Welcome to the Good Life!

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Hurray for Wednesday!  I love the short week-although I feel like I have twice as much to get done this week!  I am going to be traveling all over the place this week--Monday I drove home from Asheville (7 1/2 hours), last night I drove to Middletown (2 hours) and then to my mom's house in Ashland (3 hours).  Then I am driving back home today (2 1/2 hours) before going to Cincinnati tomorrow (2 hours each way).  I am so thankful I have a Prius though--otherwise the gas bills would be very $$!!

I am going to have my dental work completed at my mom's house with my childhood dentist.  I am pretty relieved about that.  And I love that my mom will get to take care of me. :)  And--I have to make several trips which just means more quality time with my sister! :)

-I am loving the pictures I have been going through about the Biltmore.  I had read a couple of books about the Vanderbilt family and the house before we went, but I just loved everything so much!  We bought a book that I am in the process of going through.  If you ever get a chance to visit--this is absolutely a must see! :)

-I'm loving that I have a guest post today on my sweet friend Natalie's blog!  Natalie is currently in London, so I am filling in for her!  I chose a few ensembles I would love to pack on a trip across the pond.  Most of the items are definitely pricey, but hey a girl can dream!? :)

-I am loving my sweet husband.  I treasure the time we spent together this past weekend and I know that even though we will be apart this summer, I will be able to look back on this time with so much fondness.  I think we are going to be planning another fun trip this fall after the camping season is over.  I love that it will give me something to look forward to when we aren't together. I love love love him.  :)

 

our weekend away!

This past weekend, Rob and I went to Asheville for a long weekend.  I have been looking forward to this weekend away for such a long time and it was just the perfect trip!  Going to the Biltmore was such a bucket list item for me--and I love that Rob made that dream come true for me. :)  

To say that we ate our way through Asheville is absolutely the understatement of the year.  We ate and ate until we were stuffed.  And then we ate some more.  The food was seriously so so delicious!  I was pretty proud of myself--I ran four of the five days we were gone.  We also walked just about everywhere we went, which still allowed me to lose a little bit of weight.  I was completely shocked and surprised when I stepped on the scale this morning.  Those early morning runs completely paid off and they were definitely all worth it!

We met up with one of my favorite couples for our trip and Alicia and John were so much fun to travel with this weekend!  We all loved this restaurant, Tupelo Honey Cafe, more than words can say.  We ate there three times and it absolutely wasn't enough--there were still things I would've ordered off of the menu!!  

These are their famous biscuits.  Everyone went so crazy about them!  I couldn't eat them, but they did have gluten-free bread that was so so delicious! :)  

Here is a quick picture of Rob and I before we headed out for the evening.  I love traveling with Rob--we are the same type of traveler so it usually works out so well!

One afternoon we stopped by this fun coffee and chocoalte shop called Chocolate Lounge.  Even though we had just eaten, I had a cashew caramel a balsamic strawberry truffle.  Delicious! 

Of course, the highlight of the trip for me was going to the Biltmore.  This was just absolutely the most amazing thing I have done in a long time.  This visit will get its own blog post later sometime this week--but just look at this amazing house!! I loved it!

We spent quite a bit of time walking the grounds and checking out the gardens, flowers, and all of the natural beauty surrounding the Biltmore.  Even though it was a million degrees outside, I still like this picture of Rob and I. :)

Even though we had an amazing time away--I was still happy to get home to this sweet face.  Doesn't he have the cutest face?  

I'm catching up on laundry and all of those fun things, but the trip was so amazing, it is definitely worth it. :)

What I'm loving wednesday

I am so excited it is finally Wednesday! This week Wednesday is my Friday and that is first and foremost what I am loving the most! :)

I am really loving that tomorrow Rob and I are headed to Asheville for the long weekend. I can't wait to relax and be on vacation! :)

I am also loving how well running has been going. I took a week off last week because I was really struggling with dental visits and some other things, but I am back in full force this week! I've run 3 miles twice this week and am looking forward to getting in at least two more workouts. I love the running endorphins!

And, last but not least I am loving my handsome husband! He has been working so hard lately--and then coming home and putting time into some home improvement projects. I am so happy we will get to spend a few days together before the busy travel season starts for me!

What are you loving this week?

I am loving our sweet Rex! He got a little too close to something we had just painted and we have been joking with him about being a zebra. Isnt that the sweetest face you've seen?

I am loving how amazing the weather has been lately! Last night we grilled out steak and veggies and it was such an easy and delicious dinner. Just perfect!

our weekend :)

Hi friends!  I hope that you had a great weekend!  I certainly did--and even though it's Monday I can still be thankful for the weekend I had!

Friday night, Rob and I met up with a bunch of our friends for a great cookout at our friends' Bird and Henk's house.  Remember when I went to their wedding?  We had SO much yummy food and of course great conversation.  There were also gluten-free seven layer bars.  I may have had more than my fair share.  And everyone else's! They were delicious!

Saturday Rob and I spent so much time cleaning our house, doing our laundry, all of the fun stuff that no one really looks forward to doing during the week.  Somewhere along the way, Rob lost his wedding band.  He was pretty upset about it, but I remained pretty calm.  I just knew it would turn up!  Saturday night right before I went to sleep I saw it sticking out from underneath a rug in the bathroom--isn't that so weird?  I did manage to work a pretty sweet deal out of him--but more on that later.  Saturday afternoon we headed over to my sister-in-law's house for a birthday cookout for her husband and her mom (also Rob's mom ;) ).  

The food at that cookout was also delicious--notice a theme here?  We had chicken and steak kabobs that were amazing.  Cindy also made some homemade applesauce that I ate as a dessert--it was that yummy!  Rob and I ended up staying at their house until pretty late--but it was so much fun!  We sat out on the patio talking and listening to all of the crazy animals outside.  

Sunday brought church and lunch with friends at Ruby Tuesdays.  I loved their salad bar!  I came home after a run through the grocery to do some computer work and a few loads of laundry.  Around 6, Rob sent me a text message that he was taking me out for sushi!  That man knows the way to my heart, I tell you.  And, since I'm the one who found his wedding band, I got to pick the movie we went to see!  I picked What to Expect When You're Expecting.  It was OK--about as good as I thought it was going to be.  I did tear up at a few parts--no judgement. :)  

All in all, this was a great weekend!  I feel so incredibly blessed to have spent the weekend with so many different friends, family members, and of course my husband.  I felt so blessed with love and friendship this weekend.  It was definitely needed to recharge my batteries before the summer chaos! :)

 

 

end of week randoms!

I have so many things swirling around in my head right now that if I don't do a random post, there won't be a post.  So here goes:

• I keep thinking summer is finally here and then we have a day like today where it barely reaches 70.  That's springtime.  Tomorrow it's going to be 80+.  That's summertime.  I also don't like picking out clothes right now where the weather is so different each day.  I almost froze today in a sundress!
• Speaking of sundresses...they're becoming a bit of a problem!  I keep finding ones I like--and they are usually so cheap!  Every time I walk through Target I find myself picking up one or two to add to my closet.  {And I have a few Target returns to do this weekend...hello new sundresses!!}
• Rob has been practicing his guitar in the evenings while I get ready for bed.  I love listening to him play and practice the guitar.  I married an incredibly talented man.  
• We are working on some home improvement plans.  Hurray!  I've mentioned before that in the next year or so we'd like to start building a home.  I love seeing this progress--I know our hard work will pay off so soon.
• Speaking of, Rex may have been a little too interested in one of our painting projects.  We are calling him our zebra lab now. :)

Have a great weekend, friends! :)

what i'm loving wednesday!

It's Wednesday friends!  I am off to the dentist to get a root canal, but honestly I have been in so much pain this week that I am actually looking forward to it.  Sad, I know.   I do want to share with you what I am loving this week before I head off to my appointment!!

I'm loving summer is here.  I'm going to be spending quite a bit of time at summer camp and I think this water balloon slide sounds just simply amazing.  I'd love to try it out!! :)

I'm loving that my sweet Tobbie is back home with me!  He has been in Kentucky with my mom for a few months and I am happy to have his sweet baby self home where he belongs.  He has been such a rockstar to snuggle with the past few days when I haven't been feeling well.  Tobbie was completely snoring on our way home Sunday--isn't he so cute in this picture? :)

I'm loving that Rob and I have booked a trip to Asheville for Memorial Day weekend!  I am so looking forward to the vacation.  I am counting down the days!  I know we are going to tour the Biltmore, but what else should we do?  I have heard so many great things about the city--I can't wait!

I'm loving this reminder to keep praying and stay faithful.  I need to remember this when times seem to be really tough!

I am loving my family so so much!  I had the best time in Kentucky celebrating both my sister and my mom this weekend.  Rob and I are also working on some home improvement projects and I love his contagious excitement about fixing up a few things around our house.  :)

my weekend!

Hi friends!  Work has kept me so busy lately--and sadly this little blog has suffered!  I can't promise things are going to change soon, but hopefully I will get better about devoting time to catching up with all of you!

This past weekend was so much fun!  Rob and I drove to Kentucky to stay with my family for the weekend.  Not only was it Mother's Day, but it was also my sister's birthday!!

I had so much fun hanging out with Rachel on her big day!  We started off the day with a big run at the park--which was so beautiful and a nice change of scenery from my regular runs! 

After a quick shower, we met up with my cousin who was also in town and all got pedicures.  It was such a nice treat to pamper ourselves after running in the morning!  After pedicures, it was time to go to our cousin's baseball game.  Eli is SO cute and was really excited we were at his game.  Unlike some other kids, he loves when you cheer at the top of your lungs for him.  I was more than happy to oblige. ;)  

I borrowed one of the team shirts so I could represent for him.  Isn't he super cute?!

On Mother's Day, my sister, Rob, and I cooked for the entire side of my mom's family.  We're talking 20 people here!  My cousin Tara helped us assemble chicken and veggie kabobs (delicious!!), as well as baked beans, baked potatoes, a yummy salad, and of course for dessert we had an Italian cream cheese cake, angel food cake, fruit, and a chocolate fountain.  It is very safe to say no one left hungry!!  I'm looking forward to hearing how your weekend went! :)

what i'm loving wednesday!

Hi friends!  Sorry I have been a little absent from the blogosphere, I'm hoping to have a little more free time at the end of the week to catch up on some of the fun I've been having!  Anyways, I have to share with everyone at This Kind of Love to share What I'm Loving this Wednesday! :)

-As crazy as this may sound, I'm loving running!  I look forward to it all day long and really enjoy the time I spend outside!  This poster made me smile--there are so many benefits to having a physically active lifestyle! :)

-I'm loving this book I just finished.  It reminds me so much of Downton Abbey and it was the perfect thing to tide me over until the next season comes out.  I definitely recommend it! 

-I'm loving these beautiful wildflowers that are on the side of our road.  They are so beautiful and I look forward to seeing them every time I run.  Aren't they gorgeous?

-I'm loving my sweet sister!  This weekend is her birthday (and also Mother's Day!) and I am so excited to be headed to Kentucky to spend time with my family.  Rachel is my very best friend and I am so happy I get to help her celebrate her birthday!  

-I'm loving my sweet handsome husband!  He had a surprise candelight dinner for us on the deck last night.  It was such a nice change and so very romantic!  I may have been wearing my pajamas, but it was such a special moment. :)

What are you loving this week friends? :)

goal check in!

I've been meaning to do a goal check in for a few weeks now, so let's get started on the progress! :)

1.  I  will read 52 books this year.  In 2011 I read 45 books AND planned a wedding so I'm pretty sure I can get this accomplished!  I finished a book last night--although I read 90% of it in 2011, it was over 1300 pages so I'm going to go ahead and count it. :)  I am actually doing so well with this challenge!  I have read 23 books so far--I am six books ahead of schedule!  I will do a post soon with the books I've read and which ones I liked/didn't like. :)

2.  I will lose 20 lbs.  When I exercise and eat right I feel better about myself!  I need to develop the best plan for me for this year though.  While I haven't lost 20 lbs, I have started eating with my allotted calories for the day.  In addition, I've started running again.  I am now three workouts away from finishing Couch to 5K!  I am really enjoying it--and I've already downloaded the Bridge to 6k app as well! :)  I'm also on some medicine that makes you gain weight, so the fact that I have lost ANY weight makes me so so happy! :)

3.  I will save X amount of dollars this year.  This will be a little bit harder, but I am still confident that we will be able to reach this goal!  My ultimate goal would be for us to be able to live off of one of our paychecks, but we aren't there yet! We are making so much progress in this area!  We are about halfway to this goal and we still have almost 7 months left in the year!  I am very proud of both of us to really spend responsibly this year. :)

4.  I will find a place for every single thing in my house.  If it doesn't have a place I will either create a solution for it or give it away.  I want my life to be more organized!  This has seen some progress...Not nearly enough though! I have gone through my closet twice already this year.  Rob and I have also cleaned out our old office, which had really become a junk room.  Major progress there!  I could definitely do more though--especially in other areas of the house, but that will have to wait a little while. :)

5.  I will learn to coupon in a way that cuts our shopping budget down at least $100/month.  I am going to really focus on personal care items and pet food and treats.  We spend a lot of money in this area and I am looking forward to saving some money--which will also help with #3!  I have done a terrible job with this!  I need to carve out some couponing time--that's the only way it will get accomplished!

6.  I will travel outside of Ohio at least 6 times this year.  I stole this idea from my friend Kate.  I already know of three trips I'll be taking out of state this year, so I really wanted to set the bar high!  And, trips to Kentucky to visit my mom do not count!  :)  So far this has only happened once...however I know there will most likely be three trips out of the state in the next couple months!  Hurray!

7.  I will send more cards and snail mail this year.  I know how much of an impact this can have and I promise to be better at it this year!  I actually forgot this was a goal...terrible!  I have sent a couple of cards, but nowhere nearly what I wanted.  I've actually been at the receiving end of this so far this year--I need to turn that around!

8.  I will complete at least three Bible Studies or devotionals this year.  I will be doing at least two Beth Moore studies with some of my favorite ladies at church, but I would like to find one other study or devotional to really strengthen my relationship with Christ.  I am about 9 weeks into my first study of the year--Beth Moore's A Heart Like His.   I'm also reading Jesus Calling on a pretty regular basis.  I love that devotional!  

9.  I will plan at least three trips for my husband and I to take this year.  I think traveling together really strengthens our relationship--plus it is just fun!  I love the memories we create and looking back on those times really bring me so much happiness!  We have one down, two more to go!  We went to Vegas in February and it was amazing.  Rob and I just had the best time together.  I'm in the process of planning one more--hopefully we will be able to get another one in sometime this year! :)

10.  I will make sure there are no dirty dishes in the sink and a load of laundry is started every night before I go to bed.  I hate both of these chores, but getting them finished the night before makes for a much happier morning for me.  This has been life-changing for me.  Seriously.  Even when I'm really, really tired I still do this.  It makes my life so much better.  Even if there are lots of clean clothes that need to be folded on the couch, I still feel better about my life!  I've also started preparing food in individual servings for lunches on Sunday night.  I make a few sandwiches, put pretzels into baggies, wash and prepare grapes, etc.  Makes life much less stressful throughout the week! :)

11.  I will get pregnant this year.  This is a whole different post for a different day, but this will happen this year!  This is a work in progress, friends.  I am not pregnant yet, but we are taking some definitely steps to make this happen.  And that makes me happy. :)

12.  I will be a good wife this year!  This includes cooking my husband's favorite meals, showing him how much I love him everysingleday, and spending quality time with him!  I will have to let Rob be the judge of this, but I think we are doing a pretty good job of loving on each other. :)  We are even having a manly date--a new burger place and off to see the Avengers!  If that's not showing him how much I love him, I don't know what is. ;)

How have you been doing on your goals for the year?  Let's hold each other accountable, friends! :)

 

my summer wish list!

 

My summer wish list keeps and keeps growing...there are so many cute things out there!  One of things I have seen for the past few summers that I just love is the Marley Lilly floppy straw hat!  I love monogram anything, so this is right up my alley. :)

I've also been really wanting a pretty pair of Ray-Bans!  I think these are the ones I'd like the most...but there are lots of others that I like as well! :)

Oh, these Sperrys!!  They are only available through J. Crew and don't have a shipping date until June, but I can still swoon over them, right? Which color would you pick?

And last but definitely not least, this beautiful bracelet my cousin Katie sent me a picture of today!  It's a Kiel James Patrick bracelet, but specifically the Triton Knot one.  So pretty! :)

What are some of the things on your summer wish list?  I'd love to add them to my wish list! :)