boring but I have to consider two different scenarios. The first one being that I am still indebted to my student loans and basically my current circumstances.

First, after taxes, I'd take what I need and pay off three HUGE loans: both mine & my hubs' student loan debts in FULL. (Would love to watch SallieMae process this payment). & then my entire mortgage paid off in FULL too. -- gotta be responsible & honestly I am ready to pay these all off.

Secondly, I'd trade our car in and then purchase a 2014 Chevy Volt for myself. My husband is holding out for the self driving cars and I'd put the x amount in a savings account for him to buy the car he wants at the right time.

Thirdly, I'd pay for my own kitchen remodel. I've got my eye on a few things that I wish had come with my house originally but are on the 'house' bucket list so to speak.

Lastly, I'd put a chunk in our savings and the biggest chunk in my IRA. :)

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Now. the other scenario if I were to stumble upon this money in about 9 years when my student debt is paid off.

It'd be a shorter list. By this time, we'd have kids & ready to celebrate our first big anniversary, the 10th (close to it).

So I think it'd only be right if I helped us not only pay for the trip but with generous souvenir budgets.

Secondly, I'd pay off our mortgage in full & take care of any fix-it project regardless of the cost.

Thirdly, I'd take a look at what we're driving. Still want a Chevy Volt, its pricey but oh so worth it. ;)

Lastly, I'd split it between investing in my house, my savings and my IRA.

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Yeah -- I don't foresee a million dollars showing up on my porch. & even if I did, I don't feel spending it on a lavish lifestyle is worth it. I hear people all the time commenting that if they got rich, they'd retire. I'd be in a new tax bracket or five, but I grew up having to earn what I wanted. Even if I was given something, that made me want to work for it that much harder. I feel that if I were in this situation, I'd just keep working. It'd be nice to know that if anything drastic happened, I'd have a cushion but its a time old truth -- Money doesn't buy your happiness. It's up to YOU! :)

{jess}

the last three.

I've said this so much in the past week that I feel like an iPod stuck on repeat. Here in central Florida, we don't really have seasons like those in the other parts of the country. I really miss the days when I lived in South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio, because y'all get to experience the four different seasons. While I love living where I do, I get one season: hot with a thick side of humidity whenever possible. But in the past few days, there's been a nice breeze. Like that makes you want to sit outside all day and just daydream, go to the beach/theme parks or just something outside. For example, my hubs & I took a walk tonight with our pups and you couldn't wipe the smile off my face. It was so dark, but there wasn't a peep in my neighborhood. I was able to enjoy being outside without any humidity and just get some exercise with my family. Usually, I can't stay outside that long because mosquitoes (who must all be waiting in a cluster for me to leave my house) swarm me and bite me, leaving quite attractive welts. It is a graphic, attractive image isn't it? ;)

Anywho, since we've had this cooler weather that I hope is here to stay for awhile -- it really is true that I really live for the last three months of the year. From my birthday month through December, you just can't get me to stop smiling. The weather, the holidays, the seasonal goodies that pop back up into my life -- just make me the happiest lady ever. Granted, I am almost done Christmas shopping much to my husband who isn't as thrilled -- these months just perk me up like the clearance rack. Which side note, helped me score some sweet gems this weekend, y'all :)

Soon the traditions of the season will be settling in. The Halloween decorations will come down, followed by the setting up of Christmas lights, the Christmas tree & all the other Pinterest inspired but husband approved projects that i can get my hands on. This really really excites me. Kind of like back in the day on a Friday night when Boy Meets World came on.

So, to all y'all who stop by my page and are enjoying their real FALL weather, the changing of the leaves and the wonderfulness of the season -- enjoy yourselves a bit more for me. Fall is beautiful and my absolute favorite season. :)

{jess}

My life {in 5 years}.

Remember when you were a kid and that question would come around, the one that asks you to forecast your entire life on the spot -- where do you see your life in 5 years. It's fun to kind of put a time capsule on here today and then check back in 5 years to see what happened out of my guesses and dreams. I mean, I remember playing that hilarious game in school 'MASH'. You could see just in the title alone if your future would happen in a Mansion, Apartment, Shack or House.  With frilly options, you could end up with your celebrity crush, how many kids you have, the pet you have, the car you drive, what your job and your husband's job would be. Every time you played this game you could end up with a totally different 'future'.

Well today I won't be resorting to that game because one of the few games I loved from my childhood, I own already and its honestly much more fun than seeing what your future entails, which is Mall Madness.

Today I want to answer the 'where do you see yourself in your 5 years' question?

While I don't have kids yet, hopefully God will be blessing our family in 2015 with our firstborn, happy & healthy. Five years from now, our baby will be three years old. They won't grow up with luxury but a lot of love from family and close friends. They will make good friends in our neighborhood and enjoy their life in sunny central Florida where they will be able to go to Disney World, Universal, water parks, etc on a whim. Whether our firstborn is a darling baby girl who loves to accompany her mom on shopping trips and love the color of pink. Or if our firstborn is an adorable baby boy who loves cars, trucks, planes and choo-choo's.

Also, in the next five years, my hubby, Chris & I will be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary, actually closer to 9th. I hope we will be traveling more, be in fantastic jobs who pay us generously, enjoying our lives here in central Florida with our multiple theme park passes. We'll be midway onto paying off student loans and have owned our first home for almost 7 years. We'll hopefully have made some improvements to our home that will make us enjoy our home more.

Personally, while I hope to have lost all my weight by next year -- I think five years from now, I will greatly enjoy my life. I will be in my early 30's which sounds so nerve-wracking but yet not really in my control. I will have a beautiful family of my own which expands both of ours. I feel like in the next few years -- in a professional side that my Master's degree will pay off and I will be working somewhere that is simply wonderful. I will be taking great vacations and making impacting memories with my entire family.

Life in 5 years seems so far away but in a blink of an eye, it will be here. Regardless of if all these dreams come true or if they happen differently - I am so excited to see what the future brings in all areas of my life.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

{jess}