Five on Friday

Happy Friday friends!  Hope you have  had a great week!  This week has felt like a blur with an early dismissal at school, two snow days and then a three hour delay.  It really feels like a super long weekend!

I am linking up today with Liz, Christina, Natasha and Darci for Five on Friday!  Enjoy!

{O N E}
Snow days have meant a lot of time for me and my good friend Netflix to bond.  I found myself getting hooked, yet again, to an old favorite...Grey's Anatomy!  I seriously love that show.  I did start a new series, The Following.  Anyone watch that?  That is definitely going to be a show I have to watch during the daylight hours!  But all that Netflix watching has made me miss SCANDAL!  Isn't it time for that show to come back?  I miss Fitz and Olivia.  It has been a long few weeks with no Scandal in my life!  :)

{T W O}
It is not secret that public school teachers are some of the hardest working people around. I have had the honor of working along side some of the most dedicated teachers. And it is not secret that teachers don't always get the good press they deserve.  This post has been all over Facebook recently and is a beautiful story about a teacher who is looking beyond her test scores, low salary and poor conditions and is looking at the heart of why we do what we do...the students!  I have come in contact with teachers just like her who really are in the business of loving kids!  It really is a great read!

{T H R E E}

A few weeks ago, I decided that my bedroom needed a little makeover.  One of the easiest and cheapest ways to make a change is to switch up the bedding. So I hit up my local Home Goods (love this store) and found a great set!  I really do love it.  Love that it came with accent pillows and is reversible.  I even found time to make the bed during these snow days, this is not something that normally happens!  I would like to add some more pillows and possibly a new throw for the end of the bed.  

{F O U R}
I guess I can't not post some pictures of what has made this week so enjoyable...the snow!  I love my little house and love the way it looks in the snow!

{F I V E}

I am truly blessed with some great friends and those great friends have some super cute kids.  I am so thankful for the ways that these friends let me come alongside them and be involved with their families.  Last night I got a text from my sweet friend Katie inviting me over for dessert and some girl/Liam time!  I jumped at the chance to hang with these guys!  It was a perfect way to end a snow day Thursday!  Here is Liam, is he not the cutest!  

Have a great weekend full of friends, food and football!  What are you up to this weekend?

Snow Day

My local weatherman hinted at the possibility of snow in my town today and honestly I didn't believe him.  Hickory rarely gets snow and from the looks of all the maps, it was going to miss us and hit all our surrounding neighbors.  I just knew it wasn't going to snow.  Well, I was wrong! 

We got the news of an early dismissal around 10 this morning and we released students at 1:00.  The drive home was a little shaky for this southern gal, but I made it safe and sound.  It has been snowing since 1:00 and it is really pretty! And I just got the call that school is canceled for tomorrow!  Yep, snow days are so much better as a teacher.  I am looking forward to turning off my alarm for tomorrow morning, spending some quality time with Netflix, drinking coffee and soaking up this day off!

My road starting to get covered!

My cute cottage is so pretty in the snow!

Snow is starting to stick!

Someone didn't make a good shoe choice for a snow day!

Find a cozy blanket and stay warm friends!  What are you doing on this snow day?

Currently...

Hope everyone has had a great Monday!  I have my fingers crossed for a little bit of snow tomorrow or Wednesday.  But it truly looks like it is going to bypass my neck of the woods and hit my friends on the coast!

This weekend was very low key, so not much to report.  My mom came go visit and we she cleaned my house for me!  How lucky am I?  I really don't love cleaning, but I love a clean house.  My goal now is to keep it this way.  So far so good, she has only been gone a day, but one day at a time friends!

Saw this on another blog and thought it would be a fun post for this Monday!  So here is what is going on CURRENTLY in my little world!

I am currently READING Mockingjay.  I am almost finished rereading this book.  I decided after seeing Catching Fire that I wanted to reread the series.  And next on my list is Divergent, which I am very excited about.  Have you read it?  I have heard some great reviews of it and I definitely want to read it before the movie comes out.


I am currently LOVING Oikos Greek Yogurt Cucumber Dill dip.  I can't eat veggies without something to dip them in.  And this tasty treat is perfect!  Also really loving getting my fun Birchbox in the mail every month.  If you haven't heard of Birchbox, it is basically a box of health and beauty items that gets delivered to your door every month.  You subscribe for 3 months, 6 months or a year and each month you get a box of samples of different products.  I love it because I am not likely to buy high dollar health and beauty products and this a great way to try them out.  This last month I got some great headbands, a perfume sample and some Cynthia Rowley eyeliner.  Check it out friends!


I am currently COOKING, well nothing at the moment.  But yesterday I made a crock pot lasagna that was amazing and so easy!  I will have leftovers for days, but that is ok.  It really is good and easy did I mention that!


I am currently AVOIDING cleaning out my email inbox.  It is out of control y'all.  I would tell you how many unread messages there are but you would no longer be my friend.  It is a bit embarrassing.  I am not sure how it gets out of control so quickly, one day I will have them all cleared out.  Today though, I will just keep checking out Facebook and pinning things on Pinterest!


What are you currently READING, LOVING, COOKING, and AVOIDING?  I would love to hear what is currently going on in your neck of the woods!

Five on Friday

I am linking up today with these fun gals to share my Five on Friday! Excited to check out some new blogs and see what everyone else is sharing today!

O N E

While taking my weekly daily trip to Target today I was shocked to see this little end cap in the Valentine Section.  

I absolutely love these little pieces of heaven.  Reese eggs are where it all started before the hearts and trees and pumpkins and I love these things!  It took a bunch of will power to not grab up a six pack and put it in my cart.  I will have to indulge sometime soon!  :)

T W O

A few weeks ago I saw these really cool bracelets on Instagram and knew I must have some!  They came in the mail and I LOVE them.  You need to check out Antebellum Baubles on Esty!  Beautiful pieces!  

T H R E E

Monday we celebrated the life of an amazing man in our nations history.  I was reading some articles about Martin Luther King Jr and came across this quote and I think it speaks volumes.  I hope I can live my life spreading more love!

F O U R

I am loving season 4 of this show.  The episode 2 weeks ago was a difficult one to watch but I am just loving how some of the character's stories are being developed.  I kinda think I want to live in Downton.  Have you taken the Buzzfeed quiz to find out what character you are?  I took it and was Mr. Carson.  Who are you?

F I V E

I am really trying hard to eat less junk and eat more healthy choices.  One of the hardest things for me though are snacks.  I love to snack. What are some of your favorite healthy snacks?  I would love some yummy suggestions!  

Have a great weekend friends!

Treadmill thoughts...

For the past week I have been spending about an hour of my day at this place...

Not only is fun to stay there, well according to the Village People, it is also fun to work out there.  OK,  fun isn't the word I would use all the time, but it is a good thing.  And having a great friend meet you there everyday does make it more fun for sure!

Truth is I am not a workout girl.  The thought of going to the gym made me break out in hives.  I talked myself out of it more times than I can count.  If you remember my post about my word for the year, you will recall that the word I chose was LESS.  And one of my goals was less unhealthy habits, more healthy habits.  So one of those was to move more.  It took all the courage in me to even walk into the Y and join.  But it has been a great choice.

Today while I was walking on the treadmill, I had some majorly random thoughts that I just knew you few loyal readers really needed to hear.  So here you go...

1.  There is no way in the world I could ever be one of those people who multi-tasks on a moving belt.  Today a girl was reading on the treadmill and another was doing all kinds of stuff on her phone.  Friends, I have to hold on and hold on tight.  If you know me, you know that I have a bit of clumsy side.  It is hard enough for me to walk on non moving ground without falling.  I did try letting go a couple of times and was convinced I was moving right down the belt like those conveyor belts on the cartoons.  So I will just be ok with the fact that I can't accomplish more than one task while on the treadmill.  I will stick to the walking!

2.  Do  you remember when you had to take a test in elementary school and the teacher would pass out those boards that you would put around you so no one could cheat off your paper?  I am pretty sure treadmills need those as well!  The screen on the treadmill displays how long you have been moving, how many calories you have burned, how fast you are going etc.  Honestly, that information is for my eyes and I don't even like looking at it sometimes because I am pretty sure I burned 1000 calories when it says I have only burned 150.  But today the lady on the treadmill next to me was that kid in class who always looked at your paper.  No doubt she looked at my display at least 15 times.  I am not sure if she was the treadmill police or what, but seriously, stop looking at my stats.  Pay attention to your own machine!

3.  The treadmills at the Y face a big wall of windows.  I like that.  I would much rather have that view than the view the people on the elliptical machines have.  You see they face the treadmills.  So what view do they have, my rear end.  Today I got to thinking, I feel sorry for those guys.  I am not sure they are ready for all that.  In all honesty, I doubt the people on the ellipticals are even paying attention to who is on the treadmills, but in my crazy head I feel like they are judging away!  Maybe they should switch the machines once in a while.

4.  I have always had sensitive ears.  One of my students once told me they could hear the wings of a ladybug flutter and I am pretty sure I am right there with them.  I am also very self conscious about how much noise I make.  For instance, if I am eating a crunchy snack I will often apologize to the people I am with for the loud crunching.  The noise I hear in my head is so loud I am just praying they are  not freaked out by it.  Well the same goes for walking I guess. Today I found myself feeling so self conscious about how loud my footsteps were on the treadmill.  I feel like I sound like a herd of elephants coming through.  I tried really hard to step lightly but I just couldn't do it.  I guess I need to work on that!


Who knew an hour on the treadmill could bring such deep thoughts?  Does anyone else share my crazy thoughts?  It is ok if you don't want to admit it, just hope I am not alone!  :)

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Tuesday Tunes

Do you love music as much as I do?  I mean, when I say I love music, I really mean it.  My iTunes account ranges from anything from classical to rap and everything in between.  Music speaks to my heart, takes me back to certain places, reminds me of some of my favorite people and is involved in many of my all time favorite memories.  I think on the blog I will dedicate Tuesdays to music.  I will share favorite lyrics, favorite albums, new songs, etc.  

Here is a song I am currently very obsessed with.  It is not a new song.  But came up when my iTunes play list was on shuffle.  Alison Krauss is one of the most talented musicians.  I have had the chance to see her in concert twice and have been blown away by her talent each time.  And not to mention, she say behind me at church once when I was visiting some friends in Nashville.  I am pretty sure that puts us on a first name basis!  I love this song and hope it will make you smile on this chilly Tuesday evening!

What song are you obsessed with right now?   

And the Winner Is...

Wow friends...thank you so much for spreading the word about my giveaway!  It was so fun to have new people come and check out the blog!  I am very excited about new followers and blog friends!  

I want to apologize for not getting this post up sooner, but I decided last minute to go spend a day in Asheville with my momma!  And that was a great decision.  

We had a wonderful day full of great food from one of our favorite local places, Sunny Point Cafe.  I mean how delicious does this breakfast sandwich look.  

We did some shopping at some of our favorite places, The Screen Door and TJ Maxx Home goods.   And last minute we decided to go to the movies to see 12 Years a Slave.  I am not sure I took a breath the entire movie and the tears certainly flowed.  I highly recommend this film and can see why it is up for some many awards.  

So since my mom was with me, I decided it would be great for her to pick the winner of the blog giveaway.  

I wrote all the names and put them in this cute bag to find a winner!  Here is Suz before picking the big winner!  She was super happy to be the one to pick the lucky gal!

And we might or might not have made a pit stop at McDonalds to have this little photo shoot of picking the winner.  I needed some caffeine for the ride home anyway!  :)  

Drum Roll Please....

And the winner is.....

I am so excited for you Beth Collins!  Can't wait to share some of my favorite things with you!  

And again, thank you to all those who entered.  I think I will make this a monthly thing on the blog. What do you all think?  

Have a great rest of the weekend friends!

Five for Friday

Linking up with some great gals today to share my 5 for Friday!


One.

I am hosting my very first giveaway on the blog this week.  It has been so fun to see people get excited about the giveaway and share my blog with lots of their friends.  I loved being able to put together a little basket of my favorite things!  Can't wait to find out the winner later today!

]

Two.

I did something this week I never thought I would do.  I joined the local YMCA.  My great friend Kristi is a member and we decided we could meet up at the gym afterschool for some friend time!  It has been a week and I have really enjoyed getting a little workout in on the way home.  I am by no means a workout guru but its more moving than I have been doing!  Here we are after our first friend workout!

Three.

Last weekend I met up with 3 of my forever friends for our annual Christmas gathering and a little birthday celebrating!  It is always so good to be with people who know you inside and out.  Our time together was full of gift giving, laughter, yummy food and just all around fun.  We even made a little trip to the Harrah's Casino for lunch to celebrate Beth's birthday!  Love these gals!

Four.

I had been wanting to go to our local Wine and Design place for a while and was glad to organize a little girls night out with some great gals.  We had such a good time painting and catching up.  Such a fun group of girls.  Hope we will be able to do something again soon!  Here are our finished masterpieces!

Five.

Thursday afternoon I came home to a little surprise in my mailbox. Don't you love that?  I had forgotten I had ordered some great bracelets.  When I opened the envelope I was so excited.  I love them!  I am especially fond of the black bracelet with the 3 gold charms.  I can't wait to layer these up with some other pieces I have!  I do love some great arm candy!  :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend.  Be on the lookout for the Giveaway winner on Saturday morning!  So excited!

Favorite Things Giveaway!

In my weekend recap post, I let you in on one way my friends and I like to celebrate Christmas!  We started our Favorite Things Christmas last year and it is so much fun!  The concept is simple...think about your favorite things and buy them for your friends so they can enjoy the goodness too! I have given things like K-cups, nail polish, office supplies, music and much more!  So for my first giveaway on my blog, I thought I would share some of my favorite things with you, dear readers!  

So what is tucked away in this little basket of fun?  Just a few of my favorite things!  Here is the breakdown of what is included...

1.  If you have read this blog, follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you know I LOVE COFFEE!  I have a Keurig and enjoy fun K-Cups.  These are from Target and are yummy!  And coffee has to have a fun mug to go with it!

2.  While perusing the Target Dollar Spot last week, I found this cute Valentine tea towel.  It will certainly help to spruce up your kitchen for the holiday!  And who doesn't love chocolate.  These fun little bars are super good!

3.  Back in November, I joined some good friends and 100 of my closest Young Life kids for a great weekend at Windy Gap.  The group that led worship that weekend was Jenny and Tyler.  I think I had heard their music before, but fell in love with their sound, lyrics and heart over that weekend!  I simply had to share one of their CDs with you all!

4.  One of my absolute favorite things is to receive mail.  And while I don't write as many notes as I would like to, I do love cute paper products.  And these pens...oh these pens.  They are the best!  

5.  Every girl needs a little pampering!  I have always been a Burt's Bees gal, but recently decided to branch out and try some new chapstick!  I was not disappointed with this EOS Sweet Mint lip balm.  I think you will love it too!  And speaking of lip care, the ELF Lip Exfoliator is great for the winter weather!  And cheap :)  Fun nail polish is a must for any gal!  These are two of my favorite colors!

6.  Target.  Need I say more.  I know they have been in a bit of trouble lately,  but I sure do love this store!  So a little Target GiftCard rounds out the giveaway!  Treat yourself to one of your favorite things!

Whew!  I am so excited to send this Giveaway Package to one of you readers.  Giveaway starts tonight and goes through Friday.  I will announce the winner on Saturday!  There are 3 simple ways to enter this giveaway! Make sure you leave your name and email address in your comment! Here you go!

1.  Leave a comment on this blog post letting me know what your favorite thing from the giveaway is!

2.  Follow my blog!  On the side bar of the blog is a simple way to follow the blog with your email address!

3.  Share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!  One entry for each!  Just leave me a comment letting me know you have shared! 

Happy Wednesday friends!  

Coming soon...

Tonight I will be posting my first ever....

Stay tuned friends for a fun New Year Giveaway!  

A Weekend Recap and a Surprise

Happy Monday friends!  Hope Monday was good to you.  Due to sickness and record cold temps this is my first real full week back at work since Christmas break, sure hope I can make it to Friday!  

Do you ever have those kinds of weekends where you stop on Sunday to reflect on it and your heart is just full?  I had one of those weekends this past weekend.  It was such a great one.  So dear readers, here is a little weekend review for you!

Before I left for school on Friday, I packed up the ole Altima because as soon as the bell rang at 3:15, I was going to hit the road for Sylva.  One of my favorite weekends of the year is when I get to celebrate "Freindly Christmas" with Beth, Lori and Sarai.  And yes, I know I spelled friend wrong, we will save that for another post.  I love this tradition we have of gathering in January to celebrate Christmas together.  We rotate houses, eat good food, laugh til we cry and just celebrate each other.  Last year we started the tradition of doing Favorite Things Christmas.  We buy our current favorite things for each other and it is so much fun!  

After a wonderful Christmas celebration Friday evening, we continued the celebration by celebrating Beth's birthday on Saturday!  We opened presents, went to the Casino for a yummy lunch and of course had birthday cake!  I am so very thankful for these forever friends.  And cherish every celebration we have together! 

The fun continued Saturday evening when I met up with some gals at the local Wine and Design studio for some painting, wine and great times.  I loved being able to catch up with these friends and I don't get to see very often.  I can see many more girls nights in our future!  And Wine and Design was so much fun, once I became comfortable with making some artistic decisions!  

Ended the evening Saturday catching up with some of my favorite people, the Lemkes and Amanda!  What a fun and full Saturday! 

Sunday was spent watching the Panthers in the playoffs with the Alfaros.  Sad game but what a great season and then some Downton Abbey with the Lemkes and Amanda.  What a shocking episode.  Loving this season and can't wait til next week.  Although I am not a huge fan of that Edna.  She is no good! 

So now for the surprise...

Later this week I will be posting a giveaway!  I am so excited and hope you will check it out and share my blog with friends!  Also have something exciting in the works with my friend Alisha.  Go check out her blog, Pondering Reality. I love this girl and her heart!  You will love her too!  

Hope your weekend was full and fun as well!  Have a great week friends!

Less is More

I typically don't like to set myself up for failure, so this is why I have typically shied away from the New Year's Resolution hype.  Are resolutions bad?  Certainly not, but I know myself, and I know that I will not follow through with the weight loss goals, the blog everyday mandate or the make 5 new recipes from Pinterest goal.  

I have read and seen many people choosing a word for the year as their goal.  This word sums up what they want to be, accomplish, strive for in the new year.  I like this idea.  I think I can do that.  So my word for 2014 is....

I have thought about this so much and really what it boils down to is I want less of me and more of Him.  I have always loved John 3:30 that reminds us that we must decrease and he must increase.  And I think that is what must happen for 2014 to be a great year.  What will that look like?  I am not 100% sure but I do know a few ways I think this can play out in the upcoming year.

Less worry and more trust.

I don't have all the answers, never will.  It's time to give the worry up and trust that not having all the answers and not being in control can be a beautiful thing.  There is a bigger plan,  a bigger purpose that I must trust.  That plan is better than anything I have dreamed up, made up or pinned on Pinterest.  So it is time to trust. 

Less unhealthy habits more healthy habits.

I wogged a 5K in October.  I enjoyed it.  It made me feel good about myself.  I want to do more things that make me feel good about myself in 2014.  I want to make better choices when eating.  I want to be happy when I look in the mirror.  Will I give up Diet Coke, probably not!  But will I limit myself, yes.  

Less hurt more healing.

Sometimes you hold onto hurt for so long that it becomes part of who you are, you can't imagine it not being with you.  I think this has become my reality with many situations in my life.  It is time to let go of somethings that need to be let go of. It's time to come to grips with who I really am, who God says I am and what I believe about myself.  I have made mistakes, I have been hurt, I have let my choices define who I think I am.  I have ignored phone calls and texts because I know friends know when I burrow in.  Maybe it is time to not let that be the norm this year. 

Less judgement more encouragement.

Judgement has become more natural than encouragement.  I find it an easy trap to fall into and one that is so hard to get out of.  Everyone is going through something, and we often don't know what it is. Instead of judging what I see and what I perceive is going on, it is time to encourage, to empathize, to support.  

Less comparing more acceptance.

Maybe I am the only woman who finds herself wondering how many people are going to give my Facebook status a thumbs up or my Instagram picture a heart.  Or maybe I am the only one who compares my life, successes, worth to what I see on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  I seriously doubt I am alone in this one.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE seeing what is going on in people's lives and keeping up with friends far and near on social media, I have to learn that even though my life might not look like what they are posting,  doesn't make my life any less important, wonderful or fulfilling!  I need to be happy with the season I am in.  

Wow, reading back over this,  I might be setting myself up for failure :)  And I am accepting the fact that I will fail.  I know I will not be good at all these things everyday of this new year.  But I hopeful that as I decrease these things will become easier and as I decrease my desire to do the right thing will become more.  It's gonna be a tough road, but one I am ready to travel.

What is your word for the new year?