Wednesday, April 27, 2016

What's Up Wednesday #9

Happy Wednesday Friends! Today I am linking up with Mix and Match FamilySheaffer Told Me To and The Larson Lingo for the What's Up Wednesday Post.  What's Up Wednesday occurs on the last Wednesday of every month and it is a fun list of questions getting ready for the upcoming month!





What We're Eating this Week

Last night I went to Big Wave Sushi with Caroline and her sister, Kate.  I absolutely love Big Wave Sushi and look forward to going there every time I have plans to go.  Right now I won't be going for at least a month and I am a bit sad. 




What I'm Reminiscing About

April 23 would have been my Grandma Jackie's birthday.  Every year around her birthday, I find myself a little sad because she was such a huge part of my life.  However, it is also fitting that on her birthday I saw a Cardinal - her favorite bird.  It almost felt like she was sending me a sign from heaven (at least I would like to believe that she was).




What I'm Loving

The weather here in Michigan is finally leaning toward Spring! Monday evening we had our first big rain with thunder and I am a happy camper.  I love thunder storms and I love the sound of the rain hitting the windows and the roof.  I also love what the rain means for us as the plants start to wake back up and we get to enjoy all of their beauty.  




What We've Been Up To

The past few weeks have been filled with parties, family, friends and other fun and exciting events.  I am loving how much time I have been able to dedicate to things I enjoy versus things I just put up with.  We also have been working hard to get all of our paperwork in order for the closing on our home.  I cannot wait to close and to finally own my very own home. 



What I'm Dreading

Packing.  I hate packing.  That being said, I am happy to be able to have the time to go through all of our stuff and get rid of all of the things that we do not need anymore and can reduce, reuse and recycle.




What I'm Working On

Mainly packing stuff and getting things organized for the house closing.  Everything exciting and boring all at once.



What I'm Looking Forward To

My birthday is in a few weeks and I am hoping to schedule a small party for us to go to another escape room like we did with Nick and Kevin a few months back! I am open to any other suggestions for fun things to do for a birthday too! So share away!



What I'm Watching/Reading

Right now I am loving The Selection Series and have been working my way through the books!
I have finished reading The Selection and I am currently reading The Elite.  To check out my other favorite books, check my out on Goodreads




What I'm Listening To

Over the weekend I listened to my Mumford and Sons radio station basically for eight hours and I love it! The music is upbeat and keeps me going when I do not feel like cleaning or packing.




What I'm Wearing

Finding pants for me that I can wear to work sometimes proves to be a difficult task, but Old Navy totally hit the mark for me with these pants.  They have a little bit of stretch to them and fit very nicely on my figure.  Right now I have the Robbie Red and the Black/White and love them for work.  I am hoping to buy a pair of navy and solid black here shortly.  




What I'm Doing this Weekend

This weekend we both have Eye Doctor Appointments on Saturday then I am going to a Norwex party at my mom's house.  After that, Sarah is going to come over to help me start packing up the guest bedroom so we have room to start moving all of the other boxes into the guest bedroom as we start to pack.  



Bonus: What are you giving for Mother's Day?

For Mother's Day, we are taking our moms to brunch like we did last year.  It will be so much fun and I am looking forward to it!





Previous What's Up Wednesday Posts:
I'd love to hear from you!


 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

April Book Review


Happy Tuesday Friends! I hope your week got off to a great start and you have exciting things planned for this week.  

For 2016, I have decided that it is important for me to take the time to read books... I know, I know, I say this every year, but this year I promise will be different! 

The goal is to each month, read a random assortment of books and share a few thoughts about the book (but not too much as I don't want to spoil the fun for anyone).  I love reading and I love sharing books with you guys.

Plus, this is a great opportunity for you all to share some of your awesome reads with me! 

If you want to follow/friend me on Goodreads, click here.

And you can keep track all year long by clicking 2016 Books at the top of my blog.  I will keep a running list of books right there for you.

Okay, time for the books I've read // currently reading in April!


The first book I finished in April was The Selection by Keira Cass.  If you remember, Justin and I randomly stopped by Barnes and Noble so I could use the bathroom and I picked up a few books to read while we were there.  I am so glad I picked up this book! It is a YA Dystopian Book and it falls right in my favorite type of Dystopia.  

If you are a fan of The Bachelor, I would highly recommend reading this book because it has an air of The Bachelor and the drama is juicy. 



The second book in the Selection Series is The Elite.  I have not finished this book yet, but I am loving it so far.  I find myself rooting for her to make a decision for the guy that I think is "right" for her, but part of me believes that she will go the opposite of what I think is the right choice because that would be the ultimate surprise in the series.  I have also purchased her next book so that when the time comes I can just finish the book and move right onto the next.  





Well that is all for my books for April! Make sure to stop by tomorrow when I am link up with some awesome ladies for....





Question of the Day: What good books are you currently reading? 



I'd love to hear from you!



Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Weekend Highs & Lows #30

Hello everyone!I hope you had a wonderful weekend filled with fun and exciting adventures  If you want more information about the party, please check out this post.



Highs:

On Saturday, I had a LuLaRoe Party for my friend so she could start launching her business and let me tell you, I am in love with LuLaRoe clothing! I actually purchased a bunch of clothes and cannot wait to wear them all.  In fact, I'm wearing one of them today at work! If you are interested in checking out Christina's Inventory, check out her VIP group on Facebook! She has some pretty awesome prints right now and should be getting more shortly!

Saturday evening we ran over to the house to check everything out.  It is amazing how much has changed in the past week.  We actually have all of our granite, our fireplace is pretty much done and all of our fixtures have been installed.  I am thinking we will actually be done way ahead of schedule! But we are not scheduled to close until May 31st.



On Sunday, we went to check out our friend (and my cousin's boyfriend)'s golf course! I have never gone golfing before and I had a blast! I actually think that Justin and I will be doing a couple's league this summer and I am looking forward to golfing with him.





Lows:


No lows here! I loved this weekend. 
  


Previous Weekend Highs & Lows
I'd love to hear from you!



 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Friday, April 22, 2016

Friday Favorites #7

Happy Friday Friends!
It's FRIDAY, and I've decided to join a new linky party! Every week I will be sharing a few of my favorite things from the past week.  The goal is to share random things, but I may end up doing some themed ones along the way.

I'm linking up today with AndreaErika and Narci for Friday Favorites!

For this series, I am going to post my favorite inspirational photos once a month! I have been needing inspiration lately and wanted to share with you all on a regular basis.  

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Tomorrow I am having an in-house LuLaRoe where the ladies can come and try on all of the inventory that my friend Christina has! I am excited to get to try on a few of her dresses and skirts and hopefully add a few pieces to my collection.

After the party, we are going to take it to the online arena and you all will have the chance to shop at my party too! Just go to this link to check it out!

I absolutely love LuLaRoe Leggings, so I am sure I will love everything else!



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On Wednesday I attended an awesome Blogger Event at Maria's for Orabella.  Upon arriving, we were surrounded by some of the most beautiful wedding dresses I have ever seen.  The beadwork and stitching on these dresses is to die for and I would have loved to shop here when I was looking for my own wedding dress.  If you are local to Michigan, Maria's for Orabella is a wonderful bridal salon that specializes in all things bride. 



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Have any of you heard about the United Relay of America? "United Relay of America is the first non-stop running relay setting off from Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles and meeting in New York City!

Three routes from the West to the East coast of America, over 9,000 runners and one aim: inspire, empower and connect people across America - to not just be part of running history, but to be united for a better world!"

The best part? 100% of all proceeds go directly to their chosen causes.  

UR America is also teaming up with Aftershokz which "will ensure participants are aware of their surroundings as they run—with their ears open—as they pass the batons, day and night, joined together in their causes." They are also donating 5% of every sale made through their site to UR America!

If you are interested in running, sign up here for 30% off your entry.  

Be_a_part_of_history.jpg


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I am so excited because my OwlCrate box shipped and is supposed to arrive sometime today! I have been anxiously awaiting this box as it is supposed to be Dystopian themed and I looooveee dystopia books.  If you love books and want a to get a box with one book and book-related goodies, you should definitely check out OwlCrate! Once I get the box, I will be sure to share a box opening/review with you all.





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My mom and I took dinner to my cousin and her husband yesterday and loved every single minute of holding this sweet little girl. 



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Question of the Day: What is your favorite thing of this week? 

I'd love to hear from you!




 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

The Liebster Award!

Happy Thursday Friends! Today I am so excited to share with you that RunwithJackabee was nominated for The Liebster Award by AlexisNickCreates.  


So what is The Liebster Award? It is an award given to bloggers by fellow bloggers.  The whole idea is to promote and acknowledge bloggers for their hard work, accomplishments and build a community for bloggers.  

Once a blogger is nominated, they are to post 11 Random Facts about themselves, answer the questions given to them by their nominator and ask eleven questions of the bloggers they have nominated for the award.  It is a great opportunity to meet other bloggers and get to know a little bit about them.

So here goes!

11 Facts About Me:
  • I am the oldest and only child at the same time
  • I have two more bone and one less organ than the average person
  • I cut my hair maybe 2-3 times a year
  • I am left-handed
  • I was born in Massachusetts
  • I hate cucumbers but love pickles
  • I cannot be in the bathroom without the light on - too many nightmares about my bathroom
  • I have stepped foot on three of the continents (4th & 5th sometime next year)
  • I have an excessive amount of nail polish
  • I have a job that has nothing to do with my degree
  • I am an obsessive list maker

Questions from Alexis:


1. What is your favorite place that you have traveled to?
This one is hard for me to pick from. Every time I have traveled, I have left a little piece of myself where ever I have went. From a traveling for fun perspective, I think Italy was my favorite with Uruguay a close second.  I absolutely loved traveling to Jamaica as well because we went there for our honeymoon.  So I would have to say it's hard for me to pick just one.

2. What is your dream career?
Over the past 4 or 5 years, I have had several "dream" careers.  At one point, I wanted to be a psychologist and wanted to go back for my masters in psych.  A few years back, I wanted to be a part of wedding planning and even interviewed for an internship.  Lately, I've been really unsure about what my dream career would be.  I could see myself running some sort of business, I just am not sure what type of business it would be.


3. Current favorite artist (musician, designer, painter..)
Right now I am obsessed with Ruth B and her song "Lost Boy".  If you have not heard the song, check it out!



4. Do you keep your phone on ringer or vibrate?
At work I keep my phone on vibrate, at home it is on ring.  When I am at work, I sit in a cubicle surrounded by other people, so out of respect to them, I keep it on vibrate.  When I am at home, I tend to be moving around a lot so I put it on the ring setting so I don't miss any calls or texts.


5. Who is your biggest inspiration?
My biggest inspiration right now is my friend Christina.  She is pursuing so many things in her life and it is awesome to be a part of that!


6. Why did you start your blog?
I originally started my blog as a place to track my running and training progress, but life morphed into something else and I ended up talking more about my life than my training.


7. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Mashed potatoes.  I love mashed potatoes so much and would be happy to eat them forever.  


8. What social media platform is your favorite?
I love Instagram.  It is my favorite site to just browse through.


9. What is your ultimate goal for your blog?
The ultimate goal for the blog would be to build a big community.  I am loving all of the people I have met through my blog and hope to use my writing to connect people.  It is amazing how much influence some of the bloggers out there have and I would love to be able to be an influencer in the world. 


10. Do you prefer coffee or tea?
I prefer coffee all the way.


11. Where is your favorite place to find blogging inspiration?
I get most of my inspiration from other bloggers.  It is amazing to see some of the skills others have and I love reading about what is happening in their life.  


My Nominations



My Questions

1. If you could have any animal (wild or domestic) as a pet, what would you have?
2. What does your blog name mean?
3. Most insane hospital experience (that you are comfortable sharing)?
4, What is your favorite color?
5. What one widget would you recommend to fellow bloggers?
6. Does your name have a story?
7. Are you left-handed or right-handed?
8. What is the craziest color you have dyed your hair (if you have dyed your hair)
9. How did you meet your significant other?
10. What is your dream career?
11. What is your least favorite food?

Thank you so much to Alexis for nominating me for this award.  I am so honored that you chose me for this and feel very blessed.  Such a fun idea!
I'd love to hear from you!



 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Inspired by Post: Moving

Hi Friends! Sorry I missed yesterday's post! I've been trying very hard to post at least every day during the work week, but yesterday got away from me and I blanked on scheduling the post.  I am a bit sad as it was a Show and Tell Tuesday post too! But, such is life, right?

So a while back, I was having writers block and reached out to some blogger friends for inspiration.  Thankfully, they are amazing and recommended that I check out the monthly writing prompts from The SITS Girls. Let me tell you, if you are a blogger and have writers block, check out their site! I've written down easily 20 to 30 ideas in case I ever get in a bind and need some inspiration. 

All of that being said, one of the prompts they gave is to do a post inspired by the word "moving" and I thought it would be perfect to share with everyone today.

Image Source 
Moving

Right now moving means a lot of things.  Justin and I are in the process of buying our first every house (eek!) so that means in six weeks or so we will pack up all of our stuff (well whatever is going with us) and start a new adventure together.  It is kind of crazy to think that we have been in this apartment for the past three and a half years.  This place has been our home and moving from here will be strange. But it also is extremely exciting. 

We knew that when we moved into this apartment, it would be (most likely) the last apartment that we will live in, so we were a bit picky when deciding on a place to live.  That and we had to have a place that accepted pets because we had Frye.  In this apartment we've celebrated some wonderful holidays, started some wonderful traditions with friends and even added to our family by adopting Leilah.  It will be crazy leaving this place and moving into our first house.

The other thing I think of when I hear the word moving is the thought of moving forward.  The last year has been all about moving forward in life.  I had gone through a rather long period of serious depression that ruined some relationships and caused me to be almost unbearable to be around.  I'll admit it now - looking back on it all, I was pretty awful.  Thankfully I have some friends that helped me through that difficult time and continue to help me move forward.  So when I think of moving, I constantly remind myself that I need to just keep moving forward instead of getting stuck in the past.


So what do you think of when you hear the word "moving"? I am hoping that for you the word brings hope and excitement like it does for myself.


Question of the Day: How does the word "moving" inspire you?
I'd love to hear from you!



 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.


Monday, April 18, 2016

Weekend Highs and Lows #29

Hello everyone!I hope you had a wonderful weekend filled with fun and exciting adventures  If you want more information about the party, please check out this post.



Highs:

The weather this weekend was incredible in Michigan!

On Saturday I went to help Marcy and Janelle at a Mom2Mom sale for Infantly Cute and it was so much fun! I got to hold a baby and see a bunch of really cute baby stuff.  Plus, it is always great to spend time with Janelle catching up on life.

After the show, I headed to the house to see the updated progress.  It is amazing how much the house can change on a week-to-week basis! When we went two weeks ago, the drywall had just finished.  Now we have paint and cabinets and it is really starting to look like a house!

When I arrived at the house, Justin surprised me with the most beautiful bouquet of roses.  He told me that he just wanted to do something nice for me.  Isn't he just so sweet? I love him.


Sunday I spent the morning cleaning my apartment and getting some work done around the apartment.  It felt great to have all of the windows open and have music playing loudly in the apartment while I cleaned up the house. 


Frye obviously loved me having all of the windows opened and soaked up every minute of sunshine he possibly could today.  

I spent the afternoon with Caroline and her doggy Mocha at the park and at our apartment.  It was so nice to get outside for a few hours today and really just enjoy the sunshine that we had today.  It was the first really beautiful weekend this Spring and everyone was definitely outside today just enjoying the weather.





I certainly loved spending time around a super cute doggy today and it makes me look forward to the possibility of us getting puppy in the near future.  It was also great to have some one-on-one time with Caroline.  We don't get to catch up too often so it was great to just take a nice long walk outside in the sun day.  I hope this good weather stays around for a while because I loved every minute of it. 


Lows:


No lows here! I loved this weekend. 
  


Previous Weekend Highs & Lows
I'd love to hear from you!



 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.