Thank God It's Friday!

     Every Friday I say, "Thank God it's Friday!" or "TGIF!" and most of us do. But at the same time I'm always asking myself, "Where has the week gone? It's Friday already!?" Sometimes I forget how fast time truly does fly by. We get so caught up in living for the weekend that we forget to live and cherish every single day. Saturday and Sunday pass far too quickly and then there we are again, back at Monday hoping for Friday. It seems to be a never ending cycle.

     So I'm challenging myself -- and anyone reading this -- to not forget about Monday-Friday. These days are just as important has Saturday and Sunday; you will never get these days back. Live each and every day to the fullest no matter what. Just because you have to go into work for most of the day, doesn't mean you can't do something when you get home. Don't wake up ten years down the line and regret never taking advantage of the time you were given.

     I hope everyone has a fantastic Halloween! I'm super excited about my costume (I made it from things I had in my closet) and I can't wait to post pictures of it for you all to see. Be sure to check back after the weekend to see the pictures (we have a jam packed weekend ahead!).

xoxo

A Fabulous Weekend

     This past weekend didn't start out as great as we would have liked, but it only got better!

     Friday, KC had to leave work and schedule an emergency dentist appointment because he was having the worst toothache ever. Turns out, he had to have a top wisdom tooth pulled. Thankfully, after he got his prescription filled, he wasn't in too much pain. He could only eat liquids though, so that was a little rough on him. I bought him a TON of soup...all different flavors (best girlfriend award!). We spent Friday night at home with Netflix, relaxing and watching Dexter. I love relaxing nights every once in a while when we just stay home; it's so refreshing to not be on the go 24/7.

     Saturday was fabulous! We slept in, which is always the best way to start a day. KC made breakfast; eggs and potatoes...delicious! Then we went to the mall to do a little shopping. I've been wanting to replace my watch, so KC took me to Charming Charlie where I got my last one. I love this store! They have any accessory you'd ever need. Plus, I found a watch that I love!

     After a little more shopping, we went to Madame Tussauds wax museum at the Venetian (something that's been on my to-do list for a long time). It was awesome! So much bigger than I had expected and there were a lot of "people"...not sure that's the word I need here...wax figures, maybe? I expected it to be packed to where you have to wait for people to take their pictures before you could get your own, but it wasn't crowded at all. It was so nice. I think it took us about 2 hours to go through the entire thing. We even got to watch a short 4-D movie. It was weird and not really my cup of tea, but it was interesting. We took way too many pictures (over 100), so here are a few:

     Sunday, we got up and went to church like we do every Sunday. Then we stayed home and relaxed on the couch and watched our shows. It cooled off in the evening, so we went on a walk and found a Redbox. I got some cleaning done and got everything ready for a new week. This weekend was a huge success!

xoxo

Healthy Living

     Sorry it's been almost a week since I last posted. I got back home Friday evening and spent the entire weekend out and about with KC, getting caught up on the week we spent apart. Then it's taken some time getting back into the swing of my daily work routine. Working from home is so much different than going into the office everyday. Needless to say, I've been so busy and extremely tired this last week!

     Before I left for Arizona, KC and I decided when I got back we'd start eating better and healthier. I suggested that we pick new recipes to try from what I've pinned on Pinterest (healthier options of course). We settled on trying two new dishes each week. With there only being two of us, we figured there would be enough leftovers to last us the entire week. I was so excited to try the new recipes that I did them Monday and Tuesday...oops. I was going to spread them out over the week, but I just couldn't wait. This week we tried crock pot stuffed peppers and Italian chicken bake. They both turned out amazing! I'm already looking forward to next week's dishes. {You can check out all the food/recipes I've pinned on my Yummy Deliciousness board on Pinterest}

Italian Chicken Bake

Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers

   
     If you've been following my blog, then you know I'm currently training for my second half marathon. I hate to say it, but I've been slacking big time in the running department. With our trip to Indiana and then my trip to Arizona right after it, I haven't ran for 2 weeks...sadness! I've got to get back on top of it ASAP because the race is in 25 days! Man, that came fast. I hate being so busy, but I've got to start back at it. Tonight I plan to run at least 5 miles no matter how long it takes! I'm so glad KC is so supportive of me and goes with me when I have to run late at night. I've kept up with my daily exercising, so I'm hoping my body hasn't forgotten how to run. Haha.

xoxo

7 Things I Forgot About Arizona

1: The traffic. I forgot how bad driving during rush hour really is. People here are idiots and apparently turn signals are illegal! My commute to work should take 28 minutes, but with traffic in the mornings, it takes around an hour. Insane.

2: Arizona is dry! I didn't notice as much when I lived here, but the air is SO dry. I guess that's where the saying "It's a dry heat" came from. My skin has been dry, cracked, and flaky since I got here. Nevada must have more moisture in the air that I've gotten used to.

3: I can still get ready very quickly. I forgot how fast my morning routine can be when I've overslept and need to leave the house asap to get through the crazy traffic and make it to work on time. Thank God I'm not a makeup person!

Work got a new sign and I think it is fabulous!

4: It's Fry's not Smith's. I'm so used to calling the grocery store Smith's now (what they are in Vegas) that I've forgotten they're called Fry's here. I swear they are the exact same grocery, selling the same Kroger brand products, but apparently they wanted different names. Confusing!

5: It's hot here. Okay, so this time of year it's really not hot anymore. What I mean is, it's hotter/warmer than Vegas. I always just lump the two together when talking about the weather since they are "right beside" each other, but really Arizona (Phoenix to be precise) is normally 10 degrees warmer than Vegas most of the year. I'm a little jealous KC is home enjoying the mid to low 80's while I'm here in the low 90's. Either way, I'm glad we're done with the triple digit nonsense!

6: Gas is cheap! I forgot that Phoenix has cheaper gas than Las Vegas. I filled up this week at $2.99/gallon. Score! It's still $3.34 in Vegas.

7: The sunsets. I can't believe I forgot how beautiful an Arizona sunset is. Now that I think about it, I was always taking pictures of amazing sunsets when I lived here. I don't see many great ones in Las Vegas, but that could be because I work from home and I'm not driving home at sunset anymore.

Absolute Perfection

xoxo

A Business Trip

     So this week I'm back in Arizona to work in our office and help get all the extended tax returns done and filed by the tax deadline (Wednesday). Luckily, my older brother and sister-in-law live close to work (kinda), so I always have a room to stay in while I'm here. It's nice to see them and catch up on their lives and everything that's been going on. Being around people you know is way better than being stuck in a hotel room all by yourself. I also like playing fetch with their rambunctious dog when I get home from work; he keeps me entertained.

     Day one (today) was interesting to say the least. Getting up before 7am was something I'm not used to anymore, but surprisingly, it wasn't too hard. Having to dress up for work was a little odd. I've gotten so used to working in my comfy clothes that I forgot how much of a pain that is! Work was even more interesting...at home, I have a routine/flow and everything I need is right there whenever I need it; exactly where I left it. In the office however, things weren't where I remembered them being, so I had to constantly bug my coworker and have her show me where things were. Another thing we found out was that I don't have a phone in my office now because it's sitting at my house in Las Vegas! Every time I went to grab the phone to make a call, I had to remember to go to another office and use someone else's phone. That will be annoying all week for sure!

     I love coming back into the office (every once in awhile is fine). It's good to catch up with my boss and coworkers; also good to see some of my favorite clients. It's always nice to get away from Las Vegas for a few days, but I sure do miss KC while I'm gone. Being away reminds me of how much I love the life we have together in Vegas. How much I love cooking dinner together, watching our shows on Netflix and just relaxing together after a long, hard day of work. He's my best friend and I'm thankful he's always there for me no matter what.

I have this sign hung up at home

     I'm hoping this week continues to go as good (and fast!) as today went. I know after tomorrow I won't be able to wait much longer to get back home to KC!

xoxo

To Do Lists

     If there's one thing I've learned in the last few years, it's that time flies and not only when you're having fun. We've all experienced it; you wake up in the morning with a list of things you want to do that day and before you know it, it's bedtime and only one or two things have been crossed off that mental list you made. Time flies and life gets busy.

For work, I keep a journal by my side at all times. I write down everything I need to do and then cross it off with blue highlighter as I complete each item. I'm beginning to think I need to do the same thing with my personal life. I have so many things I want to do; projects, places to go, books to read, etc. It doesn't help that my memory is that of a gold fish. If I don't write something down, I'll never remember to do it!

Here's just a few things I want to complete in the near future:

- Go to the eye doctor. I've been putting this off for so long. I haven't been in over 2 years and I'm on my last pair of contacts.

- Visit the wax museum on the strip. I've been wanting to over there since I moved here...over a year ago! It's about time to actually do it.

- KC & I's second year picture book. I got a free photo book on Shutterfly last year, so I complied all of our pictures from the first year of our relationship and made a book. I want to do one for each year, so I need to get the second one done before the third year ends!

- More blog posts. I really need to get on top of this blog. But again, life gets busy.

- Organize my office. I spend most of my time in the office since I work from home. I really need to set aside some time and get it organized and decorated just the way I want it.

     Hopefully, writing these things down will help me get them completed!

Cheers to getting things done!

xoxo

Learning In The Real World

     

     You learn a lot when you move out and get into the real world. It's so much different from when you are living at home and going to school. Life was so easy then and we didn't even realize it. In my opinion, high school didn't prepared me at all for the real world; the big world outside the four walls of a school building. The world that is full of responsibilities and opportunities. I had to learn it on my own, as I went; learning from my mistakes.

     I left home at age twenty, and moved in with my brother and sister-in-law. I lived with them for a little over two years and then I moved in with three friends. Although I was technically out on my own, it wasn't the same as being completely responsible for a house/apartment. For three and a half years, I was in the real world, but only had half of the responsibilities since I was living in other people's homes. Boy, did I learn a lot when I moved in with KC fourteen months ago. Here's a few things I learned the hard way:

• Internet is expensive! I had no idea I would be paying $60+ a month just to be on the internet. I definitely took that for granted when I was using my brother's and friend's hotspots.

• The bills never end. I swear, as soon as I get them all scheduled for payment, the next month's bills are in the mailbox. I feel like all I do is pay for utilities.

• Having a cool house isn't worth the high energy bill. OMG! I didn't expect a/c to cost $200+ in the summer to keep the house cool enough to where you aren't sweating on the couch. We invested in box fans and got our bill a little lower.

• Cleaning never ends either. Keeping a house clean is harder than it looks, especially when you also work full time. Major props to my mom who always kept a clean home for all of us.

• Making the bed just makes the whole room look better. I never understood why my mom always insisted that I make my bed everyday when I was just going to mess it up again that night, but now I know. It just makes everything better, even if there's stuff on the floor.

     These are just a few of the things I've learned/noticed so far since I've really been out on my own. I wouldn't have it any other way though! Welcome to adulthood!

xoxo