February Goals.

Happy Friday, loves :)

I think this is a new tradition - to find some pretty fantastic laughs to start off my weekend. Because these are all attitudes or thoughts that have crossed my mind today.

But in other news - my biggest highlight of the week: Paid off my highest unsub loan.  (Sallie Mae screwed me in the process so its not totes gone - super thrilled for that $1.53 payment next month!)

Tomorrow is February 1st. That is insane! I wanted to go ahead and get my February goals out there so that I can start off the month strong. 

February 2014 Goals:

1) Exercise + Great choices daily = Lower size! (Counting down til cruise)

2) Drink more water daily.

3) Monitor my 'Treat Yo Self' days better.

4) Experiment in kitchen more.

5) Be on the lookout for DIY projects that are realistic & affordable. 

I am excited about these simpler goals. I feel like February will be a great month even when my Girl Scout cookies arrive. I really wanted to weigh less for our Disney cruise in March but I still have 6 weeks to make a dent. YAY. Happy Friday! - Jessica

Be You, Be Beautiful.

Happy Thursday, friends :) These past few days I have been having all these ideas for my book shindig run through my head and all sorts of other ideas that really don't take precedence just yet ;)

Today I am jamming out to 'Roar' by Katy Perry on my iPod and its literally on repeat, much to the likes of my coworkers but this is my jam. I remember when I first heard this song on the radio and it seemed like another Katy Perry song - something cute but it didn't really impact me. Though since all radio stations seem to overplay music, I was hearing it all the time and the more I heard it - the more I needed it on my iPod.

Some of the lines in this song have really made me smile because I relate to them so well.

'I went from zero to my own hero.' 'I am a champion and you're going to hear me roar.'

When I tell people that I am writing a book - they kind of give me this judgy smile like as if to say 'What could you possibly have to say?' Like they judge me before they've even read anything I have to say. It bothers me sometimes because this book is my pride and joy. I started working on it in 2006. It's been kind of pushed around for these last few years because I've been in transition whether it was switching colleges, moving to Kansas, falling in love with my mister and all sorts of other fun things. '

But now that I am settled - I am ready to write and let my inspiration be used to benefit the lives of teen girls/college girls/adult girls around me. The main reason I am writing a book is that I strongly believe from my countless experiences, both positive and negative that my voice is important and worth sharing it for the opportunity to encourage ladies who may find themselves in the same situation(s) that I did while growing up. I dealt with alot of tears in my formative years from boys, being bullied, mean girls, the whole weight thing and I just strongly believe that if I can share my experiences to be able to prevent even 1 girl somewhere from having to deal with unnecessary pain and frustration than I will feel greatly accomplished.

I am excited for this process and all that will possibly happen in terms of future opportunities by doing this. Writing has always been a therapeutic outlet for me and I believe that there could be doors that open for me in publishing this book.

For those who have had their hearts broken, or have had their own experiences I would love to talk more with you about this. I want to talk to you, and when more chapters are in process find individuals who're interested in sharing to potentially end up being included in my book.

Be You, Be Beautiful will be discussed in my book and I am interested in hearing what you think of this saying in your own life - whether its about you, how its helped you overcome past difficulties or how you would encourage other ladies with this in your own way. (Loaded question, I know!)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

TGBTL Week 8: All Grown Up

Happy Wednesday, loves & for those of you stopping by my blog - welcome. Today & every Wednesday, I linkup with two fantastic ladies - Hayley & Lauren for the Girl Between the Lines linkup.

Today's topic is: We're all grown up but how did we turn out based on what we wanted (back in the day)?

When I was a little girl, I used to lay awake at night and wonder what I would be like in my teens and on. I loved playing house with my dolls or by myself - and I knew even then that someday I'd be married, with kids of my own & with my own place. I was all excited to look through my papers from back in zee day but I quickly realized that they're in a bin that is not easily accessible. So I found what I could and it still made me laugh at how cute I was.

Here are some highlights of my childhood - when I was six, I was obsessed with Ariel & the Little Mermaid - in fact that was my birthday as shown below. Complete with my mom's talented sewing to make my dress all Ariel and those were all the gifts - I was convinced greatly that I would become a mermaid. That changed later on when I wanted to be a teacher.

I've kept that love of Little Mermaid alive - though. That was my favorite birthday present last year.

I found this gem above and I personally think it is super cute & made me laugh a few times. A few other of my favorite things were 'Mall Madness' , "Full House & Boy Meets World" and those addictive Mary Kate & Ashley videos - that I still own somewhere.

All in all - I feel like there were some ups & downs in my life, a few regrets that are out of my control but I am the absolute happiest with my life now that if any thing happened differently when I was little - I may or may not have ended up where I am.

There is probably more I could add but this one is sick & needs to hit the hay before I crash. Thanks for popping by! - J

SO What, Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday, loves. Today I am linking up with Shannon over at 'Life After I Dew' for the oh so popular 'So What Wednesday' & she has kept it fresh by changing the direction. 

This week I am saying SO WHAT if.. 

I have a cold and that just happened to start on top of it? Everyone in America is dealing with the polar vortex shindig of some sorts and while I live in Florida - it is getting frigid here too, y'all. I've had this sinusy thing for too long. I should work out when I come home but as you can tell being sick drains all energy and possible motivation. Last night - I got home, watched Life of Pi (amazing!) & snacked on gummy bears. Yes, its not nutritious and with my weight loss - its not helping. But every once in a great while- gummy bears is perfection. 

That's really all I got this week. I take Shannon's new direction and I just don't feel like being negative about stuff. I don't love the frigid weather and how in  Florida its 80 today and 20 tomorrow. I don't love getting up to go to work when its cold -- but its part of life and I just deal with it & put on my jams so at least if a dance sesh happens in the am -- that's the silver lining :)

Thanks for stopping by, you stay classy! 

a little bit of this and that.//January Goal recap

Good Morning, loves. Hope you're doing well & staying warm wherever you are. Florida is determined to keep me guessing with our weather - today its sunny and nice but this week its supposed to trick me with the freezing temps. Not nearly as cold as other places but real wintery weather in Florida is crazy!

I thought I'd update so I don't turn into the blogger who only posts for link ups. While they are fun - I need to be better about it. Unfortunately I am still fighting my cold and I am not loving it. Basically this is how I am feeling right now.

Love me some Bob's Burgers!

Let's see I decided to do the Monthly Goals as seen by another blogger. These are the ones I was hoping to accomplish:

JANUARY GOALS:

1) Exercise 26 days out of the month. : I am going to say - this is a monthly goal. And I did pretty darn good - until I got sick. I worked out about half of the month. I didn't lose any weight but I had some health issues this month that contributed.

2)  Be a better friend. I feel okay about this goal, I am still thinking I can improve but at the same time - life is busy so I am not going to make myself feel bad when that gets in the way.

3) Use Instagram more. That just didn't happen this month, maybe when we saw our favorite comedian but other than that - eh not so much.

4. Watch the excessive sugar intake. I did pretty good with this goal this month. This is another monthly goal that I am going to have but I feel like while I did great, I will only get better.

5. Entertainment Book = Creative Date Nights. This just didn't really happen this month either due to unforeseen things that happened. Nothing too bad but enough to make a few date nights be postponed for the time being. 

6.  End every post I do with "Hallelujah's" - on a weekly basis. Didn't do this either :(

7. Sew something. Nope. :(

8. Make my passion for writing a priority. This one is a struggle because due to my laptop having issues, m y Word no longer works but I have been using my old computer and have had a lot of creativity in this area lately. 

Overall - January has been a month where a lot happened out of my control. I started off well with working out and watching my sugar. These are goals I am working on monthly. But I think the biggest goal that my husband & I accomplished this month were a lot of little things - we have a better system of keeping our house clean so we don't have to make it a binge clean when people come over. We tried out a new church this weekend that we really love. It's in a period of growth and we're excited about the opportunities for our own growth by getting involved. Today I will be making my February goals & from my experience this month, I've made more of an effort to make realistic goals instead of pushing myself too hard. 

Feel free to check back here tomorrow for my weekly linkups - So What Wednesday & Girl Between the Lines. You stay classy & thanks for stopping by! 

TGBTL Week #7: Tangible Pride & Joy.

**Disclaimer: This post was intended for Wednesday but due to being sick & technical issues - it just didn't happen. But wanted to get it out there because its a great prompt to share.**

Happy Wednesday, loves. It's been a long week thus far & its only going to continue. Definitely doesn't help that its 25 degrees in Florida & the wind is killer. For those of you just stopping by my blog - WELCOME. Every Wednesday I link up w/ other fantastic women for the 'Girl Between the Lines' goodness. This week we are sharing our most tangible items we hold dearest.

Last week I was trying to find my item for last week's linkup. What I found besides it is something I hold even closer to my heart. I've kept most of the letters from my grandparents since I was a little girl. I am very close to my family. My phone is dead & I am not able to take a picture at this time but just know there is a plethora. All my grandparents on my dad's side have all passed on and I am the absolutest closest to them. I think what makes these notes extremely special to me is that because when I was younger - I used to live closer (distance wise) to my extended family. When my dad was transferred down to Florida, I've missed going to our family get together's, Christmases & Thanksgiving dinners annually. By reading these notes, it not only brought a tear to my eye but a warm feeling in my heart because I am blessed to have the most incredible family in the world.

Along with these letters, I also have a few handmade items from my grandma who went to be with the Lord in 1997 from breast cancer. She was a very beautiful woman, talented in many areas. Two of these items deserve a picture - which I will update gladly this weekend. My family gave me one of my grandma's paintings and a mini wooden horse that she hand painted. My house looks brighter knowing that my grandma's beautiful painting has added richness that you can't get elsewhere.

You stay classy & thanks for stopping by! 

TGBTL Week #6: Best Advice

Happy Wednesday, loves. For all of you just stopping by - welcome. I'm super glad you're here. Today & every Wednesday, I link up with Hayley & Lauren for the Girl Between the Lines. Been meeting some fantastic new friends & I enjoy reading their posts every week. If you'd like to join, feel free to click HERE for more info.

Today's prompt: Best Advice I've ever received.

I've been fairly blessed to have some people in my life who are full of wisdom and don't mind sharing. That said, I am going to share two great examples of advice/wisdom shared. The first is from my wedding. For my guestbook, I asked my guests to share wisdom with us - I found that most of them stuck with 'Don't go to bed angry!' Kind of wish I had gotten more variety but I still enjoyed reading them. (Side note: My mom is a talented woman, she took everything from my wedding & made it into a scrapbook - it's one of those things I'll cherish forever.)**

On the same level of greatness - the morning I was walking to graduate college {May 2, 2009} - my dad hand wrote me a letter that he had written specifically for my big day. He reminded me that I am set apart. He reminds me daily of advice that is incredible. Every time I read this letter to this day, my eyes well up with tears because his writing and his encouragement just get me through those hard moments. Here is a snapshot for you but just know that its one of those items you get in life that you will never part with. I plan on re-enacting it with my kids one day when they've graduated college & hopefully they will keep this up in the future.

Thanks for stopping by! You stay classy. 

SO WHAT, WEDNESDAY!

Hey loves. Happy Wednesday to each of you. Today I am linking up with Shannon over at 'Life after I Dew' for the oh so fun 'So What Wednesday' linkup. (It's one of my favorites). Glad you're here!

This week, I am saying SO WHAT if:

1) I'm addicted to Tijuana Flats, I stood in line last night at one of the absolute craziest locations for 30 min + & I ordered online. But all that waiting was worth it - I am always sad when my tacos are gone.

2) Yesterday was my cheat day for my working out. I really wanted to get back on the elliptical because I love it and consider myself addicted but just couldn't. So I treated myself to Chick-Fil-A for lunch & took a night off working out but hey, I work out 6 days a week so I deserved it.

3) Originally I was gungho about ordering 4 boxes of Girl Scout cookies but I didn't want to back slide on my motivation and weight loss so I cut my order down by 50%. I feel pretty proud.

4) Last night I was on a mission for my Girl Between the Lines linkup (I never miss this linkup on Wednesdays- check back later for my post) and ended up spending an hour being nostalgic going through childhood pics/sentiments. Time well spent.

5) No shame here. I watched & enjoyed 3 hours of Community episodes last night while catching up with Blacklist too. Thank you, Hulu subscription.

6) Finally starting to work on ideas and write my book again. Yesterday I had overwhelming inspiration at work, right before I left - I wrote down what felt like infinite ideas to brainstorm on including a new chapter I hadn't even thought of. Those 5 minutes I scribbled down ideas and just went with the motivation.

7) I peruse Groupon after work for a few hours here and there, sometimes trying to find ideas for gifts, creative date nights but I'm only successful 5% of the time. 

Thanks for stopping by. You stay, classy! 

{Oh how I love} Saturdays.

Wow sometimes I surprise myself - two posts in a day. & my tenacity to lose the weight in terms of choices that I need to make in order to do so. While I won't deny it, I wanted to lose more than .6 so why not put in the absolute most effort in every area - while keeping my balance in tact. I was telling Chris at dinner (Sam's Club cafe is a luxury) that I feel like the reason I am feeling great about this new motivation & determination is that I am doing what I set out to do without going to extreme. Like I think last year when I was trying to lose the weight - I made unrealistic goals and it just didn't happen. You can't lose 10 lbs overnight or by the following week. This seems like a silly concept but there are many sweaty nights & many workouts ahead before I even make a dent. & that's okay - I'd rather work for it and earn it than be given the body I want. That's my mantra this year - to work hard & dream big. 

This week I posted in my weekly linkup 'Girl Between the Lines' about my dad here & while this week was how his perseverance has been reflected in my life thanks to him - it's definitely not the only teachable moment we've had. Though I will admit that I wish I could go back in time - when I was a teen - I chose not to listen to the teachable moments available so that's a regret but I am thankful that my dad is my dad. Everyday is an encouragement from him in terms of my weight loss - and I will never forget the text I received from him on my two previous birthdays - something along the lines of: "Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter, you are loved greatly by the Lord and by me - I am so blessed and humbled that I am your dad" - I literally teared up. Even on days where this weight loss journey of mine feels undo-able - he sends texts like that to remind me that no matter what the scale says - I am beautiful & greatly loved! & so are you!

Don't you just love Saturdays that aren't boring to a degree? When I woke up this am - I was telling Chris all that I wanted to get done & for most, this wouldn't be like a jump to it kind of plans. I've been in this cleaning mode since last night - where I've been looking for stuff that needs to be rearranged & made it clean & orderly. Today was no different - we took all of the boxes in our houses from Christmas and the past few months, broke them down & took them to be recycled. Finally can walk in the room without it being an complicated obstacle. & while getting groceries today - we decided to be impulsive a tad. Yay for new pillows & mixer drinks. For those nights that I need a Pina Colada or Margarita. 3 bags for $20 @ Sam's. Dealio!

I am in process of making my blog more - me. Someday when I am done paying off my student loans I will get a design done from Lauren @ The Albrecht's Blog - this chick is talented in that area! Until then - I am busy trying to earn extra to pay all this down. But if anyone has any talent making blog buttons - I'd really like to learn how to make one for my blog & learn how to put other people's buttons on mine. I'd appreciate anyone's talent in that aspect. Also, I am considering putting my blog on Facebook - for those that do it - have you seen more followers find your blog easier? 

Hope your weekend has been fantastic. Time to do some Pinterest & shopping online - I am a visual person so to get excited about my weight loss - I am trying to find something cute in a smaller size to work towards. 

As always - thank you for stopping by. Welcome. You stay classy - xo. Jessica

Serendipitous.

Thank God it's late Friday night/early Saturday morning! Goodness - all week I've been hitting it hard on the workout front except tonight - I indulged on pizza. But I kept having this intuitive feeling that I needed a late night writing sesh where I rocked out to Paramore & did some writing. Who knows its practically 2 am here & I could totes be a rebel and stay up ALL NIGHT. Since its practically Saturday - naps are always a possibility for me. Since I love my husband I will just stick to my headphones instead of making it a concert in my living room. Kind of like that Lizzie McGuire moment where it incredibly backfires on here before she graduates middle school. Fave movie back then. 

This week seemed to fly right on by for me. This am - my boss' mom brought us in breakfast - glad that was a 1 day event because I will not be losing any weight if I had a warm Krispy Kreme donut on a daily basis. Though I won't deny a warm, fresh donut over a cold one - is there anything to really compare that too? 

Have you ever found yourself in a purging mindset? Like you just need to either fiercely clean your house because you need to clean or because it helps you process & work through stuff on your own. Tonight I felt like that - after I had too many calories for dinner - I have been eyeing my kitchen all week like when did a windstorm come through & make a mess in my house. I felt embarrassed and took on about ninety projects simultaneously. What became a project of sweeping the floor, became so much more than that & boy did it feel good. Everything is cleaned off - some dishes that took over my sink are finally washed, & I can feel proud of my effort. Tomorrow is our biweekly grocery trip & I am so glad that I finally re-arranged our pantry - I won''t feel like such a hoarder with all the Pampered Chef, and stuff flying all over my shelves. 

Besides my kitchen that makes me sound like a hobo who doesn't clean that often -- (I really do) - it was much needed to just work it out. I am not really stressed to a degree except with my weight loss goals. I weighed myself and lost .6 over the past few days, but its made me want to do more. I feel like its good for your mind + yourself to have a day/night to get everything in order. Makes everything seem much clearer than trying to go about it blindfolded. 

Whew - its 3am. I feel mentally unpacked & kind of like when Buddy the Elf runs into his dad's office with Zooey Deschanel like I'm in love, I'm in love & I dont care who knows it! One of my favorite lines & favorite movies.

Already excited to get to sleep so I can sleep in tomorrow. You stay classy & thanks for stopping by. - Jessica

TGBTL Week #5. Admiring his perseverance.

Hey loves! For those of you just stopping by - welcome. Glad you stopped by. Today & every Wednesday, I am linking up for TGBTL with Lauren & Hayley.

Today's prompt is: Tell us about a trait you admire in someone you look up to & why.

I have to agree with Lauren, that its hard to just pick one because those closest to me are all pretty flipping amazing in their own way. That being said, there's one big quality that always speaks volumes to me in my dad - that of his perseverance. My whole life, he has consistently shown and taught me to appreciate working hard to achieve my goals, small or big. He is just always persistent and has perseverance in every area of his life. I feel like this has passed down to me in mostly every area of my life. Sometimes its paid off in a positive way and sometimes, not so much. But its taught me to be stronger.

My dad was taught from day one to not ever expect anything from anyone. He had some amazing mentors & family to give these important lessons. When he was a small child, he faced devastation. He lost his right eye at the age of 5 over something not in his control. From then on, he marched to the beat of his own drum. He didn't use this setback to hold himself back- he still achieved greatness. He played football throughout high school & college. He graduated with his Bachelors Degree from Defiance University. He worked hard to earn a top notch executive position at his work. He married my mom & because of their choices together created a powerful legacy for myself & my siblings. He has persevered through everything thrown at him and its only made him come out strong on the other side.

He's an excellent role model and I can't wait for the day when I have kids so they can learn from his example as well. He's blessed my life more than I could ever imagine.

He was super proud to accompany me to my company Christmas party too.*

Again, thanks for stopping by & you stay classy. I've been working hard on my goals for this month which you can check out here! I am super glad its Wednesday, and ready for Disney on Friday night :)  - Jessica

Back to the Grind.

Hello, loves!
Hope you've enjoyed the past 48 hours of 2014 thus far. I've been inspired from visiting other blogs through a weekly linkup I post on & I'm trying to blog more substance-y posts than just what the weather is & what I ate for dinner because well I think there is more purpose in life than boring people on my daily life.

Anywho - I came across something that a fellow blogger who is a daily must read for me over at The Everyday Joys - does that makes way more sense in terms of making goals. See I'm a planner. I like, erm looove to plan things. I turn 30 next year - that is insane to me. I have already begun making ideas for it, trying to imagine what I want to do & after some brainstorming - I've decided on the beach which is a great thing since I live by all the beaches & mostly sunny weather year round. I digress - that is over 22 months away so I am going to stop looking for now. My blogger friend does monthly goals and revisits them after which I think is fantastic for holding yourself accountable. So instead of looping up my yearlong 2014 goals, I am going to break them down into a more eye level approach - monthly goals.

JANUARY GOALS:

1) Exercise 26 days out of the month.  If you follow me on Instagram, soon you'll be seeing my workouts & myself more frequently especially in the next twenty minutes. I am going to be coming on here with weekly updates because its true, working out alone & trying to yield results is harder than working out with others. I am going to start back up Monday with myFitnessPal & own up to the holiday weight gain :( I think exercising 26/31 days is pretty darn good. 

2)  Be a better friend. This really applies to family/friends who don't live close by but are still dear to my heart w/ monthly Skype dates.. 


3) Use Instagram more. I try to be all miss photographer but I sometimes forget about it. It's time to be a bit more #carpediem on a regular basis!


4. Watch the excessive sugar intake. Being a woman - its okay to indulge on chocolate or Starbucks from time to time but I need to learn when to say no. I am really going to wean myself off the extra soda that I've been drinking and I know this will help me for the long term as well as drop additional weight. Need to get back on the addicted to Smart Water train (which happened tonight!)

5. Entertainment Book = Creative Date Nights. Being that we subscribe to Netflix/Hulu on a monthly basis means we're rarely movie theater people unless its Anchorman 2. *tomorrow!* So, I am going to use this book this year to come up with fun date nights with my mister so that we can see more of our city, save money & be together. So far this far - we've been to Disney, taken some selfies & tomorrow we'll be doing it again - Everest @ Animal Kingdom & Magic Kingdom. Hooray!

6.  End every post I do with "Hallelujah's" - on a weekly basis. I think its important to remember the positive in everything we do. Maybe one day that could be become a linkup in itself but for now, it will be my way to keep the positivity a float in my life. I'm already a fairly positive person as is - it's in my DNA so finding positivity in my life won't be overall a complicated task but actually quite enjoyable. I also am a big fan of sharing so I will be providing y'all with my positivity so check back - it's a comin'.

7. Sew something. For Christmas in 2013 - I made my dad a 'Cleveland Browns' pillow. For my mom & nephew, (it didn't happen for Christmas) I am finishing their minky blankets once my sewing machine gets fixed. I am new at sewing but come from a family of crafty women, literally. So, my goal is to peruse Pinterest for productive projects that I can continue to improve my new talent. 

8. Make my passion for writing a priority. I have a voice & I do have a goal to someday self publish my book so in order for that to happen - I need to write the book to publish it.

TGBTL Week #4.

Happy New Year, loves! Excited for the linkup to be back, I felt like something was missing from my day & when the calendar reminder came on my phone last night - I smiled with pangs of bittersweet feeling, knowing that it was Christmas and that there would be no link up. Anywho, we're back, its a new year & back to linking up. This year - I've adopted the word 'transparency' in terms of how I view the next 365 days that have a purpose in line. I have a Biggest Loser amt of weight to lose to be ready for Baby #1. I have theme park passes & I am all about enjoying the adventures I seek out or find myself in.

2014 Adventures thus far:
Visited & enjoyed Epcot & MGM with my hubs.

Soaking up the rainy day that Orlando has by cuddling w/ my pups.
Tomorrow after the dentist: Animal Kingdom & Magic Kingdom w/ a showing of Anchorman 2.
& the list goes on.

Here's to the unforgettable adventures in 2014 for each of us.

You stay classy & thanks for stopping by. - Jessica