Making The Most Of Everything

I sure am glad today has arrived. It has been one busy week. Now you might catch me saying this same phrase every Friday but each week seems to become busier and busier whether I like it or not.
Madison just started baseball (more details to come), work is in the middle of a major overhaul and my home life is even more chaotic.

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle quite a few positive things have happened.

1. My new toy, the Chromebook, has left a smile on my face all week. Knowing that I typed every blog for the last three months on my Kindle Fire makes me appreciate how quick I can now type each and every post.

2. Spring is officially here and so to get myself in the mood I spent my lazy day updating my phone. It is the little things you have to do to keep the positivity going in your life. Looking forward to sunshine and flip flops!

3. As I said Madison started baseball this week, although it conflicts with her dance sessions we are making it work. Her facial expressions and excitement warm my heart and make me laugh.

4. As I shared yesterday my awesome Ipsy bag came in the mail. I love their products and cannot wait to see what they have in store for next month, being that it's my birthday month and all!

5. Nothing feels better than purchasing a piece of new furniture. This week I experienced a day of extreme depression and so I spent the entire night shopping for a new dining room table. Success came when I walked into the Room Place and found the beauty I was looking for. The picture doesn't do it justice and I also upgraded to the 7 piece for an awesome deal! Although the day had been a disaster this made up for it and turned my mood around.

This weekend I am looking forward to picking up my new table, practicing more baseball skills with Madison and resting my mind before Monday comes too fast and the chaos starts all over again.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Reflecting Back

Thank goodness for Friday's and the weekend. It's these three days that motivate me. Time off work, time to rest, time to check tasks off the to do list and time spent with the family.

While it's great to look forward to things to come it's also good to reflect on the positive things that happened before.

Here are my five positive happenings over the course of the week....

Madison made the little league baseball team and her bff Cash is on the same team! We are planning on picking up all of her equipment this weekend!

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I don't know about you but I'm sooooo ready for warm weather! This week we had one 65 degree day but then it turned to snow and temperatures in the teens! Seven more days until Spring!! I'm sure hoping the weather makes a change soon! I'm ready for sunshine and flip flops!!

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I finally received my Ipsy glam bag! I will be posting my full review next week! $10 and you receive a beauty bag full of great products!

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Madison's dance class hosted a visitor's night last night so we were able to watch the class for the entire hour! It brings a tear to my eye seeing how much she has grown and how she has blossomed out of her shell.

One of the best parts about being a parent is when they run up to you holding a craft they made at school and tell you they made it just for you. Madison did just that this week. The theme in school was Dr. Suess. They created little thing 1 and things 2's with their hands. Makes my heart melt every time.

I'm looking to a great weekend celebrating St. Patrick's Day! Although I have no plans at all and I'm not one of the lucky ones who got Monday off work, I am looking to do something with Madison. This will be the first year we haven't went out to the bar. I'm a little over the bar scene and would much rather be toasting green kool aid hearing Madison giggle. It's a parent thing I guess.

What's your plans for the holiday? Suggestions for parents?

Freedom In The Horizon

Hellooooo Friday! Although I've had a great week, it is very nice knowing in just a few hours I'll be enjoying the weekend. Let's get to the highlights of the week! 

1. If you live in the United States, you might have gotten accustomed to the awful weather we have been having. So when this forecast popped up in a weather update I was ecstatic. The temperature the last few days have given me spring fever! I'm so ready for flip flops and sunshine! 

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2. My bff had a birthday this week! We already celebrated this past weekend with our fondue celebration which came out better than I expected but I figured I still had to tell the world when the greatest friend I know was born! 

3. Anyone else counting the days until the season premier of Orange Is The New Black begins? It's one that you either love or hate. I can't wait! The acting is great, the storyline is addicting and it is unlike any other show out there. If you haven't heard the news it premiers June 6th and if you missed season one check it out on Netflix now. 

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4. A co-worker of mine and I have been trying for weeks to coordinate a girls night and it finally happened, tonight! We are looking forward to finally not being in a work environment and having some girl talk sessions! Cheers to girls night out!

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5. The most exciting news of all is the fact that as of this week I have one medical bill left to pay from my ovarian surgery and then I will be completely debt free!! I never saw this day coming. My end goal is to improve my credit score, sell my house and find a bigger, updated home that is still within our budget. I still can't believe I've lived in my house for 12 years. I'm pretty proud of what we did at the age of 17. Seems just like yesterday we pulled up to our home and the moment we walked in we knew it was a perfect fit.

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I'm motivated to make the best of each and every day and to keep a positive outlook on the future. Sometimes when I think everything might fall apart, somehow I make it through. Things happen for a reason and with a little faith it's easier to believe it's for the best.

 

Yoga Pants, Starbucks and Grey's Anatomy

It always feels like I am crossing the finish line when Friday rolls around. Another week down, another paycheck made and two upcoming dates of rest and relaxation. It's easy to wear a smile all day. Another reason to smile is knowing all of the great things that happened through the week, let's reflect shall we?

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1. This past weekend I took my mother to have her first mammogram test. This week the test results came back and showed abnormalities. Worst case scenario I thought cancer. Who doesn't?  I freak myself out and worry until I hear otherwise. So she went yesterday for further testing and thank the Lord, the tests came back detecting lymph nodes. Causing a less chance of cancer and a simple check up six months from now. We celebrated with steak and other good food!

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2. Tomorrow I have an overnight sitter and the hubs will be gone for most of the night. This rarely happens. I happily plan to wear my yoga pants, eat ice cream, stalk Pinterest and continue watching Grey's Anatomy on Netflix. I live an exciting life can't you tell?

3. While walking out of work on Tuesday my legs decided to stop working and before I knew it I slammed into the concrete on my back and crushed my back side against the ice. Ouch. Since then I've walked at a snails pace, lost sleep because I can't lay on my right side and my hips have been in excruciating pain. All this aside, I broke nothing. No concussion, no face plant etc. So looking on the bright side it could have been a lot worse.

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4. Starbucks. That in itself will make you happy. My weakness is their white chocolate mocha. Can you tell how happy it makes me? They have me hooked!

5. After eight inches of snow blanketed our city this week I decided to focus on the positive and snap a picture of a group of trees that seem to be glowing every time I pass the area. Instead of complaining about my three hour commute each day and the slow moving traffic and cold temps, I pull this picture out and remind myself how lucky I am to experience this beauty.

I'm ready for a nice quiet weekend, filled with more lattes, great television and thankfully heat since we are supposed to have even colder weather and two more inches of snow.

How are you remaining positive despite your surroundings?

Thumbs Up: H54F

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1. The top highlight of my week was when I acknowledged my fears and challenged myself to overcome them. Not just one fear but a few. I can say I'm not completely over all of my anxiety but baby steps is what I needed to start with. I joined Planet Fitness as you may have read here and enjoyed myself more than I had expected. The tanning beds are amazing, the staff was very friendly and everything was clean and maintained. I'll be posting more about this later.

2. Little moments like finding the time to give yourself a mani make all of the difference in the world. I hardly make it to bed before eleven which means in order for this to happen I would be up after midnight. I'm thankful for a much more organized week to allow this personal time.

3. I've started planning Madison's birthday! Even though it is at the the end of April it seems like it sneaks up out of nowhere and I'm rushing around putting it all together. She picked out the theme and her cake and is super pumped about all of the surprises in store! I can't wait to share more details!

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4. As I shared last week I decided to try a new foundation. Let me tell you I am in LOVE! The product blends evenly, covers my imperfections and matches my skin color exactly. I highly encourage those of you who don't like liquid foundation to try it!

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5. A co-worker surprised me yesterday by giving me a Starbucks gift card! It's the little things in life that happen that make you smile. I'm so grateful for these kinds of gestures. It just proves there is still kindness among others.

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This weekend we are very excited to be attending the Disney on Ice show! Madison has been counting down the days and to be honest so have I! There is nothing better then seeing your child's face light up!

Cheers to another week down and a fabulous weekend ahead!

Happy Hearts

Surprisingly this week went by very fast! With the past few work weeks being short I thought this week would drag on forever but it didn't! Yay for that! Although more snow hit yesterday and the temps are lowering by the minute I am remaining positive! Who wouldn't be its Friday!

Let's recap the week!

1. Sticking to my plan to prepare all new recipes this week I made this yummy healthy dessert! Bananas, honey and cinnamon! Anything sweet makes me smile!

2. My husband's movie finally released this week so I had to watch it! Who doesn't find JT absolutely hot!! The movie was great and well Ben Affleck isn't too shabby either!

3. Little Lucy the elf is going back home on Sunday! Although it is a blast having her around and all of the reactions from Madison I am glad this day is on the horizon. It is a lot of work coming up with all of Lucy's messes and keeping Madison entertained with the idea. 

4. Last weekend and week I wasn't the social butterfly I usually am so I didn't see my friends or family. I chose to read and stay at home. So it was nice to spend some quality time with my mom. We went to dinner and as usual acted crazy and laughed non stop!

5. When I am feeling down, depressed or just not myself I can always count on my little girl to keep me smiling and laughing. She truly makes my heart happy. 

What makes your heart happy? 

High Five For Friday

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A few months ago, I ventured off and decided to not partake in all of the weekly link ups I had been participating in.


I decided I would challenge myself to write content based on my daily life but I found out one important thing. Can you guess what it is?

I didn't "meet" as many new friends.

I maintained friendships but I found that I haven't gained many new readers based on having my blog just exist.

I have learned that making bloggy friends takes a little work. Link ups, commenting and quality content are among the important things.

So, since it has been awhile and I am very interested in finding new friends I decided to jump back on the H54F train with Lauren!

1. My two day weekend became a three day weekend due to the weather conditions. I could really get use to that! I spent most of the day reading, drinking coffee and staying warm under a blanket.

2. We accumulated approximately 12 inches of snow so we had a lot of fun building a snowman, creating frozen marbles and throwing snow at each other. Gotta love the self timer feature on the camera!

3. I am grateful that Madison hasn't had school at all this week. She was supposed to go back on Monday but due to the blizzard and frigid temps she has had the week off. Luckily, her babysitter kept the kids this week saving me the stress of making it to school in record time for pick up. She is an angel!

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4. I finally had the time to sit down and catch up on my Bloglovin posts! I absolutely love reading all of your blog posts. Some make me laugh and some make me cry but I can truly appreciate the work and effort put into each one!

5. Although my drive in to work looked like this (a skating rink) I am counting my blessings that I haven't had an accident or flat tire! The snow and ice is starting to break apart leaving the roads in pothole/crater conditions! My normal 35 minute drive took me two hours one day and an hour and a half the next day. Despite the negative, it could be SO much worse!

I love this link up because it gives me a time of reflection and shows me what I should truly be grateful for.
I hope you had an awesome week! If you are a new visitor, drop me a comment so I know you stopped by for a visit and if you are a daily reader thank you for following along as always! Love to hear from you all!

Five Highlights

How many of you log onto your computer and then spend an hour browsing until your little blog post is created? That would be me.
I spend more time reading your little pieces of art before I create my own almost every time.
It must be the motivation or the feeling I get from them.
To a certain extent I feel like I am part of a team. I may not be a quarterback or captain but I sure feel like I am apart of something.
Anytime someone tells me they read my post, loved a picture I took or spent time reading Wide Open Spaces it makes my day, week and month!
This week I felt a tremendous amount of compassion, love and gratitude towards others.
Yesterday I wrote about the #payitforward movement and today I am back with some good news!
Wait for it.....
Linking up with Lauren here are my top five highlights of the week!

1. The parents at Madison's dance company were allowed to join the kiddos in class this week. Which could only mean one thing. I turned into mama paparazzi and took a million and one photos and videos.   2. I accidentally stumbled upon a great deal on these red flats to compliment my little black dress. I have a wedding I am attending tomorrow so these worked out perfectly. I have the cutest pair of red heels but I will be on my feet for hours so I figured why not be stylish and comfortable.   3. My addiction to Starbucks has only helped the people around me this week. Due to the #payitforward moment that Starbucks is participating in I decided to join in! I paid for the woman's order behind me! The cashier was so overwhelmed by my kindness that she gave me a free pumpkin cookie! It pays to be nice!   4. Madison is obsessed with the Polar Express movie, so I purchased tickets for us to take a train ride on November 30th with Mr and Mrs Claus! The train ride will include hot chocolate, a present, a snack and THE RETURN OF MISS LUCY (Madison's elf on the shelf) Details to come!   5. Madison caught a cold this week and ended up with an ear infection. A trip to the doctor and amoxicillin did the trick! She is back to normal and doing great! Yay!   I don't quite know what this weekend has in store for me but I am planning on enjoying every minute of it! Check back Monday for more weekend shenanigans!  

 

Don't Worry Be Happy

I've spent the entire week wishing time away. Isn't that awful? Shouldn't we be grateful for the time we have and stop rushing time along. It is already October which is hard to believe. I have spent a great portion of the summer under a ton of pressure and feeling a great amount of anxiety and stress. As I start off October, I am hoping to resolve the issues that are causing these emotions and live a carefree and happy rest of the year.

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So in order to remain on track, I find the positives in life and try to fill my heart and soul with these wonderful things.

High Five For......Friday and in my life this week, these five amazing reasons to celebrate!

1. Dinner with my frand Heather :) She is beautiful inside and out and more times often than not she resembles Carrie Underwood. I feel flattered to hang out with someone so amazing. Her kiddos are little balls of cuteness as well and hanging with this group is always a good time! We ate dinner at Olive Garden! Yay bread sticks and Andes mints (As Madison would refer to as the minty things!)

2. Wineo, maybe my new nickname? I haven't wanted a drink this bad in forever. The days are getting longer and the work is becoming tough to handle. My dancing reggae man gets me through it!

3. Madison makes me smile every time I open my phone and see her cute puckered up lips and delicate innocent little hand blowing me a kiss. She is my sunshine. I also added my Wide Open Spaces shortcut to my home screen and I am loving it!

4. With Madison now in preschool it makes my heart melt every time she brings home a craft. She is so proud to hang it up, display it on the table or have me take it to work. It's unreal how big she is and how smart she has become.

5. Tonight I get to spend some much needed time with my bestie! She is my rock and I am so lucky to have her in my life. We have been through so much and in the end have came out on top. Never judging and always loving, even when we have to take "takes" of our pictures because I choose to act like a nutso.

I am off to tackle this day and start celebrating the weekend with my girl! 5:00 here we come!