Things I like to spend money on + A GIVEAWAY

I've seen this post floating around lately, and I thought it would be fun to see where my money goes. Most of these things are just my guilty pleasures and are definitely not necessary to spend my money on, but hey it makes me happy. After paying bills each month, it's always nice to treat yourself or others to a few things. P.S check out the end of this post so maybe you can splurge and buy yourself something nice!

| Good Coffee | This is just a must. I make a pot of coffee every single day for my husband and myself, so I make sure to buy the good hazelnut coffee for at home. I splurge on Starbucks when I'm out or really needing an iced skinny caramel macchiato.

| Makeup | My number one splurge on myself is typically makeup or skincare products. I don't buy makeup just to hoard, I only buy what I know I will use so I make sure it's worth the money and good quality.

| Nail Polish | I may or may not be a tiny bit obsessed with nail polish. I have a pretty good collection, but I also justify buying new ones because I never get my nails done at the salon.

| Target Dollar Spot | I would say target in general, but lately the dollar spot has been really on point and I have't been able to resist.

| Things for my niece | As if that girl needs anymore clothes, but I just cannot help myself. Before she was born, I couldn't go into a store without buying her something. You bet every time I'm in target I look at those baby clothes.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below! You could really treat yourself to something nice with this winning!

It's time for an awesome giveaway where you could win a Firework Box and $120 in PayPal cash! 10 bloggers are teaming up to give you the chance at these great prizes, and find some new blog friends! For your chance to win, enter through the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!

To Travel & Beyond // Portland Grace // Soup Of The Day

Love The Here And Now // Vivian Bishop xo // Oh Hey! I Like That

Charm City Ciemny // The Free And Wild Blog // Route Bliss // Always, Al

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101 in 1001 Update | February

Well, three months have officially passed since the start date of my 101 in 1001 list. Today, I am co-hosting the first update with Macy and I am so excited to read about everyone's progress! Although I haven't crossed off as many things as I hoped, doing this update has motivated me to pick goals for the upcoming months. Next time I will definitely have much more to cross off! Here is what I have accomplished so far.

Items I have crossed off my list so far:

27. Keep my niece overnight - This has actually happened twice so far, and Joe and I love having her over!

28.Keep the Black Friday tradition going every year (2015) - This was a major success for 2015!

37.Go on a fancy date (1) - This happened in December, and we had a lot of fun!

39.Have an annual Harry Potter marathon (2016) - This will of course be an every year thing, but we recently went through all of the movies after Christmas and into the new year (thanks mom for the box set)

56. Take a girls trip - A few weekends ago my sisters, mom, niece, and myself all took a day trip to L.A to visit my grandad and also to do some shopping. 

98. Redo my about me page - I recently updated it, but of course I am looking into new ways to design it more myself. 

Items in progress/upcoming:

6.Finish my degree - Always in progress, one of the main reasons I have not been able to cross more things off lately!

10.Organize all of my family/baby pictures into photo albums - I recently got some old pictures from my moms house, so I bought a photo album and am working on getting them all organized. 

15. Try 25 new to me recipes from Pinterest - This has been so much fun, I am loving trying out new recipes right now. 

23.Completely purge my closet and donate everything I am not wearing/will not wear - I have been in major spring cleaning mode, and my closet is the next thing on my list to tackle. 

49.Take at least two trips back to Las Vegas - Coming up in April

You can always read my original 101 in 1001 list here

P.S - Thank you Macy, for letting me co-host with you! Go check out her blog if you haven't before. She has amazing helpful blogging posts, beautiful wedding/honeymoon photos, and she started this link-up! Plus, she's SO nice.  We would love it if you would link up with us! Being able to read about everyone's journeys so far is so exciting. I can't wait to see where we all are in another three months. Go link up, and check out all of the newly updated lists!

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Ten random facts about me

Since it is the new year, I decided it was time to do somewhat of an introduction post along with some random facts that you may not know about me. I recently realized that I've never actually done a post like this and I thought it would be fun. If you've never stopped by my blog before, please check out my about me page that I have recently updated and you can also learn more!

\ I was born in California, but moved to Los Angeles when I was 12. Then to Las Vegas when I was 13. We lived in Vegas until after I graduated high school until we moved back to my hometown in California where we still live today. Hopefully one day, we will move back!

\ I have to drink out of a straw (preferably a bendy one). Even drinking coffee. I blame it on my years of having braces and not wanting to stain my teeth.

\ My nails are always painted. And I mean always. Ever since I religiously started painting them around seven years ago, I just cant stop. My Essie collection is large and always growing.

\ I am still in college pursuing my degree. Moving back to California made me a "non-resident" for two years. Hence, why it has taken so long.

\ I am the oldest of my siblings, and the bossiest.

\ I've known my husband since we we're little kids, but we didn't start dating until the winter before we moved back to my hometown.

\ I could watch hours and hours of YouTube videos. I am obsessed with beauty and daily vloggers. While my husband watches basketball games, that's what you'll find me doing.

\ I keep a lot of water bottles on my bedside table. Every night before bed I grab another one, even though I have plenty already. Right now I count four. Not bad considering I just cleaned our room.

\ I don't understand the obsession with diet coke. I don't drink soda at all but if I did, it would be Dr. Pepper and it wouldn't be diet.

\ I am literally the only person in my family who doesn't need glasses. But...I had to have braces so I'll call it even.


There you have it, ten random facts about me! What's something people may not know about you?

c u r r e n t l y

Hi guys! I am back today, with a little catch up post. I hope you are all enjoying your Monday, or at least feeling productive! Here's what has been going on lately around here. 

Drinking | hazelnut coffee from my "coffee bowl" as Joe likes to call it. It's really just a huge mug from Target, and I love it. 

Dreaming | about our Vegas vacation in April. It can't come soon enough. We have a lot of fun plans while we are there, so I cannot wait!

Making | this recipe in the crockpot for dinner tonight. I've heard it is really good to use for meal prepping, so that's what I'm doing. 

Feeling | excited and anxious for this new semester of school starting this week. 

Writing | in my journal that I received for Christmas, and using my planner like I should be to keep me organized! 

Planning | out blog posts, so I don't accidentally go a couple of weeks without blogging! Oops.

Excited for | my husbands basketball games. He coaches elementary basketball on top of his day job, and he just started up again last week. He is coaching third and fourth grade girls basketball which is something very new for him. His team did so well last year so I'm very excited to go watch the games every week. 

Watching | all of the Pretty Little Liars that I got behind on last year. I am finally all caught up and am ready for the new episode tomorrow night. I must say that I am still so confused on quite a bit of it, but I really enjoyed the season premiere. It was nice to see the girls play people my age and finally be out of high school. 

Loving | all of the time I've been getting with my baby niece. I swear it's like if I go a day without seeing her I miss her like crazy. Plus, she is so close to crawling that I am anticipating seeing it!

Putting off | my workout that I should be doing right now. I've been loving the Tone it Up workout videos online. I personally like working out at home or outside, so these have been amazing. 

That's all I have for today, I'm trying to plan out posts better so that way I am on track! 

What are you currently loving or doing lately?

2015 | A Year In Review

I absolutely love writing and reading these year in review posts. I feel like it's a time of reflection and to get excited for the new year. 2015 was a year of crazy ups and downs, and I am really looking forward to 2016 and the new goals I have for myself.

Here is what happened this year with a help of some blog posts..
January
I was still recapping our wedding and my husband got in an awful car accident.

February 
I celebrated turning 23 and blogged about my birthday weekend. We also bought a new car!

March and April
We had a very hard two months and I took a month long blogging break.

May
I didn't blog much this month, but I did share my favorites and planned a baby shower for my sister!

June
We took a trip to Las Vegas for my husbands birthday and it was much needed.

July
My sweet baby niece Allison was born and this was definitely the highlight of my year! This girl has me completely wrapped around her finger and has made this year so much better for everyone.

August
I wrote about my life lately and shared my first dermatologist experience. Definitely not what I expected.

September 
I made a fall to-do list and did almost everything on the list.

October 
We celebrated ONE year of marriage. We ate our year old wedding cake, and it was not good at all.

November
I made my 101 in 1001 list and started a new job hunt

December

I didn't blog much this month, but I did link up our Christmas Card and shared a recipe. 

I hope everyone has an amazing New Years Eve/Day and is able to spend it with people you love! What are some of your plans for tomorrow night or goals for the new year?

Talk to you all in 2016!

Christmas Cracker Toffee

AKA Christmas Crack. This stuff is hands down one of the most delicious things I had in a very long time. It's not safe in my house (because I will eat it all) so I am forcing myself to send some over to my family's houses to resist. The Christmas season for me means a lot of baking. It's one of my most favorite things to do and sharing sweet treats with my friends and family makes me really happy.

This is one of my favorite recipes because I literally had everything in my kitchen, and you just might too. It requires very little time, so it's great for a last minute holiday party.

What you need:

2 Sticks of unsalted butter (1 Cup)

1 Cup of Light Brown Sugar

1 1/2 Cups of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 1/2 -2 Sleeves of Saltine Crackers

Cooking Spray

How to make it:

-Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
-Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
-Line up all of the saltine crackers to fill the entire sheet.
-Place your butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan and heat on medium until boiling, while stirring.
-Place the heat on low and cook about 4 minutes, still stirring occasionally. Be very careful during this step not to burn it. Once it is thickening, it is done.
-Pour the mixture over the crackers and spread out evenly.
-Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes or until it is bubbling.
- Let cool for 3 minutes and then pour the chocolate chips on top of everything and let sit until they melt.
-Spread the chocolate chips evenly with a butter knife.
- Place the whole pan in the fridge to cool for about 1-1/2 hours.
-Break apart the toffee with your hands and store in the fridge!
If you have sprinkles or chopped nuts you can place them on top to be more festive as well.

This would be great to bring to anyone during the holidays, even as a gift. It's that good!



I hope you enjoy!

Our 2015 Christmas Card | A Link Up

I was really on top of my game this year and ordered our Christmas cards on Black Friday when all of the deals were going on and I'm so glad I did. We used Shutterfly again this year, and let me tell you it was so hard to pick just one style for our cards. Since we did a vertical card last year, we decided to go with a horizontal card this time and I really love the way they turned out.
P.S I had them all sent out before the middle of the month!

This picture is a major win because we were all three looking at the camera. Pepper was in his cute little sweater which makes him look so preppy. Thank God he puts up with my shenanigans.

I'm not really a fan that Shutterfly puts their logo on the bottom of the cards but I got over it. I left some room at the top for any personalized messages we wanted to put to our friends and family. I think Christmas cards with pictures are so special because you can collect them each year and look back. We have ours from last year in our Christmas bin from our first married Christmas. It's just so special to pull it out this year and think back on our first year of marriage.

Oh, and there is my Starbucks ornament. I have a hard time saying no when I see them out in the bins this time of year. They are just too cute.

I am linking up with Macy and Mary today for their Christmas card link-up!

December Goals from my 101 in 1001 List

It's officially my favorite month, and even though I feel permanently cold I am so happy! We have our tree up and Christmas decorations are decking the halls. This month I decided to really commit to my 101 in 1001 list by making my smaller monthly "goals" stem from that list. I want to be actively checking things off as I go so I think this will be a good way to keep participating each month.

Here are the ones I will be focusing on this month

1. Finding a new job. I am actively searching for a new position in a new field so wish me luck!

2. Fitness - I will be tracking my water intake all month, and raising my Fitbit step goals and trying to meet them daily.

3. Organizing all of my photos and baby pictures into albums. I have purchased the albums and now I just need to get them all organized!

4. Journal all month. Journaling has been something that I have wanted to do for such a long time and I never have made it a priority. So as of December 1st I am going to try and journal as much as I can, hopefully every day.

5. Go on a fancy date. We have several things this month that I think will be fancy enough for me to cross off. We will be celebrating our six years of dating anniversary. Yes, we are still celebrating that even though we are married. We also have Joe's company holiday party that is really fancy and I can't wait to see my husband in a tux again!

Of course, I hope to cross off more things this month, these are just the goals I am choosing to focus on.

What are some of your goals for this month?

Volume 1| On my list

Happy Wednesday friends! I am showing up late to the blogging game this week, but that's okay. I am planning posts for the next few weeks so that is motivating me to get them actually finished! We have finally entered fall weather here in California and I couldn't be happier. The fact that Black Friday ad's came out this week is making me super excited for the weeks to come.

....Finish my 101 in 1001 list for Macy's linkup on Monday.

...Making a Black Friday plan. I always like to have a set list of things I know I definitely want to escape with and finding the best deals.

...Planning our first Thanksgiving in OUR home this year. This is a big deal because we always do Thanksgiving at my moms, but this year it's our turn and I'm excited/nervous. I want everything to be perfect. That's where Pinterest comes in to save the day.

...Finding more Ebooks to read! I loved Leah Remini's book Troublemaker so much that I read it in a day. I need recommendations. P.S I actually love reading on my iPhone, it is so convenient and it's easy to do in bed!

...I have an Ulta wish list so long that it seems I'm always adding something new. Right now I am lusting over This Tarte Holiday Set and the Too Faced's Born This Way Foundation

...To give Vanderpump Rules one more shot. I watched this show when it first started, but it didn't stick with me. After hearing so many good things, I'm gonna give it a go again.

...To buy Justin Bieber's album this Friday. I know... you either love him or hate him and I just happen to really love him.


What is on your list lately? 

October Favorites | Beauty + Random

October seriously flew by that I can't even believe we are approaching Thanksgiving and Christmas!! I know people always say that, but it really did. Not that I'm complaining though. I had a few beauty and random favorites this month so I'm here to share them!

Beauty Favorites

Nail Polish| Essie Chinchilly is one of my top five Essie polishes ever and I wore it two straight weeks this month so it was definitely a favorite.

Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara - I love using this over my lengthening mascara, it makes my eyelashes look thick and full.

It's a 10: Miracle Leave-In Product - I think that this product along with the Tangle Teaser pictured above have helped my hair so much. I used to have hair that would break and shed all the time and I've noticed that when I use these products my hair feels so much healthier.

Freeman: Golden Grain Brightening Mask - This product is amazing for dry skin, I am always hesitant about face masks because I have such sensitive skin but this one is very mild and makes my skin look bright and hydrated...plus, it's less than five bucks at Ulta!

Lorac Pro Palette 2- This has been my go-to for eye makeup this month. I love the more nude colors and the champagne color for all over the lid and inner eye.

Random Favorites

Tech|  I just took the plunge last night and bought the new iPhone 6S in rose gold because this girl was running on constant full storage and it was time for a new phone. Let's just say that I am loving the new features and the camera is great.

Music| October was a great month for new singles and now I have even more anticipation for Adele and Justin Bieber's new albums! Hello and Sorry are still on repeat and I'm not even sorry.

Television| I'm still on my Criminal Minds kick on Netflix but as for what's actually on TV I have been watching my usual Housewives of Orange County. This might have been one of my most favorite seasons. Here's hoping Vicki can mend her relationships since her and brooks broke things off. That guy was gross. Oh, and Modern Family but that's always a favorite.

Scent| I am obsessed with the fall scents at Bath and Body Works and  the Autumn candle has been burning all the time in our house.




What were some of your favorites from this month?

Weekend Things: Pumpkin Patch

This weekend pretty much summed up what I love about fall. Painting and carving pumpkins, visiting the pumpkin patch, a corn maze, and eating apple pie. All that was missing was a Halloween movie. Which by the way I still haven't watched any...not one. I should probably get on that since Halloween is next weekend. I haven't watched Hocus Pocus in years so that's a must. The weather is almost cool enough to wear boots and order a hot drink from Starbucks. I'm hoping this week will really start to feel more like fall. Anyway, on to the weekend...

On Saturday we painted and carved pumpkins at our house. It's pretty much become a tradition at this point and I don't think it will matter how old we get because it's just so much fun.

On Sunday we went to a pumpkin patch that was near by and it was so much fun. I'll let the pictures show how cute this place was but it is a family farm and they had a petting zoo and corn maze. It kind of makes me wish I lived on a farm. Basically taking my niece anywhere means taking a ton of photos because she is that cute. I'm not biased or anything, but really shes adorable.

The rest of Sunday was spent watching football, reading blogs, and eating roasted cauliflower which is my new favorite food. I'd say it was a really good weekend. Someone please give me last minute costume ideas because I am completely lost. I hope everyone had a great weekend! 

What is your favorite Halloween movie??

Five Things This Week + A Giveaway!

Happy September everyone! I hope you all are enjoying your Labor Day weekend! I can almost taste the pumpkin spice...but not quite because it's still in the high 90's here in California. Here's hoping it cools off soon.

+I am back in school and I start student teaching on Tuesday. This means I will work three days a week at my normal job and student teach on the other two days. On top of school. Even though I can already tell it will be a lot I am actually really excited to get in the classroom!

+ All three of the moles that were removed and biopsied were in the mild dysplastic stage. That means they were benign, but it also means that it was a really good thing they were removed. I guess it makes me higher risk for the cells to morph into melanoma after time. Basically, I will have full body checks more often and keep track of my other existing moles.

+ I won tickets to a huge beer and wine festival in my town! It's this weekend and I am needless to say very excited to sample different wine and beers along with all the free food. I will definitely blog about this, and hopefully I will remember to take a lot of pictures. I'm pretty much a lightweight when it comes to drinking so let's just say it will be really interesting.

+ I finally got my hair done and let's just say that I'm not posting a picture quite yet because it really needs to be fixed.

+ After watching Helene's webinar on how to get paid for blogging, I am feeling so motivated! I love seeing bloggers come together to learn how to improve their blog and get paid to do something we love.

I joined in on a giveaway this month and one lucky winner will get $180 to Amazon. Amazon has everything so you wont want to miss this! Enter below and good luck!

Becca • Lindsay • Vivian • Jae • Helene • Rachel • Sabrina Kelly • Rebekah • Hillary • Michelle • Krista

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Five Things

o n e | I made an appointment with a dermatologist per instruction from my doctor. I made this appointment about three months ago and the soonest they could get me in was last week. I went in thinking that I would get checked and walk out with nothing to worry about. I ended up having three moles removed to get biopsied and now I'm playing the waiting game of getting the results. I can't believe that that I would wait so long to get checked. I'm pretty fair skinned and have quite a few moles on my back so I didn't suspect anything. Definitely get checked even if you don't think you are at risk!

t w o | Buying books for college can be REALLY pricey. I always check Amazon first to see if they have it cheaper and most of the time I rent my books through them and its usually more than 60% off of the price than my school bookstore. This isn't sponsored or anything I just know how expensive buying books can be and Amazon has saved me a ton of money. I found my book for this semester and it was one hundred dollars cheaper!

t h r e e | I have been using the new Essie Gel top coat and I am pretty surprised in the results. I picked it up at Target to try out since I needed a new one anyway and I really like it! It gives great shine and thickness *almost* like gel nails.

f o u r | I feel like I've been a bad dog mom because I've been posting so many pictures and spending time with my new niece but this past week he has really stepped up his cuteness game (not that he wasn't the cutest already). He already does his standard tricks like sitting, standing, shaking, and rolling over, but now if you tell him to lay down he comes up to me and lays flat. I'd like to think he's giving me a hug. Now I sound like a really crazy dog mom. Sorry!

f i v e | What kind of aunt would I be if I didn't share another picture of the sweetest girl ever? So here you go!

It's my first day back to school and my class is after work today so wish me luck! I'm going to need all the caffeine to get through today. Happy Monday!

Confessions

| I have been binge watching Criminal Minds on Netflix and now I look at everyone on the street as if I need to analyze their behavior. And then I have scary nightmares.

| I cannot get enough of my baby niece. She's actually the cutest thing in the world. This video from Buzzfeed describes me exactly lately.

| I haven't gotten my hair in almost three months! Don't judge me though...I am debating finding a new hair dresser and possibly doing something new to my hair.

| I have five episodes of Pretty Little Liars on my DVR. Last night was the finale and I really need to catch up before everything is spoiled for me.

| I walked into Ulta last weekend....only to buy the one thing I really needed!

| I am one of those people that is beyond ready for fall. Sorry if it bothers you, but I can't take the triple digit heat anymore. Bring on the scarves and boots please.  Plus, I miss baking.

That's all I have for today!

The Good Things.

What a crazy few weeks it has been! I haven't had the time or energy to blog and for really good reason. Hint: a new baby! It's a new month, and one month closer to finally having fall weather. Hopefully we only have to endure a few more weeks of temperatures in the 100's fingers crossed. I missed blogging so one of my goals this month is to not completely neglect this little space.

What I've been up to lately...

| Spending lots of time with my new niece! She was born on July 30th! It was an entire week of waiting for this sweet thing to be born, but she finally came and it was all worth the wait. She is the most cuddly little baby which makes me want to go snuggle her all the time. Oh, and yes I had to get a picture of her in this bib.

| My new planner is getting me motivated to set goals this month and stick to them. I picked this one up from Target last week and I am loving it so far. I'll be filing it up with soon with my new school schedule that starts at the end of this month and oddly I'm ready to be busy and perusing my goals.

| I am a little bit addicted to subscription services. I just signed up for the Alexa Re' subscription bag to try out this month and I cannot wait for it to arrive. I am also loving my subscriptions to Beauty Box 5 and Ipsy! I probably have enough products to last a very long time but it's something I just can't give up.

| Taking time to go out with my husband and family. Any excuse to have margs / chips and salsa is a good time in my book. I'm hoping to get myself to the movies this week to see the new Vacation movie as well as Southpaw with Joe.

P.S - add me on Snapchat: vivianstonee it's been my favorite app this past month!

Television Binge Recap

Lately, I've been watching a lot of television shows. On my days off I have been catching up on my favorite shows and I'm not ashamed. It's been too hot to do activities outside, and since we got back from our trip to Vegas I've been a bit of a lounger. Also, I lost my fitbit charger and haven't purchased a new one yet, so my steps wouldn't count anyway..right?? Here are my thoughts on the shows I've been watching recently.

Shark Week I watched more this year than I ever have before, and let me tell you that I loved every minute of it. It made me anxious, but watching those people get in those cages and let huge sharks push them...I will never understand. Best for me to sit at home and watch them do it.

Teen Mom 2 is back and the season premier was this past week. This is a show that I just can't quit no matter how awful it gets. I felt like Leah was such a mess last season and it seems to be the same so far. I really didn't like the whole fight between Kail and Javi at all..I would never fight with my husband like that in front of our friends, but to each their own. Javi was being a big baby and should have sucked it up, got Issac, and let her go to the concert. But it seems they don't trust each other, so there may be more to that. I think this season will be good!

Big Brother is always a must every summer. My family has been watching since season 2 and I love it. I must admit that I get sucked into the twitter pages that tweet every single update. I personally am not a fan of Clay and Shelli at all. I really liked Da'Vonne because she wasn't about to suck up to anyone and I think Jason is hilarious. I am also a big fan of the twin twist, even though everyone already knows.

Real Housewives of New York I am obsessed with this season! I quit watching New York after Bethenny left the show, so of course I had to watch since she came back. I love her, and I feel like the rest of the ladies are crazy! I love that LuAnn is much more relaxed since her divorce. These women have no care in the world how they speak to each other and it makes for great TV.

Real Housewives of Orange County The last episode I watched was where Vicki's mom passed away. I cried of course because I could not imagine. I think it was great that the girls came together to support her even if they may not all get along. I have always loved Vicki and Tamra's relationship and I hope they continue to work on their friendship. Also, not sure I like this new housewife one bit. She seems very dramatic and entitled. I'm pretty sure I am going to be so jealous when we see Heather's new home once it's done because it's going to be huge! Oh, and I don't particularly care for Shannon even though I feel bad for her.

Pretty Little Liars is one of the only shows that I watch weekly that I have left on my DVR. I'm really annoyed with this season so far and I'm sick of this entire story line. I kind of wish they would wrap everything up and end it. I'll catch up when I have time but until then...I'm not impressed.

Five on Friday | Never Have I Ever...

Don't tell my husband that I'm telling you this, but I've got him so sucked into One Tree Hill that I think he likes it more than I do. Thanks Netflix for having every single episode. I knew he would since it's got a lot to do with Basketball. Anyway...we were watching the episode a few weeks ago where they play "I never" so I decided since I don't get to play in a big cabin in the woods with a group of friends, I'll play with you guys. So drink up if it's an acceptable time, and you've done any of these things.

Never have I ever...

|gotten a speeding ticket or any kind of ticket. Knock wood.

|been out of the country. Also, I haven't even been anywhere near the east coast.

|watched or cared about The Bachelor/ette.

|gotten a tattoo.

|eaten sushi or any desire to eat it.



What are some things you've never done, any on the list?


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A few things about summer

Summer is not my favorite season...at all. In fact I really hate the heat. Here in California, Summer weather is already in full force and yesterday we topped out at 105 degrees. Let's just say I'm thankful I work in an air conditioned building. I know that summer is hyped up because it's a time where kids get breaks from school, but I work and I'm in college so that doesn't matter to me. But there are a few things I like..

Farmers markets and better produce in general. Pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, cherries. All of the fruit. Plus walking around the farmers market is a fun cheap date night idea and I love the fun stuff you can find at the farmers market.

Only taking one summer class. Hopefully this means more time for blogging.

Fourth of July. Who doesn't love good drinks, fireworks, BBQ, and America?

Vacation time. Joe finally gets to use his vacation time which is why we are heading to Vegas at the end of the month. We need to get ourselves to the beach or lake this summer though.

Any chance to sit by a pool, lake, or ocean.

Victorias Secret Semi-Annual sale. Which I will need to shop sometime this week.

Shaved ice booths.

Now that I've shared the nicer things about summer..here's why it's my least favorite season. 

The things this weather does to my hair. Not okay.

Having absolutely no desire to use my oven because it will in fact make my house 100 times hotter.

I sunburn way too easy. Plus I don't want skin cancer, so I slather on the SPF.

The malls and Target being so much busier and filled with small children. When it's over the hundred degree mark, people tend to find somewhere cool to hang out and that just so happens to mean my Target. It is packed all. day.

Burning my legs on my seat in the car, my hands on the steering wheel and seat belt.

I don't feel like sweating from just walking to my car. If I'm gonna sweat, it's gonna be on my own terms. Not when we're going on a dinner date.

Oh..and always having to make sure my legs are shaved.

Okay, I'll stop now. What are some of your favorite / least favorite things about summer?

c u r r e n t l y.

I'm back, and after my last post I feel like a weight has been lifted. To anyone who commented or emailed me personally, thank you so so much. I have been doing a lot of soul searching and I can honestly say that I have a lot of hope. I can't say that has been the case right after the fact, but things are looking up.

I feel like I have so much to update you guys on and things I want to share, so today I'm gonna do a little bit of that.

Currently...

Reading | Savor by Shauna Niequist -- this book has been such a life saver lately. I am using it as my daily devotional, although I must admit that I read more than just the one page a day. Little did I know how much I would need this book at the time I ordered it. I feel like I can relate to Shauna on so many different levels of feelings. This book has given me light in a dark time, I highly recommend it. I also can't wait to try out some of the recipes that she has featured.

Eating | this skinny baked chicken parmesan. I was so excited to see a healthier version of one of my favorite dinners. I usually make a salad and serve the chicken on a bed of whole wheat angel hair pasta. It is delicious!  

Loving | CoverGirl Super Sizer by Lash Blast mascara. I was sent this mascara to try out and oh my goodness it is a new favorite. I have heard that it compares to the Benefit Roller Lash mascara, but since I haven't tried it I can't say for sure. It really does give great volume.

Looking forward to | VEGAS. If you didn't know, I lived in Vegas for five years and I have been dying to go back for a visit recently. Joe and I booked our room for his birthday at the end of next month!

Wanting | a new bathing suit and cover up for said Vegas trip. I plan on sipping drinks by the pool during the day and am in desperate need of a new suit, please recommend one with a push up style...I need it.

Planning | My sisters baby shower. It's at the end of this month and I am so excited. I cannot wait to shower my baby niece in SO many cute clothes. She is already beyond spoiled and I don't care one bit. The amount of love I already have for her is too much to explain. I got to feel her kick a few days ago and I think at that moment I really fell in love.

Where to start...

This post has been a long time coming and a really hard one to write. As you may or may not have noticed my absence has lasted about a month now in the blogging world. I've thought many times about just hopping back into normal posts, but I felt that would be a lie and a huge part of my life that I would avoid talking about. Maybe, just maybe if one person reads this and it can help them or we can relate to each other then that will make it worth it to me.

Joe and I found out we we're expecting a few months ago. I would've been due in November.

We have known that we have wanted children for a long time. We've been together for almost six years now and we knew that once we were married we would be happy at any point that we were blessed with a baby. Well, that time came and we couldn't have been anymore excited. Not many people knew yet because we have struggled with fertility issues before and I was really scared that something could happen. I wanted to get through that first ultrasound and that's when we would tell our extended family.

Because this isn't a pregnancy announcement, I can imagine that you can already guess why I'm posting this. They couldn't find a heartbeat and life has pretty much been a blur since. I won't get into details but it was a very hard few weeks. It still is. I am just barley getting myself back into my routine. Sometimes I forget about the hurt for a little bit, and other days it's all I can really think about. Most people still don't know what happened and I really do try my best to put a smile on my face and push through my hardest days, but sometimes it's just hard.

Through good times and bad, through sickness and health, those are the things Joe and I promised to each other at our wedding and I can't even explain how amazing my husband is. I think that through these trials your relationship can crumble or it can become stronger. I am thankful that through this we can cry and be sad together, but also count our blessings and look forward to the future.

I've seen so many brave ladies that are able to write and share their health issues and struggles. Reading their posts have helped me in so many ways that they don't even know. I want to get back into my regular postings, and I will but I just felt that coming back wouldn't feel right if I couldn't share this. I finally decided I would sit down and write this because maybe this post is more for me, I hope that next year I will be able to look back on this and be thankful that I was brave enough to share my story.

These next few weeks will be filled with doctors appointments to get some testing done. We could really use some prayers and good thoughts as we move forward.