throwback thursday.//epcot date night.

Happy second day of fall. I wish Florida would get it together. I am jealous of my friends who see leaves changing colors, cool weather for boots, and all those other beautiful things.

I am sure each thursday you see on Facebook/IG/Twitter - all these #tbt pictures. Some of them are pretty hilarious, some are cute and some are face palms. I figured I'd start posting my #tbt on here - promising to myself - no really embarassing photo choices.

Today's #tbt for you - a collage of a recent Epcot date with my favorite.
This weekend, the Food & Wine Festival starts, and I'm excited to head out there in a few days. Plus they're adding a concert series - I saw some of the great names listed & Hanson is coming in November. :)

My husband & I are pretty big Disney fans. We love our passes and its truly the place where both of us relax the most. I am excited to get some Starbucks, I have a free drink expiring soon.  My big thing at any Disney park is snapping pictures of fireworks.

Figured this weekly #tbt love post would be a quick way to stop not blogging. Take Care! Starting tomorrow, I will be re-joining the Friday 5 posts that I used to love last year. I hope you'll stop by. :)

Tomorrow is Friday. YAY. :) :) :) 

Our Adventure updates.. of sorts.

Hello again.

As Central Florida has promised, the weather and humidity is trying to make me glow with sweat at 7am. It is truly an attractive image. Google Orlando weather and you'll be empathizing with me.

Last month, my husband & I celebrated 4 magical years together being married. We celebrated with 4Rivers and it was incredible. Next year is our 5th & we're hoping for big celebrations.



 other adventures.

Game night with family & catching Minions in theaters opening weekend. We don't have kids yet, and at first the only couple without any but no regret on my end. My husband was imitating 'Barney Stinson' from How I Met Your Mother. ;)

                          


                          


Other than that - at the end of June - I had a work injury that scratched me up pretty bad. Slip n sliding on concrete is never recommended. Hurt myself & my pride.

& as of late - i've been having starbucks dates + supporting my future pro basketball sister.

                            
                         

                             

Tomorrow - we're having our first #CelebrateRobinWilliams tribute movie night in honor of the late actor who changed our lives with his movies. I am pretty sure we're watching Mrs Doubtfire to kick this annual tradition of ours off. Tomorrow is his birthday and surely I hope he is at peace. :) -- J

                                 
 

Why I love PINK more than Elle Woods.

It's no surprise that movies have the power to speak and influence your lives. Hard to believe that Legally Blonde came out so long ago. I swear when that movie came on my radar - I was pretty excited. I mean look at Elle Woods - she's popular, she loves fashion, getting her nails done, being with friends and her boyfriend. But the best part of her character is how she not only surprises everyone and her love of PINK.

If you saw this pink parade walking down the street - wouldn't you feel like your day was instantly better?
I do and I intend on being this person.

   

For as long as I can remember, wearing the color PINK has become my signature thing. I've been known to buy things because their pink, will wear hot pink or coordinate it into my outfit and only be interested in things that are pink. This movie influenced my life. To most people, I am the quiet girl who keeps to herself but in actuality, to those who know me better - wish I was quiet! 

Wearing the color PINK demonstrates who I am. It's the gateway into knowing me better. You can know anything about me on the outside but once you've been introduced & appreciate my love of everything HOT PINK, than we can be better friends. 

Wearing PINK makes me feel like myself. I always make it a point to encourage those around me - that's what I'm about. I want others to feel comfortable in their own skin - that phrase you hear 'Be Yourself.' I've heard it a million times and people said it so frequently in my life - that it became like a cliche thing to me. In fact I don't use this phrase - I want everyone to rock what they LOVE. That's my twist on that phrase. 

Ladies, if you love wearing polka dots with stripes and flashy colors - go for it.

If you like to sing in the car to Taylor Swift or BSB - go for it.

If you like to watch CSPAN or marathons of Teen Mom - do it!

Don't let this world that tries to tell us what we need to like, when we need to like, what we need to wear, what we need to look like and all the other crazy things they try to pull. You need to ROCK what you LOVE because there is only ONE of you. Be the best version of yourself! 

Hope you are encouraged by my post. Thanks for stopping by + you stay classy! <3 

Tonight I get a midweek date night w/my mister to play mini golf & spend time @ Diagon Alley :)

See you back here tomorrow for What If Wednesday :) 

oh hey, Friday!

Happy Friday, friends! Last night I got an invite about this fantastic new linkup that started today and I knew that I needed to prep so I could join in with the fun!

I don't know about you but I absolutely love real Fridays, you know the ones that bring weekends that involve no getting up early to go to work but are the productive ones as you get ready for vacay starting the following weekend! Well, staycation but hey its time away from work. :)

& we're off. Today we're celebrating the end of another week - and all the goodness that comes with FRIDAYS!

1) I'm really thankful for my parents who gifted my husband & I with a couch set. These couches have been at my parents since I was
a teen and they look great! I was blessed that they thought of us first and gifted them to us.
The real fun part of them is that they are super heavy so transporting them has been super fun (in a completely sarcastic way!) My dad who has his share of back problems along with my mister carried them down their stairs & up ours in the rain that Central Florida had last weekend. Because he loves us THAT much! Part 2 of said fun commences tomorrow night. Pray that we can get it in our house and no one breaks their back.

#2) It's about a week short of when my hubs liked it and put a ring on it... 4 years ago. We just celebrated our 3rd anniversary but it made me smile when my Timehop app remembered the significance of July 20, 2010.

#3) My husband & I are blessed to live in Florida but also to enjoy Disney yearround with our passes. Since we were at Magic Kingdom for the 4th, we did our sparklers/smoke bombs and fountains in our backyard. This picture essentially makes me look like my hand is on fire but I love me some sparklers.  Next year, I'm voting for s'mores somewhere!

4) I'm blessed that I get to go on double dates/date nights with my mister & my parents. We went mini golfing last week and it was super enjoyable. My parents crack me up and they witnessed first hand of some golf putting moves that were crazy yet hilariously awesome. I also gifted my dad with his hilarious Father's Day gift.

5) I love that whenever I arrive at my parents house, my brother's dog - and one of my bestest friends named Alice is happily wagging her tail, ready to give me kisses upon kisses to greet me at the door. This face makes me love shaking her paw, giving her hugs and giving her belly rubs.

As always, thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful weekend whether its as simple as getting coffee, going to Target or coupons/Cartwheel for groceries. (I am excited for all 3!) .. I'll see you back here next week! :)

Five on Friday!

HOORAY!! We made it to Friday!

Time to share my positives of the week.. 

1. I cashed out on some giftcards and bought new towels for our household. 

2. I am addicted to working out! I love the joy and the hardwork. I've lost 4 lbs this month and this quote makes me feel invincible. I am excited to see more weight melt off and smaller sizes and the pink bikini that I've waited my whole life to wear to the beach. 

3. I get to have a mini golf date with my parents & best half tomorrow night!! 

4. Saturday I get the whole day with my best half on an adventure. Fazoli's for dinner :) :)

I used to work there & was THE breadstick lady. 

5. This dog is my favorite. My bro's dog is incredible. She is super cute and gives the best hugs. :)

Hope you have a fantastic weekend no matter what you're doing. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you back here! If you want to keep up with my adventures feel free to follow me on Instagram HERE! :) 

Five on Friday!

Hooray, we made it to Friday. It's been a long week. But its over and the weekend has returned.

Today I am still in a rather high celebratory mood. Wednesday was my 3rd wedding anniversary, and I shared the story of my big day from my eyes, the bride.

Today I am celebrating our celebration thus far this week.

'

#1.// We celebrated at Smokey Bones. Who doesn't enjoy some BBQ & Sweet Tea after work?

#2.// We both enjoyed some BBQ - he had beef brisket. I had smoked turkey.

#3.//We both had gifts for each other - I gifted him with the shirt in the top right: "I put ketchup on my ketchup." That fits him to a tee! aha.He gave me Anchorman 2 !! :) 

#4.//My husband woke up Tuesday with a head cold so I knew there was a possibility he'd fall asleep super early. I called it.  So I picked out 'A League of Their Own.' Favorite movie!

#5.//We didn't get dessert on Wednesday because it was lots of food. But if you're coming to Orlando anytime soon or if you're familiar with the area - you need to stop by Twistee Treat! It's one of those amazing gems for ice cream here. 

Chris got a Waffle cone dipped in Butterscotch. I got a large vanilla with Pina Colada cone. Made me want to take a trip to the beach. Staycation is SO close!! :) 

This has been a fantastic week for Chris & I. I've been staying motivated, getting up an hour early daily to do the elliptical. Been working out for 2 weeks straight and I am telling a difference. I feel really good, really positive. I am excited to weigh in this weekend but regardless what the #'s say - I will keep on, keepin on. I keep  thinking -  in 3 months, all these good choices will pay off. & I am hoping to lose close to 50 lbs by October. All is going well on that front! :)

Hope you enjoy your weekend!! Take care, thanks for stopping by & I'll see you back here next week! :) 

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 :) 

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}

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}

fab friday

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Thank God its FRIDAY & I get paid today. I will start off this post saying while this isn't fab, I did get sick on Wednesday. So my memory is suffering but I wanted to prevail and post today as I missed two weeks unintentionally. Sad face.

Today I want to talk about these FAB things:

• The biggest FAB thing that happened this week: I OFFICIALLY finished my Master's on Tuesday!! Ended up graduating with a 3.8 which is terrific, and I can't wait to celebrate big time when my husband finishes his Master's at the end of June. Definitely can't wait to get my degree but more so for the bigger & better things.

• Another FAB thing that happened: more dates, mostly impromptu with my husband to the beach. Lately we've gone in the afternoon/early evening and even though I am sick with a nasty cold, I am hoping we can go tomorrow since we are off Monday (long weekend!) It pays to live by the beach!

• Last FAB thing to mention, now that my Master's is complete, I can get back on track with losing weight. Plus its totally motivating that I'll be able to reunite with Lowe's, Michael's, Jo Ann's to get started on those house projects!

• One more-- I am starting my last month of doing Pampered Chef in May & I am definitely ending with a bang. I have my Help Whip Cancer fundraiser all month long and will be having 2 different shows. I am excited to finish this, it was fun but just hasn't panned out for me.

FAB FRIDAY!!

This week I want to talk about these FAB things: 

1. I've lost another 2.4 lbs this week & I'm hoping for another 6 before the end of the month :) 

2. I'm getting close to a year since I decided to lose the weight & with the exception of today -- I've worked hard. I'm hoping to be down 50 lbs after a year of working hard. I'm about 14 pounds away. :)

3.My Bangin' Chicken sauce from Tijuana Flats makes any iffy dish AMAZING. 

4. I decided to be a great wife last night & bake cookies for my husband's potluck: White Chocolate Chip cookies. Bonus- I made too many so I still get to enjoy some. 

5. because I submitted 2 shows last month for the salesathon-- I got the new stone for Pampered Chef, a new cookbook & the new rub for FREE :)

6. For Valentine's day- my husband surprised me by getting 4Rivers BBQ (only in FL- a hot spot).

#operationredbikini

So, this morning- I did my first weigh in of the year. I lost 4 pounds this week :)

I'm pretty excited. I absolutely love knowing the weight is starting to come off, I was getting a tad nervous.

Definitely encouraged to keep it going especially because now I need to lose 86 pounds to be done (until I get pregnant). A lot of people have asked why I am aiming towards such a big number.

Let me answer that question as honestly as possible.

#1) I have struggled with weight since I was 11. I had a pretty unhealthy relationship with food in that I used it to hide my feelings or struggles in high school. I didn't have the best experience in high school, was bullied throughout middle school and some of high school. So, now I am changing my outlook on food and how many portions I have.

#2) I've seen the number on the scale & while I don't let it define who I am because its just a number; it does have a say in the sense of what size I am currently wearing AS OPPOSED TO the size I am aiming for-- size 8/9 :)

#3) As much as I would love to take a few months off & be on Biggest Loser-- I don't have the paid time off or the means to live on a ranch with Jillian Michaels. She'd be a bit too much to deal with 24/7.

So there you have it- I'm working my tush off to lose 86 more pounds because I need to be fit & healthy :)

& in other news...

-Usually I'm an overachiever with hw for school but trying to drum up motivation for my final paper wasn't there. However, I had to be at work 2 hours early today so I was able to get 4 pages done. YAY for being a month ahead.

-Tonight my husband & I had an impromptu date night. Nice to talk to him w/ great food & not w/ our two dogs watching/begging for food. Just saying, it was nice to shake things up.

-I met with my host after work today. We talked about the show next Saturday & I'm pretty psyched. I love being a Pampered Chef consultant. :)

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend! Here's to another great wk towards #operationredbikini :)