My mind..!!

It's amazing I haven't lost it yet... ;-)

 Found some shoes for the wedding ceremony -- yay or nay? They're in the color I've been looking for, easy to walk in and have a unique character. I also got adventurous with some May snow driving and crossed 'flower girl dresses' off my list of things to do - they are so cute! It was such a fun girls day with my sister in law and nieces (yes, I just claimed them)

 

They were also excited they finally got to meet Dexter (or Decca). Lots of kisses for Dexter that weekend.

My baby brother came to visit me before I went to Michigan. I'll sure miss these family spontaneous visits. That will be the hardest part in the move for sure. Discovered a cute all naturals store while in apartment hunting in Lansing last week - Horrocks! This will help me with my Whole Foods and Trader Joes withdrawals! Hallelujah!

I think the fiance and I have a thing for Big10 Schools and State Capitols -- what do you think? (Go Hawks!)

It's hard to believe it's approaching mid-May. I think these past two weeks went by with a blink of the eye. It is sure nice to be home, but now the countdown starts. 2 more weeks until I become a Michigan-(er?)!

Thank you for all your amazing comments on things to do in Michigan! I am now creating my own Michigan bucket list -- I keep hearing how beautiful the state is and I can't wait to explore!

 

MICHIGAN --- HERE WE COME! (WE'RE MOVING)!

I'm so excited to announce that we are moving to Lansing, Michigan at the end of May! It's been in the works for a while and was made official last week. I'll be relocating with the company I work for to the corporate office. (this has been one of the many reasons my blog posts have been sparse lately) Chet and I are really excited to travel around Michigan and explore a new part of the country. We really don't know ANYTHING about Michigan so a lot of 'googling' has been happening this past weekend. But what an exciting journey - we are thrilled to begin a life together in a new city. Kind of like a 'fresh start'! The only worries I have are ...there is NO Trader Joes, No Costco and No Whole Foods in the city - they closest ones are an hour drive. UFFDA! That will be an adjustment! I've been a little spoiled here in West Des Moines! 

P.S. Don't worry, I have upgraded my car since the photo above...I don't think that lil' red thing could've ever made the drive to MI.

The past few weeks

I didn't realize i haven't blogged in two weeks! There's been so much going on. A birthday happened, a trip to Chicago, a bachelorette party for a friend and trying to figure out where we will be going next! The tricky thing with long distance is trying to figure out how to come together. We have a few things in the air that we're waiting on...waiting is stressful! But fiance and I are both eager and excited for the next step. Here are the past few weeks in photos... (there are a lot of photos by the way)

I had a very clear theme for my birthday this year... cat ladies unite.

my baby brother came to visit me

our favorite chicago people and fiance's family

one of my best friends is getting married 2 months before me! I feel so lucky we get to experience this crazy wedding planning process together! Wine tasting for Nicole's bachelorette party.

The weeked came to an end with a very happy kitty that was able to lay outside on the porch for a while. We were loving the sunny spring weather. Now we're begging it to stay - no more snow!

oh hey there, 25th Birthday!

25 is a strange number to hit. 10 years ago I dreamed of 25; living in a large city, making my way towards a successful career, a tenacious woman with her life planned out, determined to succeed. Today I have a different dream of 25. Still figuring out what my lifelong career may be, planning my life out not by myself but with an amazing fiance, still haven't a clue which city we will call home. But hey! That's okay. 25 isn't that 'you've got everything figured out age'. It feels like a transition age. I'm still figuring out where I'm going; what life still has in store for me. It's full of uncertainty and mystery; the unknown. I think this year will be a thrill. 

But as of right now, I've just enjoyed a breakfast in bed and about to make my way to the gym. The weather has been gorgeous this weekend; full of spring and sunshine! We have a day planned out of walking outside a lot and exploring some local sightseeing in Des Moines. It should be fun!

25 for 25

Last year for my 24th birthday I got this little fuzz ball. It was something that I had long researched, waited for and was completely filled with excitement on the the day I got to pick him up. Okay. So now my 25th birthday? Uff... that's a quarter of a century. And that happens tomorrow. I don't think there is anything I am looking forward to on the day (other than I took the day off from work...yippee!), but I am really excited for this year! I have compiled a few thoughts of 25 goals/accomplishments at the age of 25. inspired by His Little Lady.

1. read more. 1-2 books/month                                     
2. complete 3 whole 30's; stick close to paleo diet.        
3. run a half marathon                                                 
4. GET MARRIED!                                                        
5. take a spontaneous vacation with fiance                   
6. attend more concerts/recitals                                   
7. perform a recital/play in public again                         
8. Go to a blogging conference/meet a blogger friend    
9. do more local sightseeing                                          
10. put my feet in an ocean                                           
11. listen more                                                              
12. have more date nights                                             
13. go for more walks/runs outside
14. cook new meals more often
15. eat more local
16. take the GMAT 
17. move someplace new 
18. travel abroad 
19. attend more community events 
20. Enjoy everyday! 
21. treat myself to a giant shopping trip 
22. make more smoothies 
23. go on a camping trip with friends 
24. learn how to change my car oil
25. become a better me.

I cheated....

Tomorrow would've been my WHOLE30 DAY 30! But Easter happened. And we went to my Grandma's. And she made this casserole. And it was staring at me. It smelled so good....! I caved in.... I cheated. I feel so guilty/a little disappointed. I mostly feel silly because now I need to admit this to the entire blogging world and it doesn't seem as exciting and climatic because I didn't really make it to the full 30 days. I completed 29/30 days of clean eating and I made it 27 days straight of clean eating! 27 DAYS! Even though it's not the 30 - it is still a huge accomplishment to me! And when I cheated I thought...you know. I don't feel as guilty as I thought because this is a lifestyle change for me. That's right! I am converted to a Paleo practicer. I am obsessed with paleo and even after 30 27 days...I'm going to still paleo on! I will probably do a few more Whole30 Challenges before the year is up. and I promise..I will plan better so they don't fall on a holiday!

Here's the biggest changes I noticed during the challenge:

• Energy was consistent throughout the day. No afternoon yawns! This was the best part of the entire experience!
• Sleep was more satisfying. There were several nights I woke up to use the restroom and thought I'd been asleep for 5 hrs when in fact I was only asleep for 1.
• Psoriasis cleared up. I have scalp psoriasis and it's completely embarrassing. this was actually one of the main reasons I wanted to do the Whole30 challenge, I had read it helps chronic illnesses. I noticed my psoriasis was not as itchy, I didn't notice it as much and I felt comfortable wearing black clothing!
• Skin felt more moisturized. I actually noticed that now I really don't need to wear any foundation. My skin has cleared up on my face and my skin feels healthy.
• Weight. I did not go into this to lose weight, but it's always a plus when it happens. I've never been overweight, just unfit/not toned. The challenge is amazing because it forces you to eat right. My diet became lots of veggies, fruits and meats rather than all the carbs I was used to eat. I didn't realize how much I relied on carbs until I began the challenge! My total weight loss was 7 lbs...and that is with only 1 day of exercise during the challenge. I noticed within the first 2 weeks all my thigh cellulite vanished. But I was awful during this challenge and didn't make it to the gym as consistently as I usually do. Now with teaching finished I am excited to see how my body tones when I incorporate exercise with healthy eating.

How do I plan to keep this up? I'm so used to weekly grocery shopping and meal planning from the challenge that it's very natural for me now. I've completely loved all the food I've eaten and want to continue a clean eating lifestyle. I might give myself 1 cheat meal a week, but I honestly don't see it happening too often. I feel too good! I finally feel balanced. What every health article/book/blog mentions and I never understood. But I do...I feel balanced; and it feels great!

P.S. If you want to see the the BEFORE and AFTER you can see them on my instagram. It's still really embarrassing and strange for me to post them on the blog. 

Planning Your Save the Dates

Two Saturdays ago I spent...5 hours (5 hours people) addressing envelopes to get our save the dates out. As much as I love handwriting them for a personal touch - I think I may need to invest in a stamp and labels for our invites. But they turned out AMAZING! I love them! We went through Wedding Paper Divas and will be going through them for all our stationery needs. We even under ordered the first time, when I reordered more they arrived in 3 days! I was shocked! Choosing your Save the Dates does take a little thought to find what you are looking for. Here are my save the date tips:

• When do you want to send your save the dates? Plan how far in advance you want to send your save the dates. It is usually recommended to send them 5-6 months prior to the wedding date. We sent ours out about 5 months prior.
• Will you take save the date photos during your engagement photo shoot? When you are shooting your engagement photos, do you have a Save the Date photo in mind? We played around with wine bottles and were so excited to use them for our save the dates. Let your photographers know ahead of time if you are planning to get a few save the date photos in.
• What type of stationery are you going to use? standard card, greeting card, postcard, magnet, etc.. the possibilities are endless! We decided on magnets and received several compliments from friends that they are now able to hold up all their other save the dates on the fridge (ha!)
• How many photos do you want on your save the dates? 1, 2, 3, more? We wanted more than two because we love our engagement photos. Save the Dates are fun way to showcase your engagement photos!
• What layout are you looking for? most websites will give you a variety of layouts for save the dates. We were drawn to the ones that had calendars on them. This is an easy visual for guests to see what day the wedding is on. We also didn't want too much wording, just simple and to the point. The guests will be getting the invites shortly that will provide all details. Browse through all different kinds of layouts and choose what works best for you!
• Have fun! save the dates are a fun way to showcase you as a couple. Don't be afraid to add some personality in them!

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