High Five For Friday {3}

1. Yesterday was my last day of work after 5 years. It really got me thinking about lasts. So often I've realized that either I'm too busy looking towards the future or just don't even realize that something is happening for the last time. This summer has brought with it a lot of lasts, but it's also brought some wonderful firsts. Hopefully I can remember to not forget my lasts while still looking towards the future. 

 

2. With the tropical storm, we stayed inside as much as possible. One benefit was that I got a bunch of reading done! The final book in the fallen series came out and I couldn't wait to read it. However, I'm one of those people that feel the need to re-read the entire series again before reading the newest book. So I read all four of the books again.

  

3. Kyle and I just started watching Lost. I can't believe we never watched it before now. Thank you Netflix! We watched the whole 1st season this week. We might have a problem. 

 4. This cute face. Kyle's been on his diet for almost a month now and his face is getting more definition than it had. Little things like that make it so much more worth it for him.

 5. In a few hours I'm heading out for a surprise bachelorette party weekend. Hopefully everything will go smoothly!

Once again, linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk

"Debby Downer"

I honestly can't remember tropical storms hitting us as badly as they have this year. Summers in Florida almost always mean daily rainfall, but with these tropical storms it seems like a constant deluge has come our way. Since this is our last week of work we have holed up in the house, leaving only when necessary. Ice cream counts as necessary correct? 

 Sadly, not even staying inside can keep us out of the rain. Hello, water damage. So thankful that we're renting and don't have to deal with this on our own. Of course, I'm not too thrilled that the apartment complex didn't get their roof fixed before the rain when they knew that it needed to be fixed....

At least the rain has given us a chance to do some stuff around the house. 

I packed up some more boxes for moving. Sadly, I still have more books to pack!

I finished up crafts for a bachelorette party.

We spent lots of time cuddling on the couch reading. And of course, watching t.v.

I think I will forever miss the days when this time of year meant hurricane parties and Mrs. Behr's homemade funnel cake. Hurricane parties were the best!

It literally rained for 24 hours here....

Is That Normal? {2}

Linking up once again with Allyce for Is That Normal?

1. Is it normal to lie about your age?

For most women I would say probably. I however would probably just be happy if someone actually believed me when I told them my real age. Kyle and I frequently joke that when I do get pregnant people will assume I'm a pregnant teen. I also frequently forget how old I am....why, no idea, but I have definitely told people the wrong age on multiple occasions. 

2.  Is it normal to have mistaken someone for the opposite sex?

There are definitely people that I have been unsure of. However, I would NEVER ask that person.  

3. Is it normal to go #2 in a public restroom?

I am super uncomfortable with that. I'd rather no one hear me thank you very much.  

4.  Is it normal to sit RIGHT NEXT TO a stranger at the movie theater?

If I don't know you, you have no business being that close to me. This is ONLY acceptable if the theater is sold out and there are no other options. Also, if the theater is completely empty, do NOT sit directly behind the only other people there. (Yes, this has happened to us. It was one of the most uncomfortable experiences ever.)

5.  Is it normal to lie about your weight?

I'm sure. I however use to add weight when I lie, because the comments drove me crazy! I was too thin in high school to give blood without blacking out.

6.  Is it normal to sing and dance in the car?

I say yes, but the weird looks of those driving past me have me rethinking my stance :) 

7.  Is it normal to take self-pictures in public?

Trying to take a picture of just yourself probably a little bit strange. Trying to take a picture in public without asking someone to take it for you, not so much. I don't like asking strangers to take pictures for me. This is probably why Kyle and I have so few pictures of the two of us that don't involve an arm.

8.  Is it normal for women to have a gun license?

It's probably rare, but it doesn't have to be.  

9. Is it normal to post pictures online of yourself in a bikini?

Pictures of you and your friends at the beach/pool normal. Random pictures of you posing in a bikini for no reason, not normal.

10.  Is it normal to like the smell of gasoline?

I don't know if it's necessarily normal, but I don't really know anyone who hates the smell. 

  

High Five For Friday {2}

Linking up once again with Lauren at From My Grey Desk!

Our summer has been pretty boring in all honesty, so I'm really liking how this makes me take a step back and think on the good things that have been going on during the week. So thankful for Fridays!

 1. and 2. I love great deals, like this cute shirt from target for $4.50! I also love when Kyle will FINALLY go shopping. He's needed new khaki shorts for almost 4 months.

 3. I've been in the middle of my name switch for almost 6 months now. I can't wait for it to be finished. For the first time this week, I got something with my old last name and had to do a double take because I thought it was wrong!

 4. A wonderful friend of mine is getting married soon so the other bridesmaids and I are throwing her a surprise bachelorette weekend. I'm in charge of all the decorations. Here's a sneak peek of the colors. I'll post about all the decorations I've created later.

5. I got this adorable invitation in the mail this week. I can't wait to move home so we'll be closer to all these things/family!

Is That Normal?

Linking up with Allyce at Chalk in the Rain for Is That Normal? Such a great idea! Seriously, how often do we wonder how normal it is to do something, especially when it's not something we'd ask!

1. Is it normal to drive 5 mph over the speed limit?  10 mph?
5 on the road and 10 on the highways for sure!
2. Is it normal to pick a wedgie in public?
I would have to say this is NOT normal or okay. Go to the bathroom or something in an emergency!
3. Is it normal to put makeup on even if you aren't planning on leaving the house?
For a lot of people probably, I've never been a huge makeup person so I wouldn't. Of course, there are a lot of days that I don't put on makeup when I do go out!
4. Is it normal to go skinny dipping?
Way too out of my comfort zone for me, but I'm sure a lot of people do it.
5. Is it normal to use the restroom while on the phone?
Depending on who it is, yes. I wouldn't with most people, but when I talked to my husband on the phone for hours every night during our long distance relationship you better believe I did!
6. Is it normal to check yourself out when passing by a window/mirror?
I would say yes, for sure!
7. Is it normal to keep folded laundry in the basket instead of putting it away?
You actually folded it first? Through out dorm life I'm pretty sure my clean clothes just sat in the basket for awhile almost every time. Now I always put the laundry away immediately.
8. Is it normal to turn & walk the opposite direction when seeing someone you know in a store?
I'm sure everyone is guilty of doing this at one time or another. I definitely have before. Sorry!!

9. Is it normal to drink coffee/soda from a straw?
Umm..YES! I drink everything through a straw!
10. Is it normal to hover the toilet in a public restroom?

Of course, my mom always taught me not to touch the toilet seat!

Homemade Loaf Bread

So far, we are really pleased with the Keto/Paleo lifestyle change that we made. However, we've been trying to decide how we would like to continue after Kyle reaches his goal weight. We want to keep eating healthy, yet not quite as restrictive. One thing that I decided was that I was going to start making our bread when we did have it. For my first attempt, I tried a basic loaf bread. It wasn't quite as flavorful as I would have liked, but it was so easy and perfect for sandwich bread! I'll have to try out more once I'm not the only person eating bread around here!

 

 Seriously, how pretty!

Since Kyle and I have been married I have been trying to plan out our meals on a weekly basis. This helps me not only know exactly what I'm making, but I only buy the ingredients that I need at the store. Now that I've combined my meal planning with freezer cooking I'm planning even better. I currently have the next two weeks of food planned and 8 meals ready to go in the freezer for that time!

High Five For Friday

Great things from this past week.

1. I've finally started packing up some boxes so we can bring them down when we go see our families next month.

 2. Even though we found a place we loved a few months back, we never signed a lease. The county I'm looking for a job in is huge and I was worried about being really far north and potentially having over an hour commute both ways. Since we weren't going to know where I'll be working till after a lease needs to be signed it was a little nerve wracking. Since then, some things have changed and we decided to look closer to our families. I'm super excited to hopefully be living right between our families, about 15 minutes either way!

3. We also decided to look at condos instead of just apartments, so we're getting a realtor! We can't wait to find someplace and actually make it our own. This apartment has been such an in between place for us.

4. I cut my hair! I never liked the style I had after I donated my hair even though it was exactly what I asked for. Since it's finally grown out I went and got the wedge evened out and added side bangs.

5. I've been really enjoying this summer trying to come up with cute ways to wear clothes that I already own. Almost everyday this week I've worn an old outfit in a new way.

 Linking up with Lauren: From My Grey Desk

Freezer Cooking Update

We've tried all of the recipes that I did in my freezer cooking batch a few weeks ago so I wanted to update on how they all turned out.

Teriyaki Chicken
We really liked the taste of the chicken, but we weren't a fan of the rest of the dish after it had been in the crock pot the whole day. It probably would be better on rice, but we're not eating it right now. Next time I'll put a side with it and only eat the chicken.

Meatloaf
Surprisingly, this is Kyle's favorite meal so far! He was never a huge meatloaf fan before, but without the oats it's much thicker. Kyle says it reminds him of a hamburger steak. In fact, we're having it again tonight! I also made steamed broccoli with melted cheddar cheese that was a huge hit as well.

Honey Chicken
This one was perfect! It tasted exactly like it does when I make it right away! I need to play with the recipe to make it more keto friendly now.

Chicken Stir Fry
I would have to say that this was the most disappointing of the freezer meals. Kyle's super picky about his vegetables and isn't a huge fan of stir fry to begin with. On top of that, I used a different mixed bag of vegetables because they were out of the ones I typically buy. So lots of vegetables we didn't like plus no rice equaled not so good. As Kyle put it, "I don't like picking through my food." I'm going to try it again but use my own vegetables instead of a bag to make sure there's only things we'll eat in it.

Grilled Chicken
I was thrilled with how the chicken turned out. It's been wonderful to have chicken that I can put in a salad or Kyle can pop in the microwave without having to go through the work of cooking it. I bought another bag to make this week.

I also ended up making a cheese steak freezer meal that I adapted from here, which I found on pinterest! I cut up the steak into thin strips and added onion and mushrooms to the bag to freeze. Then I dumped it in a skillet to cook. Once cooked I sprinkled with shredded mozzarella cheese and heated in the oven till melted. This was another big hit! I also made cheesy cauliflower mash, which was okay but more pudding consistency than I was hoping.

I'm really loving freezer cooking! I just need to find some more keto/paleo friendly recipes to try!

Keto and Paleo and Diets, Oh My!

 A few weeks ago, Kyle mentioned that he had been reading about this diet called the Keto diet and it was something that he really wanted to try. In all the years that I've known Kyle he's never seriously talked about losing weight, so I knew that this was a big deal. However, since I'm the one who does all the cooking I wanted to spend sometime researching it before we jumped in. So for the past few weeks that's what I've been doing, researching. I also came across the paleo diet which is very similar, and personally I like it a little better than keto. Therefore, Kyle and I are doing a mixture of the two of them. He's strictly keto and I'm leaning more towards paleo.

What I really like about these concepts is that it's more of a lifestyle change than a diet. Basically the goal is to eat healthier by only eating foods that can be found in nature, nothing processed, no carbs. We started on Monday and are planning on trying it out for the whole month of June, we're going on vacation the beginning of July, and will decide from there how it's working out for us.

I'll be posting updates on how it's going and what types of food we're having as we go along. Kyle says I can't post about his weight gain/loss unless there's a decent amount of difference!

I will admit that I cheat a little bit. I still have yogurt and homemade granola, and creamer and sugar in my coffee! Some things are just harder to replace.

What we're eating this week:
Meatloaf with steamed broccoli (freezer meal)
Teriyaki chicken (freezer meal)
Cheese steak in a bowl with mashed cauliflower (freezer meal)
Chicken stir fry (freezer meal)
Balsamic Onion pot roast

For breakfast/lunches we've been having eggs, bacon, grilled chicken lettuce wraps, and salads

Mason Jar Salads

I had been seeing mason jar salads on pinterest, but since I didn't own any Mason jars I hadn't had a chance to make them! This weekend I went out and bought them just so I could try this. Apparently as long as the dressing doesn't touch the lettuce then it won't wither.

Ingredients
Caesar dressing
Matchstick carrots
Red onion
Cucumber
Lettuce
Parmesan cheese

Hopefully these will last through out the week so I'll have quick, healthy lunches!

Rainy Days

Tropical Storm Beryl + Summer in Gainesville = Lots of rain! 

So Kyle and I have been as lazy as possible.
We snuggled.
Tried out HuluPlus, 
While still keeping Netflix.
Went to McDonald's for ice cream in a mini flood. 
Watched lots of TV
And movies.
Laid on the couch under lots of blankets.
Played video games
And read books.
Cleared out the pantry.
Went to work.
Wore my cute rain boots.