Feb 29th Let's Talk: Guys in our life

Happy Monday! My weekend was fantastic. I spent time with some of my favorite people, my parents! More to come on our activities later. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to link-up for Let's Talk.

I questioned whether or not I should link-up for this post. I'm not dating anyone nor am I married. What could I have to contribute? But I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to talk about how I'm dating myself. Yes, I said it. I realize that can come off as selfish but I think at 23 in a position where your life has changed a lot, it's okay to be selfish.

 

If there's one thing I could go back and tell my younger self, it would be...learn to make yourself happy because you're the only person you can never escape. Wow. Think about that. We are the ones who have to live with every quirk, every insecurity, every negative thought, etc. Instead of focusing on what you're lacking, how beneficial would it be if we took the time to fall in love with ourselves? 

 

There's a huge piece of my story that I haven't blogged about yet. I just recently got out of a relationship for 6.5 years. We met when I was 15 years old and dated throughout high school and college. He was a huge part in shaping my story during some of the most formative years of my life. And equally as important, he shaped my expectations of who I deserve. I haven't blogged about him out of respect for him and his family. But I could never speak a bad word about him, he was one of the kindest humans I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, much less loving. But the problem that ended up breaking us? I wasn't happy enough with myself to be in a relationship any longer.

 In a society where divorce and struggling relationships are rampant, what's the rush? We have so much life ahead of us. Being in a relationship with myself I expect to...

1. Dig deeper into what I want from life

2. Find my career path, that I enjoy

3. Make mistakes

4. Grow from my mistakes

5. Travel

6. Lean on God

That's just the tip of the iceberg. 

I know that by becoming more comfortable with myself that when God brings the right man into my life, I'll be ready. I'll be ready for the love, the sacrifices, the struggles, and the joys that come with a marriage. 

So the take away from today...whether you're already in a relationship or looking for the right person, your life will be enriched if you first learn to love yourself. I would love to hear what y'all think. 

Have a great day and see you back here soon! xo

What's Up Wednesday

Howdy, folks! Today I'm linking up with some great bloggers to share what I've been up to. I've been a bad blogger again, but I strive for grace not perfection :) Here we go...

What I'm eating this week...



Okay so after looking through my iPhone for pictures of what I've been eating, I deduced that I only take pictures of the "bad" food I eat! I started my diet last week and have stayed on track but haven't taken any photos of my healthy eats. More on that to come later. So pre-diet my roommate and I celebrated Valentine's Day single gal style with donuts in the morning...

...And delicious pasta with my favorite vegetable, Brussels sprouts.

Then my healthy week kicked off. I've been eating a lot of bananas chopped up with raw almond butter and cinnamon. It is so delicious and I find myself craving it.

To make it through this new lifestyle change, I've decided to make Friday night my cheat nights. I get to go eat a delicious meal, spend time with friends, and try new restaurants around Charlotte. Our first Friday night dinner did not disappoint. I caved and got a glass of bubbly to go along with our appetizer of Pimento cheese and baguette.

For my entrée, I had a good ole southern meat and three.

Other than that, I've been eating a lot of fruit! More to come on my diet soon.

 

What I'm reminiscing about...


I'm reminiscing about my time in DC. I absolutely love it there and could totally see myself living there one day. I blogged about my trip here.

What I'm loving...


So I recently took the plunge and decided to try contouring. This is pretty basic contouring because as much as I love makeup, contouring intimidates the heck out of me. At Sephora, I found a great contouring stick that has the shadow on one end and the highlight on the other so it's pretty idiot-proof. Also, it's the right pigmentation for contouring. I was pretty happy with how it turned out.

I'm also loving that I pulled out my old Fitbit. I have to say though, I've become obsessive about getting my steps. Picture this...last night I needed to get some steps in and it was cold outside so I went to Publix and walked the aisles. I should feel shame, but I don't :)

What I've been up to...


I've been working out. A lot. And walking a lot.

I've also been spending time with babies...makes my heart happy!

What I'm dreading...


I'm dreading losing the weight I want to lose. I don't have a ton of weight to lose so it's going to be a lot of work and patience to watch it come off. Also, let's keep it real...I'm dreading doing my taxes. #Adulting

What I'm working on...

I've been working on studying for the GMAT. Grad school here I come! Also, working on some blog ideas. I'm thinking I might do a Day in the Life post to remember this phase in my life.

What I'm excited about...


These cuties are visiting me this weekend!!

What I'm watching/reading...


I'm sure I'm about to feel the wrath of a lot of judgment butttt oh well. I love the 50 Shades of Grey series. I know it's trashy and scandalous but I've really enjoyed it. When I read I like to get lost in the story and it's an easy read that does that for me. So when I recently saw that Grey was on sale at Target, I swooped it up. It's the series based off of Christian Grey's perspective. Is it the most important read of my life? No. Do I enjoy it? Yep.


I've also been watching the OJ Simpson case mini series. It's riveting in my opinion. That all went down when I was so young so to me it's a very new story. Obviously, like the rest of the world I know the outcome but the details leading up to it are new to me.


**I wanted to attach pictures for this but can't because I can't save pictures and move them outside of the network. My bad for procrastinating this post...*

What I'm Listening to...


Lots and lots of rap music that my Mother would not approve of :) I've also been enjoying The Chainsmokers lately. They are great to workout to. Y'all should check them out!

What I'm wearing...


Lot's of black...sorry, Mom!

But mostly, I'm wearing workout clothes or work clothes. Here are 2 new work dresses that I'm loving this week.

Not sure why I stuck my tongue out :)

What I'm doing this weekend...


Well, my parents are coming to visit! I have lots of fun plans for us. We're going to go to my favorite salad shop, go to a local interactive zoo, have a yummy dinner with a view of the skyline, and wrap it up on Sunday with church and brunch. I'm excited about showing them my city! For those who are local and/or familiar with Charlotte we're going to Chopt for lunch, Dresslers for dinner, and The Asbury for brunch. :)

What I'm looking forward to next month...


Honestly, I'm not really sure. Looking forward to continuing to push myself in the gym and solidify my new lifestyle. But other than that, I'm looking forward to seeing wha
t March throws me!

What else is new...


Nada.

Favorite Easter Tradition...


My family really doesn't have Easter traditions. I'm looking forward to going to the Easter service at my new church here in Charlotte, though!


Okay, well that was fun! A lot of information about yours truly thrown at you! I'm sorry for posting this late today. See you back here later! xo

Show and Tell Tuesday: Pinterest Worthy Edition

Howdy folks! Sorry for missing y'all yesterday, I knew I wanted to post for today and I was busy being productive on my day off. Nothing fun...just grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, etc...sigh. I'm linking up with Andrea for Show and Tell Tuesday to share about our Pinterest favorites and finds. Today, I wanted to share some recipes and crafts that I've blogged about that are, in my humble opinion, Pinterest worthy :)

My Chalk Paint Planter was an accidental craft that has added a nice touch to my apartment. I love that I used a cactus because it's no maintenance ;) Check out the full post here. 

My Anthropologie hack coasters are by far my favorite craft I've ever made. They are easy and beautiful. They look so expensive but they weren't at all! They would make a great gift or a great decoration for your home. Check out the step by step instructions here.

I'm a lipstick junkie. I recently posted about it here.  Any lipstick aficionado knows that your lipstick only looks as good as it's base: your lips. Exfoliating your lips is crucial! Check out my DIY Lip Scrub here. It's simple and so effective. Buying it at a store is so expensive so save yourself some bucks to put towards your next lipstick instead! 

I love food. I love trying new recipes. I love creating recipes. So naturally I've included some recipes in my little blog space. Writing this post made me realize how I need to write more recipes! This Veggie Pizza is so simple and more of an idea then a recipe. But I do have a secret tip/ingredient that you should check out. The full step by step recipe is here.

Finally, my favorite comfort food, my meatloaf. It's easy and delicious. Seriously, whip this up. You won't regret it! Step by step recipe is here along with healthy "mashed potatoes."

Here are some Pinterest pins that I want to try...

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Pinterest is my vice. I cannot wait to see what else everyone is pinning today through the link-up! Hope y'all have a great day! xo

Workout Wednesday

Hi Friends! I hope your week is going swell. I'm back today for another Workout Wednesday! I'm sharing a workout routine that I'm doing this morning followed by my wellness tip of the week. I would love to hear y'all's feedback. Do you like seeing workouts? Diet tips? Recipes? Lifestyle? ETC. I love using my blog as a way to bond with people who share similar interests as myself. I love hearing what y'all think about what I'm writing about and use that to grow. Well anyways...here's my workout for the week!

So like I mentioned I love to start off with a great 2 minute jog to warm up. If jogging isn't your cup of tea, feel free to switch it up with any cardio...rowing machine, jumping jacks, cycling, etc. Then do each set 3 times before moving onto the next set. Between sets I have a quick cardio burst of running up the 5 flights of stairs at my gym. If you don't have access to stairs...do high knees, run up and down your stairs 5 times, do jumping jacks, etc. 

If this workout doesn't seem right for you, check out my workout from last week. These workouts aren't super long and really don't require much equipment. I work at 8 am in the mornings and get to the gym around 6:20 am because #keepingitreal I can't get myself there any earlier :) So I have to make sure I have an effective yet efficient workout so that I have time to shower and get changed for work. 

For my wellness tip for this week I have another recipe for you to try! It's a healthy alternative for one of my favorite treats, Froyo. I stumbled across Kelly's Healthy Strawberry Frozen Yogurt and knew I had to try it. It's easy, healthy, and seriously delicious. I'm not kidding. You can whip it up in your food processor or blender in less than 5 minutes and it's a really satisfying treat. 

I didn't measure the ingredients I just eyeballed it and taste tested it. I hope y'all get the opportunity to try it!

Well there ya have it folks! I hope you enjoyed this post. Happy Wednesday :) xo