The Survival Guide For The Young, Fabulous & Newlywed

Miscellany Monday

2012-02-06T08:56:00.003-05:00

Good morning all. I'm linking up with Carissa for Miscellany Monday.

{one} Sorry for being MIA last week. It was monthly close again - which equalled a 60+ hour work week and very little time for anything other than work or sleep. Here's hoping this week is a little less hectic!

{two} After an incredibly long week, this weekend was just what the doctor ordered. A whole bunch of nothing! I kept my little brother (age 8) for my parents this weekend. We played Super Mario Brothers on the Wii and went to see the new movie Big Miracle. Sometimes it's fun being a kid again. =)
{three} I used the downtime this weekend to file our taxes. I generally hate this task because 1) I crunch numbers all day at my job - so filing my taxes on the weekend really feels like work & 2) We usually owe just a little bit or get just a tiny return back. I'm always waiting on pins & needles for the final number to come in before I can breath. But this year, we are getting a pretty decent return back. I was shocked at the final number. And a happy dance may have ensued in my kitchen on Saturday morning as a result of the unexpected surprised!

{four} Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I may have dropped some not.so.subtle hints to the hubby yesterday about my desire for a Pandora charm bracelet. I have wanted one for quite some time now. I think I would like the cross charm as my starter charm. Symbolic of putting Christ first in all aspects of my life. Charm can be found here Hint Hint Hubby!

{five} I found these pretty cool daily calendar templates on Pinterest this weekend. I am going to spend some time printing them and creating a personal planner binder this week. If it turns out the way I envision, I promise to do a post.

{six} Thank-you to all who voted for my brother's Navy photo on facebook. He won the contest!

{seven} Happy Monday! Here's hoping you all have a blessed, productive week!

Calling All Bloggers - A Little Help PLEASE!

2012-01-27T09:00:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I've written about it - but just in case you didn't know - I am a proud sister of a Navy sailor.

My lil brother (not so little anymore - he's 23!) is currently stationed in San Diego and will soon be underway on his first deployment. Le sigh - they grow up so fast. It feels like just yesterday I was all teary-eyed watching him graduate from bootcamp.......

Which leads me to the point of this post - I need a tinsy favor.

Paxston has been entered in a Facebook photo contest for his ship. Basically, the picture that gets the most "Likes" wins. So I'm ~~asking~~ ~~pleading~~ begging you click on this link & "Like" the picture. He's a pretty handsome kid and the picture is actually pretty cool.

Let's not talk about the fact that my baby bro plays with things that blow up and guns for his job...

He's currently is 2nd place by on 4 votes. The contest goes through January 31st - so please just take a quick second, follow the link & vote!

If you won't do it for me - do it for your country!

Ok - so maybe I'm being a little dramatic - but you get it. It would mean so much to my mom and his girlfriend if he won this contest - okay and maybe his big sister too. :)

Happy Friday! Cheers to the weekend!

When Good Dogs Go Bad

2012-01-26T10:00:00.002-05:00

As I said before, this past weekend was spent primarily in bed trying to recover from sickness. (I'm still sick BTW - can I girl get a break?!)

Sunday evening, I fed the dogs and threw them outside for some evening exercise. While they were outside playing, I hoped in a warm bath hoping to sooth my aches & pains.

I got out the tub, put on my robe and went to the kitchen to make warm tea when Steven asked, "Where are they dogs?" My blissful, lavender filled bubble bath caused me to completely forget about the pups outside. I opened the back door, called their names and nothing happened.

This is highly unusual around our house. Dixie is usually beating down the back door insisting that she be let back into the house after about 3 minutes outside.

So I called their names again....Nothing.....

Slight panic began to creep into my mind.

I stepped out onto the back patio to find the back gate *wide* open. At which point full on panic ensued. People practically fly down the road in front of our home and I was terrified to think what might have happened.....

I screamed to Steven that the back gate was open & the dogs were gone. He bolted out the door without a single word.

I ran frantically to bedroom in search of clothes. Remember....I was sick....like fever sick. Sopping wet from my recent bath - and completely naked. Getting myself dressed & out the door turned out to be a very difficult process.

I couldn't find a single pair of sweatpants or yoga pants. Only shorts. I couldn't find a bra (I swear Dixie hides them from me) So I opted for an over sized sweatshirt and hoped it wouldn't be too obvious. I caught a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror confirmed that I was wearing bright teal shorts, brown Ugg boots, a ratty red sweatshirt with wild wet hair and zero makeup.

I said a silent prayer that I wouldn't encounter any neighbors and ran out the front door screaming for Dixie & Bauer. As I was running out the door a list of thoughts passed through my mind: How exactly does one issue an "Amber Alert" for missing dogs? What's the number to the National Guard because somebody needs to get over here ASAP? If firefighters rescue stranded kittens - who the heck is supposed to find my precious pups?!?!

When I reached the front yard, Steven's truck was gone so I knew he was riding around the neighborhood looking for them.

I turned the corner of our lot and there was Bauer prancing up and down in circles - obviously thrilled to be out of the back yard. Dixie was already in the back yard and sitting quietly on the back deck as if she had never left. It took a few minutes, but I was finally able to coral Bauer back into fence and lock the back gate again.

I waited for Steven to drive by the house and he was relieved to learn they had come home on their own.

Until we got into the house that is.

You see, our lot backs up to a wooded area. We love it because it provides a great deal of privacy. One tiny problem - on the other side of the wooded area is a pasture - full of cows. For the past three years, those cows have tortured my dogs. Every now and then the cows will start moo'ing like crazy and Dixie & Bauer growl & whine while patrolling the back yard begging to be let into the pasture.

So I guess when Dixie & Bauer gained their freedom from fence, they decided it was time to finally pay those cows a visit.

And when they came through the back door, they had the evidence to prove it.

Dixie was covered in cow poop. I mean completely covered. Her nose, paw, chest & legs. Poop everywhere. Bauer had a little on his paws and legs - but it looked like Dixie has found a huge patty and just rolled around in it. Make.Me.Gag.

Because of my sickness, I hadn't been able to smell anything for three days, but I could very clearly smell the stench coming off that dog. So I can only imagine how bad it really was for Steven. I tried to wipe Dixie down as best I could - but the all the commotion left me very light headed and exhausted. Steven finally had to just give Dixie a bath.

I'm so happy they came home on their own - at least I know that they will come back if they get out again. But you just never know what could happen. Of course I had to give Dixie & Bauer a little talking to. Warn them not to go visit those cows anymore. Tell them how much mommy loves them and how sad she would be if anything happened to them.

Having a little chat with the "bad" dogs. Dixie seems to understand that she's in trouble. Bauer is probably thinking that he really wants to visit those cows again. :)

Pray For Kaitlyn's Korner

2012-01-25T09:18:00.001-05:00

I think we all realize that the blogging community can be a very uplifting and encouraging community (despite those one-off instances I went off about yesterday!)

So today I'm asking you to show kindness and compassion and to pray for a special family over at Kaitlyn's Korner.

Chip, Kaitlyn's father, is a fraternity brother of my husband. I cannot imagine the heartache and genuine pain this family must be feeling every second of each day. Chip's love for his daughter is apparent in his writing and his anguish over her disease and pending passing is palpable. I cannot read this blog without being moved to tears.
So please keep them in your thoughts and prayers today. Feel free to leave words of encouragement for the family.

On My Soap Box

2012-01-24T09:24:00.000-05:00

Caveat: If you are easily offended or don't enjoy reading another person's rants - you might want to skip this post. Consider yourself warned. I acknowledge that I fully expect to see the number of people following my blog decrease today.....

Not quite sure where to start this post - so I'm just going to jump right into it.

I have noticed quite a few controversial comments from bloggers over the past few weeks. Not only on my own blog, but on the blogs of those who I follow. So I did a little digging. I blog stalked, if you will. I followed a trail of comments left by one blogger and noticed that not only did she leave judgmental comments on my blog, but also on that of others. Which got me to thinking - are some women just out to prove that every other woman in the world is wrong?

Which leads me to my point. If you don't like what you're reading - feel free to stop reading.

Blogging is a matter of personal expression. It's a forum where people express their opinions. Some comical - some serious - some aggressive - some emotional - but all content of a person's blog is either a retelling of their story or a matter of opinion. So if you don't agree with a person's opinion and you are highly offended by it, exercise your right to stop listening to them.

I will be the first to admit that I have read a blog post that flat out infuriated me. You know what I did? I stopped following that blogger. I didn't leave a comment chastizing the author and setting her straight. I didn't feel the need to roll off a list of reasons why she was politically incorrect or try to convince her to change her mind. I simply stopped reading what she had to say.

I understand that my blog is not for everyone. I understand that my sarcastic humor can easily be misinterpreted. I understand that I may keep things a little too real at times. But - that's me. You will always know where you stand with me - good or bad.

So if something that I say offends you, I completely understand if you decide never to return to my blog. That is your right and I would *never* want to force my opinions onto someone and cause them discomfort or frustration.

But please, don't feel the need to leave me (or any other blogger for that matter) a comment insinuating that I am inconsiderate, politically incorrect, or disrespectful to the greater population. I am well aware of what it means to be misjudged or misunderstood. I am a blonde haired, blue-eyed Southern Baptist pastor's daughter/sorority girl/Southerner. I am well aware of what it means to be misjudged or misunderstood.

Sometimes it just amazes me how some women can be very childish and bully-like in the social media ring. If you don't have to guts to say something to someone's actual face - then don't hide behind a computer screen and blast it on the internet.

Okay - I'm off my soap box. But seriously - spread a little love people - or at least keep your mouth shut if you can't. Please & Thanks!

When You're Sick & Bored.....

2012-01-23T09:30:00.002-05:00

I've been sick with a head cold/congestion since last Thursday. Which means I spent most of my weekend in bed trying to rest. But one can only sleep so many hours during the day. After catching up on my girlie shows on the DVR, I found myself at a loss for bedridden entertainment.

That's when I realized that Time Warner Cable offers a service called "Entertainment On Demand" - which basically has all the reality TV shows from Oxygen, VH1, WE & Bravo on demand. As in - you can watch an entire season if you'd like.

So my entire day yesterday was ~~wasted~~ spent enthralled in two new shows: Mob Wives & Toddlers & Tiaras.

Umm......

I'm literally at a loss for words on both accounts.

On Mob Wives: You must understand - I'm from the South. Women are bred to be proper, polite & well spoken. We are taught to be caddy in passive-aggressive manner. We are taught to tan so that it looks natural. I'm not saying we don't have our fair share of fake women around here - but we do our best not make to it so *obvious*. So who are these women with horrendous fake tans, fake boobs & filthy mouths? Where are they from exactly? Do they really exist, or is the drama & make-up all for the cameras? And how do they have so much money? Are their husbands really in jail? I'm utterly perplexed by this lifestyle. And I'm not gonna lie - a tiny piece of me thinks I may have missed my calling somewhere. Just once I would love to get into a fight in the club and pull a hair piece out of some chicks head. Baller......

On Toddlers & Tiaras: This is a culture I can relate to. Umm yes, I was in pageants. Don't believe me? Here's the proof....

I went to charm school. I learned to stand and turn in a complete circle without every lifting my feet from the floor. I had a lady named Mrs. Sylvia who "jacked my hair to Jesus", as they put it. I will say - my mother was never like the women on this show. I enjoyed pageants. And we didn't spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on routines, outfits & travel. It was more like a rite of passage that all little girls from Alabama partook in during their elementary school years. I was amazed at the extremes these mothers will go to for their daughters to win. And some of the girls are such brats. I burst into hysteria when a 3 year-old said, "I'm a beauty queen!" then immediately picked her nose. Now that's good TV.

I'm still feeling like poo this morning - but at least I'm well rested and was thoroughly entertained yesterday. Sometimes watching crazy shows like that makes me feel a little better about my incredibly "normal" life. It may be a bit stressful or boring at times - but at least my husband's not in jail and at least I don't have a 4-year-old telling me to shut-up because I'm ugly!

Thank God It's Friday

2012-01-20T09:05:00.000-05:00

Thank God It's Friday because it's almost the freakin' weekend baby!

Thank God It's Friday because I'm not feeling so well (took a sick day yesterday, actually) and I think some additional R&R this weekend may help me kick this crud that's lingering in my system.

Thank God It's Friday because one of my best gal pals is having a baby shower this Saturday. I'm so exciting to watch her open presents for Baby Boy and to see some friends that I haven't seen in a while. It's always so much fun to celebrate your friends and the big milestones in their lives.

Thank God It's Friday because hubby and I have lots of good TV on the DVR and I'm looking forward to curling up on the couch and being lazy with him this weekend.

Thank God It's Friday because today marks the official end of the 2011 year end audit at my office. I know I'm speaking accounting lingo here and that makes me a dork. But this is a big deal - my work life may return to normal very soon. Can I get an AMEN!?!

Hope you all have a lovely Friday! :)

Morning Inspiration

2012-01-18T08:33:00.001-05:00

As I have shared here on the blog, I've been going through some difficult struggles over the past two years. Thankfully, God has placed women in my life who I can speak honestly with about these struggles. I received this text message this morning out of the blue - and it reminds me of how abundantly blessed I am.

"You were in my big prayer this morning.... I pray that you're praying big and believing big. Don't cease. You're a strong woman of God and His promises will be kept.... I want you to try something when you get home. Literally strand on your front porch and look into your home. Look at who God's given you to love: Steven and two beautiful, happy boxers. You have a fulfilling life. Look at the shelter he's provided for you every day and night. Feel the love and peace it brings to look at these things, person & pets. Soak it in and breathe thanksgiving. Your blessings bring me happiness too. You are loved and you are blessed..... God bless you today and I hope you'll feel good all day and smile a lot. I love you!"

These words brought tears to my eyes. I know this dear friend meant every word of her prayer. That she loves me, prays for me and has BIG faith that I will be blessed. But most importantly - she reminded me of my current blessings. Of all the reasons I have to be grateful today - no matter what may happen in the future.

Have you ever thought about the power your friends have in your life? Power for good or for evil? Have you ever thought about the importance of surrounding yourself with friends and family who encourage and support you - who actively breathe words of inspiration and strength into your life?

Or more importantly - have you thought about the influence you have in the life of others? What words of encouragement and inspiration do you offer to those you love the most?

This morning I'm so grateful for my friends. For the women who lift me up even when I don't ask for it. For the women who challenge me to become a better woman. For the women who set an example of peace, respect & faith in my life.

Thank-you Lord for strong, faithful women! It's my prayer that I am one of those women to others....

Joint Account Chaos

2012-01-17T08:55:00.000-05:00

With the new year in full force, it seems as if many people are focused on their finances and financial goals for 2012. I would be lying if I didn't say that Steven and I have goals of our own. Through emails and private conversations with many blog readers, I have noticed that many couples may struggle with managing a joint account together.

I thought I would share a financial tool that has saved Steven and I a great deal of heartache over the past few years.

In preparation for our marriage, Steven and I opened a joint account and began depositing all income into that account. We established a budget and intended to have only one checking account that all bills and personal spending would flow through.

After about two months, it became very clear that method was not going to work. You see, I'm an accountant. I like to know where every single penny goes. I check my bank balance every morning and I know exactly how much should be there. So if Steven stopped at the gas station on the way home and spent $5 from the joint account, I became annoyed. If that happened numerous times over the course of the month, I became a little more than irritated. It was too easy to overspend on eating out and entertainment because we didn't have a clear way to track our spending.

It felt like joint account chaos.

In my opinion, it's very hard to create and stick to a budget when both people have full access of the joint account and have the ability to overspend without consequence.

So we discussed our options.

I wasn't comfortable with each person having their own checking account and us "splitting" the bills. To me, that felt more like roommates than partners.

I suggested we each get a weekly cash allowance for personal shopping. I could hand Steven cash and if he wanted to grab something from the gas station or lunch with a buddy, he could use his allowance. That would make budgeting for entertainment and personal spending much easier because I knew that each Monday a certain amount would be withdrawn from the account.

Steven was weary of receiving cash because it's too easy to spend. I also realized that this "cash method" would require me to go the bank once a week to withdraw funds. So we quickly decided against it.

Thankfully, we came up with a solution that works perfectly for us.

We maintain our joint account to which all earnings are deposited and from which all bills/living expenses are paid. But we each have an individual account that is tied to the joint account. At the beginning of each week I transfer our weekly allowance into our personal accounts and we are free to spend that money as we please. If we don't spend all of our weekly allowance one week, it stays in our personal accounts as extra to be used later.

I truly believe this has saved numerous arguments over finances. If one of us needs a little extra cash for whatever reason, we just discuss it. Or if we mutually decide to spend additional funds from the joint account for something that we both want or for something for our home, we discuss it.

This method has not only saved my sanity, but more importantly has allowed us to stick to our budget by forcing us to keep our personal spending within the amount we have agreed upon. It holds us both accountable to treat funds in the joint account as "family" money that we cannot just spend without discussing it with the other person.

I would highly suggest this method for any couple who struggles with overspending or tracking your expenses when both spouses have access to the joint account and spend at will.

What about you - any budgeting or money managing tips that have proven to be very successful for you over the years?

WAIT

2012-01-16T09:02:00.001-05:00

I've already explained that I refuse to make New Year's resolutions this year. And I'm whole heartedly sticking to that claim.

But this past week, I listened to the sermon from New Year's Day on Vimeo since I was unable to attend service. Pastor Greg suggested the idea of choosing one word to focus on throughout the year. The idea is to think about the type of person you want to be at the end of 2012 and ask the Lord to place a word on your heart that will encourage you to live your life in a way that will make becoming that person a reality.

While listening to the sermon, my word became abundantly clear, WAIT.

You see, if I'm being perfectly honest, the past 18-24 months have not gone exactly how I would have wanted. My 27th birthday is quickly approaching and I feel like I'm kind of behind on Amber's Life To-Do List.

And for the past 18-24 months I have been fighting with the Lord at every turn. Instead of meeting obstacles with grace and faith, I pitch a fit and become angry with the Lord for handing me a challenge that I feel is unfair. Instead of trusting that God will work "all things for good", I have convinced myself that my plan is the right plan and God just needs to get with the program. And I'm realizing - that mentality is very dangerous.

I believe that I have many virtues - but patience, faith, & trust are NOT in my basket. Pretty sure the Lord brushed right past me when he was handing those out.

So I'm looking to December 2012. There are many things that I would like accomplish this year spiritually, financially & with my family. And yes, I will continue to pray that the Lord will give me the desires of my heart and truly work these trials for my benefit.

But my desire to be a woman of complete faith is slowly becoming greater than my desire to become a woman who gets everything she wants out of life. And when I say slowly, I mean slowly. But I'm getting there.

So this year, my spiritual mantra is WAIT. I'm not exactly sure what the next 12 months will bring for Steven and I. But I know, that if yield to Christ's will in my life and earnestly seek His direction, I will be much better off than I could every be by following Amber's Life To-Do List.

Do any of you have a spiritual mantra or life verse? Something to keep you focused in difficult times? I'd love to hear about them!

Thank God It's Friday

2012-01-13T08:51:00.000-05:00

Thank God It's Friday because I've put in another 60 hour work week and I'm spent. Seriously. Mentally, physically, emotionally - I'm done. I may have had a tiny *meltdown* last night to prove it. Something about not having enough hours in the day, not wanting to cook dinner, not going to gym in over two weeks, not feeling like myself. Ya know - poor me stuff. Let's just say The Year of Amber wasn't exactly in full force last night.

Thank God It's Friday because it's a casual jeans day at the office. And I may be taking slight advantage of it by wearing jeans, tennis shoes and a bright pink Minnie Mouse sweatshirt. Don't judge me - because my husband already has.

Thank God It's Friday because hubby has plans all night which means I have the house to myself! I plan to relax and renew with a bubble bath, good book and bottle of red. I may even treat myself to an at home mani/pedi if the urge hits me. Even catch up on some of my favorite shows. All I know is I have a date with myself and the possibilities are endless.

Thank God It's Friday because we are OUT of groceries. Cupboards are practically bare. Obviously I haven't had time for grocery shopping the past two weeks - so Saturday morning will be spent stocking the shelves with healthy, Zone friendly choices.

Thank God It's Friday because that means tomorrow is date night with hubs. It feels like it's been forever since we've spent quality time together. For the past two weeks I have crawled home and practically crawled in the bed each night. I'm looking forward to dinner and a movie with the Mr.

Why are you happy it's Friday??

Shopping Auto Insurance - Frustrating or Fabulous?

2012-01-12T08:46:00.002-05:00

For those of you who may not know, I'm an accountant. Not only that, I'm an accountant who *loves* to save money.

I have read multiple books by Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey regarding managing your finances, and I have learned quite a few helpful tools over the years.

I figure it's time to share the wealth. So from time to time you may see a budget-friendly PSA on the blog. I mean, who couldn't use more money in their wallets and a little financial freedom?

About six months ago I took a hard look at our finances and monthly budget. I felt like Steven and I brought home decent salaries - but couldn't understand why we didn't have more left over each month.

I decided it was time to trim the financial fat. But I wasn't sure where to start. So many of our bills were set in stone: mortgage payment, car payments, student loans. Not much "wiggle room" there.

So I started with our auto insurance policy.

I think there is a stigma associated with shopping your insurance policy: time consuming, frustrating, pointless. To say I was hesitant to start the task would be an understatement.

But I did - and I was shocked to learn that we could keep our exact same coverages and pay $45 less a month. That's a savings of $540 a year! I'd say that's time well spent. Fabulous even!

If you haven't shopped your insurance policies in a while - I suggest you give it a try. You might be shocked to see how much you have been overpaying.

A few helpful pointers:
- Get a copy of your current policy with deductibles & coverages. Be sure to request the exact same deductible & coverage to be sure that you are saving money by switching to a new carrier.
- Bundle all insurances policies with the same carrier. Most insurance companies offer you discounts for having multiple policies - so if you are a home owner or have a boat, be sure to bundle those policies with your auto insurance.
- Review your coverages with an agent. There is a chance that you may have more coverage than you need (this is common with home owner's policies). If so, you may be paying more than necessary.

Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email if you have any questions!

Happy Savings Blogger Friends! :)

ROLL TIDE ROLL

2012-01-11T09:21:00.000-05:00

I fully acknowledge that this post is a day late. But little 'ole me is still in full blown year-end close at the office - just indulge me and pretend like this is new news....

THE CRIMSON TIDE IS THE 2012 BCS NATIONAL CHAMPION!!!

To all those haters who said we didn't deserve to play in the championship game, I say, GOOD DAY!

I think the utter mauling, as Brent Musburger put it, more than proves that Alabama deserved a shot at the title. And they took it: 21-0!

So the fans around my house are pretty pleased. :)

I apologize to any of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook. I realize that my tweets and status updates were *beyond* obnoxious. But I just couldn't help myself.

Can't wait till next season to see what Saban & The Tide have up their sleeves!

And for those of you who have requested a picture of my new hair do - here you go. Not the best picture - but you get the point. ROLL TIDE!

Thank God It's Friday

2012-01-06T09:23:00.000-05:00

Thank God It's Friday because I need a break from work like whoa. And I mean like whoa. When I left the office at 6pm yesterday, I had already put in over 50 hours. That's right - 50 hours in 4 days. I still have a full 9-10 hours of work on the agenda today as well - but at least I get a break this weekend. Gotta love the life an accountant at year-end.

Thank God It's Friday because my house is a hot mess and needs a thorough cleaning. This 60+ hour work week has left little room for clearning/cooking. Not to mention, all my Christmas décor is still up. Not off to the best start on the domestic front for 2012, am I? Like I said...Year of Amber means it's ok if my house is a disaster during close at the office. But I'm looking forward to getting this mess cleaned up! Anyone want to volunteer their domestic services at my place this weekend? I've got a good bottle of wine I'm willing to share!

Thank God It's Friday because my in-laws are coming for a visit Friday. That's right - I'm actually excited about a visit from the in-laws. I puffy heart super adore my MIL. We weren't able to see them at Christmas because we traveled to MS to be with the hub's extended family - so this weekend will serve as our post holiday get together. *I'm pumped*

Thank God It's Friday because I will actually get to get a few workouts in this weekend. Umm...it's been a full 6 days since I've even thought about the gym. Again with The Year of Amber and grace during difficult times - but honestly, this booty needs to do a little sweating. If only I could get my knee to stop hurting I might actually get back into Crossfit full force. But at this point I will take what I can get.

Thank God It's Friday because Steven and I will finally be at church on Sunday! Holiday travels have kept us from FiveStones the past three Sundays. I'm deeply missing the time of worship and challenging messages from our pastor. Looking forward to some Jesus this weekend! And for my more conservative readers, I am not being sacrilegious. Jesus is my friend - I need some time with him just like I do my husband or one of my girlfriends. He really is my homeboy.

So happy Friday ya'll! Is anyone else as happy as I am that it's almost the weekend!?!

Here's To The Year Of Amber

2012-01-05T11:18:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! Only 5 days late right? Oh and since I completely missed the holidays around the Blog World - Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Hanukkah & Merry Christmas ya'll!

I'm not doing New Year's Resolutions this year. Too much pressure. After looking back on 2011, I see a recurring theme. Stress. Stress. Stress. And you know what's the cause of that stress?

ME!

I put too much pressure on myself to be the perfect wife, perfect accountant, perfect Christian, perfect person.

I set WAY too many goals and I am super upset when I don't accomplish them.

Don't get me wrong. I think it is admirable to strive for self improvement. It is honorable to want to be a loving spouse, valuable employee & quality world citizen. However, I tend to set significantly higher expectations for myself than I ever do for anyone else.

So this year is The Year Of Amber. (Yes, I'm stealing this from Happy Endings - but it seemed appropriate.)

The year of giving myself a little grace. The year of developing hobbies that I enjoy. The year of traveling to visit friends. The year of being grateful in all things and trusting the Lord to handle those circumstances that are out of my control.

I did something kind of drastic in honor of The Year of Amber. I chopped 6 inches off my hair. I think my hair is becoming an expression of what I feel emotionally. Last winter I died it dark brown. This year I chopped 6 inches off. My hair dresser asked if I was sure I wanted to cut that much off. I responded, "Umm....2011 has pretty much been a horrible year for me. I'm convinced the bad mojo is stuck in my hair. So get rid of that crap please!" :)

With that being said, I plan to come back to blogging again. She's my long lost friend. My escape. My happy place. We've had an on again, off again relationship for quite some time now. And I'm actually committed to making this thing last.

Hope your 2012 is off to a fabulous start!

I Need A Home Ec Class

2011-10-20T09:13:00.001-04:00

The housewife in me is filled with *shame* as I type these words.

Your eyes are not playing a trick on you. That is my husband sewing a button back onto his pants. Why, you might ask? Because I don't know how to sew. Not even a silly button.

I think I'm missing that gene. The crafty, skilled with your hands, woman can make anything gene. My mom has it. Lord knows my Mema had it. My sister is even pretty good with domestic affairs such as sewing - but not me.

I think it's time I enrolled myself into a Home Ec class. Maybe a "Domestic For Dummies" tutorial of some sort might do the trick.

I watched last night as Steven skillfully sewed a button back onto his pants and my womanhood cracked just a tiny bit. Even Bauer wondered what was going on! I swear he shot me a look that said, "This is woman's work mom!"

To make matters worse, Steven kindly offered to iron my dress pants after finishing up with his pants. He wasn't being a jerk. He simply offered to iron my pants because he knows how much I hate ironing and he was willing to do this chore for me.

Needless to say I went to bed feeling like a fraud. I'm a wife, and I own a house. But I'm nowhere near the housewife my Mema trained me to be.

I woke this morning with the urge to bake a pie or crochet a blanket. I'm pretty sure I dreamed about becoming a domestic goddess last night......

PS - Those aren't Steven's glasses. They are mine - he was just trying to thread the needle and needed a little help. :)

So I've Been Thinking....

2011-10-19T07:54:00.000-04:00

If I have some important news that I want to share, I like to start the conversation with, "So - I've been thinking." This statement is an indication that what I am about to say is of the utmost importance and I expect hubby to drop whatever he is doing and listen intently. I don't like to just come out and say what's on my mind. I make my intro statement, pause and wait for hubby's full attention.

Unfortunately, the phrase, "So - I've been thinking" is generally met with an immediate, "Here we go again." I swear Steven eagerly waits for me to announce my latest revelation just so that he can mock me.

It really is quite annoying. I don't understand why he won't take me seriously. For example......

Me: So I've been thinking.
Steven: Here we go again - what have you been thinking?
Me: I want to live in a place with mountains in the background. Not actually in the mountains - just where I can turn around and see the mountains. You know, like how you see snapshots of all those college stadiums with mountains as a backdrop. Let's sell the house and move some place like that.
Steven: You realize that you are physically, deathly afraid of the mountains right?
Me: Yes - I *hate* being in the mountains. But I like to look at them - they are pretty.
Steven: Do you think that if you lived that close to the mountains there is a really good chance you will have to go into the mountains often?
Me: I just said we should consider it....

Me: So I've been thinking.
Steven: Here we go again.....
Me: I think I know what I want to do with my life!
Steven: What's that? (With an 'I can't wait for this grin on his face)
Me: I want to make designer, orthopedic shoes for women with knee/foot problems. You know, shoes that are fabulously trendy but supportive. I could make a fortune!
Steven: How do you know those don't already exist?
Me: Because I went to Southpark Mall and couldn't find anything like it!
Steven: Well honey shoes exist in places other than Southpark Mall. Have you googled designer orthopedic shoes?
Me: No.
Steven: Okay. Well do you know how to design shoes.
Me: Of course I don't! I'll pay someone to design them for me.
Steven: Where will you sell them?
Me: Umm...at the mall??
Steven: Where will you get the start-up money?
Me: I don't know.
Steven: Haven't thought this one through have you?
Me: You're always brining me down.....

Conversations such as the above are a weekly occurrence. Obviously I am talking about life changing important issues and hubby should get on my page!

Perhaps if I spent my energy thinking about more practical things such as meal planning, scheduling workouts and chores I might be much more productive and the hubby might take me a little more seriously.

Oye.....

True Life: I'm Bipolar

2011-10-18T08:29:00.001-04:00

One thing has become blaring apparent to me over the past three weeks. I am bipolar.

For some of my closest friends, this comes as no surprise.

But I have been quite surprised to discover that I have two distinct personalities.

Allow me to introduce Skinny Amber. She's a no excuses, eat well and train hard kind of girl. She likes to try new Zone/Paleo recipes and keeps a fridge stocked full of fresh fruits, vegetables & lean proteins. She thrives off the endorphine high she gets from an early morning workout and has no problem rising at 5:00 am every morning to hit the gym before work. She lives for calloused hands and sore muscles. She can stare a Snickers bar straight in the face without blinking. She's got conviction. She's got guts. She's a size 4 with six pack abs and a smokin' hot booty.

Fat Amber is a different story. She's a sit on your butt wearing sweatpants while stuffing your face with double stuffed oreos kind of girl. Her favorite foods include salt-n-vinegar chips, Snickers candy bars, McDonald's Big Macs and peanut butter fudge milkshakes. Her idea of a good workout is a leisurely stroll through Target while sipping on a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Her favorite past time is sleeping and she will stay in the bed until the latest second possible every morning in order to avoid starting her workday. She is lazy. She is a whiner. She's 300 pounds with bad skin and cankles.

Every morning there is an epic battle between Skinny Amber & Fat Amber. The alarm clock goes off at 5:00 am jolting me from a deep sleep, and suddenly I hear two distinct voices in my head begging me to make a decision:

Skinny Amber: (In a confident, optimistic voice that sounds something like Monica from Friends) Good morning! Get up girl! It's a new day. It's time to meet our goals. Time to rehab that knee. Time to better yourself. Let's do this!
Fat Amber: (In a deep, dreary voice that sounds something like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh) Don't do this to me! It's too early! Unplug that God awful contraption and let's go back to sleep. Rehab is for losers!
Skinny Amber: Don't listen to her. She's fat and sad. She wants you to be just like her. You need to get out of bed. You need to start your day right. Do this for your health. Do this for yourself. Do this for your skinny jeans!
Fat Amber: Why do you allow her hang out with us?? She's obnoxious! Being skinny is overrated! And who honestly cares about their health these days? Go back to sleep and I'll treat you to a sausage biscuit on the way to work. Now that's a way to start your day!
Skinny Amber: Allow me to hang out with you? Listen here fatty - if it weren't for me there would be no going to work each day. Amber would be so big that it would take a crane and crew of six men to get her out of the bed if you got your way! Amber...for the love of all things holy....Get.Out.Of.The.Bed!
Fat Amber: Oh no she didn't! Are you going to let her talk to us this way? What's the point of being skinny if you're too exhausted to enjoy it? Skinny people are angry people. You need to give Skinny Amber a cheeseburger.
Skinny Amber: Okay - I really didn't want to have to do this. But I can see that you aren't getting out of this bed. So here it is....here's the truth. And I only say this because I care about you.
Fat Amber: This should be interesting. She "cares" about you. I care about sleep!
Skinny Amber: Your husband looks better than you do naked!!!

And just like that.....I'm up! I can't believe Skinny Amber dropped a truth bomb like that at 5 in the morning. Fat Amber's got a point. Skinny Amber really can be such a........

Miscellany Monday

2011-10-10T09:37:00.003-04:00

{one} I survived my first close at the new job by myself. For those of you who don't know - I'm an accountant for an international company headquartered in Charlotte. And month end close is always a very busy time of the month for me. Last month was my first time closing my portion of the books by myself. It wasn't pretty - but I survived. :)

{two} I'm on my second cup of coffee already this morning. I feel utterly exhausted this morning. I'm not quite sure why. I have glaring bags under my eyes and my skin just look sullen. Am I possibly catching an early case of the winter blues? Maybe I need a power nap.

{three} I really want to see Footloose this weekend. Does that make me a total teeny bopper? Footloose was one of my favorite 80's movies and I'm so *pumped* that they have remade it with a modern day spin. I may be planning a girl's night to see this one....

{four} I'm so ready for the holidays. I think I'm mainly just excited to have a few days off from work. This year has been pretty tough on me. Three different jobs in one year is a little overwhelming. I haven't had a day off since June and I'm kind of beat. A tiny part of me wishes Steven and I could just lock ourselves away for the holidays and not go anywhere or see anyone. Just light a fire and curl up watching holiday movies for an entire week with nothing to do and nowhere to go. But I know that's never going to happen. Maybe one of these years we will sneak away to Jamaica for the holidays. We keep saying that we are going to do it before we have kids - but it hasn't happened yet!

{five} I've mentioned this a few times on Twitter - but seriously, what's all this buzz about Pinterest? I have received multiple invitations, but haven't joined yet. I'm not sure if I have time for another social media distraction in my life. But apparently it's all the rage!

Gospel Of Blogging - According To Amber

2011-09-23T09:14:00.000-04:00

Can I start today's post by saying - HAPPY FRIDAY!!! Whew...I feel like I've been waiting on this day all week. I'm very much looking forward to relaxing and watching football this weekend. I also have plans (fingers crossed) to clean my mess of a house - but we shall see how much success I have.

As promised, I thought I would share a few more tips that I have found useful in my experience as a blogger. Again, these are my personal opinions and I am sure many bloggers would disagree - this isn't the Gospel of Blogging - just the Gospel of Blogging According to Amber.

Choose pictures carefully.

I think this is a sensitive subject. Some bloggers post 10+ pictures a day. Other bloggers rarely post pictures at all. I try to land somewhere in the middle. If I am writing a post about a particular event, I will include a few pictures of the event. If I am writing a post about a product that I love, I will include a picture of the product and possibly a link to the product. However, there are many days that I do not include pictures at all. It's important to keep your readers engaged visually and to keep your blog appealing to the eye - so fun pictures & cute artwork are definitely a positive. I believe it's better to use your own pictures rather than "borrowed" pictures from other sites. When I stumble across a blog that is 80% motivational pictures from WeHeartIt or nothing but fashion shots from Vogue, Elle, etc., I move on. I need more content than that. Like I said yesterday, most people want to see your real life - not what you wish your life was.

Shake things up a bit.

Try to write varied posts each week. Product reviews are great. Sharing recipes - awesome. Tips on budgeting and couponing are extremely helpful. Hysterical stories about mishaps as a newlywed, new mommy or career woman are always a plus. But writing about the same thing every day can make you and your blog somewhat predictable and people may be less likely to visit you every day. There are a few blogs that I love for fashion do's & don'ts, recipes & budgeting tips. But I only visit them when I want advice on fashion, food & budgeting - because I know that is all that I will find.

Take advantage of social media.

Twitter people! Twitter - Twitter - Twitter! Many women who blog - also tweet. And we tweet to each other - all day long. :) Developing those friendships outside of the blogland creates a true interest in your life among your readers. Sharing links to your blog on Twitter and Facebook is also a great way to draw new people to your blog. I've also found that many bloggers will actually share a link to your blog on their Twitter page - which draws their own followers to your blog. I'm telling you - if you want to get the word about your little old blog - then tweet it.

Be a considerate member of the blogging community.

This is a pet peeve of mine. If you want others to read and comment on your blog - then do the same. I know that life gets busy - hello I took a 6 month sabbatical! But make time to keep up with other bloggers. If you see that new readers are visiting your blog and leaving comments, be courteous and do the same to them. I am not saying that you have to visit every single person who comes to your blog. That's not possible. I'm also not saying that have to follow everyone who follows your blog. I'm just saying that if you see a blogger visiting your site time after time and genuinely enjoying what you have to say - then at least make the effort to do the same. If you visit their blog and truly don't like what you see - no harm no foul. You certainly don't have to love everyone - but you can at least try.

Live your life.

This is probably the biggest struggle I have as a blogger. Balance. I swear to you I could spend hours a day blogging. I could visit 100+ blogs a day and leave comments. And when I do spend a great deal of time visiting other blogs and commenting on other blogs - that is when I see the most traffic to my blog. It's like a drug. I love sharing with other bloggers and I want them to share with me. But I work full time. I have a husband who would like to eat dinner with me every night. I go to church and help out with our youth group. It's difficult to devote hours upon hours to blogging. This is the main reason that I took a 6 month break recently - I just became too wrapped up in blogging. I felt guilty if I couldn't comment on every one's blog. I felt bad if I didn't respond to the 50+ emails I got a day. So I just quit blogging completely. That obviously wasn't the answer. The answer is balance. If you need to take a day or two off to focus on things at home or work - do it. You will be missed. If you can't respond to every email or visit all your favorite blogs each day - it's okay. Catch up when you can. Most active bloggers share the same time restrictions that you have and they will understand. Like I said - it's all about being a considerate member of this community.

Okay - I think I have shared enough for now. I hope this helps to all of you who are trying to get your blog up and running. Thanks for following along with me. And if you're thinking about joining Twitter - feel free to find me HERE.

Write About What You Know

2011-09-22T08:21:00.000-04:00

During my blogging vacation which may or may not have been induced by a quarter life crisis, I received many emails from new readers and new bloggers asking for tips and suggestions regarding creating a successful blog. First I would like to apologize for not responding to many of you. I really do believe in sharing insights and helping other bloggers and it was incredibly rude of me not to return emails to those of you who asked for my help. With that being said, I figured it might be time to do my first ever post about creating a successful blog.

I have seen countless posts regarding the do's and don'ts of blogging. Everyone has their own opinions and the truth is - you ultimately have to find what works for you and your audience. But if there is one thing that I have learned to be of the absolute highest importance it would be this.....

Write about what you know.

When I first started blogging I wanted to be this super chic, fabulous, classy blogger. I wanted to write about fashion, grand adventures and ultra hot topics. In essence, I wanted to be a modern day Carrie Bradshaw. I wrote for posts for months and months with very little success and gained very few followers. I was so frustrated until I realized something very important. My knowledge of fashion is limited. Although I love to travel, my time and budget restrictions don't exactly allow for the grand adventures I want to write about. Most importantly - I am nothing like Carrie Bradshaw!

So I began writing posts about what I know. Essentially, I began blogging about my life as a newlywed. I wrote about my adventures learning to cook and taking care of my mischievous puppies. I wrote about my struggles with my weight and trying to development a positive body image. I wrote about the every day moments of my life: funny, sad, exciting, boring - all of it. And it worked. Suddenly people were commenting on my stories. People wanted to hear more and they began to follow.

The truth is - people can tell when you are being fake. Most bloggers are bombarded with fake every day - fake TV, fake celebrities, fake hair, fake friends, fake romance. Fake. Fake. Fake. People want to read real, true writing.

There is *nothing* more annoying to me than a blogger who always writes about rainbows and sunshine. The last thing I want to do is read a blog where everything is perfect every single day. If you have time to make the bed every morning, cook breakfast, lunch and dinner and keep a perfectly clean house all while looking fabulous, getting in a workout every day and having sex 5+ times a week with your smoking hot husband who brings you flowers every night - then I really don't like you. Chances are you are lying, and if you aren't lying then you are rude for making the rest of us real people feel bad about ourselves.

My life is messy. Being married is work. Creating a successful career is stressful. Balancing friendships and relationships can be complicated. Dinners get burned, pantyhose get torn and sometimes you fall down and bust your butt in front of everyone in your office. Such is life.

So my suggestion to those of you who are creating a blog or trying to revamp your blog is really quite simple. Ask yourself, "Who am I?" Take a long hard look at your life and determine what you should write about it. If you truly are a fashionista who knows all things trendy and fabulous - then write about fabulous trends. If you are a young mother struggling through dirty diapers and sleepless nights, write about the joys of your experience as a new mom. If you are in college dating tons of guys and living it up - write about those crazy nights on the road to becoming an adult. Whatever stage of life you are in - write about it. Write the good, the bad and the ugly.

Because people can identify with truth. If you can get readers to relate to you, then you will get them to come back time and time again. You will be surprised at the true friendships you will develop with bloggers across the world as you share real pieces of yourself with this community. It really is easy.....just be yourself!

Tomorrow I will share a few more obvious, cosmetic tips that I have found useful for those of you who have asked specifics. But I really do believe the key to any successful blog is finding your voice and personality as a writer.

Fight Gone Bad

2011-09-21T08:29:00.000-04:00

So even though I am a useless Crossfitter these days (thanks a lot stupid knee) - my husband is still going strong. This past weekend, Steven along with 16,000 Crossfit athletes across the country participated in the annual Fight Gone Bad competition to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project. Over $1M was raised for the foundation.

Although I was bummed not to be able to participate, it was such a blast watching Steven and many members of Crossfit Charlotte kill it for such a good cause.

There is something super hot about watching a man sweat......

Warmed up and ready to go.

Great form on the push press.

Elbows high for the Sumo Deadlift Highpull.

Steven and I have finally convinced one of our closest friends Jim to join Crossfit and after just one week of WODs - Jim participated in Fight Gone Bad and killed it! Great job buddy!

Jim laid out after giving it his all - and me enjoying a pumpkin spice beer. Something wrong with this picture?? :)

Congrats to all the Crossfit athletes who competed and raised money for this amazing charity. Just another one of the many reasons that being a Crossfitter is about so much more than just throwing down at the box each day.

To Baby Or Not To Baby

2011-09-20T09:05:00.000-04:00

Is it just me, or is everybody pregnant these days? Maybe it's just my neck of the woods - all my friends and family. But I kid you not, I counted and fifteen of my friends and family are pregnant. I'm not talking about people that I sort of know. I'm talking about people I actually keep in touch with and know personally. I feel as though every time I turn around another friend is announcing her pregnancy.

And with my recent "comeback" I have been shocked at the number of tweets & emails I have received inquiring if I was pregnant. Apparently many of you thought I took a little vacay from blogging due to an unannounced pregnancy. Well I hate to disappoint you ladies - but this is not the case!

Steven and I have been married for over three years now. We were the first of all of our friends to get married. When we were engaged my girlfriends joked with my that I would start "popping out babies" immediately. I swore to all of them that I might have been the first to get married - but I would be one of the last to get pregnant. Turns out that is true. Most of my friends who are pregnant got married after me and they have beat me to it.

As you can imagine, this has lead my over analytical, type A, freak-out-about-everything self right into a tail spin. Over the past two months figuring out every detail of my soon-to-be pregnancy was of utmost important. I found myself googling words like Egg White Cervical Mucus & figuring out what an OPK was. I determined what month I want the baby to be born and calculated what month that meant I should conceive. And then came the horribly troubling thoughts - what if we have difficulty conceiving? What if my biological clock really is ticking and I wait too long and miss my opportunity to have a baby? What if I've waited too long and I am no longer able to get pregnant.

Why did I torture myself with all this panic & worry? I have no idea!

Before I found out everyone else was getting pregnant I didn't feel any deep urge to get pregnant. Of course I want a family someday, and I've known for about a year now that "someday" is quickly approaching - but I haven't been quite ready to start trying.

But suddenly I saw babies everywhere, and I wanted a baby.

A few weeks ago after discovering another pregnancy via Facebook I burst into the living room and screamed at Steven, "OMG. SoandSo is pregnant!! EVERYONE is pregnant but me!" Steven calmly replied, "Sweetie - do you really want a baby? Is that what you are ready for? Cause if so we can have a baby." I was on the verge of tears when I replied, "I don't think so. But you know me - I just don't want to be left out." To which Steven immediately burst into hysterical laughter and said, "There she is - my crazy wife!"

Which of course - I am crazy - but that's another topic entirely.

So I've decided to put the baby topic to rest for a few months. With recent job changes and other unnamed events, it seems like we could use a few more months to catch our breath and get a few things in order. I'm not saying this means we are going to start trying soon or that we are putting baby making on hold. I'm just taking a moment to realize that starting a family shouldn't be this stressful.

I'm so blessed to have the life that I do. I have loved being a newlywed with my husband. I really cherish the years we have had together - just the two of us. I hear so many women in their 40's with kids who say they wish they had waited a few more years and really enjoyed time alone with their husbands before starting a family. I don't want to look back on life and feel like I rushed into anything.

So for the time being, I'm focusing on loving my husband. Enjoying these moments because I am starting to realize that at some point in the near future we won't have the freedom and flexibility that we have now. I'm telling the control freak in my head to take it easy and allowing the carefree Amber (yes - she does exist - even if she rarely makes an appearance) to drive for a little while.

And until I have a baby of my own, I can always love on these cuties.

It's Finally Here!!!!

2011-09-19T10:30:00.000-04:00

I cannot begin to tell you how long I have waited for this day. The past two months of boring, weekday summer nights have lead me to this day. This night. The night that Prime Time television premiers the Fall TV Lineup!!!!

Can you hear the choir of angels? Can I get an Amen or Hallelujah?

I'm kind of ashamed to admit this - but I spent my lunch break last Thursday mapping out our evening TV schedule. We recently switched from DirectTv to Time Warner Cable which means that we lost all the programming on our DVR and it will need to be reset. So I spent an hour visiting NBC, ABC, Fox & CBS online to see what their fall line-up looked like and mapped out our DVR schedule. Don't judge me......

I'm not going to tell you all the shows I will be watching, because it would be a little embarrassing. But I figure, I wake up at 5:00 a.m. every morning and get my workout in before work. I work from 8-5 and have an hour long commute home. If I want to relax in front of the TV Monday-Thursday evening for a couple hours, that's my perrogative. Plus you know me, Little Miss Frugal loves some free entertainment!

I will however share a few of my favorites and a few new shows that I have high hopes for:

Grey's Anatomy

Hands down all time favorite show. I can't believe Meredith gets fired - I'm sure that won't last long because what would the hospital drama be without Meredith??

Castle

Please, please, please can they just get together??? Will Beckett remember that Castle said the L word??

Modern Family

ABC Comedy Wednesday is my favorite night of the week largely in part to this fabulous show! Congrats on all the Emmy wins last night!

Criminal Minds

JJ is back! :)

I'm also adding a few new shows to the mix:

New Girl

I love Zooey Deschanel and this new show looks hilarious.

Whitney

Have you seen the promo where she says, "I don't get why guys have to wear jerseys while watching a football game. It's not like they are on the team. That would be like me dressing up as a hooker to watch SVU." Bahahaha.....

Is anyone else as excited about their shows coming back on as I am? Feel free to share your favorite shows!

I Love It When My Passions Collide

2011-09-16T08:15:00.000-04:00

So as many of my long term readers know - I'm what you might call frugal. Some might even say a penny pincher. My husband likes to call it plain cheap. Whatever way you spin it - I love saving money!

When Steven and I decided to start following Zone, I immediately thought of the cost of eating healthy. I worried that we would not be able to stay within our allotted monthly budget for groceries if our entire diet consisted of lean meats, fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and dairy products. I had a preconceived notion that eating healthy was expensive.

I'm glad to say - I've been pleasantly surprised to find out that notion was wrong!

It has been rather easy to find cost effective healthy lunch and dinner options; however, I found myself spending majority of our grocery budget on balanced snacks.

I love Greek yogurt. It's packed with protein and offers a conservative amount of carbs. One cup around 3pm each afternoon is enough to hold me over until dinner every night. I'm especially in love with the Key Lime flavor. I swear, if I close my eyes, it's almost as if I'm eating real key lime pie. And who doesn't like to snack on key lime pie??

One tiny problem with Greek yogurt is it can be quite expensive. The average single yogurt pack runs about $1.25. Add that up over a week and you've spent $6.25 just on afternoon snacks!

Thankfully my mother turned me onto couponing. Our local grocer, Harris Teeter, doubles coupons up to $.99. About every six weeks they will triple coupons up to $.99. So I save my Greek yogurt coupons until a special comes along and when it does - I stock up on healthy snacks at a steal.

Harris Teeter is running the triple coupon special this week and they have Yoplait Greek yogurt on sale 10/$10. I had 5 coupons of "Buy 2 Get $.50 Off". I purchased 10 yogurts for $10 on the VIC special. I had 5 coupons for $.50 off which was a total of $2.50 in savings. Triple that savings and I save $7.50 in coupons! I purchased $12.50 worth of yogurt for $2.50!!! I paid $.25 a piece when the yogurt was normally $1.25 each!!!

Call me crazy - but knowing that I saved 80% makes this key lime yogurt cup taste that much better!

I'm Back!

2011-09-15T08:19:00.000-04:00

It's official ladies - after many not so subtle hints from many of my followers, friends and even my husband - I've decided to come back to blogging.

For the first time in a long time I'm started to feel like myself again - and let me tell you, it's a good feeling. Now that my schedule has slowed down slightly and I've been able to catch my breath, I have the itch to get back to blogging!

I've experienced a bit of a whirlwind the past six months though. I'll spare you the drama and give you the high lights:

-Knee injury has completely derailed Crossfit efforts. After 5 months of a vicious cycle of rehab for a week then working out for a week, I've finally committed to staying off my knee and rehabbing it properly. I'm two weeks in and not seeing much improvement - but I trust that within another 4-6 weeks I will see signs of improvement and be able to return to Crossfit.

- Remember that big girl job that I was so excited about in April? Turned out to be a BIG fail. Out of respect for my friends who still work there, I won't go into any particular details. Simply put - it was not for me. After four months, I made the difficult decision to explore other career opportunities and the Lord quickly blessed me with a new path.

-I've been at my new job three weeks now and already I feel a huge weight has been lifted. The schedule is much more reasonable and I truly see opportunity for long term growth and happiness. Thank-you Lord!

-I'm finally a blonde again!!!! After 8 long and difficult months, my hair has regained it's sparkle. Although, not without a lot of damage. Lesson learned - I will never go dark again - ever.

That about sums it up. Thank-you SO much to all of you who have checked in on me over the past six months. It makes me feel so great to know that my absence has not gone unnoticed and that there are people out there (even if you are technically strangers!) who care for me and my while being.

I'm done with the pouting and poor me stories. I can't wait to jump back on the wagon and see what everyone has been up to!

It's About So Much More Than These Current Struggles

2011-08-10T10:23:00.000-04:00

I’ve stared at this blank computer screen for weeks now planning my blogger comeback.

I’ve searched for witty quips, inspirational stories or heartfelt words that could somehow explain my absence over the past four months.

There has to be some grand explanation for why I have been silent for so long.

But the truth is, there really is none.

Arguments could be made that I am going through a legitimate quarter life crisis. Or I could point to the 55+ hour work weeks coupled with a 45 minute commute and multiple weekends worked over the past four months. There’s also the fact that I’m still struggling through a knee injury. Or maybe I’ve felt too guilty to blog – my house is a mess, I’m gaining weight again and I have felt like an utter failure as a wife for the past four months – so why should I spend time blogging when I obviously have so many issues that need to be addressed?

The last time I blogged I referenced some 30 Days To A Better Me. Seriously? What was I thinking? I’m not sure where I got that. Maybe too many articles written by Bethenny Frankel or Dr. Phil? Either way – that challenge was an epic fail.

I’ve learned some seriously difficult lessons over the past eighteen months. And through each of those hardships I have put unnecessary pressure on myself to overcome with perfection.

And I’m flat out tired.

I looked at myself in the mirror this morning and I don’t recognize the woman staring back at me.

Where did these bags under my eyes come from? When is the last time I actually fixed my hair? And what’s with this chipped finger nail polish? Or the fact that I haven’t shaved my legs in days? Why have I felt nauseas for weeks?

But there are signs that are more troubling than the physical. Where has my passion for life gone? Since when do I let fear control me? Why can’t I sleep? Who am I and how do I get the real Amber back?

I don’t want to give the wrong impression. I’m not depressed. I’m not on the verge of doing something stupid. I’m just not me. And I don’t know how or when this happened. Somehow I’ve slowly become jaded over the past eighteen months and I’m so tired of it.

And I think therein lies the truth about why I haven’t blogged in so long. I hate admitting weakness. I hate admitting fear or sadness. I want to be bubbly, funny, encouraging & inspirational. I want to write words that bring a smile to someone’s face or a tear to their eye. I do not want to be this.

There’s enough sadness & drama in this world without another blogger going on and on about feelings of insecurity.

But I realize if I am ever going to find myself again, I’ve got to be honest about how I got here. Writing is a passion of mine. It’s an outlet for happiness, truth, pain, fear, serenity & comfort.

And I have to believe that there are other twenty something women going through the same issues – how do I balance career & a family – how do I maintain a positive self-image – how do I foster my faith and witness to my lost friends – how do I manage expectations from my parents, husband and friends?

So there is no plan. I’m removing the pressure. My Type-A personality is begging me to sit down and write a list of 10 Steps To A Better You. But that’s bogus and I know it.

So I’m just going to write. I’m going to share my insecurities and pray that the Lord will bless my honesty. I’m going to share words of encouragement that have moved me over the past eighteen months. I’m going to find the woman that I once was and I’m going to gain an appreciate for the challenges I have been through.

Because ultimately life is not about success, money, accomplishments or ambition. Life is about relationships. It’s about sharing the best and worst of yourself with others and allowing those moments to change you for the better. It’s about having faith that Christ has a purpose for you and actively seeking His will and following as He leads.

It’s about so much more than these current struggles……

30 Days To A Better Me

2011-05-23T08:29:00.000-04:00

It’s time to buck up ladies. Not you. Me.

After reading all your positive and uplifting comments on Friday, I felt somewhat ashamed of myself.

Tsunamis, tornados, Bin Laden is dead and Michael Scott left The Office. Real stuff is going on in the world people. And I’m crying about a bum knee.

Shame on me.

Sadly, I am pretty sure I have said those words on the blog before. Shame on me.

Anyone who has read my blog for a while can tell you, I may have a tendency to be a little self-involved. Perhaps a tad dramatic.

There’s an increasingly good chance that I may be bi-polar. If someone studied me they might hit the jackpot of all psychotic patients – because I’m serious a *hot Southern mess* over here.

One minute all is well in the world. I’m eating my TCBY on a date night with hubby and feeling immensely blessed and grateful for my life. Two days later I’m sobbing on my couch during the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy telling my husband that Meredith Grey and I both need to get our $#%& together like whoa.

Seriously somebody call Bravo……

It hit me this weekend that it’s time for me to buck up. Yes, the past year has been difficult. No, The 5-Year Plan According to Amber isn’t exactly going according to schedule.

But oh freaking well.

So it’s time to gain control. Control of what, I’m not so sure. My eating habits? My workout schedule? My physical therapy? My disaster of a house? This list could get pretty long…..

I’m taking the challenge. The “30 Days To A Better Me” challenge. No this isn’t a book or some hot internet challenge. It’s just something I’ve come up with to give me a goal over the next 30 days. I’m too much of a control freak and OCD to believe I can just “think happy thoughts” and suddenly this negative cloud will pass me by.

I’ve identified four main areas that I want to work on over the next 30 days. It’s not rocket science….this is pretty basic. But I truly believe if I can spend time each day addressing these four main areas, I will gain some much needed balance and perspective during this next month.

I won’t bore you with the details of my plan – but if it works, I’ll be sure to share.

All I know, is I can’t keep making excuses for myself. I can’t keep waiting for something extravagant to happen that will change my outlook. The truth is, I’m incredibly blessed and far too spoiled and self-absorbed.

That trend has to end.

So begins Day 1 of 30 Days To A Better Me.

Oh and I’m not stupid. I don’t expect to be a completely changed woman at the end of this 30 days with everything I could ever want from life. I do however, believe if I can focus on four small areas and see true growth and development in those areas I will find the strength and discipline I need to make a positive change in my attitude towards all of the challenges I have faced over the past year.

PS. Sorry for the melodrama around these parts lately. I know this may not be the rainbows and butterflies so many of us are accustomed to from our favorite bloggers; however, I’ve got to be real with myself. I need a reality check and blogging all these issues so openly forces me to address these issues head on – and that’s exactly what I need.

I Need To Get My $&^% Together

2011-05-20T09:30:00.000-04:00

I’m not in a good place right now. For reasons that I can’t go into on the blog, the past year has been full of unexpected curve balls, surprise dramas and difficult decision after difficult decision.

I’ve had enough and I’m being a baby about it. One day in my memoirs I’ll provide full disclosure, but for the time being, I’m just going to be unreasonable and pout.

Notice how I haven’t been blogging? Yes, I am incredibly busy with the new job and don’t have a great deal of time, but if I’m honest that’s not the true reason for my absence.

Truth is – I don’t have anything good to say and I don’t have the energy to fake it.

I feel like I’m experiencing a quarter life crisis. I went full on Bethenney yesterday. (Anyone watch Bethenney Ever After? Bethenney Frankel - love her – but her meltdowns can be a bit much. I refer to these moments in my life as a “Bethenney” moment.)

So back to my Bethenney moment.

I was texting Steven about my issues with my knee. It’s still bothering me. I haven’t worked out in five weeks….that’s right five weeks. I rested the knee completely for two weeks and have now seen a physical therapist for the past three weeks. Per my PT’s orders I have not worn heels in four weeks….that’s right four weeks. I have spent over $300 on treatment for my knee and it’s getting worse……….

Steven and I signed up to run the Charlotte Metrodash with another couple from our gym on June 11th. I seriously doubt I will be able to compete. Steven keeps telling me to go see a doctor and get a cortisone shot and my knee will feel just fine for the race. He doesn’t seem to get that I actually feel a dull pain in my knee with every step that I take and the thought of running or jumping makes me want to cry.

And yesterday while sitting at my office…..I had enough….and the texting began……

After ten minutes of texting him about my research regarding techniques called scraping or augmented soft tissue mobilization or the possibility of seeing a chiropractor for possible relief the conversation ended with melodramatic tears streaming down my face and the following:

Me 1:30PM: I just don’t know what to do and I’m getting so frustrated.
Steven 1:31PM: Just relax and be patient.
Me 1:33PM: I’ve been $#%& patient for five weeks.
Steven 1:33PM: Ok
Me 1:33PM: I’m going to talk to Dr. Walker tonight and let him know I am not happy with this course of treatment. I’m going to ask him about scraping or other more intensive options that we can do.
Me 1:35PM: It’s getting worse. I know you think I’m exaggerating but I really cannot do anything on it and I have this constant dull pain.
Me 1:37PM: And now my left knee is bothering me and I think it’s because of the $*#!@ flat shoes I am wearing. I have never been able to wear flats. They hurt my feet.
Me 1:39PM : I can’t find flat shoes to fit me. I can’t wear heels. I keep spending money buying new shoes that are super ugly and even those $#@&! shoes hurt my feet which makes my knees hurt more. And I have spent $300 on PT that hasn’t done a #$^@& thing. I’m seriously worried all these flat shoes are making it worse. And I look super ugly walking around in flat shoes with ugly legs in the mean time.
Me 1:40PM : WHY THE #!@&$* AREN”T YOU RESPONDING TO ME?!?!?!?!

Somebody call Bravo…..I need my own reality show. Young, Fabulous & Needs To Be Sedated……

PS. If someone sees my husband wandering the streets with a sign that says Will Work For New Wife please kindly send him home. I promise to play nice from now on.....

Allow Me To Introduce....

2011-04-28T08:37:00.001-04:00

My new blog design!!!!!

Remember when I posted about wanting new design?? That very same day I entered a giveaway for a blog makeover from Jenn at Munchkin Land Designs and WON!

I’m so thrilled with the results! As you well know, I’m not exactly a creative or tech savvy girl. So when Jenn asked me about my vision for my blog I basically said, “I love pink and I’m thinking Carrie Bradshaw.” I can’t believe that she was able to put this blog design together with so little instruction and direction. It was such a pleasure working with her and I’m just ecstatic about the new look for blog. If only I were this glamorous in real life!

My favorite part might be the header she created or the icons for Twitter/FB/Email. Feel free to look me up! :)

So as some of you may have noticed, I tweaked the title of my blog slightly. I started this blog almost two years ago as a way to chronicle my life with Steven and our journey as newlyweds. I never would have imagined at that time that my blog would have grown so greatly and that I would enjoy blogging as much as I do.

Steven and I are approaching our third anniversary (June!) and it’s becoming apparent in more ways than one that we aren’t exactly newlyweds anymore. Our marriage has blossomed and I feel as though we are entering a new phase in our relationship. So I want my blog to reflect this transition. Hence the cute little not so insert. We’re still as in love as ever…just not exactly as bright eyed as we were three years ago.

I hope you all are having a great week! I plan to spend some time catching up on blogs this evening before Grey’s! Can’t wait to read what everyone has been up to.

Be sure to check Jenn out if you feel the need for a little update as well. I swear she's a blog design genius!

Miscellany Monday

2011-04-25T08:10:00.001-04:00

{one} I spent a couple hours catching up on my favorite blogs this weekend. It felt so good to be back! I seriously hate that I have had literally zero time to read through blog over the past two weeks. Here’s hoping I can correct this soon.

{two} I’m enjoying the new job. It’s slightly overwhelming, I won’t lie. But I truly think that once I get acclimated and have a better understanding of this new position I will really enjoy this job. It could turn out to be a great move for my career – so fingers crossed!

{three} I’m addicted to Twitter. I knew it was going to happen – and it did. Seriously. Check that thing like 20 times a day. Is it sad that I’m actually getting most of my updates on current events and breaking news on Twitter? I mean – I’m purposefully following key politicians and leaders to hear what they have to say –but still, I always learn something new on there!

{four} I won a blog makeover from Jenn @ Munchkin Land Designs and I’m so excited to be working with her. Jenn has been so amazing to work with and she’s a truly talented blog designer. She is really trying to create the vision that I see for my blog and I’m loving her ideas. Can’t wait to show you guys the final product!

{five} My little brother got engaged this weekend. Wow – I feel ancient just typing those words. I was his age when Steven and I got engaged (22) – but still, a part of me will always think he’s a little boy. Can’t believe how quickly he’s growing up.

{six} I hope everyone has an amazing week! I’ll be doing my best to make my rounds and catch up on your blogs. Be patient with me – I’m still trying to adjust to this new work schedule (50+ hours a week) and finish this semester of grad school. Lord please help me survive these next two weeks!

So Much For Grey's Anatomy

2011-04-21T08:43:00.001-04:00

As some of you (those who follow on Twitter or FB) may already know, hubby had a kidney biopsy and overnight hospital stay on Tuesday. No need to be alarmed, just running some tests to try and determine why his kidneys are currently underperforming. Doctors have told us not to be alarmed so far – and I’m trying very hard to follow that advice!

Unfortunately, with me just starting this new job I’m a little overwhelmed (noticed how I haven’t been blogging lately??) Thankfully, my wonderful MIL volunteered to take Steven to the hospital Tuesday morning and stay with him for the procedure. I went straight to the hospital after work and stayed with him for the night.

I must admit, hospitals aren’t exactly what they seem to be on Grey’s Anatomy. I was so excited as I entered the empty elevator on my way to the 6th floor. My heart skipped a beat every time the elevator cart stopped at a new floor. I was secretly hoping that Presbyterian’s own McDreamy or McSteamy would step into the elevator – sadly no such thing happened. As a matter of fact, I didn’t see a single hot doctor (male or female) the entire time we were there.

I felt a little jilted as I walked down the hallways of the hospital and didn’t see a single nurse or doctor sneaking into an on-call room for a little rendezvous.

I was also incredibly bummed when the nurses didn’t burst into song every time they came to check Steven’s vitals. (Still not so sure how I feel about the recent musical…..)

I didn’t even hear any juicy gossip as I purposefully strolled by the nurse’s station multiple times.

I figured if I was going to pay some huge hospital bill for Steven's procedure, the least the doctors and nurses could do was entertain me. Apparently the doctors and nurses at Presbyterian Hospital actually do work. Imagine that….

And here I’ve been feeling like I missed my calling as a doctor….come to find out they are just as boring as accountants.

Thanks to all those who have offered well wishes & prayers for Steven. He’s doing just fine and we are praying that the results will come back positive early next week. Stay tuned!

It's A Big Day!

2011-04-11T07:16:00.000-04:00

First day of the new job today. Boy is my stomach in knots! I was up super early this morning putting on my big girl face for the new corporate job!

Thanks again for all the well wishes. I'm hoping this week will be the start of great new things in my career.

Here's a picture of me on my first day....almost like kindergarten all over again!

Excuse the camera phone quality. You get the idea....

Have a wonderful Monday lovelies! :)

Friday Confessional

2011-04-08T09:39:00.004-04:00

So it's been a while since I've joined up for Friday Confessional - but I feel I'm feeling a doze of honesty this morning! (Rissy this is the conffesional I link up with sometimes!)

I confess that I took a drug test this morning and I'm terrified that I might fail. No....I'm not a drug user. In fact, I've never done drugs in my life. I'm a little too paranoid for all the jazz. But still...the anxious control freak in me is terrified that the lab might mix up my test results with someone else and my new company will pull my offer because I failed my drug test. Yes...I'm the kind of person that worries about these things. Plus...there were some *sketchy* looking people in the waiting room at the drug test center. Oh and the name of the center I tested at is STD Testing Center. (I kid you not!) Fail.....

I confess that I'm a little emotional about today being my last day at my job. I've had such a great 13 months here. I've learned so much and been blessed with amazing mentors. I've developed some true friendships. It will be sad not to see these people everyday. Despite the fact that I am thrilled about this new opportunity, I'm a little sad to walk away from my current employer. I keep trying to remind myself when one door closes.....

I confess that I'm super nervous about my first day at the new job on Monday. I've got my outfit picked out, got the quickest route to work mapped out, got my game face on - but still, I've never been great at change. I have tried to kid myself my entire life that I can "roll with the punches" but the older I get the more comical that little white lie becomes.

I confess that I do not have a perfect marriage. GASP! SHOCK & AWE!!! I know that comes as a surprise to many of you, but it is true, my marriage is not all rainbows and butterflies. I feel the need to confess this for multiple reasons - mainly, just to be real. I have had numerous conversations with bloggers lately ranting about those bloggers who just seem *so perfect*. We all know the kind. And I'm not judging them. If anything, I'm jealous of them. But I just truly wonder how some people can be so flawless. Literally seems like rainbows and butterflies.

After careful review of my blog, I realize that I tend to blog about the good stuff in my marriage and not the bad. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of airing my dirty laundry for the world to see. Also, there really is significantly more good than bad in my relationship. Three years in and I'm still madly in love with this man. He makes me laugh. Makes me feel protected. Makes me feel treasured. I'm so blessed.

However, my marriage has it's imperfections, insecurities, and communication issues. We don't fight often, but when we do, we bring the good stuff. We often joke that we could sell tickets to our fights because they are definitely a "main event". That's just a product of our personalities. We are both incredibly passionate, emotional, quick tempered people. We get pissed easily but we forgive even more easily. It's a blessing and curse all in one.

So there you have it. I've been honest. It may seem like rainbows and butterflies - but I've got my flaws. I'm somewhat high maintenance and demanding. I'm slightly neurotic and overbearing. And I won't even get started on my husband's flaws. :) :) We aren't perfect - but we are 100% in love and committed. That's as good as it can get folks!

Time For A New Me

2011-04-07T10:57:00.001-04:00

First I want to say (once again) thank you so much for all of the well wishes and congratulations regarding my new job and this exciting time in my life. I'm becoming more and more excited each day and it's so encouraging to hear all the positive things each of you have had to say.

As you can see, I've got a lot of big changes going on around here. New job, new wardrobe, new body, a general new outlook on life.

So I'm thinking it may be time for a new blog design. I've loved my current blog design for the past year. I got it as a present to myself for my 25th birthday. I learned so many challenging and difficult lessons during my 25th year. I would definitely say it was the most difficult year of my life to date.

I'm looking forward to seeing what 26 has to bring. I feel like I'm getting better with age. Learning how to appreciate my friends, family and husband. Learning how to dress for my body, apply makeup and style my hair. (I'm serious...I've never been fashionable or trendy. I've made leaps and bounds in my personal style and appearance this year!) My faith has grown immensely during this past year. Most importantly, I'm learning to be comfortable in my own skin. I'm proud of the woman I'm becoming. I'm proud of my accomplishments. I'm even strangely proud of my failures because without them I wouldn't truly be able to appreciate my triumphs.

With all this personal transformation going on, I just feel like it's time for a blog design that accurately depicts the new me. The move away from a young twenty something struggling with her identity into a mid twenty something gaining confidence with every passing year.

So that's where you all come in. I need suggestions for great blog designers. I'm a complete believer of referral business and I will feel so much better about working with a designer if I know someone who has used her (or if that designer is one of my readers!) I don't have a ton of money, so please let me know if you are or know of an affordable blog designer that can help me create a blog design for this upcoming year.

Thanks again for all the support. :) :)

The Many Reasons I'm Smiling Today

2011-04-06T15:00:00.000-04:00

Do you ever just feel happy? I mean like really happy? A happiness that you can't quite pinpoint - but are so delighted to feel? That's how I feel today. On a random Wednesday I'm bursting with happiness. It's a good feeling ladies....a good feeling.

I have been pondering the source of this happiness all morning long but can't quite determine where this is coming from. So I figure I'll just list a couple of the many reasons I'm so joyful today.

The biggest reason would have to be this sexy man - the hubby. He's just so good to me. Tells me I'm beautiful when I'm feeling fat. Reminds me of my talent and intelligence when I'm worried about starting this new job. Knows exactly when I need a hot fudge sundae. He's just good. Like real good. I'm kind of headsprung on his awesomeness these days.

I'm also pretty pumped about learning to shoulder atlas stones last night. I got a 94 compact ball of concrete from the ground, to my lap then over my shoulder. Kind of felt like a beast throwing around heavy balls with the big boys. :) Please excuse the fact that I look like a mountain woman in this picture. I swear - I'm generally more attractive than this....but I was doing serious work!

I've been doing a bit of shopping this past week. My current job allows me to wear jeans to work everyday so my closet is lacking in the business professional department. My new job is going to be a more business professional environment so I've been collected a few key pieces this week. I'm *super* excited about my outfit for my first day on Monday. It's the pant and vest set from NY&Co above. I have a lavender ruffled shirt to go under the vest. Feeling like a big girl. :)

My girlfriends. Oh thank the Lord above for these women. It's so nice to have three or four women in my life who I could call at the drop of a hat for anything. To have friends who I can say, and I quote, "I need to vent. I'm going to say horrible, hateful things and I need you to forget I said them when we are done with this conversation. I need you to still believe I'm a sweet, nice person." And they always do. I feel so blessed to have women in my life who I can be 100% real with 100% of the time and know that they will love me despite of all my imperfections. Love them.

So I guess it should come as no shock to me that I am so happy today. For as you can see - I have much to be happy about!!! :)

Here's To New Beginnings

2011-04-05T10:11:00.001-04:00

I guess it's time to spill as to why I have been such a sketch ball these days. Please forgive me for my absence and mysterious explanations but you see, I received some rather shocking news on March 7th.

My boss called a meeting with our corporate staff. Long and short of the meeting, our company is experiencing downsizing and corporate restructuring as a result of economic performance. End result - my position was being eliminated effective April 8th.

Four days before my 26th birthday and one day before celebrating my 1 year anniversary with the company, I found out I was losing my job. Wonderful.

Surprisingly, I didn't cry and I didn't panic. I went home that evening, told the husband the bad news and promised him I wasn't going to lose my cool over this. Got in a bubble bath and called the BF. As I explained my situation to her, I began to feel the anxiety and panic sitting in. Thankfully, she talked me off my ledge and convinced me that everything would be okay.

And that was the height of my panic.

The past four weeks have been spent meeting with three different recruiters, interviewing with five different companies, working full time to finish my current position and going to grad school. Not to mention the countless hours of prayer I've spent asking the Lord to reveal Himself to me through this experience. So as you can see, I've been a little busy.

I remember saying to Steven on March 7th, "God already has this worked out. He already knows where I need to be. I just need to get of His way and let Him do His thing."

And those words couldn't have been more true.

I accepted a fabulous offer with a new company last Thursday. This new position will be a great step in my career. I will be working as a senior accountant for a publicly traded company that is headquartered in Charlotte. Such a blessing. Such an exciting opportunity. Such a God thing.

I had to cancel four interviews when I accepted this position and I turned down another offer. Looking back, it's just so apparent how the Lord was working on my behalf through this whole experience. How when I just truly trusted Him, he answered my prayers. He didn't just give me a job, He gave me a great job and is already opening doors to new opportunities for my family.

So that's the story. That's my panic. Like I said, looking in the rear view mirror, it truly wasn't all that bad. So amazing how the Lord has turned a bad situation into a huge blessing.

**And just so you know, this isn't my style. The "trust the Lord everything is going to be okay" has never been my strong suite. I'm an anxious, overbearing, worry freak. When things don't fit nicely into my little plan, I tend to go off the deep end. I'm not saying that I didn't worry at all during this period, but every time I felt myself begin to panic I just focused my thoughts on prayer and asked for strength and understanding. And BAM....less than four weeks later the Lord has this all worked out. I know this was a God thing and not an Amber thing - because, well I'm just not that calm cool and collected!
I'm finishing up my last week at my current job. It's definitely bittersweet. I have worked with some amazing people over the past year and I have found valuable mentors in this position.

But here's to new beginnings. Here's to what the Lord has in store for us this year.

Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement. I really appreciate it! :)

This Is Why I Love Blogging

2011-03-29T12:51:00.000-04:00

Thank-you blogger ladies for restoring my passion for blogging. Cause as we have all seen - I've been seriously slacking lately. Again with the personal issues and time constraints - but still, depsite all that, you still encourage and motivate me.

Thank you to everyone last Friday for your well wishes. The Lord is putting people in my path who keep reassuring me that "this too shall pass" and I will only be better for it. He's working through my control issues with me and I'm learning to rely fully on His grace to sustain me. (I know...some of you are *shocked* that I have control issues - but yes, it is true.)

And don't get me started on the Twitter craze that exploded on my profile last night. Hubby may be slightly jealous that in one day I have 60+ followers. Whoops! I quickly reminded him of all those times he made fun of me and my "blogger friends". Who is laughing now? :)

Yet another sincere thank-you for the friendships, encouragement, and general pleasantness I have found here in Blogger World. I'm so happy to call it my cyberspace home!

And just in case you needed a pleasant reminder for your Tuesday:

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

I Bit The Twitter Bullet

2011-03-28T16:26:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I am actually typing these words...but yes, I have taken the plunge and joined Twitter. Well - technically, I joined months ago - but I actually have started Tweeting.

I struggled with my aversion to the social media site for months. You see, hubby already considers me to be a social media ~~whore~~ addict, so I was a little weary to add yet another site to constantly check, update and obsess over. I mean after all, blogging can be like a full time job sometimes. Add keeping up with real life "friends" on Facebook, and I tend to spend a great deal of time on social networks.

But low and behold three weeks ago hubby started Tweeting. And now he's all about some Twitter. So I figure why not? It's only time....I've got *plenty* of that. Right!??! :)

I have a feeling I will soon enough regret this decision.......

So for all you Twitter girls out there - feel free to look me up!
Follow Amber On Twitter

How The Heck Have You Been??

2011-03-25T09:06:00.000-04:00

Hello??? Remember me?? Little ole' Amber from NC? Just in case you don't - allow me to remind you.

Formerly blonde, slightly neurotic, always obsessive, tad bit sensitive, occasionally sarcastic, CrossFit addict. Ringing any bells???

Just thought I would pop by and let you all know that 1) Yes, I am in fact alive and well. 2) "Well" is a relative term.

Sorry for skipping out the past few (three - yikes!) weeks. Life (or rather as I believe -the Lord) has seen fit to throw me a curve ball and we are working through it. No health emergencies or life threatening circumstances....just another obstacle to overcome.

Unfortunately this obstacle is taking up a great deal of my time - hence the no blogging. I promise - it's not you, it's me. Don't believe that I'm insanely busy? Here's proof:

I didn't go to CrossFit for SEVEN days straight!!!! Gasp...sigh....sobs.....the whole nine......

So anyway, that's my story.

Or lack there of actually. Not quite ready to blog about this one. I feel as though once again I'm learning some valuable lessons and I will blog about this season of my life at some point - but just not now. I'm finding that there is something to be said for the clarity that comes when your looking at your life in the rear view mirror - I just need to focus on getting to the road ahead for now. Or more appropriately, getting out of the Lord's way and allowing Him to lead me to the road ahead.

So Happy Friday to you all - until next time know that I'm missing the blogging world dearly!!!!

Birthday Wish List

2011-03-07T10:37:00.002-05:00

This Friday marks the big 2-6 for me.

Hubby and a few friends have asked me what I want for my birthday and honestly, I've had a hard time coming up with much. I've really been trying to focus on being content with what I have the past few months. I'm kind of tired of the "always need something new" mentality. Tired of saving money for some big splurge or lusting after material things. I've inventoried my closet and jewelry box and have noted that I have more than enough designer hand bags, shoes & jewels to last me for a while.

I find that today's culture of "bigger and better" can often tempt me to focus on what I do not have instead of focusing on all the many blessings that I have been given. Mainstream media bombards consumers with hidden advertisements and promises of satisfaction based on material gain - but I'm learning that a new designer bag will not make my bad day better and it will not increase my status in life.

There is a big distinction between wants and needs. It hasn't killed me to say no to a few of my wants in order to focus on what's truly important in this life.

I read the following verse often a reminder that the goal of this life is not to accumulate many material treasures - it is the live a life of quality and contentment - a life centered upon trusting in Christ to provide for my family.

I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12-13

So I won't be making a birthday list this year. I want to spend time with my friends and family and focus on what I have already been given - the treasures that cannot be wrapped in paper and topped with a pretty bow.

*I just want to be happy with what I have*

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, meditate on these things. - Philippians 4:8

And That's When I Had A Melt Down

2011-03-04T08:01:00.005-05:00

I had a difficult day yesterday.

I got into a pretty large, we'll call it, "disagreement" with a friend yesterday. Out of respect for this friendship, I'm not going to go into details, but let's just say it was the biggest argument I have had with a friend in over years. I spent a great deal of my morning and lunch break resolving this issue and by 2:00 pm I was *completely* spent.

I was very much looking forward to my evening workout. I've learned the channel my anxiety and frustrations in my workouts and use them as a means of therapy. Last night's WOD consisted of double unders & kettle bell swings - I was hoping I would be so physically exhausted by the end of the workout that I wouldn't have the mental capacity to do worry or fret the rest of the evening.

To make a long story short, I hurt my wrist pretty badly two weeks ago doing a move called a "wall climb". (See HERE for an example.) I fell and tweaked my right wrist. Ever since, it will randomly start hurting during a workout.

So of course, last night about half way through my WOD, my wrist started aching. At first it was subtle and I tried to ignore the pain. A few rounds later, my wrist was throbbing with every kettle bell swing. It was impossible to ignore the pain, but I took a quick break and tried to push through it anyway. I did not want to tap out of that WOD. So I took another quick break and grabbed the kettle bell - but it was too much. Each swing felt like my wrist was going to snap under the pressure and I tapped. I quit - didn't finish - gave up. Oh the shame......

I grabbed a bag of ice and stewed in my disapointment and anger while I waited for Steven to finish his WOD. As soon as he was done, I begged him to take me home - icebag in tow.

On the drive home, I felt the frustrations of my day building in my chest. Replaying the disappointment I had felt earlier in the day. Throbbing pain in my wrist. Frustration at tapping out of the WOD. Stupid icebag that was leaking freezing cold water *all over my lap*.

And that's when I had a melt down.

The sobs started quitely at first. I felt my bottom lip begin to quiver and I begged the hysteria to go away. By my efforts were futile and within seconds I was in full on melt down.

Startled to see that I was crying, Steven asked, "Honey what's wrong?? Is it your wrist? Do we need to go to the hospital??"

To which I replied......

I've....(sob) had.....(gasp) a....bad....(full hysteria) DAY!!!!! I fought with my friend. (Tears streaming down my face.) I tapped out of my WOD. (Voice rising) I've broken my stupid wrist. I'm never going to be able to workout again. (Sob - gasp - sob) And that's going to make me sad. (Tears) And then I'll start eating my feelings again. (Snot running down my face.) Which will make me get fat again!!! (Full on panic!) AND this damn ice bag is leaking all over ME!!!!!!!!!

I could tell by the frightened look on Steven's face that he knew we had reached defcon 5. We were quickly approaching a melt down which could rival the scuba incident of 2009. I could see the wheels turning in his mind as he tried to determine the best way to talk me off the ledge. (He later confirmed that he was trying to figure out where the closest fast food restaurant was with a good strawberry milk shake. See even my husband knows I eat my feelings!)

After a minute or two of silence I regained composure. Steven encouraged me that it was okay to tap during my WOD because I was hurt. I need to listen to my body and understand when enough is enough. That doesn't make me weak or less of a CrossFitter - it just means I need a break.

Thank God for a husband who is quick on his feet and can calm a girl down when she's at her worst. :)

And yes, I fully realize that I may have been slightly melodramatic during this melt down - but during the moment all I could envision was myself thirty pounds heavier, with my wrist in a cast and stuffing my face with salt & vinegar chips for the rest of my life!

So I'm taking a rest day today and allowing my wrist (and my soul) a day to recover from our melt down. I will leave you with this video - as proof (mainly to myself) that I'm not a total whimp and that I can push myself and should not be discouraged by one bad WOD or one fight with a friend. Everybody has bad days.....

CrossFit Charlotte: "The Hill, A Team Thing" from Boomer Alred on Vimeo.

This is a video from our WOD last Saturday. It's kind of hard to tell who I am since it's in black and white. Got a ponytail and a gray shirt with black yoga pants. I'm the one with the big grin while running with the sand bag - Lord only knows why!

I'm Just Sayin'

2011-03-03T08:07:00.001-05:00

Welcome back for another round of my weekly rants. Thanks for the positive (or mostly positive, should I say) responses! Feel free to link up and play along if you like!

To the college girl I watched park in a handicap spot yesterday - you're not handicapped!  Yes, the car you are driving has a handicap sticker; however, it also has a nursing home parking sticker so I am assuming that either this is your grandparents' car or you are an aide of some sort that helps at a local nursing home. Either way - you, yourself, are not handicapped. I know this because I watched you bee-bop out of your car chitchatting on your cell phone and literally starting jumping up and down screaming "OMG! OMG! OMG!" at some news that you received from whomever you were talking to. Other than the fact that you're an idiot for making such a spectacle in the middle of a university parking lot, you are obviously not physically or mentally handicapped. How dare you take advantage of someone else's disability and use their handicap sticker to park in a spot closer to the building? You, my dear, are the perfect example *exactly* what is wrong with college kids these days: self serving, ignorant, disrespectful & oblivious to those around you. Snap out of it - or the real world is gonna eat you alive in a few years. And I hope I'm there to witness it. I'm just sayin'.....

To the producers of the Oscar's - thanks for waisting three hours of my life on Sunday!  I won't go through my rant of all that I found incredibly boring about your show considering that I've already stated it HERE. I will simply ask that you step up your game next year. If you were trying to reach a younger demographic, you failed miserably in my opinion. I really don't understand what is so difficult about putting on an entertaining awards show. You've got tons of money and the best of Hollywood's celebrities at your disposal - this isn't rocket science. I'm just sayin'......

To the readers who keep leaving anonymous comments on my weekly I'm Just Sayin' posts - please feel free to leave your name!  I welcome your opinions - even if they are in contrast to my own opinions. I think I proved with yesterday's post that I'm able to poke fun at myself. I can admit when I am wrong (except for to my husband, because I am obviously never wrong when it comes to matters of my marriage!) But if you're going to leave a negative or challenging comment on my blog, at least give me the opportunity to respond. It's just common courtesy. Anonymous comments are no way to make new friends. I'm Just Sayin'......

I'm Just Sayin' Came Back To Bite Me In The......

2011-03-02T14:19:00.004-05:00

Sorry for not posting Eat It. Work It. Blog It. yesterday. I had another test this morning and my time has been seriously limited over the last 48 hours in preparation. Thankfully it's over and I'm back to blogging as usual. :)

Remember this disclaimer below from my I'm Just Sayin' post last Thursday:

*I also feel the need to say that by no means do I intend to offend any of my readers. Please take these comments in jest, as they are intended. Just little pet peeves of mine that I choose to poke fun at each week. If you are guilty of the actions I mention, I don't think you are a horrible person and I do not mean to offend. I am *positive* that I am guilty of annoying people on a daily basis and I am sure there are plenty of people who have lots to "Just Say" about me. Again - these posts are truly meant as light hearted rants about my every day annoyances.

Well - I was right. A reader left an anonymous comment stating:

Omg I know what you're sayin' about facebook!! I hate when my news feed is filled up with where people are checking in. Especially at the gym. Stop trying to make me feel bad! I don't care where you are. I should come rob your house.

Ummm......Ummmm......Ummmm.......

*GUILTY*

I "check in" to CrossFit Charlotte every time that I am there. Every time. In my defense - it's the only place that I "check in" at - but still, I check in there about 5 times a week.

I'm not so sure why actually. Something about it feels empowering. Like I'm sticking to my goals, getting in my super tough workout for the day and I feel like sharing it with my 600+ friends on FB. (Maybe the anonymous person who called me self absorbed was right??)

But apparently that annoys some people - and rightfully so I assume.

So now all of you readers who have been offended by one of my comments on my I'm Just Sayin' posts can have a nice little laugh because my rants came back to bite me in my own you-know-what.

Somewhat poetic, eh??

PS - I'm almost positive this "anonymous" reader is actually a real life friend of mine. Possibly one of my friends I was talking about that use all lowercase letters and improper punctuation in their FB statuses? Trying to even the score? Calling me out on my own blog - how dare you! :)

Sometimes Husbands Don't Make The Best Girlfriends

2011-02-28T13:12:00.000-05:00

I convinced Steven to watch the Oscar's with me last night. We aren't generally big on awards shows around our house, but for some reason I wanted to watch the Oscar's last night. Thankfully, Steven consented to watch the red carpet show & award show without a fight.

I found myself eagerly chatting away regarding the red carpet event.

"Keith Urban & Nicole Kidman really are the best matched celebrity couple. They get to go to all the awards ceremonies: CMA's, Grammy's, Golden Globe's, Oscars. How sweet is that!?!?"

"That is such a girlie dream of mine. To attend a red carpet event draped in a stunning designer gown and high end jewels. To have an entourage of people fixing my hair, nails and makeup. It's on my 'never gonna happen' bucket list."

And that's about the time that Steven interjected, "So am I supposed to be one of your girlfriends tonight? Pretend that I actually are about 'Who Wore It Best'? If so - that's cool, just tell me....."

I guess you gotta give the boy credit for trying. At least he was kind enough to watch the red carpet show and awards ceremony without complaining. He did comment on how much he loved Reese Witherspoon's hair (hubby's gotta a thing for big hair) and was very annoyed when I informed him that wasn't her real hair. "Why you gotta ruin my dreams", he begged.

So.....since I didn't have a girlfriend handy last night to discuss the best and worst of the Oscar's here are some tidbits I found interesting:

- What was with Anne Hathaway? I understand that the producers were trying to draw a younger demographic - but she seemed way too flighty to host the Oscar's in my opinion. She kept fidgeting with her dresses and touching her waste. And she cat called as every presenter came on the stage. Cat calling at the Oscar's - really??

- James Franco wasn't much better in my opinion. I know he's all studly and cool - but he seemed much more like a statue than a sex symbol to me. Yes, my heart melted on the rare occasion that he actually smiled or laughed - but again, that was rare.

- Since when did Gwyneth Paltrow become an actual country singer? I know she did a country movie in which she sang - but seriously, she's no Carrie Underwood. I love GP. She's a bombshell and I think she's a fabulous actress. But her performance last night was sub par and she looked like she was in pain while singing.....

- Mila Kunis & Justin Timberlake were my favorite presenters. I think they pulled off the light hearted, but respectful demeanor The Academy was going for. She was stunning.

- How painful were the acceptance speeches? Gotta love Melissa Leo dropping the f bomb. *Classy*

- Am I the only person who didn't know about half of those movies? I know that's how it usually goes with the Oscars - but seriously, I have only seen The Social Network.

Thanks for letting me share those few tidbits. Really needed to get that off my chest. If you watched last night - what were your thoughts???

The One Where I Chased Bauer Down The Street & Terrified The Neighborhood Kids

2011-02-25T10:00:00.018-05:00

Thursday morning proved to be another eventful morning at my house. I'm not even sure where to begin - but I will do my best to explain how I found myself running barefoot through the neighborhood and how I nearly brought a five year old to tears....

There are a few free roaming cats in our neighborhood. I'm not a cat person myself, but they seem pleasant enough and have never really given us any trouble - so I've never paid much attention to them. On a nice day, I will open the front door to let the sun come through the glass door (we've got a wood front door and a glass door on the outside if that makes sense). It never fails - one of the neighborhood cats will come sit on the front porch staring into the house and utterly terrorizing my dogs. Eventually Dixie becomes bored with the cat and moves on. Bauer on the other hand would sit in front of the glass door all day long staring and growling at the cat if I would let him. They are sworn enemies.

I'm still not exactly sure how this happened - but somehow, the cat got stuck in our garage yesterday morning. I'm assuming that when Steven left for work, the cat entered the garage without Steven noticing and Steven closed the garage door on his way out trapping the cat in the garage.

I was dressed in business casual and heels and nearly ready to leave for work. Before putting the dogs away, I remembered I needed to get a few things from my car. I opened the the door to garage, hit the garage door opener and as light began to flood the garage, I was startled to see a cat sitting at the foot of the garage door as if he were waiting to be let into the house.

Unfortunately, I am not the only one who saw the cat. Before I could swing the door closed, Bauer hurtled through the doorway and chased the cat out of the garage into the streets.

I stood there completely perplexed for a split second trying to figure out what in the world had happened when I realized that Bauer was already one cul-de-sac up the neighborhood. Immediately I sprinted out the garage after Bauer who was in full pursuit of this cat.

About fifty yards into my run it became apparent that my heels were slowing me down, so I jerked them off and threw them into a neighbor's yard. I continued to run as fast I could, barefoot, down the middle of the street screaming for Bauer to come back.

I watched as the cat ran up a tall tree and perched on a branch. Bauer did his best to climb that tree, but unfortunately he wasn't quite as stealth as the little kitty.

By the time I was able to reach Bauer, I was blind with rage. My feet were throbbing from running a half mile barefoot on the asphalt. My dress pants were ruined. My head was pounding and my chest was aching from my unexpected morning run. I*Was*Furious*

It occurred to me while trying to pry Bauer from the tree, that I didn't have his leash with me. I deduced from his foaming mouth and determined growl that there was no way in hell Bauer was going to calmly follow me back to the house. He was dead set on getting this cat.

So I did the only thing I could think to do. I grabbed him by the collar and drug him down the street. I drug my 75lb, strong-as-as-ox boxer the half mile back to my house by his collar. And he was not happy about it!

He whined, pulled, growled, and tried to twist himself out of his collar the entire way. He kept trying to turn around and go after the cat again. I peeked over my shoulder and saw that the damn cat was actually following about 20 yards behind us. Taunting Bauer the whole way home. No matter what I did, I couldn't get Bauer to focus.

And finally, I had enough. I was late to work - I was dripping with sweat - I had broken two nails - and I had this overwhelming urge to burst into tears. I stopped dead in the middle of the street and did the only thing I knew to do - try to reason with him. Because everyone can reason with dogs.....right???

Now I can't remember *exactly* what I said to him, but I'm pretty sure it was something along the lines of.....

You stupid mutt!!! It's just a cat! A CAT!!! If you don't cut it out I'm gonna take you to the pound. Do you know what they do to bad dogs like you at the pound?!?! They kill them!! They stab you with a needle - fill you full of poison - and you die!! Do you want to die? You better start listening because I swear on all things holy if you don't get in the house right this minute I won't need to take you to the vet - I'll kill you myself!!!!!

And that's when I heard the terrified gasps. I looked up to see four kids between the ages of five to ten standing on the street corner with a woman who I can only assume was one of their mothers. The youngest child's bottom lip began to quiver and I'm pretty sure I heard the oldest one ask the mom if, "They really stab dogs and give them poison at the pound...."

My mind went blank. I sheepishly apologized and muttered something about "just kidding" and "Bauer's a good boy" and "don't you worry". I gave the mom my best "we've all had one of those days" looks - but she wasn't buying it.

That's about the time I noticed that my high heels were sitting a few feet from this mother who was silently scolding me with her death stare. I seriously considered just leaving the shoes, but they are my favorites. I drug Bauer towards the shoes - which only caused the children to panic further. The crazy lady was coming for them! Not wanting to scare the kids even more, I tried to keep as much distance from them as possible. As soon as I was within reach, I stretched my right hand out to grab the shoes while keeping my left hand firm on Bauer's collar.

Once I had my heels in possession, I high tailed it out of there - the crazy, barefoot lady dragging her poor little puppy down the street.

I'm so grateful we don't have an HOA in our neighborhood, because if so, there is a very good chance we would be receiving an eviction notice within the next week.

Once again - I'm so not ready for kids.........

PS - I would never - ever actually kill or hurt Bauer in any way! I promise. I was just having one of those moments where all I could see was red and I thought that threatening him was the way to go. All you PETA peeps - please don't come banging down my door. I swear I treat my dogs better than I treat my husband!

And I also apologize to any mothers that I may have offended - I'm slightly embarrassed that those poor kids had to learn about what really happens when dogs "go to the farm" from me!

I'm Just Sayin

2011-02-24T09:50:00.008-05:00

Good morning fellow bloggers! I'm so happy that my weekly I'm Just Sayin' posts have been a hit. Feel free to link up and play along if you just need to get some things off your chest!

To the local country and pop radio stations who insist on playing Taylor Swift's "Back To December" five times an hour - for the love of all things holy STOP IT!!!!  I puffy heart Swifty - I swear I do. But everytime I turn on the radio, that song is playing. It's a great song - the first 100 times - but I think we've more than reached the "overplayed" stage. "Speak Now" has many other awesome songs - it's time to move onto the next single. I swear if I hear that song one more time I'm going to *lose*my*mind! It's February and I'm looking forward to spring. December was two months ago! I'm Just Sayin'....

To my friends on Facebook who insist on posting their current political or religious views as a status update every single day - stop filling up my news feed with your angry outbursts!  I get that you care about Obama's stance on same sex marriages or whether or not the unions in Wisconsin and Ohio are supported - but your opinion is not the gospel so please don't post it on Facebook as if everyone cares about what you think. If you want to share your opinions on current events, please feel free to start a blog. Allow people the ability to read your thoughts if they want to - but don't spring that crap on me without fair warning! And if you insist on posting your political/religious opinions on Facebook - at least have your facts straight. You look like a real idiot when your status is filled with opinions based on rumors and slander and not an ounce of truth. I'm just sayin......

Speaking of Facebook - To all my graduated from college, adult friends who insist on posting in all lowercase letters with no punctuation - you aren't in college anymore!  Welcome to the real world folks! Seriously - would you send an email to your boss with no capitalization and improper punctuation? Don't even get me started on the status updates that are filled with text jargon. It's not "u" - it's "you"! I can't begin to express how annoying it is to see status updates from my friends who are professors, doctors & lawyers without a single capital letter or period. Let's have a little respect for the English language here people. I'm just sayin'...

To the dog owner on the green way who refuses to pick up your dog's poop - you are a disgrace to dog owners everywhere.  You're on a green way filled with children, parents, and other dogs - do you really think it's fair that we have to dodge that stinky pile just because you're too lazy to carry a baggy with you? I know that accidents happen sometimes and you may have just found yourself unprepared. But you're a dog owner - you should know better than to come to a public green way without a baggy. Dogs love to poop on the green way - it's a fact - look it up. You might want to start cleaning up after your dog - because they next time I watch you let your dog poop on the trail and walk away as if nothing happened, I might just use my baggy to clean up your mess and leave it sitting on the hood of your car - after all, it is your mess. I'm just sayin......

To the girl scouts and their mothers posted at the front of every grocery store in America - please stop making feel so guilty for not buying your cookies.  I puffy heart the Girl Scouts just like I puffy heart Taylor Swift, but I just can't buy your super yummy cookies. Trust me, if I could, I would buy four boxes and eat every single cookie right in front of you in under five minutes. But I'm really trying to watch what I eat these days and buying those cookies would be like an alcoholic buying a handle of vodka - T*R*O*U*B*L*E!  So please, don't judge me and don't give me that disappointed stare. I promise you will understand one day when you're all grown up. Summer is around the corner, and although I desire to support your troop, my desire to look fabulous in a bathing suit is greater. I'm just sayin.....

*I also feel the need to say that by no means do I intend to offend any of my readers. Please take these comments in jest, as they are intended. Just little pet peeves of mine that I choose to poke fun at each week. If you are guilty of the actions I mention, I don't think you are a horrible person and I do not mean to offend. I am *positive* that I am guilty of annoying people on a daily basis and I am sure there are plenty of people who have lots to "Just Say" about me. Again - these posts are truly meant as light hearted rants about my every day annoyances.

I Could Take Him For All He's Worth

2011-02-23T07:54:00.003-05:00

Over the past four months, Steven and I have been in the process of changing banks. And yes, I said four months. I *hate* changing banks. We pay so many of our bills through automatic drafts or online payments that changing banks requires me to update about 15 accounts online with the new routing and account information. What a pain!

To be honest, I was quite lazy with the process. I decided to keep our old account with Bank of America open until I was 100% certain that all automatic draft & online payment accounts had been updated. So for four months I managed an account with Bank of America and BBT. Again - what a pain!

Finally, I had enough and I sat down one afternoon and checked every account to make sure the correct bank information was on file. I left the BofA account open for another two weeks just to make sure no unexpected activity cleared and when I was satisfied that all was well, I stopped by our local Bank of American to kindly request to close our joint account.

Because of our class/work schedules, it wasn't possible for Steven & I to go to the bank together. I was fully prepared to sign all the necessary paperwork to close the account and have the bank associate tell me that my husband needed to stop by to sign the closing documentation as well and then we could withdraw the remaining funds from our account and it would be closed.

Imagine my surprise when after signing only one document the bank associate asked me if I would prefer cash or cashier's check for the funds in our joint checking & joint savings account.

"Cashier's check will be fine. Wait....my husband doesn't have to authorize the closing of these accounts even though it's a joint account in his name?" To which the associate responded, "No. Two signatures are required to open the account - but only one is necessary to close it."

Red flags began to fly all over the place. This policy makes it incredibly easy for one spouse to completely screw the other. Imagine how easy it would be for me to go the bank, withdraw all our money, close the accounts and skip town. I guess in theory you could withdraw all the money from your account without having to close it, but most banks have a limit on the maximum amount of funds that can be withdrawn in any given day - but if you close the account, you can take it all.

Considering that I wasn't planning to screw my husband, but rather immediately deposit the cashier's check into our new joint account at BBT, I accepted the cashier's check with a clear conscience.

But still...how scary is it what someone could get away with? I guess you really better trust your spouse if you plan to maintain assets together!

And yes, it probably should concern my husband that my immediate thoughts were how easy it would be to take him for all he's worth! :)

Eat It. Work It. Blog It. - Week 4

2011-02-22T08:26:00.001-05:00

Good morning! First I want to say thank-you so much for all your encouraging words last week regarding my frustrations at my tendency to overeat. It was comforting to hear that other women have similar struggles but have overcome those issues and to find the encouragement I need to get things under control! Sorry for my meltdown - I'm better this week - I promise!

Eat It.
Last week I took a hard look at the reasons why I tend to overeat. As I said last Tuesday, there have been some things going on in my life that have caused anxiety and stress and I have been "eating my feelings" - but I think there are also other reasons that I've been struggling to maintain healthy eating habits: the main of which is poor planning.

Let's face it - eating healthy is not always easy. If you are pressed for time, it's significantly easier (and usually cheaper) to run through a drive thru than to take the time to prepare a balanced meal. Or if you haven't had time to run to the grocery store or meal plan, it's also very easy to order take out or pizza during the week.

I have found the lack of time and preparation to be a big hindrance in my success over the past few weeks. I'm working full time and taking graduate classes. My gym is twenty-five minutes from my house and I go there five times a week. I spend a great deal of time away from home. So when I get home, the last thing I want to do is spend time in the kitchen cooking up some healthy meal.

So I have been thinking through the best way to meal plan, save time and eat healthy meals that are actually tasty (because who wants to eat bland chicken all the time!?!?) I've got a few things that I'm trying this week and I'm looking forward to reporting back next Tuesday with any good tips I might have found!

Work It.
Another great week at CrossFit Charlotte. My goal is to get five WOD's in each week. I wasn't able to make it to the box Sunday or Monday - which means I went Tuesday-Saturday without a break. Boy was I tired Saturday evening! Plus I met a girlfriend Saturday afternoon for a four mile power walk on the green way.

Saturday morning's WOD was my by far my favorite. We were split into teams and did body weight prowler pushes. One person rode the prowler while your teammates pushes you 200 yards! And of course Coach threw in some box jumps, kettle bell swings & medicine ball slams for extra fun! :)

Love kettle bell swings!

Don't make fun of the face - the metal prowler on the concrete did not feel so great on my bumm!

Blog It.

I experienced a wonderful weight loss moment recently!

One of my closest friends is getting married in May and she has asked me to be a bride's maid. I love the dress she has chosen for her bride's maids, but unfortunately we aren't able to try it on - we had to order it online. I was really nervous. Another bride's maid had ordered and received her dress and she told me the dresses were "true to size". Which posed a problem. I was almost positive I was between size XX and size X. I was confident that by the wedding I would be able to fit into size X - but I was afraid that I wouldn't fit into size X today. And what if I didn't lose the extra weight that I needed to lose? But what if I ordered size XX and I lost the weight - the dress would be HUGE and I would have to spend a fortune having it altered.

So I contemplated which size to order for a few days and finally ordered the smaller of the two - size X. I nervously waited for the dress to arrive so I could see exactly how much weight I would need to lose between now and May to fit into this dress. When the dress arrived, I slipped into the dress and cautiously asked Steven to try and zip it up as far as he could.

Imagine my surprise when it easily zipped all the way up! I wanted to a do a little dance in my kitchen!! I kept asking, "It zipped!?!? It zipped!?!?!" To which my husband's bewildered response came, "Umm....isn't it supposed to zip??" There are some things men will never understand.....

The dress fits perfectly. I will definitely have to have the smaller size taken in when the wedding rolls around because I am *determined* to drop these last fifteen pounds between now and then!

I hope you all are having a great week and finding successes of your own in your journey to a healthy lifestyle!

Miscellany Monday

2011-02-21T13:09:00.001-05:00

{one} I had another test this morning. It was for my advanced auditing class. I woke up at 6am to study for the test. Pretty sure I didn't do so well. Who schedules a test for Monday morning at 9am on President's Day? I had class today and work! Yuck.

{two} On the bright side - my professor kind of felt bad for scheduling the test on President's Day and he brought breakfast for the class. Pineapple, cantaloupe and bagels from Panera Bread. Yummy!

{three} Friday with the hubby proved to be just what the doctor ordered! I really wish we were independently wealthy and could retire at 26. It would be so nice to spend my days doing whatever I wanted with Steven. Working for a living can be brutal sometimes!

{four} After my WOD Saturday morning, I met a girlfriend for a walk on the green way. The temperature was in the low 70's and the sun was shining all morning. We walked four miles then sat outside Starbuck's for over two hours catching up. It was glorious. Sunshine + one of my favorite girlfriends = food for my soul!

{five} The only downfall to my Saturday morning activities is that I have a really bad sunburn on my nose, cheeks & chest. I didn't realize how much sun I was getting or I would have moved to the shade! Who would have thought you could get sun burnt in February?? It's so painful!

{six} I really hope these warm temperatures are here to stay. I could definitely get used to riding with the windows down and I'm loving this new found energy and positivity I've felt over the past few days!

My First Rude Comment

2011-02-18T08:44:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday! Be very jealous - because it's in the high 60's here today and hubby and I took the day off. Just needed a personal day to get a few things done - one of which will be treating ourselves to Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Like I said - be jealous. :)

So I had a blogger life changing moment yesterday: I received my first rude anonymous comment. No surprise it was in response to last week's I'm Just Sayin post.

"Just a little self absorbed??!! I'm just sayin..."

And I find myself in a dilemma. Respond or don't respond. Ignore or don't ignore.

The thing is, I have absolutely zero problems with a reader voicing their opinion regarding my posts - even if it isn't necessarily lovey dovey. But please, if you're going to leave a comment, especially a rude comment, have the courtesy to sign your name to it! It's so cowardly.

And if this particular reader had left their name, I would have made an effort to let them know that I agree with them on some level. Yes, I'm a little self absorbed. I'm a blogger. I write four to five posts each week filled with my thoughts on any given topic of my choosing.

It's kind of all about me here: my life, my likes, my dislikes, my hobbies, my every day activities. *Me* *Me* *Me*

I'm certainly not under the impression that I am better than anyone else. And by no means are my life or my writing grand enough to entertain the masses. Just a girl - blogging because I like it.

And if posting my snotty thoughts regarding the rude/inappropriate/obnoxious people I come into contact with on a weekly basis is an outlet that allows me to refrain from actually telling those rude/inappropriate people what I think every time someone gets on my nerves - then I'd say that's a pretty fair trade. Some people use this tool called sarcasm - it doesn't make them evil - just sarcastic.

Oh and if you don't like reading my self absorbed thoughts, don't come by my blog. I'm just sayin.....

That's all on this topic! Here's hoping you all have a speedy work day and a fabulous weekend!

And yes - I'm fully aware that this response may have been somewhat dramatic or childish - but again, it's my blog and I reserve the right to act like I'm in high school if I prefer. Promise to be an adult come Monday! :)

I'm Just Sayin......

2011-02-17T08:10:00.005-05:00

Good morning lovely bloggers! Feel free to link up below for this week's "I'm Just Sayin" post. Express yourself! :)

To the server in the Wendy's drive thru who gave me two packets of ketchup when I ordered four medium french fries and asked for "extra ketchup" - REALLY!?!?!?! How in the world am I supposed to go back to my office and tell my bosses (who these fries are for) that I only have two packets of ketchup? Should I throw the two packets down in the middle of the kitchen and scream, "Let's Do This" and watch as full grown men fight it out Mike Vick style for ketchup? I know it's a tough economy - but if you're so hard up that you can't give a girl at least two packet of ketchup per fry, I'm gonna take my business elsewhere. McDonald's is right down the street and their $1 hot fudge sundaes are way better than Wendy's $1 frosty. I'm just sayin........

To the girl who cheats during every CrossFit workout - you're not fooling anyone! When Coach says, "20 dead lifts" he means 20 dead lifts - not 15, not 17, not 18 - 20. Explain to me how I do every rep faster than you - but you always beat me by a minute? It's kind of obvious when we are standing side by side that I'm kicking your butt (and using heavier weight than you - I might add). Yet it never fails - you finish first. Puzzling..... There's a reason I am doing a 75 lb clean while you do a 45 lb clean - it's because I do the workouts as written. Maybe if you didn't cheat yourself every day you would see more improvement as well. I'm just saying.....

To my wonderful husband - I fell in the toilet bowl again last night! We've gone over this - put the toilet seat *down*. Do you have any idea how irritating it is to get a burst of water up your bum at 3 in the morning? No?? Well you might want to think about it because the next time I find myself pulling my butt from the death grip of our toilet in the middle of the night you're gonna find out how unpleasant toilet water can be. We'll see how much you like it when I use your pillow case to dry my wet booty. I'm just sayin.....

To the wanna be liberal college freshman on your cell phone screaming about how you "have no idea why anyone would sign up to be in the army and go off to war. Stupid cowboys with a death wish...." - you've got to be kidding me! Did you miss the guy across the hall in his ROTC gear waiting for class? Do you think he appreciates being called a "stupid cowboy" by a girl wearing her pajamas to class with last night's mascara smeared under her eyes? You haven't even considered how your conversation may seem offensive to those around you. Why? Because you have never had your freedom of speech questioned! You've grown up in a country where you can say anything about religion, politics, or any other ideology that you want without caring how offensive it may sound. Do you know why? Because you were blessed to be born an AMERICAN! Do you think our Founding Fathers wandered over here because they were looking for better land for crops? NO!! They were tired of religious persecution! And they fought a war to gain their freedom from the British. And service men and women have been fighting every day since then to protect those freedoms - freedoms that allow you to stand here and call them "stupid cowboys". Get off your phone and go to class you ungrateful little brat before I exercise my right to smack you around for being an idiot. I'm just sayin....

Eat It. Work It. Blog It. - Week 3

2011-02-15T08:21:00.002-05:00

Sorry to anyone who had difficulty using the link last week - I think there were some issues, but not 100% sure what went wrong. I will try to make sure everything works properly this week!

Eat It.
I had a revelation last night. Well, not technically a revelation - because this is not new news - but a realization that I'm falling into old habits again. I.Eat.My.Feelings. In times of extreme stress, sadness or anxiety - I eat and I eat a lot. That's why my weight fluctuates so often. I will put on 20 lbs during a "difficult time" and work like mad to drop the weight - only to put it back on when life's next storm rolls around. Pretty sad, huh?

Well, in November I learned some pretty crazy news. Life news - turn.my.world.upside down life news. Ever since, I've been slowly eating my feelings. It started small, I would allow myself to have one bite of ice cream after dinner even if it wasn't my cheat day. Then the holidays hit and I told myself it was "just the holidays" and I would jump back on the wagon at the first of the year. January came and went and somehow instead of only taking one cheat day per week, I averaged two or three.

So I decided to create this Eat It. Work It. Blog It. as a means of holding myself accountable - I *swore* to get my eating habits back under control and only take one cheat day per week - but I haven't kept that promise. And I need to be honest about it.

Last night I was expressing my frustration to Steven that I haven't lost any weight since December - not a single pound. Thankfully, I haven't gained a single pound either, but it's very frustrating to have reached this plateau. He was strangely quite as I pondered why my weight loss has come to a halt: my body has adjusted, I'm not working out as hard as before, maybe my new birth control?? He said nothing - as if he were waiting for me to realize what he's been seeing for months.....

OMG!! I'm eating my feelings again aren't I!?!?! To which he quietly replied, "Yeah sweetie - you are. I wish I knew how to help you through this - but yes, you are." And I cried myself to sleep.....

Work It.
The *only* reason I haven't gained weight during this period of overeating is because of my intense workout routine at CrossFit Charlotte. Last week I really stepped up my game and I was incredibly pleased with the results of my workout. I hit the gym for five WODS (Workout of The Day) and one strength class. Tuesday evening during our strength bias, I did a 1 rep max back squat of 145lbs. That's a 15 lb increase from my last back squat max!

I wasn't feeling well Thursday-Sunday, but I still drug myself to the box Thursday, Friday & Saturday. Admittedly, I went a little easier than normal, but I was proud that I committed to going and didn't allow feeling under the weather to be an excuse to miss my workouts. If only I could commit so much dedication to my eating habits.....

Blog It.
I feel like I'm facing this intense crossroads this week. I feel like an addict of some sort - I've acknowledged my problem. And I know that some of you may think I'm being dramatic - especially if you aren't the kind of person who struggles with weight issues or overeating, but I am not writing this post for dramatic effect.

There are issues that need to be dealt with. Issues that a candy bar in the afternoon "just because I'm feeling down" cannot help. Issues that won't go away just because I keep promising to "get on the wagon tomorrow". I know that if I do not deal with these issues, I will quickly find myself starting at my teary eyed reflection that's 20 lbs heavier asking, "How the hell did you do this to yourself - again!?!"

But to be honest, sometimes eating my feelings is much easier than dealing with them and I think that's why overeating is my vice. But the food no longer makes me feel better - it only makes me feel worse. I have worked too hard to take my life back. I've worked too hard to feel good in my own skin. I refuse to stay on this road of self destruction simply because I do not want to deal with life.

So if you pray, please pray for me this week. I'm struggling. I hate to admit it. I hate to admit that life isn't as peppy and perfect as it appears on my blog -but it isn't and it hasn't been for a little while now. But I have an unbelievable husband who supports me and believes in me to help get me through this. I have friends who go out of their way to make sure that I know I am loved and cared for. I am so blessed - so unbelievably blessed. I can deal with this - without the food. And that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Friday Confessional

2011-02-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

I confess that I bit my nails off last weekend. I told you I was going to do it - and I did. Oh well, they will be back in a week or so.

I confess that I cannot keep cash or change in my purse or desk in my office. Why you may ask? Because if I have a dollar or loose change, I will sneak away to the vending machine in the afternoon and buy a candy bar. And no - I can't stop myself from doing it. So my only solution to this problem is simply not to keep small bills or loose change. And I have told my coworkers that under no circumstances, no matter how badly I beg, are they to ever give me $.75!

I confess that a month from today I will turn 26! I was not so thrilled about turning 25 last year so I am determined to age gracefully and welcome 26 with a smile on my face. I have a feeling that this year will be much better than the last and I need to embrace my midtwenties!

I confess that I have a test on Monday morning that I am no where near prepared for. Want to guess what I will be doing this weekend???? Studying!

I confess that I will be hosting a weekly "I'm Just Sayin" spot on my blog each Thursday. So many of you seemed to enjoy my sassy musings yesterday and have requested a weekly feature so you can share your sassy rants as well. So stop by next Thursday and say what you need to say!

I confess that I'm super happy it's Friday! :)

I'm Just Sayin'

2011-02-10T09:38:00.002-05:00

To the soccer mom driving the *huge* Suburban yelling at your kids while talking on your cell phone - you're gonna kill someone!!! Get off the phone, put two hands on the wheel and focus on the road because I swear if you run me off the road one more time you're kids are gonna see their mom get a butt whoopin! PS - if you can't drive that big tank - don't let your hubby buy it for you! I'm just sayin......

To the creepy old guy at the gas station who insists on staring at me while I pump my gas - take a picture, it will last longer!!! I know these yoga pants make my butt look fabulous because my HUSBAND tells me so every time I wear them. That's right - husband! Maybe if you moved your eyes a little further north you would notice the huge *rock* on my left hand. And if you went even further north the disgusted look on my face would tell you that you don't stand a chance. I'm just saying.....

To the super skinny girl eating a cheeseburger & drinking a double fudge chocolate shake while talking about how you can eat anything you want and never workout but stay so skinny - "you're just blessed to be healthy that way" - you're not healthy!!! You're skinny because you've got a high metabolism, but you're still clogging your arteries with saturated fats and throwing your blood sugar levels into a tailspin with all that processed sugar. I may have thirty pounds on you - but I promise you I'm the more healthy individual. Come to my CrossFit box and I'll show you what fit looks like. I'm just sayin.....

To my frenemies from college who talk bad about me because "I've changed" - damn right I've changed! College was FOUR years ago! Do you expect me to apologize for getting married, buying a house and making a healthy transition into adult life? Do you expect me to go bar hopping Wednesday - Saturday just so we can remain BFF's? The truth is, we have nothing in common and that's why we are no longer close. For example: I crawl into bed with the same man every night - a man who loves me and who would do anything for me. You crawl into bed with whatever guy bought you the most drinks that night. I'm just sayin.....

PS. Thanks for all the well wishes yesterday. I'm feeling better today! Just one of those days!

Sometimes.....

2011-02-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you're the window.....sometimes you're the bug.

Today.....I'm the bug.

Eat It. Work It. Blog It. - Week 2

2011-02-08T08:06:00.005-05:00

It's time for this week's installment of Eat It. Work It. Blog It. Thank-you so much to all the readers who left encouraging comments last week and to those who have decided to join this weekly post in hopes of finding the encouragement and inspiration to tackle your personal weight loss and fitness goals. If you missed last week - feel free to check it out HERE and join along if you would like.

Eat It.
I'll be honest - I cheated two days this week instead of just one. I was *very* good Tuesday - Friday and yesterday; however, Saturday and Sunday I definitely went overboard. Steven and I kept my little brother this weekend and we took him to Chick-fila and a movie. And Sunday was Superbowl Sunday. So I may have over indulged in some candy during the movies and had a little too much chips and dip this weekend. But like I said, my diet was very clean the rest of the week: protien shakes for breakfast each morning, 4 ounces of chicken or tuna for lunch with fruit, and a balanced dinner each night.

One of the biggest challenges to following Clean Zone is eliminating bread/rice/pasta from my diet. Do you know how difficult it is to make a casserole without bread/rice/pasta???

I have had to adapt many of my favorite recipes in order to eat clean throughout the week. Steven and I love Mexican food. Before we began eating Zone, we would eat tacos or fajitas and some sort of Mexican casserole every week.

In order to indulge our love of Mexican food - we make steak fajitas without the tortilla. Steak, carmalized onions & green peppers, black beans, full fat sour cream, cheese & salsa. The steak and cheese provide ample protein and the black beans provide healthy carbohydrates. The balance of protein, carbs & healthy fats keep insulin & glucagon levels balanced and provide optimum energy and weight loss for the body. It's an easy meal to prepare and incredibly satisfying!

Work It.
One of the most difficult lessons I have learned in the five months that I have been doing CrossFit is that sometimes you just have a bad week. Sometimes your body cannot perform at optimum levels required by CrossFit WODS and sometimes you just have to do what you can.

I had one of those weeks last week. I fell during my workout Tuesday morning. We were doing an exercise called "Wall Climbs" - essentially you lay on the ground in pushup position with your feet up against a wall. Push yourself into plank position and begin to walk your feet up the wall - as your feet move up the wall, walk your hands back towards the wall so that you eventually end up in a hand stand up against the wall with your thighs and chest touching the wall. Not easy folks! Oh and we were doing burpees & toes-to-bar as well.

After about my tenth wall climb my shoulders gave out and I fell....more like I crashed to the my death. My knee was skinned up, I bit my tongue and smashed my head onto the concrete. I was in a good deal of pain - but I finished the workout.

And I just wasn't the same for the rest of the week. Thursdays workout was super tough - as I said during my Friday Confessionals. And I skipped my workout Friday because my legs were just too tired. Saturday & Monday's workouts were actually great and I finally feel like I'm getting my mojo back - here's hoping I can really kick it into high gear this week and shed some calories!

Blog It.
I haven't stepped on the scale this week. It's ummm...that time of the month....and I think any woman who steps on a scale during that time of the month is just a glutton for punishment. So I'm not sure if I'm up or down. To be honest, I don't feel like I killed it this week. I definitely don't feel like I blew it - but I think I could have fought a little harder to say no to the yummy treats Sunday evening & I could have worked a little harder in my workouts.

I think that's a part of creating a healthy lifestyle though. I'm not doing this as a diet. I'm not doing CrossFit for six months only to try and lose weight as quickly as possible. I am making a lifestyle change. And no one is on their game all of the time. So I had an off week - not horrible - but not the best. And I'm surprisingly okay with that. I'm grateful that my body is feeling better this week and I'm looking forward to pushing myself and seeing what I have to report next Tuesday!

**On the bright side I am wearing a pair of jeans today that I haven't been able to wear in quite some time. :)

Friday Confessional

2011-02-04T09:03:00.002-05:00

I have a lot to confess this week - so *no* judging!

I confess that I am so happy to be blogging "full time" again. I feel like I'm back to the old me. It's as if the fact that I have the time to blog regularly signals that I've finally gotten this crazy schedule under control and that makes me oh.so.happy!

I confess that I've got baby fever. Yes, I want a baby. Yes, I have a loving husband who will be an excellent father (honestly - he'll be a significantly better parent than me.) Yes, we have supportive parents who cannot wait to be grandparents. Yes I'm turning 26 in a month and hear my internal clock ticking. But it's not the right time. Oh how I wish it were. But it's not the right time. I need to complete grad school and get my CPA cert - that's a two year process. There are still things we want to do together before we commit to raising a child. It's like my heart wants one thing and my brain knows it's not right. I feel like for the first time in our lives Steven and I are making the responsible, well thought decision. So we're sticking to it - my graduation present will hopefully be a baby. Here's hoping these next two years fly by!

I confess that I bite my nails. It's disgusting - but let me explain. My nails look like this naturally.

I can bite my nails off down to the quick and in a matter of two weeks they will look like the above. No special lotions, no meticulous regimen, no special nail polish - just super hard and long. And I'm lazy. Once they get to a certain length I need to trim them back because they interfere with my typing & workouts. So I usually find myself mindlessly biting them off during a fit of anxiety. I get stressed and realize that I need to take the time to sit down to clip & file my nails and the next thing I know - they are gone. I have a feeling that moment is coming pretty soon.....

I confess that I'm a control freak. Okay - so that's nothing new - but my controlling nature has hit an all time high. Steven and I are keeping my little brother this weekend. As a result, I'm probably not going to have time to do our biweekly grocery shopping (unless I take Ethan with me - which seems like a nightmare waiting to happen.) Steven volunteered to do the grocery shopping for me. Most wives would be thrilled - not me. As soon as the suggestion escaped his mouth, my palms started to sweat and my heart began to race. We are on a strict budget and I have an exact amount allotted every two weeks for groceries. I have my grocery shopping down to an art form and I rarely go over budget. Steven likes name brands - he swears by name brands. I have this irrational fear that he's going to go shopping and come home having spent $100 more than allotted. Apparently all these accusations were written all over my face because before I could even begin to object Steven said, "Amber - I'm a grown man. I can do the grocery shopping. Just give me a list and I'll do it." I could tell by his voice it was not up for discussion.

So I've made my list. Umm...it may have the particular brand that I want him to buy - not just "mayo" but "Duke's Mayo" - not just "shredded cheese" but "Great Value shredded cheese". And for items that I'm not exactly sure of the brand, I wrote a price beside them so he knows the range to stay within. And at the top of the list in BIG BOLD letters I wrote the amount that he is allowed to spend. He's gonna crap a brick when he sees this list.

But this is me trying to let go......

I confess that I skipped my 6am WOD (workout) this morning. Again - allow me to explain. Last night's workout was brutal. A 20 minute AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) of 10 Push Presses, 10 Kettle bell Swings & 10 Box Jumps. I did 10 rounds plus 12 reps - that's 110 push presses, 102 kettle bell swings & 100 box jump in twenty minutes. And that was after a ten minute warm-up that consisted of 60 double unders (jump rope), 60 lunges, 10 push presses, 10 kettle bell swings & 10 box jumps. And that was after my prewarm-up warm-up of 5 minutes on the jump rope & 300 sit ups!

By the time I got home last night - I could literally barely walk. My calves have *never* burned like this before. And when the alarm clock went off at 5am this morning (which was only 9 1/2 hours after my workout last night) I knew my legs couldn't take anymore. Even though I know my body, in particular my legs, need a rest day today - I'm still pretty pissed at myself for skipping this morning's WOD. I'm going to have to make this up on Sunday!

I confess that I'm happy it's Friday!!!

Hope you all have had a wonderful week and have an even better weekend!

Passion or Companionship?

2011-02-03T10:18:00.004-05:00

My girlfriends and I try to get together at least once a month for a "girl's night" - generally this consists of lots of Italian food, lots of wine and lots of gossip. During January's girls' night we played a pretty interesting game. I can't remember the name, but basically there were about 100 cards with very personal questions and each player chose a card and got to ask the personal question to another player of their choice.

Most of the questions were pretty juicy and of course it was hysterical to hear the answers. (Don't worry friends - I promise not to spill your secrets for the entire Blog world to see!) But one question has been nagging me the past few days....

If you had to chose between passion and companionship which would you chose and why?

All three of my friends chose passion. For obvious reasons - it's important to feel a spark for the man you love, you can be friends with anyone - but not lovers, women need to feel that connection and desire, etc.

Of course, I was the only one out of the four who felt companionship was more important than passion. Which threw my mind into a tailspin on the way home that evening: Was it because I've been married for almost three years and have moved out of the "honeymoon phase"? Is it because I've been with Steven for 8 years? Is there something wrong with me for valuing companionship over passion? Have I let the fires of my marriage burn out??

Since that evening a single friend and I have been discussing the woes of her love life. She's an attractive, successful, intelligent woman who has so much to offer in a relationship - but she just can't seem to find the right guy to commit to. Over the course of our conversations she's expressed concerns of her own: Are her expectations too high? Should she just give up on "Mr. Perfect" and settle? What if it's not the men she's been dating but it's her - what if she's just BSC!?!?!

So again - I've been faced with this choice of companionship vs. passion. And I found myself telling me dear friend these words of advice:

I think too many women look at love as this wild, romantic fairy tale where some sexy man comes into the picture with sweat dripping down his chiseled abs. He literally sweeps her off her feet and carries her into his love den where their passion for one another is eternal and they survive off steamy sex and endless conversations about their undying love for one another.

As someone who has been married for a while - I can tell you, steamy sex and endless conversations about undying love does not pay the bills, does not put food in pantry and does not do the laundry! Passion doesn't nurse you back to health when you've got the flu and cannot get out of bed. Passion doesn't surprise you by cleaning the dishes just because he knows you've had a long day and could use a break from housework. Passion doesn't volunteer to babysit an 8 week old puppy for 3 weeks so that Santa can bring your little brother a puppy for Christmas. Passion doesn't buy you tampons when you've completely run out and don't have time to go to the store. Passion doesn't seek to make amends when there is conflict. Passion doesn't stand by your side and cheer you on when you think you can't carry on. Passion doesn't fight like hell to make a marriage work.

But companionship does.

Think about all the things that you would do for your friends. I'm not talking about your frenemies - those people who you pretend to adore but really would love to throw into oncoming traffic if the opportunity ever presented itself. I'm talking about your real friends.

Think about how you feel their pain when they are sad. How you look for ways to brighten their day when you know they have had a tough time. How you laugh together and cry together. How you would stand toe-to-toe with the meanest bully in the world to defend your friends.

Now think about that friendship amplified in your marriage or relationship. Think about how much stronger your friendship with your partner will be because you have committed to love them above all others. They are your person - the one person who is completely yours - devoted to you and you alone.

I'm not trying to discount the importance of passion. Attraction to your partner is a vital part of a relationship - but a relationship cannot survive on attraction and passion. I do feel attraction to Steven and "that spark" - but I know that there may be times in our marriage when that passion is not as strong as I would like. Passion is a feeling - it can come and go depending on a person's mood, depending on their current circumstances and abilities. Companionship is a relationship - no matter how I feel about Steven in any given moment - I *always* know that he is my best friend. He's my person - my God given person.

He's the man I want to sit on the front porch with when I'm ninety. We'll hold hands and drink sweet tea and talk about all the memories we've shared together. I would rather talk about all the experiences we shared as friends rather than moments of passion: How we grew up together. We survived our twenties and finally figured out "what we wanted to do when we grew up." Talk about the struggles and joys of raising our children. Talk about how wonderful our grandchildren are and how being a grandparent is way better than being a parent. I'm not so sure that those night's spent on bearskin rugs in front of the fire eating whip cream off each other will be so important to me when I'm ninety - but I'm sure that every moment shared with my best friend building our life together will be.

But maybe I'm just crazy and I'm the only woman in America who would chose companionship over passion.....

**PS - it's completely okay to disagree with me. All of my friends do! Maybe there are some insights I'm just missing. You won't hurt my feelings!

Eat It. Work It. Blog It. - Week 1

2011-01-31T18:25:00.017-05:00

**I know this is a super long post - and I don't generally do super long posts - but if you'll just keep reading it's worth it. I promise!**

So as many of you know, I've been on a journey to a lighter, more fit, happier Amber over the past five months. But maybe I should share what has led me to this weightloss journey.

I've never been thin. *Ever* I was a chubby kid - cute - but chubby. Although I grew out of the "baby fat", I remained we'll call it "thick" throughout high school. I was that teenage girl crying in the dressing room because her butt just would not fit in junior size jeans. In college, I was one of the largest girls in my pledge class - not the largest, but definitely one of the larger girls.

I'm not saying that I'm ugly - or that I've always felt ugly. I'm not saying that I look at pictures of skinny girls in magazines and wish that could be me. I'm simply saying - weight has always been an issue for me. A part of it is genetics - I've got my mama's thighs and hips and there is no changing that. But the real problem is my lack of self control.

I could easily eat a Snickers and an entire bag of salt & vinegar chips in one evening if I wanted to. I could eat fast food one a day and not think twice about it. It's very easy for me to mindlessly graze on high sugar, empty calorie snacks all day long and never consider the impact of that grazing on my waist line. I could go weeks, maybe months, without exercising. Basically - I was a fat girl because I choose to be a fat girl. (Please note - I use the word "fat" very loosely. I believe skinny/fat/chubby are relative terms that apply differently to different people. I was by no means actually fat - but I felt fat and that made me a fat girl.)

I lost about 15 pounds before our wedding and I felt great. (Most of the pictures you see on my blog are from my wedding or around the time of our wedding.) I was by no means a size 2, but I felt comfortable in my skin and I was happy with my body. As I settled into married life, I put those 15 pounds back on. Seven months after we were married, I started my weight loss program again and dropped the 15 pounds. But somehow between November 2009 and August 2010 I managed to put 20 pounds on - TWENTY POUNDS!

I woke up one morning about five months ago and I'd had enough. ENOUGH! I truly didn't recongize the woman in the mirror. I hated getting dressed in the mornings because none of my clothes fit, but I refused to buy new clothes because I refused to acknowledge that I had gained weight. My sex drive was basically nonexistent. This had *nothing* to do with my husband - but more the sheer embarrasment I felt at the thought of him seeing me naked. My weight gain was a catalyst for a complete breakdown of my self confidence. I no longer took the time to apply makeup or fix my hair. I bit my nails and avoided spending time with friends. I was sad and pathetic and I only had myself to blame. As I looked at my tear filled reflection that Wednesday morning all I could think was, "How the hell did you do this to yourself!?!?!"

And that was it....that was the spark that I needed. Steven and I decided to find a gym that we both enjoyed going to and within a week we had joined CrossFit Charlotte. Coach Andy, the owner, encouraged both of us to try The Zone Diet and within a week we were "In The Zone".

There have been a lot of ups and down for me throughout the past five months. By no means have I stuck to my diet the way that I should and it took me some time to fully commit myself to a steady workout routine. But now - I'm there. I'm over the "trial and error" phase of this lifestyle change and I know the right foods to eat to fuel my body and I am getting my butt kicked on an almost daily basis at CFC. I've lost 17 pounds so far and I've got 15 pounds to go. I know that I can do this. I know that I am strong enough to accomplish this goal - especially with support and encouragement from people who care about my success.

And that's where my idea for "Eat It. Work It. Blog It." came into play. I know that many bloggers are on a journey of their own to accomplish weight loss or fitness goals. Some may want to lose 20 pounds or more. Others may simply want to clean up their eating habits and incorporate exercise into their daily lifestyle. Whatever the goal, I think it would be SO much easier to accomplish that goal with the help and support of other bloggers. To share your "Do's & Dont's". To share your favorite recipes or favorite healthy snack ideas. To share your triumphs and failures. To hold one another accountable and celebrate each other's success.

I thought we might give this a trial run....just for the month of February to see how it goes. Each Tuesday post your "results" for the previous week (Tuesday - Monday). Post your Eat It. (Diet choices throughout the week and share any new recipes or snack suggestions.) Post your Work It. (Exercise routine throughout the week.) Post your Blog It. (How did you feel? Did you experience any breakthroughs on your journey? Did you find a new favorite exercise or learn something new?)

So today begins the first Tuesday of Week 1. If you would like to join - link up! Today just simply post what eating habits you plan to follow during the month, what exercise routine you hope to start and what your goals for the month of February are. Also, feel free to share a little about yourself and what made you decide to take this challenge.

So - now that I have said all that (and that really was a lot - I promise it won't be this lenghty going forward!) let me share my Eat It. Work It. Blog It.

Eat It:
I intend to follow The Zone Diet 6 days a week. I will eat three meals and two snacks each day that are balanced with healthy proteins, carbs & fats. I will take a cheat day each week to indulge myself - however, only one cheat day per week!

Work It:
I will complete at least five WOD's (Workout Of the Day) at CrossFit Charlotte each week.

Blog It:
It is my goal to lose eight pounds during the month of February and to do a body weight kipping pull-up. I will encourage the other women who link up to Eat It. Work It. Blog It and I will be grateful for the small victories this week!

See - nothing to it! Now I just have to stick to my goals this week and report back next Tuesday!

Miscellany Monday

2011-01-31T12:59:00.000-05:00

{one} We had a taste of springtime in the Carolina's this weekend and I want it back now!!! The temperatures were in the high 50's/low 60's on Saturday & Sunday. I sat in front yard sunbathing while Steven washed my car yesterday afternoon (well - I was in yoga pants and a long sleeve t-shirt, but at least my face was getting sun!) Then we took the dogs for an afternoon walk. It was pure bliss! We are back to cooler temperatures today and I can already feel my chipper mood slipping away....

{two} I have a dentist appointment tomorrow to have a cavity filled. Technically, I'm having an old filling refilled. Either way - I'm terrified. I had a *horrible* experience with my family dentist three years ago and my bite/teeth have never been the same since. I hate going to the dentist.....

{three} I was so tempted to skip class this morning. My alarm went off at 6am and the former, fun undergrad Amber quietly said, "Just turn it off....it won't kill you to miss one day of classes!" So I reset the alarm for 7:15am and closed my eyes. Then the responsible *almost 26-year-old* Amber chimed in, "Get your BUTT out of bed right now! You can't skip class because you have to go to work after class and you are not skipping work today young lady!" So off to class and work it was for me this morning..... I'm starting to really resent the adult Amber that I am becoming.

{four} I spent almost an hour yesterday making homemade protein bars. They were primarily comprised of oatmeal, apple sauce, peanut butter & protein powder. I tossed in some almonds and dried cranberries for good measure. THEY WERE DISGUSTING! Seriously - gross! If anyone has a recipe for homemade protein bars made of primarily all natural products please share!!!

{five} I am considering beginning a weekly feature on Tuesday's that will focus on weight loss/fitness goals. So many of my readers have commented on how they've been inspired by my recent weight loss from CrossFit & Zone. I also have noticed that many of you are beginning your own weight loss journey whether it be Weight Watchers, counting calories, vegetarian lifestyle, etc. So I thought it might be neat for us to link up each week and share our experiences. Share recipes, favorite health foods, exercises, etc. Would anyone be interested in linking up for the month of February & tracking your progress? It could be a great accountability program!!

That's all for now! Hope you're having a great Monday wherever you may be!

Friday Confessional

2011-01-28T08:28:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Aly over at Analyze This for introducing me to Friday Confessional! If you feel like you need to get a few things off your chest - you should definitely play along!

I confess that I have on more than one occassion been caught dancing in the car by the stranger next to me at a stoplight. Each time it has been mortifying - but it hasn't stopped me from continuing to dance. Those tiny moments of joy keep me sane!

I confess that I have a crazy white girl obsession with Ludacris. I love every song he's a part of! Something about the way he raps just makes me wanna drop it like it's hot. I'm especially loving his recent collaboration with Enrique - Tonight. FABULOUS!

I confess that I've been cheating on Zone a lot lately. I have no idea why - it is very easy to eat "In The Zone" - but for some reason I just can't stay away from the sweets. I'm rededicating myself for the month of February. More details to come Monday......

I confess that I want my blonde hair back. *BADLY* I promise, promise, promise I will never again dye my hair dark if the hair gods will just please allow me to get back to blonde (without my hair turning pink again!)

I confess that over the past three weeks hubby and I have watched three seasons of Grey's Anatomy and we are currently five episodes into Season 4. *Before you judge us - we haven't watched anything else. We have hours of our favorite shows backing up on the DVR - but for some reason we just keep watching episode after episode of Grey's. I can't believe how much I forgot happened on this show!

I confess that I'm over the moon that it is Friday!!!!!

You're A Republican Aren't You?

2011-01-27T09:10:00.004-05:00

First – let me start by saying that this post is not intended to a platform for me to preach my political opinions. It isn’t intended as a bash on our nation’s current leadership or any political party. I’m simply sharing a revelation that I had yesterday.

While browsing my FB newsfeed yesterday morning I noted a rather strange status update from one of my best friends (we’ll call her EBT). It read, “Mr. Obama, I got you!” I’ve been friends with EBT for seven years and although she has never expressly stated it, I’m almost positive she’s a democrat – but still, this status intrigued me. So I shot her a text.

Me: So why exactly do you “got” Mr. Obama?

EBT: Umm…you’re a republican – right?
I was tempted to reply, “EBT – we’ve been friends for seven years. You know I’m a Southern Baptist pastor’s daughter from Alabama and that I married Steven (if you knew my husband - you would understand)…..of course I’m a republican!” But I’ve been trying to avoid stereotyping lately – so instead I simply said…
Me: Yes.

EBT: Well, I’m a democrat – so I was just saying that I agree with what Obama said in his speech last night. And I guess this means we can’t be friends anymore!
I was tempted to reply, “EBT – you’re a teacher from Boston of course you’re a democrat.” But again…stereotypes….so I replied….
Me: I see. I agree that he made some valid points. I don’t exactly think he said anything new – but rather simply admitted that somehow we have allowed things to go too far and we have to find a solution to the problems facing Americans – but again, that’s not exactly anything new. And of course we can be friends!
EBT: True. I agree with some things that republicans believe – it’s just that I believe that we should all do our part to help those in need. I believe that we all have a responsibility to one another.
Me: I’m not a republican based on religious or social reasons. Don’t get me wrong, I obviously agree with the republican party on conservative issues; however, I know how often I fail in my faith and how rarely I live the lifestyle that I should according to my faith so I have a very difficult time believing that politics should dictate lifestyle choices for others. I’m a republican based on pure economical beliefs. I’m a capitalist! Allow the markets to regulate themselves.
EBT: And I agree with many points the republicans make. I’m not all democratic. But it’s rather hard to work in the education system and not be a democrat. To see the needs of others and not support government programs.

Me: Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely believe that we have a responsibility to help those in need. I just believe that help should come from charitable organizations and the private sector – not the government. I believe that if the government decreased those programs and as a result decreases taxes levied on Americans and increased tax incentives for contributing to charitable organizations designed to provide relief to those in need then we would be able to provide better programs and more assistance than the government currently does. That may sound too ideal – but I at least believe there should be more restrictions placed on welfare programs to ensure the truly needy are being helped.

EBT: Oh I completely agree that the system needs a major overhaul – many times it the wrong people entirely who receive aid – but at least something is being done. But you may know more about this than I do…..

Me: Hey! At least you watched the address and are trying to stay up on current events!

Me: WAIT A MINUTE!!! ARE WE HAVING A SERIOUS, INTELLIGENT CONVERSATION ABOUT POLITICS??!?!

EBT: OMG – WE ARE!
Me: If only our husbands could see us now!!!

And that was pretty much the end of our intelligent conversation. It surprised me though. Like I said, I’ve known for years (or at least suspected) how EBT felt about certain issues. As a result, I’ve always avoided topics regarding religion & politics. I guess it was for a fear of offending her or seeming like the “pushy conservative”. I mean – this is one of my best friends. I share details about the most intimate aspects of my life with her: my marriage, my family, my career, my sex life – and not once have I thought twice about any of it.

So why in the world am I afraid to talk about the other factors that make me who I am? My conservative ideals – whether they be political or religious. Why do so many women fall back on talk about celebrity gossip, recipes, latest fashion trends or the new miracle product. I mean – just look at our blogs – look at my blog!

I’m not saying we all need to blast our opinions as if they were the gospel or that we need to write weekly posts about our take on the current political climate – but I’m starting to realize that there is a way that you can express your opinion without being condescending or overbearing. It is okay to disagree with “the other side” but at least have the conversation! You may just find that you have more in common with “the other side” than you think and you might actually gain a new appreciation and respect for your friends!

Read Directions CAREFULLY

2011-01-26T13:45:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I recently began a graduate program to get my Master's of Accounting in the hopes that this program will help prepare me to sit for (and pass) the CPA Exam. )Oh yeah - and I guess it's a plus to have your Master's!)

The CPA Exam is a four part standardized test that tests basic information that an accountant with up to two years experience should understand. And it's *hard* - *super hard*.

I am currently taking an Advanced Auditing course which is designed specifically to address the auditing portion of the CPA Exam. The auditing portion of CPA Exam is comprised of 90 multiple choice questions and 7 task based simulations (problem solving). All homework assignments in this Advanced Auditing class are practice simulation questions from the CPA Exam Prep website.

At the end of Monday's class, my professor handed out a memo detailing our homework assignment which was to be completed on the CPA Exam Prep website.

So last night I read through the memo, logged onto the website and began the specified simulation. It was a little overwhelming because there is a timer that ticks off at the top of the simulation. And the time it takes you to complete the homework assignment will be reported to your professor.

There were 7 tabs across the top of the simulation and as you completed each tab you could move to the next until you completed all 7. So that's exactly what I did. And it took my 1 hour and 45 minutes!

After completing the simulation, I checked the memo one last time to make sure that I had completed all necessary steps for the assignment and that's when I saw it....

Note: Only complete portion "Tab 1 - Independence". Select "Done" after completing "Tab 1" and print your results. Completion of other tabs is not necessary.

Umm...."Tab 1" contained 6 True/False questions that took me only 10 minutes to answer. TEN MINUTES! So I spent 1 hour and 35 minutes doing unnecessary homework. And I only have myself to blame because I didn't read the stupid directions completely!

Here I am complaining about not knowing when I'm going to have enough time to get all my required reading/home assignments done and I spent an extra hour and 35 minutes doing unnecessary homework last night. OYE! Oh well - I guess I could just look at it as logging hours of prep for the exam. Or a rather hard lesson learned - always read the directions carefully!

Am I Dirty - Or Is This "A Girl Thing"?

2011-01-25T09:12:00.002-05:00

In an attempt to welcome the New Year and bring about positive change, I have made a conscious effort to ~~take better care of myself~~ ~~be more presentable each day~~ stop waking up at the very last possible second, throwing on the first thing I grab from my closet and rushing out the door looking like a complete slob each morning. (I mean - there really was no nice way putting that!)

My recent weight loss has brought a renewed sense of self-worth and self confidence. I wish I could say that I am one of those women who feels gorgeous at any size, but that simply is not the case. I allowed my weight to get out.of.control during the first six months of 2010 and as a result I pretty much gave up on myself. However, I am now 15 pounds lighter (and losing more everyday!) and the weight training/intense cardio at CrossFit is slowly changing my body composition so I have become significantly more comfortable in my skin.

As a part of my new "pretty Amber" pledge, I decided it was time to step up my fashion. Hubby bought me a gorgeous pair of leather riding boots for Christmas and I finally invested in a pair of skinny jeans. I am proud to announce that I have officially rocked the "boots over the jeans" look.

Which brings me to my question......

I found an outfit on the clearance rack at Target last Thursday evening. I'm in love. Nothing too special - just a pair of jeggings and a brown large button cardigan that goes perfectly with my new boots. Match that with my new large, brown drop earrings and I managed to put together quite a fashionable outfit. I felt like it said, "I'm old enough to know how to dress for my body - but young enough to look damn good doing it!"

So, of course, I wore the new outfit to work on Friday. My female coworkers immediately commented on my chic appearance. As soon as I got home, I changed into PJ's and settled in for a quite night with hubby.

Saturday evening, my closest friends and I had a "girl's night" planned at a friend's house. The "old" Amber would have thrown on jeans and t-shirt and ran out the door; however, the "new" Amber felt like being pretty. I stared at my closet trying to determine what to wear as my mind kept flashing back to Friday's outfit - my new, fun outfit.

After about a minute of internal struggle as to whether it would completely disgusting for me to wear the same outfit two days in a row - I threw the jeggings/cardigan in the dryer for a quick refresher. Five minutes later I was dressed and out the door in exactly the same outfit (minus socks) that I had worn the day before.

I mean - it's not like I was doing lunges or anything at work on Friday. I didn't wear the outfit out to dinner or to some smokey bar....just straight home. But I can't help but wonder - does this make the smelly kid? I mean, I know it's okay to wear the same sweatshirt two days in a row or pajama pants two nights in a row (or at least I hope it is!) but is it acceptable to wear the same outfit two days in a row if you are around two completely different groups of people (and if it's your new favorite outfit?)

I really pray I'm not the only woman who has done this and that it really is acceptable...otherwise, I may be the new smelly kid on the block!

Miscellany Monday

2011-01-24T13:10:00.001-05:00

{one} Thank-you for the encouraging comments and understanding regarding my limited ability to blog lately. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with my recent push at work and I'm hoping that blogging will become a regular occurrence for me in the near future.

{two} I experienced a HUGE breakthrough at CrossFit this weekend. I jumped on a tire! Not just any old tire - one of the HUGE ones - like for a tractor. It's about 30 inches I believe. Now to put this in perspective...when I started CrossFit about five months ago, I could barely jump on a small box that was about 15 inches high. That's an increase of about 15 inches in my vertical jump!!! I did 50 tire jumps and it felt amazing. (I'm sure this sounds incredibly silly - but as a Crossfitter, I'm learning to appreciate the small victories!)

{three} Grad school is in full swing. It's my first full week of classes. My schedule will now be *insane*:

Monday: Work (From Home) 7am - 8am

Class 9am - 12pm
Work 12:30pm - 6:30pm

CrossFit - 7pm

Tuesday: CrossFit - 6am

Work 8am - 6pm

Wednesday: Work (From Home) 7am - 8am

Class 9am - 12pm

Work 12:30pm - 7pm

Thursday: CrossFit - 6am

Work 8am - 6pm

Friday: CrossFit - 6am

Work 8am - 6pm

Now when/where I'm supposed to get homework and required reading done is beyond me. Poor hubby...I hope he isn't too neglected over the upcoming months!

{four} I can't believe I"m saying this - but I think I might actually like this new schedule. If my body would just get used to waking up so early, I might have a decent shot at making this work and find that I am significantly more productive during the week than I have been in the past. I'm hoping to utilize my lunch breaks on Tues/Thur/Fri to complete homework assignments so that I don't have to spend the entire weekend studying. But we shall see!

{five} Is it just me, or is everyone pregnant these days? So many of my favorite bloggers are pregnant and so many of my real life friends are pregnant. Did I miss the memo??? Just in case anyone is wondering - baby plans have been put on hold for the next two years while I finish my education.

That's all for now! Hope you're having a great start to the work week!!

Hi - I'm Amber, Just In Case You Have Forgotten Me

2011-01-21T12:05:00.002-05:00

Hmm....let's see....once again a full month has gone by with no post from little old me. And so many things have happened over the past month that it would take a full two months worth of posting to catch you up and frankly, I don't have time for that (hence the no posting for almost a month!) so I will give you a quick snapshot of what I've been up to these days.

Christmas holiday was wonderful. I experienced my first "White Christmas" with about 6 inches of snow! It was wonderful.
My two week long vacation was just what the doctor ordered. My BFF, Khristi, from Ohio visited with her fiance for three days and rang in the New Year's with us.
I've decided it's time to go back blonde. I don't know what I was thinking with the super dark hair - but I hate it and miss my blonde locks desperately. In the process of trying to go back blonde, I have dyed my hair hot pink twice. (Or my sister accidentally has - but that's not the point.) So I'm a light brown right now and we're hoping to be able to do an all over dark blonde dye in the middle of February. My poor hair has really been struggling the past few weeks - but I think I'll get back to the blonde soon enough!
Steven and I hosted about forty of our friends for New Year's Eve. We had an amazing time - not such an amazing time the next morning - but we definitely said goodbye to 2010 in style.
After returning to work for only four days from the holiday break, the Carolina's were hit with a pretty large snow/ice storm and Steven and I were both out of the office Monday & Tuesday of last week. We blew up our queen size airmattress, lit a fire and layed in front of the TV for two solid days watching Grey's Anatomy Seasons 1 & 2. *BLISS*
After almost two weeks off work for the holidays and a three day week last week due to the snow storm - this week has been HELLACIOUS at the office. By the time I left the office at 7:15pm last night I had already worked my forty hours for the week - and that's with me being out of the office Wednesday morning for grad school classes. Whew - I need this day to be over ASAP!
I have officially begun grad school classes! The next two years of my life should be pretty interesting: working full-time, taking classes part-time and sitting for the four portions of the CPA exam. OYE!!! If all goes according to plan (and when does that actually happen right!?!) I will have my Master's of Accounting & CPA certification by December 2012.

That's about all for now. With all that's going on - work, school, CrossFit, trying to be a decent wife to my amazing husband - I have seriously considered giving up blogging. I truly enjoy writing and reading along with my favorite bloggers - but if we are all honest blogging can become a rather large time commitment. It's a hobby that I love dearly, but I'm just not sure how this will fit into my new schedule over the upcoming months.

Don't worry, before I make any rash decisions I'm going to get through year-end/beginning of year at the office. I'm hoping that by the time I push through this insanely busy time at the office, I will have settled nicely into a study routine with my grad classes and I will be able to make time for blogging again. I really would be so upset if I had to give this up!

I hope you all are doing well and that you're having an amazing, productive start to 2011. After the year that Steven and I had last year, we can truly use a much better 2011 and I have faith that big things are going to happen this year!

I Have A Confession To Make

2010-12-22T08:25:00.000-05:00

So I'm going to be honest. I can be a very judgemental person at times. It's true. For example, I tend to judge "those" people on Facebook. You know the kind - the ones who constantly flood your news feed with posts like "Gina got a new goat on Farmville!" "Erin slayed 20,000 zombies on ZombieWars!" I mean let's get serious people - we're adults who are supposed to be working from 9-5 - when do these people find all the time to play such trivial Facebook games?

Oh at least those are the judgemental thoughts that used to run through my head.

Now....now I'm just as guilty as the rest of them. Because, I joined ESPNU College Town. That's right - I have created "Fabulous University" and I'm addicted. I blame my husband 100%. I always here him talking about "needing more students" and "keeping up student moral" as if he were trying to get his latest crack fix and I just couldn't help but see what all the hype was about.

And now I can't stop myself. Seriously - someone help me!

So I have to know, are there any other self respecting bloggers out there who have fallen victim to Facebook's deadly addictions or am I the only one???

Oh Christmas Tree!! Oh Christmas Tree!!!

2010-12-21T09:26:00.000-05:00

The Christmas spirit is in full swing around our house! After over an hour of grueling cutting and taping last night - we finally have presents under the tree!!! In my opinion, a Christmas tree just isn't a Christmas tree without a few pretty presents with even prettier bows under it.

I've almost completed my shopping. One or two relatives remain on my To Do List - but I'm confident everything will be completed in plenty of time for the big day!

Even Dixie & Bauer are looking forward to Santa's arrival. Don't believe me? See for yourself.....

I swear, every time I get the camera out Dixie thinks she's in trouble.

Notice - ears back, tail tucked. I just want a picture Dixie!

Candid shots are usually the best - but as you can see, they are sporting some super cute Christmas gear!

Just in case you were wondering, Said Puppy is still with us. But she would not cooperate and let me put her Santa hat on for a picture.

That's all from our place! Two and a half days left of work and I'm on Christmas holiday for almost two blissful weeks!! Santa can't come soon enough!!

PS.....I know that many of you are photography buffs. I'm having a little difficulty with my new point-and-shoot digital camera. Every time I try to take a picture of my Christmas tree or mantle with the Christmas lights on, the picture turns out all fuzzy like this....

I've tried taking the picture without the flash on and that doesn't help either. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong??? I just want a pretty picture of my tree and mantle all light up for Pete's sake!

Frosty, Rudolph or The Grinch?

2010-12-20T11:21:00.000-05:00

This weekend was JUST what the doctor ordered. I didn't do anything. Well I worked out on Saturday and went to church on Sunday, but other than that, I literally took a couple of naps and watched Christmas movies. It was *pure* bliss!

Friday night I watched Frosty The Snowman. Saturday I watched Rudolph and last night hubby and I watched the Jim Carey version of the The Grinch. Poor hubby - I think he was a little Christmas movie specialed out by the time 7pm rolled around last night. But I couldn't help but feel like a kid again watching my favorite Christmas specials curled up by the fireplace. There is something so magical about those simple cartoons.

So I want to know - which is your favorite: Frosty, Rudolph or The Grinch? Frosty is by far my favorite!

Somehow I've Survived!

2010-12-17T09:51:00.001-05:00

Do you ever have one of those weeks? You know the kind – Monday morning rolls around, you look at your “To Do” list for the week and silently swear it will be a miracle if you somehow survive the week much less get everything accomplished on your list.

It’s been one of those weeks for me and somehow, I’ve survived. Barely – but I’ve survived. So once again, I apologize for being a bad blogger and disappearing for the week but allow me to explain.

I’m an accountant. We are in the middle of month end closing and trying to get everything accomplished before the holidays. It’s a little crazy around here. Basically, I had two and a half days to get about six days worth of work completed this week. Let’s just say that made for an *awesome* Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at the office. Oh and I also had an audit midterm on Wednesday. So in addition to working like a mad woman during the day to get month end reconciliations accomplished, I also had to put in about six hours worth of studying Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. I was at the office by 7am each morning this week and didn’t leave until around 7pm. Oh and I drove home on my lunch breaks all week to take care of our little guest, said puppy.

I’m not complaining – I’m just saying. Please forgive me, I’ve just been busy! But Friday is here and I’ve only got one or two items left on my “To Do” list and I will be in the clear for the holidays! It’s three and a half days of work next week then I’m off until January 4th! And let me tell you – Christmas vacation cannot come soon enough!

So here’s hoping you’ve all had a productive, pleasant week and that you have an even better weekend!!!

Holly Jolly Blog Hop - Open House Decoration Tour

2010-12-10T15:48:00.000-05:00

First of all - let me apologize for getting this post up midday. Blogger and I are having some serious issues today - photo uploader has not been cooperating.

So...without further ado....please allow me to welcome you to our home all decked for the holidays! :) As you will see, I have a serious love for all things snowmen!

Let's start in the dining room and kitchen shall we?

I absolutely love my gold and deep purple china setting!

Snowmen are my favorite decor.

My mother painted this holiday plate for me.

Maybe I've been a little naughty this year.....

I love this entertainment center - functional and decorative! The blocks read "Merry Christmas"

Excuse the reflection of the ceiling fan.

Close-ups of the mantle - Dixie and Bauer have their own stockings.

Sofa table in the entryway

Close-ups of the Christmas tree

Roll Tide!

I hope you've enjoyed your tour and that I haven't overloaded you with pictures. Like I said - I love snowmen. So one participant in the Blog Hop will win a set of snowmen candle holders. (I have the same set displayed in my entertainment center!)

So link up and join in on the fun. The links will remain open through the weekend so you can link up anytime through Sunday evening. Winners of the giveaways will be announced Monday!

Holly Jolly Blog Hop - Open House Recipes

2010-12-09T09:41:00.001-05:00

Good morning lovely readers. The time for the Holly Jolly Blog Hop hosted by Kristin at Windy Poplars, Natalie at Extraordinary Love and myself has finally come.

Today we want to hear about your favorite holiday recipes - no matter how easy or how difficult! Spread a little holiday cheer and tell us what recipes turn your kitchen into a Winter Wonderland.

My favorite recipe by far would have to Gingerbread and Chocolate Sauce. I grew up eating this rich, heavenly dessert at my Nana's house. Something about the contrast of spicy gingerbread smothered in delicious chocolate sauce makes my taste buds do a happy little dance.

To Make Homemade Gingerbread:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup light molasses

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven o 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour on 8 inch square baking pan. Cream shortening and sugar until light. Add the egg and molasses and beat thoroughly. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, ground ginger and ground cinnamon. Bring water to a boil and add alternately with flour mixture to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

To make Homemade Chocolate Sauce:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, sugar and water. Bring to a boil and let boil 1 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

To be honest, I usually make my gingerbread from a box, because it's just easier. The real secret to this holiday dessert is the chocolate sauce. Hope you enjoy!

Please feel free to link up and join in on the fun. Be sure to stop by tomorrow for to tour my home decorated for Christmas and share pictures of your home as well. Tomorrow I will announce my giveaway prize that will be given to one lucky participant.

**Sorry for the delay in posting the Blog Hop, Blogger was not being very user friendly for my first linky experiment! :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2010-12-08T10:57:00.001-05:00

I'm having a much better week this week than last week (which BTW, thank-you all so much for your words of encouragement on Friday - it was just a tough day!) So I figured that since my Christmas cheer is back, it might be nice to play along with "What I'm Loving Wednesday" sponsored by Jamie at This Kind Of Love.

1) I'm loving that my VS Yoga pants came in last night! Finally I can do a workout without my pants practically falling off! I also got a $50 Secret Reward Card with my purchase. So I can get two more pair of yoga pants! :) Now I would really love it if I had her abs....

2) I'm loving that Christmas is almost here. I am especially loving the fact that I am off work from Dec 23rd - January 4th. I'm in desperate need of a little time off and some R&R!

3) I'm loving my girlfriends. Khristi, Jessica, Erika, Erin, Casey, Savanah - I've realized over the last few months how fortunate I am to have friends to call during difficult times and friends to laugh with during the good times.

4) I'm loving ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas. We watched Home Alone 2 last night & A Charlie Brown Christmas. I feel like a kid again!

5) I'm loving how great my God is. Seriously. Everytime I begin to worry, everytime I begin to think that things are just too difficult to handle, He sends me a blessing to remind me of His love and faithfulness. I should learn me lesson and realize that He's always in control and always able to provide for my every need. Thank-you Lord for being unfailing despite my disbelief at times.

6) I'm loving that I've teamed up with Kristin & Natalie to host the Holly Jolly Blog Hop which starts tomorrow. Stop by and link up to share your favorite Christmas recipes tomorrow and come by Friday to share pictures of your home all decorated for the holidays. Kristin, Natalie and myself are also hosting a holiday inspired giveaway for all those who participate in the blog hop. Hope to see you then!

We Have a House Guest

2010-12-07T10:42:00.001-05:00

That's right - hubby and I are hosting a tiny visitor over the next two and a half weeks. I received a phone call from my mother last Thursday. I could tell by the comical tone of her voice that I probably would not like what she had to say.

You see, Santa is bringing my little brother, Ethan who is 7, his very own boxer puppy for Christmas. Santa had worked out an arrangement with the breeders that said puppy could be picked up Christmas Eve night in order to arrive under the tree Christmas morning. Santa (otherwise known as my mother) has been very excited about this Christmas surprise for weeks now.

Unfortunately, the breeders called Santa last Wednesday and said that the puppies had to go. They've gotten too big and are fully weaned - it's time for them to go to their new homes. You can see Santa's dilemma. Christmas morning doesn't come for another three weeks - where will said puppy go until then?

Apparently, there is a clause in the big sister contract that says when Santa is unable to fulfill her duties in order to pull of a Christmas surprise, Big Sister and Big Sister's Hubby get to step in and help.

So allow me to introduce said puppy, our house guest for the next two and a half weeks....

Don't get me wrong, I love puppies - especially boxer puppies. And she's obviously super adorable. But she's not potty trained. She doesn't sleep through the night. I will have to spend my lunch break for the next two and a half weeks driving home to let her go potty midday - I'm thrilled about that one. Oh and she is fearless and likes the chew on everything in my house. Steven and I have been jokingly calling her "Marley" because she is just like the dog from "Marley and Me".

Our dogs adore her. Steven is already attached - this was proven when he came home with a stuffed animal for her last night. Which makes me worry that the day after Christmas might be kind of sad around our house. How will I explain to my little puppies that their tiny friend is no longer with us?

Midget and Dixie loving on Steven

Midget taking a nap on Steven's legs - excuse the poor picture quality.

Midget taking a nap with Dixie

She's only been with us two days and already we're getting pretty used to her. Other than the barking and howling all night. And the potty accidents all over the house. Oh and the fact that she loves to drag her water bowl into the dining room and tip it over with her nose - that's her favorite after dinner activity. Last night she drug our snowman doormat into the middle of the hallway, stood in the center of it, looked right at me and peed on it. I'm telling you - she's fearless and stubborn.

So there you have it. Someone put me up for the "Daughter of the Year" award. Even though it will mean no lunch breaks, no sleep and quite possibly no sex life for the newlyweds over the next two and a half weeks, Steven and I will be playing foster parents to this little cutie. Because no matter how inconvenient it may be, you always help your family - especially this time of the year.

I also wanted to tell you all about the Holly Jolly Blog Hop that I will be co hosting with Kristin from Windy Poplars and Natalie from Extraordinary Love. Stop by this Thursday and Friday to link up. Thursday we will be sharing our favorite holiday recipes and Friday you will have a chance to invite us into your home and share your holiday decorations. Kristin, Natalie and myself will each be offering door prizes which will be given to three participants. So be sure to stop back by Thursday!

Monday, Monday!

2010-12-06T10:19:00.004-05:00

Peppermint Dots Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

So it's a super busy Monday morning here, unfortunately not much time to share what the weekend brought at my house. I thought I would leave you with a preview of our Christmas card - which has finally been ordered!

And also, for those of you who keep asking me about CrossFit and what the workouts are like, check out this CrossFit Charlotte Video by Boomer Alred, a CrossFit Charlotte member. It's only a minute long - so won't take too much of your time! Steven and I are both in the video towards the end - I'm wearing a Carolina blue shirt. Excuse my disheveled appearance, I was kind of busting my butt! :) (Sorry, I tried to embed the video - but couldn't figure it out!)

Hope everyone is having a great Monday!

Insert Sad Face

2010-12-03T12:29:00.002-05:00

I don't really have the energy to post today. I'm spent: emotionally, physically, mentally. Just done. So at the risk of showing vulnerability and sounding like a completely pathetic Debbie Downer, I will leave you with this, because this is exactly how I feel today for multiple reasons:

Seriously hoping and praying that you all are having a much better day than me and I promise to be back with cheerful, holiday filled posts on Monday.

12 Days of Christmas - Holiday Songs

2010-12-02T11:38:00.002-05:00

Warning: I'm about to sound like a complete and total Christmas freak, but I just can't help it - so bare with me.

I love Christmas music. It could be classified as an obsession. I start to feel the urge to listen to Christmas music around the first of November. By the time Thanksgiving has arrived, I'm dying to blast my Mariah Carey Christmas CD through the house. But I force myself to wait to listen to Christmas music until the weekend after Thanksgiving.

This year Steven offered to let me listen to Christmas music the two weeks before Thanksgiving (our local station starts playing Christmas music mid November) - but it just didn't evoke the feeling of Christmas that I cherish. It seems somewhat forced if I begin listening to holiday music before Thanksgiving - as if I'm trying too hard to will the Christmas spirit to take over and turn my everyday life into a magical Christmas wonderland.

But my dear friends - we are now officially on the other side of Thanksgiving and Christmas music abounds! In the car, at the office, while I'm cleaning at the house. Something about my favorite holiday tunes literally makes me feel all warm and cozy on the inside. As if tiny music notes float through the air and into my heart causing me to swell with sheer happiness and contentment.

And no - I'm not joking. I actually love Christmas music this much. I always have. Poor Steven - I always will. So here are a few of my faves:

I'll Be Home For Christmas - Bing Crosby

I rarely get to spend the holidays with my extended family - something about this song reminds me that no matter where I may be, the holidays are a time to cherish family and be grateful for our loved ones. Plus - what is Christmas without Bing Crosby??

Oh Come All Ye Faithful - Nat King Cole

By far my favorite Christian Christmas song - and no one sings it quite like NKC.

All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

Say what you want about MC, but the girl can sing. This song makes me want to dance around the house with a hairbrush in my hand bellowing love lyrics to Steven. Too bad I can't hit the high notes quite like Mariah.

Shake Up Christmas - Train

If I have one complaint about Christmas music, it's that you don't really hear many new songs each season. This is one of my favorite "new" Christmas songs. It's so bubbly and cheerful like Christmas should be.

So now that I have given you a proper tutorial on all things Christmas music and expressed my devotion to the point of insanity, I guess I'll wrap up this post!

Hope you're having a great week. Almost Friday!

Shutterfly To The Rescue

2010-12-01T14:14:00.001-05:00

Remember how I mentioned my Christmas card dilemma and the fact that I hate sending Christmas cards? Well, I still haven't sent them! I haven't had a chance to take our picture in front of the Christmas tree yet! Preparing a Thanksgiving meal for two families last week and trying to get caught up at work this week has just gotten me behind on my holiday schedule.

Thankfully, I have a super sweet girlfriend coming over tomorrow night to take our family picture. Even better, Shutterfly makes creating personalized Holiday Cards a complete breeze! I used Shutterfly to create our Engagement Announcements and my mother used Shutterfly to create my sister's Graduation Announcements. It's such a user-friendly site and the selection is unbelievable.

They have so many holiday cards to choose from. I'm seriously having a hard time deciding which card to choose.

I think I've narrowed it down to the following. Which do you prefer?

I'm really prefer a traditional, elegant card. I can't wait for Sarah to come and take our pictures and see what the finished project looks like. Here's hoping that I can have the cards in the mail by December 10th - that's the goal anyway! I told you I was horrible at sending Christmas cards! Oh well - it's the thought that counts, right?!?!

CrossFit Has Ruined My Life

2010-11-30T09:52:00.001-05:00

A dear reader who also does CrossFit sent me an email yesterday that I absolutely loved. A fellow female CrossFitter from her home box (gym) posted a list of reasons that CrossFit has ruined her life. It was hysterical and so true. I’m still fairly new to CrossFit (just hit the three month mark) but in the short amount of time I have been a CrossFitter, my entire outlook on fitness and exercise has changed. The email yesterday got me thinking about the ways that CrossFit has ruined my life as well – ways in which I will never be the same. This may be difficult for some of you to fully appreciate if you’ve never experienced CrossFit – but I will share anyway.

CrossFit has ruined my life because….

1) I will never be able to take a regular fitness class at the local gym again. Seriously – the thought of doing Zumba for an hour makes me want to throw myself into oncoming traffic. Give me a twenty minute AMRAP of dead lifts, GHD sit-ups & pull-ups and let’s call it a day. I will have burned twice as many calories in a third of the time and I will walk away significantly stronger than any Zumba class could ever make me.

2) Speaking of local gyms, I’m pretty sure I’m no longer welcome there. The housewives and pretty professionals at the YMCA get rather antsy when you start talking about improving your snatch and working on your clean and jerk. I don’t exactly feel at home in a gym full of people staring at themselves in a mirror and taking water breaks between every set. I simply don’t belong at those gyms anymore.

3) I thrive off pain. If I wake up in the morning and some muscle group on my body doesn’t scream in agony, I feel as I’ve done something wrong. Somehow I didn’t work hard enough in the WOD last night – I’ve got to take more weight, push myself to go faster. I should wake up every day with sore abs, aching quads & tight shoulders. And if by some bizarre chance I go two days without pain, I will get depressed. Seriously – I’m slacking BIG TIME if I’ve gone a full 48 hours without pushing my body to the point of exhaustion and I will spend the next four days in a row doing everything I can to get that pain back.

4) I’ve got battle scars and I like it. My pretty, dainty hands have turned into callous, hard tools to lift heavy weights. I’ve got rope burn all over my arms from practicing my double unders. My knees are banged up from falling each time I try to take on a 20” box jump – but hey, I’m practicing – and this morning, I did 10 in a row! I cherish these wounds because they are proof that I’m pushing myself to get better.

5) Nothing is ever good enough. Who cares if I got a PR on my dead lifts last night? I couldn’t do the 20” box jumps in the WOD and that pisses me off. It doesn’t matter that my back squat max has improved by 75lbs in two months – I still can’t do a pull-up on the green band and that pisses me off. That’s the thing about CrossFit – every time you show improvement, you simply raise your personal standard a little higher. There is no “good enough” in CrossFit. I want to push myself every time I’m in that box so that the next workout is faster and stronger – and if I’m not doing that – then I’m not doing CrossFit.

6) I’m no longer a cheap skate. Don’t get me wrong – paying $100+ for designer jeans still sounds absurd to me; but paying $100 for a pair of LuLuLemon yoga pants that stay in place is completely rational. I don’t need cheap workout gear holding me back in my lifts because I’m worried about mooning everyone while doing a squat. My $150 monthly membership to CrossFit is the best money I spend all month. Sure CrossFit gyms cost more than normal gyms – but I’ve just come to accept this as the price you pay to truly forge elite fitness. I’ve come to believe that when it comes to fitness and training, you really do get what you pay for.

7) I can no longer enjoy a midweek cupcake or any dessert for that matter. Knowing what that sugar will do to my insulin levels and hormonal balance takes the fun out of it. Knowing that eating that cupcake will make me tired late afternoon or possibly slow me down in my workout that evening makes me want it so much less. It was one thing when I didn’t understand how my nutrition impacted my physical and mental performance throughout the day – but now that I’m aware of the foods I should eat for proper nutrition, I just simply cannot eat a cupcake on a Wednesday afternoon because it smells yummy. Really – thanks for that one CrossFit. Don’t get me wrong, I still take a cheat day each week and indulge my sweet tooth, but I will never be able to eat dessert or a pasta bowl without at least mentally acknowledging what that meal will do to my system.

I could really go on and on about the ways that my outlook on fitness and nutrition have changed over the past three months. It’s hard to explain what it means to be a CrossFitter. I’ve never been more dedicated to workout regimen or nutrition plan before. But then again, I’m starting to realize that CrossFit isn’t an exercise program or a fad diet - it’s a way of life. It’s about pushing yourself each day to achieve greatness for yourself. It’s about setting personal goals and accomplishing them. And that feeling of physical accomplishment at the box spills over into every aspect of your life. CrossFit is slowly changing the way that I view myself: my strengths, my goals, my abilities and my best qualities. It has helped me to realize that I am stronger than I give myself credit and I really can accomplish so much with the help and support of people who care about me and my success. I’m addicted and I’m loving it!

12 Days of Christmas - Least Favorite

2010-11-30T08:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday! Today's 12 Days Of Christmas Blog Challenge highlights a topic that none of us really like talking about - all the things we don't like about Christmas! This list is FAR smaller than the list of all the things I LOVE about Christmas....but still no holiday is perfect so I give you my list of dislikes for the most wonderful holiday of the year:

1) Setting the holiday schedule. Thankfully, Steven and I are blessed with three sets of amazing parents who love us and want to spend the holidays with us. The not so thankfully part, is that it can be difficult to plan the holidays so we spend quality time with each - especially when my parents and Steven's parents live three hours apart. I hate, hate, hate having to decide where we will go and when. Seriously - we almost booked a trip to Jamaica this year just to avoid it (I'm not kidding - grad school kind of put the kabash on that - but we were going otherwise!)

2) Sending Christmas cards. I know - I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I hate sending Christmas cards. It's not that I don't appreciate our friends and family. It's not that I don't want to spread a little Christmas cheer - I just hate having to time picking out the card, stuffing and addressing envelopes & getting everything in the mail. Blah.

3) The holiday weight I gain. I'm not one for will power people. If there is a yummy dessert nearby, chances are I'm gonna eat it. Unfortunately the entire month of December is full of yummy desserts, holiday drinks & Christmas parties. It's a recipe for disaster for my thighs!

That's really about it. I don't mind the crowds. I don't mind wrapping the gifts. I don't mind driving back and forth to visit people in insane traffic. Other than the three items mentioned above, I embrace Christmas and all the craziness it brings each year with open arms and a happy, welcoming heart!

What about you - what do you hate about the holidays??

12 Days of Christmas - OVERLOAD!

2010-11-29T09:44:00.002-05:00

Hello all! So with the Thanksgiving holiday, I've kind of missed days 4, 5, & 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge so I'm going to do my best to catch up in one post. I'll keep it short and sweet, hopefully this isn't overload!

Day 4 - Tips & Tricks To A Budget Friendly Holiday

My biggest tip would be to actually budget. I mentioned this when discussing Black Friday shopping. Each season I determine a total amount we can afford to spend on Christmas gifts, including gifts Steven and I give to one another. I then make a list of everyone we have to shop for: siblings, parents, grandparents, coworkers, friends, etc. I then determine a maximum amount I am allowed to spend on each person on the list. This helps me determine what type of gift I can purchase for each person on my list and as long as I stick to the allotted amount per person, I am guaranteed to stay within budget. :)

Day 5 - Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show

I love holiday movies! ABC Family's 25 Day's of Christmas plays non-stop at our house during the holiday season! As I mentioned earlier, as a child, I never really watched "the classics" - the old black and white traditional holiday movies. Since Steven and I have been married we watch at least one classic each year - it's his way of "educating me" as he so eloquently puts it. :) My new favorites include:

Miracle on 34th Street

It's A Wonderful Life

Day 6 - Gift Ideas For Me

This year's gift list pretty much includes items that I actually need. Sad yes - but a girl's gotta grow up sometime I guess. :)

A Victoria's Secret Gift Card to Purchase These

Nike Free's To Do CrossFit

Everybody Needs Riding Boots!

Makeup Bags & Organizers

And maybe a few fun items that I don't actually need, but would really LOVE!

Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Decorative Cake Stands & Serving Trays

Eclipse

Sorry for getting so behind on the blog challenge. I will be posting later today about my favorite DIY projects (hahaha...make me laugh!!!)

12 Days Of Christmas Blog Challenge - Best Gifts

2010-11-24T11:58:00.000-05:00

Today's 12 Days Of Christmas Blog Challenge is all about gifts - in particular, the best gifts you've ever received.

It's honestly so hard for me to decide what the best gift I've ever received was - so I think I will go with a few of my favorites over the years:

My favorite early childhood gift would absolutely be the doll house I received. I can't remember exactly how old I was, either 5 or 6 I believe. This doll house was no ordinary doll house. It wasn't the traditional plastic Barbie Dreamhouse. It was a two-story, real wood doll house customized with real paint, wall paper & trim. It stood almost as tall as I was. I was so surprised when I came into the livingroom and found that Santa had left that beautiful house for me.

My favorite gift from my teen years would be the "Hope Chest" that my Nana and mom gave me. It was a large cedar chest filled with items for my future: dishes, towels, bathroom accessories. The idea was that we would purchase important items while I was in high school so when I "went out on my own" I would have everything I needed. I still have the chest and it's currently holding all the important memorablia from our wedding, including my wedding gown.

My favorite gift from "adulthood" would be the National Championship Mark Ingram jersey that Steven gave me last year. That may sound kind of crazy - but let me explain. Some of my more recent followers may or may not know this, but I technically used to be an Auburn fan. Read here for more details. After announcing that I was going to make the switch to the "dark side" Steven made me go through a trial season as an Alabama fan. I'm not kidding. I had to prove that I was a fan worthy of supporting the Crimson Tide and that my loyalty would not waiver. So last season was my "trial" period as a fan. I think the trial period was somewhat in jest, but also somewhat earnest. And I got it - so I played along. I wanted to buy a jersey at the beginning of the season, but Steven said I had to wait. So when I asked him for a jersey for Christmas, I truly wasn't sure if he would come through. I was SHOCKED when he got me a 22 jersey with National Championship badge. It was like an official acceptance into his club - and I loved it. That jersey represents some of our best times together. I love sharing his passion for the Crimson Tide and over the past two seasons I have grown to become an equally obsessed fan. I will always keep that jersey.

Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks

2010-11-23T08:43:00.000-05:00

It's Day 2 of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge and I think this may be my favorite topic: BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING!!!

This day marks the official beginning of the Christmas season for me. It is a cheapskate shopaholic's favorite day of the year! $5 DVD's?? Yes please!! $10 sweaters & jeans?? Of course!!! $20 luxury sheet sets?? You've got to be kidding me!! Free coffee from Starbuck's just for being crazy enough to take on the crowds?? Now you're speaking my love language!!!!

If you've never been Black Friday shopping - you must go. Seriously. If you plan properly, you can purchase gifts for everyone on your list on this single day and save a TON OF MONEY!!! So for all of you who have never dared to take on Black Friday, here are my secrets to surviving:

1) Make a List & Set a Budget: Make a list of everyone you need to shop for during the holiday season and know exactly how much you are willing to spend on each person to stay within your overall budget. Jot down a few gift ideas for each person on your list which will help to easily identify which deals to look for on Black Friday.

2) Do Your Homework: Get the Thanksgiving Day paper on Thursday evening. Scour the papers for deals that match the gift ideas on your list. If possible, have two or three good options for each person on your list. Quantities are always limited on Black Friday, so it's a great idea to have a backup plan to ensure that you go home with a present for everyone.

3) Prioritize & Make a Plan of Attack: If you absolutely must get your husband the super expensive TV or gaming system that he has been dying for and Target has it on sale for $100 cheaper than anywhere else - start with Target. Make the expensive items on your list a priority as they will be more difficult to get. Also, plan out your route throughout the day. Most stores stagger their opening times - if you plan it just right, you can be at Kohl's at 3am, Target at 4am and WalMart at 5am. This isn't your everyday shopping - you are on a mission - get your items, get out and move to the next store. Stick to the schedule and you can be done by 9am and back in bed with almost all of your holiday shopping completed!

4) Choose Your Shopping Buddy Wisely: This may be the most important step. Everybody loves grandma, but she may not be the best choice to get the job done when WalMart only has 5 flat screen TV's for $200. You need to align yourself with someone who isn't afraid to bust through the crowd. Who won't grow weary when lines are long and temperatures are cold. You need a partner who will tell you that YOU CAN get the digital camera for $75 and YOU WILL find the hottest toy on the market for a super steal. Most importantly, you need someone who's got your back just in case the mob gets a little out of control.

5) Follow The Leader: If everyone is grabbing it - grab it. Seriously - it doesn't matter if you don't want the Guitar Hero for $50, someone in that store will. And they might just have an item that you desperately want - you may be able to barter. As you run through the store toward the item of your choice, be sure to grab as much as you can. You don't have to buy everything in your cart when you get to the checkout - but it's nice to have the option just in case.

This may seem somewhat dramatic, but I take this day of shopping very seriously. For the past two years my MIL and I have been champions of Black Friday Shopping. Seriously. We saved over $1,000 at Kohl's last year and walked away with nearly $125 in Kohl's cash. We enlisted my brother-in-law to drive us for the morning - dropping us off at the front of each store and pulling the car around while we checked out so that we could be certain to make it to each store as it opened. We both knew what the other person was looking for so we could split up and be more likely to get our priority items and somehow we always got everything on our list and stayed within our budget. Oh and did I mention we were back in bed by about 9:30 am?? We are Black Friday Rockstars.

Sadly, we won't be Black Friday Shopping this year. :( :( :( Steven's little sister has a cheer leading competition that morning at 8am and Kathy is a coach. We will be cheering on Michelle as the Bronco's try to make it to National's at Disney World. My mom will be out that morning - I may just have to enlist her services to get me a few priority items for some difficult people on my holiday list!!!

12 Days Of Christmas Blog Challenge - Holiday Traditions

2010-11-22T13:16:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited to participate in Aly & Molly's 12 Days Of Christmas Blog Challenge! Today's question is about your favorite holiday traditions:

Holiday traditions….well this one is tough. As a child, the traditions were strict and always the same. My Nana (mother’s mom) would spend the night with us on Christmas Eve. We got to open one present on Christmas Eve night and somehow mom always managed to make sure that present was a new set of pajamas. Coincidence?? We would wake up Christmas morning with Nana and see what Santa brought us and open the rest of our presents.

Then we would head over to my Mema & Pepa’s (dad’s parents) around 9 or 10 to have Christmas brunch with my dad’s large family (he’s the baby of four!) Talk about some good eating – no one makes biscuits and gravy like my Mema did. Total traditional, huge Southern breakfast. Yum! After breakfast, my grandfather would sit on the couch and all the grandkids (all ten of us) would sit around him while he read us the Christmas Story of Jesus’ birth from Luke. Then the youngest cousins would pass out the presents to everyone and we would dig in.

But now my Nana and Mema have both passed away. All of my cousin’s have married and have started having children of their own and each family is starting to make traditions of their own. Since I’ve been married the traditions have gotten a little “hairy” as we try to find the right balance between spending the holidays with my family and spending the holidays with Steven’s family. It’s hard to make traditions when each year holiday plans change as you try to accommodate different families.

I think to be honest, the holidays have kind of lost their sparkle with the passing of my grandmothers. As old traditions fade, it’s difficult to feel the holiday spirit without new traditions to take their place. I guess that’s a transition that most married adults probably face. Finding the balance between what you’ve done all your life and what you will doing going forward now that you have an extended family.

I’m starting to realize that Steven and I need to focus on making traditions of our own together – because no matter what, I will be with him each holiday. The past two years we have spent the Saturday after Thanksgiving decorating the house for Christmas. Steven totally indulges my holiday spirit – we light a fire (even if it’s not cold) and set the radio to a Christmas station. He helps me put up the tree and finds all the “holes” where an ornament needs to go. By the end of the evening my home has become my own Winter Wonderland. We have also spent the past two years watching the “classic” Christmas movies. I guess I never really watched them as a child and Steven was appauled when he found out: the original Miracle on 34th Street & It’s a Wonderful Life are now two of my favorites. I wonder what Steven will suggest that we watch this year? I’m looking forward to creating traditions of my own with Steven over the upcoming years as we build a family together.