RunwithJackabee: June 2014

Monday, June 30, 2014

6 Places + Weekend Review

Happy Monday Everyone! I trust that you had an excellent weekend filled with fun and adventure.

My weekend was not very exciting since I was holed up at home studying for my big exam on July 11th. I know I have mentioned my taking the CAPM exam before - but it is even more of a reality now since the exam is a little over a week away! Ahhh. Suffice to say, this weekend was very chill and relaxing. Even the cats took advantage of the quiet and were very ~~lazy~~ sleepy.

Today I wanted to continue with Day 5 of the 10 Day You Challenge. If you have not had a chance to view my other challenges, please click this link ---> linky to check them out. This is just a little fun challenge as a way for you all to get to know me a little better and a way for me to challenge you all as your write your blogs.

Day 5: Six Places

1. On the Couch with Justin

Justin and I really enjoy watching movies and television together, so I can say with full honesty that our couch is one of my favorite places to be. Plus, we have a super comfortable couch, so it is always relaxing to pop a squat on the couch and watch something together

2. Cuddling in Bed with My Kitties

Both of my kitties are snuggle-bugs when it comes to laying in bed and will take every opportunity to cuddle as closely as possible while were are laying in bed. The only problem is I can hardly ever get a good picture of both of them because Leilah is our speed demon.

3. Anywhere with My Girlfriends

My girlfriends and I try to get together at least once a month and so far we have been successful for almost every month for the last year and a half. I look forward to getting together with my girlfriends because they bring such a light to my life and laughter is always to be had when they are around.

4. My Grandma's House at Christmastime

For the last 20+ years, my cousins and I have been going to stay the night at my grandma's house and I can say with full honesty that being there is one of my favorite places on this earth. My grandma is such a wonderful woman and has instilled such a fondness for family in our lives.

5. Up North

I have talked several times on the blog about my love for going to the cabin, so of course it had to make it's way onto this list. There is something so calming about being up north away from the hustle and bustle of life and enjoying a quiet and relaxing time away.

6. Jamaica

This place has been on my mind so much lately that I seem to be constantly daydreaming about it. I think I left a piece of my heart in Jamaica when I went there. The minute I get an opportunity to make my way back to Jamaica, I will most definitely be doing so.

Question of the Day: What are you favorite places?

Friday, June 27, 2014

#jackabeedaily2014 Week 25

Happy Friday Everyone! I trust you have had a wonderful week and have an exciting weekend ahead. I am going to spend the weekend studying for the CAPM exam and relaxing.

Day 171: Optimus and Bumblebee paid a visit to my office today and it was pretty neat to see them in person!

Day 172: Happy Birthday Sarah! I hope your 25th birthday was amazing!

Day 173: We went Strawberry Picking today for my mother-in-law's birthday and the weather was perfect!

Day 174: I saw this and thought it was super adorable. I love kitties and the mouths made them so much more hilarious.

Day 175: I spent the majority of my day moving into a new desk. Check out my new digs!

Day 176: Justin and I spent the day at home with a bad case of food poisoning. I had to laugh when I ran across this today.

Day 177: At home date night with this guy. I love him so much!

What exciting things have happened for you in the past week! I'd love to hear from you all!

You can keep up with me every day in 2014 on Instagram @runwithjackabee or find me here too...

Find me on Twitter here.

Find me on Facebook here.

Find me on Pinterest here
Find me on Instagram here.

Previous Weeks:

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Are You a Morning Person...?

...because I am most definitely not!

Yesterday I came across this article from Huffington Post and thought it would be good to share with you all since this is definitely something I struggle with almost every.single.day. Saying that I am not a morning person barely begins to describe how much I dislike waking up int he morning. I am hoping that by trying some of these techniques, I will be able to maybe help myself stop hating mornings so much.

10 Steps to Becoming a Morning Person

1. Get more sleep. Seems simple enough right? Then why do so many of us not get the recommended 6-8 hours of sleep every night. It is because we are too busy and unfortunately sleep is the lowest priority on the list. But that has to change!

2. No screens in the bedroom. This one is hard for me. For the past eight or so years I have been going to bed with the T.V. on even though I know it is not good for me to do so. Studies have shown that people who have no screens (iPads, phones, tablets, TVs) in their rooms tend to get a more restful sleep throughout the night.

3. Go to sleep when you are tired. Again, this one is pretty straightforward, but somehow this also never seems to happen.

4. Create a nighttime routine and environment. In the last few months, I have been trying to get in bed a half hour before I really need to get in bed and just read. It has helped my brain relax and has helped me fall asleep quicker. Even the simplest change in my nighttime routine has allowed me to be more relaxed when going to bed.

5. Stop pressing snooze. Oh boy. I do not think this is possible for me. I know I would feel less stressed throughout the day if I just got up when my alarm went off, but I always feel like I need that extra 10 or 20 minutes before I actually get out of bed.

6. Get moving as quickly as possible. I agree 100% with this suggestion. On the days where I hop out of bed and start my day off quickly, I feel much better throughout the day. If I drag my feet and take my time getting out of bed (either by checking Facebook or emails) I end up not feeling so great by the time I actually get out of bed.

7. Get up at the same time every day. Again, it is straightforward. If you go to bed and get up at the same time every day, you can set a routine for your body and our bodies sure to love routines. I have found that I struggle on the weekends when I sleep in a lot more because I almost feel like I overslept.

8. Work out in the morning. Um, no. haha. Okay, okay fiiiinnneee. Honestly, I know that if I got myself up a half hour earlier I would be able to get my workout in and still have the rest of my day to accomplish everything else. Put this on my list of things I will try after my exam.

9. Expose yourself to natural light. Justin and I just put up a sheet to block the window because the sun starts shining into our room around 5:00 am. Personally, I have been having a more difficult time waking up ever since then because the sun has not been waking me up.

10. Always have something to look forward to. Have you ever been so excited about something that you could barely sleep the night before? If you have something exciting on your calendar every day, I promise getting up in the morning will not be difficult.

Photo found on Life Hacker Website

Other articles on becoming a morning person:

Question of the Day: Are you a early bird or a night owl?

Monday, June 23, 2014

Strawberries and Sunshine

Happy Monday Everyone!

I trust you had a wonderful weekend filled with fun and adventure! My weekend was a bit crazy but it was also a ton of fun!

Saturday morning I went with Janelle to help with a Mom2Mom sale for Infantly Cute. The show was very nice and we met some pretty awesome ladies while we were there. After the show, I made my way out to the mall to do some shopping for Sarah's birthday gift before heading home and relaxing for a little bit.

Saturday evening, Sarah, Danielle, Beth and myself went out dancing and it was so much fun! I love spending time with my girls and look forward to getting out again for a fun evening.

Sunday morning, Justin and I got up early to head out to the Strawberry Patch to pick some strawberries for my mother-in-law's birthday. If you can remember, this is a tradition that we started a few years back and have continued doing because it is so much fun.

The weather was absolutely beautiful when we were out there. It was in the mid-seventies and there was a slight breeze so you did not feel like it you were roasting in the sun.

Plus, the strawberries were SO beautiful! Justin and I ended up picking 29 pounds of strawberries between the two of us which we will be using to make pies, jams and freezing for smoothies. In fact, if you have any good recipes for strawberries, make sure to share them with me! I will do a post on the blog when I try them.

After strawberry picking, we went to visit the animal and play on the playground with McKenna and JP and it was so much fun listening to them laugh. The evening ended with us going out to dinner to P.F. Changs to celebrate and it was delectable. I cannot wait to have my leftovers for lunch today!

Question of the Day: What traditions does your family have?

Happy Birthday Marcy!

Thursday, June 19, 2014

#jackabeedaily2014 Week 24

Happy Thursday Everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful week and have some fun things planned for this upcoming weekend! We will be celebrating Father's Day with my father-in-law, celebrating Sarah's birthday and celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday by continuing our strawberry picking tradition.

Day 164: Sneak peek of my latest sewing project! I cannot wait to get this project finished - this will actually be a Christmas gift.

Day 165: I know I am a week early, but the weather has been so lovely here this month that it seemed fitting to update our chalkboard for a summer refresh.

Day 166: Happy Father's day to the dad's in my life! I love them both so much.

Day 167: Justin and I have been working on planning a road trip for the summer. I came across this on Instragram and it was a great reminder.

Day 168: I got together with Wendy for frozen yogurt and we could not resist the opportunity take a walk through the park. Such a lovely evening, even the animals were enjoying it.

Day 169: Holy storm cloud batman! Michigan saw some wild weather today!

Day 170: Spending most of my day at The Fillmore in Detroit. Such a neat venue that has so much history!

What exciting things have happened for you in the past week! I'd love to hear from you all!

You can keep up with me every day in 2014 on Instagram @runwithjackabee or find me here too...

Find me on Twitter here.

Find me on Facebook here.

Find me on Pinterest here
Find me on Instagram here.

Previous Weeks:

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Cat Selfies

Today is super busy, so I only have a moment to stop in and say hello. I hope the first half of your week has gone well so far and that second half of the week is smooth.

Today I wanted to share some cat selfies with you because every time I come across one I burst out laughing and I hope they bring you a smile.

This are so silly looking because they look almost like the cat actually took the picture itself; plus, they make faces similar to what we make when we're sending pictures to our friends.

When researching funny cat selfies, I came across this picture and thought it was so hilarious. Who knew they could make faces like that.

Other Websites for Cat Selfies:

Question of the Day:

What silly pictures do you have of your pet? Care to share?

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

6 People We Love to Hate on the Shuttle Bus

Happy Tuesday Everyone! I hope your day has gone well this far and that I can bring you a laugh with today's post.

As most of you know, I work in Downtown Detroit and with working in any big city, there is never any parking right in or even next to your building at the office. Because of no on-site parking, most people working in the city have to ride a shuttle bus to work and it has led to some of the most interesting and frustrating experiences in my life.

People We Love to Hate on the Shuttle Bus

1. LOUD MOUTHS: I understand that you think that we all want to hear about your child's latest bowel movement, but if you could please turn the volume down or hang up the phone, that would be great. I really did not want to start my day off with a visual of your 5 year-old pooping in their pants.

2. SMACKERS: I appreciate that you are in a hurry and have not really had a chance to eat your food, but I have not had a chance to eat mine and your infernal chewing is making me not want to eat my breakfast that I have been looking forward to my entire commute into the office. I am almost 100% sure your mother taught you to chew with your mouth shut. Interesting Fact: Getting angry at someone for loud breathing or loud eating is called Misophonia. This is considered a legitimate brain disorder.

3. SBD-ERS:

Dear fellow bus rider,

You are not fooling anyone with your "shifting in your seat" we all know and can smell what you are up to. You could not have held that for the less than ten minutes we will be on the bus?

Sincerely, what in the world did you eat today?

4. CUTTERS: Let me guess, you are running late to work? Well guess what, I have already been standing in line for the past ten minutes waiting for the bus to get here. You will get on the bus and will get there in the same amount of time that you would have if you had just waited in line like the rest of us. Now you have made everyone mad and potentially put your life in danger.

5. DEATH GRIPPER: That is a lovely bag, ma'am. I only know this because you just hit me in the face with it on your way down the aisle. As a woman, I understand how important a purse is, but please have the common courtesy to remove your bag from your shoulder as you walk down the aisle to find a seat. I might be more inclined to compliment your cute bag if I was not getting so up close and personal with it.

6. TWO-SEATERS: This one goes hand-in-hand with the death gripper. I see that you spent a great deal of money on your bag, ma'am. However, your bag does not have a butt and therefore does not need it's own seat. Please do us all the courtesy of putting your bag on your lap and letting someone sit next to you.

So what do you think? Did you laugh? I sure hope so! Obviously, these are meant to be humorous and not taken seriously, but should at least be acknowledged.

Do you have any other shuttle bus complaints? I am sure I could come up with a few more examples, but six seemed like the appropriate amount of complaints for today.

Question of the Day: What are your biggest commuting complaints?

Monday, June 16, 2014

7 Wants

Happy Monday Readers! I hope you had a wonderful week filled with fun and adventure! This weekend was very low-key so I was able to work on a few crafts that I have been putting off due to a lack of time. I shared a sneak peek on my Instagram account. Can you guess what I am making?

Today's post is dedicated to another part of the 10 Day You Challenge I started last week.

Day 4: Seven {Travel Related} Wants

1. Climb the Great Wall of China

Several of my friends have traveled to China and have climbed the Great Wall and I have always been jealous. I would love to travel to China to see all of the amazing things that it has to offer and make my way up to the top of the Great Wall.

2. Go to Australia

Australia has always been high on my list of places that I would like to visit. On my list of things to do there is to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, visit the Sydney Opera House and see the Great Barrier Reef. Of course, there are so many other things that I would like to see, but if that is all I get to do I would be thrilled.

3. Swim in the 35 Clearest Waters Before I Die

For as long as I can remember, my mom has always referred to me as a fish out of water, so it seems fitting that I would want to swim in the 35 clearest waters before I die. I came across this article on Saturday and got so excited because it would be such an awesome adventure to try to tackle all of these

4. Travel to Ireland

Ireland has always been fascinating to me because of my Irish/Scottish heritage. Plus, if we travel to Ireland, Justin will get to golf on some of the most exciting golf courses in the world. It is a win-win for both of us!

5. Travel to Hawaii

Hawaii has been on my list for a long time too because of how tropical it is. For our honeymoon, we went to Jamaica and I absolutely loved how relaxing and beautiful it is there and I know if Jamaica is that beautiful, then Hawaii has to be even more beautiful. I would love to go to Hawaii and just spend a week relaxing by the water and getting some sunshine.

6. See Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is kind of a wild card for me. I had never considered travelling here until I was watching The Bachelor a few seasons ago and they traveled here. The water looked so clean and so beautiful that I would love to travel there just to look at it and take in all of it's beauty.

7. Go Back to Jamaica

Lately I have been finding myself dreaming about going back to Jamaica - it has been so bad lately that I feel like I'm thinking about it almost daily. Justin and I traveled there for our honeymoon and it was such a delightful experience that I have been daydreaming about going back there again.

Question of the Day:

Where have you traveled and would recommend?

Thursday, June 12, 2014

#jackabeedaily 2014 Week 23

Happy Thursday Everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful week and have some fun things planned for this upcoming weekend! We will be celebrating our Dad's and getting some chores done around the apartment!

I am hoping in the next few months I will be able to share our guest bedroom re-do with you.... Stay Tuned!

Day 157: I finished reading Paper Towns by John Green and it is such a great read! If you liked The Fault in Our Stars, then I would highly recommend this for you to read!