Breakfast Food Obsession

Time to come clean about my obsession.  Breakfast food.  I could eat some form of "breakfast" three meals a day and never get tired of it.  Pancakes, French Toast, Waffles, Eggs - I'm not picky, really.  

I mostly blame this on my mom, because she loved to make breakfast for dinner - breakfast at noon on a Sunday, any excuse for Brunch or "Brinner" was a win in our house! I think if Kevin realized how often I eat breakfast for dinner while he's at work he might be shocked, but what he doesn't know can't hurt him, right? It just seems so easy to mix up two eggs and some vegetables in a pan and make an omelet - one dish (maybe two if I use a real plate vs paper), and a spatula! Waffles are a bit more complicated, but I have gotten really good at making a batch of 20 and then freezing them.  So, a few mins in the oven and some syrup - DINNER! It's also a great excuse to drink coffee with my dinner, something I usually struggle to validate. 

Case in point... iPhone food photography at it's finest (completely kidding, I am not a food blogger or a food stylist and my food only looks pretty when Instagram filters are applied). 

So, when your husband (or significant other) is away, what is your go-to food?!

Trips I'd Love to Take

Money & PTO were not an issue, these are the top 7 vacation destinations on my list! (Note: these are all within the States, I'll save international goals for another post. 

1. Vegas - Gambling, Shows, Hoover Dam (I am such a nerd)
2. Alaska - wildlife, glaciers, Juneau
3. Hawaii - yes please
4. Texas - friends, scenery, the ALAMO
5. Yellowstone - hike all day, drink all night
6. Colorado - Denver/Breck/Vail - I cannot ski, but I'm okay with that.
7. Maine - Lobster. Hiking. Relaxation. Jordan Pond.

Yellowstone - Courtesy of Yellowstone.net

Out of that list, I've only ever done Maine before.  And that is a trip I would take every year if I could - the peace, the hiking, the LOBSTER, oh yes please.  My parents chose to do Hawaii on their own about 15 years ago, and I can't blame them.  With my geo-geek dad, they had a wonderful time exploring volcanoes, taking helicopter rides, etc.  I feel like people are shocked that I am 28 and have never been to Vegas, but when you turn 21 after the rest of the planet, everyone had already done Vegas.  And, I somehow don't have any friends living there (hello, hospitality industry?!).  Don't worry though, I'll make Kevin take me soon enough.  

 

via alaska.org

We've been talking about taking a cruise (another thing I've never done), and an Alaskan cruise sounds like so much fun!  Texas is on the list mostly because one of my bests lives there - and I would love to visit her and that ginormous state! The rest are just trips on my list - ones that I would love to take with my husband, and do our usual.  Our usual being, the cheapest means of travel, finding a hotel that I can use my wonderful Hilton Employee Discount at, and taking a billion photos.  Kevin and I both have the same travel style - we need a little down time, some historical options, outside activities, and great food!  

This is my idea of heaven.. Hello South of France

How about you - what are your dream trips?

Homeownership - What We Bought/Got

After 3 1/2 years of marriage and two rentals - we finally bought a house.  Except this isn't just any house, it's the FOREVER house.  Both my parents and my in-laws still live in the homes we grew up in.  Kevin's parents moved into their house when he was two and mine moved into our house three years before I was born.  And while I understand that jobs may change, emergencies arise, etc - Kevin and I both LOVED growing up in the same house our entire childhood.  And it's nice now too, to go back to the same home that we learned to walk in, tie our shoes, and got ready for every first and last day of school.  

We have a long way to go with this crazy house, and a few projects already completed that will grace this blog over the next few weeks.  But for the time being, here are the basics! 

• Two story home, built in 1988
• Our dream development - the same one my Aunt & Uncle have lived in for 22 years
• Great school district, close to shopping, parents, and work 
• Walking distance to a park with tennis courts, basketball courts, a pond, running trail, etc. 
• Four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a living room, sitting room, dining room, and eat-in kitchen
• My husband's dream 2 car garage, and a small shed for outdoor toys

I've got a few photos ready to go, but we'll stick with recapping the downstairs for now.  I'll tackle the upstairs in a whole different post so as to not overwhelm you with the mess we purchased.

After looking back at some of these pictures, I'm not feeling so bad about the current state of our house! We've officially lived here for the entire summer (Moved in Memorial Day Weekend), and it feels more like "home" and "ours" with every little project!

Life Update

I know I've pretty much fallen off the face of the blogging world, and I've been okay with that for a while.  Doing my best to maintain my sanity, find a work-life balance, and get my mental status together has been hard. I know there will always be good days and bad days, but I'm trying to still find that point where there are more good days than bad.   I have such amazing friends IRL, but struggle with calling them when shit really sucks.  I know they will be supportive, but no one wants to be the Debbie Downer 100% of the time, and I feel like that is where my brain is stuck.  I was having a wonderful day last Wednesday and did something that was just so "Mom" and while it made me smile, I just could not kick the funk for the rest of the day. 

This is Ella, my best friend's baby. SO CUTE!

Now, that is not to say that there haven't been some good things in my life.  I'm trying to get on a better eating/cooking schedule for myself and for Kev.  With him working 3 - 11, he is NEVER home for dinner during the week.  I get discouraged quickly when I am the one cleaning, cooking, shopping, prepping, etc.  So, since I hate to grocery shop, I'm making Kevin go with me on Sunday evenings.  We make a list, make a meal plan, and shop.  It's not glamorous, but running errands with him is much nicer than running them alone.  So, I only get stuck cooking, cleaning, and eating by myself two or three nights a week - much better than 5! Added bonus is that I've actually lost 5lbs, and I don't know many people that will complain about that! 

Also, my dad took us skydiving.  And yes, the skydiving was an amazing experience and I can't wait to go back.  It was fun and exciting, and to get to do that with Kevin and my dad was the absolute best! But, even better than skydiving was this amazing friend we made.  Victoria was our instructor and she is AMAZING.  Patient, and a little crazy - so informative and reassuring.  She lives close to my work and in the last week we have developed an awesome friendship! How lucky am I to have made such a great friend doing something so cool? 

Prepping for one wedding shower while planning travel for 3 weddings all within 7 weeks of each other plus the wedding we're just now dress shopping for = insanity.  I've actually got an individual folder/binder/box for some of these weddings because i am so nervous I'm going to royally screw something up.  Wish me luck on that part - even my level of organization is taking a hit here.  While my poor bank account also takes a beating, let me tell you.  Planning one bridal shower across the state (that's in 2 weeks); attending a wedding in NC (that's in October); then two weeks later a wedding in Pittsburgh; then the November wedding; and then the big trip to Washington (the state of, not DC) in January.  My head is spinning.  Party central. 

Okay, off to find my sanity.  Again.

Lifeway Summer Challenge

I was so excited to find out I had been selected to participate in Influenster's Summer Program with Lifeway! I'm not huge on purchasing products out of my comfort zone at the grocery store right now.  I think like most people, I am hesitant to spend $5 or $8 on a product that I might not like - who can afford to waste money like that?! 

I did receive the coupon for one free item courtesy of Influenster and Lifeway, but received no compensation for my review.  I JUST REALLY LIKED IT! I checked out the Lifeway website to see what products they had, and when I learned they had frozen kefir, it was well worth the trip to Wegman's.  On a regular basis I would probably be hesitant to make a special trip, but in this case it was worth it.  The Pomegranate and Strawberry flavors were all they had at Wegman's, but I am currently on the search for the Mango flavor as well! The frozen kefir was so smooth, and while it tasted a bit more like yogurt than most frozen yogurts, it was a great summer treat! 

Has anyone else tried any of Lifeway Kefir products? I'm not sure I am brave enough to drink my yogurt - but I'll take it as a frozen treat any day!