Weekend Recap

Wow, this weekend flew by! It was so hot all weekend so we tried to stay out of the stuffy house as much as possible. On Friday we went to dinner at Harbortown with Greg. Then we decided to hit up the new brewery in Point Loma called Bay City. It has a super cute vibe but sadly only three beers on tap. I wasn't really impressed with the Pale Ale I tried because it was crazy hoppy. Hopefully their other beers will be better! Next we made our way to Modern Times which was super close and has great beers. We had a blast hanging out, chatting, and trying some new beer. We also came home with a growler of cold brew coffee. YUM!

Harbortown

Creepy Greg

Saturday, Dina and I worked out, had breakfast at To the Point and ran errands together. It was fun to do the usual Saturday errands with a buddy! After laundry and catching up with some things around the house I went to dinner at Civico 1845 in Little Italy with my friends Sarah and Morgan. It was great to see both girls since its been soooo long since I've seen them! I don't think I've seen Morgan since college... crazy! The food was fantastic! I had the Cappelini all Puttanesca and a tasty sparkling rose... mmm so delicious! So refreshing during such a hot day. The prices were very reasonable and the atmosphere was cute and cozy!  Check it out if you haven't already! Later on we met up with Dina at Home and Away, which is always a good time.

Iced Chai Tea Latter from To the Point

Excuse the awkward face...trying to show the outfit lol

Sarah, Morgan, and me 

Love you Dina!

Sunday, Mark and I both had a ton to do. He went to the commissary for me so I could run other errands and clean up the house. Thanks baby! I made some guacamole using the Pioneer Woman's recipe for the Wooster BBQ later in the afternoon. It turned out super yummy. We headed to the Wooster's around 2:30 and got to hang out with them for a few hours before Mark headed to the airport. The Wooster's throw a mean party and I always have fun catching up with everyone. Thanks for the sending us home with the most perfectly packaged leftovers Kathy!

It's a Salt Gun for killing flies lol

The Grillers

Collin, Tracy, Michael, and Mark

**I didn't do a very good job at taking pictures of the BBQ. Whoops!

Now, it's time to sneak in a little workout before Big Brother and then bed time! It was a great weekend and I am ready to tackle the week ahead before we go to Vegas. Have a great Monday everyone!

Fall Crafts and Treats

I have been a tad bit fall obsessed lately which is kind of crazy because I truly do love summer. It's just been super humid and hot with no signs that it's getting cooler any time soon. Yuck! I guess I'm just ready for a little change. I'm sure that in a few months I'll be crying about wanting it to be warm again! On a recent trip to Joann's Fabric I saw this adorable area of pumpkins. I love having clusters of pumpkins around the house during fall. It just makes everything feel so cozy and it's such an easy way to decorate. I haven't purchased any yet because I might recreate some of these one my own. I snapped a few pictures for inspiration though.

I LOVE this one!

These are all my jam!

**On yet another trip to Joann's I saw that they have a buy 2 get 1 free sale going on. I think I'll be making some purchases this weekend!! :)

More Fall Inspired Goodies

I stumbled across this blog called One Cheap Utah Chick in my quest for all things fall. She shared a simple (semi-homemade) pumpkin spice creamer. I love pumpkin spice (as I embarrassingly shared the other day hehe). It can get expensive to go to Starbucks everyday, so I'm trying to find alternatives that aren't too unhealthy.  I just started using a creamer again and I didn't want to go back to the fake dairy that I was using beforehand. The Natural Bliss creamer is great because it's made with real sugar and cream. I wouldn't call it healthy but it's better than most alternatives.

The recipe is super simple...you only need three ingredients:
- Natural Bliss Cinnamon Creamer
- 1/4 c. 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree
- 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Blend all the ingredients and transfer back to the bottle. I recommend using some of the Cinnamon creamer pryer to mixing it all together because it won't fit back in the bottle otherwise. You can also store it in a large mason jar (which would be totally adorable).

Update: I've been using this all week and LOVE it! It's not a super overwhelming taste but still has that hint of pumpkin/ cinnamon goodness. YUM!

I love printables because they are like instant decor! Someone did all the hard work and created them for you. Perfect! The Dating Divas just published a list of 65 fall printables and they are seriously adorable. I printed out a couple this week but I'm waiting to put them up since Mark will think I'm crazy. :)

Five on Friday

It's that time again. I'm linking up with April, Natasha, and Christina for Five on Friday. I love these posts because they are unique to each blog and contain kind of random content :) Perfect for me!

1. Newest GlamGlow Gem

Buy it Here

So I have a confession... I have a serious skincare (product) obsession, yep it's true. I love finding new things to make my skin look smooth, glowy, and "problem area" free. Lately, I have been lusting over this new mask by GlamGlow and I can't wait to try it. It's called the GlamGlow FlashMud Brightening Treatment. It brightens skin and makes it appear more luminous and youthful. It also color-balances and evens out skin-tone.  All these things sounds great in my book! It deeply exfoliates so I will most likely purchase this after my other two masks are empty, because they do similar things. Has anyone tried this yet??

2. Outside Workouts

I LOVE exercising outside, especially since we live in a place where it's possible to do so 365 days a year. I talked about how much I like walks on last week's post and this week I walked and did a little workout with the hubby on the field. I was not in the mood to do anything but I was so glad that Mark suggested we go. It's always good to be around some fresh air and get your sweat on!

3. Big Brother

Soo I also must confess that I really love watching Big Brother. I haven't been as into it in the last few years but this summer I was hooked again when we were on our family trip to Missouri. My entire family watches the show and it was on three times while we were staying on the lake. It's fun to have a summer show to follow since all my fave shows are on during the fall and spring. The bonus is that Mark likes it too, woot woot! Did anyone else love that the Zingbot was on Wednesday's episode??

4. Do Not Fear or Be Dismayed

This verse has been my go-to this week. It's a nice reminder :)

5. It's Almost the Freakin' Weekend!!

Holy moly, I survived but I am exhausted. The first week of school AND Back to School Night kicked my booty! I can't wait to sit on my couch and not move for at least an entire night lol. Let's be real, I'm not very good at not doing things but I will relax for at least a couple hours ha. And maybe I'll get some Mexican food and a margarita, that sounds like Heaven right about now. :) I'm  also super excited to see Mark's cousins this weekend. It's very rare that we are all in the same place at the same time. I can't wait!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Book "Over" Review The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig

Buy it here

The book is centered around Rachel Woodley who is a twenty-something girl who was raised in a small English village by her mother. Her father died when she was very young and it was basically just Rachel and her mother for as long as she could remember. While Rachel is working as a Nursery governess she receives word that her mother is sick. By the time she makes it home it is too late, her mother has passed. To add insult to injury she was fired for leaving to visit her mother and her childhood home is being taken by the landlord. Now she's essentially an orphan and homeless.

While in her mother's room, she stumbles across a ripped page from a society magazine and the man pictured has a striking resemblance to her late father. She decides to show the page to her cousin (who is the only family she has ever known). Cousin David confesses that it is her father and he is actually an earl, not the deceased botanist she was told about as a child. Reeling from this new information she leaves in a hurry with revenge and deceit on her mind. In her haste to leave she meets a man that will forever change her future and helps her to devise a plan to meet her estranged father. She dives head first into the world of the lavish, spending late nights drinking and galavanting about London as Viera. The plot takes many twists and turns as you meet various characters who will shape Rachel aka Viera's future and make her understand the truth about both her father and her mother.

The ending was surprising but made the book feel complete. I hate the books that leave you with a cliffhanger... I need a book to be wrapped up neatly with a bow lol. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting page-turner.

Fall Lovin'

1. Chevron Necklace 2. Vince Camuto booties 3. Plaid Scarf 4. Bucket Bag 5. Faux Leather Jacket 6. Textured Cardigan

I love fall! I know I sound like the typical girl who squeals with delight at the thought of boots, scarves, pumpkin spice lattes, and comfy sweaters...but I can't help it! Living in San Diego doesn't give us the chance for a true fall but I can pretend, right?? Some of my favorite blogs have been posting outfit inspirations and I have been swooning over these Vince Camuto booties. They are a little expensive for my taste but seriously adorable! I follow EmilyAnnGemma (from The Sweetest Thing Blog) on Instagram and she just posted two really cute outfits with these booties. Maybe they will go on sale haha?? A girl can dream right?

I snagged these littles beauties during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale and I'm super excited to wear them. I am definitely not a heel girl so booties make me feel like I'm dressing up without risking falling on my face. :) I wore the heck out of my maroon booties from Old Navy last year so I am so excited to have a more neutral color to wear this fall. Plus the zipper detail in the back is so cute and makes them easy to wear.

The chevron necklace would be a great layering piece for a basic tee and a long cardigan. Plus it's only $16! Perfect!

I saw the Bucket Bag at Old Navy last weekend and wanted to get it but for some reason I set it back down. They have a sale online right now for 25% off any amount, 30% off $75, and $35 off of $100. Maybe I will have to pick this bag up soon! It's a great neutral bag that is able to hold a ton of my junk! I tend to fill my purses with all kinds of things but lately I've been using a really small cross-body so I've had to be a minimalist. I'm ready for a bigger bag for sure!



Of course, I can't leave out the excitement I have that the Pumpkin Spice Latte is coming back! I tried a few different recipes at home this past year but they weren't as good. Can't wait to treat myself!

What are your favorite fall treats?? Any clothing items you can't wait to purchase?

Baby David

The best thing that happened this weekend was that Baby David made his arrival! He was born on Saturday morning at 7:02 a.m. He was 7 lbs. 7 ounces and 19 inches long. I'm so excited that he is finally here and that Katie and Breyen are parents! Woohoo! Such an exciting time! I can't wait to meet him!

Weekend Recap

Tomorrow is our meet n' greet at school. AHH! I can't believe this day is already here! I feel confident that my room is ready to go and I'm excited to meet the little ones. I just don't know if I'm ready to wear grown-up clothes or to wake up at 5:15 a.m. again. Ugh! Anyways here's a little recap of the weekend...

Friday was an extremely busy day because it was my last chance to finish my classroom and to make sure I was ready for Monday. I was stressed to the max but Stephanie (my 2nd grade teaching partner) and Jenna (our 2nd grade assistant teacher) were amazing and helped me so much! THANK YOU!!  You saved me lol! I got home around six and Mark had prepped dinner for me. Thank you!! I had lots of help this day! I had bought a Tri-tip last weekend at Costco and was waiting to eat it all week. I had made a BBQ rub from the Against All Grain- Meals Made Simple cookbook. I'll post a recipe soon. It was delicious!! I picked up my dad from the airport and we had the tri-tip, roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes, and steamed asparagus. Everything was yummy! We watched most of Interstellar and then went to bed.

On Saturday morning I made the guys some breakfast of our leftover tri-tip, roasted potatoes, and over-easy eggs. I met my friend Heidi at a cute little nail salon in Encinitas where we treated ourselves to mani/ pedis. This was a much needed treat! :) It was nice to have some girl time as well! The guys golfed in Mission Bay while I was gone. Then we headed out to a late lunch with Greg at Harbortown. We each had burgers and they were delicious! The guys headed to the Sheraton hotel where the MMA fights were taking place. This was the main reason for my dad's visit this weekend. I ran errands trying to find some new work clothes (fail) and ended up going to the commissary. I figured it would be nice to take something off my plate for Sunday. The commissary was empty which was awesome, because who shops on a Saturday night lol?? I watched the season finale of Astronaut Wives and caught up on some reading. I picked the guys up later on and finally met my mom's cousins, which was great! Pretty chill night!

Sunday morning consisted of breakfast at Wonderland with Emily and James. I'm soooo glad I finally got to see them. Every time Emily is in town it doesn't work for us to get together and I miss her dearly. Move back already!! :) She gave me the book The Light Between Oceans and I cannot wait to read it. I've heard great things. Then we headed to Balboa Park to go to the Natural History Museum. They have an exhibit right now called Maya and I really wanted to see it. My dad and Mark are huge history buffs so I knew they would be excited about seeing it as well. I really liked the exhibit and I was glad we made time to go. Then it was time to drop my dad off at the airport. I hate saying goodbye, I always get emotional even though I see my fam quite often.

It looks like my eyes are closed but I'm just squinting because of the light haha

Look at these cuties!!

For the rest of the day I ran errands and got ready for work tomorrow. I prepped a bunch of food and tried to iron my clothes for the week. Let's see how long that lasts haha! We ate steak, fried potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and a spinach salad with cherry tomatoes, bacon, cheddar cheese, and red onions... YUM! Then Mark and I took a walk at the cliffs (my fave!) and went for some fro-yo. Great end to our week! I hope everyone has a great day tomorrow!!

From our walk...this is Mark's "normal" face :)

Five on Friday

It's almost the weekend!! Woot woot! My dad comes in town tonight so that's exciting! Mark and my dad are going golfing and to an MMA fight later tomorrow night. My mom's uncle is refereeing the fight so a bunch of guys made the trip to San Diego to have a guys weekend. I will be spending tomorrow getting coffee and a pedicure with my friend Heidi. I love a good relaxing girls day :)

A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello Happiness

1. New Workout Clothes

Burnout Tank

Headband

I LOVE getting new workout clothes because it definitely makes me want to work out more often (which is always a good idea). I found a few cute tanks from Old Navy and a workout headband that I have been loving. The tank was on sale for $7 and the headband was on sale for $4. I bought one of their new sports bras but I'm going to return it because it just doesn't fit as well as the old design.  I also picked up a couple other things and I had a $15 off of $50 coupon. I love a good deal!

Tuff Athletics Printed Leggings

I also found a cute pair of patterned workout leggings at Costco for $16.99. They are super comfy and on the thicker side. I have this fear of leggings being too thin and everyone seeing my booty while I'm working out, so thank goodness these passed the test.

2. Everybody Get Walkin...

I can't get enough of this view!

The title is from the lyrics of a song that we sing at Praise & Worship at my work... it was stuck in my head as I was writing this haha. Anyways, I absolutely love to go on walks. Just being outside soaking in the sunshine, while listening to music (or as of late, an audiobook) and getting a little exercise is my idea of relaxation.  We live super close to Sunset Cliffs so I usually go on walks there but lately I have also really enjoyed walking at the Marine Core base near us. They have a track that is always empty so it's nice and quiet. I have been loving going about 30 minutes before sunset and then I walk for around an hour while listening to my audiobook. It's so peaceful. Sometimes I will do sprint intervals and then do different kinds of squats, lunges, and burpees. It's a perfect outside workout. 

3. My Sanity

I have a VERY long commute to and (especially) from school. The first week I started working there I would come home in tears because I was so exhausted from the crazy traffic. The last thing you want to do after a work day is have to slam on your breaks every two minutes because the traffic is so nuts! I finally realized that listening to talk radio or audiobooks would save my sanity (at least on the way home hehe). I have listened to so many books since then and I just finished another great one, The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig. At first I was unsure because the accent really got on my nerves but I grew to actually like the voice and to LOVE the book. I found myself listening to it while walking, getting ready in the morning, and setting up my classroom.  It's a great book about a girl named Rachel Woodley whose mother died unexpectedly. As she is gathering the items left in the home she finds something that leads her to believe her father, whom had been dead for 23 years, was actually alive. The story unveils the layers of deceit, revenge, and love as Rachel explores her past and her future.  I'll do more of a review on the book next week but if I was you I would go download it ASAP!

Amazon

4. Babies!!

Mark's cousin Laura just announced that she is pregnant and we couldn't be more excited!!! This will be the first baby in our families and we can't wait to spoil the heck out of it. Praying for a healthy pregnancy for Laura and a healthy baby girl... okay a boy will be fine too :)

5. Back to School

Today is our last day of our Inservice week before the kiddos come. I am stressed and praying that I finish everything today. I forgot how much work it is to set up a classroom from scratch. I've gone to Joann's Fabric four times in the last week and I feel they should know me by name haha. I keep going back to get more fabric, ribbon, and other extras that I didn't think about earlier in the week. I know that teaching is about way more than a classroom looking complete but I also know that the presentation of the room is the first things the parents and kids will notice. Just trying to squeeze in as much work as I can today so I don't have to come in over the weekend. I can do this!!