Weekend Update.

Huzzah, it's the weekend. While this week was short - wasn't sure if I would make it or not. But, lo & behold - I did. This am - my hubs & I used the $1 left on our Dunkin Donuts giftcard to score a BOGO on iced coffee/breakfast. Not the healthiest options but when the alarm went off - it was easier to get up before the sun knowing that iced caramel coffee and my all time favorite chocolate cake donut was waiting for me. 

Anyway - not sure if you're aware of the equally AWESOME organization that you can get involved with called: Influenster. They're similar to what I do with BzzAgent which is score pretty sweet swag and test it out, report on it and earn future projects. Well I earned a free #VoxBox which comes with goodies to try out. This one included scandaleyes Rimmel London mascara *you need to buy it.* This mascara essentially makes me feel as confident/cool/determined as Olivia Pope when she is all business on Scandal. The next awesome item in this box was a SoftLips cube. I've heard of this brand before but honestly wasn't too impressed but I have to say this product I got reinvented the brand for me. I absolutely love this chap-stick cube - there are several scents available and its a must have now. This product in turn made me switch from using all lip gloss to chap stick again. What's great about this chap-stick is that it not only does it smell awesome, it really hydrates your lips. Living in Florida, my lips get really chapped sometimes because its so humid and hot, and I am one that drinks water like a fish! My chap-stick cube is with me wherever I go and I absolutely love it! I cannot stop raving about it! 

 Another equally awesome part of the #SpringFlingVoxBox is that I received more Nivea firming lotion. I really enjoy this brand. The smell is heavenly but I really enjoy how it hydrates my skin. Most of my lotion comes from Bath and Body Works - I've noticed I love the scents but sometimes it feels I am just putting more on my skin to where it feels heavy. The Nivea lotion is incredibly powerful, it immediately refreshes my skin no matter the time of day. I absolutely keep it with me wherever I am. 

I'd say the not so great part of my #VoxBox is that I got french tip nails. I haven't worn these since I was in high school but I will give them a try since I cannot afford to pay for a mani right now.I will say the lovely part of my #VoxBox is that I received a free air freshener. 

All in all, I really have enjoyed my goodies from Influenster this week. *Please note, I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

Thanks for stopping by & I'll see you back on here this upcoming week. Have a fantastic weekend. :)

Now & Then: A Decade Later

Happy Wednesday, friends! Even though we were off Monday - this week is definitely one that needs to hurry up and end already. Today, I am celebrating (to a degree) that a full 10 years has passed since I graduated high school. Thought I'd celebrate the differences in my life since that day on 

May 28, 2004 & May 28, 2014. 

10 years ago.. 

I was 18. Celebrating life - headed to college out of state.

Partying w/family & friends. 

Belonged to my church youth group.

Worked two jobs my senior year.

My sis *far right* was almost 3 years old.

My adventure had only begun.

10 years later.. 

I am 28. Celebrating life - done w/college & grad school.

Spend most time with my family.

Church hunting still. 

Work at a well-known entertainment university.

My sis is almost 14. 

My adventure keeps going. 

Hope your week is going well. See you back here tomorrow for Thursday Thoughts :)

~ Jessica

BzzAgent Review: Coppertone Sunny Days sunscreen

Hello, friends! Hope you had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend. I spent yesterday feasting & swimming w/family at my parent's house. As previously mentioned, I am a BzzAgent - I spread "bzz" about products, share coupons and give out product samples I receive to friends/family so they can try it out. I also get the chance to try it out and I have to say - in my opinion, I am not a super big fan of this sunscreen. Personally, since I live in Florida, where it appears we're like 3 feet from the sun all day - I need more than 30 spf which is what this offers. This sunscreen gave me a scare as it appeared to give me a breakout of bumps on my arms. Otherwise - it was fine, very light - fit under makeup to make me feel confident & it absorbs fast!

I say, wherever you are - you must use sunscreen. I recently took part in a Twitter party with Neutrogena & Crowdtappers, and both Kerry Washington (Scandal!) & Jennifer Garner shared some insane facts about the dangers of not keeping yourself protected in the sun. Allow me to share some with you: 

Even on a cloudy day, about 80% of the sun's ultraviolet rays could push through the clouds. (!!)
After suffering as little as 1 major sunburn as a child, this still raises the chances of you getting skin cancer.
Did you know?! It’s been estimated that more than 76,000 new melanomas will be diagnosed THIS YEAR ALONE #ChooseSkinHealth #NTGSpokesperson
ANOTHER FACT more than 90% of the visible changes commonly attributed 2 skin aging r caused by UVexposure #ChooseSkinHealth #NTGSpokesperson

That's all insane facts. I also learned that if you're in FL - depending on what activities you're in such as shopping, apply twice/day. If you're out in the sun at the beach, apply every 30-60 min. For those who want sunscreen that protects against humidity, you can check out sports versions of sunscreen.

Regardless of what sunscreen you use daily, I hope you'll stay protected and use it everyday!

*Are you interested in trying out products for FREE to use your voice? Feel free to stop by www.bzzagent.com and register for a new account. They're opening new campaigns all the time!

Take care & see you back here tomorrow! ~ Jessica

Five on Friday! :) :)

I am a little late on this but Happy Friday! I am blessed to work for an university that recognizes the hard work and service of the students who are veterans. Growing up, I never understood what Memorial Day really was. I knew it was military related but since being promoted to my military team, I've gotten to learn first-hand exactly the sacrifices that these men and women have endured. Being in the military is a real deal - you have a LOT of responsibilities, sometimes on very little sleep -- but at the end of the day, you are keeping all of us safe. Today at our Memorial Day ceremony, our keynote speaker mentioned what his version of what a veteran is -- it was roughly a billion degrees outside but from what I remember - People sleep quietly while the men and women are standing outside their door keeping the peace. Something to that effect. I was thrilled that I got to enjoy Chickfila & Jeremiah's Ice while downing bottles of water. Turns out I also got a tad sunburned, which is going to be a super fun tan. Alright - time to celebrate my week and be glad it's the weekend.

1. I think the best part of the week is that my baby seester finished her last day of finals for middle school. She's officially a FRESHMAN in high school! #classof2019 Goodness, I am slightly feeling pretty old. :) :) (far right - this is an older pic).

2) I have absolutely fallen in love with the flavor of anything and everything Birthday Cake. It comes in m&m's, ice cream. It's an incredibly rich flavor. I had some iice cream just now because that goes perfectly with my Scandal marathon and I licked the bowl like my pups would. 

3) Tomorrow is a busy day. My hubs is going to the dentist, I am finally going to Goodwill and donating EVERYTHING that I've been wanting to donate for the past few YEARS. I keep saying I am going, but then I don't and its just accumulated. I don't mean to insult or make fun of people who are on the show 'Hoarders'. But I kind of feel like all this stuff is quickly heading in that direction. Another awesome fact is that I get to go on a mini golf double date with my hubs, my bestie and her mister.. Yay for Groupons & Taco date :) :)

4) This week I took a hard look at my #weightloss goals and came up with a new workout routine. It was hard, sweaty and I downed an entire bottle of smartwater in a short time span. I tell you what - the guy who does Zumba Expert level resembles Channing Tatum in Magic Mike. & Jillian Michaels after those 40 minutes? Brutal! 

But worth it. Just reminded to take it day by day. :)

5. I think the best part of my entire week is this week was crossing off a lot of little to - do's on the bigger to-do list. I watched the next big talent win the title of "The Voice" this week. We've been working on painting the room that will be for our future babies. It's the planner in us. It helps keep the dream real that this condition of mine after I lose all the weight for my #BiggestLoser moment hopefully by next fall -- won't give us any issues trying to start our family. 

This week had its ups and downs but all in all - its important to keep the spirit and momentum up as high as possible. I need to keep working out, even on days when I want to crawl up and keep my dreams on top of my sweet tooth. I worked hard and while tonight's reward was ice cream and a Scandal marathon --  Mind you, this is just a pep talk for myself but sometimes I need to be transparent and honest about my goals instead of keeping them on Post-It Notes.

Off to measure for new shelves while keeping on with this Scandal marathon! I'm thinking since tomorrow in Central Florida will be 96 degrees - I will need to get my hands on Publix Sweet Tea! :) 

Thanks for stopping by & I'll see you back here tomorrow! You stay classy, planet Earth ;)  ~ J

Thursday Thoughts.

I am so glad this day is over! I walked into work today, knowing it would be crazy and when I got there, someone had called out and I inherited their work on top of my own.

What do you do when you find yourself in this situation?
You immerse yourself in a mini Scandal marathon courtesy of Netflix.
You pet your two beautiful dogs, who sometimes make your life chaotic but like to give you love.
You enjoy some of your favorite snack - i.e. Kettle Sea Salt & Vinegar chips.
You enjoy giftcards from your wedding and peruse what things could be used at home.
You talk to your husband whose smile and hugs take away all stress from that day.
You take the reins of your blog and pop out both posts, while brainstorming your next ones.

Today was not my best day. But when I take a moment to encourage others and thank the Lord that I am actually too blessed to consider myself in a bad rut. I'd like to share my biggest reasons for why I am blessed and overall thankful for everything in my life. Some of these may seem silly but they make me SMILE!

1)

                             
                             

                        

Why am I so blessed you may ask? I met and married my best friend in 2011.

I've been blessed to go on 3 cruises, two of them being Disney Cruises & being introduced to Disney's private island - Castaway Cay in the Caribbean. 

When I have a bad day, and imagine being on a beach - that's where my mind goes, everytime!

Starbucks is a close friend. & that last one? My mantra in life.

I am slightly, well pretty open about my Target addiction.

I have two dogs who always keep me on the go!

I spend many weeknights, weekends at Disney World & wouldn't have it ANY other way.

I have some pretty freaking amazing friends in my life.

& it helps that my guy always keeps me smiling! :)

This is only a sneak peek or a glimpse of why I am blessed. Thanks for stopping by.

& I look forward to seeing you back here tomorrow for Five on Friday :) :) 

Staring my goals in the face.

May is a month of chapters in my life. It has been the month where chapters closed, followed by open windows of new ones emerging. This year is the 10th anniversary when all of my big dreams were birthed. I was celebrating my graduation from high school. I knew that moment on May 28th, 2004 that my life was truly about to start for real. No matter all the crappy cards that I had been dealt those four years, this part of my life was over and the real, better silver lining that my parents had told me about was ready to show itself.

After high school, I started the newer chapter of my life. I started college out of state, while I only stayed at that college for 18 months, it was a huge learning experience. I really understood myself - in terms of what I dislike, what I like and what I wanted to do with my life while in college. I moved back home with my parents and took a year to attend the local community college to get those gen ed's out of the way. It wasn't mentally challenging because the workload felt like an extension of high school but by the following January when I made the decision to stay in-state, I was able to transfer a lot of credits in. I started with education, but made the switch (I regret it now) to communications, which I do like my degree. 

I remember May 2nd, 2009. I had spent the night before prepping my hair so it'd be curly. My mom made me a dress that's sparkly and butterflies. It was a fantastic day to spend with friends & family. 6 weeks after I graduated, I met my now husband. I was involved in an internship that would prove to be heading nowhere. My now husband was finishing an internship at Disney in the College Program, and about to start his final semester at college. I was ready for an adventure, the kind that changes your life in an instant. That adventure was my now husband. I surprised my parents by announcing, hey I'm moving to Kansas. I moved into my first apartment, I got a job (that I loved!) and started grad school while being with the man I loved. I only was there for a year but in that time we knew what our goals were: we wanted to be together with many adventures. We wanted to finish our degrees, get married, buy a house, start a family & the list goes on. [Before I moved I had lost 25 lbs, and then when I moved on my own - I gained it back and some more.]

We're about to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. I can't believe how fast time has flown by. We've really accomplished a lot of FANTASTIC goals. We bought our first house six months after we got married, which our wedding gifts helped with our down payment. We both graduated with our graduate degrees, months apart last year. We've worked on our house and made significant improvements. Last year, we put a big dent towards our student loans before we were required and are on the way to being debt free down the road. 

Tonight - however was staring down my goals. I've mentioned this before but I've had hypothyroidism my entire life. This condition goes against weight loss, and its definitely been a struggle in my life. Two years ago when I started my weight loss journey for the sole purpose of getting healthy - I lost 40 lbs fast. Now, with my remaining 75 lbs to lose - its proving to be a challenge. But this month - I decided I needed to make time for my goals. I stare at them in the face, I count calories, I force myself to portion size my meals and I only allow myself two cheat days/week. I'm learning how to really tone down stress, its hurt me in reaching my goals. But tonight I started a new workout routine, 40 minutes of Zumba at the Expert level followed by Jillian Michaels. My goals are simple - my husband is ready to be a daddy and I really want to give that to him next fall. So, I had to step my goals up, and I am excited because I am ready to enjoy life more fully.

I was thinking of this post while working out and I felt like its important to share my goals from where I started until the present moment. My big goal right now is to just lose the weight, as close to 50 lbs by my birthday in October. I am celebrating my birthday at the beach and with friends/family but I'd really like to be able to buy a new bathing suit as a birthday gift to me. Living in Florida, I can always find a good bathing suit sale - so I am excited to meet the goal for myself. 

What about you? What are the goals you're staring at right now to accomplish? Big or small - know that you can do it! Every time it feels like too much - I quote both Philippians 4:13 & Jeremiah 29:11 over and over. 

              

Thank God tomorrow is Thursday! I'm so excited for the long holiday weekend ahead! See you back here tomorrow! ~ Jessica

sometimes, i must reflect. #june18

{Oh, Robert De Niro - highlight of the movie.}

Truth is - I absolutely love rom com movies. My husband protests when I want to watch one and then swoon over it - letting my girly side come out. But it's hard not to - when the perfect cue and the kissing starts especially when they have their dramatic speeches about why the other is their perfect match. & why the guy is who they've been waiting for. 

I am a month away from celebrating my 3rd wedding anniversary and today I was reminded about the relationship/bond with my mister is SO important *not that I ever thought it wasn't.* I watched a video about a charming couple, Ian & Larissa who have braved many more dark days but still managed to keep a smile and thanking God for these brighter moments.  His brain injury was but a speck in their relationship and future marriage.  That video made me tear up today and made me remember my wedding vows even more. 

When I married Chris that day almost three years ago, we took an oath. We promised a lot to each other when there are so many uncertainties, I promised to him a life of adventure despite every curve ball in our lives - no matter what happens to us - that I'd have his back in the best & worst situation until our death. Those aren't light promises, folks. Those are intense and I meant every single word. The best thing I've learned about my marriage is that every moment can make or break it. Every thing you say can either build him up or break him down. My sarcasm at times has led to some pretty unfortunate moments between us because I try to be funny. But at the end of the day, we keep moving forward. We don't sweat the small stuff. We gots plans and we are constantly reminded of the bigger picture. We want to start our family, be better off financially *we are* and continue to let God steer us in the direction HE wants to go. 

My husband hates cards - so this year & every year we're going to be crafty. I didn't tell him this part. We're taking a picture on our anniversary - cue the cute selfie and then we're each writing a letter of our favorite memories from that year previously.  I am going to scrapbook them and open these envelopes up on big anniversaries. That's the crafty side of me coming out. I want us to look back in thirty years and remember the memories, the best of what we've had more than what a hallmark card says. The memories are ones you never forget. 

Welp, tomorrow we're trying out a new church and enjoying a nice day together. Which I absolutely love. 

Thanks for stopping by... ~ J