Goodbye for now!

So I thought I would get to do my "Fitness Friday" and one more farewell post before getting busy and heading out, but it looks like it isn't going to happen. So for now, this will be my last post until further notice. We will be leaving early tomorrow morning and will not be back until June 13. June 14th we have an all day spa treatment that was a gift to us, so I may not post until after all of this. If I get a good connection between now and then, I will pop in. Talk to you all soon. Enjoy the next couple of weeks! I know I will. 

Friday Fives:

Every week Beth at Me and My Life hosts this fun Friday Fives. This week the theme is "5 Random Questions about Me." It should be fun, so go link up!

The questions are:

1. Are you a MAC or a PC??? I own a PC. We do not have any MAC/Apple Products at all. Part of me wants an Ipod Touch, only because Mr. Man lost his old MP3 player so he gets mine, and I get a knew one. However, I feel that it is over priced. Some people swear by them, but I do not like when I am sitting in a doctor's office and everyone, adults and children, are playing on their phones, listening to music, and watching TV episodes. It drives me nuts. But I do understand why they do it. I really, really dislike seeing people grocery shopping with their Ipod's in their ears. Ok, this went way off topic, but oh well... Not sure I will ever need a MAC for anything other than maybe if I get into graphic designing or photo editing.

2. If you could go anywhere on vacation this summer where would you go??? Actually, I am going exactly where I want to go, Italy. (And I leave tomorrow!) Other fun summer vacation spots that I would love to some day see is Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Spain.

 3. Which is your most cherished childhood memory? I have a lot of childhood memories that I cherish. I was a Daddy's Girl. I was a tom-boy. I loved to hunt and fish with my Dad. I could out fish and hunt most of the men, actually. I love spending summers out at the hunting camp. I also love the moments when my Dad would let me put makeup on him because my sister was allergic to the fake makeup. That was a lot of fun! And he was such a trooper. Another trooper of the family was my little brother. He would let me and my sister dress him up as a girl, put makeup on him, and he would prance around just so we would laugh. It was so much fun. Even when I was in high school, I got him into one of my cheer-leading outfits. It was priceless because Mom had been fussing at us to get to bed because we had school the next morning. My sister and I were trying to talk my little brother into getting into my cheer outfit, and sure enough, he walked into my closet and shut the doors behind him and put it on. My sister and I were laughing and giggling so hard that my Mom could hear us from the other side of the house. Finally, she gets out of bed to come tend to us right as my brother walks out my closet. OMG!! That was the best moment, ever!! My Mom ended up sitting on my bed with me and my sister and laughed her heart out with us. It is an awesome memory.

4. What were you doing the last time that you had a good laugh? A lot of my laughs come from while I'm blogging. Like that "cherished memory" up there had me rolling.. so much that I had tears in my eyes. I laugh very easily. Even when Mr. Man gets aggravated at me, I'm still laughing. He is really good at making me laugh. He's very random. Here's a story for you. One day, we were driving on base. The Security Forces guy comes out and looks at our ID. Well, he decided to search us. (They have to do so many searches a day, and we were the lucky ones that day.) Anyway, so when they search you, they fill out some paperwork. One of the things they ask you is your "Duty Phone" for Mr. Man's work number. Well, the guy asks us this and then directs us to where we have to stay while they search the vehicle. I was sitting there waiting, and Mr. Man walks up to me with a huge grin on his face. Well, I had heard the whole conversation because the area is really close to one another. Mr. Man walks up to me and goes, "Hahahahha, He said 'Doo-dy'" Ding dong me didn't get it at first, so I just said, "Yea, uh huh. What's so funny about that?" He goes, "listen closely... 'dooooooo-dee'" Omg, I died laughing. I couldn't let go of it for days. Every time we would pass the gate, I would say 'Dooooo-deee' and laugh my heart out.

5. What is your favorite book or magazine??(We need some beach read ideas) For the summer time, I like to read Cosmos because they have awesome drink ideas that are so easy to make.  Books, I read a lot of Nicolas Sparks. Dear John, The Notebook, The Last Song, etc.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. It definitely brought back a lot of good memories. You should join the fun!

 

Ickworth Park and Gardens

 Here is some pictures from one of our many family adventures while Mr. Man was off.

They had some beautiful flowers. These were my favorite.

There was so much wide open space for us to picnic and let our boy run around.

Here is one of the many bridges we had to cross over to get to different areas of the land.

Our boy got tired quite quickly, so he would stop for breaks in the shade from the trees.

This is how we kept our boy hydrated.

We picniced right next to a tree with a Momma and 2 baby sheep. I got tons of pictures, even videoed them playing.

The name of the trees that were planted in these woods back in the 18th and 19th century.

One of the many beautiful and shady paths.

A dedication monument to a Catholic Bishop.

A picture of the house on the property that we have already toured.

We saw so many different types of animals. I love the countryside.

This is a picture of the family's private church.

I hope you have enjoyed the pictures. More to come as I move them from my SD card to the computer, so I can have a fresh card for our trip to Italy!!

Thurday Five

Thursday Five with MannLand5 allows you to think back on your week and find five things that have made you: 

Happy

Joyful

Excited

Jubilant

Grateful

 

This week, to be honest, I have a lot to be thankful, happy, joyful, excited, jubilant, and grateful.

 

 1. On Tuesday, my Mom had surgery. They had found a tumor on her liver and needed to remove it. As time went on, they thought they had found more things wrong with this tumor. They were almost 100% positive that it was not cancerous, but it all still needed to be removed. They originally thought it would be a full day surgery where she would be asleep for 2 full days. On Tuesday, once they cut her open and started operating, they found that it was not as bad as they had thought. It ended up being a 3 hour surgery, and she was a wake the same day. So this week... the sound of all that, the relief it gave me makes me happy. But she is still in the hospital, so please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

2. I had finals this week. An Art project and a math test. I am not sure on how I did on my Art project, but I am not so much worried about that one. I was worried about my math test. I took it this morning, and I made an "A" on it! That makes me Joyful.

3. There has been a lot of things this week that have gotten me all excited. One of them is the shopping trips we took to finish up getting the things we need for our Italy trip. (Which we are leaving on Saturday!!) Obviously, preparing and planning for this trip... talking about this trip makes me extremely excited.

 

 

4. I am jubilant over the fact that we both went on shopping sprees for clothes without breaking the bank. Oh, and I ended up getting a second trip and bought 2 more pairs of blue jeans and another pair of shoes. Pretty awesome, huh?!

5. This week I have realized I am very blessed. I am a very lucky lady, and should acknowledge that more often. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to not have to work and be a full time student. I am grateful for the shopping that my husband allows me to do. I am grateful for the life experiences and adventures that we get. I am grateful for my family and friends. I am grateful that God answers prayers. I am grateful for my life.

Did you enjoy this post? Do you want to play along? Go to MannLand5, write your own, and link up! 

 

50 Adjectives: Loving

This is my very first post for the 50 Adjectives that describe me and my life. If you missed the post about it and want to know the intentions of it and how it will work, you can check it out here.

The first adjective that I have listed is:

Loving.

The definition is:

Loving (luhv-ing)

Adj.-- feeling or showing love; warmly affectionate; fond: loving glances. 

I believe I am a very loving person. I love a lot of things, and if you ask me to know something or someone I hate, I will look at you with a dumbfounded look. Truth is, hate is a strong word and nothing bothers me enough to hate. But many things affect me in the way that makes me love them and be a loving person. 

I am a loving wife. I support his every decision, his career, and the life he chose for us. I love his personality, his snuggles, his determination, his support, and his sweetness. I even adore the not so positive things in him, too. His flaws. But he is mine, all mine, and I do love him and everything about him and our life. So what do I do to pay him back for his kind and caring actions? Easy. I love him in return. I cook for him. I wash his clothes. I go to school to better myself our future. I do for him, just as he does for me. I won't go on and on about me being the "perfect" wife because I am not. But the point is, I am loving. I do adore Mr. Man.

I love and appreciate many things in life, even the small things. I find that as I age, I grew in the appreciation and respect of life. I find that even the small things in life, things I did not live to see for myself, and the things that I am learning about through our travels and school, I grow fond of. I have a heart, a big one. It's hard for me to find something that I do not enjoy. I believe there is a place in everyone's heart for a variety of things, for appreciation, respect, and love in general. 

I love people, almost all people. I mean that, too. It takes someone hurting me multiple times before I will finally let go. Normally it is more about that person than it is about me. For instance, if I know someone needs some help or support, I will help them. Even if they have hurt me multiple times. Some say I am too nice of a person, but it's just my personality. When I see someone in need, I want to help them. And if they allow me to, I will. 

I love to volunteer, help charities, and get out and volunteer my time for our community. Most people do not understand this because I do not have children, but I enjoy doing it. I love children. I love meeting new people, and I obviously love to help and support any cause. I know if I was a less fortunate person or needed some time of encouragement, I would hope that others would lend a hand. 

Now, I am not perfect and probably could do more in each one of these categories. I know and understand that, but I still feel like I am a loving person. There is definitely more love in body than hatred. Would you agree?

What do you do to show that are loving and caring? Whether it is for your family, friends, environment, etc. 

Kindred Connection:

Kindred Connection is always a great weekly party to attend. It allows you to meet new people that you have something in common with. It is not just about following someone and following them back. It is about opening up, finding people you relate with, and beginning a lasting relationship with your fellow Kindred Spirits. There are a range of categories of the bloggers that attend this party.. it ranges from cooking to crafts to gardening to life experiences. So come along and join the fun!

This weeks question is:

What made you want to start your blog?

When I started this blog, I had already started 3 others. I had my private blog, fitness blog, and a blog for our adventure on getting pregnant. I really wanted to keep it separated because we have not announced when were going to start trying for kids, so I wanted it to be a private area for me to document our thoughts from then until we begin trying and until we get pregnant. Then for my fitness, it was public through bodybuilding.com, but I did not tell many people about it. I documented my workouts, supplements, did some blogging, and posted progression pictures from time to time. Then I had my private blog. The private one was about our life, but I felt like I was hiding it from the world because I had "stalkers." It was because people were being so judgmental and stalk-ish. People I know personally. Well now that Facebook is the same exact way, I just decided that it was my blog to say and do what I want, and this was a great way to meet people that could relate to my experiences and lend some great advice. It is also a great support system. I hardly ever complain or fuss about things, but when I do, it seems others have to make it a gazillion times bigger than what I even stated and blow it up even more from there. But now, I do not really care because I do this for myself. Blogging has been a great experience for me. I feel like I can share my life with others that appreciate life in general. In turn, I get awesome support and can be someone else's supporter when they need it. That's how I roll... 

So today was Mr. Man's first full day back at work. He only has to work 3 days then has 16 days off since we are leaving for Italy on Saturday. I still can not believe how quick time is flying since Mr. Man has been back. It seems as if it was just yesterday that I began planning our trip, or it was just yesterday that he stepped off that plan and I welcomed him home. These past couple of weeks have gone way too fast. But I am accepting that, and I am realizing that I can get so much more done with him being in work for a few hours, especially since I have finals this week. Mr. Man went off to work this morning, and I slept in. Guilty of sleeping in! I got up, ate breakfast, turned on the computer, then sat and watch about 30 minutes worth of TV until the computer had  been on for a bit. I got on the computer and began working on my Art final, and guess what?! It's done. I completed it in about 4 hours with a lunch break in between. I planned to finish it today no matter how long it took, so I could take my math test tomorrow and have Friday to finish packing and running around before heading out on Saturday. Today has been a successful day!

Now, I am going to start doing the clothes and getting ready for the gym. I can't believe we are so close to leaving for Italy. Oh my, oh my!

I am going to add Welcome Wednesday to this post, so I do not have a gazillion posts for the day. 

Just follow these 5 simple steps:

1. Follow the Welcome Wednesday Host (Take It From Me) as well as the 2 Spotlighted Blogs of the Week. (These will make up the top three slots on the Linky)

2. Link up your blog name and URL with our Linky. (You only need to add your info once for it to be seen on all the blog hops)

3. Grab our Welcome Wednesday button and include it in a post about the event on your blog.

4. Go to as many blogs on the MckLinky as you want and Follow them. Be sure to tell them you are from Welcome Wednesday!

5. Be sure to Follow back any followers you have gained from our Welcome Wednesday event!

 

 

 

Top 2 Tuesday/Mom's Surgery

This Tuesday's Top 2 is dates. It is the best 2 dates you have been on or two great ideas for date night.

Mr. Man and I do not really go on dates anymore. Our best dates honestly consist of snuggling up with our boy on the couch while watching an action movie. That's us all the way around, but....

For our anniversary, we stick to the traditional gifts. Year before last it was "cotton." Since we both were working full time and carrying on other duties, I wanted to plan us something a little more laid back and chill. I went and bought us 100% cotton matching PJ's and rented us a few movies. We ordered take out for the night. It met its intentions. It was a completely laid back, down to Earth, chill type of date night for us. 

Another one is food. We went to the Hibachi grill in Texas while we were still stationed there. We went for every occasion because we loved it that much. It was the first time I had tried some crazy things. I really miss the Hibachi grills. Another favorite was this Steakhouse that was in Texas. It was so expensive, but it was elegant and so worth it. I'm not a big of steak. And when I do eat it, I like it burnt. Not at this place. 

My Mom's Surgery:

I just wanted to thank you all so much for the prayers and thoughts. They are greatly appreciated. Her surgery ended up going better than expected and only took about 3 hours compared to a whole day like they had originally planned. She is also waking up now, so she won't be asleep for the 2 days like originally planned. I am so happy now, and thankful for the blessings this day has brought me. They are even hoping to send her home 2 days earlier than they thought they were going to be able to do. I am so happy and thankful, and especially thankful for all the thoughts and prayers that have been sent our way. Please continue the thoughts and prayers through her recovery. Thanks!

Now I can be so excited for Italy, and trust me, I am! I can't wait. I realized that an exact week from now I will be sitting in front of the Pope. How exciting?! I can't wait!! And neither can Mr. Man. He says it feels and sounds surreal right now. He thinks it won't hit him until we board the plan. I guess we sha'll see what happens!

Help Me Support a Fellow Blogger!

One of my blogger friends at Flip Flops and Combat Boots is hosting a giveaway for reaching her 200th post. You should totally check out her blog. If you do, tell her I (Mrs. Ma'am) sent you! It helps get me more entries. You do the same and you can get more entries, too :)

She is also a Avon Representative and just started building her business. I am a Avon lover. It's inexpensive and good quality. They are constantly having some sweet deals. Who doesn't like sweet deals? Be sure to check out her Avon store, too. You can check it out here! Buy, buy, buy!

Go to her blog for more details on her giveaway. See if you are interested in her blogging style and become her follower. Let's try and get her 200 followers with her 200th post!!

I will be back a little later to write a regular blog for the day! Hope your Hump Day is going fabulous!

And thanks to all of you that have recently giving me blog awards. I have not forgot about them, and I do greatly appreciate them. I do, I promise! I will try to post all of them before I head out on vacation.

Girliest Manly Girl:

I seriously think I am the most girliest manly girl you will ever meet. I love to shop. I love clothes. I love panties. I love high heels. I get manicures and pedicures pretty religiously. I do my makeup everyday. I fix my hair (halfway decent) even for the gym. I am a girly girl... true at heart.

But catch me in the gym, on a day I have taken my supplements (which is 99.99% of the time), and I think I could almost pass as a man. I tend to burp. I seem to produce a crazy amount of saliva, and I get dry mouth. It makes me need to constantly spit. I lift just as much weight as an average "boy" in the gym. True story, right there.

Yes, this is all a true story. After being out of the gym for over 2 weeks, I have come to realize that I am very tom-boyish and very much a girl. How? Simple. Because I love to get facials, massages, my makeup done, manicures, pedicures.. I love to shop. I am addicted to high heels (because of my heighth). Victoria Secret is some hot stuff. Bikinis rock my world. I have to get a new purse way too often. I love dresses.

So you get what I am trying to say, right? I am very much a girl. And have been for the last few weeks. It's just my personality. Just how I am. But today, I have realized that I am gross.

Guess how? Today it was back to the gym, back to the supplements, and back to kicking myself into shape. I walk into the gym pumped up from drinking my pre-workout. I walk in and see a "boy" working out. He is bench pressing with dumbbells. I take a look and he is only bench pressing 55 pounds in each hand, so that would be 110 pounds. I was working out chest and legs today, so needless to say I was going to bench press. Well, on an average day.. a day when I have been working out regularly, I can bench press the 110 pounds. That was goal back in the day, and I reached it. 

As I was working out, my mouth stayed dry. I realized I was producing very thick saliva that caused me to get nauseated and constantly needed to spit. What do I do? Go to the window and spit. (I know, Gross!) Next comes the nauseated feeling and gassy-ness (?sp). My supplements do that to me. What happens next? I let out a long, horrible, most grossest (whatever you want to call it) burp of my life.

What does Mr. Man do? He laughs at me and says, "Do you feel better?" Yes, I do. Thank you very much. It was obviously just what my body needed.

So that is how I got the title "Girliest Manly Girl" that you will ever meet. True or not true?

I really hope you don't view me differently now that I just shared something that is absolutely unladylike.

Getting to Know You with MannLand5/Prayer Request

I know I have already posted a gazillion times today, but I really wanted to do this since it is the last one. The questions are a little out of my comfort zone, but I am going for it... and being 100% honest.

To play, just go to MannLand5 (I have her button at the bottom of the page) and copy and paste the questions, answer them, and link up. Simple as that!

So the questions are:

1. Do you have a fetish?

I don't really think I have a "fetish." I am obsessed with a few things, but I'm not sure it falls in the category of  being a fetish. For example, I love clothes. I love shopping. I love doing snuggles. I love Mr. Man when he is able to grow out his facial hair.. Ooh la la!

2. Do you sing in the shower?

Actually, yes. Mostly because Mr. Man and I are in the bathroom together, so we tend to annoy one another with our crazy humor-ness. Nothing serious!

3. Who was your first crush?

My first crush... I would rather not mention. Oh wait, I told you guys I would be 100% truthful.  His name is Ry. It was the 3rd grade when I actually noticed him for good, which was at a dance party. This is the same year that I met Mr. Man for the first time. Needless to say, I crushed on this "first crush" until my Freshman year in High School. We dated off and on up until our 8th grade year. Not the best kind of relationship to be in, but hey.. it's what is was.

4. What do you think is the best manly trait a guy could have?

For me, it's the morals and values. Definitely the personality. Must be humorous, but know when to be serious. Looks aren't a bad thing either!  :)

5. Do you sleep naked?

All the time. The both of us. Never do we sleep with clothes on. Mr. Man calls me his "Little Furnace" because I get so hot when I sleep. Some people say it's because "we are still in our honeymoon stage" but I beg to differ. We have been married for 4 years, so it is definitely not to be "sexy" or "perverted". I won't lie.. It does help. But it is not its purpose.

6. What do you do when (you think) no one is looking?

I have a very bad habit of talking to myself and our boy. But I guess that isn't really something I do when people aren't looking because I actually do it even when people are looking. I can't really think of anything, but I am sure I do something. Oh, oh, I pop pimples. OMG, that reminds me. I have a fetish for pimple popping. I know probably TMI, but something about it I like. Not in a gross way if that is possible to say, but you know... HAHA! (Sorry for that. Really, I am!)

7. What's the first thing you do when you go online?

I check my email, check my school assignments. Then I will later on during the day, come back for my blog. Sometimes it isn't even until the night time that I am able to get on here. Sometimes I spend all day on here. It just depends, really. I do occasionally get on Facebook, but I put Mr. Man's name on it, too, so it checks it more often than I do. I am trying out the Twitter thing, but I am failing miserably. I do still have a Myspace, too, but I only get on it about once a week.

8. Summer is.....?

Fantastic!!! At least so far it is. I love the sun, the beach, margaritas, traveling, the water.. swimming water that is. I love BBQ's, laying out on the hammock with my family, finding what Mr. Man calls angel kisses (my sun freckles), and bikinis!! Love my bikinis! Everything about Summer is totally rad. I got a sun tan yesterday. Not dark, but definitely a sun tan for UK weather. Keep up the warm weather, England!

  I am sorry for so many posts today. Please forgive me, but I didn't get to post yesterday and this week will be crazy with Finals for school, packing for Italy, and all the volunteer work I have to get done before I leave. I still have some last minute shopping to do, too. 
I just have one more thing I would like to mention today. My Mom. I mentioned her surgery several days ago, maybe even weeks. She went for her pre-op on Tuesday and found out that there is a rope-like thing wrapped around parts of her liver and her gall bladder. She has to have part of her live cut off and they will be removing her gall bladder. She will be asleep all day on Tuesday, May 25 for this procedure. She will be in ICU for about 4 days after the surgery and will be released by Saturday if all goes well. I am scared out of my mind. Knowing that I leave for Italy on Saturday does not make matters any better. All I can think about is the "what if's", so please keep her and my family, including myself, in your thoughts and prayers. We definitely will need it. Pray that the surgery goes well and she has a speedy recovery, so I do not have to board a plane to Italy knowing my Mom is still in ICU. (Selfish, I know, but it's hard.) Positive energy will be much needed, too, since Mr. Man goes back to work on Wednesday. Thank you all!
I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! I hope your week is just as grand!

101 Things in 1001 Days:

I mentioned that I finished my list of 101 Things to do in 1001 Days. It has been finished for several days now, but I have just now had the opportunity to share it and post it. My end date is the middle of February of 2013. I can't wait to see how far we have gone in life and how much of these I actually accomplish. This will be an exciting next few years. 

If you want to join in, you can create your list at http://www.dayzeroproject.com. I hope you enjoy my list and get inspired to create your own!

My Project:

1. Go horseback riding.

2. Get a job.

3. Go to a concert.

4. Go camping.

5. Dance in the rain.

6. Visit Egypt.

7. Buy a car.

8. Try 5 new foods.--Main dishes.

9. Visit Italy.

10. Visit Germany.

11. Visit France.

12. Try 5 new vegetables.

13. Visit an aquarium.

14. Go biking.

15. Use only reusable grocery bags.

16. Crochet a scarf.

17. Eat at 5 new restaurants.

18. Finish a scrapbook.

19. Buy new couches.

20. Graduate from college. 

21. Donate to a charity.

22. Learn how to make sushi.

23. Visit 5 castles.

24. Try 10 new wines.

25. Visit Ireland.

26. Paint a painting.

27. Host a BBQ.

28. Stretch everyday for a month.

29. Start a family.

30. Learn to Crochet.

31. Redecorate a room.

32. Learn how to eat with chopsticks.

33. See a musical in London.

34. Go scuba diving.

35. Swim in a large body of water.

36. Find 100 things that make me happy.

37. Make 5 New Friends.

38. Clean out my closet and donate the things I don't use.

39. Run a 5K with others.

40. Go to church every Sunday for 3 months straight.

41. Have 2 sets of family photos done within 2 separate years.

42. Go on a last minute mini vacation.

43. Read 5 books (not including my school books).

44. Go on a fossil hunt.

45. Attend 10 museums.

46. Pass the teaching certificate test.

47. Climb to the top of something high.

48. Make all A's and B's in school.

49. Build a sand castle with Mr. Man.

50. Visit Snowdonia.

51. Print out pictures of vacations and put them in memory books.

52. Touch an animal that I am scared of.

53. Get a second Miniature Schnauzer.

54. Find 50 things that inspire me to be a better person.

55. Support a cause.

56. Collect refrigerator magnets or postcards from major places.

57. Drink protein shakes regularly for a month.

58. Send care packages to troops from other military services.

59. Write a story about how I see and want my future and open it later in life.

60. Say No to people who ask me for favors when I am already busy.

61. Go to the eye doctor every year.

62. Celebrate my birthday in style.

63. Have movie night once every 3 months.

64. Get lost somewhere and find my way back.

65. Get fit! (The way I see it.)

66. Sell/Pay off our house.

67. Do not complain for a week.

68. Do not eat ice cream for a full summer.

69. Submit 5 photos to a digital photograph school.

70. Start Master's Program.

71. Renew our wedding vows in a Catholic Church.

72. Open a TSP or IRA.

73. Keep $10,000 in savings.

74. Start a separate savings for our children.

75. Lay out at night with Mr. Man and look at the stars.

76. Crochet a pair of booties.

77. Attempt to learn how to play a PS3 war game.

78. Only buy necessities for a month- 3 times.

79. Stay on Mr. Man's butt to finish school.

80. Take a fitness progression picture every couple of months.

81. Make 5 baby blankets.

82. Attempt to Ski or Snowboard.

83. Go hiking again.

84. Try 3 new fruits.

85. Learn how to use the weed wacker.

86. Drive somewhere using only a map.

87. Take professional bodybuilding pictures.

88. Give 10% of income to church for 5 months.

89. Recycle a Christmas tree.

90. Go canoeing, kayaking, or paddling.

91. Use no butter for a week.

92. Make homemade cards for an event or holiday.

93. Cook 26 dishes in a row from A-Z.

94. Do not eat Chinese Food for 6 months straight.

95. Volunteer at a local school or nursery.

96. Commit to a date night every 3 to 5 months.

97. Do morning cardio outside during the summer months.

98. Let 5 people know how much I appreciate them.

99. Go to Disney World, Disney Land, or Euro Disney.

100. Learn a new dancing style.

101. Donate a dollar for every thing on this list that I do not accomplish to any organization of my choice.

I will be sure to keep you updated as I check things off my list!

Recipe: Neiman-Marcus Cookies

I will probably be posting multiple posts today if I can find the time to do all that I would like to do, so I apologize in advance. I hope it doesn't seem too overwhelming.

I love to cook. I love to bake. But I hate to eat the baked goods. I hate the way it makes me feel afterward. Normally when I am asked to bake for an event, I will make something that I am not too fond of. This is so I won't be tempted to eat it. I know that is pretty bad, but trust me I still make whatever it is and it is generally extremely good.

But this go 'round, I was asked to make my Neiman-Marcus Cookies. At a time like this, I would not be making these cookies, but since they were requested I went out of my way to bake them. And since they were requested and so many people I know have never heard of them until me, I thought I would share this recipe. These cookies are absolutely delicious and totally worth making (if you are making for a party, BBQ, or other event).

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups of butter

4 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of baking soda

2 cups of sugar

5 cups of oatmeal

24 ounces of chocolate chips

2 cups of packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 (8 ounce) Hershey Bar grated

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons of baking powder

2 teaspoons of vanilla

3 cups of chopped nuts (your choice)

Directions:

Blend oatmeal in a blender to a fine powder.

Cream the butter and both sugars.

Add eggs and vanilla.

Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda.

Add chocolate chips, grated Hershey Bar, and nuts.

Roll into balls and place 2-inches apart on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees or until golden brown. 

This recipe makes about 8 or so dozen small/medium cookies. This recipe can be cut in half, too! 

So now my curiousity arises. Have you heard of these cookies? Have you tried them yourselves? If so, what do you think about the? I can tell you that I love, love, love these cookies!

If you do give these a try, be sure to let me know what you think!

Friday Fives:

So I did the Friday Blog Hop, and generally I would just post a regular everyday post following that. But I came across this Friday Five. It just so happens it is related to Health. If you know me, you know I love health and fitness, so I could not pass this up.

Actually, here is where I can present to you  something I am looking forward to doing in the future. I want to do a "Fitness Friday." Perfect time to introduce this since I am discussing health and discussing it on a Friday! This is mostly for myself, to be accountable for my health and fitness. I like to be able to show others, hopefully inspire others, too. I will start the first Friday off with how I got started and my goals, then from there I will post about my progression, tips, gym stories, health stories, etc. Anything and everything about health and fitness because I have a passion for it.

Back to Friday Fives:

This is hosted by:

The Friday Fives for this week is Five Health Tips.

I thought about what I wanted to write because health is a big part of my life. It was hard to just choose 5, so I took it as an opportunity to write about things that have helped me personally as far as my health goes without getting too deep and having unnecessary tips flying around.

The 5 I have chosen are:

1. If you are prone to getting kidney stones, UTI's, or bladder infections, drink cranberry juice consistently. Cranberry juice creates an energy barrier that keeps bacteria away from cells in the urinary tract. I have a very weak bladder. I get bladder infections that no other's business. It is terrible. Well, actually it WAS terrible. Now, it is much better because of this advice I received when I was younger from my doctor. I was not a big fan of drinking fruit juices at the time, so I took the cranberry tablets. I am hear to tell you that the juice helps so much better. I have been able to catch bladder and other infections before they become actual infections (if that makes any sense). If you are not a big Cranberry Juice fan, try the Cran-Grape Juice. It's wonderful!!

2. Fruit. So many people have a misconception about fruit, and honestly it bothers me. They think because they are eating fruit that they are healthy. This is wrong. Yes, fruit is good for you. Yes, fruit is healthy. But if you are the type that eats fruit constantly but never burns the energy that it provides to you from its sugars, then all those sugars are stored into your body and turned into fat.

3. Eat eggs for breakfast. It is proven that people who eat eggs for breakfast burn more calories during the day. It's your choice on whether you choose to eat only egg whites or the whole egg, but eggs are really good for jump starting your metabolism for the day. 

4. Water. You hear people constantly talking about this, but I definitely wanted to put this in there since we are in the summer months. Drink plenty of water. If you are not a water drinker, try putting Crystal Light in your bottled water and it will help you get to drinking more water. It has no sugars and only a few carbs. Slowly pull yourself from the Crystal Light. You will see and feel just how important water is to your body once you start getting the adequate amount.

5. Weight Training. I definitely debated putting this one out there, but I decided it is a must. Many people, especially women, think that weight training is for bodybuilders. They are afraid of getting "big, bulky man muscles." They do not want the thick veins that show. Whatever their reason, but I am hear to tell you that, that is not true. Weight training is a fat burning booster. If you do cardio all the time, your body just gets use to it. That is when you hit that point where you either want to give up or strive to push through that standstill. It takes the strain of weight to build the muscle. From there, the muscle will burn the fat. Remember muscle weighs more than fat!

101 in 1001 Days:

So I jumped on the bandwagon of this project. I did finish setting my goals. I plan on starting this within the next week, so hopefully I can introduce you all to it soon.

So now I have the 50 Adjectives that Describe Me and My Life, Fitness Friday, and the 101 in 1001 Project! This should be fun!

Blog Hop Friday

I saw this on another person's blog that I follow, so I thought I would join in on the fun. It seems as if this is the first time for this host.. actually there are multiple hosts. The rules are simple, and it's nice to meet new bloggy friends.

Here are the rules:

• Link up to your blog. Just click the adorable frog picture at the top, and it will take you to the post where you link up.
• Follow the 6 host/hostesses.
• Follow any other blogs that you feel appropriate!
• My New Life As Mom
• Chubby Cheeks Thinks
• Take a Mom's World For It
• Bree Bee's
• This Adventure Our Life
• Belly Charms
• Add the Blog Hop Friday button to your sidebar.
• When following a new blog, please remember to leave a little personal comment love.
• If you get a new follower, please feel free to reciprocate the love. 
 

 

This two are even simpler. You just go here, link up, and enjoy the fun. These two support one another!