It's a boy!

On Sunday, I attended Cherrelle's baby shower. It was lovely. I have not attended many baby showers, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I remember when she first shared the great news! I was so excited to have the change to watch her belly grow. The baby shower was a wonderful combination of delicious food and great company. I miss seeing Cherrelle on a daily basis, so it was really nice getting to be around her and a few other lovely ladies I haven't seen in over a month. The food though...and the cake....



....I love cake! Thankfully Lauren shared some of her frosting with me [lol]. My eyes are so much bigger than stomach and when it comes to cake I want the biggest piece the host[ess] is willing to give.

 

Lauren, Kelly and I went in on the gifts together, allowing us to get more without breaking the bank.

This is what we bought....

Babies R Us: Safety First Whole Home Safety Set//Tommee Tippee 360 Sealer Diaper Disposal System + Refills//Tommee Tippee Diaper Disposal Refills

 

Cherrelle looked beautiful and absolutely elegant in her pink maxi dress. I can't believe she is 9 months pregnant! Love you lady!

 

Have a great night all!

 

What to do on a Friday night

After a full week of work [and the bank account starts looking a little dry], you know that it's time to let loose, drink a little and laugh a lot. Sean and I went to my older brothers house to relax and sit around the fire. My brother cooked the burgers, Kelsie made a delicious pasta salad and Sean and I brought the chips. Once we finished eating it started to rain, putting a damper on our attempts to head outside. Sean and Kelsie found, and downloaded a game called "Heads Up!" which kept us laughing until the rain subsided.

The evening went wonderfully and I hope we will do it again! Thinking we may need to add a fire pit "how to" to the summer project list.....

Have a great day all!

Taco Chili Crockpot Recipe

We love chili! I was on the look out for freezer meal recipes, and this one has become a staple in our home. It's extremely easy to make and delicious! Keep in mind the recipe I am going to provide is meant to go in the freezer. Sean used this recipe last night for dinner, and put the ingredients in the crock-pot for an hour; it turned out perfectly!

Crockpot Taco Chili:

Printable Recipe

 

1 lb Cooked Ground Beef

1 can Corn, drained

1 can Black Beans, drained

1 can Navy Beans, drained

18 oz can Tomato Sauce

1 pkg Taco Seasoning

1 can Green Chilies

1/4 tsp Paprika

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

Place all ingredients in a large Ziploc bag and freeze.

COOK:

Place in crock-pot on Low for 8 hours or High for 4-6 hours.

We top the chili with shredded cheese and scoop with Tostitos. I have disregarded a few ingredients, you can find the recipe here.



My morning routine

Because it takes me about 30 minutes to drive to work every morning, I've created a routine to ensure that I am ready and in the car by 9:00 a.m. I have to set multiple alarms in the morning because I'm terrified I'll oversleep and show up to work late. I set three alarms starting at 7:00 a.m. with the last one set to go off at 7:30 a.m. I like to give myself time in the morning to wake, so I browse my phone for 30 minutes checking Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Blogger and sometimes Youtube. Once I'm ready to rise out of bed, I pick what I am going to wear for the day. I also pack my backpack with workout gear, makeup remover wipes and water for days that I attend Zumba. You can find my last post on Zumba, here.

Here is what I wore today:

Dress: Ross // Cardigan: American Eagle // Sandals: Target

NAIL:

My mom was wearing a beautiful coral color that I loved and I had to grab the color myself. I ran to Walgreen's last night and bought the color by Wet n' Wild called Blazed which you can find, here.

I really love this color. Although the polish itself is a little watery, I went over each nail twice and so far so good. I would have applied a third coat, but it took a little while for the polish to dry. 

But..for a dollar, I like it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POST SHOWER:

 I dry and apply.

My skin tone is extremely uneven and I have dark spots to boot. I have found that using Jergens has really helped get rid of those pesky dark spots and evened the tone of my skin.

Hair: 

With it being so hot out, I've left my hair curly. To tame the curls and fight the frizz, I use Marc Anthony's "Strictly Curls" and Pantene's "Beautiful Lengths." So far this combination seems to be working.

Make-up: 

Doing my make-up is my favorite part of the morning. I am extremely oily, and much like my hair, I have to try a combination of products before finding something that seems to work.

What do you do to keep the oil at bay? 

No7 "Beautiful Skin T-Zone Rescue"// Smashbox "PhotoFinish Primer"// Benefit "Stay Don't Stray Eye Shadow Primer"// Too Faced "Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar" [used for eyebrows and eye shadow]// Maybelline "Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation" [#310]// BareMinerals "Matte Foundation" [W30]// Maybelline "The Falsies Mascara"

What do you do to keep the oil at bay?

Have a great night all!

Fun in the sun

What a weekend! A whole lot of fun in the sun and getting to spend quality time with friends and family; it was amazing. Sean and I started the weekend off by meeting my parents for drinks at the Corkscrew in Birkdale. If ever you find yourself bored and looking for a good time, the Corkscrew is the place to go. The drinks are great and the people are interesting.

This is the only picture that actually turned out from the evening. 

On Saturday, my good friend phi-phi  came to see me. We spent a good hour or two at the pool before the deciding to leave due to the clouds being a bit to dark, and the temperature a bit to toasty. We laughed, had a few serious talks and walked to Birkdale. Unfortunately, I did not snag any pictures from our lovely outing, but we did stop at Bath & Body Works [I can never say no!!]. They are currently holding their annual 75% off sale, I would highly recommend grabbing what you can from the website or visiting your local shop.

For Father's Day, Mom rented a pontoon boat for the day. It has been at least a year since I've gone out on the lake, and I came to realize that I've missed boating oh so much.

There he is, the man of the day!

As you can see.....we had a great time.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

 

Zumba Benefits

I envy those that have the willpower and ability to stay on top of a work out regimen, especially those who create the regimen. Treadmills, the elliptical, weights and the StairMaster...I can't even begin. I am the type of person that thrives from group classes. I need to be told to what to do, how fast, how high and how long to do the exercise. If you are anything like me, you also want to ensure you feel the burn. I walk away disappointed if I don't feel like I had my bottom handed to me.

I first became addicted when my friend Isra invited me to the Zumba class she attends every Thursday evening. I walked into the class unsure of what to expect and walked out of the class, drenched in sweat and soar all over. I was beyond amazed and hungry for more. So, I joined the YMCA. I have tried other Zumba classes and have yet to find anyone that can conduct a class like Dawn can. Zumba allows you to feel the music. Each song contains 4 or 5 steps that are repeated throughout the song, once you learn the steps it becomes very easy to keep up. 

But I'm not just here to tell you about my Zumba experience, lets go over the benefits shall we?

ZUMBA BENEFITS

·        Burn approximately 300 to 700 calories each class

·        Increase your stamina and push a little harder

·        Increase your bone density

·        Improve your balance and tone your muscles

·        Decrease your body fat percentage

·        Lower your blood pressure

Summer DIY Projects

The weekend was quite relaxing. On Friday, I went to Cuisine Malaysia for dinner with Marisa. The food was amazing! We later went to her place for wine, and to continue catching up. It was long overdue and wonderful! [Have fun in Europe girl!] Saturday evening, Sean and I saw Jurassic World. We loved it! The film was exciting and engaging; never a dull moment. I would definitely recommend seeing it soon!

I'm planning on doing some DIY projects this summer, and thinking of starting a garden. If anyone has any suggestions or advice for growing plants on a 3rd floor apartment patio, please let me know!

A small peak into what's to come:

 

 

 

  

 

 

Just a few projects to get my summer underway. I hope you all had a great weekend! 

Happy Monday!

 

 

 

Ramen Noodle Bake

I don't cook often, but when I do, I try to make something both Sean and I will enjoy. As most things, I found this recipe on Pinterest, and I kid you not it tastes just like lasagna! It's super easy to make and crazy affordable! I payed roughly $5 for the entire meal. You really cannot beat that!

Ramen Noodle Bake
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
----------------------

4 packs of Ramen Noodle

1 lb Ground beef

1 jar Spaghetti sauce

1 package Ramen beef seasoning

2 cups Mozzarella cheese, divided

3 1/2 cups Water

Preheat oven 400 degrees

Break up Ramen noodles into a greased 9x13 inch pan. They should cover the bottom of the pan.

Brown meat. Drain. Season with beef flavor seasoning packet.

Sprinkle meat over dry noodles.

Pour the jar of sauce over the meat.

Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over the sauce.

Mix together.

Add water. 

(I know it doesn't look very appetizing, but you're almost there!)

Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake 45 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Remove foil and sprinkle 1 cup of cheese.

Return to oven for 8 minutes.

and.....

Voila!

There you have it! I dare you to try it and tell me it wasn't delicious!

Have a great night all!

Easy hair tutorial

I have a love/hate relationship with my hair, as I am sure most people do. I have religiously checked Pinterest for ideas on how to do my hair each day. Why you ask? Well, let me tell you....

• Reason #1: To find ways to tame my hair on those curly unruly days.
• Reason #2: To have something different to do with my hair instead of leaving it stick straight.

For the last week and a half, Pinterest has been extremely helpful. This week, I have flat ironed my hair and used these two tutorials.

So I attempted them....

As you can see, I only have the braid. The curls fell out by the time I arrived to work. It was unfortunate, it looked really good! It's funny that I have naturally curly hair, and yet while straight, my hair refuses to hold a curl. Punishment I suppose. Luckily, these tutorials were very easy to follow. I have seen numerous Pinterest fails and was hoping I would not be among them. I would grant this a success; curl fail and all. 

Have a great night all!

Who said Monday's aren't fun?

Today was my first day, "on the job". For the last three weeks, I have been training to prepare to conduct reports on my own. For the sake of comparison, the first two days of training was full of taking in information. Coming home the first two days left me mentally exhausted. Much like those first two days, I am exhausted. Yet, I love the challenge. I love having the opportunity to find the words to say, that will best express someones concern towards incidents that are happening to them. It is rewarding to have a client state, "that's exactly what I mean." I will need to set goals for myself though. One of those goals, for now, will be to help guide clients through the report without allowing them to take over the process.

Another great thing about this job, is that it challenges my time-management abilities. I am normally that friend who is at least 5 minutes late to everything. With this job, being late is a no-no. I was a little stressed this morning trying to get ready and leave at a decent time. For the past three weeks I have had to arrive to work promptly at 8:30 AM. I became used to waking up at 6:00 and leaving the house by 7:15. Now I am scheduled to be at work by 10:00. I thought that this time would be easier to manage. I found today it is, but I had planned to leave at 9:00. I could feel my blood pressure rising as the numbers on my phone inched closer to 9:10. Yikes! I made it with 15 minutes to spare, so all is well that ends well.

[Cardigan: Target, Nail Polish: Essie,
Necklace, Camisole & Pencil Skirt: Forever 21]

It is important to always look your best! I want to be taken seriously and to move upwards within this company. A nice mixture between business casual and everyday wear. We have the option to dress causally, but after wearing nothing but yoga pants for the last ten months at Massage Envy, I want to have fun choosing my outfits each morning. Your outfit depicts the type of person you are and allows you to express your personality. I love having control over how I want others to view me each morning. Not to mention it's a major confidence booster knowing I look good ;)

Have a great night all! 

Hello all!

This is the start to something great. A mode of writing that allows for self-expression for both the good and bad days. I want to welcome you, and hope that you enjoy all the things I have planned for this blog. I want to share the things I know and things I am going to try. I also want to bring light towards some subjects that tend to cause darkness. With this blog, I hope to touch on various topics. Those topics will range from everyday life treasures to overcoming the struggles of anxiety. I am more than excited to begin.

So, let’s get started.