Dear Ladies.. We're still on His radar!

Happy Monday, y'all. I had a relatively awesome weekend. I rang in my 29th birthday on Friday which was incredible! My best friend at work surprised me and decked out my desk, which made my birthday even better!

 

Yes - that is a Minion cake that I ordered for myself. I'm a big kid at heart :)

So - today is my 2nd post in my new weekly Monday series to encourage/inspire every woman who reads my blog. 

Today - I want to remind each of you ladies that He has not forgotten us - 

                                                                                               we are definitely on His radar at every moment of every single day.

When I was a senior in high school, this song by Mary Mary was ingrained into our memory. It was to be the song played and sung by the ladies in our class. Before that moment of graduation while we were in California on our senior class trip,it was decided we ALL needed to sing it every chance we got. At the time it was simply an annoying song with a good message that I didn't really read into the message intentionally until years after. Honestly though, its an easy concept to believe in - doesn't cost you your money, or give you a headache for a sketchy gimmick.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

       It's a promise that God made thousands of years ago and is still standing STRONG behind it TODAY with each one of us.

 Take a moment and reflect on your circumstances:

                   ~ Are you working at a job that doesn't pay you well?

                   ~Are you stuck in a relationship that you're just 'going through the motions' and unhappy?

                   ~Are you frustrated constantly by how your life is going or how it didn't turn out like you'd hoped?

Well to all of you that may find yourself feeling like you're stuck -- STOP!! 

STOP letting things out of your control hold you down. Satan often disguises himself as a sheep in wolves clothing. His main excitement is that his sole purpose is that he comes to steal, kill and destroy! {John 10:10}.

How does this impact you and your life?? 

Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. He doesn't want any part of you to be happy. He wants you to feel like you have no control of your future. But you do! You have a future to be excited for, and to make plans for. 

Despite where you find yourself or maybe your in a less than ideal stretch of circumstances = God has NOT left you behind! You're still very much on His radar and He is still actively making plans on your behalf to bring you blessings, bring you joy and keep you on cloud nine. He is absolutely crazy about each of us! 

So, please be encouraged to keep your head high. We're in our different journeys but we're still destined for greatness. Despite the worst day or the sunniest outlook we may have, He has not left you behind or brought you THIS far to give up on you! 

Thanks for stopping by! Hopefully next week I'll be able to introduce a new weekly series to see how it takes off to evolve into something great. Still working out a few details, hope your week starts off beautifully :) Xo. - Jess

                                                                                                                                                                        

From 28 to 29 years young//Pre-Birthday Interview.

Happy Thursday! I know I am WAY more excited to wake up tomorrow because it's my BIRTHDAY & it landed on Friday this year. :) Quite a bonus if you ask me!

Today - I am sharing another #tbt from birthday pasts. 

                                     

Hooray! Tomorrow's my Birthday, and the last one of my twenties. When I was growing up, my mom always 'interviewed' me at the beginning/end of a school year to remember my favorites at each time. I really miss it! I've decided each October 2nd, I am going to interview myself from the past year while getting ready to ring in the next. Think of it as the excitment (on my part) for Macy's Thanksgiving Parade + Scandal + Parenthood on the same day with a trip to Target/Starbucks SIMULTANEOUSLY.

My 28th Year Interview:

What are my top 3 favorite shows this year?

1. Scandal.

2. Parenthood

3. Bones

What is my favorite place to shop? (Top 3)

1. Target

2. Amazon.com

3. Kohl's. 

What are my top 5 favorite Disney attractions?

1. Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)

2. Haunted Mansion (Magic Kingdom)

3. Big Thunder Mountain (Magic Kingdom)

4. People Mover (Magic Kingdom)

5. Spaceship Earth (Epcot)

Top 5 Moments: 

1) Celebrating my 28th on a Disney Cruise. 

2) Paying off all UNSUB student loans. 

3) Celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary! {celebrate HERE!!}

4) Disney Annual Passholders!

5) First work promotion (ever).

Top 5 Goals for #29th year:

1) Mostly kick sweet tooth to curb.

2) Finish writing book/publish with Amazon.

3) Get in the fittest, healthiest version of myself.

4) Do more of what makes me HAPPY.

5) Be intentional & consistent in everything. :) 

Favorite memories to come in 2014/2015?

~ Cruising again w/Disney.

~ becoming a Aunt again!

~Hopefully starting our family *fingers crossed*

~ Published Author title.
~ Paying down more of student loans.
~ Keeping my blog consistent//learning how to design my blog.

What I've learned from my husband/marriage?

I can't imagine my life/future without him. We make success look easy but we both make sacrifices daily that have positive long term benefits for later. Hard to believe we've been together for 5+ years already. Seems like 5 min ago, we met online & Got led us together. There is simply no me without him!

Overall, I am thrilled to celebrate #29 (at midnight!)

& with family tomorrow night with some fun plans up my sleeves.

Thanks for stopping by. Tomorrow I'll be posting my Top 5 Birthday related gems on the Happy Birthday version of Oh Hey, Friday linkup! See you tomorrow :) xo. 

Twenty Nine Candles//Bucket Lists

Hooray, its my favorite month: October :) Well for obvious reasons, with my birthday on FRIDAY!!

         















Besides celebrating this week, this weekend and heck the entire month -  I am celebrating a lot more than when my
parents graciously brought me into the world. This year is a milestone - its the last birthday of my twenties.  Looking             back, I started this decade of birthdays with people who turned out to not be real, genuine friends. Since then, I made a       pact with myself that I only celebrate with people that are edifying and building me up.


This week at work, for the first time I've worked here - I invited all my work friends to do lunch @ Tijuana Flats with me. Not many showed up but when I returned after a not so pleasant day, my former team I miss working with had surprised  me with a signed card from the team w/chocolate. Literally welled up with tears and excited to celebrate with them soon!

    

To really appreciate the year ahead of me. I've decided and created a growing Bucket List. Everyone has them - namely things they want to do before they die. That isn't as thrilling to me personally because I like to make the most of every day/month/year that God blesses me with with a hint of realistic planning.

 If any of readers/friends think of anything they'd like to add comment below. I would LOVE to make this next year - the  most EPIC year of my life. & so far, I think I am on a good start:

My TWENTY NINTH #BucketList#

   1) Finish writing the book I started over 5+ years ago to publish as an ebook with Amazon. 

   2) For EVERY trip I take, send a postcard to myself to scrapbook later to relive memories later.

   3) Take days off the grid at least twice every month. 

   4) Indulge here & there for more last minute getaways with Chris. <3

   5) Get in the most absolute fit, healthy version of myself. 

   6)  Learn how to be crafty: sewing, crocheting, knitting, practicing making crazy, awesome cakes.

   7) Incorporate our love of Disney into our home even more. (Lotsa shoppin' @ Disney!)

   8) Sacrificing more to pay down my student loans (working part time, etc).

   9) Learn what my style is, how to apply makeup, etc. {I cared way too much about candy & junk as a teen rather than making myself look good!}

  10) Re-discover my love for my crock pot.  Use my KitchenAid & Pampered Chef tools to create incredible food. 

Thanks for stopping by. Thursday, I'll be sharing my verses that I am picking out for the year ahead. :) See you then!

Oh hey, Friday!//Happy Birthday, Jordyn! :)

Hi friends! We did it, we made it to Friday!! :)

I'm linking up again today with {the farmer's wife} and September Farm for another edition of 'Oh hey, Friday'.

Today I am celebrating the five best qualities of my baby sister, Jordyn who turns fourteen today. :) I won't be able to celebrate with her til next week but she deserves my blogpost to honor the beautiful lady she is becoming.

#1) My sister loves to go on adventures. Whether its going swimming at Disney, going to the beach, sleepovers at my house, shopping, or having our Target cafe dates - if you follow her instagram - she loves to create adventure and excitement for herself and those around her. When she looks back at her life in fifty years, she won't be disappointed with the life she made for herself.

 

#2) My sister always puts her family first. She recognizes the importance of those closest to her and making choices so as to better those relationships first and foremost. She supports my siblings & I in all that we do and in return, I will always do that for her. I didn't expect to get a younger sister when I was almost fifteen but she is one of the greatest blessings in my entire life. I thank God for our close relationship/friendship and I hope she knows this.

#3) My sister is hands down, beautiful and absolutely gorgeous. She always works hard in all the many sports she plays: basketball, track, softball and volleyball. She has grown up before my eyes and I couldn't be prouder of who she is. She starts high school next month and will be playing varsity basketball! & I can't wait to be there to cheer her on as much as possible. 

#4) My sister knows how to be herself. She doesn't let society define her. She works hard at school, in sports, in friendships, life to ensure that she gets to do what she wants. She loves to laugh, take pictures and post as many as possible to Instagram. She loves her family. She loves to be with her friends and smiling. She is who she wants to be. 

Finally (I could go on forever but these are the five best qualities among the many). 

#5) We both enjoy Starbucks dates. Some of our best conversations happen there while I try to understand where she gets these crazy, amazing frappucino concoctions from. 

   

Happy FOURTEENTH birthday to my amazing, beautiful, confident, charming and adventurous sister. I am SUPER proud of who you are today and who you are becoming! Thank you for our friendship and that we are so close. I love you and I hope this next year is the most incredible and happiest one of yours. :) 

Liberty for Thirty

Happy Monday, friends! :)

So I'm a planner. I have to plan. I spent the better half of my Sunday evening looking at Pinterest interested in making cakes for friends. My husband reminded me that while its good to look at Pinterest for inspiration that its hard to base anything food wise off - because none of my projects turned out well. I didn't love the honesty but then after I took the emotion out of it - I realized that I appreciate when he doesn't sugar coat it and keeps me interested. That said - at least knowing that my 30th birthday is next year - my plans are fairly simple.

I already know that I want to spend my 30th at Daytona Beach here in Florida for the weekend. I want to have a party and a nice cake with family/friends. So I appropriately named my bucket list journey: Liberty for Thirty. :)

It's threefold:

1) I want to have lost all my weight by that day. Today I am starting back on the Zumba/Yoga/Pilates train after having surgery a month ago. I want to be able to have the moment when you wear the size you want - in a cute dress - and just feeling your best on your big day.

I've made more plans on this - in terms of (3) 90 day goals to lose as much weight as possible. Encouraging myself in this time to drink more water, eat less sugar & to control my 'treat yo self' moments better. Today (March 10th) starts my first 90 day goal. This will be coming up in my future posts and excited to share my losses with you.

These are merely just plans because I do have a condition that works against my hard work. & I am a girl who likes my chocolate. But I have re-connected with the MyFitnessPal app that helped me lose my first 40+ pounds & I know that the effort will help me get where I want to be.

2) I want to get my book published. I have all these ideas running through my head all the time that I want to include and am always jotting something down. Tons of napkins with ideas or quotes are on my nightstand.

3) I want to be able to turn 30 - and know that all the groundwork has been done. I will be at the weight that I can successfully start our family. :)

Thanks for your sentiments and well wishes in advance. My 30th birthday is next October, 2015.
My work is pretty much cut out for me and I'll be keeping you posted. Pretty sure this is a part of my book as well - as I'll be journaling this.

So WHAT, Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday, loves :)

This was my face when I realized it was Monday
& the weekend was over.

This week I am saying SO WHAT if...

1) Tarjay clearances make me giddy. My Disney cruise is approaching but I just found a new cute dress & maxi skirt to take with me for $20.

2) Sallie Mae account info emails put a smile on my face. Big smiles. I just paid off my last UNSUB loan last week for student loans & kept checking in an OCD frenzy for it to be applied to my acct.

3) Twitter makes me feel awkward.  I just don't like tweeting. I am jealous of all those celebs who tag their friends, share links and just look cool. I just try and come off like an awkward tween.

4) I get excited to buy some Cadbury Eggs. I celebrate the real reason for Easter but I love these.

5) My IG shows my desk @ work covered with The Office quotes. If you don't laugh at quotes by Dwight Schrute, Jim Halpert, Michael Scott - I realize their characters but we can't be friends.

6) I watch #TheVoice for the bromance of Adam & Blake, Shakira & Usher. Thank God for Hulu.

7)  My birthday is in 7 months and I've already planned it out for perfect weather & not so perfect weather. It's my 29th and I want to enjoy my day. I have to plan or at least think ahead - keeps everything in perspective. It's something my mister makes fun of me for but I've always been like this & my life has turned out pretty great.

8. I am now obsessively checking Ebay, etc for vintage-ish American Eagle tees. For some reason, lack of judgement, I gave away all my AE shirts. There are two I really want back and now I'm determined to find them somehow. Biggest regret there.

Hope you enjoy your Wednesday. Feel free to check out my linkup for Girl Between the Lines today as well. :) Thanks as always for stopping by! ~ Jessica