What's on the Menu Everyday

Hello darlings!  After yesterday's post I had a few questions about what my "strict diet" consists of.  I have to laugh, because I guess I should have worded that differently because it isn't exactly what you call strict.  Let's just put it this way:  I eat sensibly during the week so that if when I indulge on the weekend, I don't feel bad about it what.so.ever.  Which I think is a good balance.  The way I look at it is if I don't ever allow myself to eat junk, I will feel deprived and overdo it to the point of no return.  And I don't want to live that way.  What I do works for me and my lifestyle.

Now, when I first started working out and wanted to lose weight I did follow a strict diet of 1200 calories of balanced proteins, veggies, fruit and grains.  With a light intake of carbs. (read: barely any carbs at all!)  I would then allow myself ONE cheat meal a week.  Not a full day or full weekend like I do now, but one single, solitary meal.  This was recommended by my trainer for the exact reasons I stated above.  If I didn't have that one meal to strive for during my strict diet during the week, I would feel deprived and ultimately fall off of the bandwagon that much faster.  It was inevitable.

About half way to my goal weight: 162 lbs

At my goal weight in March 2010: 142 lbs

SO, when I did finally reach my goal weight, I found a great balance that worked for me to help me maintain my weight on a weekly basis.  But, for those out there that were wondering what I do eat on a normal Sunday-Thursday (Friday and Saturday are my indulge days) basis, I have composed a little "menu" for a typical week.

Breakfast:  A typical breakfast for me would include one of these items...

• Half a banana sliced up on an all natural peanut butter english muffin  
• A full banana with a couple tablespoons of all natural peanut butter
• A full cup of Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt, half a cup of blueberries, a tablespoon of honey and a dash of cinnamon (My absolute FAVE breakfast option...I usually eat this one three out of the five days)
• {I always have a 16 oz cup of coffee with this.  I do add a splash of sugar free creamer because I just can't drink it black!!}

Snack:  I eat my first snack around 10:30, and would include one of these...

• A cup of baby carrots with a few tablespoons of roasted red pepper hummus
• A full Granny Smith Apple with two tablespoons of all natural peanut butter
• String Cheese and half a cup of raw almonds

Lunch:  I mentioned this before, but I eat the same thing every single day...

• A Flat Out flatbread wrap, sliced chicken breast, a piece of swiss or cheddar cheese and barbecue  sauce.  A cup and a half to two cups of raw broccoli with two tablespoons of ranch dressing.  Then I always top it off with a homemade cookie (I always have some on hand!) or some sort of sweet

Snack:  I eat another snack around 3:30 and would include one of the above!

Dinner: This one changes every week, but here are a few of our "go-to" staples that we always turn to and typically have a few of them at least once a week:

• Grilled Chicken Breast seasoned with our staple concoction: garlic powder, lawry's seasoning salt and pepper; I always pair this with some sort of veggie: steamed green beans and mushrooms, steamed broccoli, or steamed asparagus
• Grilled Steak (sirloin, filet, or t-bone) seasoned with the same as above; We usually pair this with a baked sweet potato drizzled with light honey and sprinkled with some cinnamon...YUMMY!
• Pot Roast cooked in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours with carrots and baby red potatoes tossed in.
• Shredded chicken breast tacos served in whole wheat tortillas and topped with light sour cream, salsa, homemade guacamole and light cheese.
• Grilled Pork Chops (can you tell we love our grill??) paired with sautéed apples with cinnamon and honey.
• To finish off the night, I usually have a cup of ice cream.  I typically get "seasonal" ice cream, so right now it's smore's, last month it was birthday cake (ahem, somebody might have turned 27...) or peppermint ice cream in the winter.  This just fulfills my sweet tooth and puts me to sleep like a happy camper.

This morning before my workout at my current and happy weight :): 131 lbs

So there you have it!  My weekly menu.  Like I said before, this isn't for everyone.  I obviously have found what works best for me and what I can and cannot get away with to be happy and feel good about my body.  Play around with this...have fun with it and mix it up!  That just makes things so much more fun!

Until next time...

Weekend Recap

Here it is Monday already...I know I say it every Monday, but how is it that the weekends just FLY by?? It's like, just as soon as we start to really get the ball rolling with the fun factor, we're saying good night on Sunday night and kissing the weekend good bye. Sad day :(

That said, we really did cram a lot into the three short days! We'll start with Friday night...

All three of us picked up our really good friend and headed out to our fave Mexican hole in the wall restaurant to help him celebrate the big 3-0! You know you are getting older when all of your friends are aging into the next decade where you are closer to 50 than your teenage years! We demolished some amazing margaritas, chips and queso and THE BEST tacos and enchiladas this side of the Platte River ;)

I should mention that Friday and Saturday nights my strict eating schedule definitely takes a back seat. I know I'm undoing everything I've done all week, I just can't help myself when presented with such tasty, cheesy, ooey and gooey temptations!! The way I look at it, I'm happy with my weight and if I can't indulge when I want to, I'm not truly living life!

Ahem...back to the weekend...

Saturday morning was my typical sweat sesh on the elliptical and weights in our basement, followed by coffee, a little food network, Instagram (if you aren't doing so already, you can follow me at @jennaschaben and you totally should because I post some pretty random cool things on there! ;) and facebooking... M woke up around 9:30...which was totally amaze balls because A was already at the office catching up from the week so I had the quiet house all to myself while my munchkin snoozed away!

He doesn't snuggle much, so when he does, I take full advantage!  Saturday mornings was one of those moments :)

Saturday afternoon we caught up on life as a family by playing outside until naptime. That is when I started to get ready for the big night ahead. (Psssst...remember me mentioning a little thing called the Jason Aldean concert??) While I was doing that, A ran to the apple store to buy our family this little number (drumroll please) right here...

Totally amazing doesn't even begin to describe this masterpiece! More on that when we get to Sunday.

Late Saturday afternoon my Mom and little Sis came into town and we all finished beautifying ourselves while we caught up on life and "primed" for the concert. M stayed home with A, so us three girls headed to dinner, ate and drank some more before we finally arrived at the main event.

To say this concert was incredible would be an understatement!! We had sooooo much fun! And yes, we all three had sundresses, jean jackets and cowboy boots on and we totally rocked it! It was a late night, but so much fun.

Sunday morning we headed to church, and M to Sunday school, then got some breakfast before heading back home. The weather was a GORGEOUS 80 degrees, so we played oustside again until naptime, which is when I got to play with this little BIG number!

Isn't she beautiful? I mean, seriously, 27inches of pure perfection. She (I don't know if it's a girl, I just like the way that sounds ;) !) would be the reason you might have noticed a little different scenery around here...let's be honest...I was working on this little guy right here,

circa 2004...he had definitely seen his better days. Slow as heck, and I couldn't do near the amount of cool things I wanted to! So, to sum it up, that was my afternoon!

Then last night was a top ten night in my books. We grilled, blew bubbles, kicked a few balls around the backyard, drank some wine and beer until the sun went down. Then it was bath, Jammie's and story time for M. To top off the night, after I had closed up shop downstairs, A had filled our jacuzzi tub (for the first time since we moved in a year and a half ago, sad I know...) and we both hopped in, shared our last glass of wine, turned on the jets and just relaxed. Perfect end to an awesome weekend.

So that was that! I hope you all had just as much fun as we did! I can't wait to create more fun memories like these this summer...

Until next time...

Fact Filled Friday {3rd Edition}

TGIF!!  I have a fun-filled weekend lined up, including all things landscaping and a Jason Aldean concert with my Mom and little Sister which I am sooooooo excited for!  I'm sure the weekend will fly by like it always does, but until then, it is time for the third edition of Fact Filled Friday!

Fact:

• I eat the same thing for lunch almost every single day (except for the weekend).  Some people might get bored, but for me, I look forward to it each lunch time!

 

Lunch:  Sliced chicken breast wrap with cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce.  And raw broccoli with ranch.  Not pictured is my daily cookie or sweet :)

•  I am in L.O.V.E. with the Target Dollar Spot.  It sucks me in every. single. time. I walk in the store and I am immediately steered toward that section.  I can't even stop myself.  Bad news.  But, I always find the most random, yet useful items there, which keeps me coming back for more!

  

  My most recent Target Dollar Spot purchases.  They were screaming summer and I just had to have them.  I think they literally jumped into my cart.  Not joking.

• The weather FINALLY changed around here!  I've actually been able to bust out the flats and sandals again, which makes me very happy!  We are even supposed to see the 80's this weekend, so this will make for an extremely happy household!

 

Hello flats and spring time tops!

• M loves his night-time routine.  I mean, when I say it's time to go "ni-ni" he jumps up and runs upstairs for bath, jammies and story time.  This kid loves him some sleep.  I mean, he would sleep 13+ hours if we would let him every night; plus he gets a 2+ hour nap every day.  Let's just say, I'm not complaining!

 

• I found two new items at Target today that scream summer, and I cannot wait to try them out.  When I sent the pictures of them to my good friend, he immediately goes "are you preggo or something?  Because those are definitely preggo girl cravings!"  Ha!  Um, no.  definitely not pregnant, but I am ready to sit out on our deck, with a glass of wine and a bowl of ice cream...

Apothic Wine is one of A and I's favorite cheap wines.  It is always around $7.99 a bottle and up until today, they've only made a red version and a white version.  So, when I saw this, Apothic Rose, I knew I had to try it.  It's supposed to be sweet with a hint of strawberry and watermelon.  Summer in a glass, perhaps?

 

S'mores are something we make on the regular around here during the summer months...so what could be better than s'mores flavored ice cream?!!  Amazeballs.  Seriously.

• I may or may not have made two pans of cookie bars this week.  Sad thing is, one pan is gone, and the other is half gone.  Have I mentioned that I have a slight sweets addiction?  True story: I have to have something sweet at the end of every meal.  Lunch included.  Sorry, but I'm not sorry!
• I'm busting out my cowboy boots for tomorrow night's concert.  Cowboy boots, sundress, Jason,  alcohol and my Mom and sis...life doesn't get much better!

Well, I'm off to finish up some last minute things before the weekend begins!  I hope you all have a great one...and be sure to check back on Monday for my Weekend Recap!  I'm hoping to catch a lot of great pictures of all of our fun!  

Happy Friday y'all!

The Girl Behind the Blonde Hair.

We've all done it.  Been out somewhere when we spot "that girl" that looks like she has it all together.  Her hair is perfectly styled, her makeup is flawless and her clothes are super cute.  We immediately are quick to judge her.  And whether we want to be or not, a small part of us is jealous of who she is...and we don't even know her. 

I will be the first to admit that I am guilty of this on a daily basis.  I judge a book by its cover.  Yes, we teach our children to NEVER do that, but we are, in fact, guilty of it ourselves.  More often than not, I typically assume that "that girl" is going to be snotty or too good for me, so I tend to ignore her and just go about my business, usually in my yoga pants, sweatshirt and baseball cap.  All the while thinking about what I can do differently to make myself more like her.  I should have worn my hair this way, or done my makeup that way...I should have worn those jeans with those shoes and that blouse, etc.  It's a never ending cycle for me.

But you know what?  We all are "that girl."  At one point or another, whether we know it or not, other people are looking at us and thinking the exact thoughts I just stated above.  Just because we aren't feeling like we look the part on a certain day doesn't mean that someone else isn't envious of who we are.  We need to be proud of the women that God created us to be.  Nobody is perfect.  And just because "that girl" looked like she had it all together that day doesn't mean her life is perfect.  She could be hiding behind her flawless look with burdens of her own.

I know that I, myself, have burdens and trials that are hidden behind my blonde hair and blue eyes.  I struggle with the fact that no matter how hard I try, I always want what others have and am constantly comparing myself to them.  I struggle with the image of myself from when I was 180 pounds and, to this day, still see myself as such, even though I'm 50 pounds lighter.  I don't feel as beautiful as my husband tells me that I am.  I actually am self conscious about my looks on a daily basis.  I don't see myself the way others see me and it can easily depress me.  (This video perfectly describes this)

I can hide behind the blonde hair and aviators, but I struggle with who I am everyday.

I feel guilty that my husband works as hard as he does to provide for our family, when I stay home and take care of the house and our son.  I feel like I am burdening him with all of the financial responsibility which makes me feel inadequate to be his wife; like I should want to be contributing to our family in that aspect. 

I am lucky to be this man's wife.

These are all things that I deal with on a daily basis.  I know that we all have trials and each individual person's are different, but ultimately they are all the same.  We need to be grateful for who we are, and what we were put on this earth to do.  I am trying everyday to truly believe this and I work hard everyday with acceptance.  Acceptance with the fact that I am a great mom, and a great wife.  I am great friend, daughter and sister.  That is what truly matters at the end of the day. 

This little man loves me no matter what!

Who are you trying to be and who do you need to learn to accept?      

10,000 Lakes

March 13th, 2010. My little Jetta was packed to the brim with clothes, toiletries, food and drink, blankets and pillows for the next three months. And, oh yeah, not to mention me, A and our tiny little two month old. We were due directly north for 422.6 miles or about a 7 hour drive. I'm pretty sure we looked more like a clown car than a compact family car :). With just a few stops made for potty breaks, gas and blown out diapers. I mean, talk about efficient...I was even pumping on the road so that we could just give M that fresh pumped bottle so we wouldn't have to stop for every feeding. I honestly have to wonder what other drivers had to think when they passed us!

Madden and Mama were twins!

It was early evening when we arrived at our temporary fully furnished apartment. We unloaded the car, arranged our stuff and got settled into what we thought was just for a few short months...little did we know what was to come!

Life in Minnesota was interesting. We honestly didn't know a single soul. A was working 10-12 hour days because it was busy season and so it was really just me and our 2 month old son left to spend a lot of alone time together. Lucky for me, we lived just 2 minutes from a mall so that was the first friend I made ;) M and I made that our daily routine: Up for the day, load up the car, head to the mall and become one of what people call a "mall walker" Your average mall walker is about 70 some years old and retired. And yet, here I was, 25 years old, pushing a stroller and speed walking for exercise! M got in an hour nap and I got out of the house. It was a win-win!

We really started to settle into the MN lifestyle pretty quickly. Only because I knew that this was temporary. Anytime A would ask me how my day was I would respond with "it was ok. I just couldn't live here forever..." just hoping that by me saying that, it would be true, when deep down inside, I had this gut feeling that it was going to be a little more permanent.

Madden loved swim time!

We continued this routine for about a month, when A came home from work one day with some fantastic news. "How do you feel about calling Minnesota home?" My heart sunk. Tears stung my eyes and my throat seemed to swell shut. "What??" My world stopped for that brief moment. I honestly thought it was the end of the world. But when we sat down and discussed our plans for our new life there, it didn't seem quite so bad. We found a church, became members of a gym (with a daycare for M for when I worked out ;) and I became part of a MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group and a bible study. Life was really starting to fall into place. We found a townhome in a nice neighborhood, which we moved to within 2 weeks of finding out we were moving there, making that M's third home in his three short months of life!

We had many days at the park...MN summers are absolutely beautiful!

Life was becoming pretty comfortable. I could see us growing our family there. M had so many of his firsts there...first crawling, first baby food, first word.

We had a blast that summer, playing in the pool, going for bike rides and stroller rides. Minnesota summers are really beautiful.

Then, the week after labor day, it all changed. With the end of summer, came the end of our stay in Minnesota.  A had decided to take a new position with the company we left behind in the first place because he saw the "bigger picture" there.  He felt he had more of a future there.  And I couldn't have agreed more.  We moved back to Omaha two weeks later and haven't looked back since!

No matter where we were, we were die hard Husker fans!

Therein lies the history of what led us back to Nebraska.  Even though we had a lot of ups and downs that first year of M's life, it brought us back to the one and only true place that has ever felt like home: Nebraska.

Welcome to Reality.

I want to take a step back in time and relive a moment that changed my life forever.  The day we got to take our baby boy home from the hospital.  The day I truly felt like a Mommy.  I always want to be able to remember this and to be able to share it with M when he gets older...And now, for the feature presentation:



December 30th 2010 was a day I will never forget. We had gone into the hospital as a couple of 24 year olds and came out a Mommy and Daddy. I was extremely excited to be outside after a long 4 1/2 days confined to the lovely walls of the hospital...I remember vividly that feeling of the warm breeze hitting my face. Yes, you heard me correctly. It was indeed the end of December but it was an incredibly warm 73 degrees, sunny and a tad windy. It felt like the end of May, not the end of December. Now, besides the unusually warm weather, we had a new little life to look after. I remember thinking that I didn't know what I was doing. I mean, how could they let me, an immature little "girl" take this human being home and raise it into an adult? Yes, we had taken birthing and parenting classes but nobody could prepare me for what was to come!

One of the first pics I snagged of him on a venture out of the house.

We had to drive 3 hours right out of the gate to even get this little bundle home. I remember thinking about how crazy drivers were...how did I never notice all these bumps and how fast my husband drives.  We had to make a pit stop half way home, not because M was unhappy, but because I was fresh out of a major surgery (an unexpected c-section), riding in the backseat and my pain meds were starting to wear off. Not only that, but I was breastfeeding and nobody could prepare me for the pain that those things could cause when your child hadn't eaten for 3 hours...yikes!!!

We made it to our apartment, finally, after what seemed like 10 hours. I made myself comfortable on the couch with M as A and my Mom (who had made the trip with us to help us out for the first week at home) unpacked the car. I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was climb into my own bed and go to sleep. But I couldn't. I had to keep this little person alive. He wouldn't sleep in his pack and play, or his swing or his crib...no, the only place he could sleep was snuggled up on my chest. Needless to say, I got maybe 2 hours of sleep a night for the first week. Plus, A had to go back to work that Monday, and I didn't want to wake him every time M woke up to nurse, so the couch and I became best friends. One night, my Mom laid on the floor beside me, giving me words of encouragement since all i could do was cry while I rocked and rocked him, trying to get him to fall asleep. It was, by the way, 3 am...was this normal?? I didn't see how it could be!


The day my Mom left for home, I remember thinking how could I do this all on my own?? She had done so much for me. She had cooked every meal, did every load of laundry and cleaned the apartment from top to bottom. She also watched M while I showered, napped and regained my composure. I didn't realize how good I had it with her until she left. How did she do this 24 years ago? And work full time too? My mom seriously is my hero. Reality really hit me in the face the next day after she left. This was not going to be easy. In fact, this was quite possibly the hardest thing I've ever done.

Three weeks later, running on about 10 hours of total sleep I remember thinking to myself "please, make this stop. I can't do it anymore. Why did I want this? Can we just go back to before?" I thought I was such an awful Mom for thinking that, but I wasn't. Come to find out, I was actually perfectly normal. Why didn't anybody tell me this before?

I learned a lot those first few weeks. Like, breastfeeding was a full time job in itself. And I wanted to do this for a year? Am I nuts?? I mean, really? Every 2 hours, like clockwork this little 7 lb being wanted to latch onto the only thing that was sustaining his life. I felt like a milk cow. Literally. They always make it look so easy on those baby story shows, but I'm here to tell you, it's not! It's a lot of work, painful and hard to judge how much they are getting. But, that connection we had through all of that did make it worth it. I have never regretted that. In fact, to fast forward a bit, we ended up making it to the year mark!

How could I be mad at that sweet wittle face?!

M was only 2 months old when Aaron came home and told me that we were moving to Minnesota "temporarily" for the busy season at his work. "Are you kidding me? M was not even sleeping in his own crib yet, and we are moving 400 more miles away from our families?" But, it was either move with him, and see him everyday or stay in Liberty and only see him on the weekends. Well, it was a no-brainer, but that doesn't mean it was easy!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's next chapter as we look at what life was like as a Minnesotan...and did I mention not knowing ANYONE? Ummmm, yeah.

Weekend Recap

Is it really already Monday??  How is that possible?  This last weekend literally flew by and ours was four days long!  Whew.  Either time is going faster the older we get or we are just slowing down with our old age which makes time seem to go faster.  I don't know which one it is, but either way, Monday is back and to be honest, I'm glad!  I don't know what it is about Mondays, but they just make me happy.  We have a pretty strict schedule during the week which I kind of thrive on.  Nothing makes me happier than starting Monday morning with a great sweat session, stocking the fridge with all fresh produce for the week and getting back to eating our regular meals.  Starting fresh, and it feels so good!

Now, onto the good stuff...our weekend shenanigans!  I told you all that I would fill you in on our trip up North with a lot of pictures, so I did my best to snap a few here and there whenever I would think about it!  That said, there might be a few randoms thrown in the mix, but they all make up the fun-filled weekend that we had!  Anyway, without further ado, our weekend in a nutshell pictures:

We started the trip on Thursday with snow and ice falling down on us, so coffee was a necessity to keep me warm and awake! 

I don't know what it is about road trips and Hot Tamales, but for me, they go hand in hand...essential road snack!

This is what we drove in for 3 hours straight.  In the middle. of. April.  Enough said.

It kept getting worse and worse.  Absolutely disgusting.

Because of the snowstorm, the rehearsal was cancelled on Thursday night, so we just headed over to the bride and groom's new house for pizza, wine and beer.  I kept it casual with my Jessica Simpson black jeggings, a simple (similar here): grey cardigan, and a springy (similar here): floral print scarf.

Before we headed over to the couple's house, we made a pit stop for free happy hour in our hotel's honors club for a quick cocktail...my drink of choice: vodka-soda with LOTS of limes!

 *Now, I must preface these next pictures with a recap of what I did not snap pictures of...Friday morning A and I headed to Mall of America for some shopping and then to Ikea to top the afternoon off!  I was completely enthralled in all of my shopping that I forgot to take a single picture.  HUGE FAIL on my part!  Needless to say, we had some major luck at Nordstrom Rack, H&M and of course, quite a few home goods from Ikea.  Man, I love that place!  Ahem...back to the good stuff...

After a day of shopping, we had rehearsal at this beautiful church.  Absolutely stunning and full of history.

More of the gorgeous church.

About an hour into rehearsal, I found myself checking my watch because I was bored. out. of. my. mind.  Thinking it was 5 o'clock somewhere and I needed a cocktail! Kate Spade Watch similar here.   

I did remember to snap a picture of myself before we headed out the door!  I had originally planned on wearing a dress, but with the snow still coming down, I settled for this little number.  It is all old, no longer sold in stores, but you can find this similar look (blouse, leggings, jacket and necklace) all at Forever 21 and boots (similar to these) at DSW.

Saturday morning started out (while A was off doing all things wedding related being an usher and all) with a great sweat sesh on the treadmill...

followed by this AMAZING (my first ever room service experience) cobb salad and diet coke. 

And then the moment of truth came with the dress I had told you all about that I bought two days prior to the wedding at Target.  All I have to say is O.M.G. It fit like a glove (I'm in a size XS here) and I got SO many compliments on it.  And honestly, nobody would believe me when I told them where I got it.  Best purchase in a very long time.  All this for $24.99 y'all.  (Besides the added belt and heels; all which are old)

Peplum + Stripe love.

Only picture I caught of the bride and groom.  Sad story.

A and I.  True story: This is the first picture of just him and I in about a year and a half.  So sad, but that's real world when you have a toddler!

Our centerpiece at our table.  The wedding was a beautiful combination of tulips, navy and coral.  A perfect springtime combo if you ask me!

Then came the ride home on Sunday morning.  And I kid you not, although you cannot see the license plate, but it (clear as day) says our last name.  And they are from Nebraska.  What are the chances of that? 

 All in all, we had a fantastic weekend.  A and I reconnected with some much needed alone time, as I felt like we were teenagers all over again the entire time.  Definitely need to do that more often!  Hope you all had a great weekend as well!

Until next time...

Fact Filled Friday {2nd Edition}

Happy Friday darlings!

Considering the fact that it's Friday, and I am still "out of office," this will be short, sweet and to the point!

Fact:
-I am living in a flipping snow globe right now. Minnesota got 6 inches of snow yesterday and it's still coming down this fine morning. Therefore, all of my cute flats that I had packed are going to have to be "exchanged" for some sale boots at Nordstrom Rack on our trip to Mall of America today...sounds like a plan to me! Just trying to look on the bright side and to make ice cream out of snow people... ;)

-I really hope they catch this Boston Bomber that they are on the manhunt for and do unthinkable things to him. He just makes me sick. That's all I've got in that one.

-ikea is calling my name today. Pinterest has given me so many ideas that come from that place and I can't wait to grab myself that over sized blue bag and get my shop on!

-I miss my little man. I got to talk to him for about .5 secs this morning before he ran off to go help Papa outside on the farm. I know he's in his highest glory right now, riding in the tractor, on the four wheeler and helping feed the cows, sheep and goats. So I guess his non-conversation with me this morning was to be expected!

-I had three glasses of wine last night. Whoops. Let me tell you, I am not 21 anymore and I am paying for it this morning! Yikes. Sad thing is, the weekend is only beginning!

-I might be addicted to coffee. Like seriously. I haven't had my morning cup 'o joe yet and I'm starting to lose steam reallllllyyyyyy fast! Sad thing, MN loves them some Caribou and I'm a die hard s-bux girl...but at this point, anything will do!

-Hilton Hotels really know how to roll. I might not stay in another hotel ever again. I mean, seriously, there was an "assistant" handing me towels, water and wiping down my sweat as I was on the treadmill this morning in the fitness center. Either I looked like I was dying or they are just that good. Case in point. They know their shiz...

Alrighty! The hubs and I are headed out for the day! Have a fantastic weekend and I look forward to catching you all up on Monday!

Until next time...

Out of Office Message...

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

So the hubs and I are headed up North to the lovely snow packed Twin Cities for the weekend to celebrate the wedding of a good friend of ours.

It is the first trip (or any time for that matter) we have taken sans child in months. This is time we definitely needed. As much as I love and adore our child, our marriage needs this. So we are hitting the open road for a little extended weekend getaway!

Will I miss the little man while we are away? Of course! But I know he's in the best hands possible: Grammy and Papa ( aka my Mom and Dad.)

Our agenda for the weekend:

Thursday: travel (with our essential travel refreshments: coffee and hot tamales) and get there just in time for the rehearsal. Then dinner and drinks afterwards with friends.

Friday: Mall of America and Ikea in the morning and afternoon. Then rehearsal dinner at night.

Saturday: Wedding festivities all. day. long. I will probs be passed out by 5 when the reception begins...not gonna lie.

Sunday: After lunch with another couple of friends from our short six month stint of residency in the great city of Eden Prairie, we will head back south to conclude our weekend.

It's going to be jam packed, but I don't care. You know what I'm most excited about? My dress for the wedding...I snagged this little number at Target yesterday. Not kidding, so don't judge!

I will be busting out my "fact filled Friday" post tomorrow before we head out for the day so don't forget to check back tomorrow!

I'll be sure to post pictures from the weekend when I do a weekend recap on Monday. You won't want to miss out on our shenanagins via Instagram pics!

Until next time...